Be going to the wire. Im hoping people understand the choice of the selection. I want to continue to serve the people of New Hampshire. Theres so much more work that needs to be done. The candidates for u. S. Senate. Mr. Mcelveen good evening everyone. Welcome to our live Granite State debate series from the New Hampshire institute of politics at saint anselm college. The top issues facing our state and the nation with the senates for u. S. Senate, republican incumbent senator kelly ayotte and then cut challenger, governor Maggie Hassan. Lets have a look at the format. Two nights questions will come from the moderator and our panelists. Each candidate has a minute to respond. Rebuttals will be at the moderators discretion. There will be time at the end for a closing statement. Kevin landrigan is a reporter for the New Hampshire union leader. John distaso is a political were going to begin with the threat that is emerging at a very rapid pace, cyber terrorism. About 10 days ago, the New HampshireTechnology Company dime dyne was attacked. The experts say could easily happen again. Some people worry that attacks like these could disrupt the Financial Markets or knockout target. Our power member of the security committee. Is there anything we should do to stop that threat . Sen. Ayotte it is great to be here with governor hassan nadal of the. My goal has been to keep New Hampshire safe on my committees. This issue of cyber terrorism is are stronger agreements in place, including supporting legislation to allow the sharing of information between Companies Like companies and the government to make sure that we can take the steps we need. If it is a state actor, to be clear and take the steps we need, and to help we should be doing at the federal level to counter etc. Terrorism . Gov. Hassan thank you for moderating and thank you senator ayotte after being here. To all of the viewers tuning in tonight. My first job as governor is keeping our state secure and our communities safe. My First Priority will always be keeping our country safe. Among the things i have worked on as adding troopers onto our roadways, making sure that we have active Shooter Training for our Law Enforcement, and enhancing School Safety plans, is our Cyber Security. Making sure that all of our state employees have Cyber Security training, establishing standards for Cyber Security, getting rid of outdated hardware and software that made us more vulnerable. That is annexed up in the security at the state level are working together to share information. That is also obviously something we need to do with the private sector as well. Mr. Mcelveen lets go to our panel with the next question. John distaso over the past several months, security efforts dust experts in the u. S. Have pointed to russia as a culprit in several highprofile hacking cases. Last as most likely involved in the theft of data at the u. S. Office of personnel management. In cases where u. S. Cyber Security Officials have evidence of a hack or cyber attack, should we counter attack those trying to steal information, or shut down their systems . Should be counted with conventional warfare, or should we do Something Else to respond . Everything is on the table particular recently is truly outrageous. There are various acts of aggression, including what looks like according to our National Security community aggressive Cyber Attacks. We have also taken action towards china in response to some of their aggressions in the Center Security arena. What we know we have to do is continue to confront and hold accountable those kinds of attacks among those kinds of attacks that among this kind of things that we should do is increase sanctions against russia. Some of the acts of aggression have caused Vladimir Putins close business allies great concern, and weekend them. Everything is on the table, and i think it is very important that we continue to cite continue to combat Cyber Attacks clearly, whether it is russia or china, or frankly, the country of iran, and other countries who are using Cyber Attacks, we have to address what they do. That means having the staffing capability within our Armed Services. That means making sure our Armed Services have the resources that they need and the technological background to do it. If someone takes a ste w address it in turn. We need to understand that unfortunately, when it comes to russia, this administration has not held russia accountable. That reset policy has been a failure. It is something secretary clinton pushed. We have not held them accountable for their invasion of ukraine, or looking at what they have done in violating the inf treaty. Whether it is Cyber Attacks or strong in return, you are going to see them continuing to act badly. I have a followup. It is pretty much accepted that russia is trying to influence the direction of our election. You think they have been successful in doing that . Sen. Ayotte i believe our top defense and intelligence officials will pursue and investigate anything that russia is doing and hold them accountable for it, and make sure that they do not have an other matter. Again, this means being tough on actors like russia when they are violating International Treaties , when they are circumventing International Law in terms of cyber crime, and when they are undermining our interests. I have been a strong critic of the lack of action against russia from this administration on the Armed Services committee, to do as much as we can to hold russia accountable. We talked about that just a little bit ago. One of the things that we know we have to do is continue to build our alliances with our nato allies to make sure that we have the resources and the partnerships to hold russia accountable or its acts of aggression. I am very proud of the fact that here in New Hampshire, we continue to have paper ballots and our Voting Machines are not hooked up to the internet. That provides i do know our National Security experts are working as hard as they can to make sure that we are protecting our electoral system. It is concerning to me that the republican nominee in the president ial race has showered praise on vladimir putin, has praised him, in some ways invited him to make an attack of some sort on our electoral system. Spent so much time supporting the nominee. Take a quick minute to respond. Sen. Ayotte talk about Cyber Security, the democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, that governor hassan has followed on so many issues and really has failed to call out on this issue she set up a private server transferring classified information, one of the most important positions in our government. That could National Security at risk. Cybercrime, that was putting information that could have jeopardized our National Security at risk. If she is not going to break on Hillary Clinton with this, how will she break with her on issues where we need to stand up for New Hampshire and standing up for the people of this country. This is very egregious. Gov. Hassan i will always stand up to secretary clinton or my have. I disagree with secretary clinton on her support for president obamas proposal to close guantanamo, for example. I disagree with her on the Internet Sales tax. I it i disagree with her on the vetting of syrian refugees. Lets be clear i lets be clear, i have repeatedly said her use of emails was a mistake and she has said so as well. She has apologized. Wh senate race is whether we will continue to have a senator who fails to stand up to corporate special interests, which is what senator ayotte has failed to do, or whether we have somebody who knew after first. Mr. Mcelveen you both have been asked repeatedly about the top of the ticket. Allie morris is going to do it again. Allie morris james comeys decision to investigate new emails related to the clintons private server has thrown a cloud of uncertainty over the september last year and have been steadfast since. Setting aside a comparison with donald trump, are you prepared to say that Hillary Clinton is a leader who americans can believe and trust, and you have any concerns about her character . Gov. Hassan i think we definitely need more information from director comey and the fbi. This is an issue that has been investigated exhaustively. Secretary clinton has said she made a mistake in the way sh appropriately apologize for that. This election, this race for senate, is how we are going to come together and continued the kind of work we have made here in New Hampshire of telling a more innovative state. We have an Unemployment Rate of we have one of the lowest Unemployment Rates in the country. More people are working today in New Hampshire than at any time in our states history. We can continue if we bring the for Granite Staters ready middle class is growing and thriving, that is the vision that i have and have worked towards. I support secretary clinton because shes there is that vision and has a record of delivering on it. Allie morris in dropping your support for donald trump, you said you wanted your 12yearold daughter to know that rejecting him for his comments on women was more important to you than winning any election. Ban on muslims entering the u. S. , when he called back skins what about issues like the trillion dollar tax increase that Hillary Clinton wants . Will she stand up on Something Like that . Or addressing the concerns of the health care law, beehive higher premiums and deductibles and copays. The flawed iran agreementha that is dangerous for the country in terms of iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, having access to nuclear infrastructure. I will stand up to either side no matter what. I have done it and will continue to do that to put the interest of the people of New Hampshire first. Gov. Hassan the fact is senator ayotte is still supporting donald trump aired she has sent out mailers that say donald trump needs her and the United States senate to confirm his Donald Trumps agenda when it comes to overturning roe v wade. She can try to distance herself, as she did on multiple locations when she was asked whether she supported donald trump, but in fact she said on 35 different occasions that she supported him. She called him a role model for our children. When the political winds seem to change, that is when she changed her position. She has been with her voting five times with ted cruz to shut the government down. Mr. Mcelveen 30 seconds to respond. Sen. Ayotte these are the talking points from governor hassan. Actions speak for themselves. She has not stepped away from Hillary Clinton on one thing. I have taken the action of saying i will not be voting for our nominee, because i am concerned about the actions that he has talked about intakes i have done it time and time again in the senate. That is why i have one of the most bipartisan records. I focus on getting things done for the people of the state. She can focus on talking points as much as she once, but the people in the state know i will stand up for them no matter what. Kevin landrigan with as many as three justices. Governor hassan, how much latitude would you give a President Donald Trump he is duly elected by the American People . Sen. Ayotte thank you kevin for have in New Hampshire where governors come and as your viewers probably know, confirm those nominations. Didnt they way in in 2012 when they elected barack obama . Sen. Ayotte certainly the American People are going to weighin next tuesday, and they will cast their vote, and the next president will nominate that individual to serve on the Supreme Court. We have a divided court right now. This i rights and what happens. We also have a divided government. Waiting in and letting the people weigh in, i think, was important. I also have a bipartisan record where i have voted to confirm many of the president s nominees. In fact, almost close to 100. And worked to fill members of his cabinet. I have been able to work across party lines. I will continue to do that. I want to make sure that whoever understand what their constitutional philosophy is, and what their demeanor is in terms of serving on the highest court in this land. With regard to the Supreme Court, do you think it is appropriate to have Lifetime Appointments . Sen. Ayotte i do. It is under our constitution. Our father set those appointments up because there are three coal equal branches of government, and that that branch would not be subject to political influence. This ismp an issue where i will carefully review, on behalf of the people of New Hampshire, to make sure that their Constitutional Rights are protected, and a person who serves as qualified. Gov. Hassan i certainly do support Lifetime Appointments, in accordance with the constitution. I am very concerned about senator ayotte support for the Supreme Court ibaka. What she and her party have decided to do is bring gridlock to the branch of government. The legislative branch of the executive branch have been at odds. It was the Supreme Court that served as a kind of tiebreaker for that. Senator ayotte and her party have decided to bring gridlock as they have to their work in congress to the court. Just as she brought gridlock to that, she has voted with ted cruz five times to shut the government down. Only deciding after it was shut down and feeling the political down and feeling the political heat of that here New Hampshire, would be part of a solution. Sen. Ayotte that is gridlock. Those bringing washington style to what happened with the budget in New Hampshire. She keeps talking about the government shutdown. The papers in the state, including the concord monitor, described the work that i did with senator shaheen and other women editors to open up the government. She doesnt she is saying is not true. Im one of the most bipartisan senators and the entire senate. Caucus on the government shutdown. You can look at what people said at the time. I led the effort to reopen the government, and people in the state know that. Gov. Hassan i am certainly proud to have senator shaheens endorsement in this race. I will always stand up for fiscal responsibility. Senator ayotte had a few facts wrong, but at the end of the day, unlike washington, what we did i vetoed the budget. We had a continued resolution keeping the government going. Did for the compromise budget that country that question. Allie morris you are opposed to background checks. Have been checking to see if some is potentially dangerous before buying a gun a bad thing . Sen. Ayotte my thoughts and prayers go to the families of those officers. I prosecuted the case where we decorated hero who was killed in the line of duty. To me, standing up for our police is so important, and having in a murder prosecutor and working on difficult cases like that in our state and having served as attorney general, i appreciate so much how important it is that we keep guns away from criminals and terrorists. I also believe it is equally important that we stand up for the Second Amendment rights ofou background checks. I have worked to get records that need to be in that system that are not in there now. Also, Mental Health records that have not gotten in. I have supported more prosecutions of the law of violations of the background check system. Right now, New Hampshire needs more resources to do that. System is not working the way it should. Im proud to have the endorsement of the troopers and the adjuster patrolmen. Allie morris governor hassan, you have twice repealed the concealed carry law. Given the millions of dollars that by Program Control groups to support your candidacy, why should Granite Staters believe you will support the Second Amendment if you are elected to the u. S. Senate . Go