this panel discussion, which focuses on a brave soldier who gave his country his everything, it is a lot broader. do we stand for them? and you made a reference to, you know, the veterans administration. , likechucked $17 million we've really done something stupendous. in the last 60 days the calls haven't stopped. and i don't see anything changing. and i don't see anything better. and i'm dubious that it will get better until major things happen. until there's a major mindset change that we care about those that we send in harm's way.

this is the case of a young man who served our country proudly ptsd who ering from is now languishing in a mexican prison. i implore the president to do what a commander in chief should do and that's do everything he's got to get this man home. i implore the government of mexico to do the right thing. laws are there for two things to provide citizenry and also to enact justice. we know what justice would be. justice in this case would be to have this man home. that is compassion ands that justice. i thank you for taking your time. i thank the members for coming across the country. thank you, wendy, for coming the farthest from hawaii. this hearing is concluded and god bless. [capti performed by

national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] >> tonight on c-span, 2014 debates. next a debate between u.s. house candidates from gregs.nia's 52nd con and the debate for governor of

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@c-span.org. like us on facebook, follow us on twitter. >> and now a debate among the u.s. house candidates from california's 52nd congressional district. on the november ballot are scott peters and san diego councilman carl de maio. according to a poll conducted by service u.s.a. voters are split. 47% for congressman peters. 46% for republican challenger carl dema yo. -- carl de maio.

>> a race getting national attention because of the the close race between a democrat and a republican. >> we want to welcome if -- the two candidates congressman scott peters and i a long with councilman carl de maio. er wanted to do a different debate. we really wanted this to be a conversation with the candidates so hopefully in the end benefit you the viewers. >> and katherine before we get started let us set the political scene in california's 52nd congressional district. >> the 52nd district stretches from coronado to la joya to rancho bernardo. 34% are republican. 22% are democrat. 29% independent. >> most races in congress are

very highly split between republicans and democrats. this is one of the few nonstate seats in the country. >> which is why this race matters. san diego voters could give the g.o.p. another seat in the house. so what message do peters and de maio have to convey? >> peters has to convince that de maio is too extreme. which is why you hear "tea party" from peters' mouth and hope that the republican surge are going to see is not going to extend to san diego. >> both former city councilman. both generally agree on most issues, same sex marriage. both are pro-choice. up to know they're focused on local themes familiar in san diego. de maio has hammered him over taking celt in his role over pension reform. >> the challenge for the de

maio campaign is how to try to take that track record and those experiences that carl had at the local level, translate them into a national race. >> what about the issues they'll takele in congress. >> de maio is not interested in talking about national security. foreign policy. he wants to focus the race on business issues and budget issues and that's where he think he can make inroids. >> but recently the chamber of commerce endorsed peters ending with this ugly tweet from the chamber. de maio campaign imploding. end up to the turnout. >> we think our post graduation job prospects. we think of what the economy is going to look like for us five, 10 years down the line. >> ok. so with all of that in line and

our colleague brought up a lot of issues that we'll touch on here, we wanted to start with the issue of the day. the u.s. began air strikes against isis targs in syria last night. this has received bipartisan support. what i'm issue of ground troops because a lot of military experts have said that without adequate ground troop support they're not going to bring an end to isis. they don't think the iraqi security crisis will do it. at what point will you support ground troops? >> san diego is a military town. national issues are indeed important to all san diegan. if you're going to ask someone to leif their house, you best satisfy two key tests. first make sure that it's a

national security crisis or an issue that is of direct impact to the american national security position. i think in the case of isis that clearly has been established. this is a terrorist group. it has already killed several americans and it continues to threaten americans. if not checked we will see this don't spiral out of control. but the second test is equally important and that is that we have a thoughtful, common sense strategy to win. when we intervene we should have a strategy to actually successfully win and mobilize our enemy. in this case, i don't believe that the president has laid out an adequate strategy. i've talked to my own military advisors these are generals, admirals who are advising me, veterans and they all have expressed concerns that the president seems be playing more of a political game of talking about air strikes and a little bit of technical advice on the ground. well, i think that we're going to find in the next several

weeks that's probably going to be inadequate. if we have to build the case for expansion that's got be something that the american people will support that's where the administration and congress should not treat this as a democratic issue or republican issue, this is an american issue. and we need more members of congress to approach it that way. >> so at this point you're saying not enough information for ground troops. >> mr. peters, when would you support u.s. ground troops in these regions? >> as a congress member, my job is to keep you and your family safe from harm. we know around the world not just in the middle east there are people in dark rooms and even caves planning to hurt our country, our families, and we have to go to those places and stop them. isis is a tremendously dangerous force. these new terrorists are better equipped, better funded, better tactical than al-qaeda which attacked us in 2001. we have to take this very, very

seriously. i support the plan that congress, the president and our commanders most important agree to which is going to build a multistrategy plan for dealing with isis, part of it is these air strikes which will degrade the enemy. there's a much bigger plan, part of is developing a political system in iraq that rely on so these people will be equipped themselves. part of it is what we saw yesterday, allies in the area. part of it is getting international support. we know that france has indicated they interested because they know before terrorism gets to the united states it's going to hit europe first. part of it is the equipment and training of some syrian who is will be carefully vetted on the ground. >> both of you are expressing a good measure of support for going in and trying to

eradicate isis. i think for a lot of your would-be constituents where's the line in the sand for both of you? at what point would you say, i'm no longer going to support the effort? >> it goes to the criteria that i laid out. they're not my criteria but they were laid out by cap linebergerful he said if you're going to put men and women in harm's way, we have to satisfy that it is a national security threat to our country, and second, that we have to have a well thought-out plan. i believe we've gotten into conflicts where the first criteria has not been adhered to. we got into nation building, policing other country, imposing governments, running public health systems in certain cases, roles that we should not be in but don't really relate to our national interest. they may be humanitarian but

they are not linked by the national interest. second, we have to insure that when we do use force that it's part of a sensual, strategic approach to winning. that should not be a democrat or republican issue. that should be something where congress asks tough questions and isn't afraid to challenge perhaps their own party when they're not getting those sorts of answers because you're asking men and women to leave their families and put their lives on the line and they need to know that it's not only an important issue that they should be involved in that relates to our national security. but we have supported them by giving them the right sort of intervention and approach for winning the battle. >> thank you. congressman, at what point would you say no? >> we really seen the limitations of our ability to affect afghanistan and iraq with ground troops. and so i think we've got to resist that. at this point i don't think the case has been made to put

ground troops in. and at this case no one's proposing it. we listen very hard to the briefings about what our ability and interest is. and what our real interest is for our own security, for our own families. >> do you believe isis can be defeated without u.s. down troops? >> i think they can be degraded in the strategy that we're following. it doesn't have to be american ground troop. we like the people in the area to be fighting for their own freedom. iraqis, kurds, syrians. >> i think the problem is those forces are not going to be able to accomplish it on the ground and that is the concern among the american people that we are being told snag down the line is not going to be -- >> we share that concern too. i think, you know, you can't guarantee that this is going to be successful. but i have a lot of faith in our commander. they may come back and ask for

more. but the one thing we insisted on is any further authorization would have to come back to congress. the one thing i would say too is i've been critical of the president for not being as close to partner with congress as he could be. in this case we worked very closely with the president and with our command irs to figure out what the best strategy at this point in time. >> could i follow this? and this may be a very early hypothetical. let's just say best case scenario, the air strikes are successful or whatever surgery may come afterwards and isis is redused to let's amanageable problem. what move should the allies make in order to fill what could be a power vacuum that's going to attack other terrorist groups. al-qaeda and now we've got isis. what might be next? >> one of the main problems we've had is we've had an iraqi government that wasn't politically sufficient.

the maliki government was only concerned with one second. and we have to have an inclusive government that reaches across the secretary yarn lines. that's been our first priority. we've seen the change in the government. we've seen some promising signs that the next government will be more inclusive. >> we can't be the government of iraq. we is have to use diplomacy. and we have to ally with other countries in the region. >> mr. de maio? >> again, this is again, i think a situation where politicians from both sides of the aisle are trying to sugarcoat it. i think we have to have a more focused view. and we have to have a more limited use of force that reflects our national interest. clear le define missions are important. my concern here is that the mission is not clearly defined as katherine pointed out.

we wake up one day and find that what was sold to us is not actually the case. we saw mission creek. we saw that in iraq and earg. they need be having their own conversation so we can have clarity and focus whenever we're putting people's lives on the line. >> ok. moving on to issues which still are international in scope. but it's a big domestic issue. you were a member of congress right now. i've heard it said that immigration reform is a lot like the weather, everybody talks about it. nobody does anything about it. you had any specific policy, deas, initiatives that would break the gridlock. >> the senat last summer voted with 69 votes on a bipartisan immigration bill.

it's a compromise. but i would like to see the speaber put that compromise on the floor. the trillion dollars in deficit reduction helps stabilize him, increase border security. and allow the workers to earn a path to citizenship by paying we're sending people home whom we educate to cure diseases instead of keeping them here. the farm workers who -- who we don't have enough farm works, we're letting some workers to rot in the field. it's right before it. >> we could do it before tomorrow. this is they load up this big bill.

thousands of pages long. and we crowd out the issues that people actually agree on. here's anish shy that i think everybody agrees on. we need to security the border first. we need to put the resources and he attention actbility. they get to run to the front of the line but also for national security issues. who knows who's able to cross into our border in term of terrorist groups that may want to harm the american people. border security is a prerequisite. -- democrats support a border. but members of congress wants to put poison noise in these bells. they point fingers at each other. i this we have to focus at issue where is we see great

unity. security the border first should be a single subject bill. and i think that it would give baurp support if you focus on those areas of agreement. >> this is the magic of mr. de maio. we had par of it is securing the bored. they want to build a fence all across the border. they want to double it. we can't get a vote because the speaker of the house mr. binger won't even put it up for a vote. listen, this is something on which everyone agrees. the u.s. chamber of congress and the labor community, the farmers and the farmer. it's the fake community and the text community all agree we all know that the harvard business school says that this is one of the most important things we could do to get job creation going, get the economy growing and how important would that be? all we need is a speaker. we would have -- immigration

reform the next day. >> you had an opportunity when the bill came before the house, a very target bill on border security. funding for border security. would have been here. and you voted no. if you could sit there and say, well, you had a vote. to actually be a part of a model step forward to provide the resources to secure or bored, >> nancy pelosi and the democrat leadership twisted arms saying we want to make sure that they are part of this economized package. >> i voted no, because security isn't the only el mant of immigration reform that we need. what we need is we need to deal with those labor surprise.

i would like to say manage about mrs. pelosi. i was rated last year the fourth most independent democrat because i'm willing to take votes against my party and i do. >> i would not have gone that ranking. f -- and i got the endorsement of the united states chamber of congress. five were democrats. what they're concerned with is they want democrats to solve problems. what they don't want is extreme party extremements. ey threaten our nation's security. >> you want to continue to apply labels to me because you can't defend your own record. so you can call me names all you want. i haven't sat there and called you names. i have issues that i can disagree with you on. there are differences in our

record in the way they approach issues. but to sit there and say i'm got to go there. it's divisive and it's what's wrong with politics today. let's talk about -- >> can you talk about the party thing first? >> there you go. we've seen it on a lot of commercials on television >> nonstop. >> let's bring time-out quote that has been attributed to you where you basically said you would owe to the tea party. >> actually no. this is important. scott peters took a video and he spliced it. i gave a speech taupe many groups including unions they are on the far left. there's not a whole left we have in common. but i stood before any group that could listen to our plan on pension reform. i'm not talking about social issues because i disagree.

i don't think socialists you should be part of o focus in washington. i stood before them and i said, let's focus on a positive agenda. and what can we do positive in san diego? >> we can we form the out of control pension system at city hall. we can replay those tensions that the politics have voted himself including mr. peters put in place a system that allows us and restore surfaces. i implowed them to come to the table and be bart of the solution to move san diego forward. i will continue to reach out to groups that disagree with me. >> this is what they're saying. >> and you see the question that mr. peters spliced out. the question was who's backing your opponent? and i said in the marriage rights the downtown insiders

and the governmentying yang i'm not their candidate and i'm proud of that. i owe you the people everyone everything. and that's exactly how i always approached and for him to try to dereceive voters is just an example of defamation because he can't defend them. i'm more than happy to defend my record. how do you take this out of context, gene. >> the whole video is on my weebt. but they call it the tea party is the conscience of the .ccountable if i win i owe you everything. so that's one thing. it's his own work. >> the second is his supporters. >> there were three running in

this race. every tea party choice mr. de maio as their candidate because they know because when he gets there. >> that's absolutely true. >> it's not true. >> 102 times she was the one no voight on the city council. he voted against all four of mayor sanders council. they weren't extreme enough. i voted against the $700,000 health care deporm. >> when did you lose the marriage. the u.t. she would leave a legacy of devices. and when he wanted to be mayor they had a big meeting of the republican leadership in la hoya. the >> we want kevin foster. your vices.

we have enough of that. and sending a tea party extreme lists to serve your party with extremism of is not the way -- where do i even start to unpack that. the teen party did not support you in this primary. they put on a right-wing candidate. i have a history, a record of taking on my own political party and chaling him to change. i'm talking the right ring. i don't believe that social issues should be part to step. we should allow people to make decisions on association issues in terms of their fates. when you talking about the accomplishments that we talked at city hall. when mr. peters left the council. in 2008 the city was on the brink of brouptsi. out ed the city was paying

lavish pensions that we could not afford. mr. peters talked about his extreme budget. he. he voted to cut library hours by 52%. he voted to under mind police and shower services. three month bfers a major cas to troughy gold may yo. >> how do we reserve service ls. i've four years time, cleaned up the mess. and we did that by bringing people together. bipartisan. and the ultimate bipartisan vote in the city the pensionry form initiative in 2012. that brought them together from around the city. why? because we built a solution or an agenda to fix or meetings.

>> i would consider that pretty extreme. >> the city of san diego had a couple of decades for bad financial practices. and i wasn't on the on there. but i was on a city tchunal ended up. >> may or called me. his partner at the end of our work, the s.e.c. which enforces the security laws so there models. in 2008 i i would save the eople about $22 in pension pie mats. so to say that nothing was done really was there is disengeneral >> lead in.

we had a lot of the issues with the bubble boasting in on the internet. we have to dole with a lot of tough issues. we also, you know, we work with the mayor with the republican mayor with democrats on the council came up with budgets every year they supported. they weren't always great. but i was proud to be part of a solution oriented, consensus building group which is a problem solving goup that we need. and then claiming people who were in there. i understand. look, mr. peters handed off in in 2008, a city that was on the destruction. they're at low-levels in terms of fire power. he gave politicians a 42% salary hike. in the middle of one of our worse.

he took $69 bill for his leadership. now, in four years' time what did we do? we balanced the subject. >> we reform the. we will able to actually make san diego a model through my pension refer. this is what i'm spags nat about. we started cutting library hours road repair. i'm proud of that. it took democrats and republicans work together and no -- thank you. gentlemen. hold that thought. we're just getting started here. and as we head to this break break, we wanted to pass alongs in the nature of full disclosure. we learned that comcast has a

political action committee that s donated to con grationladges interesting lee that came out $8,000. that committee's actions are no bearing of what they do. but today we wanted to be as open as possible. we'll continue do talk to the candidates right after this. >> so before we get to some questions, we thought we'd give you the viewers some background of both candidates. scott peters earned his undergraduate degree from duke university and attended duke university school of law. he was an environmental lawyer.

he served on the city council from 2000 to 2008. he became the first council president. she was termed out of office. in 2009 he became am commissioner of it. in 22012 you challenge brian bill brace. he lived with his wife in la hoya. running maio before for office de maio started the ispanic and found that the american strategic institute offers management to conversations. both companies he later sold for millions. dema yo moved to san diego in 2002 where he began speaking publically and backing efforts at government reform.

in 2008 he ran and won a seat. representing district five, man. n openly gay they will retire city worker retirement benefits along with hangeing the cost of it. de maio's partner is jonathan hale the owner of a san diego based marketing form. >> one thing won't be candidates have in common they think that we left into a break. so we're going to give them both 20 second to wrap up that and then we want to talk about a few more things. >> i guess we should be taking about issues. everyone got the same car. when i came into the council, i .as the first one

lloyd supported mr. de maio in his tv commercials. i don't understand that he's ever asked her to stop taking it or na he made any effort and the city council got it out of the conversation package. both said they were a man of bmw. who drove a >> so let's get on. nothing to do with creating a job. >> look. cutting you ought to leave. you ought to be a shamed because your work was 69. but you took 69 payments from taxpayers and this is years bhile you're cutting services for our kids. in terms of the issue i wanted to respond to is this false attack about the tea party. you saw the package from nbc,

gay, social lally moderate. speaking troops to power including my own political party. making government work. that's not a tea party agenda. that's an agenda of trying to force. cut out the social issues. let's focus on jobry form. that's and this trip show noss amount of distorsion. i was struck by yourry marks on the day that you announced for congress last september. you had some very harsh statements about the republicans. our one of your quotes seemed, and you voted. so how is that going to fix? >> that is not true, this is what mr. peters has claimed. what i had said is people can

make a difference even if there's one person and that could be a good difference. and that was the contest if for peach took completely out of context. so drubblingtive d difference would be -- if you have dividuals and not actually move the ball forward. i don't see how that moves the needle. and actually solves problems. 50eu678 willing to take on both the accomplishment republicans who think there's nothing wrong with wasteful spending, and certainly nothing wong with giving poll tiggetses perks. i'm also ready to talk the tea party one. who also would rather stand there and say we have to get everything down overnight or everyone else is somehow suspect.

when i announced. >> my life's work has been offering positive solutions trying to build consensus. if you are so busy taking on everybody and speaking truth to power, think a lot of constituents would want to know if and fight with everyone. >> and i woumed point too before i was on the city some where we took out member of of the party. and and they will increase the tax increase. we took home the mention system. vest tried saying we don't need pension reform. i'm gloing to a record. you need members of congress members of the city council who are not worried about pleasing

the special interest about aking sure they pro vates. and the fact is, you no, the it's ty, the frustrated a shutdown the government. they don't steam have an idea to reach together. that's the mold that mr.dema yo has followed. back in his own work. who supports hip. he fathereder everybody. i wouldn't say that he's a fighter. but the problem is if we have too much of that in washington. tell to shake hands ant us. and now he's elected as the city council president. it's a sign. she's the only member of the city council, the only member.

his city council was great. it did somebody who could work with another people. >> you can share and it's like you're sending another tea party extremists. >> take a look at the problems we got in san diego. we restored fftses. mentions an perks that they were giving themselves. we start the doubt redevelopment shell game whether they were taking it in the pocket we stopped the largest tax in the history of take a look at the accomplishments that we were able to get dup in four years. san diegoians today ben d. i'm proud of that admirer. i think that some people do care about what you did in the city, tchare also going to know

what you are going to do from congress. >> you think we should leave orbleeshishe yous. if you are like congress. you're tellsing us that you're mod dinner. > where do they see. en >> when i announced for congress -- and i said that we ought to trust individuals to ake it for themselves. going to washington and this is not the place. government and congress. it is on the rest of us. and that's why oppose any attempts to put solution issues

or special a. 'm proud to be endorsed. and i believe standing right over his record. and they're economy security. the things about mr. dema yo. you dent get an answer to the question. d you know, part of that reich greag. do they make it bub? i'm 100 record. i'm standing for economic pena. we didn't hear him take any weird stake on think of those women's work place. until next time that's two weeks ago. he didn't answer the champion sarah now.

>> again, he could ask mr. boehner who is raising money r him to let us have a raise so i like him saying that he's a moderate. you have to say what are you willing to do for people? what this is what's wrong. absolutely. i said that months ago. democrats want to use social issues and keep e keep them alive. and fart weight to constantly battle on issues that have nothing. we should air on the side of personal freedom. pro-choice? >> i actually believe that our civil rights would be the same.

i'm a change agent in the republican party. we've seeing that you heanted him the conversation. as perhaps someone who can break the mold of an old someone who can change the talent and flexible views. this is the 21st senchingry. let's truste people. if you're willing to truste. can we can trust people? these are issues that we should settle on the score of equality and respect. i want to change those issues. >> well, you had a chance to really be a dice. he wasn't. i up when i was first running for office, mr. dema yo was elected in twain. in june because he won the primary. and the next thing up was

proposition eight. and they asked it which was so to band imagine quality. >> why don't you stand up and say this is the brong thing to do. and he told hiss own community no, he won't do it. nd and he won't go anywhere. he feels like the community feels like he turned their back on them and he didn't stand up. >> running for office but has history of really being the i think i've always been clear about my orientation. >> aye always been a believer in personal freedom i have not reserved any sort of support for the issue. i have a 100% voting record.

i led the charge to get the city on the record against don't ask, don't tell which allowed gay service members to serve with dignity without any fair of retaliation. they said we should be telling people equally. my mr. peters to understand position. and they look at these issues as an issue to district the bass. u balancing the budget dealing with the national debt. we got to get off these devases. i'm willing to do >> you have shown in this debate that you are willing to dereceive -- sadiagte. there's been no distortion in the record. it's burn quite clear.

be happy to move on. we should probably address health care. same we for both of you all. repeal it, replace it or fix it? >> i'm a fix it guy. i was in congress when. people getting their health care from emergency roops which cost us money. people not having enough money to pay for their lot of personality. they're able to deny you or coverage. >> we have to move beyond that. and so i think this has been progress. one of the areas where i distinguished myself is ipped. frankly with the other party to ix this law.

keep your plan if you like it. i think when we saw the rollout, how that was kind of botched. that that was a good vote and i shown again and again that i'm willing to work on it to make it better but i don't support repealing it. i think we can't go back. we have to move forward. obamacare i think is the wrong direction. i it adds to the problem. to provide healthy with their doctors. not from government bureaucrat telling us what's going for us. i support a different approach fo to the health care reform debate. obamacare.an get nd just say can we sep support

to make there was some people and -- i would. i've never understood why that was in place. i think it's a very punitive policy that health insurance companies use to limit access to camplete second i would .llow children in college i would also keep heath care exchangeses that i would not have government pan them. i would allowed the market to do that. because health care statement allows for him to and i'll go even farther. i would allow people to redeem their employer health ca plan. i would plan that have allowed competition. and that threatens the health care security of

seniors. just to led by example. i would strip members of congress for the special health care citys that they put in the obamacare law. enough and they live under the same law. >> the implication. the 700 million dollars was an attack of last campaign. i wasn't even here i win obamacare. the affording care about was adopted. let me just say this about the health care. iive urn one down. i've terned out the president. when the tea party sequester went into effect, i led by 6078%.

and when the tee party shut them down to government because they wanted to repeal the a.c.a. adording back? >>. for veterans and sr who are aeakeded be the quotes. my ma yo n tunnel and will del him. and the city library. i'm proud to do so. >> let's talk about issue. it's about leading by example. we would like an foirble put hemselves into the same. >> the issue is pretty clear. we got at drought going on. what specific plans, ideas, legislative immissions.

a there were concerns about whether san diego is going to get another waiver from clean freetacked. and to the extent that we've seen it. what do you see a lincoln there. do you think you can get through congress in a without. mr. peters was worse $00. and there's nothing wrong with that, scott. he's the eight richest member oaf the world but this is a man who on the city council he voted to increase. he took this and he took his pension early. this is very important. he protected the perks of mechanics of congress. . . needs to go off the record a she stipings in.

and we got some other stuff in the choir. >> do you have something that you want to do in terms -- >> the water issue in san diego is about ex- and he voted to not fwull the solve. and won't save water anymore we changed the waters. r. peters, we're on a, the localities, the state and the federal government. we are very fortunate and. and we made a deal with the farmers. so we weren't deposit pen dend it was a d at local

controversial thing when i was, we have to debate our washington supply. recycle or to waret. but we can't be sending what's treatable water out, four nstead of the ocean. . we've gone from being behind the curtains in always asking made a n't know if he scientific for it. you think this is pure water system we can be the leader in the nation. and by can show how to do things recycling tearry farce. that needs the permission of the federal government. and we hope that folks will

support. i want to ask you a question that i think maybe speak to more of a big issue in ongress. and they held a hear og the ray rice domestic abuse history and lso noer limb plate. we i'm wondering if you -- you and the congressman if you were in congressman would you support having a felling like like this. i think the rice case is just di exploreable. women should not be treated that way. we have role models. our hope is to cleanup on. i think that's important for raising.

and if we aren't satisfied then but at this point, i want to see what the nfl does. i think the message has been set. i don't support that name. i think 19 tries and that my hope that this is not a .ood addition forle >> i would just say -- you know, we should recognize that domestic violence is a problem and extends far joined the in the middle of territory. we play a very important role in congress in facilitating them.

we have to so yeah, the idea of having >> hes. dnd d i think it's for some final thoughts or 30 seconds. >> well, in this campaign you're going to see a lot of the nasty attack ads. san diego's. they said they were on the brink of braupsi. >> it was restoring serve communities. the middle-class jobs, back in his country so the jobs is ahead of and get ruttings. i'm a procedureen -- i would

just say that when i was 11 in i was promised to bring a problem solving approach to congress to get beyond this tear party device or necessary. in three years >> we have a group of five people who like eve. and the 50-23 pn 33 3 they will continue to make it better. this is a good place. too. >> our special thanks to the two candidates republican carl de maio and scott peters. the 52nd district is an important district for not only us. the entire nation watching to see which two men will represent so many of you in congress. >> we hope that you got a better sense of who they are and what they stand for and how they would work for our

community. >> don't forget the election is november 4th. a lot of people will be voting by mail. we hope we gave you enough information. >> have a good night. >> on c-span at 8:00, a televised debate in the oklahoma governor's race. mary fallin faces a challenge from joe dorman. on c-span 2, the candidates for governor of nebraska. from lincoln, nebraska, begins at 8:00 eastern. ies tour-span city takes the tv and american has to be -- american history tv on the

road. >> my book is called the beast in the garden. it is about a large animal that in ancient times, we would have called a beast, the mountain lion. boulder, colorado, is a beautiful place. in many ways cap it has been altered by human kind. -- in many ways, it has been altered by human kind. a mountain lion's favorite food is venison. they eat about one dear a week -- one deer a week. dear.ty attracted the -- deer. when the lines move back into thea area, they discovered there were deer in town.

the lions discovered they could eat dogs and cats. that is food for them. they have learned that this is where they will find food. there is lots to eat in town. retreat, a beautiful place for enrichment, entertainment, enlightenment. the people who were intended to be the audience were really what we would call the middle class. similar.ams were very a combination of speakers of the day and a variety of what we might consider highbrow and lowbrow entertainment. opera, classical music, probably will be considered the vaudeville of that day. >> watch all of our events from boulder, saturday, at noon eastern on c-span 2.

at 2:00 on c-span 3. >> wendy davis and greg abbott took part in their final televised debate. rick perry is retiring at the end of this year. from dallas, this is an hour. >> welcome to the texas debate, race for governor. we are broadcasting live.

i will be the moderator during the next hour as we bring you the last statewide televised debate the between the leading candidates for governor. >> elect me as governor and i will get texas moving again. >> greg abbott worked as a lawyer in houston after receiving a law degree from vanderbilt university. he was elected as a state district judge and a texas supreme court justice before winning his current seat as attorney general. >> i am running because i will be a governor who will fight for every single hard-working texan. >> wendy davis is the democratic nominee for governor. she is a fort worth attorney with a degree from harvard law school. davis served on the fort worth city council before voters elected her to her current seat as the texas state senator in 2009.

thank you to both of you for being with us tonight. we appreciate you coming. you will be answering questions from each other and also questions from a panel of journalists. bryan curtis from nbc 5, "the san antonio express news" and the "houston chronicle," norma garcia from telemundo 39. she will have social media questions. you can join the debate on twitter. we will be sharing some of your comments during the broadcast. for this first set of questions, candidates will have a minute to respond and an opportunity for rebuttal. based on a coin toss, attorney general abbott you will get the first question.

>> good evening. tonight, the eyes of the nation are on texas and dallas with the news that the first ebola patient diagnosed here in the united states is here. if you are governor today, leaves outlined the immediate steps you would take to protect the people of texas. >> i would do what i did earlier today. i would speak with the commissioner of health and human services here in the state of texas. find out what our game plan is and where we are going. i learned that the texas hospital plan is one of the few locations in the country that is prepared to deal with ebola. the commissioner is working with the cdc to ensure the situation is properly addressed. we need to understand the concerns that people at home

have as well as the health of the person who has or may have this disease. we have seen already the innovative way in which the united states is able to come up with drug therapies that can effectively treat and even eliminate this disease. we are proud that we are national leaders in this effort. as governor, i would ensure that we would explore every possibility. >> senator davis, please outline the immediate steps you would take to protect the people of texas. >> my sympathies go out to the person who has been affected by this disease and the people with this patient. i had an opportunity to speak with our dallas county judge and he reassured me that with a world-class hospital system here, i have them place the

protocols to make sure that medical professionals who treat this patient will be safe and that they will be able to contain this disease. he asked that we consider helping our public community to remain calm. this is not an airborne disease. we talked about the coordinated effort that should and will occur between the county, the state, and the federal cdc in order to assure that we are taking all precautions necessary not to see further incidences of this disease in our community. as governor, that coordination would be my primary purpose. in helping the public to understand. >> we will give each of you another 45 seconds for rebuttal. >> under what circumstances might quarantines be necessary? >> the threshold has been met. we want to ensure that the ebola disease cannot expand any further. the ambulance and transported

the person has already been quarantined. we need to make sure that anyone who has been exposed to this will be quarantines. one of the first and foremost obligations of our state and our nation is to ensure that this disease does not spread any further whatsoever and that we bring to bear the medicines better able to cure those doctors that came back to the united states last month. ensure that we are able to eliminate this disease. >> senator davis, where is the threshold for you? >> as i discussed with judge jenkins this evening, or will be and has already quarantines in place for this particular patient. protocols are being followed.

utilizing those resources and drugs available to us that we know successfully treated other medical professionals who had been in west africa. will be administered to this patient. as soon as we know that we have someone who is suffering from this disease and immediate quarantines if necessary and called for. >> our second question goes to senator davis. >> there is not a topic that gets parents and teachers more angry than standardized tests. both of you say that you would cut the number of standardized student tests. how should test results be used and to what extent should test scores be used to determine whether a student graduates or

advances to the next level? >> i have been a leader in making sure that we reduce standardized testing in this state. i was a co-author of a bill last session to reduce from our high school students 15 to 5. tests are important measures to determine where students' strengths and weaknesses are and they should be used for that purpose so that teachers can understand where the holes are and what they need to do. i, unlike my opponent, would never advocate the idea that we expand the use of standardized tests to four-year-olds. he has laid out a plan for his pre-k funding programs that would include the use of standardized tools in children as young as four years old. >> mr. abbott? >> let me respond and clarify to make sure that people understand that contrary to what senator davis said, i no more want

four-year-olds to take tests than i want a cow to jump over the moon. i want to build a strong foundation for our children to getting at pre-k going all the way through third grade to ensure that every child in texas will be able to read and do math at or above grade level. i have seen this firsthand. my wife has been both a teacher and the principal. we have seen the ways education can transform the lives of children. the way we do that is by placing trust where it belongs and that is what our teachers. >> is this our rebuttal time? >> how much weight does it have in the evaluation of teachers?

>> determining whether students are increasing their performance levels. the not the high-stakes standardized tests we have in place today. it is important to make sure we are measuring performance, but we are not discouraging good teachers from going into classrooms that will be helping the most challenging of students. teachers should be rewarded for showing that progress. i disagree with mr. abbott. his plan on page 21 calls for standardized testing of our four-year-olds. i can tell you in my time on the campaign trail and in all my years in the senate, i have never had a parent tell me they think we need more standardized tests.

i will fight to make sure we have fewer standardized tests across the board in texas and the high pressure that has been associated with them goes away. >> what i would like to urge everyone to do is to go to gregabbott.com. you can check out my education plan. i want to genuinely elevate the texas education system to be ranked number one in the nation. we do that by starting with the fundamental building blocks for reading and writing from the very beginning. providing tools and technologies to student so they are able to get plugged into the most advanced learning opportunities, and also so they are prepared for the high-paying jobs of the future. with regard to evaluations of

teachers, i think it is important that decisions like that should be made at local control. part of my plan focuses on returning education where it should be, and that is at the local level. i plan would lead us there and will lead us to be ranked number one in the nation. >> we have been asking the public to e-mail and tweet questions for the candidates. we will go now to norma garcia. >> we have received hundreds of questions and we will continue to receive them throughout the debate. you can see many of them at the bottom of the screen. in our first question, it comes from fort worth. what is your position in providing drivers permits for undocumented immigrants? there is an effort to reintroduce a bill that would provide drivers permits to undocumented immigrants. this would be a state id. would you support that bill? >> we have seen problems with

laws like that be challenged by the federal id act. before we go down the pathway of trying to create these differentiated types of drivers licenses, we need to make sure that we are complying with federal law and not providing licenses that others could use for inappropriate purposes. >> senator davis, you have said you would be in favor of providing drivers permits. why should they get special treatment? could this create a registry of

second-class individuals? >> i do not believe it creates special treatment for undocumented immigrants. the fact that people are driving on our roads across the state today who do not have the appropriate training and who are not insured. unless we create some system that provides a driver permits for every driver on the road, we cannot assure those two things. other states have successfully done this, requiring an exchange for the permit, special training to make sure we have saved drivers on the road, and proof of insurance. in my time at the texas senator, i heard repeatedly from people who were involved in accidents with uninsured drivers, in many instances, who were not in our

state or country legally. i believe these driver permits and the requirement of insurance is important to keep all drivers safe on the road. >> we now have time for rebuttal. >> what should undocumented immigrants do in the meantime? >> you really raise the pivotal question. we are dealing with a challenge, whether it be with drivers license or so many other issues, we are dealing with undocumented individuals. this problem is never going to be fixed as long as we have the broken immigration system that we have. we want to fix the problem about assuring those who are here are driving safely on the road. what we really need to do is fix our broken immigration system. once we do that, all of these peripheral issues will be resolved. >> senator davis, what should the state do in the meantime? >> i support comprehensive immigration reform and making

sure that if are willing to pass a background check, learn english, and pay back taxes, they have a path to become a legal worker here. let's face it, we are not going to see that happen any time soon because congress has failed to do its job to pass the kind of reform. i believe the texas can't wait. in this next legislative session, we do need to address the issue of making sure that every driver on our roads have proper training and is insured to keep other drivers on our roads safe. >> thank you very much. we will return to questions for both of our candidates. we want to spend a little time and talk with both of you about something that is relevant with respect to your serving as governor.

>> i would like to ask about the intersection of your public office and private business. as a senator, you voted on north texas tollway legislation while the authority was a client of your law firm. it has prompted an ethics complaint from your opponent. do critics have a right to say you should have gone further to avoid an appearance of a conflict? >> i have been very careful. first and foremost, as a public servant, my job has always been in my duty has always been to the people that i represent. it is not a surprise to me that general abbott has brought these accusations forward in a myriad of ways to deflect from his failed record. he has sold out hard-working

texans time and time again in the interest of people who make donations to his campaign. whether that is chemical companies and received a ruling from him that they can now keep secret the location of their dangerous chemicals, whether it is payday lenders who received a ruling that they can operate in a loophole in the law, whether it is taking money from the hospital board chair when there was a surgeon operating under that administration and harming and hurting many patients and taking money and siding with the hospital. we see it over and over again. >> can i ask you to address the question about your own

dealings? >> i've always operated within the ethical requirements and i've been very careful to do so. at every level of government i have served. i think the people who know me and know my record know this -- i fight for the people i represent. i put the hard-working texans that i represent first and foremost and everything that i do. i have been willing to stand up to the biggest, baddest bullies in the world in order to fight for them. that is why i am in public office. that is my record as a public servant. >> thank you. we now have a question about ethics for you, attorney general. your critics claim that there has been a pattern of you using your office to reward political contributors. the most recent situation has involved the texas enterprise fund. lastly, we learned you received

more than a million dollars in campaign donations from parties who received money from that fund, even though an auditor says some never formally applied for the money and they did not prove or could prove they would create new jobs. state law requires you to oversee the fund. did you know millions of taxpayer dollars were being handed out without adequate scrutiny? if you didn't, why didn't you know? >> no politician is above the law. i am pleased that the state auditor conducted an independent investigation to look at every last detail about what happened. after that independent investigation, he wrote a report and in that report, it numbered 107 pages, and in that 107 pages, the auditor looked at the

conduct of my office. there was nothing in their critical of either me or my office. >> he did say that there was no scrutiny for a lot of these awards. should there have been? why didn't we know? why didn't you know? >> there have been different iterations that allowed the funding. when the funding was first allowed, the legislature constructed it, there were no rules or regulations. >> did anybody speak up? >> they did speak up, two years later. that is when it was reformed. those reforms helped put it on a better place.

there is a bigger point that needs to be made. as you know, from the beginning of my campaign, i have been questioning this very fund. >> let me go back to one thing that reporters want to hear you answer tonight. your agency told reporters who looked into the applications that they could not see them because there was confidential information. in at least five cases, where you were denying access to the applications, there weren't any applications. why deny access to something that doesn't exist? >> our office did issue an opinion based on open records decision that certain information could not be disclosed because of laws passed by the legislature that prohibited them from being disclosed. our office ruled that other parts of the information could be disclosed. >> but there were no applications.

>> what has been released is a letter that is about nine or 10 pages long that is the equivalent of an application. at that time, there was no prescription for an application and that is one of the things the legislature corrected. >> thank you very much. we now go back to our questions for both of you. >> you both say texas children deserve a first-class education. texas ranks 46 in the nation when it comes to the amount of money we spent on each student. about $9,000. $500 less per student than we spent just a few years ago. senator davis, we know you support more funding for education. what is the price tag for your plan? please give us a dollar amount. >> cuts that my opponent have been fighting in court to keep in place ever since.

cuts that he told a tv audience last week that he had to continue to pursue when that is absolutely not the truth. my plan calls for investing in making sure that every four-year-old in the state has access to quality full day pre-k, that we pay our teachers more in line with national average, that we reduce standardized testing and we create access to dual credit classes. that comes at a price. the question to ask -- what price will be pay as a state if we don't? it will not happen overnight.

it is essential for the future of the state that it does happen. >> attorney general abbott, you say you want the number one education system in the country. how much additional money per student, if any, would your plan require? >> it varies from program to program. in my pre-k 4 program, i want to add $1500 more per student. you also need to look at the big picture. the amount we are going to spend on education in the next biennium is going to be $60 billion. the important thing is that we be wise and strategic about how we dedicate the money.

i want to build a solid foundation for education in the very beginning from pre-k all the way through third grade. i do want to invest in teachers. i want to ensure that teachers have the resources, the training, and the salaries to ensure we have the best top-quality teachers in america. >> senator davis, i did not hear a dollar amount from you. >> mr. abbott, you are talking out of both sides of your mouth. you are fighting to keep our students in overcrowded classrooms, teachers laid off across the state, and school closings in place. yet you say you want to make texas number one in education. you cannot accomplish that goal

without making the appropriate investments. you talk about local control, what you really mean is exactly what has been happening today. pushing those costs down to the local level, increasing property taxes for families across the state. unfortunately, keeping their children in a situation where they are not getting the education that they deserve. your pre-k plan will pick and choose which children get quality pre-k. >> so no dollar amount? >> this is a vision that will be set for the legislature. it has to be looked at in two very important ways. i did file a bill to change the school funding formula in the last legislative session that would increase per-pupil funding. if we do not make those investments, we know we will continue exactly where we are today. >> the amount of money you were talking about increasing spending per-pupil does not get

us to the national average, which is about $11,000. should we be at least at the national level? >> we need to look at it from the opposite direction. the way you are looking at it in the way you are focusing on it is the way a lot of people do. how much should be spent? no business starts out by saying, we need to spend x amount and then create the product. we need to create a best school system in america and then fund it. we need to talk about what we are providing the students in the classroom. my plan creates the best classroom environment for students in the united states from pre-k all the way through graduation. >> by spending below the national average per-pupil? >> answer this quickly, please. >> california spends a lot more

per-pupil than does texas. texas students perform as well as, if not better, on many tests. more spending does not always lead to better results. >> our next question goes to attorney general abbott. >> a whole bunch of states rejected obamacare. several came up with using those federal dollars to use their own system. texas turning its back on federal money. would you be willing to negotiate with the federal

government on a plan that lowers premiums as well as reduces the local tax burden or would you refuse to talk to washington and make a deal? >> what i think is the best strategy for the state of texas would be for the state of texas to be able to get a grant or we would have the level of flexibility so we could address the unique health care challenges the people of the state of texas face. these bureaucrats in washington, they do not know how to address our health care problems. >> i hate to cut you off. even conservatives say block grants are not a practical solution. >> they have been used effectively in states like rhode island and indiana and i think they can be used now. i have laid out strategies which i will improve health care spending on areas where we can

improve people's lives. i want to increase spending on women's health care. i want to increase spending for veterans, disabled, for mental health needs. what i don't want to do is to bankrupt texas by opposing the overwhelming obamacare disaster. >> if elected governor, you would be dealing with an overwhelmingly republican legislature unless democrats get everything they want in november. how would you bring $100 billion to texas? >> this is an issue about doing the right thing for the people in the state. i have to laugh when i hear mr. abbott talk about bankrupting texas. as governor, i will bring it back. greg abbott's plan is to help you write that tax check and send it to california and new york. he is california's best friend

in texas. there is a reason republican governors have found the solution to bring that money to that state. they have all come forward begging us to do the right thing and bring the money back to work for us. it will create an estimated 300,000 jobs per year in our state. a true leader stops partisan posturing and does the right thing for her state. >> time for rebuttal. >> the six largest counties in the state want some sort of solution. >> if anyone believes that california is getting any more money because texas is not participating in obamacare, they

are the same people who believed the phrase by the president -- if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. california is not going to get one single penny more. if texas does participate in obamacare, it will cost the taxpayers of texas more than $10 billion during the first 10 years of implementation. even worse is if texas participates, we are making a deal with a federal government that is $18 trillion in debt. that is a bargain i am not willing to make. >> what he is saying is absolutely not true. our tax dollars will go to

creation. >> thank you to both of you. we're going to give the candidates an opportunity to ask each other the question. we flipped a coin and we will start with attorney general abbott. >> i noticed that you said recently that you want to impose obamacare on the people of texas so badly that even if the conservative texas legislature

would not vote to approve it, you would go around the legislature and use an executive order to impose obamacare on the people of texas. what part of the texas constitution gives the governor the authority to go around the legislature and use an executive order to impose a law like obamacare? >> what i have argued is that we should bring medicaid expansion to texas. medicaid expansion is all about bringing our tax dollars back to work for us. as a member of the texas legislature, i can tell you that every hospital association, every chamber of commerce member, republicans alike in our texas legislature, agreed that we should do the right thing by our state and bring that money back to work for us. what i would prefer to do and what i will do is work with my legislature, republicans and democrats alike, who know that this is the right thing to do

for their communities, who aren't afraid of being labeled as partisans and you are more interested in doing right by their citizens. i will work with them to bring their tax dollars back to texas and to keep property taxes from increasing. there is no question whatsoever that if we don't bring this money back to work for us, our citizens across the state are going to pay twice. once to the irs and another time at the local level because someone will have to pay for the unfunded care somehow, someway. >> senator davis, it is now your turn to ask a question. >> your ruling regarding the texas enterprise fund kept secret the fact that tens of

millions of dollars have been awarded from the texas enterprise fund to companies who did not even apply. my question for you tonight is -- will you agree to release any documentation, any communications that represent communications that you had in that time in reaching a decision? >> i think you may be able to help in answering this question. if i recall correctly, one of the beneficiaries of that enterprise fund, whose application cannot be found, was in fort worth. when you were a councilwoman on the fort worth city council, you used taxpayer incentive dollars to attract and they benefited from the texas enterprise fund.

there is one thing that you have not disclosed. the fact that when you used the fund to attract them, and closed the deal, it was your title company that benefited by closing that deal. you personally profited. >> you are not telling the truth right now and you know you aren't telling the truth. i did not personally profit from that. we did have an application that we reviewed very carefully. we also, unlike what your office did, clawed back when they failed to realize the job creation numbers they promised. my obligation is to the hard-working people that i represent.

when private partners don't come through on their promises, i make sure that our public dollars are clawed back. you are the chief law enforcement officer over the enterprise fund. it was your responsibility to make sure that the tens of millions of dollars going to these companies were resulting in jobs and you failed to do that. you covered up the fact that they were given money without applying. >> we do want to give you an opportunity to respond. >> i would like to respond by knowing how much your title company received by closing the deal that was granted an award from the texas enterprise fund. >> it was not my title company. i was an employee of a title company. mr. abbott, this is about your failure. your failure as the chief law enforcement officer of the state to review and make sure that these funds were not being used as slush funds for your donors.

>> thank you. >> you took $1.4 million in donations. >> we are going to move on. we have a question that goes to you, senator davis. >> traffic is a headache around the state. transportation officials say they will need another two to $3 billion to maintain the current level of congestion. how do you raise the money? would you take higher tolls off the table? >> i have long been a leader in the area of transportation. i served for eight years on the

regional transportation council and six years on the senate transportation committee. i was proud to be a co-author of what are voters will vote on in november, proposition 1, something that my opponent let your go by before he weighed in on supporting it. i also have a plan to gradually and the diversions coming from the gasoline tax and i submitted that plan in the form of a bill last session. that would allow us to capture an additional 4-5 billion i was proud to be a co-author of dollars with a gradual step down and a plan to fill the hole were those diversions would end. >> tolls off the table? >> i think i have a good commercial. my commercial shows me in a wheelchair, i can go faster than some of the people in cars on the roads here in dallas or other large cities.

i have a plan that will add more than $4 billion to building roads in the state without raising a single penny in taxes, fees, or tolls. we stopped the diversions from funding that was dedicated to building roads. we take part of the oil and gas severance tax and dedicate that to building roads. we take part of the sales taxes that you are already paying and use it to build roads that those cars and tracks are driving on. >> should higher tolls be part of the mix? >> i believe it has been a poor solution for texans to have to pay twice. they're paying at the gasoline pump and then have to pay again to drive on toll roads. they are doing that because we have not had leadership who provides other alternatives for

building them. i am glad mr. abbott agrees with my plan. the end to diversions is a bill that i filed in the last session. my plan includes a way to replace the hole that is left by ending those diversions. much of that money is going to education and health and human services. >> thank you, senator. >> we need to go back to a pay-as-you-go system as a state. >> would you take tolls off the table? >> my plan does not involve any

toll roads. i am not interested in adding toll roads. >> thank you. i have the next question. in the past year, texas insurance companies have imposed some very big rate increases, as much as 30% for one company. we have a system in this state that allows companies to increase their insurance rates before they are actually reviewed. do you think rates in the state are too high for homeowners? >> there is probably not a homeowner at home the does not think that the rates are too high. i do think we need to find ways to reduce homeowner insurance rates. they are going through the roof, no pun intended. we have to have a marketplace that will attract the insurance

companies here to provide homeowner insurance. >> do think rates are adequate? >> candidly, i have not looked at the math of it. i have not looked at the actual information. as a person who talks to homeowners every day, we want to find ways where we can drive down the cost of our insurance. i will be someone who will be a champion for homeowners to find those types of solutions. >> we won't be having rebuttal on the last few questions because we are running type on time. are the rates too high? >> the rates are ridiculously high. homeowners are being gouged in our state.

we have insurance commissioner who is failing to do her job and responsibly review the rate increases and decline them. i have argued that we should have prior approval of rate increases in our state before they are allowed. one of the first things i will do as governor is replace the insurance commissioner and put someone there who has as her one responsibility, the hard-working people of the state. mr. abbott has taken enormous contributions. most recently, advocated a settlement on behalf of farmers insurance. the judge accused him of laying down to the insurance company. he was selling out the claimants in our state. >> we're now going to go to norma garcia. >> there is still time to join the conversation. tweet us right now.

this 10-year-old girl asks you whether her two dads should be allowed to get married? would you push to repeal the constitutional amendment that makes gay marriage illegal in texas? how high is this topic in your list of prior deeds? >> i favor marriage equality. i want to make sure that people who love each other, who are willing to be in a committed relationship with each other, and who desire to marry in our state have the opportunity to do so. this is a constitutional provision in our law and it has been challenged. it has been challenged by mr. abbott. if this is not remedied in the courts, as governor, i will be

happy and will welcome a bill that would allow us to put once again before the voters of the state a decision on whether to repeal what is currently the constitutional ban against marriage equality. >> you are leading the fight against gay marriage. >> there are good and decent people on both sides of this issue. i believe in traditional marriage. that is what 75% of texans agreed with less than a decade ago when they passed the amendment, saying that marriage in texas is a union between one man and one woman. for me personally, this is more

than a constitutional amendment. i've been married to my wife for more than 33 years. >> is that what you would tell the 10-year-old? >> thank you. >> this question goes first. >> i would like to ask each of you to clarify your position on an issue that has been front and center. that is abortion. attorney general abbott, you have said that abortion is only acceptable to save a woman's life. you've also indicated that you oppose abortion even in cases of rape and incest. please speak directly to every woman in texas and explain your position. >> it is incredibly important whenever we talk to a woman who is a victim of rape or incest that we start with the compassion and support they deserve. that is what i have done as

attorney general, by providing a record amount of financial support of victims, supporting women who have been victims. by arresting more sexual predators than all attorney generals in the history of the state of texas. you bring up the issue. you know that i am pro-life. i'm catholic. i want to promote a culture of life that supports both the health and safety of both the mother and child before and after birth. in texas, let's be clear about the law. a woman has five months to make a very difficult decision. >> senator davis? >> you catapulted into the spotlight on this issue with your filibuster against abortion restrictions.

but you recently told the editorial board that you might have not filibustered -- what kind of abortion restrictions are you willing to accept? >> it is a woman -- it is for a woman to make these very difficult decisions. i do not believe the government should intrude in that most personal and private of decision-making. greg abbott believes that it is his right to intrude, even when a woman has been a brutal victim of a rape or has been the victim of incest. this should come as no surprise to us given that his attitudes towards women have revealed themselves in other ways. he pays women in his office less

than he pays male assistant attorney generals. he campaigned with a known sexual predator. >> what about your position? >> we are very close on time. we will only have 45 seconds for each answer. >> as you know, texas has a law that allows undocumented immigrant students to pay in-state tuition. will you allow undocumented students such a benefit? >> it is good for our economy to make sure that every person who lives here has an opportunity to be a vibrant part of the texas economy. i have met so many extraordinary young people who are dreamers, who are here working hard to become something. a young woman named dani who is

working on becoming a teacher. she graduated in the top 10% of her high school class. my opponent has called the dream act flawed. i support the dream act. if there is any attempt to repeal it and i'm sitting at the governor's desk, i will veto that attempt. it makes sense for our students. it makes sense for our economy. >> you did say the law was a noble effort. would you veto a bill from the legislature to repeal this law? >> i think the goals of the law -- the law as constructed is flawed. the way that it is supposed to work is a student is supposed to be showing they are making progress toward establishing legal status. that is not being done.

all these laws, those are only symptoms of a larger problem. the larger problem is we have a broken immigration system. >> thank you. >> veto -- yes or no? >> no. >> thank you very much. i wish we had more time. we will like to give each of you an opportunity to make a closing statement. >> the question people will have to ask themselves in this election -- who will fight for me? i have a history of fighting for the people i represent. i have stood for making sure

that women are paid equally for doing equal work and that hard-working texans can earn a fair day's wage for an honest days pay. i also helped pass a bill to hold accountable the use of our enterprise fund which is meant to create jobs. my opponent has cozied up with a big insurance company and turned a blind eye when they have taken advantage of you. funds that were not monitored by him to assure they were creating jobs that were promised an even worse than that, he used the power of his office to cover up the fact that $170 million went out of that fund for people who did not even fill out an application.

texans will have a choice in this election. i want them to know that if they give me the privilege of serving them as governor, i will fight for them every single day. >> thank you. >> as your governor, i have been fighting for your liberty against an overreaching federal government. i fought to send the 10 commandments monument on the texas capitol grounds. i want to fight for the future of texas as your next governor. texas is number one in the nation for creating jobs. i will keep it that way by keeping taxes low and by making sure we don't let government grow too big. to ensure that we build the roads and projects we need to keep texas growing. and i will keep our communities safe.

texas is exceptional. i am running for governor and asking for your vote to make it even better. >> i want to thank both of the candidates and my colleagues for joining us for this texas debate joining us for this texas debate tonight. >> tonight candidates for governor of minnesota participated in a televised debate s