COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — The Biden-Harris presidential campaign made a stop in Colorado Springs on Friday. Douglas Emhoff, Senator Kamala Harris's husband, met with supporters at Pikes Peak Community College for a health care round table discussion.
"The first thing she's going to say is, okay Dougie, how was the trip, tell me everything," Emhoff said. "She asks questions and I'm going to be able to talk to her exactly about what we're hearing today."
The group included health care workers and people living with pre-existing conditions. Their top concern was protecting the Affordable Care Act.
"Thirty years of being diabetic has not been kind to me," David Ward told Emhoff. "I have the health issues of an 80-year-old."
Tiana Cooks explained that she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes just before entering college.
"It was like, am I going to pay for my insulin this month or am I going to pay for a textbook, what's more important," Cooks told Emhoff.
Emhoff noted the Supreme Court Case California v Texas threatens to overturn the Obama administration's signature health care policy. Oral arguments are currently scheduled for a week after Election Day.
"We need to win this election, and we need to have Joe and Kamala who actually care, they're compassionate, they're concerned, they're empathetic," he said.
The discussion also took aim at the Trump administration's coronavirus response.
Jennifer Bresnahan, a nurse, said many hospitals are still having trouble getting enough personal protective equipment.
"We were out of masks, we're still reusing masks in the hospital," Bresnahan said.
Even though it was a short visit, the voters who participated felt encouraged.
"He looked me in my eyes when I was talking to him and he understood where I was coming from," Cooks said.
"To know that he is going to take that back and that they are listening and that they are fighting for us, and using our stories every step of their campaign, it's super meaningful," added Kelli Deferme, who also struggles with pre-existing conditions.
Emhoff's visit comes following a campaign rally in Denver Thursday night in support of John Hickenlooper's race for the US Senate. The attendees all wore masks and observed proper social distancing requirements.
