>> chavez-deremer: the concern has come up that 1500 noncitizens were identified registered to vote and that's a concern for all oregonians, that's our democracy, free and fair elections. i wrote a letter to the secretary of state's office and the governor's office asking let's identify where we can do better because oregonians do expect free and fair elections. i would and that is what we count on but we should do the investigation and find out why. my opponent voted for that bill. we have to check into it. i think it -- accountability matters. on this election absolutely, we do agree with that at the federal level too. this is going to be a tossup election, we know that, for the presidency. doesn't change how we work. i signed on to two agreements to support this election with my colleagues, bipartisan letter, unity letter that says we will accept the outcomes of this election when all is said and done and that is important to do and important to tell oregonians that as well.

thank you for the question. >> bynum: my opponent was a little sketchy on the last election and whether we should accept the result if president biden won and donald trump lost and i think it is that hesitation that gives voters hesitation. when you have to question and election that you accept your own results and you can't accept higher-level results, that's a little sketchy. we shouldn't trust her. >> i've been very clear in my support for free and fair elections. this is just to nationalize oregon's fifth congressional district. she will not take accountability for her actions, for her votes, for her failed leadership, she just will deflect, deflect deflect deflect and oregonians deserve better than this.

i have accepted the election outcome and will continue to do so and work with my colleagues across the aisle to let people know it is important to the united states of america. >> question about lessons learned from oregon's drug decriminalization law, this was decided at the state level, your position has no input instead we want to focus on lessons learned. what lessons including mistakes have you learned in the past two years? >> oh gosh. the more we talk maybe we won't here. on the more we listen we can learn from other colleagues across the islands other parts of the country that might be sharing the same issues we have to coalesce around. it takes hard work. it is not easy to work against the tide, to make sure you are

talking to your leadership but the measure one hundred 10 is important to the federal level because we want to be supportive of closing that southern border affect all americans which having more than 10 to 15 million people come unvented affect oregonians and all americans so it is important to me. measure 110 was a failed excitement i don't want to share with any other state in the nation because it was a failed experiment. can we do better? yes we can. but she hasn't done better. ten years in the legislature and oregonians -- >> bynum: i beat you twice. >> chavez-deremer: and with that win, squandered it. she did not use her ability to do better for oregonians. left us less safe and unaffordable. >> moderator: this question comes from the readers of the bulletin.

the original version of measure one hundred 10 which you supported has widely been considered a failure and acknowledged as such. both sides of the aisle are working together to change it. what did you learn from measure one hundred 10 it is aftermath about the consequences of sweeping legislation and how would you bring the lesson to congress? >> bynum: it is an oregon issue. systems need to be in place when you pass a bill. i worked to make sure mental health providers were in place. i had an $80 million or so bill to grow the number of mental health providers. i also again did the town hall reaching out to people in the community finding out what was a challenge for them and how to improve things but the particular feature here of the issue is of critical importance to understand. this was a measure put to the people from an outside source, that is a function of our constitution and how citizens

can bring forth issues to put before the voters so the lesson learned here is making sure as we consider things that citizens put forward, we have the structures and infrastructure in place and we make sure we are constantly evaluating that over time and if things aren't working we should not be afraid to readjust quickly which is what we did. >> thank you. >> moderator: let's move on to the issue of gun rights if we can for just a moment. we will start with representative janelle bynum. the first part of the question is very simple yes or no, do you support and assault weapons ban? >> yes. >> moderator: the second part of that question, what changes to federal law regulating gun-control do you support? >> bynum: the principal here is

that our children are dying in schools, people are dying in grocery stores. people are dying in the public square. people are dying because, a, we don't have mental health support as already mentioned, and b, there are not enough red flag laws that are enforced or implemented that can help identify people at an early stage for not being fit to own a gun that can shred people in an instant. i think it is time for us to stop playing fast and loose with our children's lives and i don't want to bury any more children that have been harmed as a result of a school shooting. this is an issue that republicans won't take up. this is an issue mothers like me are very concerned about. we have to do better and my opponent can't get there.

>> moderator: do you support an assault weapons ban in this country? >> chavez-deremer: i support the second amendment. let me tell you what we can do. i supported and cosponsored the eagles act, bicameral, bipartisan national threat assessment center to prevent violence on all americans. my opponent mentioned the red flag laws, she voted twice to let criminals out of prison in oregon and she has also voted to reduce felonies to misdemeanors. what happens when you reduce felonies to misdemeanors? will have access to guns. how on one hand you can say you care about red flag laws, protecting oregonians and willing to decrease criminal offenses they've been charged for in order to put guns back in the hands of those criminals makes no sense to me. that is false. she hasn't supported that and dismantling and defunding law enforcement.

she has been a champion of putting criminals back -- >> bynum: that is not true. that's not true. >> moderator: let me back up for a second. is there a gun-control law you would support in congress? >> moderator: >> chavez-deremer: making sure we identify where threat assessments are. we have to address mental health, not been done by my opponent. drug addiction, failures here have made our job, we have to come in and fill the golf because of her failed policies. >> moderator: what was said their about your feelings on gun-control. >> bynum: i am sorry. >> moderator: you have 30 seconds. >> bynum: it goes to show as a mom she's not as serious about

making sure our kids aren't shredded in schools. that is the whole thing. we saw uvalde, we saw florida, we saw boston, we see las vegas. how much more do we have to see before we get serious about protecting our families? it is a whole lot of talk but no action and there is a whole lot of baiting about who wants to d fund, i never did that. that you. >> moderator: thank you. >> we will talk about the balance of power. your election two years ago helped tilt the house to republican control. how specifically has republican control over congress benefited district 5 voters? >> chavez-deremer: when i went to washington i wanted to tell the same story.

i've said this over and over how important it was to take oregon's story to washington and the balance of power, how important that is. this is the 119th congress. we have to do the best work when we are there. balance of power will shift. the presidential election is a tossup. it would not be surprising to anybody watching but my work won't change. i want to work across the aisle and carry on the work i did as mayor as a mom. i have identical total twin girls, 30 years old. it is important to our families and the balance of power and at the federal level, it's working hard and remembering what is important so the every day issues affecting all americans are contributing.

>> reporter: how has republican-controlled benefited voters here? are you able to give a specific example? >> chavez-deremer: the for scores possibility act, cutting $2.1 trillion, making sure we bring funding back and law enforcement and public safety. the oregon story, focus on that. and talking about 27 million invested in the fifth district, closed 800 cases, turned $4 million and allowing us to do that and be independent thinkers, and bringing it back in policy centers. balance of powers important to me. >> i want to give you a chance to answer a similar question.

balance of power in swing districts like this one, how would your election and control of the house moving back to democrats impact residents of the fifth district? >> bynum: i was excited to work on oregon's version of the chips act which is a function of national security, growing our economy and bridge talent with opportunity and the chips act has the impact of having a $200 million investment for oregonians bringing back $43 billion of investments. we made sure that our universities benefited as well. these are the investments i think oregonians are looking for us to make. one of the things we lose sight of is when our children graduate from high school do they have anything to look forward to? that for me was the chips act. i was able to accomplish that

even with republican-led congress making sure we brought those dollars home to oregon. senator knute was one of the vice chairs of the committee. that is one example of how i could do things from here that would help oregonians for the long-term. >> moderator: unemployment is historically low yet the economy remains a central point of debate. as we begin with you, what steps related to economic growth? >> bynum: there is a lot there. the economy doesn't appear the same for all of us.

juan saca -- lori chavez-deremer said the trump tax cuts would be good for some of us. working families deserve a break. whether it's the child tax credit or making sure their kids are not matriculating through school coming out with a lot of debt, being created in oregon. that who gets to benefit from being in power? i believe republicans and lori chavez-deremer are interested in making sure, benefit from the tax laws that were passed and all of the investments. i am a champion for working families and roll up my sleeves. >> moderator: what steps need to be taken? >> bynum: we did the chips act,

the inflation reduction, making sure, the dependence on foreign oil, those are functions of the federal government but getting to a clean energy hub and having oregonians be leaders on that. continuing to make larger investments. >> moderator: is the economy thriving are failing? what steps does congress need to take? >> around oregon's system they tell you it is failing, grocery prices are up, people are trying to make ends meet, they have more than one job, can't find childcare, they need assistance to say what are we going to do to make life easier and more affordable? state legislature is not helping. how do i know that?

here's a few things, the child tax credit for dependent children, tax >> caller: low income housing, i sponsored all of those things. raising taxes nine times, she has been silent about measure 118 which will decimate the economy. i think about the tax hikes. and what equation can she figure out giving $30,000 to one group of people who are noncitizens to purchase their first home, and we can do a lot in the federal level, i always have to step in and fill the gap. >> moderator: respond to that.

>> chavez-deremer: i don't know what she's talking about, she doesn't know what she is talking about. >> moderator: the next question you could call a land-use question at the federal level. to purchase mount bachelor. it is for sale now, the ski area. it sits on federally leased land. do you believe congress should support efforts to maintain and control, local control over ski areas like mount bachelor. let's start with you. this is federal land. >> chavez-deremer: the private -- >> moderator: a private corporation pays the federal government to lease that land. >> chavez-deremer: that is correct. deciding that will take a coalition to decide what they

want to do with that and protecting federal lands is something oregonians care about. the cost will be expensive. it will be dependent on a coalition of state government to step in and work, this is the discussion that brings everybody to the table, what's best for central oregon. >> moderator: what do you think of that? >> bynum: i'm always curious when private industry gets to have advantages the average person doesn't get to have. federal land is a joint asset of the people of the united states. i take the sale of that very seriously. i think there's a conversation merited, i am a little troubled when private entities have

access to the land and private sale. >> moderator: this is an issue of allowing a private company to lease the federal land versus letting a local entity step in and control it. >> bynum: that's and information i need more information on. i need more information and that's the purpose of town hall, when you are adept at doing those you are not afraid to say i am a legislator doesn't mean you know everything. and have conversation in the community. >> moderator: the question about diversity, leading diverse voices to the table can be a challenge regardless who wins, oregon will be sending minority women to represent the fifth district. what responsibility if any do

you have to be a voice for minorities and how does it shape your decision-making? >> bynum: my mother graduated from a segregated high school in south carolina. it is not lost on me that i'm one generation from segregation. what is really important is as class valedictorian she went door-to-door downtown seeking work, there was nothing waiting for her. no college, no job. it is my job to carry the mantle of bridging talent with opportunity whether for our rural kids, underrepresented minorities for all kids across oregon. that's the challenge anyone serving in this position whether they are a minority or not, bridging talent with opportunity.

>> moderator: what responsibility if any do you have to be a voice for minorities and how does it shape your decision-making? >> chavez-deremer: i'm the first latina elected to represent oregon in the republican party as well as the mayor of happy valley and in congress. do we have a responsibility? we have to be relatable to different people the we are representing. we need to be forward thinking, whether it is minorities across the board, bipartisanship, democrats and republicans, our job to represent oregon's district and all its diversity, part of the hispanic leadership trust, paying attention to what those issues are and the hispanic population is the

fastest growing population in oregon, 14% in the district, making sure we have the representation they deserve because honoring their values and goals and how they want to live the american dream. >> moderator: janelle bynum, whether it is wildfires in the west are hurricanes in the southeast, the impact of climate change are both real and expensive. what do you view as the most important step congress can take to address mobile climate change? >> bynum: as an engineer we can innovate our way out of some of these problems and we can change our habits. as we respond to some of these natural disasters we also need to take a look at our insurance markets. making sure that people have a realistic idea of the risks that are present when they lived in a particular place.

it's not enough to say we need to respond to wildfires. it is also government responsibility to make sure we are not putting people in harm's away. i think very directly innovating our way out of challenges is a function of bridging talent with opportunity, making sure oregon is a leader in climate action technology and that's why i proposed a clean energy hub so oregonians can lead in these technologies, we can do wins, we can do so like a we can do electrification, we can do all those things. >> moderator: lori chavez-deremer, what do you view as the most important step congress can take to address global climate change? >> chavez-deremer: addressing the energy sector and how we move around the world. i'm part of the concern of climate caucus in the bipartisan climate solution caucus as well. i have paid attention to what the energy sector can look like and in oregon we want to protect our environment and the

health of oregonians. what we need to know is we need to have an abundance of energy and how we get there and we can do it in america, cleaner, safer, have to make sure it is healthy, affordable and abundant. we cannot mandate utility, high cost of living, if we can balance those the only way to do that is to play on the world stage, i traveled around the world to have those energy tables and are representing young people, middle america and everybody in oregon at the table so i've worked hard on being part of the solution so congress can never be out of the conversation. we are playing on the world stage. >> moderator: janelle bynum mentioned insurance, a critical need when it comes to protecting our properties from fire and at a time when

insurance companies are either dropping people like flies are increasing their premiums to the point they can no longer afford it the federal government and fema has a program to protect people against flooding across the country. there is no such program to protect people against wildfires. do you believe the federal government should be involved in making it easier for people to get the fire insurance coverage to protect them against wildfires that could well be caused by, many people would say, climate change? >> bynum: absolutely. it's important to read how devastating a loss can be when you experience a wildfire or hurricane or tornado. that is one of the things experiencing that is trauma, not something you should take lightly. i had a close family member recently stuck in helenifor 8 days without water or power.

it is important for government to make sure we are building houses in places where we are not increasing risk and being unreasonable about the risk people are taking by living there so it is with caution that we build in certain places knowing we need to build more. i would be very supportive of making sure the west coast gets taken care of like the east coast and southern areas of the country. >> moderator: lori chavez-deremer do you support a fire program like the flood program? >> chavez-deremer: in the west, that is what we do is burn down to we don't have flooding like south florida, or hurricanes and tornadoes but we have massive wildfires in california and washington and insurance companies are dropping insurance, businesses and don't know who to turn to and there's a couple things we can address. we have to address mitigation in the situation we are in and

how we are managing the forests. they are lifecycle and we have to make sure we are involved in that. the urgency of getting those dollars out the door afterward and we are seeing that now in florida and the south coast, cr relief in dollars authorized by congress, $20 billion, not getting all the dollars we need and people are hurting with water shortage and where they are going to live and rebuilding afterword, how to mitigate and coordinate with insurance companies and or the private sector to say where are we heading? there's a lot to talk about in this but it is worth taking a look. >> moderator: that does include the question portion of the debate tonight. we will maintain the same order as the closing statements. so lori chavez-deremer, janelle bynum, you can start with your when minute closing statement.

>> bynum: we heard tonight that i'm the candidate who can represent oregon's for district best. i'm a mother of four, small business owner, electrical engineer and four term state legislator. i am of the one who protects working families making sure we are standing up for oregonians, investing in the economy, protecting the vulnerable. i am the champion for healthcare, making sure we have access to reproductive care. my opponent cannot say she supports full choice for women, she cannot say that, she wouldn't respond to that. i'm the candidate that can tell you i invested in mental health care. i can tell you that i invested in oregon's economy to the tune of $43 billion in economic investment. i'm the candidate that the champion of the people, that reaches across the island will

work with anyone to get things done. i am janelle bynum and i'm running for the fifth congressional district. >> chavez-deremer: a couple things i want to address because we didn't get to them tonight. an opinion piece that came out about me versus a proven factual track record. two things i think she failed to address, the support of labor, 20 unions support me. that use to support because they don't believe her or trust her and she has failed policies. they walked away, and graciously said they would not support her in any way with public safety and last but not least we saw this last week, her fail, a young woman, mandatory reporter and she decided to not reported to law enforcement.

and will not retract to that lie. i find it unfortunate that she lies often. >> bynum: you are a liar, you're the trump supportive, you are the person who is making sure -- >> moderator: let her finish. >> chavez-deremer: she decided not to support that young woman. >> bynum: she is a liar. >> moderator: on behalf of central oregon daily news i think our candidates for being here tonight for this spirited debate at times for certain. let's also thank marco moderators this evening, heather and julie, thank you for being here and thank you to the voters, you are the key to this democracy. we will continue to bring you coverage of the candidates and the issues to help make your choice in this critical election year. ..ical election year. have a good