Steve Bullock in Democratic candidates debate in Detroit Michigan, July 30-31, 2019

On Energy & Oil: Climate change vs. jobs: that's a false choice

Sen. Bernie Sanders: We are going to provide and make sure that those workers have a transition, new jobs, healthcare and education.

BULLOCK: We've set this false choice far too often. Are we going to actually address climate change? Or are we going to give people a better shot at a better life? You can do both, but let's actually have the scientists drive this. Let's not just talk about plans that are written for press releases.

On Free Trade: Blunt instrument of tariffs hurt farmers

On Gun Control: Must address dark money to take on NRA

Sen. Amy KLOBUCHAR: [The problem] is a political system that allows the NRA and other large, big money to come in and make things not happen when the majority of people are for. The people are with us now [against] the power of the NRA. As president, I will take them on.

Q: Governor Bullock, how can Democrats trust you to be the leader on this fight for gun safety when you only changed your position to call for an assault weapons ban last summer?

BULLOCK: Like 40% of American households, I'm a gun-owner. I hunt. We need to start looking at this as a public health issue, not a political issue. I agree with Senator Klobuchar. It is the NRA. And it's not just gun violence. It's when we talked about climate, when we talk about prescription drug costs, Washington is captured by dark money, the Koch brothers, and others. We're not going to address [the NRA's power] until we kick dark money and out of these elections.

On Health Care: Medicare-for-All is wish-list economics

BULLOCK: Watching that last debate, folks seemed more concerned about outdoing each other with wish-list economics, than making sure Americans know we will help their lives. I won 3 elections in a red state--not by compromising our values, but by getting stuff done. That teacher working a second job, just to afford her insulin. They can't wait for a revolution.

Q [to Warren]: You support Medicare-for-All. Does that include raising taxes on middle-class Americans?

WARREN: Giant corporations and billionaires are going to pay more. Middle-class families are going to pay less out of pocket for their health care.

Q [to Bullock]: You do not support Medicare-for-All?

BULLOCK: I'm not going to support any plan that rips away quality health care from individuals. This is an example of wish-list economics. It used to be just Republicans who wanted to repeal and replace. Now many Democrats do, as well. We can get there with a public option, and negotiating drug prices.

On Health Care: We pay more for prescription drugs than anyplace in world

Rep. Beto O`ROURKE: I think we're being offered a false choice, some who want to improve the Affordable Care Act at the margins, others who want a Medicare for All program that will force people off of private insurance, I have a better path. Medicare for America. Everyone who is uninsured is enrolled in Medicare tomorrow.

Q: Who's offering a false choice?

O`ROURKE: Governor Bullock, who's said that we will improve the Affordable Care Act at the margins with a public option.

BULLOCK: Congressman, not at all. It took us decades and false starts to get the Affordable Care Act. Let's actually build on it. A public option, allowing anyone to buy in. We pay more for prescription drugs than any place in the world. Negotiate prescription drug prices. End surprise medical billing. That's the way that we can get there without disrupting the lives of 160 million people that like their employer-sponsored health insurance.

On Health Care: Medicare-for-All is wish-list economics

BULLOCK: No, health care is so personal to all of us. I'm not going to support any plan that rips away quality health care from individuals. This is an example of wish list economics. It used to be just Republicans who wanted to repeal and replace. Now many Democrats do, as well. We can get there with a public option, negotiating drug prices...

On Homeland Security: Keep first use of nuclear weapons on the table

WARREN: Because it makes the world safer. The US is not going to use nuclear weapons preemptively, and we need to say so to the entire world. It reduces the likelihood that someone miscalculates, someone misunderstands.

BULLOCK: I wouldn't want to take that off the table. Never, I hope, certainly in my term or anyone else's, would we really even get close to pulling that trigger. But going from the position of strength, we should be negotiating down so there aren't nuclear weapons. But drawing those lines in the sand, at this point I wouldn't do.

On Immigration: Healthcare for immigrant means more border crossers

BULLOCK: We've got 100,000 people showing up at the border right now. If we decriminalize entry, if we give health care to everyone, we'll have multiples of that. Don't take my word: that was President Obama's Homeland Security secretary that said that. The biggest problem right now that we have with immigration, it's Donald Trump. He's using immigration to not only rip apart families, but rip apart this country. We can actually get to the point where we have safe borders, where we have a path to citizenship, where we have opportunities for DREAMers. And you don't have to decriminalize everything. What you have to do is have a president in there with the judgment and the decency to treat someone that comes to the border like one of our own.

On Immigration: Playing into Trumps hands, don't decriminalize

BULLOCK: You are playing into Donald Trump's hands. The challenge isn't that it's a criminal offense to cross the border. The challenge is that Donald Trump is president and using this to rip families apart. A sane immigration system needs a sane leader. And we can do that without decriminalizing and providing health care for everyone. And it's not me saying that, that's Obama's Homeland Security secretary that said you'll cause further problems at the border, not making it better.

WARREN: What you're saying is ignore the law. Laws matter. It matters if we say our law is that we will lock people up who come here, seeking refuge, seeking asylum. That is not a crime. We need to have a sane system that keeps us safe at the border, but does not criminalize the activity of a mother fleeing here for safety.

On War & Peace: We need nuclear deterrence against North Korea and others

BULLOCK: I agree [that] we need to get back to nuclear de-proliferation. But at the same time, when you actually have Korea; when you have others, I don't want to turn around and say, "Well, Detroit has to be gone before we would ever use that." When so many crazy folks are getting closer to having a nuclear weapon, I don't want them to think I could strike this country and I and we as the United States of America wouldn't do a thing. Part of the strength really is the ability to deter.