WEBVTT 00:00.700 --> 00:03.280 - [Narrator] Welcome to the Idaho debates, 00:03.280 --> 00:06.410 a Q&A for Congressional District two. 00:06.410 --> 00:09.543 The Idaho debates is organized by these partners. 00:10.900 --> 00:14.610 Funding provided by the Friends of Idaho Public Television 00:14.610 --> 00:16.900 the Idaho Public Television Endowment 00:16.900 --> 00:19.130 and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting 00:20.080 --> 00:22.150 position:0% line:0% size:90% - Hello and welcome to the Idaho debates. 00:22.150 --> 00:23.480 position:0% line:0% size:90% I'm Marcia Franklin. 00:23.480 --> 00:25.250 position:0% line:0% size:90% Today, we hear from the candidates running 00:25.250 --> 00:28.600 to represent Idaho in the second Congressional District. 00:28.600 --> 00:30.950 That district takes in a large part of Boise 00:30.950 --> 00:33.680 and then extends across the central and Southern parts 00:33.680 --> 00:37.570 of Idaho all the way to the Wyoming and Montana borders. 00:37.570 --> 00:38.790 position:0% line:0% size:90% The Republican candidate 00:38.790 --> 00:41.400 position:0% line:0% size:90% for the US house position is Mike Simpson. 00:41.400 --> 00:43.370 position:0% line:0% size:90% Mr. Simpson is the incumbent 00:43.370 --> 00:45.950 position:0% line:0% size:90% and is in his 11th term of office. 00:45.950 --> 00:49.270 position:0% line:0% size:90% Having first been elected to the position in 1998, 00:49.270 --> 00:50.920 position:0% line:0% size:90% raised in Blackfoot Idaho. 00:50.920 --> 00:53.220 position:0% line:0% size:90% Representative Simpson practice dentistry there 00:53.220 --> 00:54.810 position:0% line:0% size:90% for more than 20 years. 00:54.810 --> 00:57.420 position:0% line:0% size:90% In 1984, he was elected to the Idaho 00:57.420 --> 01:00.690 position:0% line:0% size:90% House of Representatives where he served for 14 years, 01:00.690 --> 01:02.530 position:0% line:0% size:90% including as speaker of the house. 01:02.530 --> 01:05.630 position:0% line:0% size:90% His democratic challenger is Aaron Swisher. 01:05.630 --> 01:07.750 position:0% line:0% size:90% Mr. Swisher grew up in West Virginia 01:07.750 --> 01:11.720 position:0% line:0% size:90% and came to Idaho in 1993 to go to Boise state university. 01:11.720 --> 01:13.730 position:0% line:0% size:90% He received degrees in economics 01:13.730 --> 01:15.530 position:0% line:0% size:90% and finance from that institution 01:15.530 --> 01:18.080 position:0% line:0% size:90% and then worked for Micron electronics. 01:18.080 --> 01:21.190 position:0% line:0% size:90% Mr. Swisher currently works for OpSec Security 01:21.190 --> 01:24.740 position:0% line:0% size:90% where he specializes in anti-fraud security for businesses. 01:24.740 --> 01:27.660 position:0% line:0% size:90% This is his second run for the second Congressional District 01:27.660 --> 01:31.780 position:0% line:0% size:90% having challenged representative Simpson in 2018 as well. 01:31.780 --> 01:35.340 Because of COVID-19 and the need for social distancing. 01:35.340 --> 01:37.870 We did not tape a traditional debate. 01:37.870 --> 01:40.690 Instead, I moderated a question and answer session 01:40.690 --> 01:42.840 with each candidate separately. 01:42.840 --> 01:45.460 Following the rules drawn up by the debate committee. 01:45.460 --> 01:47.780 I asked each person the same question 01:47.780 --> 01:50.740 and each had a minute and a half to respond. 01:50.740 --> 01:52.210 If I had a followup question 01:52.210 --> 01:54.800 the candidate had 60 seconds to answer. 01:54.800 --> 01:56.680 If candidates went slightly over their time, 01:56.680 --> 01:58.630 I let them finish their thought. 01:58.630 --> 02:00.510 Now, since they were interviewed separately 02:00.510 --> 02:03.000 the candidates did not hear each other's responses. 02:03.000 --> 02:06.620 And so did not have the opportunity for a direct rebuttal. 02:06.620 --> 02:08.900 I started by asking them their opinion 02:08.900 --> 02:11.670 of the president of the United States. 02:11.670 --> 02:13.010 I'm curious, first of all 02:13.010 --> 02:17.000 to hear your opinion of the president of the United States 02:17.000 --> 02:20.380 and if it has changed over time, why has that been? 02:20.380 --> 02:23.000 And if you don't care for him, 02:23.000 --> 02:25.210 what are some of the policies of his, 02:25.210 --> 02:26.493 that you do agree with? 02:28.120 --> 02:30.070 - Well, that's an interesting question. 02:31.250 --> 02:34.550 I think like a lot of Idahoans and a lot of Americans, 02:34.550 --> 02:36.890 we have some concerns with his behavior. 02:36.890 --> 02:41.020 Don't like his tweets and some of that type of behavior. 02:41.020 --> 02:44.090 I look beyond that and look at the policies 02:44.090 --> 02:44.980 that he's enacted. 02:44.980 --> 02:46.940 And I agree with the policies. 02:46.940 --> 02:49.480 I think he's had the country moving in the right direction. 02:49.480 --> 02:52.690 Before the coronavirus hit, we had the lowest unemployment 02:52.690 --> 02:55.680 that we've had since the great depression 02:56.830 --> 03:00.470 the lowest minority unemployment, we've the economy growing 03:00.470 --> 03:05.010 at about a three and a half or about a 2.8% rate. 03:05.010 --> 03:07.410 We get it up to three and a half percent a rate 03:07.410 --> 03:09.790 and the tax cuts pay for themselves. 03:09.790 --> 03:12.690 So we had everything moving in the right direction. 03:12.690 --> 03:16.300 I agree with his policies of reducing the regulations, 03:16.300 --> 03:17.740 reducing the corporate tax rate, 03:17.740 --> 03:20.370 bringing companies back into the United States 03:21.710 --> 03:23.440 and creating jobs in the United States. 03:23.440 --> 03:26.350 So I agree with those things, but sometimes it's hard 03:26.350 --> 03:28.670 for some people to get past the tweets 03:28.670 --> 03:32.740 and the way he behaves on television and stuff. 03:32.740 --> 03:35.053 But I certainly support his policies. 03:36.220 --> 03:40.080 - It's no secret that in 2016, you felt that the president 03:40.080 --> 03:41.820 at that time was unfit to serve 03:41.820 --> 03:44.323 and that you were not gonna endorse him. 03:45.520 --> 03:49.630 You even told political that you were starting to wonder 03:49.630 --> 03:53.520 whether the family, his family knows what the truth is. 03:53.520 --> 03:57.060 So there's been quite a change here. 03:57.060 --> 04:00.290 And I remember in the last debate that we had 04:00.290 --> 04:03.750 you made an impassioned plea for civility. 04:03.750 --> 04:06.670 You said that civility, isn't something that just happens. 04:06.670 --> 04:08.483 It's a choice you make. 04:10.613 --> 04:13.990 How do those views, the ones that you used to have 04:13.990 --> 04:17.690 and this desire for civility comport 04:17.690 --> 04:21.973 with some of the things that we have seen him say and do? 04:23.400 --> 04:25.660 - Well, I think that could be used 04:25.660 --> 04:29.090 across the broad spectrum of people. 04:29.090 --> 04:31.100 Civility is something that you do individually. 04:31.100 --> 04:31.933 It's how you behave. 04:31.933 --> 04:34.070 I can't control how somebody else behaves. 04:34.070 --> 04:37.140 All I can do is how is control how I respond to it. 04:37.140 --> 04:42.140 And even not just politicians, but the public in general 04:43.020 --> 04:46.020 needs to realize that they're responsible for civility. 04:46.020 --> 04:48.610 And if you've seen over the last it's gotten worse, 04:48.610 --> 04:50.890 but the last 10 years over the last four or five years, 04:50.890 --> 04:51.970 it's even gotten worse. 04:51.970 --> 04:54.840 You has seen some of the emails and stuff, 04:54.840 --> 04:58.460 things that people send us the texts and so forth, 04:58.460 --> 05:00.760 that you would never say that to a person 05:00.760 --> 05:02.810 if you sat down and had to look and face to face 05:02.810 --> 05:06.140 and that's contributing to the incivility in this country. 05:06.140 --> 05:09.670 And so we have to take responsibility for it ourselves. 05:09.670 --> 05:12.870 And that means every individual has to take responsibility 05:12.870 --> 05:15.070 for the incivility that that occurs. 05:15.070 --> 05:17.330 Do I wish that the president was more civil? 05:17.330 --> 05:19.810 Sure, do I wish that Joe Biden was more civil? 05:19.810 --> 05:20.643 You bet. 05:20.643 --> 05:22.440 Do I wish that Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer 05:22.440 --> 05:23.930 were more, more civil? 05:23.930 --> 05:28.670 You bet, like I say, I can only control my own behavior. 05:28.670 --> 05:31.160 - Just one more question on this subject 05:31.160 --> 05:33.660 of course, the president of United States did test positive 05:33.660 --> 05:35.830 for COVID-19 and was treated. 05:35.830 --> 05:40.580 In addition to these tweets that were talking about 05:40.580 --> 05:45.040 his behavior itself has seemed quite erotic to many people. 05:45.040 --> 05:46.970 And of course, he's been diagnosed 05:46.970 --> 05:48.800 with a very serious illness. 05:48.800 --> 05:50.980 Do you have full faith and confidence 05:50.980 --> 05:53.360 that the current president of the United States 05:53.360 --> 05:56.763 can carry out his duties now and for the next four years? 05:57.850 --> 06:02.310 - Yes, absolutely I have faith in his ability to do that. 06:02.310 --> 06:04.050 He's got mild symptoms. 06:04.050 --> 06:07.110 In fact, I think he's symptomless right now. 06:07.110 --> 06:09.616 He's got the best medical care in the world, 06:09.616 --> 06:10.510 and I think he's gonna be fine. 06:10.510 --> 06:12.210 So I'm not worried about that. 06:12.210 --> 06:14.130 - I wanna start by asking you about the president 06:14.130 --> 06:15.410 of the United States. 06:15.410 --> 06:17.480 What's your opinion of the president? 06:17.480 --> 06:19.370 Has it changed over time? 06:19.370 --> 06:23.610 And if you don't have a favorable view of him, 06:23.610 --> 06:28.393 are there some of his policies that you support? 06:30.630 --> 06:34.360 - Certainly, when the president came into office 06:34.360 --> 06:37.090 as with any president that comes into office, 06:37.090 --> 06:39.280 you want that person to do well 06:39.280 --> 06:42.960 because when they do well, typically the country does well. 06:42.960 --> 06:45.950 Unfortunately I think we have a president that cares more 06:45.950 --> 06:50.060 about himself and his brand so to speak 06:50.060 --> 06:52.830 than he does about the citizens of our country. 06:52.830 --> 06:57.240 And so I feel that he doesn't show much empathy. 06:57.240 --> 07:00.330 I think in some cases he's completely incompetent 07:00.330 --> 07:03.500 and doesn't seem to want to make the changes 07:03.500 --> 07:05.070 that would make him more competent 07:05.070 --> 07:07.010 make him more knowledgeable. 07:07.010 --> 07:10.313 There were areas where I agreed with the president. 07:11.320 --> 07:15.280 He felt that our trade agreements were very unfair 07:15.280 --> 07:17.920 to American workers, and I agreed 07:17.920 --> 07:20.230 we need to work out better trade deals. 07:20.230 --> 07:23.640 Unfortunately, his approach, even in that area 07:23.640 --> 07:27.620 wasn't really what I would have hoped for or expected. 07:27.620 --> 07:29.990 And he seemed to have started more trade wars 07:31.010 --> 07:33.530 than working with other countries 07:33.530 --> 07:35.630 to come up with better trade agreements 07:35.630 --> 07:38.650 for the United States and for United States workers. 07:38.650 --> 07:42.910 So, I try not to look at the president as a person 07:42.910 --> 07:45.800 from a certain party but as somebody 07:45.800 --> 07:48.210 who could be worked with on certain issues 07:49.822 --> 07:52.250 but that person also has to come to the table, 07:52.250 --> 07:55.010 become educated and show that they are willing to work 07:55.010 --> 07:56.410 with the other side as well. 07:58.560 --> 08:03.170 - On COVID, the number of people who are testing positive 08:03.170 --> 08:05.740 for COVID-19 is rising again. 08:05.740 --> 08:09.080 And there have been of course more than 200,000 deaths 08:09.080 --> 08:10.910 attributed to this virus. 08:10.910 --> 08:13.730 Do you think the federal government has responded well 08:13.730 --> 08:15.070 to the pandemic? 08:15.070 --> 08:16.560 And if not, what do you think 08:16.560 --> 08:18.210 could have been done differently? 08:19.620 --> 08:21.270 - I don't think that the federal government 08:21.270 --> 08:22.680 has responded well. 08:22.680 --> 08:24.730 And let me be clear about this. 08:24.730 --> 08:26.900 I would never expect our federal government 08:26.900 --> 08:29.400 to handle something like this perfectly. 08:29.400 --> 08:32.600 The last time we went through something of this magnitude 08:32.600 --> 08:34.300 was a hundred years ago. 08:34.300 --> 08:36.990 And so I think it would just be foolish to think 08:36.990 --> 08:39.030 that our government is going to handle it 08:39.030 --> 08:41.020 in a perfect manner. 08:41.020 --> 08:44.550 But early on, we didn't really know what we were dealing 08:44.550 --> 08:46.260 with with this pandemic. 08:46.260 --> 08:48.840 And so we should have taken it as seriously 08:48.840 --> 08:53.840 as we could have and treated it with the utmost respect. 08:54.080 --> 08:57.510 We didn't do the president called it a hoax. 08:57.510 --> 09:01.270 The president downplayed it by his own admission. 09:01.270 --> 09:02.650 He downplayed it. 09:02.650 --> 09:05.560 Now, when you kind of know what needs to be done 09:05.560 --> 09:08.810 to get the virus under control, you have a large segment 09:08.810 --> 09:11.350 of the population who doesn't want to do that 09:11.350 --> 09:13.870 because they don't think it's a serious problem 09:13.870 --> 09:15.980 because the president downplayed it 09:15.980 --> 09:18.280 as not being a serious problem. 09:18.280 --> 09:21.980 And so once again, I would never expect us 09:21.980 --> 09:25.450 to do everything perfectly but from the get go here 09:25.450 --> 09:29.150 we just didn't treat this as seriously as we needed to. 09:29.150 --> 09:32.690 - It seemed like there were also some supply chain issues 09:33.820 --> 09:35.730 looking at mask for instance, 09:35.730 --> 09:39.990 what's your sense of how those could have been 09:39.990 --> 09:41.883 or can be rectified? 09:43.370 --> 09:45.980 - Yeah, I think the president could have invoked 09:45.980 --> 09:48.010 the Defense Authorization Act 09:48.010 --> 09:52.870 that basically enlist companies 09:52.870 --> 09:54.823 that maybe are making other things to make the things 09:54.823 --> 09:58.800 that the country needs to get us through a period like this. 09:58.800 --> 10:00.750 The president didn't do that. 10:00.750 --> 10:02.373 And I think that was a mistake. 10:03.570 --> 10:08.340 And originally we should have kind of quarantined everybody 10:08.340 --> 10:12.650 for three weeks a month done testing, done contact tracing 10:12.650 --> 10:15.630 the types of things that would let us know who had the virus 10:15.630 --> 10:17.530 and who didn't so that we could keep 10:17.530 --> 10:20.260 those with the virus quarantined. 10:20.260 --> 10:22.890 And then the rest of the economy could get back on its feet 10:22.890 --> 10:27.010 and people could get back to semi-regular activities. 10:27.010 --> 10:28.920 Now there were some testing problems 10:28.920 --> 10:32.740 and like you mentioned some issues with our supplies 10:32.740 --> 10:36.370 but I think we could have overcome that had the president 10:36.370 --> 10:38.080 taken this situation seriously 10:39.000 --> 10:41.440 - More than a 100 company, countries excuse me, 10:41.440 --> 10:44.260 have some sort of mask mandate 10:44.260 --> 10:45.750 when you're in public, do you think 10:45.750 --> 10:48.913 that that's something that the United States should do? 10:50.660 --> 10:53.780 - I think it is, we're not asking people 10:53.780 --> 10:56.140 to sit at home with their masks on, 10:56.140 --> 10:58.960 if you're out in public if you're in a public building 10:58.960 --> 11:00.940 wear your mask, if you're outside 11:00.940 --> 11:02.550 and you're in a large group of people 11:02.550 --> 11:05.933 where you can't properly socially distance wear your mask. 11:07.890 --> 11:09.820 My wife and I don't go out a whole lot 11:09.820 --> 11:13.310 because she's, trying to overcome breast cancer. 11:13.310 --> 11:15.340 So we're not the typical couple, 11:15.340 --> 11:18.930 but in a month's time, I probably only wear my mask 11:18.930 --> 11:22.570 for two or three hours, dropping kids off at daycare, 11:22.570 --> 11:24.430 going to the grocery store, things like that. 11:24.430 --> 11:29.090 It's really not an onerous request of people 11:29.090 --> 11:32.260 but people have kind of lost their mind 11:32.260 --> 11:35.910 on this issue and they're just unwilling to do anything 11:35.910 --> 11:39.630 for the betterment of society unfortunately. 11:39.630 --> 11:42.190 But yes, I do think we should have some sort of guidance 11:42.190 --> 11:45.252 from the government and maybe even a mandate 11:45.252 --> 11:47.390 on where and when to wear a mask. 11:47.390 --> 11:49.640 - Yeah, I was gonna say with a mandate, 11:49.640 --> 11:51.130 how would you enforce that? 11:51.130 --> 11:52.540 And of course there are people who have to wear 11:52.540 --> 11:54.840 them all day at their work too, 11:54.840 --> 11:57.110 not just a couple of hours a day. 11:57.110 --> 11:57.943 - That that's true. 11:57.943 --> 11:59.260 That is true. 11:59.260 --> 12:01.810 - So would you, if there were a mandate 12:01.810 --> 12:04.723 how would you enforce such a mandate? 12:06.930 --> 12:08.400 - That's a good question. 12:08.400 --> 12:11.640 We seem to have a disrespect in this country 12:11.640 --> 12:15.340 for authority on both sides of the aisle 12:15.340 --> 12:18.590 when people don't want to kind of abide 12:18.590 --> 12:22.263 by things that would make society better for all of us. 12:23.950 --> 12:25.480 And to be honest, I'm not sure. 12:25.480 --> 12:27.080 Do you have police enforce that? 12:27.080 --> 12:28.730 Do you arrest people? 12:28.730 --> 12:32.810 Do you fine people, you would hope 12:32.810 --> 12:35.830 that people would just have a greater sense 12:35.830 --> 12:38.130 of personal responsibility and respect 12:38.130 --> 12:41.660 for their fellow human beings and abide by a mandate. 12:41.660 --> 12:43.420 But unfortunately we are not 12:43.420 --> 12:45.223 in that kind of a situation today. 12:46.240 --> 12:49.000 - On the subject of COVID the numbers of people 12:49.000 --> 12:52.670 testing positive for COVID-19 are rising again 12:52.670 --> 12:56.010 and there have of course been more than 200,000 deaths 12:56.010 --> 12:58.240 in this country attributed to that virus. 12:58.240 --> 13:00.840 Do you think the federal government has responded well 13:00.840 --> 13:02.580 to the pandemic and if not, 13:02.580 --> 13:04.920 what could have been done differently? 13:04.920 --> 13:06.970 - Well, I mean, that's a good question. 13:06.970 --> 13:09.920 President Trump gets blamed for the 212,000 deaths 13:09.920 --> 13:11.170 that have occurred so far 13:12.320 --> 13:14.890 but yet no one has been able to tell me 13:14.890 --> 13:16.310 what they would have done differently 13:16.310 --> 13:19.103 at the outbreak of this COVID epidemic. 13:20.600 --> 13:23.500 He banned travel in the United States from Wuhan 13:23.500 --> 13:26.170 and from China as quickly as possible. 13:26.170 --> 13:28.720 And at the time, if you remember, he was called racist 13:28.720 --> 13:32.130 and xenophobic and everything else by his opponents. 13:32.130 --> 13:34.560 But as a Dr. Fauzia said, 13:34.560 --> 13:35.800 that was the smartest thing to do. 13:35.800 --> 13:38.570 And it probably saved thousands and thousands of lives 13:38.570 --> 13:39.843 by banning that travel. 13:40.880 --> 13:45.702 Could he have been more forthcoming with the American people 13:45.702 --> 13:48.110 of the dangers of this epidemic? 13:48.110 --> 13:50.320 Yeah, he could have been, but I think his argument 13:50.320 --> 13:52.820 is is that he didn't want to scare the heck out of people. 13:52.820 --> 13:57.697 And, if you listen to just the doctors on this a COVID thing 13:59.860 --> 14:01.760 their job is to protect our health. 14:01.760 --> 14:03.260 They would have us all in a bubble. 14:03.260 --> 14:04.540 And I mean, that would be the best thing 14:04.540 --> 14:08.190 for all of us in terms of, of protecting us from COVID. 14:08.190 --> 14:10.060 But the president has to deal with much more than that. 14:10.060 --> 14:11.810 He has to deal with the economy. 14:11.810 --> 14:13.980 He has to deal with the health of the American people 14:13.980 --> 14:15.360 and balance those two. 14:15.360 --> 14:17.420 So, there's gonna be plenty of time 14:17.420 --> 14:18.440 to look back at this and say, 14:18.440 --> 14:20.090 should we done things differently? 14:20.090 --> 14:23.570 But everyone that needed a ventilator got one. 14:23.570 --> 14:25.820 We had plenty of mask and all of those things 14:27.360 --> 14:29.340 that the Obama administration left a short 14:29.340 --> 14:32.563 on when they dealt with the H1N1 virus. 14:34.280 --> 14:36.040 - There might be some people who disagree with you 14:36.040 --> 14:39.100 that there are enough masks to go around. 14:39.100 --> 14:41.050 I think that's still might be a problem. 14:41.050 --> 14:43.630 I'm curious to know congressman 14:43.630 --> 14:46.733 when a vaccine becomes available, will you take it? 14:47.850 --> 14:50.193 - Absolutely, if it's gone through the CDC 14:51.727 --> 14:54.230 and the FDA absolutely, I'd take it. 14:54.230 --> 14:57.980 - Would you encourage your constituents to do so as well? 14:57.980 --> 14:58.813 - Yes, I would. 14:59.690 --> 15:04.100 - Let's talk about jobs even with Congress 15:04.100 --> 15:07.300 and the president approving more than $2 trillion 15:07.300 --> 15:10.820 in emergency aid to deal with the economic effects 15:10.820 --> 15:14.710 of COVID-19 more than 10 million jobs have still been lost 15:14.710 --> 15:19.710 since February 2.4 million people are on basically longterm 15:19.870 --> 15:22.010 unemployed now and almost 5 million 15:22.010 --> 15:23.840 more are approaching that mark. 15:23.840 --> 15:26.440 Now, Republicans and Democrats have been at loggerheads 15:26.440 --> 15:29.890 to approve another stimulus act. 15:29.890 --> 15:32.160 It looks like that might be resolving in favor 15:32.160 --> 15:36.010 of a more piecemeal approach, various bills, instead of one. 15:36.010 --> 15:38.960 Is that something that you support this piecemeal approach? 15:39.830 --> 15:43.660 - Yes it is, the Republicans and Democrats 15:43.660 --> 15:45.915 have been trying to come to an agreement 15:45.915 --> 15:47.633 on the fourth package. 15:48.820 --> 15:51.430 I guess the biggest disappointment I have in Congress 15:51.430 --> 15:53.377 when COVID first broke out, I was proud of Congress 15:53.377 --> 15:55.440 and the way they worked in a bipartisan fashion 15:55.440 --> 15:58.720 we passed three different relief bills 15:58.720 --> 16:00.000 and almost unanimously. 16:00.000 --> 16:01.940 I think there were three people in the house 16:01.940 --> 16:03.680 that voted against the CARES Act. 16:03.680 --> 16:04.990 And then something happened 16:04.990 --> 16:06.773 that it all just became partisan. 16:07.990 --> 16:11.490 Speaker Pelosi decided to pass her Heroes Act 16:11.490 --> 16:13.920 and she never consulted one Republican on it. 16:13.920 --> 16:15.970 The day I saw the bill was the day 16:15.970 --> 16:18.060 before we voted on it, when it was posted 16:18.060 --> 16:19.950 that's not how you get bipartisan support. 16:19.950 --> 16:21.980 And for some reason the bipartisanship 16:21.980 --> 16:23.890 that existed when this first broke out, 16:23.890 --> 16:25.660 just went out the window. 16:25.660 --> 16:28.470 And so we haven't been able to come up with a package 16:28.470 --> 16:31.560 yet that Republicans and Democrats agree on 16:31.560 --> 16:35.290 right now the negotiations that Nancy speaker Pelosi 16:35.290 --> 16:38.710 is at 2.4 trillion and the white house 16:38.710 --> 16:41.500 and Republicans are at about 1.6 trillion. 16:41.500 --> 16:45.400 If it was just the number we can come to a compromise, 16:45.400 --> 16:48.450 but there are some poison pills that have been put in there 16:48.450 --> 16:51.410 such as the federal government taking over 16:51.410 --> 16:54.160 the election process all of the state elections and stuff. 16:54.160 --> 16:55.260 And I don't think that's proper. 16:55.260 --> 16:56.750 We don't have a national election. 16:56.750 --> 17:00.250 We have 50 state elections and six territorial elections. 17:00.250 --> 17:02.880 And I don't want the federal government taking over that 17:02.880 --> 17:07.060 and making things like ballot harvesting legal 17:07.060 --> 17:08.860 all across the country. 17:08.860 --> 17:12.690 - Let's talk about jobs and the stimulus, 17:12.690 --> 17:15.720 even with Congress and the president approving 17:15.720 --> 17:18.540 more than $2 trillion in emergency aid 17:18.540 --> 17:21.130 to deal with the effects of COVID-19 17:21.130 --> 17:23.390 more than 10 million jobs have still been lost 17:23.390 --> 17:25.730 since February 2.4 million people 17:25.730 --> 17:28.070 are termed longterm unemployed 17:28.070 --> 17:31.260 and almost five million more are approaching that mark. 17:31.260 --> 17:33.710 So Republicans and Democrats have been at loggerheads 17:33.710 --> 17:35.710 over a new stimulus bill. 17:35.710 --> 17:38.410 And it looks like there might be a little bit of break 17:38.410 --> 17:39.730 in that log jam for more 17:39.730 --> 17:43.830 of a piecemeal approach, individual bills. 17:43.830 --> 17:45.363 What's your thought on that? 17:46.820 --> 17:51.260 - I think we unfortunately do need sort of second Stimulus. 17:51.260 --> 17:54.900 I think if we had handled the virus properly 17:54.900 --> 17:56.670 handled this pandemic properly 17:56.670 --> 17:58.780 we may be wouldn't need a second stimulus 17:58.780 --> 18:00.380 but we didn't do that. 18:00.380 --> 18:03.110 And we're at a point where as an economist 18:03.110 --> 18:06.080 I can tell you if we don't get some sort of stimulus here 18:06.080 --> 18:08.920 soon, this economy will fall off a cliff 18:08.920 --> 18:11.000 in the next couple of months. 18:11.000 --> 18:14.010 I would rather see an entire package 18:14.010 --> 18:16.120 but I would support piecemeal approach. 18:16.120 --> 18:18.270 If that's the only thing that can get done. 18:19.480 --> 18:22.027 - What do you absolutely want to see in there? 18:23.130 --> 18:26.190 - Yeah, I would like to see something that was more targeted 18:26.190 --> 18:29.910 than the $2 trillion bill that was done earlier in the year. 18:29.910 --> 18:31.970 I think you definitely have to have an extension 18:31.970 --> 18:34.340 of unemployment benefits for people 18:34.340 --> 18:36.790 I am in favor of some sort of enhancement 18:36.790 --> 18:40.070 of those unemployment unemployment benefits. 18:40.070 --> 18:43.460 During the first bill, they had added $600. 18:43.460 --> 18:46.170 I would have liked to seen something that was more tied 18:46.170 --> 18:48.100 to the income that you had 18:48.100 --> 18:50.660 before you were laid off or let go 18:50.660 --> 18:53.040 so that you wouldn't have the problem that Republicans 18:53.040 --> 18:54.570 are complaining about. 18:54.570 --> 18:57.630 But I think that's the key is making sure that folks 18:57.630 --> 19:01.360 who have been let go through really no fault of their own 19:01.360 --> 19:03.100 can make it through until we can get 19:03.100 --> 19:05.760 the economy back and going again. 19:05.760 --> 19:08.950 - Now, speaking of that, even before the pandemic 19:08.950 --> 19:11.300 the congressional budget office was projecting 19:11.300 --> 19:15.120 that the United States would spend $1.1 trillion 19:15.120 --> 19:17.280 over what it took in from taxes. 19:17.280 --> 19:20.300 Now with the 2.4 trillion the federal government 19:20.300 --> 19:22.040 has already spent on the economic aid. 19:22.040 --> 19:26.890 The CBO expects the deficit to reach $3.3 trillion this year 19:26.890 --> 19:30.180 which is more than three times the deficit in 2019 19:30.180 --> 19:33.300 and could push the debt to more than a 100% 19:33.300 --> 19:38.230 of GDP for the first time, since 1946 and a world war II. 19:38.230 --> 19:41.210 What is your sense of how we can help the people 19:41.210 --> 19:44.870 who need help but also eventually dig ourselves 19:44.870 --> 19:47.623 out of that huge hole that's that's happening? 19:48.650 --> 19:52.870 - Yeah, ideally we would have a balanced budget 19:52.870 --> 19:54.403 as a general rule. 19:55.740 --> 19:58.280 Republicans like to tell us how good the economy 19:58.280 --> 20:00.610 was before this pandemic hit. 20:00.610 --> 20:02.860 Well, if you're running a trillion dollar deficit 20:02.860 --> 20:05.820 and essentially boosting economic activity 20:05.820 --> 20:07.680 with an extra trillion dollars 20:07.680 --> 20:09.420 from the government every year 20:09.420 --> 20:12.130 that's really not a good economy. 20:12.130 --> 20:14.700 So what I would have liked to have seen 20:14.700 --> 20:16.190 was a stronger economy. 20:16.190 --> 20:18.720 One where we had a balanced budget 20:18.720 --> 20:20.630 before this pandemic started 20:20.630 --> 20:23.240 had we done that had we kept the balanced budgets 20:23.240 --> 20:26.710 that we had at the end of the late nineties, 20:26.710 --> 20:30.480 adding $2 trillion right now wouldn't seem like a big deal. 20:30.480 --> 20:32.580 We could add two trillion that we've already added 20:32.580 --> 20:34.440 add another two trillion now. 20:34.440 --> 20:37.070 And it still wouldn't seem like that big a deal 20:37.070 --> 20:39.853 but we are constantly running budget deficits. 20:40.718 --> 20:43.370 And so adding this on top of that at all, 20:43.370 --> 20:45.700 seems like a huge undertaking. 20:45.700 --> 20:47.810 - I guess my question was, where do we go here? 20:47.810 --> 20:52.160 I mean, we're in this situation now. 20:52.160 --> 20:56.140 So how do we continue to help people, 20:56.140 --> 21:00.183 and figure out how to get out of these deficits and debt? 21:01.120 --> 21:02.970 - Certainly, number one, 21:02.970 --> 21:05.320 you've got to get the pandemic under control. 21:05.320 --> 21:08.080 That's the first thing, once that happens 21:08.080 --> 21:10.210 you've got to reestablish an economy 21:10.210 --> 21:14.200 and doing it in a way that is more fair and equitable 21:14.200 --> 21:15.620 to working class people. 21:15.620 --> 21:18.180 We have never really had that. 21:18.180 --> 21:19.920 The lowest paid work in our society 21:19.920 --> 21:22.910 should be able to go out, work 40 hours a week 21:22.910 --> 21:24.950 and at least meet their basic needs. 21:24.950 --> 21:27.460 If not also have some discretionary spending 21:27.460 --> 21:30.220 to help drive the economy so that the economy 21:30.220 --> 21:33.580 is not relying on the federal government. 21:33.580 --> 21:35.290 We've never really had that. 21:35.290 --> 21:39.100 So the getting the pandemic under control was number one 21:39.100 --> 21:42.540 getting a fair and equitable economy is number two. 21:42.540 --> 21:44.900 And then we've got to reform taxes and set 21:44.900 --> 21:48.330 up a system where we're not having the federal government 21:48.330 --> 21:52.300 spends so much money, but taking in enough revenue 21:52.300 --> 21:53.970 to balance our budget and start 21:53.970 --> 21:56.700 to get the national debt under control. 21:56.700 --> 21:59.050 - So Would you bring more in, in taxes? 21:59.050 --> 22:03.440 Would you raise taxes on certain people? 22:03.440 --> 22:05.420 I would, I would, 22:05.420 --> 22:09.622 I would raise taxes on income over a million dollars a year. 22:09.622 --> 22:12.570 I would use some of that money to help simplify 22:12.570 --> 22:15.750 and reduce taxes when folks making less 22:15.750 --> 22:18.370 than half a million dollars a year. 22:18.370 --> 22:21.500 I would Institute some sort of BTU or carbon tax 22:21.500 --> 22:25.800 so that we're starting to make our economy more sustainable 22:25.800 --> 22:28.400 in terms of the environment and the climate. 22:28.400 --> 22:31.220 And then I would use that additional revenue 22:31.220 --> 22:33.610 to help balance the federal budget. 22:33.610 --> 22:37.260 - Even before the pandemic the congressional budget office 22:37.260 --> 22:41.290 was projecting that the U S would spend $1.1 trillion 22:41.290 --> 22:43.800 over what it took in and taxes. 22:43.800 --> 22:46.550 Now with the 2.4 trillion that the federal government 22:46.550 --> 22:48.750 has spent already on economic aid 22:48.750 --> 22:53.190 the CBO expects that deficit to reach $3.3 trillion 22:53.190 --> 22:58.190 this year, it may push the debt to more than a 100% of GDP 22:58.900 --> 23:02.940 in 2021 and that hasn't happened since 1946. 23:02.940 --> 23:07.680 So congressman, how can we dig ourselves out of this hole, 23:07.680 --> 23:10.433 but still help the people who need the help? 23:11.520 --> 23:14.760 - Well, nobody wanted to spend this money. 23:14.760 --> 23:17.200 Unfortunately, we were faced with the crisis 23:17.200 --> 23:19.850 and we felt like we had to do something. 23:19.850 --> 23:21.290 We had to help those people 23:21.290 --> 23:22.870 that found themselves out of a job. 23:22.870 --> 23:25.492 We had to help those small businesses 23:25.492 --> 23:27.260 that were gonna lose their employees and so forth. 23:27.260 --> 23:29.360 And that's why we extended the unemployment insurance. 23:29.360 --> 23:33.050 That's why we created the individual payment 23:33.050 --> 23:34.593 that went to people. 23:35.700 --> 23:38.250 We had to put money into the PPP program 23:38.250 --> 23:43.250 then the PPE program and all of those different programs. 23:44.070 --> 23:48.023 And I think they've helped us through the worst of this. 23:49.520 --> 23:53.200 Unemployment had reached, I think it was around 14% 23:53.200 --> 23:55.749 or so it's now down to 8.4%. 23:55.749 --> 23:57.040 The economy is coming back 23:57.040 --> 23:58.710 but the only way you're going to balance the budget 23:58.710 --> 24:01.640 in the long run and deal with the deficit 24:01.640 --> 24:04.750 and the debt is to get the economy growing again. 24:04.750 --> 24:07.550 If you look back at the late 1990s, when the last time 24:07.550 --> 24:10.093 the budget deficit was zero, 24:11.799 --> 24:14.490 it wasn't because Republicans in Congress 24:14.490 --> 24:16.860 and the Clinton administration slashed 24:16.860 --> 24:19.500 the heck out of spending or raise taxes. 24:19.500 --> 24:21.300 It was because the economy was booming 24:21.300 --> 24:23.170 and it was called the dotcom bubble. 24:23.170 --> 24:25.060 And they had more revenue coming in 24:25.060 --> 24:26.390 and they knew what to do with, 24:26.390 --> 24:29.420 so we've got to yes control spending 24:29.420 --> 24:32.070 in our regular appropriation process 24:32.070 --> 24:34.690 but we've got to get the economy growing. 24:34.690 --> 24:37.730 - So you feel that this stimulus package 24:37.730 --> 24:40.430 however, it comes out, we'll do that 24:41.510 --> 24:45.540 but we're still gonna be left with a massive amount 24:45.540 --> 24:50.390 of huge deficit three times the deficit from the prior year 24:50.390 --> 24:54.520 plus a debt that that potentially could exceed 24:54.520 --> 24:58.360 the amount that the economy produces. 24:58.360 --> 25:02.560 - Yeah, and I mean, that's problematic, no doubt about it. 25:02.560 --> 25:03.910 I don't disagree with that at all. 25:03.910 --> 25:08.320 And we've got to, while I haven't solved all the problems 25:08.320 --> 25:11.720 with the federal government, that deficit is one of those 25:11.720 --> 25:13.590 I've been working on that with other groups. 25:13.590 --> 25:18.510 So we I've standing holier the majority leader, 25:18.510 --> 25:20.080 Democratic majority leader. 25:20.080 --> 25:22.660 And I have been working several years ago 25:22.660 --> 25:24.470 on the Go Big coalition which was trying 25:24.470 --> 25:27.560 to put together a package that would reduce 25:27.560 --> 25:29.860 the debt over a period of time. 25:29.860 --> 25:31.560 And it included a whole lot of things. 25:31.560 --> 25:33.120 Some of them not very popular 25:33.120 --> 25:34.320 but that's what it's gonna take. 25:34.320 --> 25:37.770 The only way the problem with the debt, 25:37.770 --> 25:41.110 one of the biggest problems is that what's driving 25:41.110 --> 25:43.450 it so much besides the stimulus spending 25:43.450 --> 25:46.660 which as I said, I think was necessary. 25:46.660 --> 25:49.140 Beyond that, it's the entitlement programs 25:49.140 --> 25:52.030 that continue to grow faster than what we spend 25:52.030 --> 25:54.800 in terms of discretionary spending. 25:54.800 --> 25:58.860 Discretionary spending is about 30% of the overall budget. 25:58.860 --> 26:02.690 Mandatory spending is about 70% and it's growing faster 26:02.690 --> 26:04.940 than we can control the rest of the spending. 26:06.250 --> 26:08.750 - Congressmen, this, if you're elected 26:08.750 --> 26:09.850 will be your 12th term 26:11.520 --> 26:14.390 could you name a specific piece of legislation 26:14.390 --> 26:17.960 that would be your priority to both sponsor 26:17.960 --> 26:20.763 and see passed during your next term? 26:21.830 --> 26:23.950 - Well, I'm working on a number of bills. 26:23.950 --> 26:27.033 One is the immigration Ag Immigration Reform bill. 26:27.900 --> 26:32.403 We need to create a a legal workforce for agriculture 26:33.760 --> 26:35.340 in this country. 26:35.340 --> 26:38.660 We passed one in the house last December. 26:38.660 --> 26:40.630 It was bi-partisan. 26:40.630 --> 26:43.300 We had four Democrats four Republicans working. 26:43.300 --> 26:46.060 It took us about eight months to get it done. 26:46.060 --> 26:47.960 Both sides gave a lot. 26:47.960 --> 26:50.430 We had over 300 organizations that supported 26:50.430 --> 26:52.170 both agricultural organizations 26:52.170 --> 26:54.630 and things like the chamber of commerce and other groups. 26:54.630 --> 26:56.920 We thought we were gonna get it through the Senate. 26:56.920 --> 26:58.680 I know that there was great support 26:58.680 --> 27:02.180 for it or interested at least in it, in the Senate. 27:02.180 --> 27:04.143 And so we sent it over to the Senate 27:04.143 --> 27:07.010 when it passed the house and then COVID hit 27:07.010 --> 27:08.850 and everything got put on the back burner. 27:08.850 --> 27:12.400 And so I'm hopeful, very hopeful that we'll be able 27:12.400 --> 27:15.900 to take this same bill up in January 27:15.900 --> 27:17.770 and move it through the house and Senate 27:17.770 --> 27:19.660 because that would be probably the biggest thing 27:19.660 --> 27:21.920 we could do for agriculture and agriculture 27:21.920 --> 27:23.470 in Idaho and across the country 27:24.390 --> 27:27.530 is create the legal workforce that's necessary. 27:27.530 --> 27:28.440 - You mentioned January. 27:28.440 --> 27:31.030 I don't know if that means before the next president 27:31.030 --> 27:33.190 is seated or not, but there is a chance 27:33.190 --> 27:35.750 that in not only will the Democrats keep control 27:35.750 --> 27:38.470 of the house but that there would be a president 27:38.470 --> 27:40.320 who is from that party 27:40.320 --> 27:42.990 or potentially the Senate could move. 27:42.990 --> 27:45.220 How confident are you that you will be able 27:45.220 --> 27:49.603 to get your initiatives through if that scenario plays out. 27:50.530 --> 27:53.140 - Well, you and I have worked in bipartisan fashion 27:53.140 --> 27:54.960 for year ever since I've been in Congress. 27:54.960 --> 27:56.880 If you look at most of the bills that I've supported 27:56.880 --> 27:58.050 and the ones that have become law 27:58.050 --> 28:00.450 whether it's the Great American Outdoors Ac 28:00.450 --> 28:02.640 I was the lead Republican sponsor in the house. 28:02.640 --> 28:03.790 In fact, it was based on, 28:03.790 --> 28:04.930 even though it was written in the Senate, 28:04.930 --> 28:07.700 it was based on the bill I introduced three years ago 28:07.700 --> 28:10.630 called the Lands Act, that was bipartisan 28:11.600 --> 28:15.440 whether it was the Ag Immigration Reform bill 28:15.440 --> 28:19.310 whether it was the Wildfire Funding bill, 28:19.310 --> 28:20.590 so that we treat wildfires 28:20.590 --> 28:23.150 like we treat other natural disasters. 28:23.150 --> 28:24.860 Those were all bipartisan. 28:24.860 --> 28:26.630 You can work across the aisle. 28:26.630 --> 28:29.220 For some reason it seems like the partisanship 28:29.220 --> 28:31.730 comes from the leadership on both the house 28:31.730 --> 28:33.523 and Senate side on both parties. 28:34.540 --> 28:35.770 And that's unfortunate. 28:35.770 --> 28:38.950 And then when that happens in an election year 28:38.950 --> 28:42.333 a presidential election year, partisanship gets even worse. 28:43.330 --> 28:45.190 I hope that we get back to civility 28:45.190 --> 28:47.360 and talking to one another and trying to solve 28:47.360 --> 28:49.410 our problems as a country. 28:49.410 --> 28:50.520 And I think we can do that 28:50.520 --> 28:53.030 and I can still work with Democrats. 28:53.030 --> 28:56.040 One of the most nonpartisan committees in Congress 28:56.040 --> 28:57.500 is the appropriations committee 28:57.500 --> 28:59.460 and we work together Republicans and Democrats 28:59.460 --> 29:00.670 on that committee 29:00.670 --> 29:03.650 - If you are elected, could you name a specific piece 29:03.650 --> 29:06.030 of legislation that it would be your priority 29:06.030 --> 29:08.853 to both sponsor and to see get passed? 29:10.840 --> 29:13.820 - Well, I would sponsor a raise in the minimum wage 29:13.820 --> 29:16.260 but I would also insist that that be tied 29:16.260 --> 29:19.430 to income tax reform, 29:19.430 --> 29:22.310 particularly individual income tax reform. 29:22.310 --> 29:25.030 Really those two things need to go together. 29:25.030 --> 29:27.460 Typically in Washington, what you see is an increase 29:27.460 --> 29:31.290 in the minimum wage, which is a standalone bill by itself. 29:31.290 --> 29:35.040 Really those two things, if they're there to work properly 29:35.040 --> 29:37.523 economically need to be tied together. 29:38.610 --> 29:41.350 - How realistic, I mean the raising the minimum wage 29:41.350 --> 29:43.054 has been tried over and over again. 29:43.054 --> 29:46.683 How realistic do you think that is, that proposal? 29:48.550 --> 29:51.590 - I think in the coming Congress, it's very realistic. 29:51.590 --> 29:54.380 The key here is getting that minimum wage 29:54.380 --> 29:56.270 up to a point where somebody's working 29:56.270 --> 29:59.453 40 hours a week can meet their basic necessities. 30:00.490 --> 30:04.090 And I consider these to be seven basic necessities 30:04.090 --> 30:08.110 food shelter, modest clothing, modest transportation, 30:08.110 --> 30:11.670 so that person can get to work, healthcare obviously, 30:11.670 --> 30:14.760 any taxes that they would owe and then retirement savings 30:14.760 --> 30:15.910 so that they're not relying 30:15.910 --> 30:18.110 on the federal government during retirement. 30:19.867 --> 30:21.830 Putting all those things together for somebody 30:21.830 --> 30:26.600 that works 40 hours a week is gonna cost about $15 an hour. 30:26.600 --> 30:29.220 Our economy can easily afford that. 30:29.220 --> 30:31.900 But getting that transition in place 30:31.900 --> 30:33.560 is gonna take a couple things 30:33.560 --> 30:35.700 that minimum wage increase needs to be done 30:35.700 --> 30:38.380 over a number of years, and it needs to be paired 30:38.380 --> 30:42.460 with tax reform so that small businesses have an easier time 30:42.460 --> 30:44.883 as the economy transitions. 30:46.080 --> 30:47.650 - Currently, every other member 30:47.650 --> 30:50.490 of Idaho's congressional delegation is Republican. 30:50.490 --> 30:53.300 And so are all the state's constitutional officers. 30:53.300 --> 30:55.360 If you're the only Democratic member 30:55.360 --> 30:57.190 of our state's delegation 30:57.190 --> 30:59.680 are you confident in your ability to be able to work 30:59.680 --> 31:03.480 with the States Republican leaders to advance 31:03.480 --> 31:06.113 Idaho's interests in your agenda in DC? 31:07.290 --> 31:09.360 - Absolutely, and there's a couple points 31:09.360 --> 31:11.090 that need to be made here. 31:11.090 --> 31:14.520 First of all, the House of Representatives 31:14.520 --> 31:17.270 the Congress is going to be in Democratic hands. 31:17.270 --> 31:19.710 We're not sure about the Senate, but the house is. 31:19.710 --> 31:22.110 So if Idaho wants a seat at the table 31:22.110 --> 31:23.610 they shouldn't probably have at least 31:23.610 --> 31:26.320 one Democratic representative there 31:26.320 --> 31:28.840 that person can help make sure 31:28.840 --> 31:32.520 that that Melton West issues are at the table 31:32.520 --> 31:36.020 as it legislation gets introduced and make sure 31:36.020 --> 31:39.750 that our voices are heard as legislation is prioritized. 31:39.750 --> 31:41.330 The second thing I would point out 31:41.330 --> 31:45.640 is that there's so much partisanship in Washington 31:45.640 --> 31:47.730 that I really don't understand. 31:47.730 --> 31:50.760 It doesn't matter to me if you're a Democrat or Republican, 31:50.760 --> 31:53.810 what matters to me is if you're just or unjust, 31:53.810 --> 31:56.240 if you're rational or irrational 31:56.240 --> 31:58.150 or the policies that you're bringing forward 31:58.150 --> 32:00.930 do they make sense or are they just trash? 32:00.930 --> 32:01.940 So to speak of. 32:01.940 --> 32:03.550 So I really don't look at somebody 32:03.550 --> 32:06.880 and label them by their party affiliation. 32:06.880 --> 32:08.750 I look at the quality of their thought 32:08.750 --> 32:12.600 their critical thinking and the ideas that they propose. 32:12.600 --> 32:16.440 - You don't have any experience as an elected official. 32:16.440 --> 32:19.040 Do you think that that would hinder you 32:19.040 --> 32:20.540 if you were to go to Congress? 32:22.000 --> 32:23.593 - It may be an asset. 32:24.560 --> 32:27.410 We've got folks in Washington and if I may say so 32:27.410 --> 32:29.690 I view Mike Simpson in this light 32:29.690 --> 32:31.680 who went with a certain set of principles 32:31.680 --> 32:35.290 and now have, what you might call DC fever. 32:35.290 --> 32:39.120 And I really feel that he has given up on the principles 32:39.120 --> 32:41.870 that he's had for 20 years in Washington, 32:41.870 --> 32:43.970 simply to win another election. 32:43.970 --> 32:45.710 He is supporting a president 32:47.120 --> 32:51.480 who is just tearing our country apart and for what? 32:51.480 --> 32:53.910 So he can have two more years in Congress. 32:53.910 --> 32:56.780 I almost think that it's better at this point 32:56.780 --> 32:59.700 to not have a lot of experience in Washington 32:59.700 --> 33:02.900 but go to Washington with ideas, work with folks 33:02.900 --> 33:06.530 who know how things work there and get more done. 33:06.530 --> 33:10.000 - Thank you, I wanna move on to healthcare. 33:10.000 --> 33:12.410 Do you believe the Affordable Care Act should be repealed? 33:12.410 --> 33:15.723 And if so, what should replace it, if that happens? 33:16.770 --> 33:20.200 - I don't think the Affordable Care Act should be repealed. 33:20.200 --> 33:22.430 The Supreme court is gonna take this case up 33:22.430 --> 33:24.400 right after the election. 33:24.400 --> 33:28.500 Here in Idaho we had 61% of the voters 33:28.500 --> 33:30.540 approve Medicaid expansion. 33:30.540 --> 33:33.420 That was part of the Affordable Care Act. 33:33.420 --> 33:37.180 90,000 Idahoans now held healthcare 33:37.180 --> 33:39.650 that didn't have healthcare before. 33:39.650 --> 33:41.650 Thanks to the Affordable Care Act. 33:41.650 --> 33:44.840 The Republicans are gonna take that away from you. 33:44.840 --> 33:47.020 So when you go to the polls and vote 33:47.020 --> 33:49.350 you may very well be voting on whether 33:49.350 --> 33:53.370 or not you have healthcare or Mike Simpson has healthcare. 33:53.370 --> 33:54.860 Mike Simpson has healthcare. 33:54.860 --> 33:57.750 It's great healthcare it's paid for by the tax payers. 33:57.750 --> 34:02.340 He is trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act 34:02.340 --> 34:05.400 and take healthcare away from 90,000 Idahoans 34:05.400 --> 34:08.950 who are also getting healthcare paid for by the taxpayers. 34:08.950 --> 34:10.650 It's just not right. 34:10.650 --> 34:14.060 I would like to see us expand when the Affordable Care Act 34:14.060 --> 34:16.895 and do something better and stronger than that. 34:16.895 --> 34:18.300 But I don't think you repeal that 34:18.300 --> 34:19.950 and take people's healthcare away. 34:19.950 --> 34:23.020 It's just a step in the wrong direction. 34:23.020 --> 34:26.160 - And representative Simpson has said that he supports 34:26.160 --> 34:30.750 keeping the Medicaid expansion in Idaho, 34:30.750 --> 34:33.810 even if ACA is overturned. 34:33.810 --> 34:36.683 So what's your response to that? 34:37.690 --> 34:39.020 - Where's this plan? 34:39.020 --> 34:41.380 If you don't take my word for it, 34:41.380 --> 34:43.820 go out to Congressman Simpson's website. 34:43.820 --> 34:47.380 He talks a lot about repealing the Affordable Care Act 34:47.380 --> 34:50.320 but where on his website is the Republican plan. 34:50.320 --> 34:53.120 It's going to protect preexisting conditions 34:53.120 --> 34:56.010 protect folks who are covered through Medicare expansion, 34:56.010 --> 34:57.620 allow people to have their kids 34:57.620 --> 34:59.970 on their insurance until they're 26. 34:59.970 --> 35:01.920 There are parts of the Affordable Care Act 35:01.920 --> 35:05.410 that all Americans from both sides of the aisle love. 35:05.410 --> 35:07.490 If there's a Republican plans 35:07.490 --> 35:09.780 to protect these things, where is it? 35:09.780 --> 35:11.890 Show us the plan. 35:11.890 --> 35:15.340 - Do you believe the Affordable Care Act should be repealed? 35:15.340 --> 35:18.043 And if so, what should replace it? 35:19.040 --> 35:20.460 - Well, that's a really good question. 35:20.460 --> 35:22.500 I think the Republicans have made a mistake 35:22.500 --> 35:24.940 saying we're gonna repeal and not put out 35:24.940 --> 35:26.490 what they're gonna replace it with. 35:26.490 --> 35:29.140 And I have to say, I think repeal is probably 35:29.140 --> 35:31.330 an overstatement right now, because there are many parts 35:31.330 --> 35:33.540 of the Affordable Care Act that Republicans 35:33.540 --> 35:35.310 and Democrats support. 35:35.310 --> 35:36.420 None of us want to repeal 35:36.420 --> 35:39.730 the part on preexisting conditions. 35:39.730 --> 35:41.703 We don't wanna repeal the part 35:41.703 --> 35:45.330 that there's non discrimination against women. 35:45.330 --> 35:48.650 We don't want to repeal the part that allows individuals 35:48.650 --> 35:51.820 to stay on their parents' insurance until they're 26. 35:51.820 --> 35:54.920 There are parts of that of the Affordable Care Act 35:56.621 --> 35:59.390 that Republican support. 35:59.390 --> 36:02.410 And if it is a repeal and replace with something else 36:02.410 --> 36:03.940 those will all be part of it. 36:03.940 --> 36:06.230 The problem is that the Affordable Care Act 36:06.230 --> 36:07.680 is gonna collapse on its own. 36:08.560 --> 36:10.867 The prices are going up and competition is going down. 36:10.867 --> 36:12.970 And the only way you're going to keep medical costs 36:12.970 --> 36:17.520 from going up is create competition out in the marketplace. 36:17.520 --> 36:20.300 And I just, we use the 50 States 36:20.300 --> 36:22.200 as the laboratories of democracy. 36:22.200 --> 36:23.820 You look what's happening in Idaho 36:23.820 --> 36:25.420 and what the department of insurance 36:25.420 --> 36:27.140 and the state legislature and the governor 36:27.140 --> 36:31.043 are doing with their insurance plans that got approved. 36:32.670 --> 36:34.320 I think that's the way to go. 36:34.320 --> 36:36.370 And then you let the States try the different things 36:36.370 --> 36:40.450 and some work some don't, but that's how it should work. 36:40.450 --> 36:42.740 And we can create a better healthcare system 36:42.740 --> 36:45.230 than one that is I think, absolutely gonna collapse 36:45.230 --> 36:46.130 of its own weight. 36:47.280 --> 36:50.610 - Just a follow up two years ago, more than 60% 36:50.610 --> 36:54.210 of the Idaho electorate approved the expansion of Medicaid, 36:54.210 --> 36:56.143 which is an option under the ACA. 36:57.890 --> 37:02.080 So since Idaho voters specifically approved that change 37:02.080 --> 37:04.550 do you think the expansion should still stand 37:04.550 --> 37:08.190 even if the ACA is repealed? 37:08.190 --> 37:10.200 - Yeah, I think that the expansion was a good idea 37:10.200 --> 37:12.730 and I supported it and encouraged the legislators 37:12.730 --> 37:13.660 that I know to vote for it. 37:13.660 --> 37:15.690 'Cause I think it was the right thing to do. 37:15.690 --> 37:16.960 That money was either going to be spent 37:16.960 --> 37:19.723 on for healthcare in Idaho or somewhere else. 37:20.570 --> 37:25.570 And I thought that expanding the Medicaid extension 37:26.110 --> 37:27.020 was the right thing to do. 37:27.020 --> 37:28.470 - Of course there is a federal match 37:28.470 --> 37:31.260 with that that might go away if that happens. 37:31.260 --> 37:35.033 So would you work to keep that federal match? 37:35.980 --> 37:38.400 - Sure, I don't think that we should 37:40.030 --> 37:41.890 you can't take away a benefit that you've given. 37:41.890 --> 37:44.430 I mean, it's just almost impossible to do 37:44.430 --> 37:45.730 whether it's the right thing to do or not 37:45.730 --> 37:46.930 you probably can't do it. 37:46.930 --> 37:49.990 So if the federal government has made that commitment 37:49.990 --> 37:51.507 it needs to keep that commitment to the States 37:51.507 --> 37:54.130 and it shouldn't just be left to the States to fund it all. 37:54.130 --> 37:56.360 - Of course, some people view ACA now as a benefit 37:56.360 --> 38:00.053 more than 20 million people are on the ACA in some manner. 38:01.120 --> 38:03.070 So they might view that as a benefit 38:03.070 --> 38:05.050 that gets taken away as well. 38:05.050 --> 38:07.350 - Well, and that's an interesting question. 38:07.350 --> 38:11.410 I just heard today that there are like 8 million people 38:11.410 --> 38:15.433 that have insurance because of the Affordable Care Act, 38:16.740 --> 38:19.020 what they're not counting is the 15 million people 38:19.020 --> 38:21.830 that have lost insurance that had it before 38:21.830 --> 38:26.060 and now what they qualified them as self-insured 38:26.060 --> 38:27.830 but they lost insurance that they had before. 38:27.830 --> 38:30.240 And if you remember, during the campaign 38:31.876 --> 38:35.440 for the ACA president Obama and vice president Biden 38:35.440 --> 38:39.650 were out saying, if you like your doctor, you can keep them. 38:39.650 --> 38:41.240 If you like your medical care you, 38:41.240 --> 38:43.800 if you like your health insurance, you can keep it. 38:43.800 --> 38:46.770 And it's gonna save $2,500 for the average family. 38:46.770 --> 38:47.650 That just wasn't true. 38:47.650 --> 38:50.340 In fact, they were told by their advisors 38:50.340 --> 38:53.120 that that wasn't true, but they kept repeating it. 38:53.120 --> 38:54.920 We find out now that that's not true 38:56.120 --> 38:57.870 - Moving on to another subject 38:57.870 --> 38:59.670 the federal government's record of decision 38:59.670 --> 39:02.893 for the operation of the Columbia river system is out. 39:05.290 --> 39:07.497 What's your opinion on that ROD? 39:09.370 --> 39:10.573 - Well, it's interesting. 39:10.573 --> 39:12.470 I don't know that it's gonna save salmon. 39:12.470 --> 39:15.770 What I'm interested in is making sure that Idaho salmon 39:15.770 --> 39:18.690 runs are sustainable and healthy 39:18.690 --> 39:20.970 and we get them off the endangered list. 39:20.970 --> 39:23.130 And all of the Idaho salmon runs 39:23.130 --> 39:25.080 are on the endangered list right now. 39:25.080 --> 39:27.980 We've been working for the last a year and a half, I guess 39:29.191 --> 39:30.600 on options of what you can do. 39:30.600 --> 39:31.890 And there are a lot of different things 39:31.890 --> 39:33.470 that are causing the decline. 39:33.470 --> 39:34.760 One of them is hydro-power. 39:34.760 --> 39:37.260 Everybody seems to concentrate on the dams. 39:37.260 --> 39:38.830 That is one issue. 39:38.830 --> 39:40.583 Predators are another issue. 39:41.870 --> 39:43.510 The harvest is another issue. 39:43.510 --> 39:44.760 Habitat is another issue. 39:44.760 --> 39:47.840 Now in Idaho, we have some pristine habitat. 39:47.840 --> 39:49.650 The problem is salmon can't get to it. 39:49.650 --> 39:54.413 So we're working now on legislation trying to address that. 39:55.290 --> 39:59.040 I don't think that the preferred alternative, 39:59.040 --> 40:01.290 the record of decision that came out 40:01.290 --> 40:02.960 is gonna save salmon unfortunately. 40:02.960 --> 40:03.900 - Why is that? 40:03.900 --> 40:05.010 Why do you say that? 40:05.010 --> 40:08.810 - But all it deals with is increasing the spills. 40:08.810 --> 40:10.150 Doesn't deal with the other issues 40:10.150 --> 40:11.150 that I just talked about. 40:11.150 --> 40:13.990 And those are every bit as important 40:14.870 --> 40:17.450 as just increasing spills. 40:17.450 --> 40:22.390 - Have changed your mind at all for lower snake river dams 40:22.390 --> 40:24.840 and whether they should stay or not. 40:24.840 --> 40:28.050 - Well, they're a part of the equation, for sure. 40:28.050 --> 40:31.110 I don't know that you're gonna be able to save salmon 40:31.110 --> 40:33.970 if into the sustainable levels, 40:33.970 --> 40:35.680 if those damage remain or not. 40:35.680 --> 40:37.880 But even if you took the dams out 40:37.880 --> 40:39.810 and didn't address those other issues 40:40.963 --> 40:43.640 you're still probably not gonna be able to save salmon. 40:43.640 --> 40:45.810 So you have to look at it as a complete package 40:45.810 --> 40:48.010 of what you're gonna be able to do. 40:48.010 --> 40:51.720 And if you're gonna take damage dams out, 40:51.720 --> 40:53.740 that raises a whole lot of questions 40:53.740 --> 40:56.000 about transportation down the Columbia river. 40:56.000 --> 40:59.040 How do you get grain down to the Portland? 40:59.040 --> 41:00.770 How do you replace the 3000 megawatts 41:00.770 --> 41:03.750 of power that those dams produce and so forth and so on? 41:03.750 --> 41:05.600 How do you do it in a clean manner and stuff? 41:05.600 --> 41:07.580 So that raises a lot of questions too. 41:07.580 --> 41:09.650 And those questions have to be answered 41:09.650 --> 41:10.940 before you can actually put together 41:10.940 --> 41:13.350 a package that addresses all of these issues. 41:13.350 --> 41:15.200 - But I don't hear you ruling it out. 41:16.090 --> 41:17.430 - I'm not ruling it out and I'm not. 41:17.430 --> 41:19.270 I don't think you rule out anything. 41:19.270 --> 41:20.580 I think you've got to consider everything. 41:20.580 --> 41:23.060 If you're serious about saving salmon. 41:23.060 --> 41:24.860 - Moving on to a natural resource issue 41:24.860 --> 41:26.830 the federal government's record of decision 41:26.830 --> 41:29.853 for the operation of the Columbia river system is out. 41:31.050 --> 41:33.453 What is your sense your opinion of that ROD 41:37.498 --> 41:38.750 especially as it relates to salmon recovery? 41:38.750 --> 41:40.390 Excuse me. 41:40.390 --> 41:44.050 - Yeah, if I'm thinking about the report 41:44.050 --> 41:46.260 that you are referencing 41:46.260 --> 41:48.700 they came out against dam removal, 41:48.700 --> 41:51.080 and I think that we still have to have dam removal 41:51.080 --> 41:51.913 on the table. 41:51.913 --> 41:54.360 In fact, I really think it's the only way 41:54.360 --> 41:57.100 to save salmon and steelhead. 41:57.100 --> 41:59.380 There are some things that need to be mitigated. 41:59.380 --> 42:02.710 You can't just rip those dams out and call it good. 42:02.710 --> 42:04.640 You need to think about grain growers 42:04.640 --> 42:07.740 and wine producers, particularly in Eastern Washington. 42:07.740 --> 42:11.540 But I think we should have the capacity to make sure 42:11.540 --> 42:13.920 that those people are kept whole 42:13.920 --> 42:15.640 while also removing the dams 42:15.640 --> 42:19.560 and saving fish that are vital to industries here in Idaho, 42:19.560 --> 42:22.670 particularly like the guiding industry. 42:22.670 --> 42:24.620 - If you were elected, how would you thread that needle? 42:24.620 --> 42:27.070 It's a huge issue it's been going on for decades. 42:27.070 --> 42:29.090 And there are a lot of constituents in Idaho 42:29.090 --> 42:32.300 who care about a salmon recovery. 42:32.300 --> 42:33.410 Where would you start? 42:33.410 --> 42:34.343 What would you do? 42:36.300 --> 42:38.040 - I've, I've talked over and over 42:38.040 --> 42:41.030 about having a good, strong fair economy 42:41.030 --> 42:43.370 and really that's the base and the foundation 42:43.370 --> 42:45.630 of so much that needs done. 42:45.630 --> 42:49.580 When that is in place, you have a tax base 42:49.580 --> 42:51.710 that would provide funding for things 42:51.710 --> 42:55.683 like making grain growers and wine producers whole, 42:56.520 --> 42:59.100 as we remove dams. 42:59.100 --> 43:01.820 Unfortunately, that economy is not in place. 43:01.820 --> 43:04.260 And so it's hard to find the money 43:04.260 --> 43:06.900 particularly when we're running a massive budget deficit 43:06.900 --> 43:08.670 to do things like this. 43:08.670 --> 43:13.670 And so, our economy, so many of the social issues 43:15.060 --> 43:18.650 and environmental issues that we face are like a spiderweb. 43:18.650 --> 43:20.720 You can't just fix one issue at a time. 43:20.720 --> 43:22.780 You're gonna have to have a foundation in place 43:22.780 --> 43:24.530 for fixing all the issues. 43:24.530 --> 43:26.580 We don't have that foundation in place. 43:26.580 --> 43:28.270 And so individual issues like this 43:28.270 --> 43:31.180 become very difficult to solve. 43:31.180 --> 43:34.320 I would put that foundation in place that would allow us 43:34.320 --> 43:37.240 to address all of those issues. 43:37.240 --> 43:40.760 - So you're essentially saying that if the economic system 43:40.760 --> 43:43.110 were revamped if more money was coming in 43:43.110 --> 43:45.800 through various forms of taxation, 43:45.800 --> 43:50.010 then some of the hyper intensity of these issues 43:50.010 --> 43:52.460 would just go away because it'd be enough money 43:52.460 --> 43:54.210 to throw at them to fix them. 43:54.210 --> 43:57.303 Is that, am I understanding that correctly? 43:57.303 --> 43:58.160 - There's a couple of issues there. 43:58.160 --> 44:02.240 First of all, anytime you have the extreme income inequality 44:02.240 --> 44:03.810 that we have in our country, 44:03.810 --> 44:05.530 you have much more social division. 44:05.530 --> 44:07.210 We've seen that through history. 44:07.210 --> 44:10.360 So as soon as you create a more fair and equitable economy 44:10.360 --> 44:13.060 you kind of take the boiler plate out from underneath 44:13.060 --> 44:15.470 all of these social and environmental issues. 44:15.470 --> 44:16.410 That's number one. 44:16.410 --> 44:18.880 So, you allow people to come to the table 44:18.880 --> 44:22.870 and talk in a more constructive way than they're doing now. 44:22.870 --> 44:25.790 But second, yes if you balance your budget 44:25.790 --> 44:29.650 and you have the revenue coming in to make investments 44:29.650 --> 44:31.370 to make your society better 44:31.370 --> 44:34.940 this is one of those areas where really in the grand scheme 44:34.940 --> 44:38.203 of things, wouldn't take a lot of money to fix this issue. 44:39.180 --> 44:41.180 - What do you think about tariffs? 44:41.180 --> 44:43.240 President Trump has imposed new tariffs 44:43.240 --> 44:45.110 on a variety of different products 44:45.110 --> 44:48.560 from China, which significantly affect the prices 44:48.560 --> 44:50.720 of those goods, as well as the amount of imports 44:50.720 --> 44:54.203 and exports coming back and forth between the two countries. 44:55.960 --> 44:58.223 - I do think there is a place for tariffs. 45:00.120 --> 45:03.810 Other countries have advantages like low wage rates 45:03.810 --> 45:06.360 poor environmental laws, poor worker rights 45:06.360 --> 45:09.960 things of that sort that need to be taken into account 45:09.960 --> 45:13.980 as we trade with those nations and a great way to offset 45:13.980 --> 45:16.870 some of those advantages is through a tariff. 45:16.870 --> 45:21.870 Now you can certainly overdue with tariffs 40, 50 60%. 45:22.110 --> 45:26.290 It's just too much, but we could and should have tariffs 45:26.290 --> 45:29.100 with every nation that is not like ours, 45:29.100 --> 45:30.920 whose economy is not like ours, 45:30.920 --> 45:35.396 based upon those differences that range from 4% 45:35.396 --> 45:38.830 up to 12 or 15% to offset those differences 45:38.830 --> 45:42.750 between our lifestyle, our living standard, our wage rates 45:42.750 --> 45:45.193 and their wage rates and their living standard. 45:47.020 --> 45:49.420 And I think you, sorry. 45:49.420 --> 45:52.440 I think you have to have an idea of what that system 45:52.440 --> 45:56.350 looks like, and then make sure that all goods coming 45:56.350 --> 46:00.290 from that country are that the tariff is applied to those. 46:00.290 --> 46:03.633 - Do you support the current tariffs that are on China? 46:05.600 --> 46:07.650 - The president has put some tariffs in place 46:07.650 --> 46:11.880 on things like steel that I think are maybe 20 or 25%. 46:11.880 --> 46:14.140 I feel like those are a little onerous. 46:14.140 --> 46:18.240 I think doing unilateral things like that 46:18.240 --> 46:19.900 tend to start a trade war. 46:19.900 --> 46:23.620 I would rather see the president lay out a plan 46:23.620 --> 46:25.493 for what he thinks the tariffs, 46:26.840 --> 46:29.710 with each nation in this instance, China 46:29.710 --> 46:34.060 should be put those in place, explain why those tariffs 46:34.060 --> 46:37.720 are what they are and have those be tariffs 46:37.720 --> 46:38.910 that are across the board. 46:38.910 --> 46:42.230 Don't single out a single product or a single service 46:42.230 --> 46:45.393 and just put an extreme terrible in that thing. 46:46.240 --> 46:47.870 Let's have a reasonable tariff 46:47.870 --> 46:51.120 and let's have it on all goods from that country. 46:51.120 --> 46:52.180 - I wanna ask you about tariffs. 46:52.180 --> 46:54.130 President Trump has imposed new tariffs 46:54.130 --> 46:56.330 on a variety of products from China, 46:56.330 --> 47:00.330 which has the effect of both significantly affecting 47:00.330 --> 47:02.750 the prices of those goods, as well as the amount 47:02.750 --> 47:05.560 of import and export traffic between the two countries. 47:05.560 --> 47:07.920 What is your opinion on those tariffs 47:07.920 --> 47:11.263 and how they have, or have not affected Idaho? 47:12.970 --> 47:15.060 - I'm not a fan of tariffs. 47:15.060 --> 47:18.300 I understand that sometimes when practices are unfair 47:18.300 --> 47:20.530 that you do that as kind of a punishment 47:20.530 --> 47:22.350 but who punish us is the consumers 47:22.350 --> 47:24.560 that buy those goods from the United States 47:24.560 --> 47:25.710 at a higher price. 47:25.710 --> 47:29.370 So actually, Idaho consumers pay those tariffs 47:29.370 --> 47:31.640 that are put on the Chinese 47:31.640 --> 47:33.170 while it does make those goods 47:35.450 --> 47:37.680 or goods produced in the United States 47:37.680 --> 47:40.000 more competitive with those Chinese goods. 47:40.000 --> 47:42.650 The reality is consumers to pay those tariffs. 47:42.650 --> 47:44.180 So I've never been a fan of tariffs. 47:44.180 --> 47:46.630 I understand that occasionally they're necessary. 47:48.770 --> 47:51.550 - Back to the atmosphere in this country right now, 47:51.550 --> 47:53.110 which is quite heated. 47:53.110 --> 47:56.493 And in some people are quite nervous about it. 47:57.570 --> 47:59.970 Do you condemn white supremacy 47:59.970 --> 48:02.320 and white nationalism Congressman? 48:02.320 --> 48:04.363 - Absolutely, absolutely. 48:05.220 --> 48:06.970 We don't need that in this country. 48:08.070 --> 48:11.030 We don't need a extremism on either side 48:11.030 --> 48:13.070 and believe me, it's there on both sides 48:13.070 --> 48:15.810 and it's not just white nationalism. 48:15.810 --> 48:17.590 You look at a lot of the black lives matter 48:17.590 --> 48:20.290 people that are out burning down our cities and stuff. 48:20.290 --> 48:21.700 That's a problem also. 48:21.700 --> 48:23.670 So we shouldn't just condemn one side 48:23.670 --> 48:26.470 both sides need to take responsibility 48:26.470 --> 48:29.160 for their own actions that we should condemn 48:29.160 --> 48:30.710 those activities on both sides. 48:31.660 --> 48:34.870 - Some have said that the president himself is emboldening 48:34.870 --> 48:38.430 this type of rhetoric and behavior. 48:38.430 --> 48:40.440 What are your thoughts on that? 48:40.440 --> 48:41.683 - I don't think he is. 48:42.826 --> 48:47.360 He's offered to send federal troops 48:47.360 --> 48:50.170 into the cities to help them get control 48:50.170 --> 48:54.950 of these cities, whether it's Portland or Seattle or Chicago 48:54.950 --> 48:58.340 or New York and the mayors of those cities have said no 48:59.260 --> 49:02.130 but and I think that's a mistake on their part. 49:02.130 --> 49:04.540 I think what emboldens these people 49:04.540 --> 49:08.070 is when they get arrested. 49:08.070 --> 49:10.260 And then you have the potential vice president 49:10.260 --> 49:13.430 of the United States Kamala Harris, 49:13.430 --> 49:17.600 and some of hers campaign staff 49:17.600 --> 49:20.760 putting an encouraging other people to put funds 49:20.760 --> 49:23.570 into a fund to bail these people out 49:23.570 --> 49:25.740 that have been out burning down our cities and stuff. 49:25.740 --> 49:27.630 That's what encourages these people. 49:27.630 --> 49:29.480 You have to stand up to these people. 49:30.373 --> 49:31.670 - I'm sorry, I'm a little confused. 49:31.670 --> 49:35.650 You're saying that the white supremacists are themselves 49:35.650 --> 49:40.650 reacting to something else not the. 49:40.960 --> 49:43.420 - No, I was talking about the people 49:43.420 --> 49:45.470 that are out burning our cities down right now. 49:45.470 --> 49:46.443 - But I asked you. 49:47.640 --> 49:50.950 - White supremacy, I condemn it just like any other 49:50.950 --> 49:54.780 extreme measure that divides us. 49:54.780 --> 49:56.100 - And you don't think that the president 49:56.100 --> 50:00.650 of the United States in any way is helping embolden it? 50:00.650 --> 50:02.360 - No, he said he's against white supremacy 50:02.360 --> 50:03.720 and he's opposed to it. 50:03.720 --> 50:07.350 - Talk about hyper-partisan issues right now. 50:07.350 --> 50:10.563 We're in a very heated societal condition. 50:11.620 --> 50:15.363 Do you condemn white supremacy and white nationalism? 50:16.640 --> 50:19.973 - I do, I do condemn white supremacy and white nationalism. 50:22.460 --> 50:24.390 Yes, I just don't think there's a place 50:24.390 --> 50:25.590 for that in our society. 50:26.590 --> 50:31.520 - What your sense of the best way to combat those beliefs 50:31.520 --> 50:36.520 or quell the tensions that are going on right now? 50:37.800 --> 50:40.504 - Yeah, certainly, I've already addressed 50:40.504 --> 50:41.950 what I think having a fair 50:41.950 --> 50:43.580 and more equitable economy would do. 50:43.580 --> 50:46.220 So there is that aspect of it. 50:46.220 --> 50:48.520 I also think that we need a fair 50:48.520 --> 50:50.900 and equitable justice system. 50:50.900 --> 50:53.110 Ideally, you would have people in our society 50:53.110 --> 50:55.290 who are personally responsible for their actions 50:55.290 --> 50:57.470 and if they're not personally responsible 50:57.470 --> 50:59.130 we would have a justice system in place 50:59.130 --> 51:01.470 that holds them personally accountable. 51:01.470 --> 51:04.400 And that justice system would be fair and equitable. 51:04.400 --> 51:06.990 I don't think we've ever really had that. 51:06.990 --> 51:09.490 And so there's not a level of respect out there 51:09.490 --> 51:14.410 for authority and cops, things 51:14.410 --> 51:17.950 of that sort who represent the authority in our society. 51:17.950 --> 51:20.910 We also have to find a way where we keep our freedom 51:20.910 --> 51:23.760 of speech, but we also make it obvious 51:23.760 --> 51:27.800 that some groups are lying to people about 51:29.040 --> 51:32.990 the situation and the reality that we have in our society. 51:32.990 --> 51:37.620 And that's a tough thing to balance 51:37.620 --> 51:40.320 and I'm not sure I have all the answers to that. 51:40.320 --> 51:41.500 - Unfortunately, we're running out of time 51:41.500 --> 51:43.520 but I do have another question I wanted to ask you. 51:43.520 --> 51:46.170 Do you see any cause for unusual concern 51:46.170 --> 51:49.610 over how the upcoming election will be handled 51:49.610 --> 51:51.133 as well as its results? 51:53.980 --> 51:56.760 - I like most Americans would love to have faith 51:56.760 --> 51:58.050 in our election system. 51:58.050 --> 52:01.270 Is key to the type of society 52:01.270 --> 52:03.730 that our forefathers established. 52:03.730 --> 52:06.500 It's a shame that we have members 52:06.500 --> 52:09.130 of our government who have helped to work 52:09.130 --> 52:13.180 to erode faith in that election system. 52:13.180 --> 52:16.050 I don't think that we are going to have major problems. 52:16.050 --> 52:20.210 Will there be some Anna Dodo evidence 52:20.210 --> 52:21.870 of a problem here, a problem there? 52:21.870 --> 52:24.650 Yes, our voting system is not perfect, 52:24.650 --> 52:26.530 but in terms of large scale problems, 52:26.530 --> 52:28.500 I don't foresee anything. 52:28.500 --> 52:30.470 And I don't think we'll have that. 52:33.440 --> 52:35.390 - Do you see any cause for unusual concern 52:35.390 --> 52:37.050 about the upcoming elections 52:37.050 --> 52:40.293 either how they're carried out or the results of them? 52:42.380 --> 52:44.368 - One of my greatest fears right now 52:44.368 --> 52:45.760 is that the American public is not going to accept 52:45.760 --> 52:48.560 the outcome of this election no matter how it turns out, 52:49.563 --> 52:51.760 unless it's an overwhelming one side of the other. 52:51.760 --> 52:54.210 And I don't think that'll be the case. 52:54.210 --> 52:56.840 When you look at mail in ballots and I want 52:56.840 --> 52:59.610 to distinguish that from absentee Valley balloting 52:59.610 --> 53:00.840 we've been doing that for years. 53:00.840 --> 53:02.210 That's where you request about it. 53:02.210 --> 53:05.320 They send it to you, you fill it out, and you send it back. 53:05.320 --> 53:08.060 But mail in ballots, or they send out ballots 53:08.060 --> 53:10.970 to everybody that is on their voter registration. 53:10.970 --> 53:13.930 And if you have not purged your voter list 53:13.930 --> 53:15.840 you've got people on there that have died. 53:15.840 --> 53:19.780 You've got people that have moved out of the County 53:19.780 --> 53:21.900 or their district and so forth. 53:21.900 --> 53:24.280 A judge in Los Angeles made them 53:24.280 --> 53:27.570 remove one and a million people from their voter lists 53:27.570 --> 53:31.440 because they hadn't purged their names for so long. 53:31.440 --> 53:34.770 I have a staff member who lives in Virginia, 53:34.770 --> 53:36.943 who's already received two ballots. 53:37.790 --> 53:40.430 I just, people are going to be a little leery 53:40.430 --> 53:42.970 of this election with the calls to go 53:42.970 --> 53:45.300 to an all mail in a election. 53:45.300 --> 53:46.820 Now you look at Oregon, 53:46.820 --> 53:49.310 that's been doing mail in for some time. 53:49.310 --> 53:50.900 I think it was their Secretary of State 53:50.900 --> 53:53.660 said it took us about five years to get it right. 53:53.660 --> 53:55.680 But we're gonna do this across the country. 53:55.680 --> 53:58.370 If you think that hanging chads and the Florida election 53:58.370 --> 54:00.440 in the 2000 election were a problem. 54:00.440 --> 54:03.430 I think this is gonna take a long long time to decide 54:03.430 --> 54:05.560 who the winner of this election is. 54:05.560 --> 54:07.470 Unless, like I said, it's overwhelming 54:07.470 --> 54:08.860 one way or another. 54:08.860 --> 54:10.910 - You said you had some fears about that. 54:12.820 --> 54:13.700 What are you thinking? 54:13.700 --> 54:16.400 And how will you as a sitting Congressman 54:16.400 --> 54:18.593 address those fears if they do come up? 54:20.080 --> 54:22.480 - I'm gonna take the results of the election. 54:22.480 --> 54:24.430 And I trust the American people. 54:24.430 --> 54:28.690 I'm gonna assume that everything went fairly incorrectly 54:29.802 --> 54:32.140 and I'm going to accept the outcome of the election. 54:32.140 --> 54:33.430 And I hope I'll Republicans do. 54:33.430 --> 54:34.850 And I hope all Democrats do. 54:34.850 --> 54:36.440 I hope the American people do. 54:36.440 --> 54:40.274 It's not just the politicians are divided in this country. 54:40.274 --> 54:42.460 It's that the American public is divided also. 54:42.460 --> 54:44.880 I am concerned when I see the activities 54:44.880 --> 54:47.190 that are going on around this country right now 54:47.190 --> 54:49.060 of whether they're gonna be willing 54:49.060 --> 54:51.990 to accept the outcome if they think it wasn't fair 54:53.480 --> 54:55.420 or if they think that there was cheating or fraud 54:55.420 --> 54:57.650 or other things that were going on. 54:57.650 --> 55:00.030 So I think this is going to be a challenge 55:00.030 --> 55:01.680 for American democracy this year. 55:02.900 --> 55:03.733 - Well, thank you. 55:03.733 --> 55:06.760 We're at the point where you can give your closing comments. 55:06.760 --> 55:08.483 So you have 60 seconds for that. 55:09.570 --> 55:10.403 - Well, thank you. 55:10.403 --> 55:12.020 And thanks Idaho Public Television 55:12.020 --> 55:14.830 and League of Women Voters for hosting these debates. 55:14.830 --> 55:16.260 Well, I've been in Congress for a while, 55:16.260 --> 55:18.390 it is true that I have not solved every problem 55:18.390 --> 55:20.180 the federal government has. 55:20.180 --> 55:21.950 That doesn't mean I haven't been working on those 55:21.950 --> 55:23.540 but I have some solid accomplishments 55:23.540 --> 55:24.890 that I'm very proud of, 55:24.890 --> 55:26.840 whether it's the Great American Outdoors Act. 55:26.840 --> 55:28.800 It was a bipartisan act that I think 55:28.800 --> 55:30.490 is the greatest environmental piece 55:30.490 --> 55:33.050 of legislation that's passed since the Wilderness Act 55:33.050 --> 55:36.180 whether it's the how we fund wildfires 55:36.180 --> 55:40.380 which is a very important for the Western United States 55:40.380 --> 55:43.100 so that we treat them like other natural disasters 55:43.100 --> 55:45.230 whether it's the Boulder-White Cloud Wilderness bill, 55:45.230 --> 55:47.280 it took 15 years to get done. 55:47.280 --> 55:49.080 Immigration is obviously important 55:49.080 --> 55:51.300 and something that I'm working on, 55:51.300 --> 55:54.090 whether it's the funding that I've received 55:54.090 --> 55:55.770 for the Idaho National Laboratory 55:55.770 --> 55:58.010 and growing the Idaho National Lab 55:58.010 --> 56:00.690 into the lead nuclear lab in the country. 56:00.690 --> 56:02.820 And one of the outstanding laboratories 56:04.220 --> 56:05.470 of our 17 laboratories. 56:05.470 --> 56:07.390 These are things that I am very proud of and I hope 56:07.390 --> 56:09.730 the American people were proud of and the people 56:09.730 --> 56:10.990 of Idaho are proud of. 56:10.990 --> 56:13.240 And I would ask for your vote on November 3rd 56:14.160 --> 56:15.160 - Thank you so much. 56:16.240 --> 56:18.170 Well, it is time for closing comments 56:18.170 --> 56:19.730 and you have one minute 56:19.730 --> 56:21.730 for your closing comment. 56:21.730 --> 56:26.730 - Thank you, in 1980 a lot of Americans felt 56:27.160 --> 56:30.100 that our country was headed in the wrong direction 56:30.100 --> 56:33.220 and people who had voted Democrat all their lives 56:33.220 --> 56:36.513 crossed the aisle and supported a Republican president. 56:38.650 --> 56:41.860 Those Reagan Democrats knew that our country 56:41.860 --> 56:44.593 was more important than any political party. 56:49.260 --> 56:51.400 We're at a different situation now 56:51.400 --> 56:53.770 but our nation is still in trouble. 56:53.770 --> 56:57.000 We have a president who is authoritarian, 56:57.000 --> 57:00.770 who is dividing our citizenry for his own benefits. 57:00.770 --> 57:04.800 He doesn't feel like the laws of our nation apply to him. 57:04.800 --> 57:07.360 Unfortunately, he is being enabled 57:07.360 --> 57:11.090 and supported by congressmen like Mike Simpson. 57:11.090 --> 57:13.570 So I'm asking all of my fellow Idahoans, 57:13.570 --> 57:17.130 particularly those who see themselves as Republican 57:17.130 --> 57:20.760 send a message to Washington that you don't approve 57:20.760 --> 57:22.720 of the direction our country's going in. 57:22.720 --> 57:24.420 And you don't approve of the direction 57:24.420 --> 57:26.470 your party is going in. 57:26.470 --> 57:30.990 I'm Aaron Swisher and I am asking for your vote, thank you. 57:30.990 --> 57:32.113 - Thank you so much. 57:33.120 --> 57:34.350 position:0% line:0% size:90% And that's all the time we have. 57:34.350 --> 57:35.780 position:0% line:0% size:90% You've been listening to a question 57:35.780 --> 57:37.740 position:0% line:0% size:90% and answer session with the candidates 57:37.740 --> 57:40.600 position:0% line:0% size:90% for the second Congressional District in Idaho. 57:40.600 --> 57:42.920 position:0% line:0% size:90% Even though this wasn't a traditional debate 57:42.920 --> 57:45.430 position:0% line:0% size:90% I hope you feel more informed about your choices. 57:45.430 --> 57:48.300 position:0% line:0% size:90% And I encourage you to vote on November 3rd. 57:48.300 --> 57:51.009 position:0% line:0% size:90% For the Idaho debates, I'm Marcia Franklin. 57:51.009 --> 57:53.592 (gentle music) 58:01.634 --> 58:02.960 - [Narrator] The Idaho debates is organized 58:02.960 --> 58:04.263 by these partners. 58:06.810 --> 58:10.530 Funding provided by the Friends of Idaho Public Television, 58:10.530 --> 58:12.390 the Idaho Public Television Endowment 58:12.390 --> 58:15.113 and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 58:16.256 --> 58:18.839 (gentle music)