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discussing issues in government, politics and public policy from washington and across the country. wednesday morning latino voters first with rafael, executive director of an action pac. washington journal, join live at 7:00 eastern on c-span, c-span now or c-span.org. on wednesday kevin cramer faces off against katrina christiansen in the race for north dakota's senate seat l at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span two, c-span now or c-span.org. >> ted cruz is seeking a third

term, challenged by calling already who ha served in the house since 29. they participated in their first debate hosted in dallas. the nonpartisan political report moved the race to liens republican. ♪ >> the race for senate in texas, one of the biggest in november. republican ted cruz asking for six more years. democrat calling on red says it is time for a change. -- colin allred says it is time for a change. abortion, the economy, issues

facing texas from downtown dallas, colin allred and ted cruz. >> over the next hour we will help you get familiar with the two men at the top of your ballot. we would like to welcome you to the debate. polls show the race for senate is close. cruise and allred agreed to vote -- to meet to discuss their philosophies. if one of them is elected to win the next 10 years. -- next six years. candidates will get 90 seconds and the opponent gets 90 seconds to respond, then we go back to the first candidate for 60 seconds.

an additional follow-up will be at the moderator's discretion. both candidates will get one minute to introduce themselves. they will get 60 seconds for a closing statement. democrat colin allred in republican ted cruz. ♪ >> thank you for being here. mr. already, you go first, you chose to go first. you have 60 seconds. >> i'm colin allred, a texan, husband, father. i have been shaped by every part of texas. i was the captain of the baylor football team.

i have served my hometown and been the most bipartisan senator in congress, the exact opposite of ted cruz. he has been maybe the most extreme in the last 30 years. he went to cancun when texas needed him. we don't have to be embarrassed, we can get a new senator. >> you have 50 seconds for your opening statement. >> texas is incredible. i'm the son of an immigrant who came from cuba, washing dishes. colin allred is the son of a single mom, he went on to

baylor, the nfl, now congress. it is incredible that we both have the great privilege of representing the people of texas. i'm going to ask you to listen to the difference between words and actions. he will try to say words that sound reasonable but will not talk about his record were my record and i am going to take us back to his record and my record. allred wants to change, i want to keep texas -- >> kaiser time. we want to begin with two big issues. texas has one of the strictest abortion bands with no exception -- bans with no exception for rape or incest. the supreme court overturned roe

v. wade and you said he agree with the texas law, so where do you stand? as a texan and as a father? >> portion is an issue many care deeply about an issue that people are genuinely and deeply pro-life or pro-choice and all sorts of positions. i agree that under our constitution the way we resolve questions is at the ballot box voting and that is why the law is the legislature sets the laws. you would not expect texas to be the same as california or alabama in new york. there are areas we disagree and a lot of consensus. we support parents should be

notified before their child gets an abortion. late-term abortions are too extreme and we overwhelmingly agree taxpayer money should not pay for abortion. congressman allred's voting record rejects that. he voted in favor of striking down the law giving parents the right to be notified, he voted in favor of legalizing abortion including eighth and ninth months of pregnancy. that is extreme. >> it is time to tell the truth. senator cruz lied about my position. you should look into the camera and explain why you said it was

reasonable to force her to leave the state. explain why it is reasonable that because she was denied care and may never be able to have children or texas women forced to give birth to their rapist's child. this is not freedom. i trust texas women and have had two baby boys in texas. i cannot imagine the doctor would come in and there is nothing i can do because ted cruz thinks he knows better. when i am in the senate we will restore roe v. wade again and make these stories, horrific experiences all over our state,

something of the past. >> you did not answer the question, do you support or oppose exceptions for rape and incest? >> if you listen to his answer at no point did he make a reference to his record. he wants to hide that he voted to strike down parental notification laws and parental consent, voted to legalize late-term abortions, he says he wants to codify roe v. wade but tonight i suspect he will run away and we have a website called already facts.com. every time he gives an answer we will show you the vote that he cast. as for the law that decision

will be made by the legislature. he is running ads saying i made this decision. i'm not the governor. he knows that. >> i want to be very clear, i support protections and restrictions under roe v. wade but senator cruz called himself pro-life, you are not. it is not pro-life to deny care so long women cannot have children or to force a victim of rape to carry the baby. mortality rate has skyrocketed. so to every family, understand when ted cruz says pro-life he does not mean yours. >> quiet is this an issue you will not address? >> why do you keep asking me

that? i've asked the congressman twice, he voted to strike down parental notification law and consent law. that is his record, he gives language that is disconnected from the actual voting record and my view, i believe in democracy. if he does not like the decision he is welcome to run for governor but neither one of us have a vote. i have not voted, congressman allred says you have no right to know if your daughter is getting an abortion and the overwhelming majority of texans do not agree with his extreme position against parental rights, the

rights of a mom and dad. >> this next question is for you. in 2018 you called trump's proposal to expand the border wall racist, said my generation will tear it down. last year you said you supported bidens plan. why the change? >> my family is from brownsville. my mom and my aunt were born and raised there and i know they are real places where people are trying to raise their families. senator cruz treats it like a safari. tries to look tough then goes back to washington and does nothing.

when a bill came up he said we do not need a border bill and this is a pattern. when the lights went out he went to cancun. when a mob stormed the capital he was in a supply closet. he took the border security bill down. i believe in comprehensive strategy to secure the border. we had a bill for more immigration officers to deal with the backlog, we will pass that and face -- fix our immigration system. why would we believe he will solve the problem?

>> i want to know, he made zero reference to anything he has actually done, he said publicly that he thinks you are a racist, because it a racist border wall and has pledged to tear it down personally, said quote we will not have that while in this country. he has voted against it three times. every time there is a measure in the house he votes no. it is a pattern we have seen because it is what harris does and he is kamala harris. their records are the same. they voted for open borders and

now they are trying to hide that. in the end allred said ted cruz has not done anything. when trump was president i worked with him to secure the border and achieved success. lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years. that's what they inherited and they opened the border in texas is paying the price. >> can you address the question? why it is the wall bad? >> we cannot fall into demonizing and he took me out of context but does not want to talk about what he said this year so $20 million for judges

and asylum personnel to catch drugs coming across the border, why did you not support that? >> let him finish. >> this is a pattern, he talks tough. we have a phrase for this. six more years of this, he has had 12 years to do it already. >> congressman allred has memorized his lines well. we produced the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years with trump. it did not take a bill for joe

biden and harris to break the border, it took refusing to enforce the law. watch and listen to him talk on already facts and he said i don't care about the border. i hear about it everywhere i go. in dallas. folks concerned about venezuelan gangs tying her up in pistol whipping her, robbing her. i hear about it from a mother of a 12-year-old girl raped and murdered by venezuelan immigrants. you're not listening to texans. >> let's turn to the economy. high cost of insurance in the

last five years, premiums have risen faster in texas then anywhere else. policies limit coverage and places like florida where climate change is causing extreme weather, is there a federal solution? >> insurance is better at the state level and inflation is caused by policies of harris and allred. they came in and went on a spending binge. they spent trillions of dollars, borrowed money from china and i said juergen a drive up inflation and and they did not care and texans are experiencing it if you are a senior you're finding it hard to pay the bills. if you're working buying your first home you're discovering 7%

is different than 2%. if you're a single mom worried about your daughter the inflation is hurting texans. i've got to tell you, inflation has been exacerbated by the war on energy and oil and gas. over and over again they put executive orders in place and already voted against texas energy, voted in favor of joe biden span -- ban on gasoline powered engines. two thirds of cars have to be electric and he voted in favor.

>> insurance is better handled at the state level but let's talk about inflation. we don't pay teachers enough so i know what it is like to swipe your card and say a prayer hoping you can afford it. i've been lowering costs of drugs, health care, child care, housing. i voted to cap the price of insulin and cruise disagrees. people are not taking the medication they need to survive so i voted to make it affordable, he voted against it. not surprising, he is a recipient of donations from big pharma. this is somebody who goes to the

ritz-carlton in cancun. his entire career he has been cutting taxes for the rich but i am going to represent all of us and focus on lowering costs. >> you notice again he takes no responsibility for his voting record or spending, the war on texas energy. he says he voted to lower the price of insulin and so did i. democrats blocked it, chunk put in a program and joe biden and harris pulled that out. he voted in favor of $300 million from medicare to pay for

harris's pet project, health insurance for illegal aliens. that is driving up the cost. they are projected to triple and i will make health care more of potable and give you greater choices. let's talk about a hot button issue, congressman your opponent is saying you refuse to protect women in sports. where do you stand on transgender athletes in women's sports? >> let's be clear about what is happening. you don't have to be a linebacker to recognize a hail mary, when you see one. he cannot defend his own record.

i'm a dad, i'm a christian, i don't support these claims but he wants you to think about kids in bathrooms so you are not thinking about women in the hospital. women are bleeding out in their cars and found by their husband. all of a sudden the protector of women and girls senator cruz thinks it is reasonable that if a girl is raped by a relative she should carry the child and give birth. you are going to set yourself up as protector of women and girls? i've never seen someone running on what he has not done. i talk to people who said i cannot think of anything ted cruz has done to help me.

>> 90 seconds to respond. >> he said not a word about himself. it reminded me of harris. lines that sounds nice. you can go and see the actual votes. he came out for men playing in girls sports. he voted for the quality act which mandated boys going girls locker rooms. there was a simple bill protecting women, he voted no. the only issue was whether

biological boys should compete against our daughters. as a linebacker it is not therefore a man to complete against women. he signed the transgender bill of rights, explicitly, and it mandated that boys compete against women. he joined radical democrats demanding the military it allowed drag shows on military bases, paid for sex changes and paid for children to be sterilized on military bases, that is extreme. >> congressman, a response? you have 60 seconds. >> i stand here for texans who are sick and tired.

i'm not trying to be mean but sit this one out please. i do not support boys playing girls sports. i do not think folks should be discriminated against and what senator cruz should explain is why he thinks they should. it is to distract you from his record of doing horrific things to folks in this state. not being there when we need him. >> i would like 60 seconds? >> parents of transgender youth are worried about the safety of their kids. what do you say to those parents? >> protect every child and every

person regardless of race, gender, identity, they deserve to be protected but he has not voted for that. i know a lot of you saw biological men competing in boxing, that was unfair. my youngest daughter plays volleyball, not fair for a boy to spike the ball at her. if you want to see extreme read the letter he signed, you can read it. do not trust, read the words. he argued military bases should have drag shows. the only flag you should fly should be the american flag.

>> outline where you stand on transgender sports. >> let's be clear, this was endorsed by the chamber of commerce, the biggest speaking organization in the business community. folks should not be discriminated against but he wants to distract you. i hear from you about it, let's turn the page. >> center, let's move on to january 6. questions for you. statements have changed since january 6, at one point you called the insurrection a terrorist act saying they should

be prosecuted. trump said he would consider pardoning them, would you support the? at? >> and one who commits violence should be prosecuted and go to jail. that is true whether i agree or disagree with your politics. i spent 12 years fighting to defend law enforcement. i have been endorsed by the democrat district attorney in houston, she endorsed me because she wants a senator who will lock up criminals and congressman allred's record has been terrible. he voted in favor of defunding the police.

let me tell you what a disaster that has been. from 2019 through 2023 the murder rate went up in houston and dallas and san antonio. congressman allred is happy to talk about acts of violence but not antifa and black lives matter riots. if you commit violence you should go to jail with no favoritism. >> 90 seconds to respond. >> that was something. you can't be for the mob and the officers, it is not funny, you are a threat to democracy. i remember when you objected in arizona.

remember what you were doing. i know where i was and where he was. i remember gas masks that i did not know we had. we locked all the doors, the president walked through and i texted my wife who was seven months pregnant and i said whatever happens i love you. at the same time after he lied and attempted to overthrow the election senator cruz was hiding in a supply closet. you cannot just be patriotic when your side wins. for the first time this project of hours, we did not have a peaceful transfer of power,

folks need to be held accountable and that's why liz cheney endorsed me. do not put ted cruz in a position of authority because he will do it again. >> 60 seconds for a rebuttal but would you support pardoning those convicted? >> divided harris administration has persecuted some but if you engaged in violence you should not be pardoned. you know, the far left are so angry, there is so much hatred. he just snarled at me you are a threat to democracy. i have note animus for him but i know his voting record is radical and you want to talk about threats? a vote that just happened, it provided that to register to

vote you have to prove you are an american citizen and he voted no. 11.5 million illegal immigrants have come into the country and congressman allred votes no to protecting elections and ensuring people do not vote illegally, that is a threat to democracy. >> congressman, you said there is no practical military goal for israel. how would you hold hamas accountable for the worst terrorist attack in history on october 7? >> october 7 was a horrific attack by a terrorist organization, the worst since the holocaust. it was a war of choice it israel

elected to defend themselves. i've been on the foreign affairs committee for six years, before the attack. while i was there we shared a meal and facetimed with a palestinian father of four talking about strengthening ties. on october 7 there was a massacre and i don't know what happened to the father of four but both sides needed future free of a cycle of violence. we need to bring hostages home and the remains of the ones who died. hamas will be held accountable. they are no longer in a position to pursue an attack.

we voted to help with the humanitarian situation. you cannot be for israel when you vote against that. >> what approach would you like to see israel take? >> this is one of the clearest differences between him and me. when i was elected i worked every day to stand up and fight for israel, i'm proud to stand with israel. america stands unshakably with israel. when president trump was president i urged him to pull out of the.

deal and he did. allred lined up against israel. he urged them to send money to gaza, supported harris and joe biden blowing billions to iran, the funding comes from iran. he has -- has -- has compared them to nazis. i do not support anti-semitic actions. we need clarity, as for me and my home we stand for israel. >> we have to talk about this

because it is not about talking. we had a votes, military funding and humanitarian issues. interceptors were used to prevent rockets in spite of senator cruz. it was an illuminating vote against it. far left and far right, 18 senators. ted cruz was one of them so you cannot tell me you support israel won the rubber meets the road. we need to find diplomatic settlement. >> i need 60 seconds.

let's get into it. there was a bill and i opposed it to flow money to gaza, that is what they did in the house took up a bill to provide weapons and in this debate he echoes the calls of the enemies of israel, claiming there is nothing to be done. when israel detonated pagers, it was one of the most effective actions we have ever seen. he is proud to be supported by j street which undermines israel

and that is dangerous. harris and already want the vote of anti-semites. i don't want their vote and they should be arrested, prosecuted, expelled, deported. >> you have been a strong -- the world court found it plausible israel has committed acts that violate the genocide commission. do you have any response ability for civilian death in gaza? >> no country on earth fights a more humane war than the people of israel. the world court and international court of justice is full of anti-semites. and i've got real experience. i represented texas before the supreme court and winning a 6-3

victory. israel goes in and targets military targets. i've never seen an action where the leadership of hezbollah decided who would get the pager, it was precisely targeted. israel sends texts to civilians, they tell civilians there is no other nation that goes to the steps they do. who is responsible is hamas because i sanctioned a loss for using human shields, that passed

into law. one of the different pieces i have enacted and joe biden and harris refuse to enforce that law. >> any response? any responsibility for civilian death? >> hamas is a terrorist organization that hides amongst civilian population as part of their battle. they want civilian casualties. they put tunnels beneath playgrounds and elementary schools to make it more difficult to target them. no one should shed tears for hamas. what we can do is have capacity to say we want to prevent civilian suffering and that is

something i believed. we have done this our entire history. we can separate terrorist leaders from people subjected to that, so we have to provide aid to civilians, this is our ability. that's what i will work on. >> do i get 60 seconds? >> we are going to move on. >> again, he did not address his record. you can see his boat against

providing weapons. if you see the letter he joined with democrats saying send money to gaza. i led 19 senators to not send money because it will be used for terrorism. administration concluded it was likely the money would be used for terrorism but they waived lots. you did not hear anything that he has done. i authored different legislation and i stand with israel. >> let's move on to a pocketbook question.

you said you would swipe a debit card but since the pandemic food prices have soared. democrats press on biden to use executive authority to lower food prices. what is your idea for bringing them down? >> i know what it is like when the costs go up. when you are dead, dead, dead broke and something comes along and that is why as been so laser focused everywhere i can. one is the child tax credit helping kids out of food insecurity. food bank can track the tax

credit, we wanted to extend it. senator cruz opposed it. i will bring back the credit. this has been a tough time. let's alleviate tax burden. increase housing supply and lower cost of housing, a national priority. >> senator, how do you lower food prices? >> child tax credit was part of the tax cuts i spent hundreds of hours supporting and he opposed. it worked well, lowest unemployment in 50 years, lowest african-american and hispanic unemployment have recorded, real results.

democrats wanted to relax the work requirement, that is a mistake. we need parents to get back to work. listen, harris and allred undermined our farmers. they put regulations to make it harder to survive but nothing hurts more than the cost of energy that they use to farm crops. bringing food to the stores, prices are the result of a war on texas oil and gas, billions of new taxes and joe biden's ban on permits, in favor of ban on

gas engines, cars have to be electric. >> years ago, how did you lower food prices? >> there are times where there is price gouging but it is also true that issues from the pandemic are working themselves out. i opposed joe biden's pause on exports, go read the top dead opposing it, saying it was wrong for energy, we are trying to wean allies off russian gas. i want everyone to know i will defend texas energy and what he

is telling you is not true. >> you responded and what he said was false. but -- but -- but -- but -- but give me 30 seconds. he illustrated -- >> we need to move on. >> let's just stop. you say you believe in protecting fertility treatment and fertilization but that ended after a supreme court decision. democrats and republicans agree, why hasn't it happened? >> that is important but i need to respond to what he said which i admit there is a difference between words and actions.

he said i wrote an op ed but when it came time to vote there was a votes, and the congressmen voted against texas jobs. in south texas there is a new terminal struck down by left-wing judges, five or 6000 jobs in texas, an agenda where his voting record, four years in the house, he voted with nancy pelosi, did not deviate, voted against oil and gas in texas jobs. ivf incredibly important. i am the author of legislation to protect ivf.

i joined with senator katie britt and i support ivf. it has not passed because democrats objected because they want to campaign on the issue and it would be unequivocally protected and democrats blocked it. >> senator cruz is telling you something that does not match because he is lying. i was named by an outside group. he is trying to change his image. let's talk about ivf, it did not need protecting until he went after it. until he was responsible for putting judges at the district

level, it is not just that, when he ran he made ivf -- ivf illegal. you did, you did. you can look it up, you don't have to believe me. let's have a senator who does not live. it was at risk because of him. >> you can watch the debate where i tried to pass federal legislation and democrats objected. something, says is -- i found it odd so i looked at this group because how could someone who votes with nancy pelosi be bipartisan? he voted 100% with joe biden

so how can he be called bipartisan? this group says on their website we do not examine every vote. he voted like pelosi. yet this gives him camouflage, it is not false. you voted 100% with nancy. >> we are almost out of time. >> harris wants to give $25,000 to people buying their first homes and is proposing an innovation fund. the question, do you support this? hess >> bills i've sponsored

have been bipartisan. they gave me an award. your recent transition to getting things done, let me go back because the focus has to be on increasing housing supply, that is a focus for us and a national priority. this has been a need for a long time. we will move a bill across texas and the country to lower costs and increase supply. we've got 300 people per day and we need to invest on infrastructure. a bill to bring money to texas,

bipartisan. he voted against it. you have to have infrastructure but he did not think that was a good idea. >> when it comes to housing nothing is driving up costs like the illegal immigrants that they have let in and want to let in, but when you talk about record let's compare. allred mentioned the chamber ofcom's which endorsed me because i've been a champion of jobs. in six years allred passed three pieces of legislation, three. in my time i passed 100 and one different pieces. two different bills to create new interstates. all the way to the atlantic

ocean. we passed that to produce jobs. i-27 from laredo through the panhandle to montana. a democrat from new mexico passed that to create thousands of jobs. i expedited permitting on for new bridges to create thousands of jobs for farmers. it refers to my legislation as the most important for trade since the trade agreement. he has no record. >> do you support the initiative that harris proposed? >> i think you have to start with housing before we get into that.

this will have to be a priority, it's an important question. certain investments bring back more than what you put into it. when you have a shortage you have to build more housing. when you have infrastructure investment happening because i voted for it in spite of cruise voting against it, that will grow our economy. chips in science act was a good idea that i was part of passing in the house. bringing back manufacturing, we are voting for it, senator cruz is voting against it. our output has been in spite of him. >> thank you. feels like the time is flowing.

it is now time to make your final pitch to voters. congressmen you chose to go first so you get 60 seconds. >> i want to thank you all for an excellent job. my idol used to say we are in the same boat now, we are all americans. we need a leader around our shared values. that is the opposite of what senator ted cruz has done. you've seen it for 12 years, one of the most divisive senators. if you don't like how things are going he is responsible for it. you just get people upset and write a book about it and make money, but you are not there when people need you. when texans relied on the

senator he went to cancun. that is who he is. give me a chance and i will never abandon you. i'm asking for your support. >> senator, you get the final word. >> the stakes are the highest of my lifetime. allred and harris are running on the same agenda. allred pledged to be the 50th vote for chuck schumer to end the filibuster to pass legislation, that means if he is elected we will see democrats strike down every voter integrity law and add dcm puerto rico as states. and number three, grants immediate voting rights to every immigrants. that would turn texas blue. number four, pack the supreme

court, that would jeopardize our rights. i spent 12 years fighting every day to defend jobs and freedom. allred wants to destroy what we've got because he shares nancy pelosi's values. >> gentlemen, thank you. we appreciate that. we want to remind viewers early voting begins monday, october the 21st. election day tuesday the fifth of november. that is three weeks from tonight when we will have a winner in this race and find out who will serve texas for the next six years. we appreciate you watching the texas debate tonight. don't forget to make a plan before you go vote. if you show up at the polls otherwise you might have a long line. make sure you have a plan before you get there. thanks for watching. have a good night. ♪