move democratic voters. >> are we going to see a candidate that slows empathy, decency. billi bill clinton and barack obama, they need a candidate to get out of their seats for them. >> the democratic candidates debate in las vegas begins right now. let us create the political revolution this country needs. >> the stakes could not be higher. we cannot afford to miss the mark or to miss this moment. >> i will bring this country together instead of tearing it apart. >> i can't do it alone. i need your help to climb that mountain. and together we're going to beat donald trump. >> 2020 is our time to change who makes the rules. >> i am running to restore honor to our government and build a country that we can be proud of.

from nbc news, the democratic presidential debate. live from las vegas, nevada. [ applause ] >> good evening, everyone, i'm lester holt, welcome to las vegas. everything is on the line tonight, with just three days before the critical nevada caucuses. here with me on the stage tonight, nbc news moderator of meet the press, chuck todd. and white house chief msnbc correspondent hallie jackson. also, vanessa ock. and john ralston who has covered nevada politics for more than three decades. the rules are this tonight, candidates will get 1:15 to answer each question, and 45 seconds for follow-ups. now that the stage has narrowed to six candidates, we encourage each of you to directly engage

with each other on the issues. let's get to our first question. since the last time you all shared the stage, senator sanders has surged into the lead nationally in the democratic race, and there's a new person on the stage tonight, mayor michael bloomberg, a former republican who spent millions of his own dollars to run in this race. what hasn't changed, a majority of democratic voters still say their top priority is beating president trump. senator sanders, the first question to you, mayor bloomberg is pitching himself as a centrist, who says he's best positioned to win in november. why is your revolution a better bet? >> in order to beat donald trump, we're going to need the largest voter turnout in the history of the united states. mr. bloomberg had policies in new york city of stop and frisk, which went after african-american and latino people in an outrageous way. that is not a way you're going to grow voter turnout. what our movement is about is

bringing working class people together, black and white and latino, native american, asian-american around an agenda that works for all of us and not just the billionaire class. and that agenda says that maybe just maybe we should join the rest of the industrialized world, guarantee health care to all people as a human right. raise that minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hour, and have the guts to take on the fossil fuel industry. because their short term profits are not more important than the future of this planet and the need to combat climate change. those are some of the reasons we have the strongest kparn to defeat donald trump. >> so i -- >> mayor bloomberg, can senator sanders beat president trump? >> i don't think there's any chance of the senator beating president trump. you don't start out by saying i

have 160 million people i'm going to take away the insurance plan that they love. that's just not a way that you go and start building the coalition that the sanders camp thinks they can do. i don't think there's any chance whatsoever. and if he goes and is the candidate, we will have donald trump for another four years, and we can't stand that. >> i'd like to talk about who we're running against. a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse faced lesbians, and no i'm not talking about donald trump, i'm talking about mayor bloomberg. democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women. and of supporting racist policies like red lining and stop and frisk. look, i'll support whoever the democratic nominee is, but understand this.

democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another. this country has worked for the rich for a long time. and left everyone else in the dirt. it is time to have a president who will be on the side of working families and be willing to get out there and fight for them. that is why i am in this race. and that is how i will beat donald trump. >> senator, we have to go to senator klobuchar, what do you think the path is from this stage to the white house? >> i think the path is a high voter turnout. i'm the one on this stage who had the highest voter turnout, when i led the ticket, as well as bringing in rural and suburban voters, and i've done that as well. i'm the only one with the receipts to have done that in republican congressional districts over and over again. i want to say this, i welcomed mayor bloomberg to the stage. i thought that he shouldn't be

hiding behind his tv ads. so i was already for this big day. and then i looked at the memo from his campaign staff this morning, and it said he thought three of us should get out of the way. that is what his campaign said. because we should pave the way for him to become the nominee. i have been told as a woman, someone no one thought would still be standing up on this stage, but i am because of pure grit and the people out there. i've been told many times to wait my turn and to step aside. and i'm not going to do that know. and i'm not going to do that because a campaign memo from mayor bloomberg said this morning, that the only way we get a nominee is if we step aside for him. i think we need something different than donald trump. i don't think you look at donald trump and say, we need somebody richer in the white house. >> mayor bloomberg, here's your opportunity to respond.

>> who can beat donald trump. and who can do the job if they get into the white house. i would argue i am the candidate that can do both of those things. i am a new yorker, i know how to take on an arrogant conman like donald trump, that comes from new york. i'm a mayor. was a mayor. i know how to win a complicated diverse city. i'm a manager, i knew what to do after 9/11 and brought the city back stronger than ever. i'm a philanthropist who didn't inhair ilt his money but made his money. and i'm 13e7bding that money to get rid of donald trump the worst president we've ever had. if i can get that done, it will be a great contribution to america and my kids. >> in terms of who can beat donald trump, it says joe biden

is best equipped to beat donald trump. it says i can beat him in those tossup states too, the states we have to win. i'm ahead by 8 points across the board. in terms of being able to beat donald trump. i'm better positioned to beat him in your poll. the mayor says that he has a great record. the fact of the matter is, he has not managed his city very, very well when he was there. he didn't get a lot done. he has stop and frisk, throwing close to 5 million young black men up against a wall. and when we came along in our administration and said, we're going to send in a moderator -- a mediator to stop it, he said, that's unnecessary. we're going to get a chance to talk about the mayor's record, but in terms of who is best prepared to beat donald trump, look at your poll and what it says.

>> mayor buttigieg, you want to weigh-in? >> we have to wake up as a party. the only candidates left standing will be bernie sanders and mike bloomberg. the two most polarizing figures on this stage. and most americans don't see where they fit if they have to choose between a socialist who thinks capital inch is the root of all evil, and a billionaire that thinks power ought to be the root of all power. let's put forward someone who's actually a democrat. look -- we shouldn't have to choose between one candidate who wants to burn this party down and another candidate who wants to buy this party out. we can do better. >> senator sanders, are you

polarizing? >> if speaking to the needs and the pain of a long neglected working class is polarizing, i think you got the wrong word. what we are trying finally to do is to give a voice to people who after 45 years of work are not making a nickel more than they did 45 years ago. we are giving a voice to people who are saying, we're sick and tired of billionaires like mr. bloomberg, seeing huge expansions of their wealth while a half a million people sleep out on the street tonight. what we are saying, maybe it's time for the working class for this country to have a little bit of power in washington, rather than your billionaire campaign contributors. >> first of all. >> it's okay. >> my campaign is fueled by hundreds of thousands of contributors.

>> including 46 billionaires. >> among the hurricanes of thousands of contributors. and look, we've got to unite this country to deal with these issues, you're not the only one who cares about the working class, most americans believe we need to empower workers. as a matter of fact, you're the one who is at war with the culinary union right here in las vegas. >> we have the support of unions all across this country. >> the division i'm putting forward has the support of american people. we can deliver health care without taking it away from anyone. we can empower workers and lift wages without polarizing this country. and we can build a movement without having legions of our supporters online and in person. >> democratic figures and union leaders alike. >> senator warren, i have a question for you. vice president biden accused senator sanders supporters of bullying union leaders here with

malicious, vicious, misogynistic things. are senator sanders and making it harder to unify in november? >> i've said many times before, we are all responsible for our supporters and we need to step up. that's what leadership is all about. but the way we are going to lead this country and beat donald trump is going to be with a candidate who has rock-solid values and who actually gets something done. when mayor bloomberg was busy blaming african-americans and latinos for the housing crash of 2008, i was right here in las vegas, literally, just a few blocks down the street, holding hearings on the banks that were taking away homes from millions of families. that's when i met mr. estrada, one of your neighbors. he came in to testify, and he said he thought he'd done everything right with wells fargo. but what had happened?

they took away his house in a matter of weeks. this man stood there and cried while he talked about what it was like to tell his two little daughters that they might not be in their elementary school, that they might be living out of their van. i spent the next years making sure that would never happen again. wall street fought us every inch of the way on a consumer agency. they lost. and i won. we need a candidate with unshakeable values and a candidate who can actually get something done for working people. >> thank you, senator. >> that's why i'm in this race, and that's how i'll beat donald trump. >> senator sanders. >> we have over 10.6 million people on twitter and 99.9% of them are decent human beings, are working people, are people who believe in justice, compassion, and love. and if there are a few people who make ugly remarks, who

attack trade union leaders, i disown those people, they are not part of our movement. let me also say -- what i hope my friends up here will agree with -- is that if you look at the wild west of the internet, talk to some of the african-american women on my campaign. talk to senator nina turner. talk to others. and find the vicious, racist, sexist attacks that are coming their way as well. so i would hope that all of us understand that we should do everything we possibly can to end the viciousness and ugliness on the internet. our campaign is about issues. it's about fighting for the working families and the middle class. it is not about vicious attacks on other people. >> senator, when you say that you disown these attacks, and you didn't personally direct them, i believe you. >> well, thank you. >> but at a certain point you've got to ask yourself, why did this pattern arise? why is it especially the case

among your supporters. >> i don't think it is especially the case, by the way. >> that's just not true. >> no. if you want to talk to some of the women on my campaign, what you will see is the most ugly sexist, racist attacks that are -- i won't even describe them here, they're so disgusting. let me say something else, not being too paranoid. all of us remember 2016. and what we meant -- what we remember is efforts by russians and others to try to interfere in our election. and divide us up. i'm not saying that's happening. but it would not shock me. i saw some of those tweets regarding the culinary workers union. i have a 30-year, 100% pro-union voting record. you think i would support or anybody supports me would be attacking union leaders? it's not nibble. >> leadership is about what you draw out of people, it's about how you inspire people to act. right now we're in this toxic political environment. leadership isn't just about

policy. i think, at least in broad terms, we're largely pulling in the same direction on policy. but leadership is also about how you motivate people to treat other people. i think you have to accept some responsibility and ask yourself what it is about your campaign in particular that seems to be motivating this behavior more than others. because in order to turn the page on the trump era, we're going to need a president, not just a candidate who can win but a president, who moves forward -- >> i have an idea how we could stopn e internet, we could nomat candidate of president of the united states. that could go a long way. really what is at the core of this issue between senator sanders and the culinary union, these are hard-working people, housekeepers like elizabeth and i met with last night, who have health care plans that have been negotiated over time, sweat, and blood. and that is the truth for so

many americans right now. >> senator, thank you. >> there are 149 million americans that would lose their current health insurance -- >> senator klobuchar, thank you. >> -- under senator sanders' bill, that's what it says on page 8. and i don't think we should forget that. >> i want to turn it over to my colleague chuck todd. >> senator sanders, i want to stay on this topic on the issue with the culinary union. obviously their leaders are warning their members about -- that your health care plan will take away their health care plan, take away private insurance completely. there are some democrats who like you a lot but worry that this plan, medicare for all, is going to take away private insurance and that it goes too far. are they right? >> no. let me be very clear. two points. for 100 years, from teddy roosevelt to barack obama, this country has been talking about the need to guarantee health care for all people. and yet today, despite spending twice as much per capita, chuck,

twice as much, as any other major country on earth, we got 87 million who are uninsured or underinsured. we got over 60,000 people who die every year because they don't get to a doctor on time. we're getting ripped off outrageously by the greed and corruption of the pharmaceutical industry which in some cases charges us 10 times more for the same drugs because of their price fixing. 500,000 people go bankrupt every year because they can't afford medical bills. let me be very clear for my good friends in the culinary workers union, a great union. i will never sign a bill that will reduce the health care benefits they have. we will only expand it for them, for every union in america, and for the working class of this country. >> senator warren, you were all in on medicare for all, then you have since -- came up with a transition plan. is it because of the impact on unions?

>> i want to be clear. i've been to the culinary union's health care facilities. they're terrific. you don't want to shut them down, you want to expand them, you want to see them all across nevada, all across this country. but we need to get everybody's health care plan out here. mayor buttigieg really has a slogan that was thought up by his consultants to paper over a thin version of a plan that would leave millions of people unable to afford their health care. it's not a plan, it's a power point. and amy's plan is even less. it's like a post-it note, insert plan here. bernie has started very much -- has a good start. but instead of expanding and bringing in more people to help, instead his campaign relentlessly attacks everyone who asks a question or tries to fill in details about how to actually make this work. and then his own advisers say,

eh, probably won't happen anyway. look, health care is a crisis in this country. we need -- my approach to this is we need as much help for as many people as quickly as possible. and bring in as many supporters as we can. and if we don't get it all the first time, take the win and come back into the fight to ask for more. >> guys, i'm going to get everybody in. >> they need our help on this. >> mayor buttigieg, she name checked you first, i'll let you go first. >> name checked me second. >> well, okay. you too. >> i'm more of a microsoft word guy. if you look at my plan, i don't know if there are any power points on it but you definitely find the document on peteforamerica.com. you'll see that it is a plan that solves the plan, makes sure there is no such thing as an uninsured american, and does it without kicking anybody off the plan that they have. this idea that the union members

don't know what's good for them is the exact kind of conned sense and arrogance that makes people skeptical of the policies we've been putting forward. here we have a plan that the majority of americans support. do you realize how historic that is? that the american people already in a way far beyond what was true even 10 years ago in what was available to president obama at the time, a powerful american majority ready to undertake the biggest, most progressive reform we've had in health care in 50 years, just so long as we don't force it on anybody. what is wrong with that? >> can i respond to that? >> senator klobuchar. i think the post-it note came first, senator. >> i must say i take personal offense, since post-it notes were invented in my state. >> 3m. >> so my plan is a public option. and according to all the studies out there, it would reduce

premiums for 12 million people immediately. it would expand coverage for about that same number. it is a significant thing. it is what barack obama wanted to do from the very beginning. the way i look at it, since we're in vegas, when it comes to your plan, elizabeth, and bern''s on medicare for all, you don't put your money on a number that's not even on the wheel. and why is medicare for all not on the wheel? why is it not on the wheel? because two-thirds of the democratic senators are not even on that bill. because a bunch of the new house members that got elected see the problems with blowing up the affordable care act. they see it right in front of them. and the truth is that when you see some troubled waters, you don't blow up a bridge, you build one. and so we need to improve the affordable care act, not blow it up. >> let me just say -- >> i will, he anymore checked three -- go ahead, senator sanders.

we'll get you in. we've got a lot of people in here we've got to hit. >> here we go. it's my turn? >> yes, sir. >> okay. somehow or another, provide universal health care, uk can do it, france can do it, all of europe can do it. gee whiz. somehow or other, we are the only major country on earth that can't do it. why is that? and i'll tell you why. it's because last year the health care industry made $100 billion in profits. pharmaceutical industry, top six companies, $69 billion in profit. and those ceos are contributing to pete's campaign and other campaigns up here -- >> let's clear this up right now. >> maybe, maybe it is finally time that we said as a nation, enough is enough, the function of a rational health care system is not to make the

pharmaceutical industry and the drug companies rich, it is to provide health care to all people as a human right, not a privilege. >> mr. vice president -- >> i'm the only one on the stage that actually got anything done on health care. okay? i'm the guy the president turned to and said, go get the votes for obamacare. i notice what everybody's talking about is the plan that i first introduced. that is to go and add to obamacare, provide a public option, a medicare-like option. it cost -- increase the subsidies. it cost a lot of money. it cost $750 billion over 10 years. but i paid for it by making sure that mike and other people paid the same tax rate their secretary pays at. that's how we get it paid, number one. number two, from the moment, from the moment we passed that signature legislation, mike called it a disgrace, number one. number two, trump decided to get

rid of it. number three, my friends here came up with another plan. but they don't tell you, when you ask bern 90 how much it cost, the last time he said that i think it was on your show, he said, we'll find out. we'll find out, something to that effect. it cost over $35 trillion. let's get real. >> senator warren, you get the final word. go ahead, senator warren. >> so i actually -- so i actually took a look at the plans that are posted. mayor buttigieg, there are four expenses that families pay. premiums, deductibles, co-pays, uncovered medical expenses. mayor buttigieg says he will put a cap only on the premiums. and that means families are going to pick up the rest of the costs. amy, i looked online at your plan, it's two paragraphs. families are suffering. and they need -- >> okay, that's it. >> you can't simply stand here and trash an idea to give health care coverage to everyone

without having a realistic plan of your own. and if you're not going to own up to the fact either that you don't have a plan or that your plan is going to leave people without health care coverage, full coverage, then you need to say so. i just want to say, when i was in reno, when i met a man who said he had diabetes, he gets his insulin through the va. but his sister and his daughter also have diabetes. no way to pay for their insulin. three human beings right here in nevada -- >> my plan takes care of that. >> they are struggling, they share one insulin prescription, it should not happen in this country. >> are you a fan of obamacare? >> i am a fan of obamacare. >> that's not true, mr. mayor. >> mr. vice president, i just checked the record because you'd said one time that i was not. in '09 i testified and gave a speech before the mayors conference in washington advocating it and trying to get

all the mayors to sign on. i think at that time i wrote an article praising obama care, either in the "new york post" or "the daily news." >> didn't you call it a disgrace -- >> let me finish, thank you. i was in favor of it. i thought it didn't go as far as we should. what trump has done to this is a disgrace. the first thing we've got to do is get the white house and bring back those things that were left, and then find ways to expand it. another public option, having some rules about capping charges. all of those things. we shouldn't just walk away and start something that is totally new, untried. >> okay, vice president biden, go ahead. >> the mayor said, when we passed it, the signature piece of this administration, it's a disgrace. they're the exact words. it was a disgrace. look it up, check it out, it was a disgrace. >> thank you. >> i covered, by the way, that plan, you do not have surprise billing, you bring down drug

prices, people are not -- it gives people all the things we're just talking about. i guess you've not got time to do it but i'll get a chance to talk. >> thank you. lester? >> mayor bloomberg, at the beginning of this debate you took incoming fire on this next topic. 2015, this is how you described your policing policy as mayor, quote, we put all the cops into minority neighborhoods. you explain that is quote because that's where all the crime is. you went on to say, and the way you should get the guns out of kids' hands is to throw them against the wall and frisk them. you've apologized for that policy. what does that kind of language say about how you view people of color or people in minority neighborhoods? >> well, if i go back and look at my time in office, the one thing that i'm really worried about, embarrassed about, was how it turned out with stop and frisk. when i got into office, there was 650 murders a year in new

york city. and i thought that my first responsibility was to give people the right to live. that's the basic right of everything. and we started a -- we adopted a policy which had been in place, the policy thatathappened, howe got out of control. and when we, too many stop and frisks, we cut 95% of it out. and i sat down with a bunch of african-american clergy and businesspeople to talk about this, to try to learn. i've talked to a number of kids who had been stopped. and i'm trying to -- was trying to understand how we change our policies so we can keep the city safe. because the crime rate did go from 650, 50% down, to 300. and we have to keep the lid on crime, but we cannot go out and stop people -- >> all right, mayor.

>> -- indiscriminately -- >> thank you. vice president biden? >> let's get something straight. the reason stop and frisk changed is because barack obama sent moderators to see what was going on. when we sent them there to say, this practice has to stop, the mayor thought it was a terrible idea we send them there. a terrible idea. let's get the facts straight. let's get the order straight. and it's not whether he apologized or not, it's the policy. the policy was abhorrent. and it was in fact a violation of every right people have. and we are the one, my -- our administration sent in people to monitor it. and at the very time the mayor argued against that. this idea that he figured out it was a bad idea, figured out it was a bad idea after we sent in monitors and said it must stop. even then he continued the policy. >> all right, mayor, would you like to make a quick response? >> yes, i would.

i've sat, i've apologized, i've asked for forgiveness. but the bottom line that is we stopped too many people, but the policy -- we stopped too many people and we've got to make sure that we do something about criminal justice in this country. there is no great answer to a lot of these problems. if we took off everybody that was wrong, off this panel, everybody that was wrong on criminal justice at some time in their careers, there would be nobody else up here. >> senator warren? >> so i -- >> i'm sorry, who did you call on? >> senator warren. >> sorry. >> i do think this really is about leadership and accountability. when the mayor says that he apologized, listen very closely to the apology. the language he used is about stop and frisk. it's about how it turned out. now this isn't about how it turned out, this is about what it was designed to do to begin with. it targeted communities of color. it targeted black and brown men

from the beginning. and if you want to issue a real apology, then the apology has to start with the intent of the plan as it was put together and the willful ignorance day by day by day of admitting what was happening even as people protested in your even street, shutting out the sounds of people telling you how your own policy was bmar. >> senator klobuchar, we're staying on this topic but i want to get something in here with senator klobuchar. when you were the top prosecutor in minneapolis, there were at least two dozen instances when police were involved in the deaths of civil civilians. none of those officers were prosecuted. you did prosecute a teenager to prison. the minneapolis chapter of naacp has called for you to suspend your campaign over that case

because new evidence has come out since. big picture, why should black and latino voters trust your judgment now if it appears you may have gotten it wrong then? >> first i'll start with that case. it is very clear that any evidence, if there is new evidence, even old evidence, it should be reviewed by that office and by the county attorney. that must happen. i have called for that review. this was a case involving an 11-year-old african-american girl named taisha edwards who was shot doing her homework at her kitchen table. three people were convicted. one of the cases is the one that is being investigated, was investigated by a journalist. i think it's very important that that evidence come forward. in terms of the police shootings that you noted, those went to a grand jury. every single one of them. and i've made very clear for months now, that like so many

prosecutors, i think those cases in my time, they were all going to the grand jury. it was thought that was the best way to handle them in many, many jurisdictions -- >> you didn't speak up at the time, did you? >> i actually did speak up on something very similar, and that was when our police chief in minneapolis tried to take the investigations of police shootings into his own hands. and i strongly said i disagreed with that. now i do believe also that a prosecutor should make those decisions herself. and the last thing i will say, because you asked the question, about voting. i have the support of african-americans in my community in every election. i had strong support and strong support of leadership. and that's because i earned it. and this is going to be on me to earn it. you earn it with what you stand for when it comes to equal opportunity. you earn it with the work that i have done, the leadership i've shown on voting rights. and yes, you earn it with the work that must be done on criminal cuss advertise reform. >> let's talk about transparency here. because many democrats, including most of you on stage,

have criticized president trump for his lack of transparency. but senator sanders, when you were here in las vegas in october, you were hospitalized with a heart attack. afterwards you pledged to make quote all your medical records public. you've released three letters from your doctors, but you now say you won't release anything more. what happened to your promise of full transparency? >> i think we did. let me tell you what happened. first of all, you're right, and thank you, las vegas, for the excellent medical care i got in the hospital two days. and i think the one area maybe that mayor bloomberg and i shared, you have two stents as well. >> 25 years ago. >> well, we both have two stents, it's a procedure that is done about a million times a year. so we released the full report of that heart attack. second of all, we released the full -- my whole 29 years in the capitol, the attending physician, all of my history, medical history. and furthermore, we released reports from two leading vermont

cardiologists who described my situation. and by the way, who said bernie sanders is more than able to deal with the stress and the vigor of being president of the united states. they follow me around the campaign, three, four, five events a day, see how you're doing compared to me. >> mayor buttigieg, you've been critical about transparency on this stage. is that response from senator sanders enough for you? >> no, it's not. first of all, let me say we're all delighted that you are in fighting shape. >> thank you. >> at the same time, transparency matters. especially living through the trump era. now under president obama the standard was that the president would release full medical records. do a physical and release the readout. i think that's the standard that we should hold ourselves to as well. now president trump lowered that standard. he said just a letter from a doctor is enough. a lot of folks on this stage are now saying that's enough. but i am certainly prepared to

get a physical, put out the results. i think everybody here should be willing to do the same. but i'm actually less concerned about the lack of transparency on sanders' personal health than i am about the lack of transparency on how to pay for his health care plan. since he said that it's impossible to even know how much it's going to cost. and even after raising taxes on everybody making $29,000, there is still a multi-trillion dollar hole. matter of fact, if you add up his policies altogether, they come to $50 trillion. he's only explained $25 trillion worth of revenue. which means the hole is bigger than the size of the entire economy of the united states. the time has come to level with the american people on matters personal and on matters of policy. >> thank you. senator sanders, quickly. >> let's level, pete. under your plan, which is a maintenance continuation of the status quo -- can i finish? the average american today is paying $12,000 a year. that's what that family is

paying. 20% of a $60,000 income, $12,000 a year. highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. just the other day a major study came out from yale epidemiologists in "lancet," one of the leading publications in the world. what they said, my friends, is medicare for all will save $450 billion a year. because we are eliminating the absurdity of thousands of separate plans that require hundreds of billions of dollars of administration and by the way ending the $100 billion in profiteering from the drug companies. >> if my plan is the status quo, why was it attacked by the insurance industry the moment it came out? and on issue after issue after issue, this is what senator sanders is saying. if you're not with him, if you're not all the way on his side, then you must be for the

status quo. you know what? that is a picture that leaves most of the american people out. >> mayor bloomberg on this, the transparency issue. very briefly on transparency, you campaign has said that you would eventually release your tax records. >> yes. >> when it comes to transparency. people are already voting now. why should democratic voters have to wait? >> it just takes us a long time. unfortunately or forchltly -- >> may i comment on that? >> fortunately i make a lot of money and we do business all around the world and we are preparing it. the number of pages will probably be in the thousands of pages. i can't go to turbo tax. i put up my tax return every year for 12 years in city hall. we will one. it tells everybody everything they need to know about every investment that i make and where the money goes. the biggest item is all the money i give away, and we list that every single donation i make. and you can get that from our foundation any time you want.

>> senator klobuchar? >> i'm looking at my husband in the front row that has to do our taxes all the time. we probably could go to turbo tax. and the point of this is, i believe in transparency. i had a physical, by the way. it came out well. we might all be surprised if my blood pressure is lower than mayor pete's. that might really shock everyone out there. and i think you should release your records from your physical. secondly, when it comes to tax returns, everyone up here has released their tax returns, mayor. i think -- it is a major issue because the president of the united states has been hiding behind his tax returns. even when courts order him to come forward with those tax returns. and i think -- i don't care how much money anyone has, i think it's great you got a lot of money. but i think you've got to come forward with your tax returns. >> senator -- mayor bloomberg, a quick response. >> we're releasing them, they'll be out in a few weeks, and that's as fast as i can do it. remember, i only entered into this race 10 weeks ago.

all my associates have been at this for a couple of years. >> that's right, we have. engaging with voters, humbling ourselves -- >> mayor bloomberg, let me ask you about something else -- >> take the time and get it done. >> i wish it were that simple. >> mayor bloomberg -- >> it would save me a lot of money. >> several former employees have claimed that your company was a hostile workplace for women. when you were confronted about it, you admitted making sexually suggestive remarks saying quote that's the way i grew up. in a lawsuit in the 1990s, according to the "washington post," one former female employee alleged that you said quote i would do you in a second. should democrats expect better from their nominee? >> let me say a couple of things. if i can have my full 1:215, thank you. i have no tolerance for the kind of behavior the "me too" movement has exposed. anybody that does anything wrong in our company, we investigate

it, and if it's appropriate, they're gone that day. but let me tell you what i do at my company and my foundation and in city government when i was there. in my foundation, a person that runs it's a woman. 70% of the people there are women. in my company, lots and lots of women have big responsibilities, they get paid exactly the same as men. and in my -- in city hall, the person that's the top person, my deputy mayor, was a woman. 40% of our commissioners were women. i am very proud of the fact that about two weeks ago, we were awarded -- we were voted the most -- the best place to work, second-best place in america. if that doesn't say something about our employees and how happy they are, i don't know what does. >> senator warren, you've been critical of mayor bloomberg on this issue. >> yes, i have. i hope you heard his defense. i've been nice to some women.

that just doesn't cut it. mate yore has a stain on his record. what we need to know is exactly what's lurking out there. he has gotten some number of women -- dozens, who knows -- to sign nondisclosure agreements for sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace. so mr. mayor, are you willing to release all of those women from those nondisclosure agreements? so we can hear their side of the story? [ cheers and applause ] >> we have a very few nondisclosure agreements -- >> how many is that? >> let me finish. >> how many is that? >> none of them accuse me of doing anything other than maybe they didn't like a joke i told. and let me just -- there's agreements between two parties that wanted to keep it quiet. and that's up to them.

they signed those agreements and we'll live with it. >> wait, when you say it is up -- i want to be clear. some is how many? and when you say they signed them, and they wanted them, if they wish now to speak out and tell their side of the story about what it is they alleged that's now okay with you? you're releasing them on television tonight? >> senator -- no -- >> is that right? [ cheers and applause ] >> senator, the company and somebody else, in this case the man or the woman or it could be more than that, they decided when they made an agreement, they wanted to keep it quiet for everybody's interests. >> no -- >> come on. >> they sign the agreements and that's what we're going to live with. >> i'm sorry, the question is, are the women bound by being muzzled by you? you could release them from that immediately. because understand, this is not just a question of the mayor's character. this is also a question about

electability. we are not going to beat donald trump with a man who has who knows how many nondisclosure agreements and the drip, drip, drip of stories of women saying they have been harassed and discriminated against. that's not what we do as democrats. >> mr. vice president -- >> look, let's get something straight here. it's easy. all the mayor has to do is say, you are released from the nondisclosure agreement. period. talk about transparency here. this guy got himself in trouble saying that there was a non -- that he couldn't disclose what he did -- >> that was about a list of clients. >> no, no, no -- >> i'm okay, you're all right. >> he went to the company, said i want to be released, i want to be able to do it. look, this is about transparency, from the very beginning. whether it's your health record, your taxes, whether you have cases against you, whether or not people have signed nondisclosure agreements. you think the women in fact were

ready to say, i don't want anybody to know about what you did to me? that's not how it works. the way it works is they say, look, this is what you did to me and the mayor comes along and his attorneys say, i will give you this amount of money if you promise you'll never say anything. that's how it works. >> mayor bloomberg? >> i said we're not going to get -- to end these agreements because they were made consensually and they have every right to expect that they will stay private. >> if they want to release it, they should be able to release themselves. say yes. >> you know, we talk about electability. and everybody up here wants to beat trump. and we talked about stop and frisk and we talked about the workplace that mayor bloomberg has established and the problems there. but maybe we should also ask how may mayor bloomberg in 2004 supported george w. bush for president. put money into republican candidates for the united states

senate. when some of us, joe and i were others, were fighting for democrats to control the united states senate. maybe we can talk about a billionaire saying that we should not raise the minimum wage. or that we should cut social security, medicare, medicaid. if that's a way to beat donald trump, wow. i would be very surprised. >> thank you, senator. vanessa, to you. >> wait, wait -- >> senator klobuchar, last week in a telemundo interview you could not name the president of mexico. discuss any of his policies. last night you defended yourself saying quote this isn't "jeopardy!." but my question to you is, shouldn't our next president know more about one of our largest trading partners? >> of course. [ cheers and applause ] of course. and i don't think that that momentary forgetfulness actually

reflects what i know about mexico and how much i care about it. and i first want to say, greetings to president lopez obador. secondly, what i meant by the game of "jeopardy!" is that i think we could all come up with things, how many members are there in the israeli kines set? 120. who is the president of honduras? hernandez. >> senator klobuchar -- >> when it comes to mexico, i am the one person on the stage that came out first to say i was for the u.s./mexican/canadian trade agreement. that is going to be one of the number one duties of a president -- >> senator klobuchar, my colleague specifically asked you if you could name the president of mexico. >> yes. >> and your response was no. >> yes, that's right. and i said that i made an error. i think having a president that maybe is humble and is able to admit that here and there, maybe wouldn't be a bad thing. >> mayor buttigieg --

>> if you would let me -- >> i wouldn't liken this to trivia. i didn't know how many members were in the knesseknesset. >> there you go. >> you're staking your candidacy on your washington experience. you're on the committee that oversees border security. you're on the committee that does trade. you're literally part of the committee that's overseeing these things. and were not able to speak to literally the first thing about the politics of the country to our south? >> are you trying to say that i'm dumb? are you mocking me here, pete? >> i'm saying you shouldn't trivialize that knowledge. >> i'm saying i made an error. people sometimes forget names. i am the one that has, number one, has the experience based on passing over 100 bills -- >> thank you, senator. >> if i could respond, this was a pretty big allegation. he's basically saying that i don't have the experience to be president of the united states. i have passed over 100 bills as the lead democrat since being in the u.s. senate. i am the one, not you, that has

won statewide and congressional district after congressional district. and i will say when you tried in indiana, pete, to run, what happened to you? you lost by over 20 points to someone who lost to my friend joe donnelly. so don't tell me about experience. what unites us here is we want to win and i think we should put a proven winner in charge of the ticket. >> this is a race for president. if winning a ris for senate in minnesota translated directly to becoming president, i would have grown up under the presidency of walter mondale. this is different. the reason that i think we need to talk about washington experience is that we should ask what that experience has led to. experience and certainly tenure is not always the same thing as judgment. if we're going to talk about votes in the senate -- >> let's talk about a major policy -- no, no, no. >> whoa, whoa!

thank you. senator warren and mayor bloomberg. this question is for you. >> i, can i just defend senator klobuchar? this is not right. i understand she forgot a name. it happens to everybody on the stage. look, you want to ask about whether or not you understand trade policy with mexico? have at it. if you get it wrong, you ought to be held accountable. you want to ask about autonomy, you ought to be held accountable. you want to ask about a thousand different issues and you get it wrong, you ought to be held accountable. let's be clear. missing a name all by itself does not indicate that you do not understand what is going on. >> you're right. you're right.

>> -- discuss policy either. >> excuse me. >> i do have to respond. >> come on, man! >> you have just invoked my name again. and i would ask to you look at the interview did i directly after the forum which we went into great detail on latin american policy. and i want to say one thing about mayor pete. we just disagree. he was asked on the debate stage about the mexican cartels which are bad, bad criminal organizations. he said that he would be open to classifying them as terrorist organizations. i actually don't agree with that. that is a very valid debate to have. i don't think that would be good for our security coordination with mexico and i think you got that wrong. >> can i get a chance to say something? >> hold on. >> si. >> thank you.

>> i spent hundreds of hours in latin manager. i met with this president. i've met with the last president. the one before. that i've been deeply involved in making sure we have a policy that makes more sense than this god awful president we have now. i'm the guy that put together $750 million to provide help for those latin american countries that are the reason why people are leaving. because there's nothing for them to stay for. i've spent hours and hours and hours and so you want to talk about experience in washington, it is good to know with whom you're talking. it is good to know what they think. it is good to know what you think and it is good to be able to have a relationship. that's what it is about. >> all right. clearly everybody is warmed up. we're going to take a short break and kick off the next hour with a topic. the climate crisis. we're back in a moment. if you looked at america like a bird. and that was all you knew, would you really understand it,

with just that point of view? we've got a different way to look at it, from right here on the ground. we don't just the united states we see united towns. we're grateful for what you bring, and all the sparks you've shown, in the thousands of towns that we get to call home. ♪

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welcome back. we have received hundreds of questions from democrat cannic voters and many of them were about the climate crisis. an issue that union like impacts nevadans. >> so are you all ready to play some nevada trivia now? i'm only half joking here. let's talk about this issue. it is up there in polls. voters are really concerned about it of the what you might not know is that vegas and reno are the economic engines to the state of nevada and the fastest warming cities in the country. in certain months of the year, the heat is already in emergency situation for residents and for tourists walking up and down the strip. so i'll start with you, mr. vice president. what specific policies would you implement that would keep las vegas and reno livable but also not hurt those economies?

>> it is the existential threat that humanity faces. global warming. you have a facility where you have one of the largest, largest solar panel arrays in the world. and when the fourth stage is completed, it will take care of 60,000 homes for every single bit of their needs. what i would do, number one, work on providing the $47 billion we have for tech and to making sure we find answers, to provide a way to transmit that wind and solar energy across the network of the united states. invest in battery technology. i would immediately reinstate all the elimination of what trump has eliminated in terms of e.p.a. i would make sure that we have 500,000 new charging stations in every new highway we built in the united states of america or repaired.

i would make sure once again that we got the mileage standards back up which would have saved over 12 billion barrels of oil had he not gotten rid of it. and i would invest in rail. it can take millions of cars off the road if we have high speed rail. >> thank you, mr. vice president. i want to get the rest of you in on this. mayor bloomberg, let me read what you said. you said you want to intensify and u.s. international actions to stop the expansion of coal. how exactly are you going to do that? >> well, already we've closed 304 out of 530 power plants in the united states and we've closed 80 out of the 200 or 300 in europe. bloomberg philanthropy working the sierra club. that's one of the things you do. let's start at the beginning. if you're president, the first thing the first day is rejoin the paris agreement. this is ridiculous for us. two, america's responsibility is to be the leader in the world.

and if we don't, we're the ones who will get hurt as much as anybody else. that's why i don't want to us cut off all relationships with china. you'll never solve this problem without china and india, western europe and america. one other thing. i believe and you can tell me whether this is right, the sole ever a array that the vice president was talking about is being closed because it's not economic, that you can put solar panels in, modern technology, even more modern than that. >> i want to let senator warren jump in. you said something really specific to nevada. the tension here in this state is between people want renewable energy and people want conservation on public lands. 80% is managed by the federal government. you have said that you will have an executive order that would stop drilling on public lands. stop mining, a huge industry here. you have to have lithium, you have to have copper.

how do you do that? >> i think we should stop all new drilling and mining on public lands and all offshore drilling. if we need to make exceptions because there are specific metals that we have to have access to, we locate those and we do it not in a way that is just about the profits of giant industries, but in a way that is sustainable for the environment. we cannot continue to let our public lands be used for profits by those who don't care about our environment and are not making it better. look, i'm going to say something really controversial in washington. but i think i'm safe to say this here in nevada. i believe in way -- that we're going to deal with this problem is that we are going to increase by ten fold our investment in science. there is an upcoming $27 trillion market worldwide for green. and much of what is needed has

not yet been invented. my proposal is let's invent it here in the united states and then say, we invent it in the u.s. you have to build it in the u.s. that's a million new manufacturing jobs. >> we're going to stick to this topic. senator sanders, i'll going to move to fracking. the industry supports a lot of jobs around the country including thousands in the battle ground state of pennsylvania. one union official told "the new york times," if we end one a democratic candidate that supports a fracking ban, i'll going to tell my members that either you don't vote or you vote for the other guy. what do you tell these workers supportiha b i tell these worke that the scientists are telling us, if we don't act incredibly boldly within the next six, seven years, there will be irreparable damage done. not just in nevada. not just vermont or

massachusetts but to the entire world. joe said it right. this is an existential threat. do you know what that means, chuck? that means we're fighting for the future of this planet. and the green new deal that i support, by the way, will create up to 20 million good paying jobs as we move our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. this is a moral issue, my friends. we have to take the responsibility of making sure that the planet we leave our children and grandchildren is a planet that is healthy and habitable. that is more important -- >> okay. >> than the fossil fuel industry. >> i want to keep this going. senator klobuchar, you're not on the same page. the total ban of fracking. you call it a transitional fuel. but scientists are sounding this

alarm now. do you take these warning that's maybe fracking is a step backward? not a transition. >> i made it very clear that we have to review all the permits out there for our natural gas. and then make decisions on each one of them and then not grant new ones until we make sure it is safe. it is a transitional fuel. and i want to add something that hasn't been brought up by my colleagues. this is a crisis and a lot of our plans are very similar to get to carbon neutral by 2025, 2050, something like that. we won't be able to pass this unless we bring people with us. i'm looking at these incredible senators from nevada. and i'm thinking that they know how important this is. and you can do this in a smart way. one, get back into that international climate change agreement. two, clean power rules. bring those back. the president can do this herself without congress as well as the gas mileage standard. when it comes the putting a

sweep, a price on carbon, this is very important, chuck, we have to make sure that money goes back directly as dividends to the people who will need help for paying their bills. otherwise, we won't pass it. so there has to be a heart to the policy to get this done. >> senator warren, address the worker issue as well. can you address that issue? >> yes. we can have a green new deal and create jobs. we need people in infrastructure who will help build. >> we need jobs tomorrow. >> yes. those jobs are for tomorrow. those are the ones we need to be working on to harden our infrastructure right now. listen to senator klobuchar's point. she says we have to think smaller in order to get it passed. i don't think that's the right approach here. why can't we get anything passed in washington on climate? everyone understands t urgency. we have two problems. the first is corruption. an industry that makes its money felt all through washington.

the first thing i want to do in washington is pass my anti-corruption bill so we can start making the changes we need to make on climate. and the second is the filibuster. if you're not willing to roll back the filibuster, then you're giving the fossil fuel industry a veto. >> senator, thank you. vanessa has the next question. >> you said you want to hold oil and gas executives account an for their role in harming our planet. which companies are you talking about and how far are you willing to go? >> i'm willing to go as far as we have to. first of all i would eliminate all the subsidies we have for oil and gas. eliminate it. period. that would save millions and billions of dollars. number two. i think that any executive who is engaging -- by the way, minority communities are the ones most badly hurt by the way in which we deal with climate change.

they are victims. that's where the asthma is. that's where the ground water has been polluted. that's where people do not have the opportunity to be able to get away from everything from asbestos in the because of our schools. i have a trillion-dollar program for infrastructure. that will provide for thousands and thousands of new jobs. not $15 an hour but $50 an hour plus benefits. unions. being able to do that. what it does is it will change the nature. here's the last point. my time will run out. here's the last point i want to make to you. on day one when i'm elected president, i will invite all the members of the paris accord to washington, d.c. they make up 85% of the problem. they know me. i'm used to dealing with international relations. i will get them on tim anty. >> you didn't answer my question. >> i thought i did. >> what would you do with the toims responsible for the destruction of our planet?

>> what would i do with them? number one, stop. number two, if you demonstrate that they have in fact done things already that are bad and they've been lying, they should be able to be sued. they should be able to be held personally accountable, and not tonight company, not the stockholders but the ceos of those companies. they should be engaged. a little bit, like, look. these are the industries we should sue. just like the drug companies. just like the tobacco companies. theon one we can't go after are gun manufacturers because of my buddy here. >> we're going to stay on the topic. my question is to mayor bloomberg. your business is heavily invest in the china. i think you mention that had a few questions back. the number one producer in the world of carbon emissions. how far would you go to force china to reduce those emissions and tackle the climate crisis? >> you aren't going to war with them. we've seen how well it works

terrorists hurting us. you have to convince the chinese that it is in their interests as well. their people will die just as our people will die. it is india that is an even bigger problem. it is an enormous problem. nobody is doing anything about it. we could make a difference. we're closing the five power plants. if we enforce the rules on fracking so they don't release methane into the air and water, you'll make a big difference. we won't get rid of fracking. you frac natural gas but oil as well. it is a technique. when it is done poorly like they're doing in too many places where the meth age gets into the air, it is very damaging. it is a transition fuel. you want to go to all renewables. that's still many years from now. before, i think the senator mentioned 2050 for some data. no scientist thinks it is 2050. 2040, 2035.

the world is coming apart faster than any scientific study had predicted. we've just got to do something. sf let's be re. it's not 2050, not 5040, not 2030. it's 2020. if we don't elect a president who believes in climate science now, we will never meet any of the deadlines we need to. >> let's make sure we're positioned to win. if we put forward two of the most polarizing figures on this stage as the only option, there will be a real struggle. now, i've got a plan to get us carbon neutral by 2050. and i think everybody up here has a plan that more or less does the same. the real question is how are we going to actually get it done? we need leadership to make this a national project that breaks down the partisan and political tug-of-war that prevents

anything from getting done. first of all, making sure those jobs are available quickly. secondly, ensuring we are pulling in those very sectors that have been made to feel like they're part of the problem. from farming to industry. and fund as well as urge them to do the right thing. then global climate diplomacy. i'm a little skeptical that convincing will do the trick with china. america has repeatedly overestimated our ability to shape chinese ambitions. what we can do is everybody sure -- >> okay. wait for a second. senator warren? >> yes. i want to make sure that the question of environmental justice gets more than a glancing blow in this debate. because for generations now, in this country, toxic waste dumps, polluting factories have been located in or near communities of color. over and over and over. and the consequences are felt in the health of young

african-american babies, it is felt in the health of seniors. people with compromised immune systems. it is also felt economically. who wants to move into an area where the air smells the water? i have a commitment of a trillion dollars to repair the damage that this nation has permitted to inflict on communities of color for generations now. we have to own up to our responsibility. we can't simply talk about climate change in big global terms. we need to talk about it in terms of rescuing the communities that have been damaged. >> senator warren, thank you. >> i want to ask but something else important to people here. i want to ask but latinos. one out of every four small businesses in the united states. many have benefited from president trump's tax cuts. they may be hesitant about new taxes or regulations. will taxes on their small business go up under your administration?

>> no. as a matter of fact, we'll make sure there is more money available for small businesses and latino community and the black community to get the capital to start businesses. there will be a window available where we significantly increased the at of money available so people can borrow the money to get started. they've dmenl straight they're incredibly successful. we should start rewarding work, not just wealth. that's why we have to change the tax code the way it is. the wealthy have to pay their fair share and that's why we have to focus on the ability to garner wealth. to generate wealth. that's why this area of red lining, it wasn't the wall street failing. the greed of wall street it was reason it occurred. not red lining. and lastly i want to say. look. the idea of china, they're taking dirtiest coal in the

world, mostly in outer mongolia, it's clear. when you get called to washington in the first 100 days. if you continue, you will suffer severe consequences. the rest of the word will impose tariffs on everything you're selling. because you are undercutting the entire economy. >> thank you, mr. vice president. mayor buttigieg, will taxes go up under you? >> not if they are small businesses. what we've got to do is level the playing field. a company like amazon, chevron, is paying literally zero on billions of dollars in profits and it puts small businesses like the ones revitalizing my own city at a disadvantage. we need to recognize that investing is an investment in the future of america. and it is time for a president who understands the value of immigration in lifting up all of our communities and our country. we're getting the exact opposite

message from the current president. and it is type to recognize not just the diversity of the latino community but the importance of issues like economic empowerment. >> we have an entrepreneurship gap in america. pass gap between white entrepreneurs and black asand latino entrepreneurs. the principal reason is they don't have the equity to get the businesses started. it is about a $7 billion gap. we want to have real entrepreneurship on a level playing field. i have a plan to put the $7 billion in to fund manage by people who are routinely cut out. it can't just be about tafs. we noted to make an investment to level the playing field. >> i want to get at something. mayor bloomberg -- >> the only one who started a business --

>> you seem to imply that red lining and stopping that, stopping red lining has somehow contributed to the financial crisis. >> that's exactly wrong. >> that was tim reply indication that cape out in the quote. i want to give you an opportunity. >> on the record, against red since i worked on wall street. i've been against it since the financial crisis. it came about because the people who took the mortgages, packaged them and others bought them. that's where the disaster was. red lining is still a practice some places and we have to cut i out. it is just not true. what i was going to say, maybe we want to talk about businesses. i'm the only one here who ever started a business. is that fair? okay. what we need is, i can tell you in new york city, we had programs. mentoring programs for young business people so they can learn how to start a business. we had programs to get then will

seed capital. presumes to get branch banking in their neighbors. if you don't have a branch bank, you can't get a checking account, then you can't get a loan. there are ways to fix this. it doesn't take trillions of dollars. it takes to us focus on the problems -- >> 45 seconds. senator sanders. 45 seconds. >> when we talked about a corrupt political system, bought by billionaires like mr. bloomberg, it manifests itself in a tax code in which not only is amazon and many other major corporations, some owned by the wealthiest people in this country not paying a nickel in taxes, we have the same situation that billionaires today, if you can believe it, have an effective tax rate lower than the middle class. so maybe just -- >> the tax code. what are you complaining? who wrote the code?

>> you did. you and your -- not me. you and your campaign contributions electing people represent the wealthy and the powerful. >> throws the democrats, thank you. >> republicans, too. and george w. bush as well. >> senator klobuchar -- >> i was thinking there would be a boxing rematch on saturday in vegas and those guys should go down there. >> senator klobuchar, i want to get to you something about, senator sanders tweeted last year, billionaires should not exist. what say you? >> i believe in capitalism. but i think our, the goal of someone in government and a president of the united states should be a check on that. i'm not going to limit what people make but i think right now, our tax code is so tilted against regular people and that is what is wrong. i was thinking of your question about small businesses. the small businesses i talk to,

they have trouble getting employees because their employees don't have childcare. we should have universal childcare. and we have not been talking enough about donald trump. let's just talk about donald trump. because he signed that tax bill that helped the wealthy. and he went down to mar-a-lago. he said to all his friends, you just got a lot richer. that is exhibit "a." i can tell you the hard working people in nevada were not in that room. the key to me is to not limit what people can make but make sure we have a government that is fair for everyone. >> so senator sanders, what down? >> eye tell you. we have a grotesque and immoral distribution of wealth and income. mike bloomberg owns more wealth than the bottom 125 million americans. that's wrong. that's immoral. that should not be the case when we have half a million people sleeping out on the streets. when we have kids who cannot

afford to go to college. when we have 45 million people dealing with student debt. we have enormous problems facing this country and we cannot continue seeing a situation where in the last three years, billionaires in this country saw an $850 billion increase in their wealth. congratulations, mr. bloomberg. the average american saw less than a 1% increase in his or her income. that's wrong. >> mayor bloomberg, should you exist? >> i can't speak for all billionaires. i know i've been very money. i've made a lot of money and i'll giving it all away to make this country better. and a good clunk goes to the democratic party as well. >> is it too much? has it been an -- should you have earned that much money? >> yes. i worked very hard for it. and i'll giving it away. >> thank you. >> mayor buttigieg, senator sanders has a proceeds a that

would require all large companies to turn over 20% of their owner sthoship to employe over time. is that a good idea? >> it's a great idea but i'm not sure it makes sense to command those companies to do it. if we really want to deliver less inequality in this country, we have to start with the tax code. we have to start with investments in how people are able to live the american dream. which is in serious, serious decline. as a matter of fact, last time i dlekd list of countries to live out the american dream, in other words, to be born at the bottom and come out at the top. we're not even in the top ten. the number one place to live is denmark. and as the lone person on the stage who is not a millionaire, let alone a billionaire, that i believe part of what needs to change is for the voices of the communities that haven't felt heard on wall street or in washington to actually be brought to capitol hill. it is why i am building a politics designed around

inclusion. designed around belonging. the one thing that will definitely perpetuate the income inequality we're living with is for donald trump to be reelected because we polarized this country with the wrong nominee. >> it is your policy. >> thank you. it is my policy and i'm very proud of that policy. what we need to do to deal with this grotesque level of income and wealth inequality, to make sure those people who are working, do you know why, mr. bloomberg wasn't you who made all that money of maybe your work played some role in that as well. and it is important that those workers are able to share the benefits also. when we have so many people to go work every day and they feel not good about their jobs. they feel like cogs in a machine. i want to sit on corporate boards as well so they can have some say over what happens to their lives. >> mayor bloomberg, would you

support what senator sanders is proposing? >> absolutely not. i can't think of a way to make it easier for donald trump to get reelected than listening to this conversation. this is ridiculous. we're not going to throw out capitalism. we tried that. other countries tried that. it was called communism and it just didn't work. >> so let me make a proposal that will work. that has not only support from a majority of democrats, but also, from a majority of the independents and a ma rt jo of republicans. pass two cent wealth tax on all fortunes above $50 million. you hit a billion, you have to pay a few more. this is the top tenth of 1% of manager. and it permits to us start to restructure our community. it means we can afford universal childcare for every baby in this country 0-5. universal for every child

in america. it means we can raise the wages of every childcare worker preschool teacher and stop exploiting the black and brown women who do this work. it means we can put $800 billion into our public excuse. quadruple funding for title one excuse and as a former special education teacher, we can fully fund idea so children with disabilities would get the full education they need. we can do college. we can put $50 billion into our historically black colleges and universities, and we can cancel student loan debt for 43 million americans. that's something a majority of americans support. a 2 cent wealth tax. it is a question of values. do we want to invest in mr. bloomberg or in an entire generation of young people. >> senator sanders, my next question is for you. our latest nbc news "wall street journal" poll released yesterday. two-thirds of you a voters said

they were uncomfortable with a socialist candidate for president. what do you say to those voters? >> what was the result of that poll? who was winning? >> the question is to you. >> the question was, who was winning? and i think by a fairly comfortable margin. here's the point. let's talk about democratic socialism. not communism, mr. bloomberg. that's a cheap shot. let's talk about what goes on in countries like denmark where people correctly pointed out, they have a much higher quality of life in many rms handle the we do. what are we talking about? we are living in many ways in a socialist society right now. the problem is, as dr. martin lootsser king reminded us. we have socialism for the very rich. rugged individualism for the poor. >> wait a second. >> let me finish. when donald trump gets $800 million in tax breaks and subsidies to build luxury

condominiums, that's socialism for the rich. we have to subsidize walmart workers on medicaid and food stamps because the wealthiest family in america pays starvation wages, that's socialism for the rich. i believe in democratic socialism for working people. not billionaires. health care for all. educational opportunity for all. >> senator, thank you. mayor bloomberg -- >> what a wonderful country we have. the best known socialist in the company happens to be a millionaire with three houses. what did i miss? >> i work in washington. >> that's the first problem. >> live in burg. house two. and like thousands of other vermonters, i do have a summer camp. forgive me for that. where is your home and. >> new york city, thank you very much. and i pay all my taxes. and i'm happy to do it because i get something for it. and let me say i thought senator

next to me was half right. i agree we should raise taxes. i disagree with the senator on the wealth tax but do i agree with her that the rich aren't paying their fair share. we should raise taxes on the rich. did i that as mayor in new york city. i raised taxes. if you take a look at my plans, the first thing i would do is try on convince congress. they have to do it. we can't just order it. to roll back the tax cuts that the trump administration put in with through congress. >> vice president biden, weigh in on this question of americans' feelings on socialist candidates. >> for 36 years, i was listed as the peefrt man in congress. i made money when i wrote a book about my son. it surprised me how many i sold. first time i ever made any money. here's the deal. we ought to start rewarding work.

not just wealth. the idea that we have a tax rate for corporate america at 21% is ridiculous. it should be 28%. that would raise almost $800 billion a year. the idea that we have companies not paying anything at all. they should have a minimum tax of final%. that would raise another $740 billion a year. the idea that you're able to have a capital gains tax that you pay at the rate of 20% if you are mike bloomberg or whoever has a whole lot of money and someone else is paying, your staffer is paying it at 25%. that's wrong. that would raise another $800 billion. we should be rewarding work, not just wealth. and the american people, the middle class is getting killed and the poor have no way up. >> i want to get you in on this. in 2000, you wrote an award winning esay.

you praised senator sanders. you praised him for embracing socialism. you have since said you're concerned about his policies. i am curious. are you out of touch with your own generation, millennials by a big chunk embracing his version of democratic socialism. you do not. are you out of touch with your generation? >> no. it's true that i was into bernie before it was cool. >> thank you. >> he was a congressman at the time. the qualities i admired then are qualities i city respect a great de. i never said that i agree with every part of his policy views then or now. but i appreciate that at least he's straightforward and honest about them. he is honest that attaches will go up on anybody making more than 29,000 to fund his health care plan. although, a little vague about how the rest -- >> you're not being honest that premiums would be eliminated. >> saving people money because they don't pay any preeps,

co-payments or deductibles. >> where's the other -- where's the other $25 trillion supposed to come from? at a certain point you have to do the math. >> we got it all up there. a pay roll tax -- >> even after the pay roll tax. >> because we have a we think tax. elizabeth has good one. ours is a littttle tougher on m bloomberg. we will deal with wealth inequality and make sure that finally health care in this country is a human right. not a privilege. >> you went out of your way to call yourself a capitalist. why? >> yes. because i will. look, democrats want to beat donald trump. but they are worried. they are worried about gambling on a narrow vision that doesn't address the fears of millions of

americans who want real change and see real problems. they are worried about gambling on a revolution that won't bring along majority of this country. amy and joe's hearts are in the right place. but we can't be so eager to be liked by mitch mcconnell that we forget how to fight the republicans. mayor buttigieg has been taking money from big donors and changing his positions. so it makes it unclear what it is he stands for other than -- >> thank you the. senator klobuchar -- >> thank you. >> senator klobuchar, you've got the floor for 45. go. >> number one. i have repeatedly said that we have to win big. the way we win big is winning states like nevada. but also, winning the senate races in arizona and in colorado and beyond. and the reason we want to do that is to send mitch mcconnell

packing. and i think when you look at my history, i am the one that has done that. i am the one who can be this ticket. just because i am willing to talk about common ground, that's where america is. it is not with mitch mcconnell who has 400 bills on his dpeks should pass if we get rid of him. it is because i am willing to work with people and find common ground. that's what we want in a president, elizabeth. we don't wants someone that looks at just -- >> thank you. we need to take another break here. we'll return to the paris, las vegas in just a moment. (sensei) a live bookkeeper is helping customize quickbooks for me. (live bookkeeper) okay, you're all set up. (sensei) thanks! that was my business gi, this one's casual. (vo) get set up right with a live bookkeeper

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welcome back to las vegas and the democratic presidential debate. to kick off our next round of

questioning. >> mayor bloomberg was the biggest outside spender helping democrats running for congress. he's donated billions toward causes like climate change, gun safety, education. if his money wasn't a problem then, why is it a problem now? >> i think he should absolutely be doing everything in his power to defeat donald trump. i just don't think that has to result in him becoming the president of the united states. look. our party has values. we were built around values like making sure we protect working people. but mayor bloomberg opposed raising the minimum wage. our party has a tradition that includes excellent presseses like barack obama who mayor bloomberg opposed. at the end of the day, it is not just about how much money you've got. it is what you stand for. we are living in a moment when americans are so deeply frustrated with the way that both wall street and washington seem to have overlooked our lives. the view from the porch of my one house in indiana is that

they can't even see us sometimes. and if we're going into the election of our lives against a president who rose to power by cynically exploiting the frustration of ordinary americans feeling like leaders weren't speaking to then, then i think that turning to someone like mayor bloomberg who thinks he can buy this election is no better a way to succeed than turning to somebody like senator sanders who wants to bring the house down. >> mr. vice president. >> it was said i was in the pocket of mitch mcconnell. tim only person on this stage who has beaten mitch mcconnell on four major cases. let me finish. and mitch mcconnell, i've been the object of his affection and the president's affection the way he's gone after me, this new republican party after me, after my son, after my family. i don't need to be told i'm a friend to mitch mcconnell's.

he's been the biggest pain in my neck in a long, long time. and so that's number one. number two, we have to have somebody who understands what it is like for ordinary people. like my dad made that longest walk up a short flight of stairs saying, i don't have a job, honey. we have to move. you have to move with grandpa. how long it took to buy a house. to get back into the game again. they have to understand the needs of ordinary people and they are getting killed no matter what people say about this economy, how good it is. and the good part of the economy, only 60 seconds. not up yet. we're in a situation where you have the, excuse me, the president making clear that he doesn't want any part of me being his opponent. he is spending $125,000 this week to keep me from being an opponent. i wonder why. >> thank you. >> can i respond to the vice president? he's identifying me specifically

in this. >> 45 seconds. >> you're responding to an accusation. >> the point is different. here's what happened. according to the "new york times," the last time that mitch mcconnell was on the ballot, the vice president stood in the oval office and said, i home that mitch gets reelected so i can keep working with him. well, mitch did get -- >> totally out of context. >> mitch did get reelected. he did not have an epiphany. instead he blocked nearly everything that barack obama tried to pass. and he stole a supreme court seat. >> come on. >> from the democrats. the consumer financial protection bureau. >> thank you, senator. >> yeah! >> thank you, senator. our next question goes to senator klobuchar. about 700,000 young people known as dreamers who were brought to this country as children are currently protected from deportation because of a program that is now under the review by the supreme court.

if the court sides with the trump administration, which is eager to end this protection, what exactly is your plan to protect the dreamers permanently? >> to win. to beat donald trump. the best way to protect the dreamers is to have a new president. there are the votes there to protect the dreamers and i have been working this since i got to the united states senate. in my first campaign, i actually had a bunch of ads run against me because i was standing up for immigrants. when i think of dreamers and i try to explain it to my state, i found a 99-year-old hispanic war veteran who was a dreamer when he was brought over to this country. and back then, he just went to canada for a night and came back and he was a permanent citizen because they needed him to serve in world war ii. now, not so easy. the dreamers are our future. the dreamers are so important in nevada. and the best way we can get this done is to beat donald trump.

but it is to pass comprehensive immigration reform which creates a path to citizenship to so many hard working people, we'll bring down the deficit by $158 billion and we'll bring peace for these dreamers. no other country but our own. >> if you're going to run based on your record of voting in washington, you have to own those votes. especially when it comes to immigration of the you voted to confirm the head of customs and border protection under trump who was part of family separation policy. you voted to make english the national language. do you know message that sends in as multilingual a state as nevada to immigrants? you have been unusual among democrats, i think the democrat among all the senators running for president, most likely to vote for donald trump's judges, who we know are especially hostile to dreamers and to the rights of immigrants. now, in south bend, it was not

always easy to stand up in a conservative place like indiana on immigration. but we delivered. we created a municipal i.d. program so dreamers and others who were undocumented were able to flaf gait every day life. we stood up for those rights and stwood members of our community with the message that they were as american as we are. [ speaking spanish ] >> senator klobuchar. >> i wish everyone was as perfect as you, pete. but let me tell you what it is like to be in the arena. number one, do the math. if my friend andrew yang was up here, that's what he would say. in fact, i have opposed, not supported, two-thirds of the trump judges. so get your numbers right. and i am in the top 10 to 15 of opposing them. number two. when it comes to immigration reform, the things that you are referring to, that official that you're referring to was supported by about half the democrats including someone in this room. and i will say this.

he was highly recommended by the obama officials. do you know why? because trump had so few career people. i did not one bit agree with these draconian policies to separate kids from their parents. in my first 100 days, i would immediately change that. and i would add one more thing. i have been in the arena. ted kennedy, he had made a pretty big allegation against me again and i think i should have a right to respond. >> these are -- those votes set you alone among the democrats. no other -- is it true or false that no other -- >> first of all, what you've said about the judges are false. you are comparing me to two colleagues up here on this stage and you are forgetting one thing. >> i would say anyone who ran. >> if you could let me finish since i've been in the arena. ted kennedy asked me to work on the first immigration bill. we were able with president bush to at least get to it a vote.

i'm sorry, but senator sanders oppose that had bill and i worked on it. if we had gotten that bill done, there would have been a path to citizenship for so many people. then i worked on the 2013 bill. i'm so proud of the work i've done on immigration reform. and you know what? you have not been in the arena doing that work. you've memorized a bunch of talking points and a bunch of things. but i can tell you one thing. with the people of this country want, they want a leader that has the heart for the immigrants of this country. and that is me. >> maybe leading a diverse city that was facing ruin doesn't sound like the arena to you. i'm used to senators telling mayor that's senators are more important than mayors. but this is arena, too. you don't have to be in washington to matter. you don't have to be on capitol hill -- >> guys, guys. >> we are at the end here. i have to let that one go. we are not, we are less than two weeks away from a national primary. and i want to ask all of you

this simple question. a very good chance nonof you will have enough delegates. to the democratic convention to clinch this nomination. if that happens, i want all of your opinions on this. should the person with the most delegates at the end of this primary season be the nominee even if they are short of a majority? senator sanders, i'll let you go last here. i know your view on this. so instead, i will start with you, mayor bloomberg. >> whatever the rules of the democratic party are, they should be followed. and if they have a process which i believe they do. everybody can -- >> so you want the convention to work its will. >> yes. >> senator warren. >> that means people have the dpegs are pledged to them and they keep those delegates until -- until the convention. all the people. >> all right. vice president biden? >> play by the ruse. >> the leading person with the delegates. >> no. let the process work its way out. >> not necessarily. >> senator klobuchar?

>> let the process work. >> senator sanders. >> the process includes 500 super delegates on the second ballot. so i think that the will of the people should, yes. those votes -- >> five no's and a yes. >> we'll be back from las vegas after a short break.

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welcome back, everyone. it is time for our closing statements. each candidate will have one minute and we begin with senator klobuchar. >> this has been quite a debate. and what i want everyone out there watching to remember is that what unites us is so much bigger than what divides us. and that we need a candidate that can bring people with her. yes, a fired up democratic base, but also independents and moderate republicans. and i have done that every single time i have won every race down to fourth grade. a lot of boasting up here, so i

thought i'd add that. secondly, you need someone who can govern. i have passed over 100 bills as the lead democratic. and third, you need someone who has the heart to be the president. they were talking a lot about heart conditions up here. we have a president right now that doesn't have a heart. i love the people of this country, and i ask for the vote of the people of nevada, because this state gets it. they get that maybe you don't agree with every single thing that's said on this debate stage, but we understand that the heart of america is bigger than any heart that guy has in the white house. i ask you to join me at amyklobuchar.com. >> mayor bloomberg. >> you can join me at mikebloomberg.com too if you want but i'm not asking for any money. this is a manager job and donald trump is not a manager.

this is a job where you have to build teams. he doesn't have teams so he makes decisions. we cannot run the railroad this way. the country has to pull together and understand that the people that we elect and it's not just the president of the united states, they should have experience. they should have credentials. they should understand what they're doing and the implications dlthereof and thene should try to hold them accountable so the next time they go before the voters, if they haven't done the job, we shouldn't just say oh, nice person, gives a good speech. we should say didn't do the job and you're out of here. >> mr. mayor, thank you. >> mayor buttigieg? >> nevada, i'm asking for your vote. because america is running out of time. and this is our only chance to defeat donald trump. if you look at the choice between a revolution or the status quo, and you don't see where you fit in that picture, then join us.

and yes, vote at peteforamerica.com and help out. we need to draw everybody we can who believes we need to empower workers and believes in climate science and reck nieognizes the way is to create a sense of belonging in this country that moves us out of the toxic and polarized moment that we are living in today. i already see an american majority ready to do these things. now we have a responsibility to galvanize, not polarize that majority. we cannot afford to lean on the same washington play book. we cannot afford to alienate half the country. we must step forward into the future in order to win and in order to govern a country that will be facing issues, the likes of which we barely thought of just a few years ago. i'm asking you to join me so we can deliver that future together. >> senator warren.

>> i grew up fighting. i grew up out in oklahoma. and i learned it probably from my mother. i watched when my daddy had a heart attack and didn't have any money coming in. when our car was lost and when we were on the edge of losing our home. i watched my mother fight to save our family. and i grew up fighting to save our family, my family. i eventually made it through school. and my life as a teacher, looking into why so many families across this country are struggle and why it gets worse year after year. i for years have fought for unions to say the way we're going to restructure this economy is we're going to make it easier to join a union and get more power into unions. to fight for students who have been cut out of opportunity over and over because of the rising cost of an education. for me, i am i've been a

politician the shorter time, but i've been the one out fighting for families the longest time. i promise you this. give me a chance. i'll go to the white house. and i'll fight for your family. >> thank you, senator. >> vice president biden. >> i'm running because so many people -- [ screaming in the audience ] >> please give us a moment. we'll clear the room. senator biden, you have one minute. >> i'm running because so many people are being left behind. people i grew up in scranton when my dad lost his job and house and had to move. we moved and found ourselves in a position where we had little

ability to get anything done. and my dad worked like hell. i learned a lot. i've been knocked down a lot. i know what it's like to be knocked down but we have to get up and provide safety and security for the american people. right here in nevada the site of the most significant mass murder in american history. guns. our kids are getting sent to school having to hide under desks, learn how to run down corridors to avoid being shot. i beat the nra nationally twice. with regard to health care, it also is something that is a right. obama care has to be expanded. it can cover everybody, and lastly, i think it's important that on day one, day one we deal with sending immigration bills to the desk. the only person here with the worse record on immigration here is bernie because he voted against a 2007 bill. there would be 6 million members who would be now american citizens. >> senator sanders, you have one

minute. >> unfortunately other groups, latino groups, saw that bill having provisions akin to slavery, joe, but the bottom ryan is all of us are united in defeating the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country. that we agree on. but where we don't agree, i think is why we are today the only major country on earth not to guarantee health care for all people. why three people -- when 50 0,000 people sleep out on the street. why hundreds of thousands of bright young kids can't afford to go to college and 45 million remain in student debt. bottom line here, real change never takes place from the top on down. never takes place from an oligarch controlled by billionaires. we need to mobilize millions of people to stand up for justice.

that's our campaign. join us at berniesanders.com. thank you. >> senator, thank you. folks, thank you. that concludes tonight's debate. our thanks to my fellow moderators, to the candidates and of course all of you, the audience here and at home. the nevada caucuses are this saturday with the south carolina primary one week later and the big prize, super tuesday on march third. we'll follow it all for you. i'm lester hold. good night. so begins our coverage. brian williams in new york. two ways of looking at what transpired on that stage. six people fighting for themselves. six people who over the course of two hours sometimes salve vanled each other and at some point someone on that stage is going to have to run against the incumbent president. sometimes at the end of what we