With abortion rights barely touched upon nearly two hours into the Democratic debate, frontrunner Hillary Clinton brought up the issue unprompted. Pivoting from a question on paid family leave, Hillary blasted Republicans for their attacks on Planned Parenthood.
Clinton was specifically asked by CNN’s Dana Bash about critics of paid family leave who would be wary of another government program.
“When people say that, it’s always the Republicans or their sympathizers who say, ‘You can’t have paid leave, you can’t provide health care.’ They don’t mind have big government to interfere with a woman’s right to choose and take down Planned Parenthood,” she said. “They’re fine with big government when it comes to that. I’m sick of that.”
The moment brought big cheers from the audience as some in the debate hall gave Clinton a standing ovation.
“We should not be paralyzed by the Republicans and their constant refrain ‘big government this, big government that,’ except for what they want to impose on the American people,” Clinton said.