Tossup. From ntn news this is the race for u. S. Senate. Welcome to todays u. S. Senate debate here on the Montana Television network. Yes, our focus today is montanas 2020 u. S. Senate race one of the most closely watched in the entiremo country and it looks to be on track to become the most expensive political race in montana history. The general election of courses coming up november 3 and if youre keeping track at home that is just 24 days away and ballots were mailed out on friday this week so voters you are looking for those ballots to be arriving soon in the mailbox near you. Those ballots need to be returned to your local Election Office by 8 00 oclock, 8 00 p. M. On election day. Of course, at stake in this race is one of montanas u. S. Senate seats, salary of u. S. Senator is currently at 174,000 a year. Now it is time to meet the candidates. Governor Steve Bullock was born in missoula, grubb and helena and earned his law degree from Columbia University in new york city. Earlier in his career he worked in private practice as an attorney and as is assistant attorney general for the state of montana. He wonat election as montanas attorney general in 2008 and then became governor in 2012 and 2016. Bullock, a democrat, says as governor he has worked with both democrats and republicans to expand affordable healthcare, strengthen montanas economy and invest in Public Schools. He and his wife lisa have three children. U. S. Senator Steven Daines grew up in boozman and has a Chemical Engineering degree from Montana State university. He had a 28 year career in the private sector before he was elected to congress. And includes a dozen years as an executive at right nowas technologies. The bulman Software Development firm for greater more than 500 highpaying montana jobs. He was elected in 2012 as montanas only u. S. Senate representative and one election to the senate in 2014. He says he is been recognized as one of the most effective and bipartisan members of congress. Steve and his wife cindy have four children and one grandchi grandchild. As we get started today aft quick summary of the rules. The first candidate being questioned will get 60 seconds to respond in the second candidate will then have a 32nd rebuttal and the first candidate would have 30 seconds response time. We are asking the candidates and to stay within the constraints of our time that way we can get in as many questions as possible. We have our mtn debating with us today and lets meet joe valley, anger, reporter at kp x tv in missoula, t political reporter with Montana Television network and im jane cohen, anchor emeritus at kt bq in billions. I have the first question and we have a drawing prior to our debate and senator daines honor of getting the first question goes to you and here we go. Senator daines, first topic today is the pandemic. The coronavirus continues to surge across country here in montana and again today more than 170 new cases. The country is still waiting for yet another covid relief bill. The president has been inconsistent to say the least as to what he might except in that bill and of course what would you accept in another Coronavirus Relief bill and will we get this done soon . Will you get this done . Thanks. The numbersrs we saw today were staggering, 700 to anyone new active cases we just got ranked the thirdhighest of infection rate per capita r basis in the country and at 209 montanas tragically have lost their lives. First and foremost we need to focus on those who are multiple vulnerable, compromising systems, Senior Citizens and those in a Indian Country we are seeing the death rates with covid in any country five times greater than the general population across montana. I want to see another package but we want to get working to get a package done. The challenge we have right now is nancy pelosi and Chuck Schumer want to put 400 billion in there to bail out states like new york, california and illinois that had physical problems before and i dont want to see taxpayers footing the bill for these liberal states. Heres a real problem im seeinc right now. Out in Indian Country we see governor bullocks team has allocated dollars, more dollars for missoula country project then all the tribes of montana combined. Thank you, senator daines. Governor bullock youbi have 0 seconds. We do need another cares package. Unfortunately, washington dc and steve daines has dropped the ball. We put out our cares dollars over 31 different relief programs and committed 97 of the money of 700 billion out the door but the challenge really does not to Indian Country. Steve daines did not want to provide the 259 per tribe in the first and right now on the ground were working with all our tribal nations and i know we have [inaudible] and others and will continue to do what is necessary but we do need washington to get basically but quit pointing fingers. Senator daines, 32nd response. Governor bullock to slide in that response. I got 8 billion in the covert relief package in march. I was on the northern tribe reservation yesterday and met with the crow leadership yesterday and they are appalled by the fact that governor bullock in esteem and primarily took the one. 25 billion dollars in montana in april and give them more money to missoula congo project then all of the tribes combined and that was to be dollar sent to tribals in the local community. Thank you. My next question goes to mr. Bullock. You issued shutdown orders in montana this spring when we had far fewer cases and as we saw today 721 new in montana so how come no drastic action now when it seems like montana is suddenly a hotspot and do you feel like youre managing this crisis effectively . The numbers are concerning from my perspective. You know, or not only seen spikes in montana but really all acrossth the country and i think the reason why governors and others arent rolling back and one of which is that look, if we shut down parts of our economy right now, senator daines took seven weeks vacation this summer while we were trying to get money to our Small Businesses and we helped out over [inaudible] but if we shut them down right now both workers and businesses would have nothing along the way because dc will only point fingers and cant get it together. Second, we got to learns. When e will reopen. We have to learn how to live with this virus. Meaning that we know the steps we have to take we need to be wearing masks. We need to be taking social distance and we need to be disinfecting and if we do that we will get our hands around this again and i do have faith and montana. Thank you, mr. Bullock. Daines, 30 seconds. I strongly disagree. We need to learn how to live alongside the pandemic, i reject that. We need to focus on the most vulnerable and focus on those in Indian Country in a way out of this will be therapeutic drugs and a vaccine. Think about polio, smallpox, measles we have face pandemics in the path past and if i reject the notion we run out of but we need to ended. I fought to get 10 billion funding in the first package and weve done exactly that and a safe, effective vaccine out to montanans as soon as its ready to be shipped. The cares act is giving Drug Companies more of our money so maybe that is why he got 10 million but they gave him 24000 more around that same time. He even got money from Drug Companies but hes never gotten it from before. Its pretty damn surprising because of never seeing a corporate special interest like steve daines will fight for. We do have to live with it in our midst right now. We can keep our schools and businesses open until we get to the point of the widely accepted vaccine so i do encourage montanans to continue to take it seriously. Mr. Daines, welcome this evening and thank you for being here. We will continue along this line talking about the pandemic. You mentioned the billions of dollars in the first package went to the Drug Companies that developed a vaccine or some sort of treatment and is there anything in law or anywhere else that guarantees that that will be made available to the public and to insurers out of affordable price and also im wondering where are you on requiring people to wear masks . To end this pandemic. First of all, i spent 28 years in the private sector and like governor bullock had a career in politics. I launched fda regulated products or know how you can safely get those products to market and do it faster and safely and that is why i was able to secure these funds working parallel paths to get these critical vaccines in the hands of montanans in the bottom line is yes, they will be given to montanans and americans at no charge and they will be free. That is why we got to stay focused on the miracle of science and the vaccines and that will be the key to end the pandemic, regarding masks i think its a personal response ability. I was out on two reservations yesterday and believe me i was messed up at all times and hand sanitizing and taking it seriously and temperature tracks everywhere we need to continue to do these medications test now to keep primarily our most vulnerable safe and that includes those in Indian Country. They need help now. Mr. Daines, followup. You said these things will be available for free but how will that guaranteed . Is that a w promise or anything written down that guarantees that. That has been agreed by the bio medical advanced group of the government and thats all part of w working together the best science we have in the federal government alongside the best scientists in the private sector and a vaccine that will be given voluntarily and given for free and get it out to montanans safely and quickly as possible. Thank you. Mr. Bullock, your rebuttal. Steve baines takes pride in working the private sector for 20 years but he spent time building manufacturing factories in china in the same time the u. S. Comedies were laying off american jobs. He was peddling software all across india, china and asia and lets talk about the facts that it was 10 billion and it was given with no restriction by you and they can charge whatever they want to their are promises that everybody will get it for free. We actually do need to Start Holding the drug comedies accountable. Thank youar mr. Daines. That is flat out falls. R here is what is here in montana but we send governor bullock one. 25 billion dollars in april and he sat on those and has not even spent up to 50 of it to help montanans and i want to help ask governor why have you given more project with your cronies instead of donating the campaign to all the tribes in montana combined. I just read this first hand out on the reservation yesterday. Moving along, it goes to governor bullock and we will stay on the same topic but pivot to healthcare, governor. One thing democrats seem to agree on in this election is that the Affordable Care act needs to be strengthened and my question to you is what areas should be strengthened or changed in the aca and how will we pay for it and your response to charges that the Affordable Care act is government controlled healthcare . Even before covid19 the affordable healthcare was so important to so many montanans and that is why we brought democrats and republicans together to actually expand medicaid for 90000 people and weve taken on the Drug Companies and the Insurance Companies to lower prices but the whole time senator daines was supposed to represent us and ending coverage for preexisting conditions like cancer and diabetes and look at repealing the aca will mean repealing millions of dollars that montanans received for Prescription Drug coverage and not actually taking on the pharmaceutical so look, i do think we need to build on what we have on the best way to do that is to finally start taking on the Drug Companies. Start pain, not just for repeated deaths but results. We can do more but steve daines wants to strip away all that coverage on all of us. Thank you, governor. Senator daines. Scare tactics from pelosi and hall over the country. It will always protect those with preexisting conditions and i signed on a bill that does exactly that. The governor forgets that when obamacare past premiums for montanans double. 20000 montanans lost their healthcare insurance. He wants to team up with pelosi and schumer and have a complete government takeover of Healthcare Systems and that will be the biggest threat to preexisting conditions. Ive a sister the died of a preexisting condition but its personal to me and her medical bills were over 1 million and thank god she had access to healthcare. Governor bullock. You know thats not true protect stirred up saying we should not have government takeover of healthcare. Its disappointing because when the Washington Post actually gives you for pinocchio the most dishonest ratings you will protect people with preexisting conditions like cancer and diabetes and hes literally voted five times now and the last time wouldve been about one week ago and lets recognize the whole time he hasnt been there he has been working to take away your healthcare. Democrats, republicans came together in montana you cant let steve daines get out of there. Will stick with that topic and myy question goes to senator daines. I think its important to talk about this because its frightening to people to think that afterer obamacare assured e sickest folks could have coverage and they could actually afford and you have voted against that. You have a specific plan that can guarantee montanans will be able to afford this and their insurance isnt going to be stripped away leaving them in a vulnerable position. Absolutely. I will always protecte ng preexisting conditions print this is a Schumer Pelosi scare tactic. I signed on to protect that. Lets keep in mind there was an a judge panel little over a month ago they came together including Jamie Kony Barrett the decided unanimously that aca would go before the Supreme Court and this is more scare tactics coming from the left. Schumer, closely liberal are trying to destroy this libera liberal destroying her career. His Lieutenant Governor was walked off the job with no expiration at tonight governor bullock give a chance to be honest with montanans and you know what happened to Lieutenant Governor and the second woman to ever hold the position because according to record she believed she was dumped standing up for what is right. Those were the headlines from your hometown paper paid what was she standing up for . Thirty seconds. Lets talk about honesty. We dont want to know las vegas odds about whether that case literally the week after the election and what you think and whether it will overturn the aca but we want a senator who will fight to protect healthcare for montanans and all throughout this time, literally, this is a National Playbook but steve daines five times voting to strip away coverage for preexisting conditions. Montanans really deserve an independent miserable fight for them but thats what ive done is governor and that is what i will do. Mr. Daines. Again, look at the playbook. They did this back in ten, 14, 16, 18 and out 20. I dont want to see judge Amy Coney Barrett careers destroyed next week. The democrats will try to destroy her during those hearings. I asked the governor a question paid i asked what happened to angela and white which you seriously quit her job and walk off only the second woman to ever hold with this Lieutenant Governor and she could be on thd stage running for governor right now in a rising star in politics but it was pushed out by governor bullock. Mr. Bullock, lets talk about the Supreme Court as weve already been doing. Amy Coney Barrett is up for confirmation hearings on monday but number one, are you supporting or not her confirmation to the Supreme Court . If democrats win the senate and she is on the court and they win the presidency will you support any efforts to expand the Court Members i. E. Court packing . Thank you for the question, mike. Here is what i support. I support a u. S. Supreme court in our overall judicial system beyond politics. Steve daines, Mitch Mcconnell [inaudible] four years ago he said absolutely not shouldve justice be confirmed when people are voting. Now we are 23 days away and hes trying to ram it through, much more than the chairman of Small Businesses in montana that need assistance with cares act. It is unfortunate and i think it does have more to do with that case that happened the week after that would strip away coverage for preexisting conditions and that paid expansion and more. We need to figure out a way to get politics out of the court and that is what im committed to doing like in montana we have a judicial standard that gets thats judges along the way that they expect at the end of the day our court to be free of politics and who wants to make it more political . Mr. Vote, i dont thank you answered either one of the questions i asked you. Would you like to . As far as do i support amy coni barrett . First, i dont support anybody, any judge getting confirmed literally a week and a half before the election. Seconds of which, i do think look, they have been trying to politicize the court every step of the way and we have to figure out ways to make it less political. Im open to that and that is anything fr