but a problem that will face most communities across the country. this is a map showing counties. 1990. the red areas are places that had 40% of the population that were 50 plus. you can see there are places in florida and arizona and a few in the midwest, pockets here or there, or the population was over 50. many areas are green or the population is less than 25%. fast-forward 20 years, those red areas are growing. florida still has those areas, but they're all across the north, northeast. the green areas are essentially gone. people are going to age in that community where they are now. this is an issue that really has be debt with across the

country. we hope we have raised awareness and pointed to some solutions, help that process of getting ready for what is going to happen to us as a country over the next 10 years. thank you very much. [applause] >> consumer advocate and former presidential candidate ralph nader and grover norquist will discuss bipartisanship. live coverage today from the national press club at 1:00 p.m. eastern. later in the day, former officials from the bush and obama administration will talk about terrorist threats to the u.s. live coverage from the mccain institute starts at 5:45 eastern. now, north carolina senator kay hagan faces challenger thom tillis. senator hagan defeated elizabeth dole in 2008. mr. tillis is the speaker of the north carolina house of representatives.

this debate is courtesy of the north carolina association of broadcasters, moderated by morrow donnell of cbs news. >> good evening and thank you for joining us for the first of two north carolina association of broadcasters educational foundation senate debates. i am norah o'donnell and i am delighted to be here as your moderator. first, let's introduce the candidates. to your right is speaker thom serves aso greatly the speaker of the house in north carolina's state legislature. welcome. on your that this senator kay hagan, a democratic candidate for the united states senate. she's currently a u.s. senator from north carolina. welcome to you, senator hagan. before we begin, here are the rules for the debate. we will start with opening

statements. following this, the candidates will respond to questions that have been provided by members of the state broadcast news media along with input from me. we want you to know that order of the opening and closing statements and which candidate gets the first question will -- were determined and agreed to prior to this debate by the candidates and their campaign. speaker tillis will make the first opening statement and will also receive the first question. let's begin. >> thank you. it is time for somebody in north carolina to cross party lines and finally get something done in this country. voting 92% with the president, whether you agree with them or not, doesn't work here and north carolina. kay hagan said that in 2008. then she got elected and she has

photo with president obama 95% of the time. by her own standard, she is failed the people of north carolina, and that is why i'm running for the u.s. senate. hardw up understanding work. growing up at a family with modest means. i know what it is like raising a family am a struggling to college at night. as big of the house, i cut spending, cut regulations, and cleaned up some of the mess that kay left behind. as your u.s. senator, i will go to washington and i won't be a rubberstamp for barack obama and harry reid. i will make america great again. kate broke her promise. if you're tired of the rhetoric and you want results, please vote for thom tillis. >> thank you. senator hagan, your turn. >> thank you for tuning in tonight. tonight is a choice. i approach this job with common sense.

solving problems and how we can put our middle class first and making the economy work for everyone. the speaker tillis has different priorities. the wrong priorities. and every opportunity he has fought for policies that are taking our state backwards. he has put tax cuts for millionaires and the corporations before our students, before women, before our middle class. and ultimately, before our future. tonight, you will be able to examine our true priorities. please listen to whom we are fighting for. speaker tillis feels those who have the most should get the most help. i believe that our middle class and small businesses come first, in the economy should work not just for the wealthy, but for everyone. senator hagan. the first question goes to speaker tillis. yesterday, new video surfaced of the second american being executed by isis, otherwise

known as the islamic state in iraq and syria. this morning while overseas, the president out to degrade and destroy the terrorist group. he is are the authorized airstrikes in iraq. the focus is now on syria. how do you think the administration should proceed? does the u.s. need to strike isis in syria to protect american national security? >> we have to go back and realize just months ago, president obama was calling i says the jv. last week, he was referring after the beheading of the first journalist, he came and expressed regret and then a few days later, he said, we don't have a strategy for isis. how on earth can you not have a strategy for an organization that is always 10 years old? they have roots in syria, gone to iraq. they've taken over a country that men and women of the armed forces of the united states fought for and held ground. now we are seeing a backward

trend. this is an example of where president obama has failed the people of this country and kay hagan has allowed it to happen or been silent with an action. we have got to have results. we have to make this country in this world safer. today, it is less safe than when kay entered office in 2008. >> just to follow, should the u.s. strike isis in syria? >> i think the u.s. needs to take all actions to protect american citizens and protect freedom loving people all over the country. i think the president, to certain extent, now, trying to solve a problem that his inaction created. i think the president, who is responsible for foreign policy has failed on for a variety of places around the united states, needs to start acting and showing some leadership. i think senator hagan needs to demand he do, particularly in a state that has one of the largest military presence is in the united states. >> does the u.s. need to strike isis in syria to protect

america's national security? >> i think one of the issues here is that the president should have weaponize the moderate syrian rebels earlier. without doing that, that helped allow isis to grow. i believe isis is the most serious threat to our national security since 9/11. i have never seen a more evil terrorist group than this entity. the fact they have just recently beheaded the second american journalist -- this is a direct attack on the united states. time's up. action must be taken. the president needs to bring a resolution. he needs to bring a plan to congress. and i am at the point where, yes, i want him to do that. i want to look at it and i want to take action. >> so you do believe there should be strikes in syria? >> i believe we need to work with the moderate syrian rebels. i think the fact we are the most

capable air surveillance groups in the country -- this is an issue that is really a threat not just for syria, but to iraq. look what is going on in iraq right now with this caliphate that isis has put forward. we need to work with our allies. be the strongest military in the world, i do believe -- i want to see the president's plan and i'm ready to take action. >> would you like to reply? >> yeah, i think his extraordinary that senator hagan says, now that isis is one of the greatest threats globally and liver president that doesn't have a strategy for it. we've seen the beheadings of two americans over the last couple of weeks. the president announced his regret for the beheading and then played a round of golf. a couple of days later, he said that they don't have a strategy. the american people deserve better than that and kay hagan should be pounding the table for this president versus rubberstamping a failed policy

that is not working. >> you also get a reply. >> i have said that i think one of the faults is the president did not arm the moderate syrian army earlier in order to prevent isis from having the ability to grow and recruit, to use the social media that they're doing. they are the most serious terrorist threat facing the country today. we need to take action. time is up. the president does need to bring a plan and i'm ready to support -- first, i have to see what it is, but i'm ready to support and do what needs to be done to take isis out. >> the next question goes to you, senator hagan. health care has been a big topic in the senate race. the affordable care act and also known as obamacare, is currently the law of the land and the problems with its implementation has been will talk minute. senator hagan, you voted for and

mr. tillis, you said you wanted to repeal it. what would you do to improve the quality of health care north carolinians receive? don'tple tell me they want to go back to the broken system. they want us to fix and improve this law, and that is exactly what i am doing. but when i look at what speaker tillis does, he was to repeal this law. he would take as act to that broken system when seniors would pay more further coverage than men -- i'm sorry, women would pay more, seniors would pay more than their pain today. their prescriptions would the more. a pre-existing condition, forget about the availability of health care. that is not what our seniors for the mac and people want. the other thing speaker tillis would support, a budget that would turned medicare into a voucher program. seniors, this would mean financial insecurity, higher out-of-pocket costs, and it would certainly take our seniors

back. not medicare turning it into a voucher program is not good for our seniors. i don't think speaker tillis understands the needs of the american people. >> what would you do to improve the quality of health care? >> i would not cast the deciding vote for the single largest are one of the largest in history. to for fill the promises they made. kay is a little bit about making promises that are not going to be fulfilled. on 24 different occasions when was trying to defend it, she said if you like your doctor, you can keep it. 400 75,000 policy cancellation notices have come across the state. people are not able to keep their health care. i'm wondering if one portman time or if kay still believes she's keeping the promises she

made. it is not only there. obamacare only gets the book's balanced or makes the debt less worse by taking $700 billion away from medicare to pay for it. it is financially -- it is not sustainable and it will not fulfill the promises. the promises are only broken. it will have an effect on medicare and medicaid and other entitlements that are important to fulfill our promises, particularly to seniors. >> senator hagan, would you like to reply? specifically, to the charge for you said you could keep it? >> some insurance companies were not being upfront with their consumers. as an assistant to my attention last fall, i mediately sponsored legislation allowing those plans to become permanent. took place inat north carolina. i think what we need to look at here is the fact that speaker tillis has denied medicaid expansion in north carolina. that is 500,000 people that could get coverage.

these people still get sick. they go to the emergency room where there really just getting episodic treatment and it is the most expensive care there is. newspaper in the greenville, north carolina, there are talking about how ecu and united are having multiple problems. we are he had one hospital close. speaker tillis is proud of the fact he hasn't expanding medicaid. keeps just reminder to to the time. would you like to reply to the charge about denying medicaid expansion? the more to go back to fundamental problem. kay hagan is still the people of north carolina by promising them something that she can't deliver. i want the best health care in the world. we already have it. why are we destabilizing 250 million americans were satisfied with their insurance? thehagan has basically said

government determined, even though you're satisfied with your health care, she determined it was insufficient and that is households have received cancellation notices. >> the next question goes to speaker tillis. education funding and teacher pay is a big issue in this campaign. voters have no doubt seen many of the television ads. both of you has stressed the importance of recruiting and retaining qualified and effective teachers. in your view, what is the best way to do that? >> first, i think we have to recognize that we passed this year one of the largest pay increases for teachers in the last generation. we were able to do that because of the our decisions we made when we can in to clean up a lot of the mess kay hagan that behind when she went from raleigh to washington. i was a pta president just eight years ago. i wasn't in politics. i volunteered in public school. my teachers tell me they want freedom to teach the kids.

they don't want washington bureaucrats who on average make $102,000 a year, telling teachers how to teach in school. they are forcing test and reports and taking freedom out of the classroom, preventing teachers from being able to innovate. we need to pay our teachers top salaries and we are working on that. we have done more in this session that has been done in years. we need to add to that but we also need to get the federal government out of the way and stop having them force decisions on their teachers. they know how to educate our children. they're great people. they want to do that for our kids and we should let them. >> your view on the best way to keep teachers? >> we need to respect our teachers and pay them. we've seen an exit is of -- exodous of teachers. i roast a budgets for six years. we invested in education every year. during my six years, teachers got a 21% pay raise. every child, every parent knows

the value of a great teacher, tillis.speaker he said teachers don't care about their kids, don't care about their classrooms. all they care about are there jobs and are pensions. folks, those are his words, not mine. his priorities speak louder than his words. the fact he gave tax cuts to millionaires, he cut education by $500 billion. that means fewer teachers in the classroom, larger class sizes, and outdated textbooks. speaker tillis, you could reply. >> two numbers. 7 and 10. 7% pay raise for teachers in north carolina, making us regionally and nationally competitive. 10, the number of years kay hagan served in the legislature and she allowed the kinds of tax breaks that she is talking about to be on the book's. instead of repealing them, she

decided when times got rough, she would impose a sales tax increase that harms the poor and working-class more than anyone else. she went further and broke her promise. she said it was going to be temporary and made some of it permanent. i fulfilled a promise when i revealed that tax and i became speaker in 2011. >> we are throwing some numbers out here. let me throw out the number 48. north carolina is 48th in the nation in what we spend per pupil. unbelievable. speaker tillis is bragging about that? for a teacher who is been in the system for many, many years, his 7% raise is a .3% raise. we need to do better by our teachers, by our students, by our parents, and by our state. education is sacred in our state. we did not become the state where the week grow strong in the strong go great by gutting public education. is fornext question

senator hagan. congress has talked about fixing the immigration system in this country. president obama is said to be considering executive action that would slow deportations and allow more a document it immigrants to stay in the country. -- undocumented immigrants to stay in the country. what you think of that approach and should the president be able to take such an executive action? >> i've said the president should not take that executive action. it should be a congressional decision. immigration is broken in our country. inaction is not an option. i talked to farmers, business leaders, the chamber of commerce and they all wanted to work together to support a common sense, bipartisan immigration reform bill, which is exactly what i did. i have a feeling speaker tillis is going to talk about border security issues tonight. this bill that we passed that was bipartisan has doubled the number of border security agents and makes a 700 mile fence

and enforces the security. this was a conference of bill that worked with democrats and republicans. senator rubio, senator mccain, senator graham from south carolina all supported this hill. speaker tillis has no plans to solve our immigration system. >> speaker tillis? should the president be able to take us executive action? >> the president right now considers the three branches of government to be the executive branch, his pen and his phone. is completely disregarded the legislative branch and this discussion and failed to address the immigration problem. as a matter of fact, the immigration problem has been a bipartisan failure for years presidents and congressional members have talked about sealing the border, not allowing amnesty. i don't know were senator hagan's on amnesty, it appears the president is prepared to grant amnesty. i think that is a colossal

mistake. we talk about how easy it is to seal the border, but we are not sealing the border. we failed to seal the border dating back to the reagan euro. we need to get serious about it. strongg nation needs a border. we have to seal the border. the memphis all the other problems that it just as a result of the inaction. kay hagan in 2008 saying she was going to solve immigration and all they got was a bill that went nowhere. >> your reply? speaker tillisnk is complaining but he has no plan. this bill is a common sense immigration reform bill. as i said, there would be 40,000 border security agents, 700 mile long fence, using electronic surveillance to follow people with their visas to be sure they leave the country when you're supposed to. and this bill is not amnesty. as i said, it is bipartisan in nature. it is time for the house and congress to take this legislation up. >> speaker tillis?

>> there's a difference between what you say in what you do. senator hagan said she wanted to direct the president not to act unilaterally, yet when republicans try to pass an amendment that would have forced the president to do just that, she voted against it. leadership is something you do, not something you say. you can talk about doing the border, talked about passing bills, but if you get nothing done -- kay hagan is not authored a bill in six years that is going to the president's desk. we need somebody who is going to commit to getting things done and get it done. tothe next question goes speaker tillis. this summer, the supreme court said hobby lobby could opt out of providing contraceptive coverage to employees because of the religious objections. do you agree or disagree with this ruling? should all businesses be required to provide contraceptive coverage regardless of their religious belief? >> first, i believe contraception should be probably more

broadly than it is today. i will come to that. the hot lobby decision was not about contraception. if a profit business decides to open business, they have not suddenly given up their right to religious freedom. let's get back to the contraception issue. i agree with the american medical association that we should make contraception more widely available. oralnk over the counter contraception should be available without a prescription. if you do those kinds of things army will actually increase the access and reduce the barriers for having more options for women for contraception. hagan, i suspect with the support she is getting from the pharmaceutical industry, may have a variety of reasons not to take it from behind the counter and put it on the counter but i think that is something we should work together on because that is how you improve access and reduce cost. >> senator hagan, same question. >> i disagree with the hobby lobby decision.

speaker tillis agrees with that. it does allow employers to deny access to birth control for their female employees. when women's best interests are on the line, i will never back down. equal pay for equal work. i did not raise my daughters to think there were worth $.82 on the dollar. speaker tillis kills and equal pay bill. he doesn't understand the needs of women. i have always set up for access to women's health care. speaker tillis doesn't. ableport employers being to give access to birth control for their employees. speaker tillis has defunded planned parenthood. the only state i know of that is actually done that -- i tell you, when i look at speaker tillis's record on women, it is abysmal. i will never back down supporting women. i will fight for them and he will not. >> would you like to reply? >> i think we get back to

religious freedom is a very important -- a bedrock principle of this nation. this is not the only area where kay disagrees with what the founding fathers were thought were very important in founding the station. we need to separate the two issues. when we're talking about taxpayer funding for contraception, that is different than access. she is trying to distort the two. i would like kay hagan to consider making a commitment to find ways to broaden access and lower the cost of contraception. it is something that can be done and it will benefit the very women she pretends suggest she is trying to advocate for. >> once again, speaker tillis doesn't understand the needs of women. prescription drugs include birth control. what he is done is denying women the right that other women have in order to access birth control through their companies employer-sponsored prescription drug plan. he is singling out certain employees, and i think that is

indiscriminate and unconstitutional. i totally disagree with speaker tillis is issue. i really think he is out of touch with women and doesn't understand their needs. >> the next question goes to senator hagan. north carolina is home to 770,000 military veterans and 115,000 active duty service members. president obama and veterans affairs secretary macdonald visited charlotte last week to address the american legion about mismanagement and delete care at v.a. facilities including getting off weightless and making referrals to private sector care. what needs to be done? >> north carolina is the most military-friendly state in the nation. i come from a strong military family. my husband is a vietnam veteran, my father-in-law was a major general in the marine corps. i have two. nephews on active duty. i take these issues seriously and personally.

veterans have put their lives at risk to support us. their lives should not be a risk when they come home. i have demanded better for the president. i have demanded the fact we need to support our v.a. saw secret waiting lists, backlogs of to the ceiling, i took direct action. i worked in winston, salem to help solve that issue. i got direct action from fayetteville, north carolina. they have 9000 war veterans. they needed space. i have gotten that taken care of and gotten it done. what else needs to be done? stood at theay podium similar to this and said the g-8 has problems. it needs to be fixed. years, she is been in washington, i've not heard her pounding the table with barack obama and the veterans administration to fix the

problem. the problem has gotten worse. the is unfortunate, and state that has one of the largest military institutions in the united states, military presences, we're having some of the worst problems. wait times, waiting lists. these men and women swore an oath to protect us and lay down their lives for our freedom. and to come in here and say, i solved the problem in fayetteville or i answered a phone call here when the final hagan knew it was broke in 2008 and she is filled our veterans and north carolina as a result. we need strong leadership and we need to hold this president and the administration accountable for their failure. >> let's talk about results. plus whose daughter died of leukemia based on contaminated toxic water from the first day i was in office, i worked with him to help find

answers and care for the victims. senator byrd, we passed the bipartisan bill which is allowing health care for the families of victims at camp lejeune. those are direct results. i support our veterans and they know it. >> speaker tillis? >> i think in that case, kay may have done her job. and so many other instances, she is filled to provide proper health care to these veterans. we go in debt of gratitude to their service and we need to take care of them and we need to move heaven and earth not for one or two cases, but for the hundreds of cases that we're hearing about from the actor general. this is unacceptable. it was unacceptable in 2008 when kay said she was going to washington and fix it and unacceptable in 2014 when the problem has gotten worse. for speakerquestion tillis. in april, the us and abutted against moving forward with a bill that would gradually increase the federal minimum

wage to $10.10 an hour. since then, some states have taken matters into their own hands and raised the minimum wage. right now north airline a's asimum wage is the same $7.25 an hour. is that enough for the workers of north airline a? >> other states have taken action and this is something that i believe has been left to the states versus another regulatory overreach which kay hagan is very satisfied to do. she has done with obama care and by supporting the epa regulations that will and $1200 a year and related cost because of energy prices going up. i talked to a business owner just two weeks ago, lastly, actually, in western north carolina. he said if we're not careful between the regulatory overreach and these other burdens being placed on small businesses, he is going to go out of business. his business is only made a profit too much out of the last 12 months. these things, we need to

understand the job telling consequences of these policies. it is not something that kay hagan going to washington should agree with washington politicians about how we actually deal with that issue in north carolina. i trust the citizens of north carolina and the businesses to make that decision. enough?.25 an off -- >> if kay hagan has her way and the cost of health care goes up 11% and of kay hagan answer way and the epa increases energy costs by $1200 a year, and of kay hagan has her way and allows these other regulatory burdens that not only would that not be butgh but jin percent -- 10%, 20%, 50% would not be enough. we're creating this mindset that we have a minimum wage economy. that most people will be on minimum wage. i want an economy where minimum wage is a brief steppingstone to harping jobs so people can realize their dreams. >> senator hagan?

increasing the minimum wage, which speaker tillis had a really hard time trying to defend that he doesn't. workand making the economy for everyone, especially the middle class, is my number one priority. i do support increasing the minimum wage. speaker tillis said doing that is a dangerous idea and -- these are his words -- we shouldn't even have a federal ban on wage. he said workers in north carolina should not burn the same federal minimum wage is workers in boston. once again, that is what he said. i think the best way to grow the economy and to have good jobs is a good education, is a sound .ducation look what he has done. he has given tax cuts to the wealthy and he is paying for it

by gutting education $500 million. teachers are leaving in droves. speaker tillis has the wrong priorities for jobs and the economy. worked forp and i minimum wage for several years. what i want from government is for it to get out of my way so i can realize my germs. what kay hagan was from government is to give you can't provide you the sense that there is nothing more than minimum wage. who in this country, what leader would settle for economy based on minimum wage? is a stepping stone. senator hagan doesn't understand the ultimate decision about the minimum wage is a needs to rest in the state. back onrn your the state. let's hope you decide what is best for north carolina. >> thoughtlessly, he hasn't done

anything in this regard, so obviously, is available at seven wage. once again, i talked to business leaders all the time and their concern about jobs in north carolina because of what speaker tillis has done to our education system. for windows teachers leaving, students coming into the college of education system where they can be educated to become teachers. important thing for business and economy is sound education and speaker tillis is taking us back. >> senator hagan, in north carolina the unemployment rate is 6.5%. if you take into account as he stopped looking for work, it is more like 13%. as of july, north carolina office of u.s. with the development of benefits at any state in the nation. speaker tillis, you don't with his that is favorable and senator hoeven, 11 so at a federal level. what is the best solution to

support the long-term unemployed? >> we're the only state in the nation under his leadership that changed the unemployed insurance formula. 170,000 people in north carolina became knowledgeable to receive federal an appointment benefits. no to he actually said $780 million that would have come into north carolina, helped our economies, helped the unemployed. helpinguse he favored the business community, he was unable to do that. one of the best ways we can work on creating jobs and growing this economy is being assured we have a fair and more simpler tax system, which i'm certainly working on in congress. and to have a good education system. every ceo that comes into my office in washington says the best thing we have in north carolina as the great work ethic of our people. but they're worried about

education. >> your response? these me tower believe she hasn't been in north carolina lately. we made the difficult decision to not extend the and implement benefits, long-term unemployment benefits. do you know what the consequence was to go from 10.4% unemployment to 6.5%. reporting people back to work -- we're putting people back to work. we're giving them the motivation to go to school, get greater skills, get off minimum wage. and actually enjoy the fruits of their labor. kay on a prior question said she supports business. the businesses now as a result of that tough decision -- and it is tough when you are a leader you actually do what you say you're going to do. but we did it and we reduced $2.7 billion debt to the federal government. next year it will be paid off. the cost of businesses will go down and even more people will be employed.

it is right if some of the best job creation numbers in the southeast and why we're one of the fastest-growing economies under years of stagnation under kay's leadership. >> by jenna tax cuts for the wealthy, europe and the burden on everybody else. the art income tax cuts helped 64,000 military families in our state. speaker tillis did away with the college savings tax plan that helps families save for college. he gave an added sales tax to college students meal plan. once again, hurting that individual that is trying so hard to get a degree so they can move forward. speaker tillis continually has the wrong priorities. raise, one of the largest pay raises in a generation, that is reality. that is something kay needs to accept. 10 years. talkingx cuts she is

about are largely the things she is using in her ads attacking me. as a matter of fact, she is gone so negative, she is attacking herself, attacking a policy that she supported as a state senator. , whos kay, not thom tillis promisinge sales tax to make it temporary and then making it permanent. another broken promise. >> in the wake of the unrest in ferguson, missouri following the shooting death of an unarmed african-american teenager by white officer, there is been a discussion over whether police departments have begun -- become to militarized because of providing military, to law enforcement. north carolina has received thousands of pieces of military equipment, armored vehicles, assault rifles and others. in your view, gc the so-called militarization of the police as a problem? should the program continue? >> i think we need to recognize the tragedy in ferguson was a

tragedy regardless of the circumstances. it was a tragedy for the community and the families. my heart goes out to them. we need to look at the first responders, in particular, police officers. day our military, every they wake of willing to fulfill and oh that they will a down their lives to protect someone else. i'm one believe it to police officers -- i'm going to leave it to police officers, rank-and-file members, the minas of holidays to determine the best way that you can keep the peace but keep these law enforcement officers say. we know which of them to make sure they're protected. i'm not going to rethink what is necessary but what i do know is we all the police officers across the u.s. a debt of gratitude for what they do every single day. >> should the program continue? >> i support our police and and firsteriffs responders, but i think the

militarization is gone too far and we need to be looking at that program. i also know in many communities, especially in north carolina, we have great citizens, great communities that work together. in guilford county, the national conference for community's injustice brings together a dialogue to help solve these kinds of problems before they get started. speakero go back to tillis's earlier comment. this has to do with math. i am insulted by his comments. i was a vice president at a bank. statee billion dollars budget in the state of north carolina. i understand math. even when i was a teenager, i worked at my death tire store and delay way for people -- when i worked at my debts tire store i worked at layaway and did math. i value math teachers in the state and speaker tillis doesn't. >> do you want to reply? echoed008, senator hagan

president obama's comments that $10 trillion was a national disgrace. when she went to washington, she rubberstamped barack obama spelt policies and now our debt is $17 trillion. that is simple math. it is getting to the point where it is stifling growth. it is a debt dragging down economy. if it continues, it is going to harm the teachers and other folks that we need to pay to do the very important jobs they are doing. speaker tillis has done such damage in north carolina from his failed policies, from his favoring tax cuts to the wealthy, gutting our education system, having to pay for that by doing away with the earned income tax credit, helping the unemployed of north carolina. all of these other burdens that are now being put on the middle class. i think that is wrong and i think the fact he did not expand medicaid, that is going to have

one of the most disastrous consequences on this state because of his actions. >> we've reached the portion of the debate where the candidates will have an opportunity to ask each other questions. the candidate asking the question will also have a chance to respond. it is been agreed upon that speaker tillis will receive the first candidate question. senator hagan? is aboutstion education. speaker tillis, please explain to the people of north carolina why your budget cuts $500 million from education spending in order to give tax cuts to the wealthy. >> kay, if you actually read the budget, i soon when you are in the legislature you did, you had to of red hours. we have a 7% pay increase, one of the largest to teachers, in the last 20 years. we actually reduced classroom sizes as a result of our proposal by that one student. it is not enough, but it is progress.

bill that ia personally was responsible for helping move to the house, we had 100 17-0 vote. every sickle democrat in the house chamber voted for appropriations measure that sent a very clear message to teachers in north carolina. you are our priority. we made absolutely certain when we had a respectable disagreement with the senate that we were standing firm on maintaining classroom funding. i am proud of what we have done and kay's met doesn't add up. >> i think people in north carolina would find that incredulous. all of the cuts that it into our education system are harming the system. i think you should respond on why teachers are leaving in troves. increase from before. we're the former superintendent in houston coming to north carolina and be very successful recruiting our teachers.

listing to your comment about the budget, i do want to say that speaker tillis, you don't understand my record in congress. i have gotten things done. my jobs training bill passed. my camp lejeune water contamination bill passed. weref these bills bipartisan. i worked with republicans to get them done. that is effective legislation. >> speaker tillis? >> i think that senator hagan really needs to understand and maybe spend some more time back in the state understanding the great things we have done in the state by making the difficult decisions in 2011, we're able to provide the single largest pay increase for teachers in 20 years. it is a fact. an average of 7%. we're working on classroom funding. the problem remains that kay the department of

educations overreach has taken money out of the classrooms and given it to bureaucrats who make $102,000 year. >> you have the next question for senator hagan. said someone who votes with the president 92% of the time doesn't work here in north carolina, yet since you have been in washington, you photo with president obama 95% of the time. do you believe president obama has done great things for north carolina and do you support what he is done for the citizens of the north carolina? >> folks, speaker tillis is certainly misleading you about my record and he is certainly misleading you about his record, too. i'm going to jump back to the other question. his 7% raise? if you were a senior teacher, meaning over 20 to 25 years, you would get a .3%. he is done away with longevity scales. even the individuals in the department of education and the state of north carolina said the way you have calculated these issues has changed for the first

time since 1933, and the worst thing that ever seen in north carolina. now let me talk about what you're saying about the president. i want people to know, i am the most moderate senator in the nation. the nonpartisan national journal has ranked me that because of my ability to work across the aisle and get things done. with the president when it is right for north carolina. it let me tell you, i stand with the people of north carolina when it is right for the people of north carolina. i voted against the president and my party. trade deals sent to many manufacturing jobs overseas. i told the president when he did build the keystone pipeline. withy hagan voted president obama 95% of the time and promised she would be different, and she is broken a promise. she did not answer the question. the real answer is, she probably regrets the fact she is been er for president

obama and harry reid. you can vote 95% of the time with the president and say your moderate. deal independent i've seen in kay hagan over the last two years is -- it seems like she's got a represent washington's interest and not ours. she is still the people of north carolina because she is missed .he fact it matters to be here it matters to talk to those businesses. it matters to provide a historic pay raise. these are things kay hagan needs to come back into the great things we are doing. you like to address the charge he voted for the president 95% of the time? >> certainly. i've stood up to the president and my party when it is right for north carolina. i voted against trade deals that sent too many manufacturing jobs overseas. i told the president we need to build the keystone pipeline. i voted against by all parties budget when there were too deep of cuts to our military.

i've stood up for the people of north carolina. i held a town hall meeting in in north counties carolina. i know the people of north carolina. i support them. a represent them. i am therefore is in the senate. >> your next question for speaker tillis? >> you have consistently made it more difficult for women to access birth control. you defunded planned parenthood and of said employers should be able to deny coverage of birth control. speaker tillis, it is 2014. why have you worked to make birth control so inaccessible? >> you may not of been paying attention in the earlier question, but what i said is, we need to provide broader access and work to lower the cost of contraception. that is what i said. as a matter of fact, maybe we should talk about the extent to which you can separate yourself from big pharmaceutical companies who are clearly supporting our campaign and start talking about providing

lower-cost alternatives and broader access through over-the-counter oral contraception. the american medical association has said that they are safe, effective, and should be allowed to be provided. we all know when you provide broader access, that prices go down. this is the way that you actually increase access and provide more women more opportunities and more choices. >> i think once again, speaker tillis doesn't understand the needs of women. the fact he supports the hobby lobby decision that does allow an employer to deny access to birth control for their employees. i would surly support over-the-counter contraception. but i wanted to be part of the prescription drug plan if these individuals are working for a for-profit company. that is was speaker tillis would deny. theck holding bill once again. we would have to pay

out-of-pocket, which all of the other situations would not. i think speaker tillis has the wrong priorities. >> would you like to reply to how you would allow broader access? >> it is fascinating because if you weren't paying attention, you may not have heard it. she kay did there is what did on obamacare. on one hand she says she supports broad access over-the-counter and on the other hand, she says it needs to be rolled into a prescription drug program. saying oneto be thing and doing another. that is not new to kay. ofk at kay of 2008 and kay 2014. 2.0..0 and kay she has failed the citizens of north carolina on this and many other sources. >> speaker tillis, your question to senator hagan? >> when you are outselling obamacare, you would before the

public on 20 for different occasions and you said, if you like your health care, you can keep it. in some cases you said if you like her doctor, you can keep it. and now we all know that that wasn't true. my question to you, that was a promise made to the citizens of north carolina. at what point did you realize it wasn't true and why didn't you explain yourself at that point? >> you must be paying attention. some insurance companies were nothing up front with their consumers. as soon as i found that out last fall, i took action. i sponsored legislation to allow those plans to be made permanent. speaker tillis, if you are really following what is happening in north carolina, you would know that people in north carolina are allowed to keep those plans. but what i think people in north carolina and need to really understand, speaker tillis would take us back to a broken system. he would take us back to a time when seniors paid more for prescription coverage than they

do today. women, once again, would automatically pay more for their coverage than men. if you had a pre-existing condition, forget about the availability of health insurance. speaker tillis also would reopen the donut hole. he supports a budget that would turn medicare into a voucher program, which would mean financial insecurity for our seniors. speaker tillis once to take us back to a broken system. >> do you want to address that charge? >> senator hagan probably knows 85% of all health care decisions made and households are made by women. she needs to talk to these women and explain why the government has determined health care policy they were satisfied with is no longer fitting the bill and that justifies her broken promise. that is what she said. you need to see what is happening here tonight. we are justifying someone who broke a promise to the citizens of north carolina. if i like my health care, why do

i care what kay hagan things about it? if i'm satisfied with it, if it is serving my family's need him a the women who opened up -- there were thousands of cancellation notices were wondering why. now i know my policy is when a change. in september and october, you will see your insurance rates go up by 11% because kay knows best. i don't believe that. i believe you know best. >> once again, speaker tillis medicaren seniors' into financial insecurity. speaker tillis denies access to medicaid coverage for 500,000 people in this state. it is having a destabilizing condition, especially in our rural communities. people need help. the facts eager tillis said no, the problem is, that is going to increase cost. people still get sick and will go to the emergency room and

that is where everybody's cost increases. >> with that, we have concluded the candidate question part of the debate will stop now we're going to ask each candidate to take 90 seconds for closing statements. we will begin with senator hagan. >> thank you. i want to give a story. i want to tell a story about results. i heard from our men and women in duty at fort bragg that they were going to lose a tuition assistance benefit that allow them to take one college class a semester. due to seeout question, that they would be denied this. onmmediately got to work this problem. i worked with republican senator jim inhofe from oklahoma. within two weeks, we had in a moment on the senate floor. they passed and passed the house and was signed into law by the president. oncen two weeks, it shows again that i am the most moderate senator that i can work

across the aisle and get things done, get results for the people of north carolina. the most amazing thing, i landed that we can, coming home from washington back to north carolina, and i had more mothers and more wives who came up to me at the airport, sought me out and said, senator hagan, we were so worried about -- one woman said, senator hagan, i'm so worried about how my son was going to finish his college degree. thank you. do you know, folks, over 50,000 men and women have gotten a college degree under this program? i know how important it is because i know how important education is. voters, i asked for your support so i can continue representing you, putting the middle class first and making the economy work for everyone. thank you. >> speaker tillis? >> i want to thank you and everybody for joining us tonight.

we have very different visions for america and very different ways to do it president obama and the washington establishment. wonderful childhood, but it wasn't easy. i've been a paperboy and short order cook. when i graduated high school, i was working in a warehouse and living in a trailer park. i finally received my degree. along the way, i met my beautiful wife, susan, and had two wonderful children. i'm a living example of somebody who is realize the american dream. i want to go to washington and make sure every single american has the same opportunity to realize their american dream. when kay hagan went to washington, she merely became a part of the washington establishment -- she immediately became a part of the washington establishment. she is filthy people of north carolina. that is why i'm running for the u.s. senate.

with the establishment, show them respect and over a few short years, they elected me speaker of the house. i want to bring that same leadership to washington. i want to make america great again. inlive on the greatest and the greatest nation on the face of this earth. we can return this nation to greatness. . am thom tillis i'm asking for your vote. thank you, god bless you, god bless the united states of america. >> we want to thank both senator kay hagan and speaker tom tillis for their participation. they will participate in a second debate on october 7. this public service program was brought to by the north carolina association of broadcasters educational foundation. on behalf of all of us, thank you for watching and don't forget to vote. campaign 2014 coverage tonight. california governor jerry brown will debate his republican opponent neil cache kari.

this is currently the only scheduled debate between these candidates. we will have live coverage at 10:00 eastern, 7:00 pacific. with compass returning monday, here's a message to congress from one of this your c-span, edition winners. >> the nsa, what does it do? it was hard to answer for edward snowden lead thousands of documents to the public. these documents showed full extent of the nsa surveillance on americans. >> the nsa is doing but data collection of americans e-mails. it is not limited in scope to terrorists, to people that probable cause to believe. the nsa is very controversial. the only way to resolve that conflict is if congress puts

this as the number one issue in 2014. >> join us next wednesday during "washington journal" for the studentcam competition. >> this afternoon, ralph nader and grover norquist. live coverage from the national press club at 1:00 eastern. later in the day, former counterterrorism officials from the bush and obama administrations will talk about terrorist threats to the u.s. live coverage from the mccain institute starts at 5:45 eastern. coming up, we will get an update on the start of the nato summit in in wales. robert levinson will join us to look at some of the challenges facing nato, including russia's intervention in ukraine.