During this year's first debate among Republican presidential hopefuls, candidates on Thursday criticized President Barack Obama's executive actions on dealing with gun violence and improving mental health treatment.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush brought up mental health during the discussion of gun control laws, saying it is a serious issue that can and should be dealt with through bipartisan legislation.
He said that going through Congress would be better than the executive actions Obama announced last week, which included a request of $500 million for improving access to mental health treatment. The Republican-led Congress is unlikely to approve the funding.
Donald Trump also bashed the executive order but said mental health is a “big problem.”
“We're closing hospitals, we're closing wards because the states are trying to save money,” he said.
The Affordable Care Act got a brief mention when Florida Sen. Marco Rubio called it a “job-killer.” That has been a familiar line for opponents of the ACA, but recent studies show there is no evidence of a decline in employment or worker hours.
The debate also featured Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
