>> boustany: we do have troops on the ground. the problem in the middle east is that it is not our problem. the other problem is the other groups that know how to fight our isis and depeche mode are troops. where's egypt and jordan, where is the united arab immigrants? they help themselves and before i can commit i want to see folks in the middle east. it is their region of the world i want to see them contribute something to this effort. >> let's see what the students had to say about issues important to them.

>> as a part of its coverage the louisiana public broadcasting sat down with some students from louisiana tech to see what issues are on their mind and they have a list of concerns they hoped the next senator would address. >> it's important they focus on the next president for the supreme court. >> one thing that's important i am a military brat myself and the mental health of our veterans -- >> i want a senator that focuses on the state i hope to live in and it's important we figured out how to make education competitive but still affordab affordable. >> despite their varied interests they share a common desire for the next senator to work with members of the opposing party they have to be open to compromise. i feel like in the past it's been either left or right, black

or white. i feel like with this push of younger people i want somebody that will be open to compromise and be firm and have their beliefs but also want the best for the country and the state of louisiana. >> as we learned in the video they see the issues in shades of gray but according to the poll conducted by the opinion research, 50% of those surveyed would rather the next senator stand up for their position rather than compromise with others even if it slows down the legislative action but the package for the flood relief for louisiana has the last moment would you be the type to stick to your guns were compromise and what is your past experience we will begin with mr. campbell.

>> cambelle: i've been hard to compromise on things i believe in. i have some great things for louisiana. when i was in the legislature, he didn't want to sue the tobacco companies. we get money to every classroom in louisiana and you have to know how to compromise and work with people. he had a very fe very few friene senate. i want to go to make friends. i know how to compromise and get

things done. i've been doing it for years. >> regardless who's president and in control, that's been my record and public service, veterans club x. t delete the -- clinics i worked very hard for those that have to travel miles. i had to take on the leadership and i was able to get it done. i believe you have to get results. this almost fell apart on the day that we voted to get it done and my actions working along with the senator a bipartisan way, we were able to salvage the deal at the end to make sure and

we got flood relief. so i know compromised principles but i get results. >> thank you mr. fleming. i'm always happy to compromise with people on pieces of legislation that i will never compromise my values, the constitution or my principles. it is one thing to get things done and another to get the right things done. the congressman has gotten some things done like voting to raise the debt limit five times. he voted for cash for clunkers for heaven sakes. we need to stand up for americans. we have a 20 trillion-dollar national debt. when will we stop compromising on that. we need to begin cutting spending and we all need to gather together to reform washington and that is exactly

what i'm going to do. >> i try not to be rude but i speak my mind. i stand up to politicians or powerful from both parties and i thought it was in the taxpayerss interest in having said that, i'm proud of my legislatures to so 60% and let me take the $1.2 billion put it into a trust fund they didn't spend a penny. i convinced the louisiana legislature to allow me to use the unclaimed property program to help finish our 49 and make a meaningful star store, 49 south. i convinced the louisiana legislature to allow me to

invest. it wasn't easy. i had to explain to them what i was doing. it's been one of the best investments ever made a so i'm proud of my legislative record. >> i was in the buddhist teacher at the time we got the money. you didn't vote on that. you were not in the legislature and you didn't convince them to save that money. don't tell these people that you convinced the legislature. you had no vote. you were the treasurer, you might have been for it but you didn't vote for it because you had no vote so don't tell people you put a billion dollars away. you didn't have one vote. >> moderator: when will allow 3 we will notallow 30 seconds t. >> we had a bill i don't even

know if yo you are still in the legislature we raised $1.2 billion. we convinced not a single legislature to touch a penny of that and let me put it into a trust fund. beware they are, you're right, but i convinced them along with some other really good people to allow us to sell it. it was pretty easy to convince them to sell it. what was toug tough is to get to put all $1.2 billion in the trust fund. >> moderator: i imagine fact checking will be all over the place on this one. right now what we are going to do is go to the last one. >> fayard: i'm going to let everyone else on the stage play and fingers and i will answer the question. on the flood package would you be willing to compromise. let me make a pledge to all of

you listening tonight and in the audience i'm going to put louisiana families first day i'm always going to do what is right and in the best interest of the state and what is in the best interest right now is making sure that if the 64 parishes that have benefit by flooding in 2016 people get back on their feet and in their homes and we have to compromise. i am one that had to make a deal. you can't bully your way to the top. you have to stand for value. i'm not going to compromise whether it is pro-life, carrying about the american worker but i will tell you that i'm also not going to make the claim of the politics so people are not in their homes in louisiana or albany. i will do what is right for our families. >> moderator: the next question comes from elizabeth. >> the stafford act is the statute that guide the nation's response to federal disasters.

in the recent disasters that have come under increased scrutiny for the restrictions placed. there is also concerns over what some see as loosening the criteria for the federal disaster declaration that end up costing the country millions. do you believe that it needs to be reformed and if so, how would you change it? >> boustany: we took one step after the hurricanes katrina and rita and instead of appropriating separate money at the time that we did that, we created a separate disaster relief fund and having an endless way the stafford act needs to be reformed because fema isn't flexible. i've dealt with this over at the time of the different hurricanes and the recent flood. they rotate people in and out so they have to start all over and have the time they don't know

what's going on. they get misinformation and they've misled local governments and cost them lots of money and we've had to go back to fight to rectify that problem. yes, the stafford act needs to be reformed and we need more flexibility. it must be more respond to the local governments and stakeholders they serve. that is a fundamental issue that needs to be taken care of. >> watching how people got to do their homes and their memorabilia and everything out on the streets it was a sad situation and i worked with my colleagues in the louisiana delegation to have proper funding that would go forward with that and we started with approximately $500 million to work to be done and i support that. there's another area people in

louisiana are affected and that is to flood the premiums they've gone skyrocketing in the last few years. i helped lead the effort to make sure we got relief from homeowners so they could have be forced out of their homes. congressman boustany didn't vote for that so it's important we get behind the measures that are necessary. >> kennedy: if i make it to have in the first thing i'm going to ask is why bad things happen to good people because i don't understand. we have a lot of really bad things happen to a lot of good people. the march flooding in louisiana at the august flooding was just devastating. our people need help and the stafford act can provide it. but the most important change,

we need to require fema to listen. we need to require them to involve our state officials, local officials and taxpayers when they are making these decisions about where you can build and can't and how high you have to elevate your home and whether you should have to add all. that's the biggest thing lacking you have these bureaucrats from afar in washington, d.c.. you have to get a permission slip from them to do anything. >> with hurricane katrina i was working for the federal court at the time and my judge got assigned all of the results of the litigation if we don't exclusively with katrina under the hotel motel program and they were trying to push people out

of their house and there was a lot of litigation that came out of that and i learned the gap in the wall at that time and there has been some improvement but not enough. renters are not addressed at all and we know that given the downturn in the housing crisis since 2008 and before, people are struggling to stay in homes and have ownership so we need to make some reforms on that and focus on the national flood insurance program and reauthorize it for all the reasons mentioned and we need to cut administrative costs. >> i went into my house one time and it was knee-deep in water. i said i know all about it.

it's a terrible situation because it causes all kinds of chaos and if you don't have the money, it's really bad. flood insurance doesn't cover living expenses. so we need every kind of program and innovation we can get. i am the only one up here that will admit we have man-made global warming. louisiana isn't the same and isn't going to be the same so we need every program. we have people in baton rouge who flooded, never needed flood insurance, never happened in 500 years so our state and country is changing. we have man-made global warming. >> moderator: i was wondering if you could grade the federal response on a scale of 1-5 with

one being unacceptable and five being terrific. >> boustany: i think it's a three. it's gotten better and we've seen progress and improvement but we still have a long way to go. we see the problems with fema and the rapid rotation of person coming through and the problems with the fact there is information put out there so you need to straighten that part o out. . it was ridiculous but the slowness of the response according to the mayor it was five or six days before they saw anybody from the federal government.

>> i appreciate your questions but if you are not back in your home, it is a one. it's not good enough and we have to keep fighting. >> cambelle: 2.5. [laughter] >> moderator: okay. the next question. >> the oil and gas relationship is rocky at best. if they are complaining about regulatory onslaught most of the policies are either coming from the white house or federal agencies, not the u.s. house. there's restrictions on offshore and onshore drilling and plans about a financial insurance and well-controlled role. as the next senator would you use such actions as a regulatory

overreach or use of authority? >> fleming: i'm very protective of the energy. i serve on the natural resources committee in fact i am the subcommittee chairman and we deal with these issues and all these things and you are absolutely right the federal government is strangling the energy industry and they've shut down the coal industry. they say that natural gas is a transitional fuel so i guess what they want us to do is live on windmills and solar panels. we need to let all these forms of energy compete in the marketplace and get away from the subsidies and nonsense to get away from those that are destroying the industry and

jobs. >> moderator: mr. kennedy. >> kennedy: mr. obama thinks he can tax, spend and regulate americans into prosperity. and apparently congress agrees with him because for eight years they talked to him but haven't done anything about it. here's three things i will try to do in the senate. i will pass a ball that says if a bureaucracy opposes a regulation that has a 15 million-dollar impact, congress gets to vote on it. number two i want to pass a law that says the bureaucracy wants to propose a rule that they have to play to three rules they will get rid of. number three, i'm going to require a national regulatory budget where we list all 67,000 of the regulation in the

industry to comply with and forth, i'm going to try to pass a bill that would require every rule or regulation to have a sunset provision. . i didn't talk to you in particular but you can use your time later. >> we feed and fuel the nation and it's imperative the next senator takes this call and we have a working coach and we also have to balance clean air and water and transition to the energy of the future. we don't want to be behind. we need an approach for the state is beautiful and has plenty of resources and can take the lead here. i would also say we lost five -- gallant and 510 and it's a regulatory overreach for the

moratorium you have to have a champion that understands. it requires compromise from time to time and maintaining. of course regulation can be too liberal. let's talk about the industry. i'm the only one up here that will say they ought to pay for it. there isn't one soul listening to the broadcast out of somebody tearing up your yard without paying for it. they write a big check.

i want the state to be treated fairly and kept clean and i want the companies to pay their fair share. >> boustany: i am the only one up here taking substantive steps in a positive way that it in the results. i stopped the attempt to tax this industry. i also got legislation passed to stop the rule that is a regulatory overreach i got it passed the house. we need a senator that will get this done. i passed legislatio pass legisle

new liability cap that's hurting them badly and killing jobs. the senate needs to act and get this done and that's what i will do in the senate. i'm the only one up here that took the most important step in the last 50 years and that is devoted to lift the ban on the crude oil exports. i'm proud of the vote. why did we give the ability to sell and tell the producers they can't sell anywhere but here in the u.s.. >> we have reached the point in that they view the candidates will pose questions to other candidates. these were determined by a prior drawing the candidates may ask a question for up to 30 seconds into the candidate being asked will have a minute to respond and defend the rebuttal will come from the cluster for 30 seconds. it's completed. mr. boustany you are first and you have a question.

jerking my time in public service i've been a staunch defender of the industry we just talked about. i stopped president obama when he wanted to put a tax on every barrel of oil and buy liquefied gas exports to lift the ban on the exports and passed bills in the house to stop the unnecessary regulation that i just mentioned and deal with the growing problem. so i want you to clarify your position on the legacy lawsuit issue. >> i am the only practicing lawyer on the stage, so i'm involved often in large cases where companies and plaintiffs go after each other sometimes company versus company. i would counsel everybody the way that i could counsel my client. litigation is the means to him

and end it's important you manage expectations whether it is lawsuit it can be time-consuming and costly expensive and there are no guarantees. often times it seems when you have the approach the money isn't directed necessarily where it needs to go, but it's going to take from a united states senator i will be honest we need to hold together a coalition of partners that will help restore the coast and that means taking care of the penalties making sure they are directed through the master plan based on siam. >> i appreciate your answer but i'm still baffled by one of my opponents that would suggest raising the billion-dollar tax

on this industry and that is the wrong approach. i believe the voters in louisiana are looking for someone whose principals have a track record of getting things done on behalf of the state every day that's been my service and i will continue to be a champion. next a question for mr. boustany. >> cambelle: i want to ask a question as a doctor not a politician. you are a physician and i know you have a compassion for people. you look after their health and that includes mental health. in louisiana we need help with mental health. my question is simple. one of our opponent has an ad where he jokes about suicide. mental health is a big challenge for our state and nothing to joke about. it's important to my family.

the question is do you think mr. kennedy should apologize for joking about suicide? stick i appreciate your views. mental health isn't a matter for anyone. many across the country have been affected one way or another. we all know someone that has a serious illness. i think it's in my time and service to cosponsor bills and most recently a large reform bill we have to put it up there and take his easle seriously ano agree that he should apologize for making it a joking matter. >> as a dad i am really touchy about the supersize suicide ande

feelings for people with mental illness. the whole family suffers, no disease like it and we have a lot of people that need help. i didn't like it at all. i was excited to hear about somebody drinking poison. i thought it was out of line. >> you have a question for mr. kennedy. >> you are going to have to work 30 seconds. . your question for mr. kennedy. >> fayard: bobby jindal rubin and our finances but this year there was a bipartisan effort including the governor and the legislature to try to fix it and one was refinancing that would immediately provide a cash the h

savings of 82 million to help health care and higher education. as the chairman of the commission, you have to vote on this measure. it passed 13-1. one. keywords are one deciding vote so this means you either continue to support the constructive policies were despite being the top financial person in the state, you don't know what you're doing. governor general to the number of things for louisiana but financing wasn't one of them. i was the first person to stand up and say that his decisions were going to lead us. and the legislature they were all with him and cut the budget

$500,000. i was the first one to stand up and say look you shouldn't spend all $880 million in medicaid trust fund. i was the first one to say it takes $400 million from the retirees insurance health fun so i put my record standing up against politicians of both parties up against anyone. >> the refinancing on the long-term debt dropped substantially. 81.6 million helped shore up the key financial officer in the state he made a poor political decision and made a really bad financial decision. these issues will come up again. on behalf of the taxpayers in louisiana.

mr. fleming has a question for mr. campbell. >> fleming: i am 100% pro-life and huge supporter of the second amendment right to bear arms. i'm the only one on the states tonight for the past the bill into law. i'm very confused about your opinion on those things you said i am scared of concealed carry and you also said it's cold and callous not to have the funding. lebut these days it's for everybody i am pro- second amendment and pro-life. you don't have as many shotguns as i do.

i passed to th the youth huntins and i was with the louisiana wildlife association. i take no subject to anybody talking about guns. i am pro-life and programs that is pure simple. >> those are platitudes because he refused to fill out the surveys and you support hillary clinton who is very much pro- abortion and anti-second amendment. >> we've been together and a lot of different forms and i heard you talk about the problems with medicare and social security and

i was wondering if you could elaborate on the problems you see and what you think americans ought to do about it. >> i want to save and protect social security. anyone who is soon to be on it should have their benefits. it runs out of money in nine years. you heard me say obamacare took $700 billion accelerating its demise. we have to reform spending in washington and i look forward to working with my senate colleagues. everybody that paid for medicare and social security ought to get what they paid for and if you

want to save money i want to read you some of the things. congress appropriated 1.5 million to study the effects of swedish massage is one bunny rabbits and congress spent $750,000 on a soccer field for the guantánamo bay terrorists anhad spent $700,000 to study whether others love dogs as much as their kids. maybe we could use some of that for medicare and social security. >> moderator: we are now going back to questions from reporte reporters. >> v. are heavily reliant on the oil and gas industry. workers are concerned about having good jobs in the future. what can you do to create the next jobs in louisiana?

>> number one, stop illegal immigration. it puts downward pressure on wages. negotiate better trade agreements peaked at number three, get it possible to invest software machinery to new plants that's going to create jobs and enhance productivity. we need to encourage american businesses to try to engage in more profit sharing. the enhanced productivity will pay for the whole program. number five we had to send folks back-to-school.

when folks lost. if we can ease the burden and make it possible to stay in business and help them alleviate their tax burdens. my brother founded in the airline in shreveport and little rock we've had 35 jobs created as a result and regardless that's 110 jobs as a factor we have to invest in small businesses. when people have dreams we have to facilitate those dreams and to create a better quality of

life tha was also a few other ts we can do such as equal pay for equal work when consumers have more purchasing power it creates more jobs and opportunities. >> we need to cross train our people in louisiana. i live in the middle and found not many people are drilling. the next thing when you get this money coming in that is and what we do in louisiana. we need to make sure we get all the tax dollars we can.

i make these corporations come up to see if they create jobs or are just getting tax exemptions. we have many with a litmus test. >> small-business startups are very low right now. we haven't seen this level since the 70s. we need progrowth policies and economic growth around 1% it's not satisfactory for the jobs in the state. we have to get policies in pla place. let's talk specific to louisia louisiana. one of the bright spots not only in louisiana that i believe in our country, but what is being done with cybersecurity and

engineering right here, that's what we need to do more of. it promotes innovation, brings outside investment along with internal investment in louisiana. second, it's innovative and we need to continue to build on it and stop the war on energy. finally, we need to export more. i want them buying shirts that say made in america. we need a trade agreements for u.s. producers and manufacturers that's going to be the key to getting growth and jobs. >> moderator: mr. fleming. >> fleming: is actually created 500 jobs in the private sector. i have to tell you, the formula is simple. we need to repeal obamacare. it's the biggest job killer we have today. we need to repeal dodd frank that is killing a bank every day in the country. we also need to rollback the regulations and passed a bill

that would do that. we also need to reduce and simplify taxes. but i have to take issue with my friend john kennedy. he read all these expenditures about things i never did support or vote for. what about the $400,000 each year on taxpayer money. and also 300,000 that few actually criticized bobby jindal for purchasing. that is ridiculous. that is the biggest hypocrisy of all. >> moderator: you may have 30 seconds. >> fleming: with respect to my friend, what he said wasn't true. but me tell you what is true. congress also spent $400 million to study whether life can ever exist on jupiter moons. i guess they gave up on mars.

congress appropriated $370,000 to study whether mothers love dogs as much as their kids and they gave to the vietnam. they appropriated $753 million to remodel one of their buildings. let's wait for the next response. the next question is from the usa today network. >> louisiana will have one of the most junior delegations. what kind of strategy would you have to overcome the weakness how could you overcome that as a

legislator in washington. >> seniority is how it works. i'm 38 years of age and that is to emphasize i have a little bit more runway to bring it back. the relationships are in the long haul and the truth of the matter is i'm going to put people first and do what is right for the state and be forever i need to be 24 hours a day fighting on behalf of the families. i'm going to work as hard as i

can to benefit our people for the long haul. >> cambelle: some people say that i'm too old. i'm younger than donald trump and bill clinton and the same age as hillary clinton born 1947. the rest of that gentleman accept for the exception of days speaking with a >> fayard:. with republicans and democrats i've been defective. there's nobody that has done more, not one. i'm proud of my record. i can use good common sense bringing back to louisiana telling the story to get people in the great state of louisiana. it would be no deal for me to start off immediately. >> moderator: thank you. mr. boustany.

>> boustany: in the most political environment we have seen in many years in washington i've been able to get results and work with others on the other side of the aisle in the house and senate and i was able to stand up for things to get things done even when we were obstructed. what you need is somebody that is smart and works hard and understands the issues to get results in the second it's also about the relationships. one thing that matters most is getting results. i have a proven track record. the best way to solve the problem is to get me to the senate and keep electing me.

it's no longer d that seniority commits about the government bureaucracy. the liberal constitutional lawyer said congress is so weak and atrophy today it's given up all of its power to the executive branch so the decisions in all o and all of te being made in the executive branch. i even fought against his good friend. we need to take the power back. the founding fathers said congress should guard its powers but failed to do that. i will fight to take our power back because that is your power, you speak through me, your representative. >> seniority does matter.

you can call me naïve but big ideas matter. i've watched some senators make an impact. i don't agree with everything they've said or done that any person would agree they've had a big impact. the first thing i'm going to do is call every one of my colleagues and take them to lunch or dinner i just want to get to know them, what are their interests, why are they in the senate and what do they hope to accomplish? the next question comes from elizabeth. >> they failed to move forward

with proceedings and the supreme court justice nominee. likely leaving the vacancy due to the next president and morsi could become open on the supreme court leftish use what you've prioritized wheyouprioritized wa supreme court justice? >> i think any president if he is republican or democrat he has the right to have his nominee that could. i am pro-life so i want to vote for a chief justice was supreme court justice that's pro-life and also i would like to know he has experience at the heart i'd

like tiwould like to see that hs interest in middle america. >> i would oppose the nomination for two reasons. one, the judicial record expanding the state and he's become the second amendment rights. i would say no to the nomination anand as the next senator number one is to make sure whoever is nominated respects the constitution and the separation of power and understands the legislative branch makes the law and when presented with the case they have to adjudicate based on the law. i do not want activists on the bench. i deeply believe in those.

but those are some of the things i would look at the next candidate to be on the supreme court. he or she must respect the constitution but it goes further than that as a proven conservative i would only support a justice or federal judge justice scalia. he stood up for the second amendment and that would be essential as a senator i would only vote to confirm someone who upholds the constitution itself on that will not take away the

gun rights. >> john is right and that's why i can't vote for the nominee. i think the judge is an activist judge and we can find better qualified people. i've had