Working to help iowa Small Businesses become more profitable with Energy Efficient cooling and lighting and more. Iowa community foundations. An initiative of the iowa counc council. Connecting donors to the issues they care about. The associated general contractors of iowa. The Public Partners in building bridges and munisple structures. We continue to meet the demands for greater access of highspeed internet by educational users. Iowa press has brought you politicians and news makers from across iowa and beyond. Celebrating more than 40 years on statewide iowa television. Live on the campus of iowa estern Community College this is a special debate and here is dean borg. [applause] welcome to council bluffs. This area includes des moines, red oak, and atlantic. The republican candidate right now isnt seeking reelection so there are 44 open seats into the u. S. House of representatives. Democrats hoping to reclaim the seat are pinning it an staci appel. Republican david young hasnt Held Elected Office but has capital hill experience as the senators chief of staff. Ms. Appel and mr. Young welcome to this edition of iowa press. And you are familiar with the traditional format but this is a different setting with a Television Audience as well. They have agreeed not to cheer. And no opening or closing statements. Just ideas and issues. I will be moderating and questions are coming from political journalist, des moines columnist and kathy henderson. Mr. Young and ms. Appel we are producing this debate on the anniversary of 9 11. I am wondering where were you on 9 11 . I was feeding my third child on my couch with my 2yearold son sitting beside me. How did it change your life . It made us more aware it is a dangerous world. I was driving two kids into the school and went by grays lake and hundreds of flags were there. It was really moving to think of the lives lost that day and families left behind and the First Responders that went in there and tried to help. Mr. Young, where were you . I was sitting at my desk on capital hill and i saw the first glimpse of this on tv on my desk. Someone called over and said turn on the tv it looks like someone is flying into world trade center. It changes your life. How did it change your life . You want to live every die day to the full est because you never know when it is your last one. Starting with gay henderson. 13 years on terrorism still exist and president obama announced he is authorizing airstrikes into syria. Mr. Young, do you think congress should vote to authorize those strikes or do you think the president has authority . The president outlined in the war act of 1973 that he has those powers and many memberos f congress acknowledge that. But i think congress should buy into this because when the president and Congress Work together on issues like this it is very important and i think Congress Needs to be involved. How would you vote if you were a member . I dont get classified briefings or have that intelligence information but i would make sure i was on the floor listening to the debate at every moment. Ge i will turn to you. How would you approach this as a member of congress and do you think the president has the authority to act on its own . I think he has the authority to act whenever the homeland is threatened and i think we are threatened with isis. I believe the way he put forward the airstrike and the humanitarian aid and working with folks on the ground makes sense. So i approve of how he is doing it. She mentioned working with people inside the state of syria. Mr. Young, do you agree it is a good idea to arm and train people inside syria . We need to make sure who we are arming. When the president spoke last night, for months he had been indecisive and i saw resilience in him last night. He talked about not just demeaning or managing the threat of isis but destroying it. And i was happy to hear that word because i thought it was long overdue. Congress david on the Armed ServiceCommittee Said it is hard to tell the good guys and the bad guys in syria. Do you share those concerns . We do need to make sure we work and arm the right people. We need to work with people that want to defend their own freedom. That takes time and working and listening to the folks on the ground. You mentioned a security interest for the United States. The president last night talked about the threats and that isis might pose future Security Threat to the United States. Do you think that that is sufficient American Interest to get more involved militarily in that region or are there other interest as well involved . Ms. Appel . Isis is growing and it is taking over two weak countries. We need to make sure i look at this as a mom. I want to make sure my homeland and state and family is protected. I appreciate what the president is doing. Mr. Young, do you feel American Interest is represented in this . Is there enough of a threat to the United States to justify this . And are there other issues the president should be paying attention to . The threat is real and getting larger. Isis is on the move looking to over overtake baghdad and they want to go south and grasp control of the oil fields in the middle east. Imagine what that could do to fuel around the world and the pocket book of americans and the economy. More importantly these terrorist trying to come to america there is homegrown terrorist here and we need to be vigilant about it from all angles. What does that mean if you are elected to congress . What would you be urging . I would be urging the state department to revoke the passport of those who have admitted they are part of terrorist organizations. Our state department has that authority and right now they are not doing it. They are putting it under the religious freedom act. That is absurd. What would you be doing ms. Appel if you were in congress . Congress has the role of oversight. What would you encourage . I would not encourage taking away passports. Lets move from being the worlds police man to being the worlds doctor. There is an Ebola Outbreak in africa. Mr. Young, what role should the United States play in outbreaks such as this . Has there been not enough done to curb the threat of a pande c pandemic . This is so new and it could be in the back yard. Across the river in omaha there is a bio containment unit and a patient with ebola there. It is kind of unnerving because what happens if this gets out . We need to push forward with the vaccination as fast as we can. The fda has a role in that and the ccdc. Does Congress Need to provide more money for those efforts . If they are asked possibly. You said it is unnerving for the doctor to be over in the hospital in omaha. It is inappropriate . I dont know if is inappropriate because probably the best treatment sin america. Same question to you. What sort of role should the United States play in the horrific outbreaks that are occurring else where but havent reached our shores. It is a humanitarian effort. We have the best scientist in the world and coupled with that we should be working on that. What about the fact that the doctor who contracted ebola was flown to the midwest . Are you okay with that . He should a United States citizen and his family wants him taken care of. Health care in the United States hasnt been sorted out entirely. What is your position on the future of the Affordable Care act obamacare . Are there things in that law, ms. Appel, you would like to fix . Of course there. Such as . I would say it is everybodys right to have access to health care. I think there is great things within the Affordable Care act making sure that Big Insurance Companies cannot take away your Insurance Coverage just because you have a preexisting condition. I look at it as a mom thinking about a child being diagnosed with leukemia and being told the next they they dont have coverage. If you had the opportunity in congress to fix the law what do you think would need to be fix snifixed one thing is if you were told you can keep your coverage you can keep it and with medicare we should have been able to negotiate drug prices like the va does. We should not be repealing it. I travelled the state for the last 15 months and never had one person say they want to repeal the law. What they have said is we need people that want to get together and fix it. It is atrocious we have spent 50 times to repeal it. We should spend the money to fix it. We are in this together. Mr. Young, a lot of republicans have said to repeal the law. I think you said repeal and replace, correct . What is it you would replace obamacare with . I think it is a bad law. I thought it was a bad process and very partisan. I wish this was a bill law that both sides could have come together and senate voted on and the house as well. But it didnt. We are stuck with it. Before you go on, do you think it is fixable or does it have to be repeal and start over . Well, when the president delays parts of it, it is hard to tell if we will ever see it come into place and stand on its own merits. But we had a president who said if you like your doctor or insurance you can keep it and your Health Insurance premiums wont go up but we are seeing the opposite of that. Io iowans are telling me they have problems. It is hurting relationships between employees and doctors. We want solutions. And again does that start with repealing or can you fix it . It is not going to be able to be repealed. This is his keynote law and it is going to be there for the long haul. I would drop the barriers along the state lines so people could shop across for insurance. We need price transparency. Consumers need to know what they are paying for before they go into the doctor and see their provider and not wait to see the sticker shock afterwards. Gl did you favor the expansion of medicaid that was included in obamacare . It seems to be working in iowa. I would make sure in any regard to medicaid they had flexibility. Ms. Appel, medicaid, should it have been expand . Yes, we have more women and children getting coverage. Would you expand it further . If need be we would. Let us turn to what occurred in washington, d. C. Last october. There was a debt ceiling vote andpub and republicans tried to get him to setting in regards of the Affordable Care act. Should you become a member of congress would you tie future votes to raise the debt ceiling to other issues or would you vote on a stand alone prospect of raising the debt ceilings . You have to look at how we got there. We are not doing budgets. We are spending money out of control. I want to audit the federal government so we know where the fraud and mismanagement and duplication is. A balanced budget amendmment. With the the debt ceiling there are other items tied to the debt ce ceiling. Maybe athe keystone xl pipeline or Corporate Tax inversion and lowering the Corporate Tax rate. I think it would be healthy to get something out of this for those who are not in favor of raising the debt ceiling. Ms. Appel, should you become a member of congress, would you vote to raise the debt ceiling . Is there a point you would say the credit limit has been reached and address the issues he is bringing up of tying the future debt ceiling votes to other issues . I think we need to work on how and where the money is being spent. I became chair of State Government and worked with republicans and democrats and the senate and house and managers of the departments and employees and citizens and we found ways to save money for the iowa taxpayers. That sounds like you are not n favor of raising the debt ceiling without cost savings in the bill. I think we have so much gridlock and people elected not doing their job so we need to Work Together so we dont have a shutdown. Speaking of spending money, there are a lot of infrastructure problems in this country not just puddles in the road but problems with the electric grid and all kinds of infrastructure. Mr. Young, if you were in congress, what priority would you give to Infrastructure Improvements and would you consider a tax to have the users pay . On roads and bridges the gas tax isnt doing it because we have vehicles not filled by gas. Electric, propane and natural gas you. We need a long Term Solution and make sure the users of the vehicles using our roads and bridges may a user fee. And what is that is solution toll roads . I would not go tol roads. I think it would be something in line with a gas tax. We need to not kick this can down the road like we have been doing where the Highway Trust Fund is deplete and we throw our hands up in the air. Ms. Appel would you raise the gas tax to pay for highway improvement and what other commitment would you make to repairing infrastructure at a time when the budget is tight . I dont support raising the gas tax. Our middle class iowans and their families cant afford any more taxes. Our infrastructure is crumbling. In the Third District we have the worst bridges and roads that need to be fixed. This is a bum budget issue and a priority. Since every dollar is red inked do you borrow . I think it is something you look at the budget line by line and make this a priority. If you are going to devote money to infrastructure you are taking it away from Something Else or going deeper in debt. Where were you going with this . You have to sit down, look at the budget and find priorities. Work through it line by line and find out ways to fix it. You would not raise the gas tax. What did you say about it . The gas tax taxpayalone and y it is doing is it is not doing its job. Would you in favor of raising the gas tax if need be . We need to have that debate first and our state legislature needs to have that debate. The United StatesSenate Passed what they called a comprehensive immigration bill. The house didnt react. What kind of immigration plan would get your house if you are elected . One that protects and secures the border. In the senate bill it gave d delegation of the homeland to certify the border was secure. I dont trust this president or any other president to say this is secure. I think Congress Need to go visit the border and vote on whether or not it is secure or not. We may need to make sure that we reform our legal system. Would people be coming in the way they are illegally if it wasnt easier to come in legally with visa reform . It is a challenge we have. We live in the greatest country in the world and people are coming to better their lives. I believe in the Guest Worker Program as well. Do you fault or favor the business communitys effort in regard to passing Immigration Reform . Do you think there needs to be more workers brought into the country than the native born . It depends on how the economy is and the need for workers. The immigration level we let in may have to be matched up to what our unemployment needs are or the needs for certain workers. Ms. Appel, Immigration Reform. President obama delayed what was rumored to be executive action on his own to address this issue. If you become a member of congress do you think congress should act instead of the president . I think congress should act. We have a bipartisan bill that is sitting on speaker boehners desk. It is increases the Border Patrol by over 22,000 individuals and creates the dream act and provides citizenship for 11 million undockmented workers. We need people that will go up and there the work in front of him. Do you think president obama theas authority to act on his own or Congress Needs to set the policy . Congress the congress and the president need to Work Together. What about the young adults, children under the age of ten, coming to the United States and trying to find relatives or a place to live . Should iowa or in some way the federal government be involved in finding them a place to live . You have to put a face on this. These are children separated from their families in Central America. And it is heart breaking. You see the pictures and hear what is happening. I know this to be certain. I do believe governors need to be notified when the children are dropped into our state or any state. I want to make sure the kids are taken care of. There is health needs as well as could they have diseases that could be harmful. I hear you saying humanitarian things and that is do i hear you saying lets take care of them they are here and settle them and find them a place to live and not send them home . I want to match them up with their families in Central America and make sure they are with their families. We need lean on our southern neighbors, mexico, to lean on their southern border and make sure their border is secure. Ms. Appel, send them home or settle here . There is a process. Are they refugees . If they have that status, iowa has been very welcoming to refugees. Are you . I am. I am a mom of six. I can hardy imagine how hard it must be to send your child over miles and miles. I am hearing from teachers and parents and communities and they are saying we have enough needs to take care of