Amy Klobuchar talks veterans’ issues in Northern Nevada campaign swing

CARSON CITY – Minnesota Sen. and Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar made her first campaign stop in Northern Nevada on Thursday, holding a round table with veterans to hear their concerns about health care and the VA, especially in rural areas.

After the hourlong meeting at a downtown restaurant across from the state Legislature, she took questions from reporters over potential impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump and a move to ditch the Electoral College for a national popular vote to choose presidents.

Gov. Steve Sisolak Thursday vetoed a move to have Nevada join other states in supporting the national popular vote compact.

Asked about impeachment in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller’s comments Wednesday on the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice by the Trump administration, Klobuchar said she had “always had the position that we need to keep impeachment proceedings on the table, but what I really want to see is more investigation.”

“The House is going to have to do its job and they’re going to have to keep pushing for those subpoenas and keep pushing to get the information,” she added.

She called the national popular election of presidents “a great idea.”

“I would love to make that change. I don’t know if that is possible,” she said, referring to the current effort by states. “I do think this is an interesting way to do it.”

Earlier, the third-term Minnesota senator heard directly from a half dozen veterans at the late-morning round table discussion, which attracted a crowd of roughly 25.

Her voice a little ragged, she mostly listened and at times had to struggle to get a word in as she heard concerns about health care for transgender veterans, changes to the Veterans Administration health care system, and the challenges rural veterans face in obtaining care.

Before the partisan crowd, she also fielded questions about Trump’s handling of the military and the U.S. involvement on armed conflicts around the world.

“I think the things that I learned today are that one, rural health care for our service members and for civilians that live in rural areas is never easy,” Klobuchar said afterward, citing her experience with similar issues in rural parts of her home state.

Klobuchar, who is running in the low single digits in polls along with most other 2020 candidates behind Democratic front-runners former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, also praised Nevada’s just-approved move to promptly restore voting rights to released convicts as “a very timely thing to do.”

“I hope the rest of the country takes notice, because Nevada is taking great leadership here,” she added.

Contact Bill Dentzer at bdentzer@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-0661. Follow @DentzerNews on Twitter.