what assurances can the prime minister give my constituents that cuts to higher education will not affect students? >> the assurance -- let me welcome the honorable lady to her place. the assurance i can give her is that we are going to increase the number of university places by 10,000 in the coming year, because we want to see higher education expand. the other assurance i can give her is that we are committed to the browne review that the last government set up, on an all- party basis, to look at how we can make sure that higher education is affordable both for the young people going into higher education and for our country as a whole. >> harriett baldwin. >> thank you, mr. speaker. and can i praise the prime minister's staunch support of the nhs --

[unintelligible] and its budget, and use this opportunity to invite him to malvern to open our brand new community hospital some time at his convenience this autumn? >> can i thank the honorable lady? don't be -- don't be so -- >> order. it is not against the rules of the house for a government back bencher to support the government. it is not that odd. [laughter] mr. prime minister. >> mr. speaker, we all remember you doing that very well. [laughter] the honorable lady makes a very kind invitation. and i would say that the commitment that we have made to maintain health spending is very important. i want to see community hospitals and district general hospitals thrive under this government. >> mr. david lammy. >> can i invite the prime minister next season to take a trip with me from seven sisters

tube station up to the spurs ground at white hart lane? on that journey he will see a proliferation of betting shops. will he give local authorities the power to deal with the saturation of betting shops, which are preying on working and poor people? >> that is another great invitation that i've received this afternoon. i say to the honorable gentleman that there is a balance to strike. on the one hand, we do want to see -- some of the deregulation that took place was necessary in order not to have over- regulation of these sectors, but, yes, i think that there is a case for allowing local authorities greater latitude to decide over some of these things. we made that point in opposition, particularly on the issue of lap-dancing clubs, where we think local authorities should be given more power and influence. and it seems to be an issue being taken up more broadly on

the other side. >> order. >> each week that the house of commons is in session, we air prime minister's questions. it is live on c-span2 at 7:00 a.m. eastern and then again on sunday at 9:00 p.m. eastern. you can find a video archive of past prime ministers questions and links to the house of commons. >> up next, some debates in the upcoming primaries. then we will hear from canada its in the republican primary. then, a primary debate in the utah secondary district primary. >> the commission on wartime contract and hears from defense department officials on the role

and oversight of private security contractors. live coverage begins on c-span. >> c-span, our public affairs content is available on television, radio and on line. you can sign up for our females. >> a debate between the two canada is running for the democratic nomination in norrh carolina.

>> this question will give us insight into your priorities. if you win the fall general election, what will be your first priority? the first bill you will co- sponsor when the session begins in january? >> that is a great question. let me begin by thanking the league of women voters for the opportunity to stand before you and answer questions. it is an honor to run for this job. if elected, and given an opportunity to serve in the u.s. senate, i would put six hardworking years into rebuilding the foundation of our economy, working to get jobs are growing. it will not be one specific legislation, but a series of policies i will pursue that will

provide tax credits for small businesses and provide targeted middle-class cuts for families, and restore fairness to the trade roles and treaties that have created an unfair playing field. i want to invest in schools and education. i will talk about how we break our dependence on foreign oil and invest in alternative energy for our future. >> elaine marshall, question to you? the top priority or the first legislation you would like to be involved in? >> it is a great to be here. thank you to the league of women voters and the folks out there listening. i believe my first bill will be something related to jobs. we are hurting. we need jobs. i think people can wait -- think we can recruit small business, but we have to grow small business. my first bill would be

something in the nature of spurring financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and something that will help jobs stay in north carolina towards a sustainable economy and a strong small business. >> we move on. before the gulf oil spill, president obama wanted to allow drilling off the coast. he said -- he has since put a moratorium on new drilling, but before that, we talked about -- you talked about your opposition. >> example numberone is the gulf coast. i was clear that i was opposed to offshore drilling for north carolina. what this bill is brought to the forefront is the critical need for of for thinking energy policy for this country.

the second thing is to examine the coziness between corporate america and government. senator burr did nothing to make the mms more efficient and promoted deep sea or oil drilling. mr. burr has done their bidding and accepted contributions from them. he is the senator from big oil. i would like to be the senator from north carolina. >> cal cunningham, your take on the opposition you have expressed to offshore drilling. >> offshore drilling and raises a question of what our energy future will look like. how do we balance our priorities? how we make sure we protect north carolina's unique nature? and we have a wonderful travel and tourism. our beaches are a splendid destination. that is important to the economy. as we think about protecting our environment, there is not

enough oil or natural gas off the coast to be a meaningful part of an energy solution for america. it is why in this campaign i have talked about ending tax credits and tax favored status for big oil companies. it is why in this campaign we talked about over $400,000 senator burr has taken from big oil companies. even today, he is defending what has happened with bp. i want to use the power of the government to create incentives for alternative forms of energy, wind, solar, biodiesel. that is the future. >> any rebuttal on that issue? we will move onto a follow-up from of your. she is from willmington. -- wilmington. >> what we see is there has been a very cozy relationship between the regulators and the regulated. something that i'm disappointed that the president was not more aggressive about before he started talking about changing the policy.

we have to make sure we do not just have a band-aid solution. but that we get serious about making sure this industry is investing in technologies for how to mitigate spills. it is a very clear that government was not doing its part. industry has not been doing its part. bp has not been doing its part to make sure the risks are mitigated. i think it is an appropriate role for a u.s. senator to call those into account in front of congress and make sure we have a much stronger regulatory framework. >> elaine marshall, your take on the current regulations. >> clearly, the regulations have not been adequate. i am a state regulator and i have had to crack the whip over regulators to make sure the job gets done.

that needs to happen in washington. we need to make sure we have the right regulations on the books, that the relationships are not overly cozy, and that we give the tools to the regulators to do the job. we need the asset of being able to charge folks criminally if they make serious misrepresentations. we need to evaluate any disaster scenario, not just something written on a piece of paper. as to be substantiated and tested. we clearly, clearly need to do more in this area to protect our valuable coast. >> the video is so disturbing. and rebuttals? we might be able to return to that later in the debate. let's move on to the economy. our economic recovery is slow going. over the past 1.5 years, our

state unemployment line has swollen by 120,000 out of work. since small businesses create the majority of jobs, we want to know what you would do to help small business owners in north carolina. >> i have already touched on that a little bit. i have then a small business owner myself. i have made payroll, i have had to do marketing. a lot of folks just do not understand it they can make a business out of the next best idea, as long as they do not infringe on upon anything proprietary. we have to stimulate entrepreneurship. we have to provide tax incentives. in north carolina, we have the great research universities with lots of ideas and training lots of people. we have a wonderful community college system that is putting workers out there. we need a proper infrastructure, tax credits, a proper stimulation, appropriate exposure to promote these partnerships were possible. there is a raft of things we can do. as i said, you do not recruit

small business. you grow small business. we need to put more emphasis on those avenues to assist those folks who would be willing to do this and open up credit for them. >> credit. that is something that has been struggling. cal cunningham, your way to help small business. >> thank you for that question. i have met people who i think typify some of the challenges we face and created a video series. i invite the viewer is to look at it -- it is called "the voices of north carolina." identified a man who was trying to grow his small business. he used to be in the furniture business. now he is changing out tires on cars. he is on the normal main street in north carolina. he needs to get over the confidence curdle he is facing, to get folks back on his payroll.

he is having a hard time with the banks. i think it is important that we pass financial regulatory reform, create a new framework for the banking industry, and help begin lending again. it is a very important as i talk to small business owners. we also bolster the role of community colleges and incubate new businesses from our research triangle institutions, how our universities -- extend research and development into a manufacturing tax credit. provide new tools to help stimulate innovation and make sure small business owners can grow their payrolls and at the end of the day, private sector job growth drives the economy. >> thank you. any rebuttals on the subject? let's move on. the projected deficit for the current federal deficit -- $1.3 trillion. just below the record of $1.4 trillion from a year ago. here is of your asking what you would do to eliminate the

federal -- here is a viewer asking what you would do to eliminate the federal deficit. >> the rising debt is a very important, because as we grow again, interest rates will take off and that will stifle growth again. it is important that it is a burden that gets passed from one generation to the next. one of the touchstones of this campaign is a leading our country in a better place for our children and grandchildren. very, very straight and to the point. we had a $2.8 million federal contract under the bush administration. if we cut 25% of those, we would save money over a 10-year period of time. there are important tax loopholes that we can close or -- that outsource jobs. sum total -- we reformed the contracting business. $45 billion should be collected by the federal government. congress has to live by the pay-as-you-go rules.

if it spends a dollar, it has to explain where it comes from. the most important way that we get our fiscal house in order is to rrstore growth. >> thank you. elaine marshall? >> that is a great question. when americans look at washington, they see their priorities are out of order. they could not run their household the way that washington runs their house. i am the one on sunday that checks out the coupons and the paper to see if there is anything of benefit to me that i need. that is the kind of epic i will take to washington. we need to understand where this deficit came from. when bill clinton left office, we were in a surplus. george bush, with the help of richard burr, has taken us to two wars without any way to pay for it and given as a prescription drug program without paying for. at the same time, giving tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. our priorities are out of order. the very first thing we have

got to do is to let those tax breaks expire. then we have to stimulate the economy and create jobs. we have to build that tax base. we talked about small businesses. we need to grow our way out of the problems that we are in with the deficit. it is a serious problem, and we need to address it. hard question, but we have to address it. >> it will certainly not be solved overnight. any rebuttals? arizona made national headlines for beefing up its illegal immigration law at the state level. president obama ordered 1200 national guard troops to arizona and is calling for $500 million to beef up border patrols. what are your thoughts on this new state law for arizona and the federal government's latest move?

>> i understand where arizona is coming from. the federal government heretofore has not been doing what they need to do to shore up the border. the new federal law is a horrible law. it will prevent people from seeking to help of law enforcement when they are the victims of a crime. as a domestic violence advocates, we have tried to build up a confidence in law enforcement. this one simple act will take this confidence away. it is a wrong-headed policy. i very much appreciate the president beefing up the border, because that is what has to happen. if you came home tonight and saw water in your kitchen, you would not just mop it up. we cannot support our way out of this problem. you would find the source of

the problem before you did cleanup. we have to shore up the borders, whether the physical borders of north and south, our ports, seaports, airports, and thanks for the question.

>> any rebuttals on that arizona topic? let's move on. this is a follow up, but goes more into your policies.

the nation's immigration law is a constant source of debate. what do you consider the most important component of comprehensive immigration reform? >> that is a good question. i really think there are three important components. i do not want to put one in front of the other. let's lay them out. have to be tough on the borders, tough on employers and is using the system. we have to make sure it is practical and fair to taxpayers, who are paying their fair share. folks who are here without documentation are not. those are the principles i'd bring it to this discussion. comprehensive immigration reform has to accomplish those. >> we talked about this subject many times. what would you consider the most important component for immigration reform?

>> we have to stop the influx. you do that to strengthening borders, but you also enforce the law on the books regarding employers, because they are simply looking for cheap labor. folks that are coming here are seeking economic our virginity, and you cannot fault anybody for that. -- they are seeking economic opportunity. most came for that. the other factor is we need to reform the immigration bureau itself. i have personal experiences with employees. they make mistakes, delay and obstruct, and do not follow the guidelines. and they are not very user- friendly. more customer service is possible. -- while enforcing the law. we do not want everybody to feel like a criminal who comes up to their door. that is not america. that is not right. >> a bottle? -- rebuttal? coming up, we will hear more from the candidates about issues you told us are important to you. we will have follow-up questions from our panel of journalists.

you are watching the democratic debate live on nbc 17. welcome back to the democratic senate runoff debate. we are entering segment two, which consists of of your questions, the league of women voters and journalists. the order of the question is determined by a coin toss. cal cunningham gets the first question. the most as -- recent estimates put social security as being unable to make full payout between 200037 and 2041. how would you address the issue of solvency concerning the future of social security?

>> it is a terrific question. i laid out some important principles with respect to social security, because as i have travelled north carolina, more seniors have been asking questions. there was not a cost-of-living increase this year. the senate failed to take action on the supplement to help seniors with rising costs. i laid out in this campaign and a handful of important points. not to go for risky privatization schemes. second, let's get to solvency -- we have to pay back the social security trust fund. $2.60 trillion was borrowed against the trust fund to pay for the ongoing operations of this country. third, i laid out that i do not think we need to change in benefits or raise the retirement age. if we let the bush tax cuts expire, which i would substitute some targeted middle- class tax cuts and a small business tax breaks, and continue that revenue into the

future, it would extend the life of social security by 75 years. that will make sure is a strong for the future. it is a promise for our seniors. i wanted to make sure it is there for the next generation. >> elaine marshall, solvency and social security's future? >> it has been a wonderful safety net for seniors, women, in particular, who tended to live longer. we have to protect the solvency of the program, and one key way is not to continue to use tricks and games and gimmicks like washington has done with the social security trust fund. as a financial regulator, one who put crooks in jail for scanning the elderly, i am absolutely opposed to any privatization. when you put that kind of money out there, it is a magnet for crooks. we see over -- all the time. today, we announced a partnership to protect seniors that i cannot talk about in this moment. i want to be clear. i oppose raising the age limit in social security,

notwithstanding innuendo's made in this race. i believe we could work to the solvency. there are the things we can do, but we have to make sure we do not continue to play tricks and games and tried to scare senior citizens with misrepresentation. >> rebuttal? >> if i may, because i think the director -- a reference to innuendo is directed back here. she suggested raising the retirement age several weeks ago. then she talked about keeping and raising the retirement age. i do not think it should be on the table. it makes the most vulnerable among us does, it puts them at high risk. it is something i very clearly said should not be done and should not be on the table. >> rebuttal? >> yes. i have been clear. my mother came to my rescue on this. she lives on social security.

that is what is wrong with washington. you tried to enter an intelligent debate about the various aspects of things that could and should happen. i never said i supported it. i strongly stand in favor of not raising the age for social security. thank you. >> we will move on it to another topic that might make your blood boil. we will talk campaign fund raising. this is a direct question, individually, ok? we will begin with elaine marshall. yes. elaine marshall, six lobbyists you regulate have given you individual donations totaling less than $5,000. is it ethical for you to accept donation? >> i will have to tell you that

i am offended that folks think i can be bought and sold with a lobbyist contributions. i have state bar reputation and my career as secretary of state by calling things as i see them. i have been associated with lobbyists the whole time i was in government. that is a natural factor. i have proposed statutes, made decisions, enacted policies based upon what i felt was right for north carolina. i have acted on my gut instinct in starting a lobbying reform. i did not know exactly what was going on, but i have had a gut instinct to do what is right. i am not be told and it to anyone, certainly not any small -- i am not beholden to anyone. i am not hustling from lobbyist. i cannot be bought and sold. >> thank you for the clarification. this is a separate question for you. we will allow we bottles -- rebuttals. you received more than $80,000 from the democratic senatorial campaign committee. explain why you accepted these funds? >> i am very proud of the support i have across the state and from the democratic senatorial campaign committee. they are committed as i am

committed to replacing richard burr in this campaign. this will go the distance this fall, replacing in the u.s. senate, and make sure that our voice is being heard in the national debate we are having. i am committed to winning this race. >> rebuttals? very good. we will move on to military. cal cunningham, this question going to. both chambers of congress are considering legislation to repeal of don't ask don't tell. polling asked voters if they supported allowing gay and lesbian soldiers to serve openly in the military. according to the poll, 54% said yes. 37% said no. 8% had no opinion. this viewer asks where you stand on repealing don't ask don't tell? >> thank you for your question. this is a policy that is inconsistent with america's

values and the military's values. i know this. i have been a military prosecutor in iraq and have seen that this policy does not work. it takes folks out of service. 13,000 american men and women out of service at a time when we need them the most and for nothing related to the quality of service and they can provide our country. i am heartened to see efforts moving for. the president should give the order. this policy should end. . .

it is just not right to ask them to lie. losing all of that valuable talent. >> very good. rebuttal? we will now move on to afghanistan. the question begins with ms. marshall. 30,000 troops began. a drawdown is tentatively scheduled to begin in july of next year. one of your rights, it "will you vote no on any spending bill that would send more service members to afghanistan?" >> there is one clear difference

in this campaign. i took issue with the president in proposing this surge. it is the war against terrorism. when we put all of our eggs in one basket, one geographic place, that means we have really taken our eyes off of the ball. terrorists are in many places. they are in yemen, somalia. we have invested tremendously in afghanistan, a very unstable, inhospitable place. just an example of the policing, we have spent over $6 billion in policing there and have literally nothing to show. we cannot find the trained people. we cannot find the weapons. we cannot find the ammunition. if we are going to build a country, it needs to be america. americans are hurting. we need to be investigating -- investing right here, not in

afghanistan. >> i will not make that commitment not to vote. we are putting all of our eggs in one basket. we are making sure we are pursuing terrorists, wherever they are. if we leave, we are right back to september 11, a day where we lost over 3000 americans, and we have to be sure that we win back momentum. the afghani question is also about pakistan. the chief problem is from the taliban, and that group is in pakistan. we have to work across the borders. we have to make sure that we do not leave afghanistan a failed state, and we also have to pursue terrorists in somalia and yemen and other parts of the world where they are, and we are. the efforts in afghanistan are clearly not exclusive, and i

want to make sure that we protect the national security of this country, make sure. i landed in iraq at the peak of the surge, and i saw a counterinsurgency work. the wind that momentum. in afghanistan, they found some mineral deposits that could help drive that the economy further and make them a stable partner on the world stage. >> thank you. any rebuttal? ok, mr. cunningham. there is a limitation to the damages in cases like the exxon valdez, and some are considering lifting that cap. as a federal lawmaker, there is some discussion of this, as well. when you lift the cap? >> yes. there should not be a liability cap. if b.p. caused the damage, it should pay for it.

we're going to hear tonight the president talk about setting up an escrow fund that would be set up by b.p.. it should be administered by a third party so that b.p. does not control who is getting payments and win, and i also want to make sure that we deal with the fact that the oil and gas industry has been heavily subsidized and have not done what they should do to mitigate the spill's. this starts with lifting the cap. it includes ending the tax breaks for the oil and gas industry, and quite frankly, b.p. ought to fire its ceo over what happens. >> ms. marshall? >> i absolutely agree that b.p. should give him his life back by firing him. when a wrong during -- wrongdoer does damage, they have to be responsible. we have to make sure that the

people of louisiana who make their living out of the water off of the boating, off of recreation, off of tourism, if i compare that to the folks i know off the coast of carolina, on would be up in arms, and i am up in arms about what is going on in louisiana. these are folks who have made a living off of a passion. i think it is the best of both love what you do. it is entirely too cozy, and we have to make sure that they are entiiely funded to do the job that they have to do. there has been a huge amount from b.p., so there is no surprise that the governor has no criticism over how b.p. is handling this affair in the gulf. >> ok. any rebuttal? ms. marshall, this next question going to you. there has been lots of talk

about increasing the use of alternative energies here in the united states. as a u.s. senator, how would you promote the use of alternative energy here? >> that is a super great question, one that we ought to be carrying on dialogue about every day. north carolina is well poised, i would say, the best in the country. we have got a robust agricultural community that can help us with biodiesel. we have got the research universities that have all sorts of innovative and creative people doing research, things they can turn into jobs and a better life, jobs that will stay right here. i visited a formerly shuttered plants that is today creating biodiesel. they are going around to poultry plants, collecting chicken fat and turning it into biodiesel.

those jobs stay right here. they do not go anywhere else. we have got all the right infrastructure for us to be a leader in this comic in america, and help reduce our emissions, our reliance upon carbon emissions and oil, and that is the right thing to do for the next generation and for ourselves right now. >> thank you. mr. cunningham? alternative energy? >> sure. it should be a part of our energy future. we have to look over the horizon and see what our opportunities are. federal government has an importance. north carolina should lead. one of the things i mentioned in my video series, and people should go to the website. there is a gentleman who works for a company, and jim started his career in the oil business. he was then in the nuclear business, and now, he is in

alternative energy, and because north carolina was forward thinking about an alternative energy standards, we should have won for the country, and this country is able to turn hog waste into electricity. talk about a win-win for north carolina, turning hog waste into electricity. 3 megawatts this year. 30 employees now. it could go to 720. the ideas came out a research labs right here. private capital coming together with a good tax structure. north carolina is poised to eat. we have to make sure we take with this and run with it. -- north carolina is poised to lead. that is our future. >> any rebuttal? very good. coming up, my fellow journalists ask questions, and the candidates will have a final chance to earn your vote during

a closing statement. you are watching the u.s. senate debate live. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] welcome back to the democratic senate candidates' debate. we are now entering the third and final segment of this debate. it gives our panel of journalists an opportunity to ask some great follow-up questions. each reporter is going to ask each candidate one question. we are beginning with mark. >> thank you. mr. cunningham, there have been bills drafted to allow states to collectively bargain with employees, as well as impose what is known as card-check legislation. would you support either of those measures, and why or why not? >> good question.

first and foremost, i have indicated my support for a public safety employee-employer situation, which would have n.c. have a situation that public safety employees meet and confer. it need not be an unfunded mandate. it needs to make sure it preserves north carolina's unique right to work laws, and it needs to make sure that north carolina's meet and confer act satisfies that act. i have been clear that i support the employees' free choice act. the national labor relations act needs to be brought forward and modernized and brought forward to the 21st century. it needs to make sure that the work force is there, that

abusive employers are five, and that there is mediation and arbitration -- that abusive employers are fined. i have supported sending i think will finally get this legislation moving in the senate. >> ms. marshall, a pathway to citizenship without any amnesty. that seems to be a bit of a contradiction. how would that work? >> there are many who have come here seeking opportunities. they need to move to the back of a line. we have plenty of legitimate employers who are willing to go to bat for their character, to have them earn their way to get the opprobrious waiting period -- to get the appropriate waiting, etc., but sometimes,

they can become citizens if they continue to be productive, and it would be forgiveness, and that is not right. i am talking about doing the probation before you get penalized in court. it is kind of like a probationary period to work your way into citizenship. one of the ways is through the united states military. that appears to be a fast track, and i am glad to see the resurgence of rotc programs. a way to work their way here. >> our next report is up. thank you for being with us. your question going to mr. cunningham. >> the senate is set to take up medicaid assistance funding this week. the house had an extension through 2011 that many states, including north carolina, down on federal assistance money. would you add to to put that extension --

>> i actually have not looked at what you are talking about, gurnal. we need to make sure there is supplemental assistance for medicaid for north carolina, but what i called for first and foremost is for protection for teachers' jobs, making sure $23 billion is allocated for the state's. i have two kids in the city school system in lexington right now, and there is a lot of poverty there. they are having a debate about whether to lay off teachers. washington should step forward to make sure we do not lay off those teachers. >> secretary marshall, we are seeing a growing amount of union activity in our state, up to and including unions back opponents, north carolina congressmen who

voted against reform, and even the state employees association, for lack of a better term, affiliated with a union. what do you think about this trend? >> well, they are certainly free to exercise their rights under the law, recruiting candidates, seeking a third-party status, or doing a petition drive. it is all certainly within their rights. if they have made it clear that they're unhappy with certain votes that have been made. i would support their right to exercise those. i am not sure they have achieved their goals, but people collectively together have the right to do things, the right to make up their mind korea that is the american way. that is one of the freedoms that we have -- the right to make up their minds. that is the american way. some of their signatures may not work, but i think they have a large amount as a cushion there, so they are just exercising their right in this great

country. just that anything can happen in politics and always does. secretary marcia, you are right. >> -- secretary -- >> secretary marshall, you are right. our last reporter. >> what would you do? >> i am a strong, strong believer of campaign finance reform, and it called for in this campaign, moving forward with a fair elections act which has bipartisan sponsorship in the state senate, the first bill that i co-sponsored was a ban on soft money contributions in our elections and was one of the architects in another thing. this is not realistic today though, but i would like to go towards a day where it oes not have an influence, because the public always as the question, did that money influence your

decision? the world it is paying -- the role that it is playing -- i want to go back to the previous question. if we need to move forward on medicaid support for the state's, we ought to explain how that should be paid for, just as i explained how that teachers' supplement should be paid for. >> would what you talked about discourage offshore work, especially for smaller businesses? >> well, it certainly might, but i do not think that the small businesses are really out there drilling. the big businesses have

tremendous subsidies. you and i are paying for that drilling out there. they ought to pay for that damage, and lifting the cap is a very good start, and having an independent, third-party arbo arbiter is going to be vital. >> panel, thank you for those great follow-ups. we are going to time this at 45 seconds for our response, so in many previous senate races, we have seen a big deal made about how much time is spent in washington versus their time in north carolina, so if you win and go to washington, how will you stay connected to your constituents, mr. cunningham? >> that is a terrific question. when i was in the state senate, i kept my door open all of the time, and i made sure i was always meeting with folks from back home. i was one of the first state

senators to do an email. i believe in inviting folks into the dialogue. i want to make sure that we are putting that information through all sorts of media about to stay connected in be informed. it is paramount that those in washington get back comes. actively invite them -- it is paramount that those in washington get back home. actively invite them. we wanted to make sure we were connecting with people from all of this great state. >> secretary marshall, how would you stay connected? >> you know, that is a great question for me, because i absolutely love retail campaigning. that has been written up many times over. i get my energy talking to people. i will be home. i have got friends and all 100 counties, folks to listen to, folks that know how to get ahold of me to get the appropriate

feedback, and we will be doing newsletters and social networking, in particular, where folks can have input. we have things that can happen for good or bad these days, and it is a great communication tool to listen to and to learn, and i am committed to do that for the people of north carolina and. >> ok, i will give you one last challenge. we're going to tackle health care. i know it is not fair. you both wished public option was not part of this. where do you want to see health care go next? >> 30 seconds is a challenge to talk about health care. there are three principal areas where i think health care is front and center among many. first and foremost, making sure the legislation is carried out, and some of that is about the patient experience, implementing new technologies.

crowding out, pay raises, and center, i am thinking that we have experienced with some of the state-based things before. i think medicare should be able to negotiate for prescription drug prices. >> i know 30 seconds is tough. secretary marshall? >> my three included eliminating the got you's. we have to make sure the other things like pre-existing conditions do not creep back in there. we also have to make sure that pricing is competitive. we do not have that in north carolina yet. we have to be very, very aggressive, and i think we need more emphasis on preventive medicine, integrated medicine so that we prevent the chronic problems way before they become the cost factors that they can be in the end. >> thank you.

each senate hopeful will offer a one-minute closing statement. again, the order is determined by a coin toss. mr. cunningham keeps winning these coin tosses, so you get too close first. >> thank you, and thanks to the nbc 17 and for those at home listening, because this campaign, it is not about me or ms. marshall. it is about the future korea are trying to build as a state and as a country. it has been a great honor to have been all over this state -- it is about the future. we are trying to build this as a state and as a country. north carolinians are looking for a different narrative. i would be the first iraq war veteran elected to the state senate, and i would take the same spirit to washington to make sure that north carolina's voice is heard, to make sure

that the problems of the day are heard. i want us to look over verizon and think about the quality of the schools, the opportunities -- i want us to look over the horizon. i would be honored to have your vote to. >> thank you. secretary marshall, your closing comments. >> i, too, want to thank the viewer is out there and nbc. what this race is really about is fixing a broken system in washington. we have got to reward hard work, not the quick deal. we have got to fight for people, not for corporate profit. folks are seeing the priorities in washington where policies have been pushed to benefit the few at the expense of many. it is time we changed that system.

i have taken on wall street and restored over $500 million for north carolina families and investors. i have taken on the health-care industry to make them cover mammograms and pap smears and to provide coverage in rural areas, and i have reform lobbyist to take the influence of money out of politics. those are the same forces we need to rein in in washington, and i asked for your votes to do that. >> thank you. the runoff election is on june 22. early voting is already going on. our timeline shows that the deadline for absentee ballots has already passed. primary day tuesday, polls are going to be open bright and early until 7:30 tuesday night. of course, you can get all of your collection information online.

we have been streaming this entire debate as it happens, so be free to review it. type in the keyword "debate." the latest polling information, plus political analysis, which you can expect always from us. thanks to our viewers for some fantastic questions and to the candidates for their hard work out on the campaign trail and for you at home for joining us. now, go vote. thank you.

>> tomorrow on "washington journal," a recent article on renewal energy sources is talked about by debra borden. -- deborah gordon. and we will talk about the midterm elections. michael kinsely will join us. "washington journal," live it 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span.

and now, a debate between south carolina republican congressman -- nikki haley and gresham barrett. this is about 50 minutes. >> this is a wis special presentation, the race for governor. >> and good evening and welcome to the gubernatorial runoff debate. >> glad to have you with us this evening. participating in this debate is congressman gresham barrett and nikki haley. there is complete editorial

control. unless otherwise stated, there will be one minute. rebuttal will be 30 seconds and at our discretion. we welcome you to take part in our live interactive blog. >> we're going to get right into the question and begin with congressman barrett. the first question is for you. we received a question from a registered republican and a retired infantry officer. he is upset by one of your commercials the identified you as u.s. army retired and referred to you as a military man when you served on active duty 4.5 years and resign your commission more than 20 years ago. what do you say to him and other career military veterans to believe that is dishonest? >> what i would say is that it was a mistake. it was an honest mistake.

we were running, unfortunately, 100 miles per hour. as soon as we caught it, we took it down. i am very proud of my military service. i was in fort hood, texas, and i graduated with honors. unfortunately, it was a mistake. we will not do that again. >> how long did that advertisement run? >> i could not tell you, but i know that as soon as we caught it, we fixed it, and i apologize because it was an honest mistake. >> ms. haley, you know the voters are tired of double talk. you criticize someone. >> south carolina can do better. >> but this week, when he endorsed her campaign, you then said this. let's take a look. >> i think he was the person i

knew the least as we got on to the campaign trail and the one that i became the biggest fan of on the campaign trail, because this is the one endorsement i could not be more proud to have. >> so in light of your endorsements with mitt romney and sarah palin, now this is one you are most proud to have. they do not see how you can flip a switch in a matter of days. >> the attorney general had been in office for a long time. what i ahalfve always said that they have done this for their lives. i got to know him very well. he handled himself always respected, always nicely through the campaign. i was thrilled to have his support, an unfortunate and

campaigning with us on the campaign trail. >> rebuttal, what do you say about those some disenfranchised -- those who feel so disenfranchised? >> i did not change my talking points. he has been in office since 1986. i can very much appreciate his support. he had great supporters behind him. he had a huge following that appreciate his experience and what he did as an attorney general, so it is still a great win for me. i think south carolina is running in a new direction of fresh faces and fresh forces, and that is what i am trying to do. >> one more question. let's look at an advertisement. >> gresham, you may be what to vote for you.

>> i would be honored. >> the staff sargeant saying he was to vote for you implies a military endorsement. how do you answer that concern? >> listen. it was kind of a funny way to approach an issue. i had been suggested for the last 18 months, i had so many of my friends and colleagues who really know maybe say, "gresham, lighten up a little bit." it was kind of a spruce. i was very proud of my military background -- it was kind of a spoof. >> let's del into the budget. there is a menacing shortfall expected last year -- let's delved into the budget. -- delve into the budget.

we will go first to ms. haley. what will you do to generate revenue quickly? >> we are going into a mode of a tough budget time. as an accountant, we have to make sure we see this as the opportunity it is. the first thing i am going to do is audit all of my agencies and started ground zero and say, " what do we need to have?" this is not so we are just thinking about this year by where we want to go. it is time for us to look at state government as a business plan and understand that everything we do affects everything else, and we have to start making good decisions. we saw the government grow tremendously, and we have nothing to show for it. this is a great time to learn lessons.

>> so just to be clear for thh voters, there is no need to create additional revenue? >> we spent 20 hours on the floor yesterday. it was incredible, and what that showed is that the legislature would wants to understand the value of a dollar. you have to make the tough decisions, and that is what we're going to start to do. >> revenue is not as important as other things. how do you tackle that? >> we have to understand what the government's responsibility is. i think there four core issues. number one, to keep the citizens safe. that is also economic development. also, education and medicaid.

those are two mandates that we have to have, but once we cut that down, once the focus on those core issues, it is important to grow the economy and jobs. i would do several things from the outset. comprehensive tax reform that is fair and helps businesses that are here and businesses coming into south carolina. number two, having a good department of commerce and the governor who is going to roll up his sleeves and bring jobs and economic growth, and third, we have many jobs that are not filled because we do not have a skilled workers. let's make sure that we have those skilled workers. have on the job training so that is a benefit for them, as well. >> the next fiscal year, will be forced to choose between cutting state agency budgets and thereby hurting the least of these were

in south carolina. what would you choose? >> i have taken a no new taxes' pledge, and when we are talking about tax reform, we have got to come up with a system that is a more stable system and putting all the options on the table. it also have to go back and look at those core issues. what is the government's main responsibility? in good times, we say everything is a priority, and when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. we have got to that 0-based budgeting. >> we have an email question. representative haley, this is for you. some say that if you are elected, we will have another toxic relationship with more gridlock. if elected governor, please

differentiate your approach when working with our legislative body versus that of sanford. >> this is what i can tell you. first of all, i have been in the legislature long enough to know the problems are, but i have not been in the legislature enough to be part of the fraternity party. having a plan to tell them where we need to go as a state and educate people on how we are going to get there. the second thing is being predictable, getting the consequences before they happen. the goal i want to have is the first year in office to give south carolina a win. i want the legislature to feel what it is like to really went for the people in the state, and i want the people to know what it feels like when they have the power again. they can go around and show an agenda of where we need to go and how we plan on getting their when looking at your. 5 and 7.

>> talking about that fraternity, but in order to get anything done, do you not have to drink from their keg, so to speak? >> i do not think so. i was chairman of the freshman class. i was majority whip. i can get along with the legislature, and i can lead, but when i saw something wrong, when i saw votes were being cast by a voice vote, i said we had to start voting on the record. the legislature opposed me for 2.5 years on that, but i knew that until we got a good government, we would not have a working government. coastal insurance reform, tort reform. we will continue to work on other issues, but my goal is to educate and make sure that people know what we're doing while we are doing it. i will make sure i go into every one of those districts who vote

for that and praise them for it. but i will hold the others' hands to the fire. >> let me ask you a question before we get to the next question. congressman hobarrertr -- >> as an accountant, we saw what it meant to stretch a dollar.

>> taking care of people who cannot take care of themselves is extremely important. there are some things that government does that they should do in good times, but when they are not good times, we need to think outside of the box. is this something that we can do a public-private partnership on? is it something we can outsource or privatize? you know, i think there are so many things that we think that government has to do -- >> ow would you address that prrblem in the er? >> listen, we have to talk to the hospitals. the governor has to bring people together and address these major issues, because, listen, we're going to have to cut some major spending and focus on these core issues. >> before we go to break, we

wanted each of you to prioritize these different issues. legal immigration, jobs, and education. those topics, how would you rank the those if you became governor? representative haley, first? >> jobs first and illegal immigration third. >> it is kind of hard to separate them, but i would do the same. >> we will tackle all of those when we come back after this short break. >> and welcome back. before we went to break, we asked the candidates to list their priorities and their jobs, and representative haley, you

are first. eliminating the small business tax. we talked about that a lot. how much does that represent? >> we need to look in every tax, every exemption, and every feet, because a fee is a tax. in the year 2005, 2006, in 2007, when government grew by $1 billion per year, nobody asked, "what are you going to cut? everybody wants to know how you're going to replace it. the key is, when you get the profit margins, the first thing they do is hire people. it is the number-one thing that can spur our economy quickly and get people back to work quickly and help the economy grow in a way that were really make it strengthened. i know there are things we can

cut. the education oversight committee, which is more of a committee that advises opposed to doing something, you are looking at how expensive it is on the overhead side, and also in the classroom. >> congressman barrett. you said something on your website. how is that different from what is being done right now? >> like control board says there is roughly 40,000 jobs that are not filled in south carolina because we do not have trained workers, and what we would do is hire them on the spot so they would get off of the unemployment rolls, have the employer employ them, and give them on-the-job training. it is not just the work force development fund. i will give you another per the

example. in education, we have four educational budgets. as a former business person, it just makes sense when you're stretching every dollar, when you're trying to get those dollars, only 44 cents makes it to the classroom. this is to be as effective as you can. >> you talk about the school was. the leaders of our technical college system would argue that that is exactly what they are doing right now. can you be more specific and explain what needs to be done differently? >> absolutely. we are spending $12,000 per year to educate a child in this state. 85 school districts before never

touches the teacher and student in the classroom. we're only graduating one out of every two kids, one out of every two. we are losing them in the ninth grade. we need to look at vocational programs, and we need to strengthen our technical schools. we have amazing technical schools in this state, but they are not getting the funding that they need. we need to hold institutions of higher learniig accountable. it is based on the number of lobbyists and the state house. that is not how we need to be funding. if you get the funding versus the funding of all of the 60 technical schools, it is not right. it is not balanced. we need to make sure they have programs that benefit businesses and others you are recruiting. >> we know that their budgets have been cut by nearly 50%. you were part of the legislature that brought back on, that

allowed that to happen. do you bear some of the responsibility for that though? >> i will show you the importance of strengthening our technical schools. >> congressman, we have another question. roberts says the only way to balance the budget is to increase tuition. what would you do to bring funding to higher education up to par with neighboring states? >> we have to give our colleges, our community colleges, they are not community -- technical committed to colleges. we need to hold their feet to the fire and say, "this is

exactly how you need to work," but if we are not going to do that, let's give them the ability to go outside of the box to figure out how they can keep their tuition low, how they can get a better dollar value for the average person that is struggling to go to college, that is trying to meet that daily budget. my son went to the first year at the community college, and i saw myself assuredness and a self confidence in my son that i have never seen before. getting that flexibility, whether it is a two-year or four-year facility, i think it is important. >> a question was brought up by aarp, one of our sponsors tonight. improving our infrastructure. what specific improvements do you have in your plan that you would like to make, and with a $1 billion budget shortfall, whereas we going to find the

money? >> when companies come to the state, they do not need to be coming because we smile and take them to dinner. they need to come here because we have a tax structure that is there. the second thing they look for is a skilled work force. it is the reason we want to strengthen our technical schools. the third thing a look at is infrastructure. it is roads and air fares, so we are not flying out of charlotte, and it is our ports, and making sure our ports are strong so they can come in and out, making sure our environment is strong in the state, but then we also want to make sure we are not looking at just bringing large quantities of companies to the state but that we are also looking at the quality of companies that we're bringing in so they help the companies we already have. >> improving our infrastructure,

is that out of the question for the next fiscal year because so much money has been cut out, or is there a way to fund this? >> it is all about priorities. it is a tight budget year. we have to prioritize. are we going to turn around and realize that infrastructure is an issue? are we going to say that spending on this infrastructure oversight committee is important? it is about cutting things that are not working right now for more important things that are working right now, and as an accountant, these are going to be decisions that affect people immediately. >> it also includes promoting tourism. >> south carolina is a wonderful place to visit.

>> how much money would you want to spend on that, tourism? >> we will take a look at it. know if you can put a specific number on it, but bringing people to the low country, to the beautiful mountains where i live is a wonderful way to not only showcase our area but to get those dollars in, and when we are talking about bringing tourism in, we have to think about infrastructure, too. i-73. do we have to look at private- public partnerships? what about devolutioned? south carolina, as you well know, is a donor state when it comes to road tax money. let's keep our own road tax money. let's solve our own problems, because we can do better than any federal group. >> let's go to a yes or no questions for both of you. would you support any of these to support our division highway

system? increasing fuel tax, representative haley? >> no. >> no. >> increasing user fees? >> no. >> no. >> always on things like -- nto lls? >> we need comprehensive tax reform. that means some things go up, and other things go down. that does mean that we cut absolutely everything. >> we are in uncharted territory right here. we have never had a downturn in my lifetime. we have never had a downturn

like this, and we have got to think out of the box. also, i am a big proponent of the natural gas reserves -- reserves off of the coast. it could be $250 million that we could use for whatever we see fit, and what i would propose is that we use 20% for law enforcement. >> thank you very much. representative haley, give voters a realistic timeline. >> i think we will have to work quickly and fast. after the first year, we actually got something in place. i wanted to show what would happen in your three, it year five, your seven. -- in year three, year five, and

year seven. >> i am not see an actual plan. it is a common-sense business principal plan that we worked on for over a year with people all across this stage. we have worked with economic developers, senators, legislators, academia heads. we put a plan together, and i think that is that you left to govern. it is still going to be legislative state. when you propose something, you have to have people to buy into it. it is not my idea. it is our idea, and that is how we propose are putting south carolina back to work plan. >> we do not go into seven or eight or nine steps. this is why i have talked about

tax reform and tort reform and making sure we put an economic director in place. >> any questions? >> as i said earlier, we have been on the campaign trail so long that i think i know everything he is going to say before he says it. do you regret passing the $800 billion tarp bailout that literally cost south carolina families and everybody across this country $6,000 for their family? >> i will say it again, representatives haley. i did not have six months to wait. my president came to me and said we were going to have a crisis. not only the president, but vice president cheney korean i thought it was literally hours

when people stopped their car in their atm slot and put it in, and nothing would come out. that is what leaders have to do. did it avert a major crisis? a global meltdown? >> i believe it did. has it been implemented it like it should be? i do not think so. >> will talk about education. we'll be right back with the gubernatorial debate. welcome back to her gubernatorial gop debate. where are picking it up with education now. to everybody cares about quality of education here in south carolina.

let's is only a dress and act, and just to give you a background, it took effect in 2007, and in a nutshell, it exempted owner occupied households from a tax that is supposed to replace the revenue, but the recession hit, and people stop spending, and it has cost millions of dollars, so what has been previously a very reliable type of income, it has become very volatile. d support changing or repealing act 388 -- do you? >> we have to work on how that formula is devised. >> so you are for changing it? >> absolutely. the plan was initially meant to help primary homeowners, but the result was that it heard businesses, and it hurt business people. what we need to make sure of is the biggest lesson learned is

that there is never a next year in the legislature. if you are going to do it, do it this year, or do not do everol. >> you cannot effectively plan a budget if you do not know how much money you are working with. you know, a lot of these school systems, they look at their current funding at the beginning of the year, and it changes throughout the year, and they have to do cuts a different points throughout the year. looking at education as a business, you know, is that sound business? >> what is sound business is that we need to re-do it. i lived in an area where they spent more time on discipline than they did in teaching in the classroom. in lexington, there is a smart board in every classroom. we need to educate children because they deserve a good, quality education and that is

our future work force. we have inequities across the state that need to be changed. when we reform the way we do this, when we reward teachers, and then we turn around and give teachers bonuses for improving educational standards, it will separate the good teachers from the port teachers in terms of performance, and it would turn around and make a huge difference in our educational standards. >> let me move on until we get to congressman barrett. they will view it as a tax increase. >> we cannot say, "no, we are not going to touch that." it is important. >> i think the problem in the past, bena n and judy, is we have taken the wrong approach. i think we have to look at our tax system holistic lee.

how we can come up with a system that is fair and flatter and that is more sustainable and more accountable, and i just think that is important if we are going to budget like you're talking about. i have also talked with someone on the budget forecaster board. we have to look at how we budget in south carolina. what about doing something totally outside of the box? have a budget freeze one year and totally do something different where we actually know how much money is in the bank before we actually allocate it? that may be a different way of looking at something, but at least we do that have to go back in the middle of the year once, twice, maybe more and say, "we are going to have to cut your budget again." >> are you willing to repeal or change it, so the voters are clear? >> i think we have to look at everything. >>