Malliotakis, Baumel spar on healthcare in assembly debate
With Election Day fast approaching, Republican Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis and her Democratic opponent Adam Baumel met for a debate in Bay Ridge where they locked horns over health care, rent control and whether it’s necessary for an elected official to hold regular town hall meetings with constituents.
Malliotakis, running for her fifth term in office representing the 64th Assembly District comprising portions of Bay Ridge and Staten Island), and Baumel, a U.S. Navy veteran making his first run for public office, took part in a debate sponsored by the Bay Ridge Community Council on Oct. 23.
“Of course I support (coverage for) pre-existing conditions,” said Baumel, who then criticized President Donald Trump for seeking to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the Obama-era law which, among other things, prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage for people with pre-existing illnesses.