that if you look at my record,i've always been acceptable to the people. my wife and i do 200 events a

year , out of every scout presentation, fireman's banquet, every hundred birthday party, we're in the grocery store and where everywhere and we are accessible and people can always ask us questions i believe anyone who wants to hold public office should hold regular town halls all the time. it's part of the job. if you're going to represent people, you have to answer their questions. i started doing it during the campaign already and i've learned the most from these town hall meetings whether it's in someone's living room or a small church or gymnasium. we've done them everywhere and i've been lucky people have, and to share greats stories with me, insights about the most important issues we have and it's something that will keep going for a long time to come next question from bob mail . >> president trump says he's going to put tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.

he also tweeted that trade wars are good and easy to win though for both of you, do you agree with president trump intentions to impose tariffs and our trade wars good and easy? >> i agree we have to take action to level the playing field. our steelworkers have worked hard for a long time and make the best deal in the world. for too long china has been making cheap steel and flooding the market with it. i think this is long overdue. we need to take time to see how this policy plays out. i think it's not really clear who is going to apply to. i talked to the president of the steelworkers yesterday that we should focus on china more so than our friends but the important thing to me is the steelworkers. we need to stick up for our steelworkers and if we're going to do that, we have to use this deal. it's time we get this infrastructure build going. use the steel to rebuild our bridges. we need to get started on that right away and we've

already seen gridlock, even though everyone seems to agree we need infrastructure. >> i believe our steelworkers can compete with anybody in the world, as long as the playing field is level. unfortunately in many of our competitors around the world have slanted the playing field and thereupon has been on the scale and president trump is trying to even that scale back out. i've always supported the steel industry and my hope is to protect jobs in western pennsylvaniaso it's important what he's doing. i think this is the first volley that president trump put out there. there will be more negotiation and we will see what happens but we will wait and see . >> if i may, there are small business owners. there are workers who jobs depend on materials that are important. what do you say to those small business owners, workers whose livelihoods may be casualties in the trade war? >> i'm going to have you answer this first. >> is an argument between

when you put tariffs because you want trade to be free and fair and if you put tariffs on something that then people that consume the product might pay a little bit more about what we are being told after the initial volley is that that would be minuscule. the effect on the consumer would be minuscule at this point. it's important for us to protect those jobs and international security industry. >> i agree that it's premature to know what's going to happen and we need to get a little time to see who's going to be affected and how. if we focus on the bad actors, china, we can and must protect our small business owners and their ability to compete. i'm surprised to hear from my opponent how he's always stuck up for the steel industries because he's voted repeatedly to allow in our construction projects the use of foreign steel instead of american steel. he's voted against our

steelworkers who are in union who rely on their union for fair wages for hard workers. when we say we stick up for oursteelworkers and steel industry, we need to vote that way i'll give you one. >> . >> i always stood up for our workers. fortunately, the democratic party, they support people who areagainst our workers, they're the ones driving jobs out of pennsylvania and our workers , they just want to work. i've always been for bringing jobs to pennsylvania and the democratic party for driving them, it's overregulation of staff so i stood for the union workers and that's why they voted forme in droves . >> the next question is going to comefrom lena and explain to go to mister lamb . >> mister lamb, in the parkland school shooting that left 17 dead has a renewed cause for ar 15's, the age requirement to buy rifles and a ban on both stocks among other proposals.where do you stand on each of these proposals?

a ban on ar 15's, raising the minimum age to 21 to purchase rifles and a ban onboth stocks . >> i believe what is happening right now is unacceptable. we had too many tragedies with no actions whatsoever from our congress and right now what's happening is children are afraid to go to school. i have them on the morning after the florida shooting tell me when she was in the off-line for her kids school she became physically ill when it was time for them to get out of the car. we have to do everything that takes to make our children feel safe and make our parents feel safe sending their kids to school. we know there is a wide middleground and that's on the issue of universal background checks. my opponent and i both support the second amendment. the difference is he's called for elimination of background checks in pennsylvania. i support universal

background checks. no loopholes, period. i think the most important thing for us to focus on is now so if we can get agreement on any proposal, bipartisan agreement, we should . we are hearingagreement on one thing which is universal background checks . >> i'm going to ask you to answer the question about raising the age limit to 21 on rifles. >> and open to it but i don't support it right now because i don't think that's where agreement happens and those of us in congress should talk about the bills that we know should pass. >> representative saccone, if you could address lanes question. >> i want to focus on school safety at some point because that's the important thing here. a ban on ar team, we did that in 1994, a band for 10 years including magazines, high-capacity magazines. for 10 years we had that man, it didn't work. it had no effect on crime so we brought them back . it's not a matter of banning those weapons because the

less argument is to always disarm law-abiding citizens but i believe that we should allow our people to exercise their second amendment rights, that banning weapons is not the answer. as far as raising the age to 21, you run into the argument that we extend our 18, 1920 your goals off to baghdad to fight for our country. they put our weapons in harm's way and yet they come home and are not allowed to buy a gun? many of them have families, their married and have children and they're not going to be allowed to defend themselves because of their age? >> e, is next and her questions go to representative saccone.>> recent tax codes, legislation is dressed drastically reducing pennsylvania's access to medicaid funding. pennsylvania uses non-mandated actions in the medicaid program to provide home community-based care to hundreds of pennsylvanians who are elderly and disabled.

who would otherwise be deprived of their liberty and confinement institutions. will you protect the current levels of medicaid funding to pennsylvania and will you protect the use of medicaid or optional community-based services, please explain your answer . >> i've been to triple several times and i've always supported people with disabilities, especially those that want to stay in their own home. as a government we should be encouraging people to stay and function in their own home and i've always been adequate to that and i'll do whatever ican to make that happen. i think it's good for the people themselves. i think it's good for the taxpayers, much less expensive than trying to institutionalize people and it's morally sound because people want to help themselves . then the government should help them first. >> go ahead. >> it's an optional service, nominated service and that's the issue.

will you fight the optional program? >> yes i will. >> mister lamb, a question. >> the most important thing right now is there's a budget on the table in washington dc right now in front of the united states congress area cuts $1 trillion from our medicaid program over 10 years. if you got $1 trillion out of our medicaid program, all these optional programs are going to suffer. it's going to make people sicker, make them get delayed treatment or no treatment at all. it's not right. this is no longer a chapter inpaul ryan's book . this is the proposed budget the white house has sent to congress and is awaiting a boat. i will refuse to allow that to our medicaid program on behalf of our seniors, on behalf of the disabled, on behalf of our children. i hope mister saccone will tell us he would buck the leadership of his party and vote against that funding if he means what he says. >> this next question is from auburn and it's a two-parter so you will each get a question and you will each get a chance bottles .

bob's first question goes to mister lamb. >> ads attacking your record as a prosecutor say you accepted plea bargains to let criminals off. what are your specific answers to the accusations. >> bob, there's not a person watching the debate tonight that hasn't seen the garbage that my opponent and the people on his side after on television about me. they lied about my record. they drawn cartoon ads just like a comic book version of the campaign. and people are laughing at you, rick. they're tired of it. except this isn't a joke. the heroine epidemic is killing people all over the country and i was proud in the attorney's office to do my job which is to take as many drug dealers off the streets as we could or as long as possible and in the specific case targeted in these ads, we took that dealer away for 10 years. we took two of his houses, took over $200,000 in cash, a

bmw and he was one of 45 people in an operation called operation payday that we took off the streets. when we went down to the fayette county to announce those indictments, we went after these guys for years and it was a great case. >> time is up, i'm goingto cut you off there. representative saccone, your robo . >> i put only positive out. his campaign has run negative ads, i only have to react out. i'm saccone and i endorse this message. his adderall negative against me. i have flat negative against him, yet he supports i'm the one doing the negative campaign. i don't know about these outside groups that are putting out those ads and he's the one doing the negative campaigning so i'm not buying into it and i hope he's not buying into either. >> what you think about the ad putting out in your name?

what's your take on them? >> you look up the cases that you are citing, he talks about he's for opioid? he let a drug kingpin off on a plea bargain. we should be giving him the maximum sentence, not left people off . >> the next part of the question. >> cairo model that please? you cover the courthouse, you know that's not true. 10 years is a serious sentence and i'm proud of it. when outside groups run ads with a that are true, their candidates to disavow them if he means he doesn't believe that. you should say you think these are false. >> i think you should say their false. >> we're going to get bob's second part. >> you been targeted in some answer. there's an ad criticizing your standing as a state lawmaker. it says you've made several hundred thousand dollars over the course of seven years from your taxpayer funded expenses . why is that rule expending for things like rules, payments to a political donor. why is that justified and would you be willing to pay any of it back west and mark.

>> that's another example of the deception of the campaign. i have authorized so much money to spend every year. i give my money every year. i think the state pension and i don't take the state fund. i spent less than my predecessor and have less employees. i've always defended space so this is from the other side, tryingto make eight years of running for office overspending when in fact i've actually saved . >>. >> those are optional per diem payments. those are, there's a record from the office of the comptroller by our government. anyone can look that up and see he took more money than most legislators in harrisburg. i was at an event last night was someone who talked about how mister saccone has proposed bills command meals paid for bylobbyists . yet this person said you'll never believe it, i was at a meal with rick paid for by lobbyists and he's had a lot of meals paid for by lobbyists in harrisburg.

the firstquestion was about the hypocrisy by tim murphy. were going to see more of the same with mister saccone and i don't think it's right . >> i want to rebut. this is again a michael left reporter who reported it. any money in harrisburg on any given night, lobbyists and legislators go out and have dinner. even doing it for years. many of them don't think there's anything wrong with it. i saw this and i said there's something wrong with this so we changed the culture in harrisburg. i put in legislation to change that says these dinners wouldnot be acceptable and not bipartisan , bicameral support. the only legislation that the government reform office indoors and yet they tried to demonize me for bringing up and trying to change the culture in harrisburg. >> next question comes from wayne effort and it is for representative saccone. >> you support spending billions of dollars to build a wall along the us border with mexico? if yes, how important is the border wall compared to spending on the opioid crisis

, education and roads and bridges infrastructure. >> please write them in order of your spending priority. >> is not an either or in government. the budgets are large and there are many priorities in there. yes, walls work, i've been to israel, i've seen wall they don't. i've seen the results of what they've done there. walls and other countries have worked, we need to secure our border and do that for national security reasons. >> is i want to spend a lot more time on because it's something i spent a lot of time on area we need to work on that too. it's a different answer to a different question though i would say we need to do both of those things. >> there's four things and just write them in order of their importance. >> there isintersection, opioids, education and the border wall . >> i think they are all important. >> to answer your question, i would vote for infrastructure first.

people in both parties are telling us now that we have probably $3 trillion worth of infrastructure programs we are behind on. after roads, bridges, and unfortunately my opponent is someone who's voted time and again against those programs at the state level, even when they are back by. everybody gets to ride on them no matter what party they are, i think they're important. next for me would be the heroine epidemic. in the next five years we lose 300,000 people to the heroine epidemic. if we were losing back in a war we would stop at nothing and i think that's the most important. education would be next. we can't continue cutting our public schools because the last time those go up, the border wall, 25 billion. it's expensive. i've seen it's our ports of entry that need the most investment. number one entry point is jfk airport and we need security there. >> going to take a question from one of our viewers on facebook, bill linkous asked

this question, named three specific issues where you see yourself voting outside the majority of your party line. offer specific examples or say nothing at all. >> this one goes to you first. >> .. i don't think that is a great idea. it would be expensive. many people like the plans they have. another one would be natural gas drilling. i support it. it's good for our economy here and great for national security. it can be done better and we need more cops on the beach make sure it is being done right and safely but there are those in my party who are so far to the left they don't support it at all. the third would probably be on

the issue of leadership itself. i said from the beginning of this campaign that i didn't support nancy pelosi for any leadership position that i don't stop all right. we need new leadership. anyone watching tonight with the negative ads no i don't support nancy pelosi. >> , and ask you a question, on your camping website you talk about modern energy and the only thing you list in there is a natural gas. is there room as you're going to have a seat in congress to talk about other sources of energy in western between you? >> actually is. is why we need a manhattan project for clean energy. china is doing it already and they're making massive investments and paying their scientists and the subsidizing solar panel industry. the buying fleet of electric cars. we are well placed in western bring you to be initially are pretty of the scientists and we have universities we people want to do the work. i like to see a big investment in that and that is not a trade off. you do that and have natural gas at the same time.

>> representative, will have you but the question on paper. how would you vote outside the party if at all? >> unlike my partner has no record or experience i have a record for boating said my tax part. my first bill on the legislator was property tax reassessment. i do fight to get that pass through and it was the vetoed by a republican governor. his only veto it is for your turn. so i kept fighting and i didn't give up then and it took seven more years and you know because you just voted through a constitutional amendment to change property tax and how we fund our schools. and you voted over while mainly in favor of it. i voted outside my party and i know i'm in line with what you're thinking. texas is another one i voted outside my party on. the other party, our governor try to some of my party is going along with it but i organized a group of people and that $5 million tax increase we made

in budget with no tax increase in funding all the services that we need. >> representative, i might to add to the question from facebook and talk about your party a little bit more, if you get the seat and you went talk about korea and talk about the president and his approach to korea so far. you said that your you lived in north korea and what is the one thing you want to sell, one thing you want to tell about president trump had deal with that situation? >> my purpose if i get to washington was to advise the president on how to resolve this situation with north korea wherever we are at the time. it does no good to criticize where we came or how we got there but how do we find her and to resolving the situation from wherever we are the time. the only one that has the skill set to that. i have been there and lived a year inside there and successfully negotiate with her friends. i've written two books about it. that would be my purpose and

that is how i approach it. there is a path to dealing with north korea and its narrow but i feel like i'm the only one that has the skill set to reach that. >> you can respond to that and i know you know the difference between north and south korea puke responds to you and everyone watching knows that, shannon. it's amazing the links will go to on the other side to say things that aren't true. think we do agree that negotiation is necessary in that we need experienced diplomats over there. unfortunately, we've seen people leave a statement in this and ministration which makes a hard to get the basic work done. look, we don't need another vote against north korea and congress. what we need in congress are people who are willing to stand up to the leadership on both sides and post cuts in medicaid, post all the other cuts that the republican party is known for right now and pass a budget that is for our people and get them structured on, that protects security and medicare. that's what we need in congress. >> kathleen is the next question for representative.

>> healthcare, do you believe that healthcare is or should be a civil right of americans and do you have a personal vision of how healthcare or health insurance should operate in the united states? >> yes, i don't think healthcare is a civil right but i think it is we should make every effort to make it affordable to everyone. i think there is reforms that are necessary right now in healthcare system. across state lines combine across the lines one of them and reforms to our health savings account systems is another. we are free market solutions that have been tried and some of them haven't tried entrepreneurial answers and you are probably using some of them right now with matt expressing some of those issues that have taken of her out of the emergency room and taking it to the clinic. i've used those clinics myself when i was sick and it keeps me out of the emergency room and there may not be a doctor there or a nurse practitioner but those people there can help us without the eating up emergency room time and money because we know how expensive they are. there are a lot more free market solutions to the healthcare solution and i like to be a part of that.

>> mr. lehman. >> when your child is sick or you get hurt on the job you should be able to go to the doctor and it shouldn't break your bank account. unfortunately that is not happening for a lot of our people right now. we need to redouble our efforts. the affordable care act was making great progress at bringing more people onto the health insurance role and we need to get back to that but we need to do more to get these premiums down. i don't think the free market will do it. people on wall street have enough money already and it's not in their interest to make premiums go down. we need to look at things like reinsurance and look at putting the teeth back in the affordable care act so that people have healthcare they can afford. >> but, yes, sir no, do you think that healthcare should be a civil right? >> a civil right and everyone should have it. >> do you believe social security is an unearned benefit or something americans have paid into and are owed and in the interest of entitlement form would you support or would you oppose any type of cut to

anyone's social security benefits? >> but, i know social security is the one they paid into and earn. people are telling me every day how insulted they are when they hear paul ryan refer to it as an entitlement. there was a man came up to me and these are working when he was 12 years old and paying social security taxes. the 77 today and still working to pay for supplemental medical coverage. he took out his keyring after he told me all this and held it out and he had his dog tag on their where he served in the u.s. army during korea. he asked me to hold it and when i did he said don't break your promise to me, stick up for these programs we paid into them. i'll remember that guy for life. social security is something in

a promise made people and i will keep a promise. >> yes, it is a promise made by people. in a couple of years i will be on it probably. i'm 60 years old. the course will keep it. my opponent has lied over and over in his lot ads and i will say it again. i will look at you right now i have no plans, never advocated and never would advocate cutting social security or medicaid. unfortunately these programs are going broke and we have to do forms. some of them we have to look at overpayments to drug companies and some of the fraud that is going on. we have to try to refinance we can save these programs so there available for everybody. that is what i have advocated for an adult at the state levels and other programs and i'll do it in the u.s. congress. >> mail respond please? >> yes. >> if he believes that it's time for him to stand up and say he opposes the $250.000000000 cut to medicare that is in prison

trumps a budget right now. the cuts to social security staffing that are in the budget. unfortunately his vote in the past indicate otherwise and he voted against programs like unimportant insurance for our construction workers that are also a program that people pay into but tend to get cut by the other side. >> i'm going to cut you off and let him respond. >> another deception. the biggest cut to medicaid, medicare, was obamacare. $750 billion drained out of that. he was for it and his party was for it and drained out of medicare to pay for obamacare. i've never supported that and i won't support, as i said, i'll say it again in case they don't understand it, i don't support cutting social security or medicare. >> we will move on to a question from elaine. >> marijuana is legal for marrow medical purposes in 29 states, recreational marijuana is legal in nine states. what is your best argument for or against congress legalizing recreational marijuana? >> because argument is that people of 18th district or whatever it is that the legislator i don't know how many

hearings, maybe a dozen hearings across the state sinning to the experts on medical marijuana and its tendency to turn into recreational marijuana. the people in our district don't want that and i'm definitely connected with them. i would not vote for making it recreational and i did not vote for medical marijuana. >> mr. lamb. >> i support medical marijuana as exist right now as long as it is carefully done in well-regulated. too many doctors have told me that the patients need it into many parents have told me that it's the cheapest and best treatment for the kids especially with kids for seizures. that is a restart in people and besides seem to agree on that and it's a good way to take care of our people and i am for it. >> next question comes from kathleen and it is for mr. lamb. >> tender equality has been the subject of federal legislation since the 19th amendment given women the vote. the 115 congress will have opportunity to impact policy. have you identified any changes

that you would push for related to gender equality, sexual harassment or gender identity in the military or related issues? >> my first job in the military was to prosecute cases of rape and sexual assault. i stood up with victims, both men and women, who were afraid to speak up against their superiors in uniform but we did it and got justice in all those cases. i learned a lot from that. we have to listen to victims of sexual assault, sexual harassment wherever they come from. we have to oppose attempts by the legislator in harrisburg, by congress in washington dc to cover-up these settlements that they use taxpayer dollars for. we have to shed light on all of that. as far as gender equity in the workplace i support measures that will correct the pay imbalance. we still have women earning less on average than men and that is not good enough. paid family leave is something i support. in the federal workplace we

still don't have it in colleagues of mine in the us attorney's office would have kids and have to take all their sick leave just to raise their first kid and i don't think that is right. >> representative. >> it's important that we never disseminate against anyone but everyone feels welcome when they come to work and they shouldn't be sexually harassed, certainly. we need to empower our people so they feel that they feel mistreated they can step up and say something and their claim will be heard and it will be investigated thoroughly. i like what is going on in the state where they passed a bill to have a separate panel for those who have a complaint and it will make sure that it would be heard. i'm a father and grandfather and i have been surrounded and all my legislative staff are women. i've been a military commander dealing with men and women issues have always treated people fairly. that's a record. i have a record of doing that.

i will be for policies that are supported that and we want to empower people to feel at home and welcome in the workplace. >> i will follow up on average is there were for legislation and is there a legislative bill that you would forward to advance that if you win? >> yes, i would take a look at what the house just passed because it's a big bill and i haven't looked at in depth but we might add to that. i'd be willing to look at that and i haven't looked at additional legislation at this point. >> i like to see legislation for paid family leave making the right especially for federal employees and it's not happening right now and i don't think that's fair. >> next question. comes from bob, do families whose loved ones are fighting opioid addiction deserve help through publicly supported programs or is the responsibility for dealing with that in fact and those families on them alone? >> i'm uniquely qualified to answer this question. in state legislator we have learned that again we've had hearings from washington and

i've been to a dozen of them in the policy committee and judiciary committee the number of committees and we heard experts for rehabilitation specialist with heard on placement in the attic themselves and i do ride longs with our police and ambulance and i've been out to overdoses and seeing how it picks families up front and up close so this is an all hands on deck problem. it's not a legislative problem. by the way we passed 12 bills in the legislator dealing with opiate addiction. were trying to do our part. not just want to problem we have to have everybody in the industry become involved in the are becoming involved in looking at how we can prevent overprescribing of opioids and we have to have the churches involved and the schools involved in our parents involved but everyone has to be on deck to solve this problem. it's a societal problem. >> my question was are there publicly places supported for

those families or are they on their own? i understand that law enforcement has a part in you said that and others have their part but if you are a lawmaker do you support taxpayer funded programs to deal with the impact on families of the albright crisis constricts. yes, and i have supported that. there's a part to play for government but it's not just government. full society has to be involved to solve this problem. government won't solve this problem for the people of pennsylvania. >> mr. lamb. >> there's a huge role for the government to play in saving our people. the first overgrowth test case i worked on his prosecutor was a young man who finally got into a 30 day rehab program after years of struggling with addiction and parents worked so hard to get them in. he came out after 30 days and died on the 31st day. he relapsed into bags of heroin kill to bring the experts tell us it doesn't take 30 days.

it takes 90 days and you have to have a place to go in a bed to sleep in. we don't have enough of them right now. a judge can send anyone to jail it's difficult for judge to send people to rehab. only the government can bill those facilities and fill them with qualified staff. only the government to have the health insurance programs that these people need more suffering from addiction for years afterward. that is medicaid. medicaid is a program that provides health insurance for those suffering from the disease of addiction and you have to postcards like the current budget that cuts $1 trillion for medicaid and that's will affect those suffering and at risk of dying if they don't do something about it. >> this is a big issue and will stay on it and i will let the representative say something else about this. >> thank you. it's a tough solution and everything is a big government social we just had people testify before a senate judiciary committee two weeks ago to the most effective treatments better than methadone and other rehab programs are the faith-based programs.

seventy-five-80% effective and they don't cost the taxpayers a dime. we need to explore all aspects of this. it can't be just a big government solution to everything. >> i want to say on this issue with me talk about living in pittsburgh we have what we call the best medical research minds in the world and how much government money should be be spending on researching ways to fight addiction? >> we should spend whatever it takes to solve the problem. we know from our treatment providers now that there is a gold standard here, 90 days in treatment, detox and rehabilitation and years of outpatient treatment efforts including medically assisted treatment, those who can help bring it back. heroin is a monster and changes the brain. i would support for the government research in which projectile medications can get this done. i don't disagree with my opponent that there's a role for the faith community employer. there absolutely is for we who are running for congress we have to do the job and the job for the government is stick up for

these programs and from them and do whatever it takes to save our people. >> representative, talk about research and government funding for research. >> it's a legitimate expensive government and we are doing that now. but we also, again, need to look at the private sector. hallmark had it seminar where i attended they're looking at how to curb the over prescription and [inaudible] has of try to do the same thing so if we cut back on prescribing opioids we can do this without expense to the government and taxpayers. i'm for exploring all of those and i always have been. >> next question comes from alain mr. lamb. >> what's the one thing you admire about your campaign opponent? >> i admire a bill that he push in harrisburg that would help people get driver's license after they've committed certain drug offenses and that was something i saw as a prosecutor all the time for you to people's of the time with her debt to society and it could be hard to find a job even if they wanted

to and i would meet with groups of people who had come out and i remember one of them telling me it's not hard for a felon to get a job and keep a job but it's hard for someone who doesn't have a drivers license to get a job keep it up. i'm aware that the representative along with my state representative that legislation and i think it's a great thing and sorely needed. >> i like the fact that he's idealistic and it's great and it's like fresh blood coming in. i understand that but of course he doesn't have a record and doesn't have any experience in carrying out these things so that's the contrast between us. >> one thing you can find admi admire. >> i admire that he's young and idealistic and has let hope that he can change the world. >> okay. were going to appease the question. this will go to representative saccone. this impacts all of us here.

>> this is great. it goes to gerrymandering, i've been a victim of gerrymandering. i iran in against the 26 year incumbent in 76% district that was gerrymandered to keep a democrat in power. i iran and i want anyway to hear people talk about gerrymandering and complaining about how they can win because they been gerrymandered out, it does make it more difficult and we do need to make sure that the system that lines are drawn effectively as i can but we just put forth a great plan that improves the district someone in pennsylvania and the supreme court stepped in and overstepped its bounds and vetoed those maps into their own maps which are far worse than what they were complaining about. we have a great system in pennsylvania for chinese maps and a 5% commission and two republicans and two democrats in the spring for justice i voted on the current maps in those maps then come to legislator and is a bipartisan vote in the legislator 139 of us voted and

39 democrats and 100 republicans in the past those -- >> i have to cut you off. >> and supreme court below them. >> mr. lamb. >> when i started the campaign i made a promise to the voters in 18 district that we didn't have a voice in washington and i would give us that voice. i've only campaigned for the voters of the 18th district enough i intend to do and would like to serve. i don't really care where they draw the lines and will let that shakeout in the court but it will say i'm aware that the current lines we have which i think everyone agrees are strangely shaped were drawn by a computer program called red map in harrisburg. i think it was done with partisan intents i'm happy to the court has stepped in to take a look at it and now we need to let the courts do their job and finish the retrying of the lines. >> we have a question from kathleen for mr. lamb. >> the first amendment in article three of the bill of rights says congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.

what is your personal interpretation of this prohibition and how do you intend to apply the in congress? >> my personal interpretation is that when we decide any bill we have to think about the public interest. not just what one religion thanks but for me the issue that comes up a lot is the issue of a woman's right to choose. i support a woman's right to choose under the law even though i'm a catholic and i personally oppose abortion. i believe that life begins at conception but we have one law in this country and it is for everybody the matter what their religion. i think there's a place for faith and religion in the public square for us to talk about where we come from and ideas inspiration but when it comes to lawmaking we have to get down to the facts and figures out what is best for everybody. >> tentative. >> i've run the book about this. i think the astonishment caused was meant to prevent any one denomination from being named

estate division. it was never intended to sanitize god from our public life. god has always been part of our public life. he was there when george washington swore his oath on the bible is the first act that made them the chief executive of our nation was there when president trump for his oath on the bible making him the chief executive our nation so god was there in the beginning and got there right now leviticus 25 says a is across the liberty bell. god was part of our founding fathers and a part of that icon of our heritage in our history. over 50 but local scriptures are throughout our state capital and over 100 in washington that our national motto is in god we trust. it's chiseled in stone in the front steps of our capital and here's part. there is a place for god in a public life and it doesn't mean we make one denomination over the other in the spring court has ruled that in god we trust is our national motto. we should celebrate that. >> representative saccone your spent time and energy major that argument was made in your time

in the state and the state government. how much time would you spend moving forward if you do when the seat to promote issues like that, in god we trust as the national motto? >> i've always will promote things that encourage family values and celebrate our godly heritage but in a culture of selfishness and greed which we are pushing back on right now in the society positive messages need to come from our godly heritage are worth the touting and celebrating and if have a chance to do that from a bully pulpit i will always. it doesn't have an effect on legislation but it does have an effect as a leader that i promote and celebrate our godly heritage. >> your critics have said they takes away time from other kinds of legislation that might be more important. what you say that. >> i say we do a lot of things once. we are multitaskers. it doesn't take time away from other legislation and it helps

our society. >> mr. lamb, you're a bottle. >> he has been successful in harrisburg passing things like governor james pollock remembrance day and talking about in god we trust but it is harder to do the real stuff, social security, medicare, our info structure, things that take bipartisan agreement and compromise. he talked earlier about his bill to ban meals paid for by lobbyists but he didn't get a pass and he kept taking meals from obvious "after words". those are the hard things. even things that shouldn't be so hard like voting against the protection of animals, the papers law, one of the few to vote against the mistreatment of animals that is what people need us to focus on is things that go straight to our decency and looking out for each other and leaving no one behind. i'm not congress, not for cardinal. i want to stick up for what people really need. >> we need to let our viewers know that that law is about testing the laws for those who abuse animals in the state of pennsylvania. it got a lot of attention and you do get a chance to respond.

>> first of all, i'm glad he's not ready for cardinal because he clung to his basic catholic catechism because right to life is a part of that basic catholic cat is catechism. i have 17 bills going through the legislature right now. at the bill signed into law last year. he's never had a bill and never written a bill that is probably never read a bill but i have a lot of legislation going through. many of them are signed into law and to say that one or another i can't get things passed you don't get everything you put in past and i've gotten a lot of it pass. three just last year. >> okay. moving on. next question comes from bob to representative saccone. >> on russian efforts to interfere with our elections to support or oppose robert mueller been fired as special counsel as he pursues that work?

>> i don't think that is necessarily allegedly the problem. we need to investigate that one. russia has been trying to interfere in our country since the beginning of the cold war and we need to be on guard against them. cyber attacks, especially now, are growing and it's not just russia. china and korea are attacking us but legislation is not needed to determine whether or not present decides to fire muller. >> but there are signs that that may be the president's intent. do you view that investigation is something that lawmakers should keep independent as it has been a past history or does there need to be a mechanism there to ensure that the investigation would not be short-circuited if president trump pursues what he decides to do is track. >> that's a little different than the first one you asked me. this has been politicized. we need to make sure that our investigations ones that are independent or not politicized. if we detect they are being politicized and we need to act but we need to let them act

alone and make sure they're doing their jobs properly. >> mr. lamb. >> robert mueller is a war hero, a decorated marine and has a reputation in washington that is unmatched for integrity and has the respect of people on both sides of the aisle. he needs the independence and the time and space to interview with witnesses and review the documents and figure out what happened here. how we can best protect our people can hold anyone accountable to broke the law. i post any efforts to limit his authority or interview with his investigation. >> but there should be a legislative mechanism in place to make sure that happens? >> to protect robert mueller's investigation? if necessary, yes. so far it seems like his investigation is proceeding at base but i would support any legislation to ensure that he is a time and space to do what he needs to. >> we are coming up to our final question and coming from alain and we will go to mr. lamb, first. >> you said there is strong evidence that russia meddled in the 2016 american presidential

election. do you agree? what should congress do in reaction to russian interference in one of our most sacred the mechanic institutions customer. >> we have heard from the national security adviser appointed by the president that the evidence is incontrovertible that russia has interfered in our elections and may do so again. we've for the same thing for intelligence trinity for lunch with the community. we need to do whatever it takes to protect our electoral system. we need paper backup letter voting machine we also need to invest in things like cyber security. people in washington are talking about new funding for cyber agents, more technology and we need to be aggressive about this. this is a new domain of warfare and i believe we should dominate that the main of warfare have and i'll do whatever it takes to make sure we do that. >> representative saccone. >> we need to make sure that we do everything we can to prevent russia or any country from interfering in our electoral process that means we need to investigate and find out where

we are vulnerable and weak and we need to take action. if it means sanctioning our country to do that i'm all for it and we need to apply all pressure internationally to anyone we detect is interfering in the process. >> gentlemen, thank you so much. that concludes the question and answer portion. each candidate will have one minute to make their closing statements and we will begin with mr. lamb. >> i think it helps to remember what we're doing here right now. we are here because the people of the 18th district have been without a voice and without a vote in congress for far too long. i have listened to you and i've learned a lot from this campaign. number one thing i've heard is that people are sick of the bickering in washington. they want someone to go down there and get the job done. i've had the privilege and the honor in my life to stand up multiple times to raise my right hand and take an oath. i did that is marine and as a

prosecutor overseas and here at home. i would like to take it off again is your next representative. there's nothing that oath about democrats or about republicans. nothing in there about anyone's agenda. had enough agendas. we need someone to get to work and do the job. i will work hard every day and i will work with anyone that wants to help and most importantly, i will know who i'm working for. i'm working for you. thank you very much. >> representative saccone. >> i want to thank the viewers for tuning in tonight and hope you learned something here. what do you think the moderators want to thank my partner from coming tonight. if you watch the news you know that the world is in turmoil and country is in peril. all the more reasons we need to send the most qualified and experienced person to washington to handle the pressing problems facing our nation. i have a very diverse background and policy, education, in the military, and government and international business. five key areas over 40 years of life experience that i can bring

to bear this all these pressing problems in the country. i have passed bipartisan legislation in our house so that i can reach across the aisle and get things done. i'm endorsed by catholic vote .-dot or, the fraternal order of police, nra, national right to life, i'm battle tested and ready to serve. i'm asking for your vote. it's vitally important piece of the country to save. >> gentlemen, thank you so much. the recent redistricting debate in the courts and state legislator means that the future of the 18th congressional district in between is in flux. the matter what the end result to be it will be different than it is right now to consider the different counties and towns and current districts. different people and families with many of the same concern. a district that has i had a representative in congress since october. we know that the political landscape is different than it was a year ago. whatever the winner of this election does in congress people who live in the 18th district will be following more closely than they ever have before. the stakes have never been higher.

a big part of the league of women voters mission is hosting nonpartisan political debate just like this one. and hosting those debates is one of the most important things we do here at wt ae and for watching those bits that is one of the most important things voters can do to make an informed choice. we go to the polls. please remember to get out and vote tuesday march 13 for the special election. it is a right and a privilege and remember you can stay up-to-date on elections on the wta the mobile app and you can rewatch tonight's debate on the app. watch it more closely and thank you so much for being here. i want to say thank you to our panel for their great questions and also a special thanks to our candidates tonight. i'm shannon, tonight. ♪

>> in this year's student cam competition we as students to choose a provision of the u.s. constitution and create a video illustrating why it is important. the students competed for the chance to win cash prizes and we received 2985 entries from 46 states. the first prize winner for the high school east category goes to [inaudible] from montgomery blair high school in silver spring, maryland for a no trespassing. they seek justice for native women. the first prize winners of our high school central category.

>> when i looked online and get the contact information for the

person i thought tyler, we have to do this we have to get in contact. we sent e-mails and filming and recent even more e-mails after that and everything fell into place. >> it was difficult because 26 different amendments that we looked at and evaluated and there's a lot of controversy going on right now and we sat down and we sat down and looked at what affected our age and the 25th amendment we are able to get in contact with some important people here in iowa to push for it and we got on work on issues could. >> the top 22 winning entries will air on c-span in april. you can watch every student cam documentary online at student cam .org. >> this weekend on the tv live

coverage from the tenth annual tucson festival of books featuring author discussions in viewer: segments from the university of arizona. starting saturday at noon eastern with columnist who talks about politics about the retreat of western liberalism. a discussion about the trump administration with journalist david johnson, author of it is even worse than you think the trump administration is doing to america. astronaut scott kelly talks about space exploration with his book, endurance, a year in space, a lifetime of discovery. on sunday a live coverage continues at 1:00 p.m. eastern with the topic of women in the military featuring best-selling author in her book company girls, the untold story of the american women codebreakers of world war ii. then a discussion on the

republican party with craig shirley in his book citizen new to, the making of a reagan conservative. author sasha talks about immigration with his book go back to where you came from the backlash against immigration and the fate of western democracy. watch our live coverage of the tenth annual tucson festival of books on c-span2's book tv. >> today, government officials testified about preparing and responding to seasonal flu before a house energy subcommittee. they addressed the effectiveness of vaccines and finding the best ways to dispel myths of vaccinations. >> good morning. this year, like so many previous years, we have had a bad flu season. after months of record-breaking widespread flu activities the cdc has reported that the flu season is finally peaked. we are