Miss USA Says Health Care Is a Privilege, Not a Right — and People Are Mad

Newly crowned Miss USA Kara McCullough raised the ire of the Internet with her answer to a question about health care during Sunday night’s pageant.

The 25-year-old former Miss District of Columbia, a physical scientist at the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, according to CNN, was asked during the Las Vegas pageant’s question-and-answer section if “affordable health care for all U.S. citizens is a right or a privilege.”

Her reply is what sent people to social media. “I’m definitely going to say it’s a privilege,” she said. “As a government employee, I am granted health care, and I see firsthand that for one to have health care, you have to have jobs.”

“So therefore, we need to continue to cultivate this environment that we’re given the opportunity to have health care as well as jobs to all American citizens worldwide,” she continued.

People who disagreed with her took to social media to share their opinions. 

 

She also saw an outpouring of support for sticking to her views, even if they might be viewed by some as unpopular.

 

The question is particularly timely and obviously provokes strong emotions, as the U.S. Senate is in the midst of negotiating plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act after the House passed its own version of the legislation.

The president said of the House’s version, “As much as we’ve come up with a really incredible health care plan, this has brought the Republican Party together. We’re going to get this finished.”