all across the country? and i understand what you're saying about different states, james madison. but, still, picking up on where some of my colleagues have left off, the fact that you're seeing this different response in new york, new jersey, florida fuels panic, i think, and misunderstanding about the disease. so doesn't there need to be more of an effort to get everyone on the same page? >> well, i don't think that -- i don't think it fuels panic, because i think people understand the fact facts. and to the extent there is panic, if that's what you've observed, maybe it's important for me to restate the basics one more time. it's important for people to understand you cannot catch ebola by drinking the water, eating the food in this country. it's not spread through the air like the flu. the only way that ebola is transmitted is by coming into close contact with the bodily fluids of an individual who is already displaying symptoms of ebola. that's why the only two situations in which the ebola virus has been transmitted in

this country have been by health care workers who were treating a very sick ebola patient. so to the extent there is panic, i would encourage panicked individuals to consult the scientific facts and understand that the risk that is facing the average american, as dr. fauci said yesterday, is vanishingly low. >> does ron klain have any plans to go to new york or new jersey to meet with officials there? >> i don't anticipate that he has plans -- >> and just one more, josh. according to polls three of the hardest-fought states, iowa, colorado and arkansas, show republicans with a one-point lead. how much responsibility does president obama bear for this moment, the fact that democrats are -- [inaudible] [laughter] >> i think, as i mentioned -- >> one-point lead eight days out. >> yeah. i guarantee if democrats had a one-point lead in those states, i wouldn't be bragging about it.

what i will tell you is even though they're states that, at least one of them that you named is a state that is considered a red state, but let me just say something that i alluded to last week which is that i am confident that the aftermath of the election, there'll be ample opportunity for all of you to assess what sort of impact the president had on these races even though his name wasn't on the ballot. but what i feel confident predicting in advance is that the president will at least get some credit if democrats hold onto the majority in the senate and more than his fair share of the blame if they don't. ron. >> question about ebola. you keep saying that what's driving the decision right now is the science, and you were just explaining how difficult it is to catch this disease and so forth. what is it about the science of ebola that has drawn this firm line where no dod personnel will directly treat patients? particularly because, again, this is a matter of national security, you say, and every doctor you talk to, i've talked

to, they -- this problem can be solved. so what is it about the science that has drawn this line stopping american doctors associated with the dod at least or elsewhere from directly tackling this national security problem? ..

strengthened a logistics in place in west africa to speed the transfer of supplies, equipment and personnel into the region to stop the outbreak at the source. this goes to something the president talked about in the interview he did with 60 minutes last week, that when there's a significant problem like this going around the globe, this is the kind of problem people i think would prefer to just sort of put away the newspaper, turn off the television, pull the blinds and act like it doesn't exist. the reason they would prefer to do that is because it's a hard one to solve. we are talking about three countries in west africa that do not have modern medical infrastructures. you have very difficult situation in which medical professionals are trying to operate to meet the needs of the local population. and you have seen a commitment by the united states, by the president and by our men and women in uniform that's unprecedented, that is unparalleled by other countries.

when we have situation like this on the global scene people are not wanted with the chinese are doing to respond. people aren't picking up the phone and wondering if vladimir putin will commit russian resource. people want to know what the united states is going to do. this president has stepped up and shown the leadership that the american -- that makes the american people proud. it's in a clear inches of the american people. this is a national security priority and that's what we're going to solve. >> what is it about the science of ebola century driven by science that the strongest one were by the dod, american troops will not deal directly with american patients, with ebola patients? what scientifically has drawn that line? >> i'm not sure this is a scientific decision that's made as much as it is an operational decision. the best way that the united states government can assist in this effort is to put in place the kind of infrastructure that is sorely lacking in west

africa. right now it is hard to get a large shipment of supplies and equipment where it is sorely needed in west africa. but if you have, because of involvement in the department of defense, because of the logistical expertise that our american military has, we can make that process to getting supplies and equipment into the region much more efficient, and much faster. and so that sort of, that's the expertise they can leveraged to benefit the situation. and what we've seen is that because of the commitment of american resources and personnel in that logistical effort, we've seen a bunch of nongovernmental organizations and other governments commit their own significant resources to dealing with this problem. their commitment is not as big as the united states but it has had the effect of galvanizing the international community to pay attention and response to the situation. >> on their incentive to

individuals provide, to go do this work, because again a quarantine coming back three weeks of not being able to work, taking time off to go do this, aside from providing airlifting facilities, are there incentives built in to what they'r they arg that on an individual basis would encourage doctors to go and spent a month there, try to solve this problem? >> there's nothing i would know but i would ask you to check with other agencies. maybe they can volunteer their time and get some compensation from the government of those programs but i would check with them. justin. >> i just want to return to something that april asked about. do you think it would be fair to say that between the radio ads, robocall, rated images, all these things, one area, i mean, kind contrast with what john was talking about the president has

been active in trying to turn out the black vote? >> well, i think there is no question that there is, the president in the course of his own campaign has been successful in motivating core elements of the democratic party to support his campaign. that's been true about can american voters. it's been true of latino voters. it's true of asian voters, young voters. so to the extent of the president had his own personal success in motivating certain elements of that coalition, then yes, the president is eager to try to use his influence to motivate people and help at least at a minimum help them understand the stakes of this election. spirit the most important part of the coalition? they saw the coalition? they saw the present has been doing we haven't seen him campaign for women or latinos our young people in the same way. esm going to college radio

stations. >> there are young men and women who listen those radio shows. >> we will find out on election day how successful the present has been. would you say that getting part of the coalition votes about what they were in 2010 or 2012 is a success for the president camping efforts in last few weeks? >> i think we'll see. we will see. >> let me follow up on my colleague. will visit administration consider providing free military and support that say to you is volunteer health care workers an and offer to pay them for the possible teen period as well? >> i don't know how feasible that is. leslie. >> thanks, josh. appreciated. the white house has developed any protocols yet for ambassador flowers when she returns, in terms of will she be quarantined? will she serve it at home?

we tell us how big the parties and gives background what she was doing? >> i will refer to my colleagues at the united nations in terms of who was traveling with her. i'm confident that she will follow all of the policies that are in place when she returned and that will include the active monitoring and a screen that everybody goes through when they go through that process. i'm confident she'll be subjected to the policies in the same way everybody else is. >> and more so on the cdc-based van anything we saw in new york and new jersey? >> well, again, it's important, this goes back to the very first question of the briefing today. what new york and new jersey put in place were policy led to health care workers who returned from africa. ambassador power, astrazeneca is not rendering any medical assistance while she's in west africa. so that our policies in place that are implement by state and local officials because they have the authority to do so that

guide the monitoring of the health of the so recently begun from west africa. so she will just like any other traveler abide by those monitoring requirements. [inaudible] >> i would refer you to the state of new york. but my understanding of what the cdc has recommended is that individual who recently turned west africa or recently traveled in west africa, that they go to the screening process. them to thei their temperature e the board america. they will get the temperature when they return. they will be subjected to an additional layer of the screening once they disclose they spent some time in that part of the world. content will be collected and shared a state of local officials will be responsible for follow-up and actively marketing the health of those individuals. that is a policy that was envisioned by the cdc. i believe that's a policy put in place by these two states but can you would have to check with the state officials who have the authority for putting these policies in place.

>> there's no official white house protocol? >> no. again, it's state officials to have the responsibility for implementing these policies. >> i have a question about ron klain. basically, ron klain has, we want to know whether ron klain was involved in the discussion over the weekend with new york and new jersey, whether or not he played a leading role, given the fact he is the ebola virus sports coordinator in convincing the governors there to change their policies because as i mentioned, i won't reiterate specific conversation but i can to the administration has been in close contact with them for a number of weeks including over the weekend. there continues to be robust coordination between federal officials here in the obama administration including at the white house but also the cdc and hhs and state officials. i think the best evidence or

illustration of the successful cortège is announcement earlier today that casey had cox have been discharged from hospital where she been the last few days and was traveling to home in maine. >> the american people have not yet heard from ron klain directly. is he the face of the ebola response or the american people, will we see him? if not, why not? >> as i mentioned before i wouldn't rule out some sort of public appearance from ron, but is printable responsibility is behind the scenes role in coordinating the whole of government response the president has directed the government to respond to the specific situation. and that means that he will work closely with cdc and hhs, other white house officials to make sure that the ebola response is up to the high standards the president has said. that has in the past included conversations with state and local officials and i'm confident those conversations will continue.

all of that sounds like a lot of work to me, and they will limit the amount of time you can dedicate to making the case publicly about our response. but if that rises i'm confident he will do that is necessary. >> do we know what he will be doing in l.a. to? >> he is slated to travel down there later this week. he will meet with officials that he is been in regular touch with over the last, i guess the last week he's been on the job but i don't have any preview of this trip, okay? thanks a lot, everybody. see you tomorrow. [inaudible conversations] >> one of the topics today here

at the white house briefing, ebola. the u.s. ambassador to u.n. samantha powers, she is at sierra leone to help address the global response to ebola. she tweets wheels down in freetown. sierra leone has been devastated by virus. ebola cases doubled last month and a struggling to keep a. we will continue to follow her work and bring updates on c-span networks. >> tonight on "the communicators," president and ceo of the wireless association. >> if you remember i was in the commerce department, and this is reversing spectrum from the department of defense. this process, the lessons learned has been learned. it's going wonderfully. the three spectrum is paired, internationally harmonized, 65 megahertz. we are so excited about and will turn around and have the broadcasting instead of auction but i think the discussion is really going well. i think that the green report

which the fcc put up which values the spectrum, those numbers really turn the discussion from a policy discussion to a business decision which is where the discussion turned to. we're excited about those auctions but i'm certain our carriers are going to come to them with big checkbooks and it's going to be a win-win situation for everyone. >> tonight at eight eastern on the commuters on c-span2. >> here are just a few of the e-mails we have received from our viewers. >> c-span provides the most valuable service to the american people by providing focus and coverage on the most important issues facing our nation. our government needs constant watching --

>> let us know what you think about the programs you're watching. calcalls at (202) 626-3400, e-ml us at comments@c-span.org or send us a tweet at c-span hashtag comments. join the c-span conversations, like us on facebook, follow was on twitter.

>> now more of c-span campaign 2014 coverage from illinois 13th district race. this is one of more than 100 debates c-span is covering this campaign season. income republican rodney davis faces democratic challenger and callous. the 13th district is in central illinois. it includes champaign, urbana and medicine. the debate is one hour. >> moderator: welcome to the 13th congressional district candidates debate the i'm a moderator jennifer roscoe. we want to make this debate different from others. we're going in depth on topics to get to the heart of what these candidates play. there are no podiums, no microphones, just a few people to want to represent you in congress. let me introduce them know. rodney davis and ann callis. thank you both so much for being

here. asking the question for tonight's debate, tom kacich from the news gazette and hannah. my role is to make sure things keep moving forward for all of you interested you. during the debate we will ask questions against from our viewers, twitter and facebook. of you on twitter use hashtag -- let's get right to the. it's been about a year since the launch of insurance exchanges under the affordable care act. we will start in the issue, health care. congressman davis gets the first question. >> congressman davis, you pivoted from wanting to repeal and replace the affordable care act. what has changed over the last two years? davis: nothing us change. i've been perfectly clear sense of the candidate for this office and since i've been serving. i would be for replacing and, frankly, i help lead the charge

to make fixes to the affordable care act. i'm going to continue to do that. my latest was to hire more heroes act you can but as an idea from my veterans assistance, might veterans advisory board and brad from madison county came up with the idea to ensure that those veterans who are actually receiving their health care through tricare or department of defense wouldn't count towards the affordable care act's 18 employment. in theory that would incentivize small businesses to hire more of our veterans, moreover, he rose. that bill went from an idea to legislation. it passed the house back with only one no vote on the house floor. you can't get much more bipartisan than that. it sitting waiting innocent. it passed the house again as part of another package, a larger package and it sits in the senate along with over 380 good piece of legislation, many commonsense fixes to the affordable care act. >> moderator: getting to the health care act, specifically

what would you change? davis: that's one specific change the i led the charge on, jennifer. i'm proud to be talking about that change. i want to make sure we put together a plan that's going to cost consumers more. when you look at the affordable care act, there were many in illinois, over 2000 that signed up for private policies but 185,000 individuals were estimated to have lost their coverage before the affordable care act. the coverage they were promised that they could keep. those are the type types of chas as to why we need a system that's goin going to cover preexisting conditions, between which went no lifetime caps. going to make sure youngsters who can't find a job in this economy are able to stay on their parents insurance plan and to the 26. these provisions that are good comments and provisions that we can continue to see families have to pay more. in the first year, besides the fact that 2 billion was spent on a website, many families a

special women over the age of 55 are paying an average of 2100 2100-$28 more a year. the increased cost on families has to stop and that's why want to do whatever i can to make the fixes that are necessary and many of those sit stalled in the united states senate and the need to move to the president's desk. >> same question. are the parts all you'd like to see changed? track but i think mr. dix has developed political amnesia because he voted 50 times to repeal the aca and also shut down our government to the tune of about $24 billion because he didn't like the law, he and his party didn't like the law. for traveling around our district, people do like parts of it and people do, i've heard as it unfolds having become a candidate when it first came out and then not traveling around, that people like that they can stay on the parents insurance policy until they're 26.

seniors like the prescription drug, savings close to $2000 a year and no discrimination against preexisting conditions. so they do like that. and i hear more and more stories. for instance, a woman came to my office about a month ago, and five or six years ago her son had developed non-hodgkin's lymphoma. he was aged out of her insurance, and she tried to shop around to gettin get them treat. it was enormously expensive and she told me that her son finally passed away, and she said she firmly believed that if the aca were in place at that time her son would be a life. so i hear stories like that. so we have to keep in place what works. 14,000 people in our district them in the 13th congressional district have insurance now that they didn't before the aca was passed. so to take congressman davis and his position, to rip that away

from 14,000 people isn't what we should do. we should see what works, and what i would do is travel around the district and listen. have office hours. open it up. listen to what people are saying so anecdotal evidence would turn to empirical evidence and then we can fix what doesn't work. >> right now is do anything you don't think . callis: people want to stand own insurance policy, they should be up to stay on their own interest policy. i hear that a lot. i hear about also some small businesses. they would like to increase the size instead of 50 come to receive the subsidy. so i do that. those are two specific things that i would try to start working on and, of course, lowering costs for middle-class and working families. so that's out i would listen and seal it unfolds, and they get right to work. >> moderator: we want to get across here. >> one of the goals of the form care act is to make more to make health care more affordable to cover more people.

of course, we have people who are signing up for medicaid and for subsidies but for those that don't qualify for the subsidies but those who see their premiums rising, what can congress do to fix the law to make it more affordable? callis: one woman came up to me and she said that interest. she's self-employed and she's terrified that is going to be ripped away from her if the republicans have their way and repeal the aca. so again it's listening, listening to the people and that we can think off. that was the goal of the aca is lowering the cost. so what can we do to lower the cost? and just listen and get to work. >> could have a specific in mind right now? callis: yes, i think we should as i mentioned before, that we should be able with companies that are 50 plus companies should be able to possibly receive some of the subsidies, and people should be able to stay on their own insurance and i think it would be able to

lower the cost. >> congressman, same question. if the goal of the aca is a lower cost for people, do you see it happening? davis: if we're successful in changing and replacing the affordable care act with a much more market-based approach commits going to continue to cover existing conditions. it's going to continue to make sure that are no lifetime caps, continue to make sure congress changes like the ones i've offered like the hierarchy was act. i appreciate my opponent reminding the viewers that i voted 50 times to be the repeal or replace or change the affordable care act. it's 54. i guess i would ask my opponent which of those 54 votes would she not have taken. what would she not support? what would she support these are comments and changes we've already tried to implement, ma and that's exactly why i'm going to continue to fight to lower premiums. i will tell you, i'm on obamacare. by law members of congress have

to sign up for the health care benefits on the aca exchange. my premiums went up. my deductibles went up. and in my family's case i've actually reached the out of pocket maximum that a family would have to pay due to a catastrophic illness because my wife, shannon, actually is a 15 year-old colon cancer survivor. we've seen a families have to struggle to actually meet that out of pocket maximum. those are real costs to real families and we need to make real changes to this law. >> moderator: we will have to leave health care. we have a question from twitter. about half the district will vote for the other candidate. how will you represent the other half if you when? davis: the exact same way i've been representing the entire district for the last almost two years. i believe i've gone to washington, making the promise that i wanted it passed the farm bill. not only to help pass a fargo,

helped write it from its infancy into its final completion as a member of the conference committee, a committee where members of both parties come together, members of both parties from the senate. we sit down and work out our differences and put together a good commonsense piece of legislation. that's what the farm bill do. we make sure agriculture remains a pillar of the growing economy. we also saved taxpayers $23 billion. it's commonsense fixes i'm going to continue to do on a districtwide basis regardless of whether or not one votes for me. callis: i'm glad congressman davis did pass, helped pass the farm bill, but this is the most nonproductive congress since we have measured congress. it's a do-nothing congress and we need to start getting things done. when i was chief judge, in a bipartisan way i instituted significant court reforms, start the first veterans court in the

state of illinois, in madison county, and i'm glad to see that congressman davis has shown interest in our madison county veterans but we started very rudimentary. no taxpayer dollars. when i put a committee together to institute innovation or reform, i never cared if that person were a republican, i never cared if the person were a democrat. we put the best people on that committee to get the job done. so for instance, were able to create the first veterans court in the state of illinois. very rudimentary, no taxpayer dollars, recruiting the best people to be part of the program. it is going to be a model for our nation. hundreds and hundreds of veterans have gone through the program and graduated successfully. they don't reoffend but estimate effect it was nominated for a national award by congressman john shimkus and one that would. also i had a few months ago i was at an event and i had to vietnam era veterans come up to me separately and they told me the madison county federal court saved their lives.

that it was the first time they fill like someone cared about what they were going through. so i think i have a record of reaching across the aisle and getting things done and that's exactly what i would do. i always had an open door policy as chief judge, listening and then acting try for next topic, a big one, jobs and economy. hannah has the first question for judge callis. >> there's a first year increase of $10.10 an hour, by the congressional budget office says that, 90,000 people are poverty but also suggests that housing and could lose their job. of course, some small business owners say they can't afford it and they would have to either lay off people are pushed the price on to consumers by raising prices. judge callis, you support an increase in the federal minimum wage to $10.10? callis: absolutely, absolutely. i've traveled around the district onto many, many committee centers. people are choosing between food

and diapers. people are going to school full-time and trying to better themselves and they keep falling further and further behind beneath the poverty line. so it's time we raise the minimum wage in this nation. six out of 10 minimum-wage earners in the state of illinois are women. many of them had of households. so absolutely. and then when we raise the minimum wage these people than are moving into commerce and spending money and reinvigorated our committee. so it's time we raise the minimum wage. >> is there anything you want to implement to offset the cost to businesses who might struggle to raise the wage? callis: i just think it's time we raise the minimum wage. as chief judge i listen, had an open door policy. so if i would of course listen and see what was going on and see if actually businesses were, costs were raised, but

fundamentally, fundamentally it's time we raise the minimum wage but it's time. i hear from so many people in the committee centers traveling around our district. and it's just time. >> pakistan, same question to you support raising the federal minimum wage? davis: i was for any increase as long as it was paired with offsets. some tax credits, similar to a bill introduced with my fan -- my friend dan lipinski to allow for tax credits for businesses to our young apprentices in the trades and labor section of our economy. we need to grow infrastructure jobs. i have said all along we need to offset these costs because of the congressional budget office, and as necessary the most partisan organization. it estimates if the minimum wage was increased to $10.10 without any offsets 500,000 families would lose that minimum-wage job. i don't want any family to lose their job. we need to continue to work together to find solutions to grow our economy. illinois is lacking by the rest

of the nation. estimate effect illinois over the first seven months of this year has been last in job creation. because we have a dysfunctional government in springfield. we need to make sure we work toward creating real jobs, and i'm happy to be joined by my dad doing that. my dad walked into a restaurant, a friend a restaurant 59 called mcdonald's. and he started working what was then a minimum-wage job. started flipping hamburgers and sacking franchise and had no intention of ever stay there. my dad worked his way up, and because he did not, he allowed my family to achieve the american dream. and no young person should ever listen to a policymaker. who says that you should turn your minimum-wage job into your career now. because your career should be the american dream, not keeping the job that is paying the minimum wage right now. i go to colleges, talk to many

states and ask them to raise their hands if there are many which come in many do. i say how many of you want to stay in the job? not one single hand is raised. speaking of colleges, it's going to cost our universities and colleges in this state millions and to any minimum-wage increase in a time where the state is not fully funding higher education. it's a time where students will have to be laid off from the job when they are working so hard to help pay for the ever-increasing costs of college education. >> george callas, cbo reported that the lois lerner of the middle-class has lost the last two decades while the income of the highest earners have grown sometimes by three digits. is it the governments role to address income inequality? and if so, how would you do that? callis: one way to address income inequality is raising the minimum wage, and i don't know

who mr. davis is talking to with the students that say that it's their coverage of a minimum-wage job because the minimum wage is raised, it will let them afford to attend college and able not to fall further and further behind in the poverty line. so i don't understand that. i heard him point his finger at dysfunctional government in springfield, but how about the dysfunctional government in washington, d.c. today? so i think that that's one way we can hand, address income inequality. also, it's time to pass the paycheck fairness act. i've talked to many, many women around this district, and the fact that in illinois seven plus cents on the dollar that women make not commensurate with men so it's time we did it. also i think that we could even -- warren buffett have said it's unfair that he pays lesser tax rates and his secretary pays. so there can be some reform in

the tax code, especially closing some of these loopholes for corporations, for instance, the corporate jet tax loophole where it's $4 billion, $4 billion that can come back into our nation's economy if we close that loophole. >> congressman davis, but you? davis: i will tell you we may look at the minimum wage and the student that i talk to me, let me make myself perfectly clear. many of them work at the university to pay their way through college and when university tells us that they're going to have to let students come that is not a net positive if they can't have an offset to that minimum-wage increase. we want the students to build a continued to work through their education. we need to also look at the okay. i will take the best thing you can do to find out on a government official or a politician is how the to equal pay come is to let what they can control. if you look at my office, i pay

the women in my office an average of $4000 more per year while my opponent, when she was in charge of the madison county court system, had actually it was unequaled anywhere from eight to 15% per year from the male to female employees. >> how about income inequality? sure the tax code be changed? davis: absolutely. got to grow our economy to grow jobs. the income inequality has grown to levels we haven't seen in decades. we need to do everything we can to create good paying careers and that's exact what i tried to do throughout my short time in washington. that's why i helped write and work through the entire process and make sure that is passed into law as the number of a conference committee for the water infrastructure bill. water infrastructure is enormously important to our entire districts economy. most other products ago up and down the mississippi river are coal and grain.

that -- we need to upgrade our lots. that's the first step in doing so. >> moderator: given document universities. we get tweets from two of them. i'm a student and an undocumented immigrant. how do you plan on supporting students like me. another said what are your thoughts on copperheads of immigration reform that might help me for some international student. my future after graduation is uncertain even if i get a job. callis: for someone to address what went on to my office with the chief judge's office at income in the only. the counter was unionized and i'm honored to have their support. we would do contractual negotiations so i don't know what is coming from with that at all. also it is the time, it is time with us comprehensive immigration reform. i have traveled around this district, students have addressed that but also looking

at going through and turn research parks and talk to executives at yahoo!. their number one issue was companies immigration reform. so which time that mr. davis asks speaker boehner who came down to raise money for him a, let's take of this bill and pass comprehensive immigration reform. it's not come into difficult process. it's 10 to 13 years and people have to pay fines and have extensive background checks. it's deliberative difficult process and it strengthens our borders and it's time. also if we pass comprehensive immigration reform, the gdp would b increase in the next nie years 3.3%, adding i think it's one point of for a billion dollars into our nation -- our 1.4 trillions of intonations economy within the next nine years. gdp after that would go up 5%.

so which really tight. i think would be about $1.4 trillion added into our economy try for congressman? davis: i said i'm open to discussing copperheads of immigration reform package but the one that passed the senate that my opponents work is not going to pass in the house. we have thrown out some good ideas to move in a step-by-step approach to address many of the issues that the students at universities and colleges that i'm blessed to represent may be affected by. i find it just a completely wrong for universities to attract students into majors where we need engineers, we need mathematicians. we need a scientist. many people were going to work with technology, especially in cybersecurity. i find it wrong that we don't have a system in place that will then allow them to be employed here in america. taliban to come get educated here and then tell them to go back and compete against us.

these are some of the types of provisions that we can come together on but the far right and far left don't want to solve this problem. we have a broken visa system. most of the illegal immigration in this country does not come from the southern border. it comes from people who fly into our airports and then overstayed their visas. we have to develop a system that's going to be a true solution without playing politics. i want to make sure that when my children ask me 27 years from now, which was the last time this issue was supposedly fixed, i want to make sure we put a solution on the table that's going to work to fix that broken visa system. >> moderator: which leads us into foreign policy. president obama and a handful of u.s. allies launched airstrikes against a group that calls itself the islamic state, or isa. obama described as quote a long-term campaign. tom gets to ask the first question.

>> so far you supported the president limited airstrikes, the military action against the islamic state. what would success looks -- look like you? how long are you willing to continue the just primary airstrikes in that region? davis: it's a great question but i don't profess to be a military strategist, and i don't have access to the intelligence that the president does and that's why i've supported him when he is asked them he is said he is listened to the generals under his command, his commander-in-chief, and he is told as this is a plan and a strategy will succeed. if he and his generals and our military leaders offer of a different strategy, i am willing to take a good look at that and consider either i want to make sure that victory is wiping out isis. this is the most humane radical terrorist organization we've seen in my lifetime. an organization that glorifies the heading individuals, an

organization that intelligence estimates put at about 31,000 soldiers. these are people who are waging a war against humanity but not a war against christianity, not against the west. because with remember the majority of those who died at the hands of isis have been followed muslims who were not pure enough. these other types, this is the type of battle that we have to eradicate this group. and to put the president missed a golden opportunity to do so when isis was marching across the open desert of iraq. i wish he would've acted sooner but i was proud to support his plan before we left washington just a few weeks ago, and i stand with you go back tomorrow if there's a better plan. >> how would you know you have eradicated? is there any way of telling? couldn't this go on forever? for ever? davis: when isis doesn't go into towns or cities in iraq or syria, i believe that's as close as we can get to the eradication but that doesn't mean we stop it that doesn't mean we stop working with allies in the region. that doesn't mean we stop asking

our allies to take the lead on the ground but that doesn't mean we stop trying to make sure that isis doesn't have the ability to regroup and make more attacks on innocent americans and innocent syrians and iraqis. >> moderator: judge callis, a majority of americans think that u.s. ground troops will eventually be necessary to remove the threat of isis. only 20% think that airstrikes alone will do the job. do you agree? callis: i do have to separate my professional for my personal in this, and that my son is an army ranger, an infantry officer who was deployed to kuwait. his deployment was extended because of the deteriorating security situation in iraq. so he is blessedly home now and is able to welcome him home, but yes, the airstrikes i did support. i am not privy to the security briefings. my son did not do me much of one thing to be done is a sheer and

utter brutality that's going on there. so i think we need to join with non-jihadi sunnis in iraq, a multilateral approach, not a unilateral approach catalyst for military leaders. i know and believe we have the best military in the world, but we should not go in there unilaterally and get bogged down. but it would have to be a wait-and-see, i know to rapidly, rapidly developing situation, and listen to our military leaders. i think mr. davis, you meant inhumane, not humane. >> which is support boots on the ground? callis: if our military leaders say so and if it's a multilateral approach, i would. i haven't seen first hand. i know with the best fighting force in the nation. my son is now in a different you know, and i know if he is called over there, he and his brothers and sisters in arms will get the best of their ability to defend

our nation. >> judge, do you think more terror attacks against the u.s. are inevitable? if so, should we be prepared to give up even more civil liberties than we have already? callis: it's a balance. i hope it's not inevitable. i hope not. i think having been a judge, any of these types of processes that would continue to gather information, whatever that means, that it should go through judicial process. that security has to be balanced with our freedoms and/or individual -- >> are you concerned with the way it is played out over the last 10 years? callis: having been a judge, yes. little concerned but i just think it should go, to go through a ward system and go through judicial process and have judicial oversight, absolutely. >> moderator: all right. up next, entitlement. federal programs like social security, medicare and medicaid food stamps among others.

judge callis will get the first question from hannah. >> social security is one of the largest domestic expenses of the federal government, and with the so-called baby boomer generation, the cbo expects the cost to keep rising without revenue to fully support. judge callis, you say you want to preserve the system the how would you do that? would you be open to changing benefits or increasing taxes? callis: social security is so important. traveling around this district, it's so important to a a lot of people in this district as a matter fact i was a pig roast, and an older woman came up to me and she grabbed my arm and she said, please do everything he can to protect social security. so i be against any change to cbi, raising the retirement age. but i think in a bipartisan manner we can create a commission and see how we could keep sosa security solvent for not only now but for future and future generations.

i saw my grandma was an irish immigrant and came over and she was a nurse at saint elizabeth's hospital, and i saw her when she retired rely on her social security. what should we keep on the table and possibly raising the payroll tax cap to wear that is, i don't know. i would have to listen. but it would be a great priority for me to keep sosa city solvent. and how we do that, how we can work together and get it done. >> if payroll tax cap, if that option was not viable, give other ideas of how to raise the revenue? callis: i don't know why that wouldn't be politically viable at that time. i think that should be on the table, that absolutely i would be against any type of chained cpi or raising the retirement age. >> congressman, same question to what would you do to keep the system solvent? davis: first of all, thank you for correcting my error in

grammar, humane and inhumane. i apologize to the viewers. but if you appreciated it and did you agree with my opponent that we do need to create a bipartisan commission to deal with social security because as we've seen actually say, so so scary is not going to be sustainable as this. i hope we can have an adult conversation, a bipartisan conversation in washington to do so. that's exactly what was part of a ryan budget proposal to do, which was to create a bipartisan opportunity to discuss possible solutions to social security. and its insolvency that is coming up in about 2032, 2033. these are issues because we both agree, we don't want to see benefits cut at all for anyone who is on social security. i'm going to continue to fight to make sure that our social security recipients get everything that they were promised. we need to make sure we have social security, not just for this generation but for future generations. tom, i noticed i didn't get past your question.

i think my voting record only shows that i want a balanced approach between privacy and between protecting americans. i want to make sure that our intelligence officials don't acquire so much data and they tell us that they need to find the need and haystack, that they make the haystack so watch it whenever find the needle. my voting record clergy shows that i've been supportive of those issues to rein in, in issues that are relating to our individual liberties and our priorities. >> back to social security real quick. would you be open to raising payroll taxes to keep the system solvent? davis: i'm open to making sure where the commission to discuss a portfolio of solutions. i've talked about discussing means testing. i don't think, i don't think it's appropriate that bill gates can receive sosa security benefits when others who are living on social security have to do so. i think bill gates would gladly give up his social security benefits to save the system for

those who need it the most. that needs to be part of the discussion. we need to make sure we have that adult conversation and hope there are some new ideas that come out to be president stood in a room speaking to a republican conference in washington and professor support for chained cpi. many in the room were surprised by that. i think the president is going to want to discuss chained cpi and i don't know if that's a proposal that would become reality or not try for you both have brought up about partisanship, but when you in that room, this is for both of you, what would be your nonnegotiable? where is your top priority? davis: that those who are 55, 56 and above and receiving benefits right now, they see no benefit cuts whatsoever. transfer what is your nonnegotiable? callis: chained cpi. appathlete against that and raig the age. spent you mentioned the paul ryan budget. which you voted for them which

rebels the federal budget intended to use it was an imperfect plan. are there a lot of parts you would like to revise or undo or eliminate? davis: tom, there's no perfect bill that comes out of washington, and what we need to do is make sure that we judge the quality pieces of that legislation versus those of you may not be as favorable on. and in this case, we have to as americans, we have to look at balancing our budget. this is the only budget that was ever offered that balance is intended. i think -- >> you said it wasn't perfect so you must have a few ideas about it that need to be eliminated. davis: i do. and when it comes to addressing pell grants, when it comes to dressing of the programs that are related to saving come up we've got to go to get back to our constitutional

appropriations process. because a budget is never going to be implement it fully into law. we need to go through and reprioritize how we spend money and that's exactly why you need a vision and that's exactly what is ryan budget did. they gave america a vision that will have a balanced budget in 10 years. and it also gave us the opportunity to make thi the sene act like to fulfill their constitutional duty and passed it on budget. because i probably support of one of the first votes i made in washington was for no budget no pay. i think the democrats in the senate to lay out their vision for america, and they did because they were going to get paid if they didn't. but, you know, what? typically their budget never balances, increases in spending at a time when we've been working in a bipartisan fashion to reduce our deficit to the lowest level since world war ii. it is a travesty that we cannot continue to work together to cut spending in as they need to be cut an increase in areas that need to be increased and do it for constitutional

appropriations process which is the washington used to spend money, when washington worked. >> we were going to move on to more about entitlements, namely food stamps welfare. according to the center on budget and policy priorities, the average food stamp recipient received one of $33 a month less luster which is about $1.40 a new. footsteps of one example. as you mentioned people are struggling to make ends meet. the federal government poverty line for family of four is run $24,000 a year. based on measured from the 1950s. congressman davis, first, who was most at risk falling through the cracks and they would you change the programs and the qualifications to serve those people? davis: thank you for the question. i made sure i was part of that debate in the farm bill. we put together some very commonsense provisions that ensure that we save taxpayers $8 billion. there is a loophole that some

states are using thank a food stamp benefits to anyone who qualified for 1 dollar of heating assistance. we didn't take away that program. we raised the barometer to $20 it saved taxpayers $8 billion in the program. that's $8 billion that would go towards mickey shorter that those who receive benefits those are going to figure i also believe that we are to have a some type of work requirement that was commonplace under the clinton era welfare to work program that's been changed during this administration. and i for the life of me can't understand why americans should be satisfied with a program that doesn't require an able-bodied adult was no dependent children, was not enrolled in training or education from a dozen take care of an adult dependent, but doesn't a plethora of other exemptions, i don't know why we can't pair them with the job and if the job is not available, why can we bretton woods committee service or volunteer service opportunities where they can

learn skills that will give them the best benefit that the family can have? that's a job. callis: talking to people in the kennedy center's common i think it is not the right approach to demand someone that they have to have a job when you don't know what tha the person is going thh in their own life with whatever domestic abuse, drug and alcohol abuse. so i think it is a presumptuous way to govern. if you listen to mr. davis, they were burning the midnight oil passing bill after bill after bill. i become this is the most nonproductive congress that we have had since the history of congress. so i think it's a holistic approach. and we need to, first of all, we shouldn't have let as congressman davis, davis is congress did when the long-term unemployment benefits were extended by the senate.

they died in the house because everybody went on vacation. 185,000 veterans, 185,000 veterans were left out in the cold because they didn't have a long-term unemployment benefit. so what can we do? i think strengthen health grants, for instance, so these people can go to school, people that are on -- health grants, people on minimum wage can go to school and also be able to better themselves, get a better job. it wouldn't be the ryan budget way with a needs analysis testing was constructed and eligibility was reduced. also what i was able to do as chief judge, this is a philosophy i would have as a congressperson, and that is on the ground listening to what can you do at this committee centers? there are things that are going on with these like ma minicamp n people come out from prison or probation to teach them and how can they get into the employment universe?

so i really, having been a statewide leader on justice and mental health and restore justice issues, not only veterans court but a true believer in drug court and mental health court where people can become productive citizens like going through these programs. i could see right to travel around our district to each county and see what they have going and see what they don't, and really being a bridge to the justice system which i think would fill a two gap to help the people in this district. >> another question from twitter. what will you do to improve new fuel energies in illinois and the u.s.? callis: i was pleased to see that illinois was number one in renewable energy sources. we have great opportunities here with our nine colleges and universities, especially here at the university of illinois with a wonderful innovators. so what can we do to expand on this and grow great jobs, draw out our innovators, joined them with local businesses.

so our students graduate from this wonderful university and want to raise their children in these wonderful world class communities. so how we can advance them forward. and i saw that decatur had a chance to get a lab and that was lost to fargo, north dakota. so how can we do that to sustain ourselves but also draw in businesses, what can we do? so i would just continue to work, build coalitions, get things done. davis: well, i appreciate her comments and this exotic would've been tried to do, build coalitions to ensure that we actually make our next mission to make america energy independent. we look at energy independence, we have the ability to grow our economy by doing something as simple as building the keystone pipeline. the president, his administration has overstated this permit more so than any other project in our nation's

history. and even members of organized labor estimate it will create 40,000 new jobs. .. in the first seven months of this year. it's unacceptable and things need to change and i hope to continue to lead the charge from

washington, d.c.. >> moderator: next topic on the congressional district includes the university of illinois main campus springfield and a number of other colleges and universities. recent estimates show tuition continues to get more expensive while total student loan greg has graham $2 billion cram $2 billion for the first time. education. the first question for congressman davis. >> moderator: two years ago you said you would increase access to programs and you added that he wouldn't have supported the right and budget that would/the funding to programs. then in the end you did support the budget freezes the funding over the next decade cutting $90 billion over the next ten years. what's changed? davis: nothing changed in frankly that was a ryan budget after i was elected. because he is on the budget committee every budget takes his name. that was a different subject than the one i supported in ten years.

let's also look at the bipartisan comprehensive appropriations package that i supported that increased the pell grant three of its not just about putting a vision in place and when you talk about the cuts only in washington, d.c. can do zero growth document to be considered a cut. we are looking to make sure that we balance the budget and if we get back to the constitutional appropriations process instead of running off of a continuing resolution that allows the leaders of both parties in houses to determine how washington is spending money if we could get a head of the process, you're not going to have things like across-the-board cuts in the sequestration. you won't be up to allow the rank-and-file member of congress to have a say in spending and this is how the repair ties to make sure colleges affordable. i am proud i actually voted to stop the student loan interest rates from doubling in june and july of 2014. this is something that should never have happened because at that time, that's something that

should never have happened because at that time congress was in the business setting the rates and congress should be in the business of setting the rates. families should be able to take advantage of the rates that are at historical lows and we need to make sure we change the debate from how much a student is going to pay for an ever increasing debt at the end of their college education and what interest rate it's going to be because we stop them from doubling and we need to do what i've been doing as a member of congress. when i go to college campuses and universities including my alma alma mater and university, thank you for managing them into community college districts i talk about those that ask me to raise the programs what are you doing to make sure that will grant goes further for the students and and what are you doing to make sure students have the ability to work on a university if they want to to help pay their college death so they don't have that debt when they leave college sex that's the type of leadership i have been exhibiting on this issue

and in this district and that is exactly what i intend to continue to do in the next term. >> moderator: would you support an increase to the telegram funding and how would you pay for it? callis: absolutely. we need to support an increase in the pell grant funding and how we pay for that is i think part of what i talked about before and also there is a bill called the government waste reduction act and it will go after and see where we can cut and where we can save some dollars into our national economy and i just have to mention mr. davis, you sat in the studio and you said you wouldn't go for the ryan budget to cut for granted that you did. you say one thing and do another. another program we have that can bring billions of dollars is the heat program that goes after medicare, fraud conway stand abuse. i think that it is in seven united states cities right now

in the attorney driven program and it's been very successful. i think strengthening those type of programs. but talking to students, they do rely on programs. i talked to one woman whose husband partner was deployed and tell grounds were very important on the campus of southern illinois university and edwards don't. so, also it's the next bubble the chilean dollars the people they graduated and had the student debt shouldn't be able to renegotiate the current rate. also you shouldn't do with the ryan budget does and that would be charging students interest on their loans while they are still in school congress for funding a comprehensive bill until the revenue for the program has

grown rapidly in the years the transportation spending fell by 12%, transportation and the category. anna has the first question. >> moderator: would you support an increase in the gas tax 18.4% per gallon federal gasoline tax for the bridge and highway repairs and other transportation items given what jennifer has laid out? callis: oh, i would not. i think that it is overly burdensome on our working class and middle families. but the transportation bill kicked the can down the road which causes a lot of uncertainty for the labor whether they are going to have any infrastructure projects or not. and i've heard this from a lot of our labor unions. >> moderator: you sit on the transportation committee. what do you think? davis: before i get to that with the address of my opponent said.

but maybe clear. the ryan budget i voted for didn't cuts programs. the only issue on the telegrams is voting to raise programs. it's an issue that i am going to continue to address and continue to make sure that that we've college affordability first because i have a daughter who's going to be going to college next year. i know that many families are facing facing a cost that the cost that they didn't imagine what he'd have high when they took their child to kindergarten the first day and dreamt that they would be able to get that college education. we need to work to induce the cost to make sure the state lives up to its promising to transportation. promise and transportation. during my endorsement from the "chicago tribune" i was called on the infrastructure and this is an issue that i've been talking about throughout my entire campaign in 2012. i was one of the few republicans actually stood and said we need to invest more in infrastructure and how do we do that, did he do it by raising the gas tax which

even then those policy urbanization on the right hand or the left agree that it's going to go down and went away and put ourselves in the same position that we are today with an ever decreasing amount of money that we can dedicate words and for structure spending. so that's not the best idea. what i i need to do and what i've been talking about is putting together a portfolio of the funding sources. let's look at energy independence, let's take the revenue for making america energy independent and put it towards building and rebuilding the crumbling roads and infrastructure. that is exactly what we did on the water infrastructure build that i was proud to cosponsor and pass and that is the same type of bipartisan leadership i'm going to continue when it comes to the highways. as a matter of fact, i drove an à la trek vehicle here in the champaign area because it was a trade with my colleague who

talks about having an electric vehicle and never filling up with -- and putting 1 penny towards the highway trust fund. it was a great example, bipartisan example where we talked about the different transportation needs and in her region which is downtown los angeles and in the modern region which is the 14 counties on the electric car i like to thank i'd like to thank charlie for running back to me. so, these are issues that we need to address address a look on committee and put it together and i can't wait to get back to that. >> moderator: locally there is a lot of talk about the high-speed rail in central illinois and especially through champlain and urban anna. how could such an expensive project be in today's federal transportation revenues? davis: it's become financed and it is a reality on the chicago st. louis koror. i'm somebody that worked on that project from its infancy in a bipartisan manner in the springfield area. and we are seeing the improvements and what we need to

do is make sure that we put good policies in place and make sure that we get the portfolio. it's going to go beyond -- >> moderator: id property tax to 20? is it possible for the cost of that? davis: i don't like to say that anything is impossible when it comes to infrastructure. we just have to make sure when we had the policies in place and the mechanisms to make sure that america is able to afford that infrastructure so that champaign can be the beneficiary of the high-speed rail corridor that's going through champaign. i am proud to work with the meir gerrard and all of the officials who have come to me and talked to me about this project. we are going to continue to make sure that we could infrastructure first, and that's exactly why we requested a seat on the transportation infrastructure committee, and that's exactly why i want to remain on the committee. >> moderator: judge callis do you think that is a project? callis: i wouldn't say no. my role if i'm honored to be

elected is what kind of infrastructure projects are feasible in a reasonable and what can we do to improve our communities here. mr. davis said he was in leadership and on the leadership in transportation, then why was in the country gets a transportation bill passed? why he was the can take down the road tax and i'm sure that they are driving around in an electric car but i don't know how that helps the people in this district. we need to get back to serving the people that we were honored to be elected by instead of serving ourselves. so, it is an entire philosophy change that needs to be done here. >> moderator: we are getting down to the last couple of minutes. you have a question you wanted to ask about the military gear. >> moderator: one of the issues around here is the event in ferguson missouri was a militarization of local police. we reported a program sold assault weapons, night vision

gear. is that something the federal government should do? callis: is probably some probably somebody good idea at the beginning because it was excess military gear. but seeing the visual on tv, what happened in ferguson with these tanks and these police officers dressed an absolute military gear and assault weapons with demonstrators on the other side shouldn't happen. so, have been. so, there should be some transparency. and oversight. i can tell you my son is an expert on the the m4 assault weapon. that takes a lot of training. succumb it concerns me that police officers wouldn't have the training needed to handle these types of weapons. so yes, i think that this should be looked at to see what you can do with this type of program. davis: some of the police officers on mike my opponent are the well-trained individuals that we have that i also am concerned about n. wraps and i'm also concerned about the visual

that we saw in ferguson missouri. that's why the program needs to be looked at by members of congress. it needs to be beneficial to the communities. >> moderator: would prefer that it's a shutdown? davis: you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. you know what they do with the humvee they send deputies out when it's snowy and you pull motors out of the ditch they are done by military equipment and we have to be diligent in making sure and the visuals we saw in ferguson but we have to make sure that those driving through get an opportunity to get served >> moderator: very quickly do you be leave that climate change

is real and man-made and what can we do to reduce the effects of climate change davis: linux change is real. we can discuss how much of it is natural and how much of it is man-made and that we have to do is continue to do but america has done and lead the world in reductions, but at the same time not sacrificing the growth in jobs in our economy. >> moderator: climate change absolutely exists. man-made climate change exists. we have to look at the window some days and absolutely have a first-hand knowledge that exists. so yes i think the mission's restriction should be in place but not at the expense of jobs so it's not a black over white issue but it's a fine balance we continue and i think that we have such a great opportunity here again with our colleges and universities to go to explore

the alternative energy and renewable energy sources and really be a leader in our nation in this district with renewable energy sources. >> moderator: i have to ask this if you had a song that played while you walked in what would it be? callis: katy perry roar. davis: i would say creed, higher. [laughter] >> moderator: we are out of time for tonight's debate. thank you to the candidates, rodney and callis and the campaign organizations, supporters and audience in the studio and following on tv, radio and online.

[applause]

tonight on the communicator is meredith atwell baker president and ceo of the white hairless association. >> if you remember i was at the commerce department and this is repurposing the spectrum from the department of defense. and this process the lessons learned has been learned and it is going wonderfully. the spectrum is paired on its internationally harmonized. it's 65 megahertz. we are so excited and then we are going to turn around and have the broadcast options. i think that discussion is going really well. i think that we have the paper that the fcc put out that values the spectrum. those numbers have turned up discussion from a policy discussion to the business decision. that's where the discussion needed to turn to. so we are excited about those options in certain that our carriers are going to come to them with big checkbooks and it's going to be a win-win situation for everyone.

>> more campaign 2014 coverage with another debate. this one between the candidates in oregon u.s. senate race democrat incumbent jeff merkley and his republican challenge monica webby. this is the only debate between these candidates. the rothenberg political report listed as likely democrat. this is when our. >> moderator: good evening. from the studios in downtown bedford on the news director here at nbc five and i will be your moderator this evening. we are joined tonight by the two candidates running for the u.s. senate incumbent senator jeff merkley and the challenger doctor monica wehby. guide senator berkley and ceo of an old debate animal debate issues in the studio on this debate and it begins now. >> life from the studios of kohi

five, jeff merkley and challenger doctor monica wehby. this debate is brought to you by care source. aarp, discovered your real possibilities at aarp.org. the oregon association of realtors, protecting your piece of oregon. and the tribe working always to better the communities where we live. now your host and moderator for tonight's debate. >> moderator: oregon voters will decide who represent them in washington, d.c.. this is the only scheduled debate between senator berkley in the capitol hill for either of them goes to the the nbc via studios and on behalf of all of the viewers i would like to thank you for joining us. but before we begin at the candidates. doctor monica wehby is a mother of four and doctor pediatric barrows surgery at the

children's hospital in portland. the granddaughter of a lebanese immigrant she was the first woman to graduate from the medical school program as a narrow surgeon. a leader in the field she's been involved in health in health care and health care policy for nearly 40 years into the former president of the oregon medical association and parkland medical society. jeff merkley was born in mortal creek -- myrtle creek. the son of a mill right here is the first and his family to attend college, working the nuclear weapons analyst in congress and later headed the habitat for humanity. he was elected to the house of representatives in 1998 and later served as the speaker of the house. he successfully ran for the senate in 2008 and lived with his wife mary and his two kids. >> moderator: of 3-pound lists asking questions. we have nbc five anchor natalie and the next panelist bob hunter of the tribune and behind him the president of kobi

television. we are also joined tonight by the studio audience has been asked to save their applause for the conclusion of the debate. the format has been agreed to buy all the candidates. each will be provided to 60 seconds for an opening statement and each will also receive 75 seconds to respond to the original question owned by a 752nd rebuttal from the opposing candidate. the candidate receiving the original post about the afforded an additional 30 seconds to respond to the rebuttal. at the conclusion of the debate each candidate will be provided and 752nd closing statement. as determined earlier by a coin flip doctor wehby was the first statement and will receive the first question and we will alternate from that point on. she was a first for closing statements. you have the floor. >> i had a boy with a brain tumor and he gave me a thank you note and on that note it said if we are not here to make life

better for one another, then what's the point. the problem is after six years of senator berkley's policies, things are not getting better. we had 60,000 more go on food stamps can find a job. unemployment is 9% and that's not even including all the people who just given up looking for work. what has senator berkley done about all of this, nothing. he's not even worked with senator wyden to try to get to the communities back to work. i'm running because i want to make life better for oregon families. senator merkley stands with democrats 98% of the time. i will stand with oregon families 100% of the time. >> moderator: thank you. senator merkley. merkley: thank you, kobi. i'm delighted to be here tonight particularly since i come from a small town in southern oregon. i grew up and live now in a

working-class neighborhood, and i try to fight for the working class in the u.s. senate. i've taken on the big banks and big insurance company and the big tobacco companies and they are not happy about that. they want in oregon senator that signed onto an agenda for the wealthy and well-connected. not a champion for the companies and a thriving middle class. the first three words of the constitution are the people. iab lead in an america by and for people, not body and for the special interests. there is a difference between where i stand in where my opponent stands and i look forward to debating the difference is tonight. >> moderator: thank you very much. the next question. >> moderator: last sunday newspaper said it can to support either one of you. doctor speed with speed speed

with them, they questioned her judgment and self-control and senator merkley they said that you have a partisan record. without insulting oregon, please respond to this. wehby: i am not a career politician and at this time i think that is a good thing. this was the first time to run a campaign for me and things haven't gone totally perfect in the campaign. and i think a lot of their criticism focused on the minutia of running a campaign. i think however they are accurate with senator merkley and that he really doesn't represent the middle class. he tends to be the champion of the middle-class but all of middle class but all of this has happened over the next six years are later for specification that is the lowest it's been since we have been recording it in history here in oregon. one in five are on food stamps

now. our middle-class income is down $3,000 per family. it just doesn't sound like this is really working out well for the middle class and he is so extreme he is even too extreme for oregon. we need somebody that will represent all of oregon and not just one segment. he was rated the most extreme senator by the national journal and that's not who we are. we are much more independent-minded than that. merkley: i saw to undertake and take up the problem-solving environment so i created something that hasn't gone anywhere else in the teamwork with two democrats and two republicans that have a bill together. the result of the session was an agenda in which many said was the most problem-solving best session of the legislature

indicates and i've taken the same problem-solving approach in the senate. i reach across the aisle all the time to take on secret law with rand paul to end the war in afghanistan to have a common sense way to cut red tape and at the farm trucks going to market and senator collins and senator kirk to take on the nondiscrimination act. it is a problem-solving teamwork approach that has enabled me to pass several dozen pieces of key legislation and those are pieces of legislation that have done things like the teaser rate mortgages that have been haunting the market and restore home ownership as a powerful factor for middle-class families. >> moderator: doctor doctor speed with incoming your chance to respond. wehby: for all this talk about bipartisanship, you know, senator merkley has a way of trying to silence his opponents. he was one of the southern democratic senators that wrote

the letter asking them to investigate the groups based on their political beliefs. i don't think that they would be very proud to know that their junior senator used a federal agency to silence his opponent. >> next question. >> moderator: the jobs have been stubbly managed the past two decades during his tenure to list what you have done or what you will do in the economy? merkley: my opponent was wrong about the commentary. i did lobby to stop the use of the groups as political groups. something that i think that oregon strongly agrees with. and as the son of a timber worker i'm fighting for the economy. i worked hard to create a strategy in partnership with colleagues in which we would have a ten year stewardship program that would provide e-mail and the result is we were

able to hire or they were able to hire 20 additional full-time workers. it's a big deal in a small town. that's why we've taken on the infrastructure to provide the water infrastructure to increase clean water supplies and wastewater treatment for their economy can grow and why it took on the savings plan and passed it because it creates instruction opportunities for the industry and the small towns to rebuild to make them energy efficient. it's why we've taken on and succeeded at getting $15 million to make sure the infrastructure for the small towns isn't overlooked. this battle is something i've done from one end to the other including saving the post office and i will continue to fight for oregon as a u.s. senator. wehby: there are several pieces of legislation trying to make it to the house and senate

they try to get the sustainable use of the force and the senator merkley has refused to sign on for help at this point. although i do think that the plan is superior. senator merkley hasn't participated in helping to get our. the timber industry needs to know that there is a certain amount they can cut into certain amount of income they can have had some protection from the lawsuits. i think what's important is that every time there is a problem, senator merkley's answer is another big government p. rocker c. and piece of legislation.

all want jobs. they want to get back in the force and the independent come and not a pendant on a government program. merkley: i'm working closely with the senator in order to bring the community together to get out and into the woods to create more jobs and we need to give incentives to have all of the private chamber now going overseas. my opponent put out a plan and it never mentions for oregon. the minimum wage isn't keeping pace in the cost-of-living and says he would work to increase it. do you agree? wehby: it's important for the workers but i think that they

are local and we here in oregon have chosen to have the second-highest minimum wage in the country and i think that says something about our state here that we do have to keep in mind that of the most important thing is jobs and there is a concern that raising the minimum wage may decrease the number of jobs. now senator merkley's policies have made some of the difficult unemployment we've seen in oregon where an entire percentage point higher than the national average and the senator merkley is easier to wage senator because there's no jobs here. the timber industry jobs that he is refusing to help the senator russia had those are not minimum wage jobs those are good paying jobs and he's refusing to help get those jobs going.

we have had over $10.10 based on what it takes for a family of three to stay out of poverty. i believe if you work full time in america you shouldn't live in poverty here in america. this could get an index just like we have in oregon and you might say that it's modeled on the plan area to create a level playing field across the country that is very valuable and it lifts millions of workers out of poverty and by the way a large percentage of those are women and many of them are women raising children so we are not just talking about helping adults we are talking about creating a better foundation for parents to raise their children. a better launch into life so that's why i strongly support this minimum wage bill and by opponents said in a primary that she thought there shouldn't even be a federal minimum wage.

that is beyond the tea party off the cliff to the right to know federal minimum wage. that would cast bennie people -- many people into almost nothing and that is wrong. i support a strong federal minimum wage. i never said there shouldn't be a that there should be a federal minimum wage. i said that all are local and it should be left up to the states where they would like to put it read that again come here senator merkley is fighting for the economy instead of getting our economy growing and making better paying jobs. for example, the aca has moved a full-time workweek from 40 hours to three hours now meaning that people have to find more than one job to feed their family. >> moderator: next question goes to doctor wehby. >> moderator: in the wake of school shootings many call for

gun changes. changes if any would you support in the gun law? wehby: i am a strong supporter of the constitutional right and i think the problems that we have our every time we see one of these massive shootings there is a mental health issue and being a narrow surgeon narrow surgeon and doctor i care very much about that. i think we have to find ways to determine who is at risk for these acts and try to find a way to stop those. i don't support further legislation on the law-abiding citizens but i do think the key is to curtail violence based on mental illness. of course we do want to keep guns out of the hands of criminals as well. merkley: i am a strong component of common sense which

means we have a sort of background checks that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and out of the hands of the mentally ill. that is exactly what we have in oregon. oregonians adopted this by initiative and the united states senate i've supported this commonsense extension of the plan. my opponent has been endorsed by the nra and as she said now she opposed any new federal legislation that would provide the same background checks that we have in oregon and across the country. furthermore, they supported her because they believed that she would vote against sonya sotomayor and kagan. so, i do believe we have the right answer. it is background checks to keep their hands out of the mentally ill.

the wehby: i think that we have adequate laws we just need to be enforcing the ones that we have. >> moderator: i apologize i gave to questions to doctor wehby. >> moderator: you have been described and doctor steve and you've been linked to the conservative party, so we have one link to the conservative and one to the liberals. are you comfortable with those kind of labels? merkley: i'm comfortable with progressive means you are fighting for working families to get a share of data produced in the nation absolutely. if it means you are fighting for students in the country to be able to refinance their loans to take advantage of the current low interest rates if it means that new student loans will be at the same interest rate at the that the federal reserve pays when they borrow. we should review the investment

in education from a higher education as a public investment. one would be promoted, not a situation where the students are afraid to go to college and fear of a mountain of debt. whether it's fighting for good investments in infrastructure, good investment in education, they are loans and therefore a fair shot for everybody in the society, call me progressive. wehby: i'm a very independent-minded person and i independent minded person and i can't say the same about my opponent here. senator merkley votes 98% of the time with his party. and that is not who we are as oregonians. we are very independent-minded people. we don't agree with anybody 98% of the time. to be voting on the 8% of the time and we are not representing all of the state. oregon is a red state with a

tube of islands of portland and eugene and to be able to represent all of us, we have to look at all sides of the issue. and i think that that is something that is very important to do. if you are always voting on what would your party, then you are not always doing what is best for oregon. i will look at each issue as it comes up and i will look at just like a doctor does i will listen to the patient and to this date and i will make a diagnosis and do the treatment. i will do what's right for the state not just what's right for my party. it makes a difference everyday and i every day and i will never go to see a rubber stamp for. >> moderator: are you not familiar with that label then click wehby: i am a fair-minded person and i will do what is right for oregon.

merkley: she says that she is fair minded that we see now that she is turning to a right-wing kitchen cabinet. she cabinets. she lifted her plan from karl rove virtually word for word and she proceeded to take the tax plan for mitt romney that makes it easier to ship our jobs overseas and she took the rest of her economic plan from the coke brothers who are one of the biggest in the country and want to have a setup where the clean set up where the clean air act is gutted to see you can't troll the power plants. certainly these are extreme advisers and effects of policies and it's not for the oregon values. this campaign is between oregon values on the one hand and i will take the oregon values. >> moderator: in the three

weeks oregonians could recreate 91, why and why not? the access to marijuana by the folks in terms of potentially different products, and we need to do everything we can to make sure that as envisioned, the products are available only to adults. i'm also concerned however about a huge that the huge amount of spending our criminal justice system are mobilizing marijuana. i think on balance, those funds could be much better used. as a pediatric neurosurgeon we know that it is linked to the difficulties with the brain some say even the iq point drops as

much as eight-point and it's its related to an increase in the motor vehicle accidents and it's also easy for the law enforcement agents to know who's whose intoxicated and what level they are intoxicated. it's not like where you can do a breathalyzer test. so i think that this is a big concern. and i would've preferred that when the scientific method of the scientist that i am that we would just wait and see what happens in oregon and washington and let them be our test cases and be our pilot study and see how things work out before we push this ahead. merkley: this is what i've done with medical marijuana. and in the federal government you have plenty to do with so on and so forth. you deal with that but don't try to infringe on with my state decided to do with medical marijuana.

i will take the same approach depending what our state chooses to do in the current initiative. >> moderator: next question. >> moderator: we want our viewers to know as much as possible about both of you. how would your friends and family describe your idiosyncrasies? wehby: that's funny because my dad just called before i came down here and. he said i was very stubborn and determined and i think that's true. very kindhearted and a very loving person and i do tend to put people above myself. they will tell you they can't believe all the nights i get up in the middle of the night and take care of patients and i

think one thing that i've always remembered it as my father telling me when i was a little girl you have to choose all of your talents and abilities to make the world a better place. this might sound kind of hokey but that's who i am in a always tried to do the best i could with the gift i had. it's why i was a pediatric euro surge -- euro surge in and just always had that drive. merkley: my friends would say that sometimes i take things on the other little other little crazy for example two years ago i tried to do a triathlon and as a middle-aged man a little bit overweight seemed a little crazy but by the end of the year i

didn't manage to complete it. similarly in 2009 when i became a u.s. senator people came to me and said you have to take on the big banks because they are using our taxpayer subsidized deposits to run a big casino. what a crazy thing for a freshman senator to take that on. i decided they were right and even if it was going to be tilted at windmills i was going to take on these very powerful groups that are placing our were pleasing our economy at risk and every now and then when you take on the determination, you take on to succeed and in this case i did and we did pass the role and the teaser rate mortgages that were haunting american homeowners. so a little bit over focused at the time but sometimes to a good effect. wehby: i would just say when i was trying to decide i had a

conversation with senator tom coburn about this and he is not in the position in the senate and i said how did you decide to leave your practice and go in and run for the senate and he said we need you. you can make a difference and you are doing it for all of the right reasons. he's had since my heart is in the right place and i didn't need need a job that that meant i could really help out in the senate. >> moderator: the next question for senator merkley. >> moderator: the endangered species act has been devised as a job killer. you believe that it's acceptable or should there be revisions and some of those revisions should be? merkley: the endangered species act has done a lot in a very rapidly changing world to

protect the populations but there's a lot we can do in anticipation so it doesn't abstract our economy and ranching along the way. it keeps coming up here in oregon. and here with a sizable group of $50 million to help run a pilot project to figure out what works and what doesn't and to get ahead of the game and provide some of those protections and in the course of it off getting listed by the endangered species act. better to work on the ecosystem on the front end and to protect the population in ways that are harmonious with our economy and ranchers and fishermen other than being caught later on when species are on the brink of extinction. wehby: as i went around the state i did hear a lot about the sage grass.

they kept telling me that it is the spotted owl of the industry. a lot of concern about that sort of devastation can be caused to the industry. we do need to look at it. my understanding is they don't have a good way of tracking when a species comes off the end injured list they are never taken off, so i do think that we need to find a way to where we can tell that we are achieving the goals we are trying to achieve and it's important whenever we are going to lift a new species on the endangered species act you see that the effect is going to be on the economy and on the people as well. merkley: i'm struck today that you go around and see the blue hearings that were fortunately

completely gone and now we've been able to take the bald eagles off the list. they are coming off the endangered species list in different parts of the country and there is a situation if we can work together in partnership we can find ways to create ecosystems that have a portion of the land and that make sure the species survive and we can celebrate the great diversity of life on the planet but without giving economic damage that would hurt the ranchers and farmers and industry in other ways. >> moderator: the next question is for doctor wehby. >> moderator: we want to talk jobs. why hasn't job growth in your opinion been so sluggish and what would you do about it?

wehby: i've gone all over the state and i always ask them what is it that's making it so difficult for you to grow your business and the first thing that they tell me is uncertainty they say that there is uncertainty about regulation. the answer to everything is always more regulation, bigger regulation. and this has absolutely it is like a noose around the neck of the businesses. it makes it entirely difficult for them to grow so many of the businesses tell me that they would never be able to start today a business that they started 20 years ago because there's so much regulation for me as a physician by staff spend more time dealing with paperwork and regulation than they do in patient care. the next thing is taxes they have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the

world. actually the highest in the world and that takes money out of the pockets of our business owners they can't reinvest in the businesses and hire more people and grow and then finally the aca is making it very difficult as well for them to provide health insurance. merkley: i fought to create a way of infrastructure because they said that this was so important and a way to create a savings program that the construction industry to work in the rural areas. i can tell you on the manufacturing where the folks told me that they said first we need to reverse the effects of no child left behind because we need to have a track people can learn to work with their hands and be part of the manufacturing enterprise. it's the second financing. so i fought to create an extension of the small business act subsidized loans for the small businesses and to strengthen banks and i passed

the act that would unleash the volume of the new capital to the rural industry small businesses across oregon and the country. the third thing they said is we need a level playing field with china. we can't compete if we are competing directly in the economy or the low wage standards, low environmental standards and so i've partnered with the senator to take on the dumping of the solar panels and i am working now to highlight of the the problem of the currency manipulation in the subsidy of the chinese product. in all these ways i'm going to keep providing the jobs in oregon. >> moderator: your chance to rebut? wehby: we would have to rein in excessive regulations and have more congressional oversight of the regulations, where the business tax rate and then fix these mandates and always obamacare.

one told me that he owns assisted living facilities and he had to shut down three facilities because the cost of health insurance were going to put them out of business so he sort of those three businesses and all those people lost their jobs. >> moderator: the next question? schenectady association of realtors, a person's home is typically the largest investment he or she makes in life and also the greatest wealth creator in the middle class. what policies would you propose to strengthen the that home ownership and make it more attainable for the middle-class? merkley: when i was the director of habitat for humanity i worked with low income families and i continued to work for the strong interest and that's why i was so disturbed by the deregulation that led to these exploding mortgages that

went from 4% to 9% and they preceded to have a couple features. one is that the originator was getting in on the schools take back in order to steer people from the prime loan into the subprime loan. the second feature was a prepayment penalty that meant once you were in the loan you were not able to get out of it and so i took that on and passed it through and they said this should be done at the federal level in level and they were right so i took that at the federal level and stopped at predatory mortgage so that it will again be a source of enormous wealth building for the middle-class rather then a predatory enterprise. we have to keep working together to find the right balance and flexibility for the home or ditches and we are working to examine the strategy under which the families of modest means are able to buy homes and i think that we can find a potential progress to expand the realm of the homeownership in the years ahead. >> moderator: doctor wehby

click wehby: one of the problems with home ownership are some of the new financial regulations that have come into place specifically with dodd frank. i think that our large banks and small banks should play by the same rules and a senator merkley was railing on the wall street bailouts for several weeks into his tenure we voted for 350 billion-dollar bailout for wall street. i think that all these new regulations that have been put on with dodd frank have made it very difficult for our smaller banks and credit unions to make mortgage loans or small business loans. there are so many regulations that these small banks don't know if they are going to run afoul of any of these regulations making it more difficult if they don't have an attorney on staff. dodd frank hasn't worked because

now things have gotten worse. the banks control two thirds of the financial assets and the rule rulers went from four pages to now 963 pages even volker doesn't support it anymore. merkley: to lobby for a tremendous amount of money to be moved out of wall street and indirectly to help our fellow voters i got a commitment in writing to the new administration 50 to $100 billion out of all straight and to help homeowners that is the type of involved advocate for the old order is that you want to have a champion that says less for wall street and more for the home owners and i pushed the administration hard to create a program that would work well and it didn't take many of my ideas but i kept pushing. >> moderator: next question is for doctor wehby.

>> moderator: you have taken allegations that your health care positions were plagiarized from other sources. can you address that come and go with a view to less how your positions on the reform differ from your opponent's? wehby: i have been involved in the health policy for over 30 years and involved in the texas medical association, president of the medical association, national mirror surgical society, washington committee. i've been a trustee for the american medical association. i've been working to try to provide high quality affordable health care for americans for 30 years and specifically for five years with obamacare i even ran ads back in 2009 talking about problems with obamacare trying to change these before they came through. i worked with senator wyden on his healthy americans act back when i was on the board.

there were ideas that all of us to work that work in the health care policy know will work. that is the scientific method. you look at the data and see what works. that's why you would see similar ideas because all of us worked together and know that it works. senator merkley thinks that it's fine for people to be thrown off of their health plan. they have a $300 million down the tubes for a website that doesn't work. merkley: we already knew that she took her tax plan from romney and her environmental plans as the biggest polluters in the country that i was shocked that her healthcare plan came from a survey written by karl rove and an extreme right-wing advisor piloted if you might say of you might say to the bush administration. we have a situation where there

was so much concern over access to healthcare. a woman came to me at a fundraiser and she said a year ago if you have a diagnosis of ms you are in deep trouble if you don't have insurance because you have a pre-existing condition. and she said a year ago if you have entrance you might have a lifetime limit and you wouldn't be able to get the help you need. she said i'm so relieved we have peace of mind that our loved ones get the basic health care that they need. and indeed the 500,000 have signed up for health care at least 300,000 didn't have health care year ago. why did they go through that terrible website debacle and why because they were locked out of something that was so important to their quality of life. my opponent said that she would vote for the senate republicans to strap the affordable character sending cancellation letters to 500,000 oregonians and that does a lot of harm. wehby: i think that senator

merkley forgets just having insurance doesn't mean that you have access to healthcare and that is a bigger problem that we are facing now is trying to be certain that people actually do have access. but remember, that this was sold as the lie of the year if you like your doctor you can keep it. no, not necessarily. if you like your plan you can keep it. now, when under 50,000 were thrown off their plans. the cost of going to go down $2,500 a year. prices went up and we have the highest increase in premiums on the west west coast. >> next question is for senator merkley. >> with isis destabilizing the middle east analysts predicting a drawnout conflict do you see putting u.s. soldiers on the ground is a possibility? merkley: it is a group that we have to work in partnership with our allies to stop and we need to work with our allies in

europe and with our allies on the ground. we can provide arms and support to the kurdish independent autonomous zone which will provide an effective counter. the reason they were having trouble is actually they acquired american weapons in the black market and from the battlefield acquisitions. ..