Like most Democrats, Sen. Elizabeth Warren supports an expansion of immigration with a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented — but she differs from some of her opponents on the details.
Warren says it should remain illegal for undocumented immigrants to cross the border without permission if they are not seeking amnesty.
The senator was asked if undocumented immigrants should get health care.
"Remember what I have in mind for immigration. And that is that we are going to bring people into the system, create a pathway to citizenship, and that means we want health care for everybody," she said.
While presidential candidates from both parties are known for moderating positions in the general election, Warren, if the nominee, shows no willingness to do so. She says she would not consider shifting her support of Medicare For All to a shoring up of Obamacare.
"I think that we owe President Obama a huge debt of gratitude. For making the commitment, as a country, to try to get everyone covered," she said. "I see Medicare for all as the next step. We need a system that works more efficiently than that, and that's Medicare for all."
And Warren believes the majority of Americans are on her side when it comes to the most progressive issues.
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"I look around that room and I get a lot of nods," she said. "People get this. They know this."
Much of her feedback comes from town halls, a campaign staple that Warren has mastered — she's done more than 130 in 27 states. Her stump speech is, in large part, about her upbringing in Oklahoma on the "ragged edges of the middle class," with three older brothers who served in the military and a mother who took her very first job at Sears when Warren's father had a heart attack and couldn't work.
"There are a lot of heart-to-heart moments," she said. "People who are worried, who are scared, who may be political or may not be political. But who, most of all, have a little piece of hope. And it's hope that, in a democracy, we can get together and we can make this the country of our best values. Every single town hall makes me feel better about our democracy. I see more people who say I'm not on the sidelines anymore."
At 70 years old, Warren's energy is considered unmatched on the campaign trail. She said she walks, up to seven miles per day, to relax and unwind.
