comprehensive border security bill that ever passed the house of reps. in fact, passed on it on a bipartisan basis. and we need to ensure that we put back in time for it to. we need to come forward. doca is something that we also need to be looking at as a promise that needs to be kept. but at the end of the day, let's just remember there was no bill that passed the senate. my opponent is lying about that. but that and the bill that she would have supported, she says, would actually increase the number of illegal detention because it would on a daily basis, we set a number of illegal border crossings that were oc before the the border between. were able to step in. that's an extreme position. and in fact even kamala harris and joe biden have backed away from that position with their current new proposal. we need we need to build the wall. we need to have more border patrol agents. we need to make sure that we have education, that is right.

but at the end that we're a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. i'll give you 30 seconds to outline. i'm just surprised that you said build the wall. that's pretty incredible. that's pretty trumpy. yeah. i mean, donald trump wanted to run on immigration. he wants to fan the flames of xenophobia, of nationalism, which is a cheap knockoff of patriotism in our last town hall in sussex county, we had a fascinating conversation between a woman who was clearly nervous about the influx of immigrants and someone who wanted to make sure that her son, who was an adult disabled boy, would able to be able to have the support of a home health aide who was an immigrant. and the two of them were able to find common ground. i know there is common ground on this issue in this country. and without donald trump and his cronies fanning the flames of hatred, we can solve this problem. and i look forward to being part of that solution. mike, i back onto you, mr. cain,

u.s. border patrol data show 56,000 monthly migrant encounter encounters at the us-mexico border in august, as compared with 75,000 encounters in president trump's final month in office. can we agree that these are accurate snapshots of the border situation at two points in time? and if so, what do they tell us about the political debates that we're seeing on immigration and the border? not first and foremost. as you know, in the last three and a half years, there were over 10 million illegal, unvetted migrants who were let into this country because of a porous southern border. think about the consequences on these communities that fentanyl, which cross the border and secure southern border that infected our communities in meant child trafficking, include drug trafficking. all of those are consequences of an unsecure southern and northern border. those if those things. my point never again.

she supports a weak southern border and northern border. we need to know who's coming to this country and we need to know what their intentions are. it's who we are to make sure we have that strength. my opponent also would not look to strengthen the border patrol or give the resources necessary to make sure that we are safe as a community. so yeah, that's just inaccurate. i agree. we need to have a handle on who's coming to this country. i agree that we need to keep our community safe. so this is all a misrepresents. donald trump's rallies have gone off the rails. you endorsed donald trump. he is now talking about deporting immigrants, forcibly using the army and the military and executive orders. that is a really dark, scary thing. and i am just so afraid that if you're in congress, you are not going to stand up to this dark, terrible, twisted, toxic vision of america that donald trump has, because you simply have not

stood up to your own party since you've been in washington. this whole i want to leave it to the states thing is such a cop out. it's a way for you to avoid accountability and not having town halls is another way for you to avoid accountability, not talking to the press. another way for you to avoid accountability. americans new jersey and people in this district are sick and tired of trying to pin jell-o to the wall with you, congressman. time for you to step up something. would you like 30 seconds to respond? let us remember when you're looking at those border encounters, joe biden has changed his enforcement policy over the course of the last couple months because the consequences of an unforced southern border were so extreme. when you look at, again, the drugs on the street and the consequences with stolen cars and home invasions as well. those are all consequences of an unsecure southern border that has made this country less safe. and in fact, my my opponent wants to go even further to the extreme to allow more people

into this country who are unvetted and illegal migrants. that's just not true, congressman. that's not true, mike. we're going to. yes, donald trump is promising mass deportations on day one of his presidency. these would inevitably be costly, as much as $1,000,000,000,000 over ten years. and a large reduction in the gdp of more than 4% due to the loss of workers in industries that can't find enough labor. in addition to the humanitarian costs. so will you support mass deportations in congress, mr. cain? and how should we cover these costs? and what will not get done so that mass deportation can be prioritized over the course of the last three and a half years, 10 million undocumented and unvetted individuals. and these are individuals that come from a whole host of country. in fact, 60% of this problem would be solved if the remain in mexico policy or back in place were able to have individuals

stopped in the country when they first arrived. there are people from all different countries, 194 countries that come in through an unsecure southern border and a northern border. and we need to make sure that those individuals who are criminals and who are or could be deported in that we need to start. my opponent has an extreme position in this regard. she supports allowing judges to joe biden right now on her policy on the border. she supports illegal, unvetted people coming across an unchecked. that is clear. she said that tonight. we need to ensure that we have people who can be leaders to find the common ground, secure the southern border, make our community safe, see what. yeah. congressman, you just dodged the question. mr. rasmussen asked you a very specific question. would you support deporting migrants, yes or no.

we're going to let you finish your statement and then we can go back to tom cain for a 32nd rebuttal. but we'll go ahead to what and let you finish your remaining 35 seconds. now, i know how the reporters feel. i obviously do not support deporting migrants. that's the end of my that's the end of my answer. mr. cain, would you like 30 seconds to respond? as i said in my first minute, i said, when we start to look at the people who committed crimes here illegally, that's what we should start to look at. the people who are here, both illegally, who who have a criminal record. okay. we're going to move on now. david wildstein, we go back to you and your next set of questions then and there. you know, there's there's so many questions to ask and we're a little behind. so what i'd like to do is this in this next round, i'm going to a series of statements and i'm

going to ask that you simply respond with your agreement or disagreement with a thumbs up or a thumbs down. you're both going to be on the camera at the same time. if you if you feel you want to amplify your views, feel free to use both hands if you want. this is we'll call this the nonverbal portion of the debate. but it allows us to just move through some things very quickly, hopefully, and then we'll give you each 60 seconds at the end to to address anything that you'd like to say. so let's let's put both candidates up together and i'll start with this, joe. you tell me if thumbs up, if you agree, thumbs down. if you disagree. with joe biden, was the fair and legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election. okay. congress should consider, ed, a constitutional amendment to eliminate the electoral college. thumbs up, thumbs down.

okay. climate change is real and it's a threat to america's future. is real. is committing genocide and the u.s. must stop supporting the war with hamas. casting your ballot by mail is safe and it's secure. we're getting some some some agreement now in this round, congress should consider granting some form of reparations to black americans as part of a national apology for the practice of slavery. this is it. and agree or disagree, i will vote to fund a strong national defense, including nuclear weapons, to ensure that the united states maintains a military advantage over the

nations. social media is a threat to the mental health of children and to americans of all ages. phil murphy has been a great governor for new jersey. i'm looking forward to another four years of donald trump in the white house. i part has done everything possible to help me win this election. there are people currently served in the u.s. house of representatives who are worse human beings than my opponent. there is an extra terrestrial life on a planet beyond earth.

i will unconditionally agree to vote to certify the results of the 2024 election regardless of whether my preferred candidate wins. and why don't we mislabel the 60 seconds on that? on that round of questions, of anything comes to you that you'd like to comment on. i want to talk about the reparations thing. so new jersey remains a segregated state, and i think it's important to study the ways in which we can stop segregation and stop the perpetuity of poverty in this country. and so while i don't think i believe in reparations, i don't believe in reparations. i do think we need to understand how not to repeat history and how to break the cycle of poverty in our country. and that includes poverty across all races, from white folks to black folks and everyone in between. we need to make sure that we're understanding why poverty seems to be generational and what we

can do as a country to break it. because for every child born in poverty, they have a lower quality of life, lower life expectancy, worse health outcomes, worse educational outcomes. and to say nothing of the humanitarian problem there, it also is a complete and tragic loss of human capital and human potential. congressman, you know, my opponent supports getting rid of the electoral college. she's you know, she wants to change the constitution that was set up by the framers to create a so that everybody across the country would have a voice. and so she also has an extreme position, as you know, in terms of expanding the supreme court. we need to send people down to washington, d.c., that are supported by republican and democrats alike, like i was last cycle. who can find that common ground and make sure that we have the solutions are necessary and have to make sure that we have the

trust to make sure that we can make the right decisions on behalf of our constituents. so, i mean, would you like 30 seconds to respond? no. okay. all right. very good. you're agreed on quite a bit there. and we all agree we're going to take a quite a very quick commercial break. stay with us as we continue debate night here in new jersey's race for the seventh congressional district between incumbent tom kaine and challenger sue altman. i remind the candidates they're going to remain on camera during the break. i'm laura jones. stay with us. thanks for staying with us. i'm laura jones. and debate night in new jersey this is the first and only debate in new jersey's seventh congressional district between the incumbent congressman tom kean jr, a republican and democrat challenger, sue altman. now is the time in our debate where we're going to let the candidates ask a question of each other. first, we have tom cain to sue altman, then sue altman to tom cain. each of you have 2 minutes to respond to this. so first, over to tom cain.

thank you. it is important that you're going up to new jersey and we protect our environment and make sure we have those clean air, clean water, clean soil. and what? and in fact, i met my wife rhonda over 30 years ago when we're both working for the epa and making sure that we have a responsible environmental protections. i'm also making sure that we grow the economy is important for future generations of this country. my my question for you, sue, is you've changed your position on so many issues over the course of the last couple of months during this campaign. do you still support aoc green new deal? i support components of it. i think that it's very important that we transition to a clean economy. i think a lot of what was in the original green new deal was supported and enveloped into the last big budget bill that was

passed through congress. and i think we need i mean, there's not a lot radical about investing in public transportation, about starting to grow our green economy, about clean keeping, our clean air and water safe for future generations. i mean, congressman, as you know, project 20, 25 wants to get rid of the department of environmental protection so that superfund sites like the one i grew up near on lower cape town road would never get cleaned up. areas in new jersey, this beautiful part of the state that is just a complete just an area of beautiful rivers and lakes would be under attack from pollutants. people once said that in new jersey we could never clean up our state because it would hurt the economy. but we've been able to we have cleaner air than ever before, cleaner water than ever before. we've protected the highland water and watershed, and we need to continue to grow a green economy. i know we can do it. i believe in us.

and if it wasn't for partizan bickering and it wasn't for the incompetence and the nastiness, the divisiveness of our current congress, of our current presidential nominee on the republican side, i know we could build a clean economy that works for everyone. there is nothing radical about saving acreage from development. there's nothing radical about building up our flood protections to make sure towns like lambertville or clinton or rahway in linden are protected. there's nothing radical about making sure there's a one seat ride from every town in this district. when you were in state politics, you supported chris christie, who gutted the arc tunnel would have been done by now. it would have been done more cheaply. and all of this time, the commuters have wasted waiting for trains and late nj transit trains would have been salvaged. so, congressman, there is nothing radical about a sustainable solution. and that doesn't mean the green new deal. that means stop the bickering and the partizanship which

paints aspects of the green new deal as somehow awful things all in some when you know they're not. nancy weltman, you may ask tom kane a question and tom, can 2 minutes to respond. congressman, i'm glad we did this. i would have liked to do more. so if you want to do another one, i'm always game. i have it. while you were in congress. you are sorry while you were in the state senate, you voted against gay marriage. while you're in the state senate. you voted down the minimum wage bill. you voted to slash the retirement benefits of law enforcement and teachers. and just a few weeks ago, the day he was convicted of felons, felonies. you endorsed donald trump. congressman, do you regret any of these things, any of these decisions you made, or do you stand by them tonight? and i forgot one more. you also voted against planned parenthood and voted against the codification of roe in new jersey. so tell me, congressman.

of all these things i've listed, do you regret any of them? listen, as you know, i like many people, republicans and democrats alike, would not vote. was first cast 2012 2013 have changed their mind on marriage equality. i support marriage equality in fact, i voted for it in state senate as well. the most important thing we can do is send leaders down to washington, d.c., who can actually find the common ground and understanding what is important in people's lives. my opponent has an extreme position that she is not a person who actually works the aisle to find the common ground, and she will always be on the extreme progressive wing of her own party. the reason that the firefighters are supporting me is because i can work to find the common ground to find those solutions. the reason that the police, every single police union as endorsed in this race has endorsed me because they understand that the dangerous policies that would make the streets less safe for that if all in the policies were brought

security. we also know that the building trades people who are working hard to grow this economy and build this economy are supporting because they know this new element is extreme. and her policies. i ran for congress to solve problems for the people i joined problem solvers caucus. i fought to make sure we lower the overall cost and also make sure because in nevada, starbucks caucus acknowledges when for months i mean taken office that i would want to republicans and to democrats who found the common blueprint to keep the government open after only four months as an income. i've done that on many issues and on domestic and foreign policy. who will focus on finding that common ground? okay, we're going to go back to our panel and over to joy fox for his next round of questions. joey. congressman, you alone among new

jersey's members of congress. don't talk to reporters in the halls of the capitol and you turn down a request for an interview from me on an in-depth interview on your positions and your beliefs. why is that? it's as i, i respect the press. i make when we look at the i've had seven town halls. we made sure it reached thousands of constituents. we go to where the constituents want to meet with us and whether they've seen your town halls or citizen school and veteran town halls. but i also have a policy and you know this joey, from when we were in the legislature and people around the state know that i've got a policy that when i'm down in washington, d.c., i make sure them on my constituents time and making sure they're finding their solutions that i it's important to schedule that type of conversation. as you know, i have been if you know, i've spoken to the

star-ledger, nj tv and news. i've spoke to the bergen record. i've talked to local, local groups, including you. my is to make sure we have a direct conversation with our constituents in the ways that they are best able to participate. i also have a weekly town news, weekly newsletters and one tuesday on joint. excuse me. see what your response joey what you will follow there? no, no, no. i want to go. yes. congressman, i have done. by this time next week, i will have done seven town halls in seven counties and one extra one at seminary college. new jersey's crown jewel are only four year university. and you will have done zero in-person town halls every time we do, one of these tall town halls are organizing team goes out and we recruit people who are undecided voters and we have

meaningful, deep conversation in in these town halls. and they're unscripted. people are allowed to get up. we hand them a microphone and they can ask me anything. the issues. and they have been incredibly productive. they have brought us, i think, closer together as a district. and what's so clear is that people are hungry. this conversation to not hold town halls, to dodge the press, to avoid your constituent. that is a dereliction of duty. and i understand why you're doing it, because you have a cognitive dissonance you have to hold in your brain your donors values. eleanor masks values. donald trump's values as the extremists in your party. those values don't match the values of our district. and you're worried about having to explain yourself. well, congressman, i'm here to tell you that your absence has created a vacuum, and we're filling it with leadership. and what you've done is disrespectful to the people of this district. all right. i'm going to give the congressman 30 seconds to respond. the vast majority of people in

this district before that i come to them, whether it's through the telephone town halls, the in-person district meetings were in their communities and making sure we go work. they are going to go to the schools when we go to the the veterans, when we go to the seniors center, when we are able to have those conversations where we can listen and learn. vast majority of people in this for that type of outreach and in-person communication. all right, joey millman, a cornerstone of. vice president harris's campaign, is to build 3 million new homes nationwide. but as we've seen with development battles in places like westfield and summit and elsewhere in the seventh district, a new development isn't always warmly received. so do you support the vice president's plan? and do you think that any of those 3 million homes should be built within the borders of the seventh district? so there's definitely a housing shortage in new jersey, and part

of that comes from new york city because new york city has not kept up with its in terms of building housing at all. and so all of that extra need floods over into new jersey. we need to fix our transportation system before we continue to add pressure onto it. but if we can fix public transportation and we can preserve open space, because that's crucial. and i grew up in the late eighties and early nineties in new jersey, and i watched beloved farms that i loved get paved over and become shopping centers. we have to provide space, open space and public transportation. but we can build walkable downtowns. we can build places like clinton and lambertville, which are beautiful downtowns, and we can make them and make downtowns all over our district accessible to people of all kinds. we can make sure that we have enough housing so that first time home buyers can afford to purchase homes and live in our communities. it will make us stronger. it will make us richer as a

state. and i'm supportive of plans that build housing smart, sustainable ways in communities where it's wanted. john king. yes, i think that one of the things that makes new jersey so special is you have three generations of people who live near each other. and unfortunately for the seniors for the the parents as well as and then the kids, it's unaffordable at every step of the spectrum. and that's in part because the increased spending increased cost that directly caused inflation. everybody is making the tough choices between getting the groceries, getting gas, or actually for home goods and the policies that are making this this less affordable. are driven by sue altman's allies, who are from the extreme left wing in the progressive parties, and that she allies herself with i oppose that dems development that was being put

into westfield and a number of other places. they didn't include transparency and didn't include communities in in that fight. we need to make sure that we have affordable housing, but we need to make sure that we have the less regulations there cause driving up the cost. so i'm going to forge ahead just in the interest of time. and so we can get to as many issues as possible. congressman, gun control has not really been or any type of gun legislation has not really been a top priority in this session of congress. but if that were to ever change in a future congress, what level of restrictions on on firearms would you be comfortable with supporting? well, on the state level, i've got a record i supported. bump stocks and also making sure that we kept guns out of hand to people who do others harm. we need to make sure i do support the second amendment and its provisions. i do support an assault weapon

ban. i did that on state level. now on the federal level and make sure that we have the policies that keep our schools safe, our places worship safe, and in our streets safe. and so we need those kind of commonsense proposals and. my opponent, on the other hand, supports policies like defunding the police. like an unsecure southern border. think about what message that sent when she sent less resources to help people in need who in these communities we need to make make sure that we have policies that protect our communities. so often that was an amazing valerie to pivot from guns to the. so well done on sticking that landing. congressman, you used to have an a rating or an f rating, i'm sorry, from the nra. and somehow between the years of 2013 and 2017, that f rating went up to an a-plus in so many

ways, this issue to our young people is precisely why they don't trust government is precisely why they're frustrated with both parties because we have not been able to keep our children safe. we must put an assault weapons ban into congress. we must have universal background checks. we must have red flag laws. we must do things that keep that give law enforcement the tools they need to keep our communities safe. while speaker while speaker johnson has the gavel will be no legislation in congress to help get bad guns off of our streets. and, congressman, when you were in trenton, you were no fan and no friend of common sense gun legislation. i have received the endorsements of multiple common sense gun organizations such as moms demand and giffords and i will be a champion of protecting our children and our students when i'm in congress by getting dangerous guns off the streets. we're starting to run a little bit over time.

if i was 15 seconds, republicans who voted to support joe biden on the pistol braces in the country because we need to make sure that we give those on the end of gangs as well. my opponent has an extreme position in that she wants to defund the police that cop killer terror jail. she wants free narcotics legalization. think about how dangerous those policies would impact families all across this district as. crime is increasing dramatically day after day. in this district. okay. we're going to go to michael rasmussen. we have time for one or two more questions. michael, to you. mr. kane, ten years ago, you voted with most of the rest of the new jersey legislature to move to cashless bail. has that worked as you hoped it would? i think that the intent was good in that regard, but there are new reforms that have to happen. there have to be consequences associated with an individual

right now. too many people are being let out of jail who are repeat offenders. and when you talk to police officers, there are not one probation. and that that bill, too, that needs to be improved, changed a bit. but second thing is also you need to make every other issue that kept the streets safe have actually been weakened by the by the murphy administration. so when you look at the truck driving down the fact that there are, in fact, as you know, phil murphy trying to make sure that people under 18, if they commit a violation, the parents wouldn't know. we need to make sure that we have the get back the funding for the cops, funding for the for these judges system, and make sure that we beat people who commit crimes should face the consequences. so often. yeah. congressman, i'm sorry. i can't let go. the last answer where you said i wanted to legalize all drugs like heroin and fentanyl and stuff. that is a complete