Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Stacey Abrams joined the crew on Election Day (November 6th) to discuss her vision of "creating a Georgia where everyone has the opportunity and freedom to thrive."
"I was raised by my parents to believe in faith and family and service and that we have a responsibility to do what's right. And so if you look at my campaign from the beginning till the very end, we have run on the same three issues: education, healthcare and jobs. Because I know if you have access to those three things, your life can be better in Georgia and across the country."
At the heart of her campaign, Abrams stresses the importance of medicaid expansion. While her opponent and members of the opposing party have stated that they do not want to do away with pre-existing conditions in regards to healthcare, they're actions have demonstrated otherwise.
"That's part of the challenge in this election, that they have counted on, especially in midterms, they counted on people not paying attention. And what just happened is that they've worked hard to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, to block active medicaid expansion. They've voted multiple times to end protection for preexisting conditions and they're hoping that the short-term memory and long-term memories of voters won't recall what they've done. Part of the responsibility that I've had, the candidates across this country have had, is to remind people of who they are. That these are not people you can trust with your healthcare, with your jobs or with your education because they are not going to tell us the truth."
The scary thing is that "if you have a stroke in certain parts of the state of Georgia, you can die before you see a doctor." If that didn't shake you to your core, think of how "in the deep south, the number one provider of mental healthcare is not our hospitals, it's our prison system and we have a lot of folks going to jail because they haven't gotten the help they need for bipolar disorder, for schizophrenia, for a range of mental health challenges."
Challenges that can be overturned with the proper healthcare and Abrams explains how medicaid expansion can not only save lives, but can be cost effective for everyone in the state Georgia as well.
"Medicaid expansion provides coverage, but it reduces cost for everybody. Because the reality is that poor people get sick and they go to the doctor. The problem is, if they can't pay the bill the rest of us do. Medicaid expansion means that they actually put their part of the bill through a common pool that reduces everyone's cost. It is actually the smartest economic decision we can make in Georgia."
Listen folks, we have to be the change that we want to see. In order for that change to happen, we must get out there and vote. Let's help Stacey Abrams make history in America.
Check out the full interview below: