You are watching the Atlanta Press club debate serious. To ensure safety the candidates and panelists are participating from their homes. They are in alphabetical order, republican who served as georgias secretary of state and previously held the Congressional District six seat. Democrats served as the representative of Congressional District six since 2018 and spent 30 years working for delta air lines. Now lets meet at the panelists. They are Stanley Dunlap reporter with the georgia reporter and anchor. Now lets get started. Candidates will have 60 seconds to answer questions and 30 seconds to respond. I will hold a piece of paper uploading the candidates know when they have ten seconds remaining. For the rules visit the Atlanta Press club website. The start of the debate will include each candidate asked two questions. George, you get the first question to lucy. Welcome, everyone. This is question number one. The Affordable Care act is set to go before the Supreme Court. There is a supplement for people that have coverage but are considered low income. [inaudible] as a Breast Cancer survivor myself ive been dealing with my own mortality. My opponents records on healthcare handle bills for the treatment and prescription drugs for people that have preexisting conditions and about 45,000 under the age of 17 that have preexisting conditions. My opponent attempted to cut funding for cancer screenings provided by planned parenthood and im so thankful she wasnt successful in doing so that we will continue to fight to make sure healthcare is accessible to everyone. It isnt a privilege, it is a right as an american. Would you like a rebuttal. Yes, i would. She spent the past two years in this campaign blatantly lying about my record that ive always supported protections for people with preexisting conditions. You may ask your question. You come out in support of Amy Coney Barrett becoming a justice. Do you think the confirmation should take precedence with the stimulus package passed . A president is elected for four years, not three and a half or three years and nine justice. Even Justice Ginsburg acknowledged that. Its any president s right and obligation to move forward with a nomination. The real issue here is where is lucy going to be on packing the court. I oppose it. I have to say the only one trying to pack the courts is Mitch Mcconnell and President Trump. However, i am also very concerned about the policy agenda wanting to possibly dismantle the Affordable Care act. There could be another close race. The start with many voters have had legal battles about the security of electronic Voting Machines versus an hand marked paper ballots and claims that they would lead to more fraud. The outcome of your election and others this november would be accurate. First i would like to say ive sponsored comprehensive legislation with funding. In the heat and sometimes in the polling stations weve got to make sure the voting is fair and that we continue to do so. Theres a long history of obstructing peoples ability to be able to vote. When she was secretary of state would stomp on the Justice Department to have violated the Voting Rights act which suppressed thousands and thousands of peoples ability to be able to vote and exercise the right to vote. So, that is i believe not just a privilege but a right every american should have. Do you have a rebuttal . I do. With respect, she has no idea what shes talking about. I oversaw the 2008 president ial election. It was successful and effective and in fact the most people ever voted with historic turnout especially among the minorities. What lucy is failing to tell you is the legislation she supports would give 5 million of your taxpayer money to run her campaign. Thank you. And george, you get the final question this round. Lets talk about money, shall we. The next round is stimulus. We could see the next round put up for a vote. Democrats want to push the multi trillion dollar bill for the state, county and city governments. A lot of programs in the state and georgia rely on the money because lets face it the revenue has run out. Florida is one of the programs that transports people around the area. How will you will approach the reality of america needing more help as we dive deeper into this pandemic, and where should that money go . Thank you. Families and Small Businesses across the country need relief and it is a shame that democrats like lucy mcbeth are playing games with the package. At the very least, what should happen is republicans and democrats should come together to re appropriate the over 1 billion that hasnt been spent yet or give the states flexibility to spend in other areas to meet the needs on the ground across georgia and across the country. But then we need to get the economy going again and that is not going to happen with a 4 trillion ta4 trilliondollare proposed by the Vice President ial, by Vice President joe biden. We need to keep taxes low. That is the plan that was called the tax sham that fueled the greatest economy that anyone on this call in their lifetime lifting millions of people up and out of poverty. So thank you for that great question. Did you have a rebuttal to that . Every day i talk to people in the district that are hurting from covid19. Before this hit the american shores, i worked across the aisle and would modernize the Public Health systems by which the cdc would be able to respond to this Public Health crisis, and im proud to say the funding was a part of the overall package to respond to covid19 and when it began impacting the country, there were town halls and all the resources and information to be able to respond and, through inequality matter of life. That concludes the first portion. The candidates will take turns asking each other a question. Candidates will have 15 seconds and 6 60 seconds to respond. Karen, you may ask the first question. Thank you. I would like to know since we are in the middle of the Supreme Court hearings today and the rest of the week, do you support packing the court, because remember, while the process, the nomination process goes through the senate, any legislation that would expand the number of Supreme Court justices would come through the house of representatives. Would you support legislation to expand the Supreme Court . I said only individuals willing to pack the court would be Mitch Mcconnell on President Trump as a Breast Cancer survivor im concerned about the judges record on healthcare as i said before because she supports decisions that would actually take away the Affordable Care for millions of people and also take it away from the ability to choose whats best for their bodies and the only people that are willing to pack the Supreme Court are Mitch Mcconnell and President Trump and frankly i am very disillusioned with the overall mismanagement and that is where we should be focusing our time and energy making sure people have the tools and the resources they need to be able to get through the pandemic. Apparently the representative doesnt understand the process. It was a very simple question yes or no do you support legislation to expand the u. S. Supreme court as senator schumer has proposed and Speaker Pelosi has said she wants to do. Lets be honest with people watching today and later theres nothing preventing democrats like you and speakers pelosi from getting to the table on that relief package. You dont want to pass it because you want to pack it full of controversy. You could get it done thank you. And lucy, it is now your turn to ask a question of karen handel. Your source of income is coming from gla Georgia Life Alliance that would be my choice to victims of rape and incest and also has been found to be pushing dangerous medical procedures. Were you hiding from the voters your support of a radical group lacks. Thats ridiculous. The Organization Goes by gla here in the state of georgia. I dont appreciate the insinuation you are making. The issue of life, its no secret that im prolife. Yes, i helped the organization with Business Strategies but that is an emotional and personal issue for everyone and that different opinion. I would submit to the people of the sixth district the only person with an extreme view on abortion, and luc lucy you voted multiple times to deny lifesaving medical care to a baby born alive. Its really disgraceful and inhumane and i would like to think that we could all agree that would be something that we could support. Voters cannot trust you to stand up for a womans right to choose. In congress you voted to jail doctors who perform abortions and defended the most extreme abortion ban in the entire country which would expose women to life in prison or even the death penalty. To hide from this radical organization you cannot be trusted to fight for women and i will continue to oppose any ability you would put forth to prevent a woman from exercising the right to choose for her body. That concludes the second round. This is the debate between the candidates for Congressional District six. We will go back to ask questions until we run out of time and i will determine when the rebuttal is appropriate. George, you get the first question in the round. Lets talk about medicaid, a topic georgia has had to deal with and other states. Asking for waivers has been declined. The Affordable Care act turns ten and then it will start to wean the states off o also fundr medicaid expansion. There are countless georgians that are underinsured or not insured at all. How should they proceed today expended, amend or following . That question will go to the next person. Ive cosponsored legislation that has passed through the house to lower the cost of prescription drugs and treatment and care for people that have preexisting conditions and also we need to be making sure we are protecting our seniors in the country. I sponsored legislation that would protect our seniors and i sponsored legislation that would work with Social Security to make sure we are protecting medicare and those benefits for our seniors. They shouldnt be worried about how they are going to pay their bills or make sure that they are keeping their homes from being foreclosed on and i want to make sure we can continue to expand the benefits making sure everyone has coverage because that is what people deserve. Stanley, it is now your turn to ask a question. The response to the pandemic has been heavily criticized by many medical experts. The president has taken the advice serious and here in georgia weve encouraged people to follow the cdc guidelines to make sure even after reopening the state. How do you rate the president s response during the pandemic, and that is for ms. Macbeth. I talked to constituents every day that are still reeling from covid19 but im proud of the work weve done in washington when the Bipartisan Legislation my colleagues and i proposed over 250 billion that would go towards the Small Businesses but also weve lowered the taxes for those that have been affected by the pandemic and expand the tax credit for the hardworking families during the pandemic but still so much more needs to be done. As i said i talked to people all the time. Small Business Leaders that still havent received ppe and frontline workers are without the resources and tools they need. We need to appropriate more money for testing and tracing and treatment and a vaccine and we need to be following the science and research to substantiate the need for us to make sure that we are social distancing, Wearing Masks and making sure we are washing our hands and doing everything we can. Theres still so much work that needs to be done and yes, im proud that we are still trying to work with the senate for the resources we need. I would like to address this issue. To continue to take a tremendous hold on lives and livelihoods but if you are listening to health and science experts, they are now saying there is reason to be encouraged. This has been an unprecedented crisis across multiple fronts. It brings me to congress and listen, the American People deserve better than this. We need to get to the table and work this out for the American People. Its your turn for a question. I would like to ask the same question about medicaid expansion. Theyve been declined on the Affordable Care act. How should congress proceed . A couple of things. First, the last that ive seen, they are coming to the state and second, when it comes specifically to medicaid, which i think my opponent didnt understand the difference between medicaid and medicare, when it comes to medicaid, having some block grants would be helpful for the states like georgia and others across the country so they can build out a Healthcare System that best meets the needs of georgia. In congress what we need to do to fix the gap in healthcare we need that standalone legislation. I will be a champion like that when i was in congress and we are going to get it done. Second, we need more choices. Did you know on the exchanges there are only two plans remaining for people in the sixth district to choose from . And for the vulnerable population that falls through the cracks i was proud to support more funding and i would like to see us strengthen that network even more. Stanley, it is your turn for a question of the candidates. Im sorry, ms. Macbeth, i apologize. Im for the expansion of health. Always have. My opponent is trying to hide the vote to up to a billion dollars for the ability and chose to ignore the warnings of the research and science advocates and cut the funding just before the pandemic hit america. This is the kind of reckless mistake shes made and the reason people rejected her in 2018 and will again in 2020. That is all the time we have for questions. I would like to respond to that. It is absolutely not true that i voted to cut the spending. I dont know where she gets that from, but apparently truth in advertising is missing. Did you know she actually sites memos and legislation that passed before i was even in congress. In fact under my time i voted to increase the funding and more important alignment and organizations to better prioritize the pandemic responses. I know you want to lie about my record in the interest of being able to hide your own 97 vote record with nancy pelosi. Do you have a rebuttal to that . You said over and over again youve allowed yourself 98 of the time with President Trump aninhis policies. And once again, your record on healthcare is abysmal. Youve supported the bil bills t would drive up the cost of healthcare for people with preexisting conditions, not only the treatment but the care and prescription drugs and also you attempted to cut funding for cancer screenings provided by planned parenthood and you dont want anybody to know this. But you failed over and over and youve continued to lie and discredit thank you. Im afraid that is all we have time for questions. Each candidate will have 60 seconds for a closing statement. Lucy macbeth, you get the First Closing statement. Thank you. I never expected to be in congress. After the murder of my son, i realized that the leadership wasnt doing enough to keep the communitys healthy and safe so i decided to run for office myself. I have held the first in person town hall district has seen in decades and ive worked tirelessly to ensure my constituents have had access to Vital Information and resources that theyve needed during the pandemic. Bipartisan legislation that the president has actually signed into law to protect and secure emergency funding for the cdc and sought to protect our seniors and people with preexisting conditions. There is a lot of negativity and partisanship in america right now and that is exactly what i am running against. Its been my honor to serve you the last few years, and i hope that ive earned the privilege to continue the good work that we have begun in this district when you vote november 3rd. Hes a one issue activist who will not speak up or stand up for you. He will follow along with nancy pelosi for 4 trilliondollar tax cut. Taking away employerprovided health insurance, Defendant Police and taking away local zoning controls. You know i work hard to fight politics to get the job done. Thats what i have done. More funding for Community Health centers, Mental Health and our veterans. Im asking for your vote so together, we can defeat covid, rebuild our economy, fix the gaps in healthcare and keep our neighborhoods safe. That concludes our debate, election day is tuesday november 3, dont forget to turn in your absentee ballot if you requested one in early and present voting began yesterday and continues through october 30. Thank you for participating in this debate. I like to debate. For more information and full schedule, visit press club. Org, the debate will be available for viewers watching ondemand atalanta the public broadcasting website. Thank you for joining us at the Atlanta Press club debate. House information subcommittee, this is about an hour. The subcommittee on elections on House Administration will come to order. Im happy to announce we are joined to today by mr. Agre from california and mr. Raskin. Hearing ining this compliance with the regulations for Committee Hearings pursuant to House Resolution 965. Generally, the committee would keep
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