because there democratically controlled. as american female that works for, you do not deserve to deserve to have a politically correct loughran to take it troll of your life just because you're female. i thought that was a very sexist part of it. it. it was a cynical piece of legislation. i know the tagline, equal pay is a good one. in this case i felt that if you are in the workplace you should have come you should not have legislation passed that allow a politically connected trial or to take control of your workplace. that's incredibly sexist to me. it's. it's the reason why voted against the act. >> i think the senator does not understand the lilly ledbetter act and does not understand paycheck fairness. in fact it is not sexist legislation, it will allow women to earn the same

amount as member doing the same job. something i enjoyed as a member of the military and of congress. i think all women should be assured they can make the same paper doing the same work no matter where they work. whether that's in government or the private sector. i disagree with my opponent. equal pay for equal work is not sexist legislation. >> thank you. we'll turn back to the panelists. first question to charles,. >> six years ago he promised are in your campaign, 2010 to thousand ten to work to repeal obama care, does that remain your position? >> in the case of obama care, i think we have to keep a couple of -- that long-term legacy from that should come with covering people at age 26 and making sure the pre-existing conditions commit. >> i was very responsible when i voted on obama care. i wrote the only republican alternative that had a couple of key reforms. the way to to lower health form costs in america is

to reform lawsuits in america. in illinois we have a vast open desert the places where you cannot get competent ob/gyn care because of malpractice concerns. i want to make sure that if we reform lawsuits we can lower the barrier to doctors entering the field. up to age 26 should be cap. there's one key reform. u.s. an american citizen deserve the right to be able to buy insurance from any state in the union if you can buy car insurance in northern virginia you should be allowed to have national competition across the country. >> thank you. the senator has voted to repeal the senator care act every chance he's had a chance to vote on the acts. he's voted consistently every time to repeal it. i voted both to fix it, but also

to preserve its. i voted for example to get rid of the medical device tax because hospitals tell me they would pass those costs onto individuals. there things we can do to fix the affordable care act without throwing people onto the street. one of the fixes is to work to allow people to close a loophole that allows people to sign on during the grace period, have a major medical procedure and then drop it. the loophole the loophole that is a bipartisan fix would say that if you sign onto the affordable care act during the open enrollment time and you have a major medical procedure then you need to keep the affordable care act for the entire year. that will alleviate the costs. many things can be done, but we cannot put millions of americans onto the streets without health insurance. >> i think i would agree with president clinton when he called the obama care a crazy system where we have seen the exchange in various states collapse and offering no coverage to people. i think making sure that we

after -- in illinois we've had increases around 50% in the higher we make healthcare costs the more we restrict healthcare that's taking things in the wrong direction. >> erica your next question goes to congresswoman. >> when you cast your vote in this election, will we we be able to rely on social security or maybe -- by the time for medicare by the time they require. most people my age will not be able to either. how will you you ensure the 60 million plus people currently in the system in the future generations can count on some form of government aid when they retire? >> that the_question. one of the first things we can do that has a bipartisan support would be to

raise the payroll contribution. right now if you make 1,000,000 dollars for example you only pay into social security based on 10% of your income where hard-working americans who make $60000 per year make 50 percent, if you lift the taxi would expand and extend the life of social security. it needs another 30 or 40 years. what i'm not willing to do is what my opponent has supported which is 28 raise the age of a social security recipient. my mom relies on it and when i go to granite city or talk to home healthcare workers, they tell me that we need social security to retire. please don't raise the age. i don't know how going to make it beyond that. i've been been counting on it to be there. another thing we can do is comprehensive immigration reform. we have 11,000,000 people in the country, many who are being paid under the table. >> that would help. >> the best way to save social

security's make sure we don't break the bank and the federal government. there's a difference between difference between my opponent and i, she wants to spend more in and pushes deeper into the red. i want want to spend less attacks less and get us out of the red. if the government, if we have big spending proposals like my proponents of free college plan was $60 billion, if the government goes on a spending spree it's going to hurt people have been hurt in the state of illinois. the duty of the voters is to make sure we protect people from the state that's already defaulted people. in the case of puerto rico in greece we have the social service collapsing. the government's defaulting on debt. we have to make sure that never happens to the people of the united states. >> thank you very much. >> my opponent says he's a physical conservative but he is not. his vote and the leadership on us entering the war in iraq and the vote for the bush tax cut will account for 50% of our national debt by 2019. that's a most aid to trillion dollars.

the person who has been spending money who has got us into this mess is sitting right next to me. what we can do to make sure social security is there, it's, it's a left on cap, let's make sure the top 1% pay their fair share. pass competence of immigration reform. i do want to invest in our economy and invest in the next generation of workers. >> thank you. >> minus question to senator kirk. 233 days ago president obama nominated judge mayor garland to the u.s. supreme court, today, there, there have been no senate hearings on that nomination, the republican majority in the senate is saying they wanted to wait for the new president to make the nomination. now the same republicans are saying that if hillary clinton is elected president they will not accept any of her nominations and would be happy to go for the next four years. >> i would -- eric carlin and after i met with him i

encouraged the republicans to meet with them. we had a dozen dozen senators follow my lead. rarely have i seen my opponent has been rated as one of most ineffective members of of congress lead a group of people in that way. to lead people against her own party. >> what you think of where we are right now and they're same for more years with the u.s. supreme court with only a more justices. >> it's unreadable unreasonable for ted cruz to say that we are not going to confirm anybody for the next president's term. the constitution clearly allows the president to nominate and it says the senate should provides advice. the reason i was the first republican to meet with merrick garland, i said to my colleagues unless you meet with guy how can you refuse to me. >> i disagree with ted cruz on this point. i don't think it's

reasonable. when i go back i would say that to him. you cannot hold up the system for years and years. that's not reasonable. that's not reasonable. that's not what the constitution says. if the democrats win the presidency then they have their right to bring for that nominee. that's way the system works. >> tigress woman. >> well we would like to say that he's a leader on this issue would affect he's not. he got his nice photo op in march when he met merrick garland. but he and appointed a state's leadership i will not vote for you senator mcconnell if you don't have the hearing and have the vote. >> he did send a letter to his colleagues to say please meet with merrick garland. after he did that he got on talk radio told a conservative talk radio station that he knew that the hearing about would never happen. he was encouraging these meetings to happen. what he should have done was to gather his colleagues to send a letter to his leadership to chuck grassley mitch mcconnell and say we will not vote for you until you have these hearings. he didn't do that. it's about smoke and mirrors. i think the system is broken but we need to have the hearings.

i hope is why the democrats take control of the senate. at the very least these nominees, regardless whether it's president trump or clinton will get a hearing the american people see if these nominees are qualified to do the job. >> you say the system is broken, how do you fix it? >> if democrats have control of the senate we'll make sure the hearings happen. i hope if republicans retain control they will have the hearings. the american people within see how qualified these candidates are. what's happening now is your obstruction on their part of republicans for now and allowing us to even have the hearing. >> senator kirk the final word. >> on this, i disagree with the republican leadership and i told senator mcconnell that a hearing would be in the interest of the country. think think of what the hearing with garland would be like. it would be national television event in which young americans who all want to explore the current issues inside the constitution to the day could

watch the nominee answer questions from very senators. that's healthy for the country. i would argue that's a good thing and why we should do it. we should do a hearing because the constitution gives the impetus to the president to make a nomination. >> thank you. >> the next question two for congressman duckworth. >> before i do that i want to ask you something, why why do you vote for mitch mcconnell to be the senate majority leader given the fact that you have such profound differences with him and some of the leadership of your party? >> when i stood for election in illinois said that i was pro-choice. i said i was pro-gun control. i'm going to be pro whatever illinois needs. the leader understands that somebody coming from illinois going to tend to the left, that's the interest of the state. >> why vote for him? >> in my case, mitch mcconnell

is pro-life and anti- gun control. so i disagree with him -- you disagree without being disagreeable. >> congresswoman do you have something disable this? >> i think he just made my case. he has the meetings but does not take any real leadership role. i think he should be that leader in the senate tell mitch mcconnell, i will not vote for you when we come back in 2017 unless you agree to have this hearing and have this vote. he's he's not willing to do that. >> this is to congresswoman duckworth, the prolabor labor institute reports that yours home state of illinois, the land of lincoln, has the highest african-american unemployment rate among all 50 states. if you are elected, what will you do to reduce the

african-american unemployment rate in illinois, specifically african-americans? >> one of the things i'm working on now is looking at my work on federal procurement reform and working with the state. i've been talking with the senator from illinois where we would decouple federal contracts. for example if we get national infrastructure improvement plan, when those dollars can forward we need to hold the federal government accountable and those contractors for hiring minority owned businesses. specifically women and black-owned businesses, hispanic and veterans and african-american owned businesses. this is why when i talked about the gun violence in chicago, economic plan as part of what i'm proposing. that means we provide tax incentives for those who locate into the communities. we provide the support for training for the workforce which is why think we

should have free technical education programs for young people in black and brown community so they can go into the workplace immediately. why we need to invest in free community college education. its tax credits for those who locate their. >> with regard to african-americans only i would say that put forward my work on entrepreneur idol where we put african-american business plans first. in the case of competition we did at chicago state. i opened up my rolodex and saw the quiet racism that is often in the capital community. if you say this african-american owned operations that space in chicago people sometimes think it might be on the south side and close doors. one of our moments that we had when we had, sharad went to cornell university and we went to the wealthiest cornell graduate is also an african-american and asked him to back the business.

he said i won't talk to you unless you done $200,000 on the railroad. i couldn't break through. i thought in this effort to learn by doing, to make sure i could get a business off the ground, to see everything he went through. >> congresswoman. >> i can give you a specific example that was done incorrectly. when we had the improvements we actually did not hold those contractors accountable for keeping the jobs in the community. in fact so many indian firms came in and performed their work. we need to make sure those jobs remain in the community so we can enforce the federal guidelines. i'm going to do that to make sure we provide the set-asides for black-owned businesses, minority owned businesses, especially in the communities so they can have a chance and bidding in these contracts and winning. >> probably the best idea i put was regarding vacant lots.

i put together legislation that would take any american mayor if you haven't done anything insignificant -- will be no federal tax of that business for the first year. this breaks through the quiet races in the real estate community to say that if you want operate with the federal tax for the first year then go get a vacant lot in the community. >> your next question goes to the senator. >> senator kirk, they want to legalize marijuana and 23 states have passed along with medical use, will you support? >> i don't support. i think this country is a long-term use of marijuana can lower physical and mental performance. i don't think the country is not high enough. i

worry about young drivers out there where we would see a driving while high in the roads would become even on safer. i worry about sometimes you see with medical marijuana in places like colorado where the clinics are prescribing ten times the amount that would be normally prescribed for people in the area. it seems like backdoor legalization. i'm worried about the effect it would have on our young people. >> nevertheless we don't have enough data that actually support one theory or another. >> in general, think it lowers intellectual and physical performance. that's why people get high. i don't think we have too few people in this country that are not high. >> this is for the senator and i disagree. i think that in illinois we should be expanding the use of medical marijuana. it has the potential to really help people with severe medical

issues. for example children with epilepsy will have siege or seizures, veterans who are fighting posttraumatic stress and brain injury. in fact, my opponent said he opposes it because there's too many high veterans. i think veterans who are suffering from posttraumatic step stress and brain injury deserve to have the help. it's also been seen to be helping with other neurological disorders as well as helping cancer patients, aids aids patients be able to eat and maintain nutrition. if we would expand and fully implements in a controlled controlled way the medical marijuana program will get the data that he just mentioned that's missing. that will better inform us if we should move forward in any other direction. >> would you support it on the federal level of medical marijuana? >> yes i would. i supported allowing veterans and doctors in a veterans hospital to talk with their clients.

we -- as someone in a state that allows medical marijuana prescribed by their dr., they can't talk about it. there's a gay gay order. that simply wrong. >> final word. >> i would highlight the work of my colleague dick durbin on this to come down hard on the cigarette smoking. we know there's about 7000 chemicals that will come from the cigarette. the inhaling of bird substances directly into the pulmonary cavity doesn't look to me right. most people will not consume marijuana with a filter at all. i want to want to make sure all of the things we know that's bad about smoking, all of those in jesting all of those carcinogens is a long-term health risk for people. >> our next question goes to congresswoman duckworth. a week ago yesterday james comay informed congress about the investigation of a new set of e-mails that he believes are relevant to the hillary clinton private server probe which was wrapped up in july.

as a result, he has been harshly criticized over the potential impact on the selection coming up just four days from now. do you believe he overstepped his bounds? should there be not just traditions but rules that govern this kind of relief release close to an election? >> this is something will be dealing with what we get back to washington. i'm on the oversight and government reform committee that looked at this before. i'm looking forward to hearing from both sides of the issue. at very least there should be guidelines. what i hope to happen in this case as i am calling for the director to come forward with everything he has, bring everything he has to the table. if you can't because there's classified information to the general public, then he needs to do a full briefing to members of congress. we all have a security clearance. i don't think it's helping our democracy at the state. >> to thinking missteps? >> i want to see with the evidences. i want him to bring it to the table.

i'm happy to listen to him tomorrow if he wants to do that. i think rate or transparency is what is required here. >> but it's not about whether or not he has the information to bring forward it's about the timing of the revelation. that's what i'm trying to get to. >> when it comes to law-enforcement you you have to follow what you think is right. i trust the judgment of this man. i will give give him the benefit of the doubt. that only goes so far. i want him to bring forward what he has and then i'll pass judgment on whether i think he overstepped his bounds. i've been campaigning out for months, i've for months, i've not seen what he is looking at. but i will certainly do my job when i get back to washington to see what he is talking about. >> i and meyer director,, think he's an upstanding civil servant. i would agree with the statement that many democrats in congress. i would note that i think on the committee they talked about many good things about comay. we have to establish that the

principle that everybody in this country is under law. just because your candidate for president doesn't mean you can violate the law. the investigation should go wherever the investigator wants to go. if you're running for president you should not have a get out of jail free card. >> do you think because he sent this letter to congress so close to the election that was a bad idea? or he should have done it? >> i think the idea that director, who also works for loretta lynch who i also voted for, are conspiring with republicans is not credible. >> congresswoman. >> i'm going to hold my judgment and see what exactly he brings to members of congress. it is highly suspect but again i trust the man who is shown himself to be a professional. i want greater transparency and i'm going to make sure that i figure out exactly what has happened in committee.

>> we are winding down with questions. the last question is going to be 452nd response from each of you. no rebuttal. it comes from charles thomas. it from charles thomas. it goes to senator kirk. >> both of your are outspoken in your opposition to donald trump's candidacy for president of the united states. what if he is elected? what elected? what is going to be your relationship with donald trump senator? >> i have not endorsed donald trump. i even asked him to step down. i felt that when he said one mexican-american judge was -- >> how would you work with him? >> given his personality i would probably have a lousy have a lousy relationship with him. i don't expect them to win. i felt that he does not have the temperament to be a good commander-in-chief. in the case of the senate. >> you would oppose him? >> i have said that he should step down from the nomination. i felt that he is not -- there's many times or people will sell their soul to the party of their

allegiance. i will not do that. i will make sure that i always call it the way see it. in this case, just because he's the republican nominee doesn't mean he's the best for the country. i will tell the people of illinois that i feel that he is not the right one. >> senator, thank you. >> i want to start by assuming that donald trump loves this country is much as i do and loves us as much hillary clinton. i think people are sick and tired of a government that doesn't work. have a congress that doesn't work. they're sick and tired of the republican initiative under mitch my, that they will oppose everything, every initiative from president obama. i will work work with donald trump on the policies when there mix sense and are logical. i'm not going to be someone that's going to oppose everything every step of the way. we already have that and it's not working for the people of illinois or the people of this great nation. i will start by assuming that he loves this country is much as i do. that if he's the new commander-in-chief, i will hold him accountable for making good decisions. when when they are

bad decisions i will oppose them just like i post mile president when i disagreed with him. >> it's now time for closing statements. you each get one minute. >> i want to thank everyone for holding this form today. i'm running for the united states senate because i want a nation that rewards hard work, not one that rewards wealth. i understand what working families are going through all across the great state. you are trying to make ends meet, trying to say for that down payment or maybe for that mortgage and that little piece of the american dream. you want want to put money aside to your trial can go to college and you want a dignified retirement. that's all people are asking for but they don't see it happening in their hometown. whether it is on the south side of chicago, whether it is across this great state. as i have traveled traveled the state from north, south, east, west, i see we have work to do. if you will

like me to the united states senate i promise i will work for an economy that invests in manufacturing, investment illinois and hard-working families first. and we'll put those who seek to send jobs overseas in the top 1% behind the families that are the engine of our economy. >> thank you. >> i would say that i ask for your vote in the coming election that would send a man who has been completely independent of his party to always able put illinois first. in the case of so many people in washington, d.c. they put their party first. in my case, had a typical republican with gun violence in illinois and brought for my party just as i should have to put illinois first. we have to put somebody in the mix that wants to serve in the senate as the glue between both parties to make sure the entire senate works for the people. >> thank you very much. that concludes this debate between the candidates of u.s. senate. we thank both candidates were

joining us. we also think abc political reporter charles thomas and univision, we hope that what you have heard here is going to help you make an informed decision on election day. please get out and vote. election dates coming up on the eighth of november. thank you. thank you. have a good night. [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible]

>> the road to the white house coverage leading up to the election tomorrow continues live on c-span. tonight at 8:00 p.m. president obama and michelle obama and hillary and bill clinton campaigned together philadelphia. donald trump is in grand rapids, michigan at 11:00 p.m. hillary clinton is in raleigh, north carolina tonight at 11:45 p.m. that's on c-span. here are on c-span. here are some of the ads running in the presidential race. >> the progress we have made in this election, tolerances on the ballot. and a incarceration is on the ballot right now. what we have achieved in 2008 and 2012, especially -- i will consider it a personal insult of this community fails to activate itself in this election. you want to give me a good sendoff, go vote. >> the democratic national committee is responsible for the content of this election ad.

>> this election is about a choice. we have the chance for the future and our own hands, to give us the right to educate our children in schools we choose. to create investments where we need the most build better communities with jobs we create together and where justice is our right. this is our choice. this is our opportunity. we are asking for your boat. vote republican. >> the republican national committee is responsible for the content of this advertisement. >> election night on c-span. watch the results and be part of the national conversation about the outcome. be on location with hillary clinton and donald trump election night headquarters and watch a victory and concession speeches in key senate and government races. starting my betty p.m. eastern and throat the following 24 hours. watch live on c-span, on demand at c-span.org and listen at c-span.org and listen to live coverage with the c-span radio app. >> tinai, the communicators said

craig aaron, president, president and ceo of free press and jeffrey -- director of the center for internet communications and technology policy talk about the technology issues that hillary clinton and donald trump have discussed on the campaign trail. also, the top tech issues for congress in the next administration to address. they're interviewed there interviewed by technology reporter for the morning consult. >> the key elements that interest me most are the commitment to expand broadband access with a lots of talk about competition and bringing the benefits of broadband to all. >> and then there's another strong theme running through the idea of inclusive innovation. in other words how do we make sure the entire country, everyone actually shares in the benefits of the internet economy. >> mr. trumps policy concerns, there's a lot of fearing of goals hearing of goals and objectives. we all want to see the benefits of the internet he made available