Im dennis ohare, the host of morning edition on wabe. Early voting is already under way in the sixth district, election day is june 20. The district covers parts of cobb, fulton, and dekalb counties. The winner of the runoff will succeed republican tom price who resigned when President Trump apointed him the nations secretary of health and Human Services. The runoff winner will finish congressman prices term and then an election for a full term will take place in november of next year. We are honored to have the two candidates with us for the next hour. Republican karen handel is former georgia secretary of state and former chair of the Fulton County commission. Democrat jon ossoff is a former congressional aid, an investigative filmmaker, and we are joined by a small studio audience, we are insisting on silence from them with two exceptions. At the end of the debate and now. Please welcome and thank our candidates. [applause] mr. Ho heir for the next hour, we will have a discussion on affecting pics mr. Ohaayer for the next hour e will have a discussion about topics. Each canned did will have a chance to answer initial questions and followups with me, then theyll have 30 seconds each or to a minute to exchange responses to what each other has said by coin toss it was determined that karen handel will make the first Opening Statement. Secretary . Ms. Handel thank you for sponsoring this debate and having us both here. I am an extremely unlikely candidate for congress. I left home when i was just 17, finished up high school and went to work. I know exactly what it is like to fight against the odds and to overcome adversity. I started my career in an entrylevel job. I worked really hard to move up and excel and prosper. Ultimately holding executive positions in several companies, running the chamber of commerce in north fulton, having the privilege of serving as county Commission Chairman and secretary of state. Im tough, im resilient, some people call me strap by and thats because i am. I am determined to get the job done. And i will take that tenacity, that type of dermings to congress to represent the that type of determination to congress to represent the sixth district in the fiercest way i can. I look forward to answering questions, sharing my experience and how im the better candidate for this job. Thank you very much. Moderator thank you. Jon ossoff. Mr. Ossoff thank you. Thank you for being here. We have virtually unlimited economic potential here in atlanta. We have growing biotech and medical tech centers, all the assets necessary to become one of the worlds great commercial capitals. We have the Busiest Airport in the world. Were just up the road from a deep water port in savannah, becoming a hub for logistic in the Global Economy and we can become the great commercial capital and bring greater economic opportunity, bring more households here, but we need some imagination to get that done. We need some fresh leadership thats ready to work across the aisle to cut wasteful spend, to set the right priorities like infrastructure, high Tech Research, Higher Education. With some fresh leadership, we can achieve our full economic potential. Im ready to go to washington to work across the aisle to focus on solutions so we can become what we have the potential to become and have a Higher Quality of life. Moderator thank you very much. Now to our questions. Once again, each candidate has two minutes exchanging thoughts with me then a chance to respond to each other. You dont have to take the whole two minutes if you dont want to, we can move on to other things too. By coin toss, mr. Ossoff gets the first question. You talked about fixing the Affordable Care act instead of scrapping it. Thats how well begin this section on health care. One of the biggest problems with obamacare has been a much sharper than expected increase in premiums that people have to pay. It can vary, we wont get into all the variables but here in the atlanta area, the average annual jump in premiums in the last three years for a 40yearold on the silver plan, just to take a hypothetical, has been 5 . Annual jump of 5 according to Georgia State university analysis. But in other places like gainesville, northeast georgia, its 2 a year. The House Republican plan, that passed the house and is now in the senate, would let states get waiver so people could buy plans without some of the coverages now man dathe under obamacare. The Congressional Budget Office score of that estimates that depend og whan a state does with its waivers, average premiums could eventually end up anywhere from 4 lower to 26 lower in 10 years than they would be if we kept obe obamacare. Doesnt that potentially address the problems of uninsured people and the high premiums and given that, isnt that a fix for obamacare . Mr. Ossoff what we need is bipartisan efforts to get premiums urn control. I think we can do that by introducing more competition into the insurance market. Something for which i think there may be bipartisan will on both sides of the aisle, letting georgians shop plans across state lines. Like in any market, if consumers have more choices, then prices will be driven down and quality will be driven up. But what the House Health Care bill does and secretary handel supports the House Health Care bill is not only three more than 0 million americans off their Health Insurance but guts essential protections for georgians with preexisting conditions. And there are more than 328,000 georgians with preexisting conditions in the sixth district alone. Moderator but if people can get coverage, especially young people, could get coverage for just the conditions they might need, wouldnt that actually mean more people insured . Mr. Ossoff i oppose legislation that guts protections for georgians with preexisting conditions. I mentioned the other night a young man named matt, a 7 hes 7 years old, has a heart condition. Without protection for preexisting conditions like matt, his family could have to pay tens of thousands of dollars a year. Let me mention another story. A young man named john armwood who was between jobs when he developed cancer. Because there are protections for georgians with preexisting conditions he was able to get the insurance he needs and his cancer was cure. Secretary handel supports a bill that guts protections for those with preexisting conditions. And the other evening you were misnored misinformed about that. This bill guts protections for preexisting conditions. s consistent with secretary handel imposing her views on things. Moderator well pick up on that in a moment. Let me ask you quickly if you win youll be joining a house caucus with where some members, along with some in the senate that the answers to these problems that youre referring to or the republicans are referring to is to move to sangele payer system like along the lines of medicare or what other countries have . Mr. Ossoff we need a lot less ideology and more focus on health care. I dont think a plan like that has any hope of passing this congress. The only way were going to get anything done on health care is with a bipartisan approach. I think that by increasing competition in the Health Insurance market we should be able to build bipartisan good will to do that. I will be the kind of independent voice ready to work across the aisle to achee that oal for georgians. Moderator secretary, the Congressional Budget Office score of the republican plan projects that 23 million more americans will go uninsured in the next 10 years and bill custer whoablizes Health Policy at georgia tech estimates 700,000 georgians, were talking about just georgians here, would lose coverage over the next decade. But theres another problem. While premiums would drop for some people, and i referred to that with mr. Ossoff, others could become uninsured by just being priced out. The c. B. O. Said over time it would become more difficult for less healthy people, including people with preexisting medical conditions in states that get waivers, to purchase insurance, because the premiums would go up so sharply. So that leads to the question we actually got from someone in our audience this person asked, how are you going to make sure my son with a preexisting congenital condition would be able to afford insurance as he turns 26 and ages out of the coverage he has through me . Ms. Handel first of all, the status quo on obamacare is unacceptable. S that system that is collapsing in on itself. We talk about skyrocketing premiums and what might happen post the repeal and replace. Ladies and gentlemen, premiums are already pricing people out of plans. That is a fact. For my husband and i, and i know what im talking about because steve and i get our insurance off the obamacare exchange, we have seen our personal premiums go from 300 to almost 1,00 a month. Meanwhile, our deductible went from 2,500 to 10,000. People are already being priced out. The status quo cannot continue. What we need moderator the c. B. O. Says under the republican plan as it exists ms. Handel that assumes not a single, solitary person will take advantage to have the tax credits that are given to individuals who want to buy plans. What this does is provide tax credits, it gets the federal government out of the way that is going to create more plan optionsmark doctor choices and bring down the premiums. It is incorrect, the c. B. O. Projected great numbers for obamacare and they did not come through at all. We need to have more choice, get the federal government out of the way, and if i can, ill phrase this in conditions work all due respect, jon, you are factually incorrect. Factually incorrect. I have great empathy on the preexisting condition issue. My sister was born without an esophagus. She is the very definition of that. And for individuals who currently have plan they cannot be deny. They cannot be charged more. There are already individuals who are being with preexisting conditions that are being priced out of the market. So what is being accomplished . Nothing. We have to repeal this bill. And replace it with a new fix thats coming through that takes out those tax incredible tax increases and restores back to the people their Health Care Decisions that at a rate they can afford. Moderator just a couple of seconds left, just a note on whether the c. B. O. Underestimated what the impacts would be of obamacare, both cnn and our colleagues at npr did a fact check on that, it is true, the c. B. O. Overestimated the number of people who would gain coverage through the exchanges, but they were much closer to the mark on a lot of other things about it, including how much the a. C. A. Would affect coverage overall. So it was kind of a mixed record on that. Ms. Handel but it doesnt take away from the fact that their main projection was incorrect. Moderator many of their others have been. Mr. Ossoff you want to respond to something secretary handel said . Mr. Ossoff on the matter of preexisting conditions, and secretary, i appreciate you sharing your personal story, the facts are the facts. Independent fact checks, journalist, analyst, have all found that this bill guts protections for georgians with preexisting conditions. Its fine to say, madam secretary, that someone cannot be denied coverage period. If they have a preexisting condition. But if theres no limit on price discrimination and the plan is unaffordable that is a useless protection. And it is a fact that this bill guts protections against massive price hikes for georgians with preexisting conditions. And it is important that the voters be well informed about this. And frankly its important that candidates for congress be wellinformed about this. Secretary handels position is incorrect. Its factually incorrect. This bill will not serve georgians with preexisting conditions. More than 328,000 of them in the sixth district. And for that reason its unacceptable. Moderator secretary handel . Ms. Handel i guess, jon, you subscribe to the nancy pelosi approach to policymaking, just pass it, then youll read it. I looked at the bill. It specifically says individuals who have a plan as we transition to the new plan in more market approach in the state that you cannot be denied a plan and you cannot be charged more because of a preexisting condition. So i think it is really important for everyone to understand that the system we currently have is collapsing. The status quo, doing nothing is unacceptable. We are down to just two providers in the state of georgia that is not choice. And those premiums are going through the roof. Theyre already pricing people out of the market. Moderator weve got about a minute left to cover the rest of health care. You touched on something, secretary, that is important about insurance. And im going to toss this one to you first and then mr. Ossoff. The deadline for Insurance Companies to file their obama marketplace plans is the day after one of you will be elected. Right after the runoff election. If the Trump Administration decides to cut subsidies to insurers that are called costsharing reduction, and it fwets weedy here, but if Insurance Companies dont know what their subsidies will be theyll pull out of the exchanges. Weve seen this happen in ohio. Do you think the administration and health and Human Services secretary price should at least figure out how to continue the marketplace since the senate hasnt even agreed on what its version of the bill is, at least give the Insurance Companies some certainty, say were going to continue obamacare the way it is until we agree on what repeal and replace should be. Weve got about 30 seconds. Ms. Handel as someone with real World Business experience i completely understand the requirement to have a transition period. I dont think anyone is suggesting, certainly not secretary price, that this would change from friday to monday. There will have to be a transition period. Thats really important for the insurers, for physicians, and frankly for patients and those who are out shopping plans. Without question, a transition. Moderator mr. Ossoff . Mr. Ossoff theres no doubt that the laws on the books need improvement. Its important that the federal agencies work to make sure that these adjustments arent disruptive and dont deny people the Health Insurance they need. What we need is a bipartisan approach to this issue that will increase competition in the insurance market, while strengthening essential consume brother texts. Secretary handels insistence to the contrary notwithstanding, it is a fact that this bill is bad for georgians with preexisting conditions. Voters need to know that and candidates need to know that too. Moderator were going to move on to the economy, we may come back to some of the things later on and youll have time in your closing statements to make any points you dont didnt have time to. Well start with secretary handel on this one. The president s budget is based on the assumption that the economy will grow at an annual rate of about 3 by 2020 and stay there. In other words continue 3 annual growth. A lot of economists say this is unrealistic. Wont this add to the deficit if the projections are wrong, the president s math is wrong, wont this actual add to the deficit and to something that a lot of your republican colleagues in georgia are concerned about, including senator david perdue, the longterm debt which is now 550 billion. Ms. Handel i think a couple of thing, first, on the president actually submitting a budget, thats something that hasnt happened certainly under the eight years obama and it is one that does balance in 10 years. To be sure, we have serious budget issues that require our attention and some tough decisions. At the same time, were not going to cut our way out of things. So that budget was presented with also a parallel to do tax reform, roll back mandates, roll back regulation. Moderator in the shortterm that would cut revenues more. Ms. Handel looking at a 10year horizon, the budget was built out on a 10year horizon. Having a growth rate, an economic rate of 1. 5 growth in our economy is nothing short of anemic. We have to move that needle up to 3 . And i believe unlike my opponent who refuses to commit to tax reductions and tax cuts, that if we reduce corporate rates and individual rates we will start to spur real Economic Growth so that we can get the economy moving up into the range, if not higher. I believe that is imperative. Couple that with Regulatory Reform as well as rolling back some of the onerous mandates that are literally strangling small businesses. The companies that are the largest creators of jobs, not only in the sixth district but in the country. Moderator last year growth was at 1. 6 . Youre saying we could double that in that short of time . Ms. Handel in 10 years . We better or we have much bigger issues on the horizon. I believe deeply that when you combine tax cuts for corporations and individuals and the individual component of this is key for this reason, so many businesses in the sixth and in the country are organized as l. L. C. s and scorps, the passthrough companies. We must do it on the individual side so the middle class can participate and those l. L. C. And scorp businesses can participate. Thats how we get going. If we dont include that segment of the economy, middle class and small business, we wont achieve it. Moderator mr. Ossoff youve talked about cutting wasteful spending. You said you identified 600 billion in potential savings. Over what period of time and to secretary handels point, can we cut our way out of this . Just about every economist on, no matter where they are on the spectrum has said, yeah, we have to cut wasteful spending but theres no way we can cut our way to budget stability. Mr. Ossoff first of all, to ensure the record is accurate, ecretary handel, ive been advocating for reduction in Corporate Tax rates for small and medium sized businesses, i think that would be a big win for business heres in georgia. Ive identified specific cuts and sa