Elizabeth Warren visits A&T, emphasizes education and healthcare

Elizabeth
Warren brought her campaign to NC A&T University’s Harrison Auditorium on
Thursday, promising $50 billion in aid for historically black colleges and universities,
along with other boosts for the education sector.

The
Democratic presidential candidate and US senator opened the event with a
comment on class in America.

“When
you see a government that works great for those with money, and it’s not
working so well for much of anyone else, that is corruption pure and simple and
we need to call it out for what it is,” Warren said. “And here’s the best part:
I’m here today because 2020 is our chance to turn that around.”

Warren
stopped at the campus for a live podcast recording with Angela Rye, commentator
for CNN and NPR and host of the podcast “On One.” The conversation with Rye
lasted over an hour, drifting from rapid-fire “yes or no” questions to in depth
discussions about wealth disparity, childcare and healthcare.

Warren
highlighted the impeachment proceedings against President Trump to drive home
her message about corruption in Washington. Beyond the Ukraine scandal, she
argued that the Mueller Report had already built a case for impeachment.

“No
one is above the law,” Warren said, “not even the president of the United
States.”

When
asked about her priorities as a presidential candidate, Warren brought up her
tax plan. She laid out her plan included a two-cent tax on every dollar above
$50 million that a person possesses.

“Now,
your first $50 million is free and clear,” she said, “but on your
50-million-and-first dollar, you’ve got to pitch in two cents. And two cents on
every dollar above that.”

The
plan, Warren said, would allow economic room for ventures that would boost
educational institutions, including colleges by adding funding for HBCUs,
working towards tuition-free college, and cancelling the student debts of
millions. She argued that her policies would free up an entire generation to
build small businesses and transform the economy.

Warren’s
plan also included prioritizing public schools, increasing teacher pay, and
universal childcare and preschool.

“It’s
universal childcare for every baby in this country age 0-5,” Warren pointed towards
a mother and her child sitting on her lap, “including that one in the back.”

Laurie
Arena, mother of 7-month-old Dylan, said Warren’s focus on family motivated her
to attend and to promise her vote to Warren, and having Warren meet her child
was a plus.

“I
feel like her policies want to protect children,” Arena said.

Addressing
the issue of healthcare, Rye asked Warren to respond to critics who have
labeled her Medicare-for-all plan a “pipe dream.” The presidential candidate
shared a personal anecdote about her family while she was in middle school,
when her father suffered from a heart attack.

“He
made it, but he didn’t work for a long, long time.” Warren said. “This turned
us upside down.”

She
continued the story to describe how her mother getting a minimum wage job
helped them financially recover, adding that she does not believe the situation
could happen today.

“Today,
a full-time minimum wage job in America won’t keep a momma and a baby out of
poverty,” she said.

Near
the end of her appearance, Warren reiterated her pledge to distribute $50
billion to historically black colleges and universities such as A&T. Warren
stated that it would be up to individual institutions to decide what to do with
the money, whether that took the form of investing in more professors, more
buildings or revitalizing campuses.

“We
need to reduce our investment in billionaires and increase our investment in an
entire generation of Americans,” Warren said.

One
of the guests at the campaign rally was Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who
announced her endorsement of Warren on Wednesday.

Pressley
explained why she is is backing her fellow Massachusetts lawmaker.

“What
I need is a visionary partner, a bold activist leader who is going to center
the voices of communities, who can teach as much as she can learn,” Pressley
said, “and that is what we have in Elizabeth Warren, and that is why I am so
very proud to be standing with her.”

After
the end of the event, Warren received supporters, one by one, onstage, where
they shook hands, hugged and posed for selfies.

Stepping
down from the stage, Brittney Elliott and Abena Konadu, both juniors, excitedly
swiped through their camera rolls, showing each other photos.

“You
can see when she gets energized,” Elliott said. “She gets louder, or she’ll hit
the chair a little bit. She was really passionate and really believed what she
was talking about.”

Both
the students held their phones with excitement, saying they had known Warren
tended to set up a line for selfies after each campaign stop, and had hoped
A&T was no exception.

“She
wants to connect with us.” Konadu said. “She wants to look us all in the eye.”