she said she is for antisemitic candidates in ohio on the congressional level and said we need more people like that. it was not just when she changed jobs seeking office that she changed her position in that regard. and even on the campus of columbia, she waited too long to stand up here also, when you are looking at defunding the police, it wasn't just her tweet. it put cops in harm's way and people know it did. she has put cops in harm's way and made our communities less safe. >> >> the national republican party has tried to promote falsehoods

about my position. he came out at my alma mater. i stopped what i was doing, composed a tweet or did i was on the fold, held roundtables with jewish leaders. and it makes me incensed you would use it against me because it is wrong. it is wrong to tokenized the jewish people, to say i'm anti-semitic when i'm not. and the anti-semitism has been active and alive and well at administer, trump's golf course has hosted neo-nazis and you have said nothing. so don't you dare lecture me. >> congressional correspondent at the new jersey globe, your question. >> i would like to dive into the issues. starting with the issue of reproductive rights. commerce mccain, the first question is for you. we are now 2.5 years out from the dawes decision that overturned roe v. wade in the nationwide constitutional right to an abortion. with those 2.5 years of hindsight, do you think that decision was the right one? >> it is appropriate to send the decision down to the states so

people can go to local leaders and be involved. i'm pro-choice. i have a 21 year record of supporting pro-choice positions. and i would impose a national abortion ban. on the state level, i also promoted measures to ensure easier access to care on medicare and otherwise. my opponent in this regard has an extreme position. she supports a position to allow people to get abortions for any reason up until birth. including the seventh, eighth, and ninth month. that is an extreme position. she also supports not allowing doctors to be the only ones to conduct this procedure. it is an extreme position. she also supports not allowing parental notification. that is an extreme position as well. those positions are out of step with people in the seventh congressional district. >> congressman, respectfully.

you voted against funding planned parenthood 12 times in the state legislature. you voted against codifying roe v. wade as recently as 2022 when we know it was going to get overturned at the national level. you will not sign onto a bill protecting and enshrining ibf into law. you voted against women in the military leaving their basis to get abortions. and you know you are trying to hold two things in your mind at once because you have a secret website, or you used to, that showed pro-life. and i you come on here and say you are pro-choice. there are women bleeding out in parking lots, there are women whose bodies have full-body infections, sepsis. in a state where abortion has been outlawed and criminalized, doctors, ob/gyn's are fleeing in record number. at what point is at the federal government's job to make sure women are protected and women's rights are protected?

i find it very ironic that you think that is an extremist point of view. well sir, people dying in parking lots is an x-ray miss point of view. >> extremist point of view is not allowing parents -- having the abortion. the point of view allowing people of any reason until the eighth and ninth month to have an abortion. what is extreme is allowing people other than doctors to conduct that procedure. that was included in the bill that was just reference. it was not a codification of roe v. wade, it was an extension through the night, which is very different. i'm pro-choice and i would impose a national abortion ban. >> new jersey itself has very strong abortion protections. some democrats like governor murphy have suggested making its laws even more encompassing. are there any parts of new jersey law regarding abortions

as it stands right now that make you uncomfortable? >> there is not. i think it is for a very good reason. accepting women from all over the country right now who are in emergency situations to come here to seek health care. i'm not a medical professional. my opponent is not a medical professional. in these issues, these very technical, personal decisions are issues that should be left between a woman and her doctor. there is a woman in our district's baby was born without a brain. she needed to get an abortion late in her pregnancy. congressman, it is not the government's business to know the ins and outs of everyone's pregnancy. pregnancy is exceedingly difficult on the body. it is a total body stressor. there are vanishingly few women, and you know this, who carry babies all the way until the end and then suddenly decide to abort them. it happens in tragic, awful situations and when women's lives are in danger.

if that is the only exception, why haven't you signed on to the bill that would enshrine into law medically necessary abortions? but you haven't because you are at the beholden of mike johnson, the speaker number because he fundraisers for you. >> my opponent has an x-ray position. she supports abortion through birth, that is an extreme position. she doesn't support having parents know when they are having an abortion. she also supports people other than doctors being able to conduct abortion. i'm pro-choice and will be prioritizing life and the health of the mother. i would oppose a national abortion ban. but my opponent has an extreme position that is out of step with the voters of this district. as you just heard, she supports a piece of legislation that is now law in new jersey. it allows abortion through

birth. she supports not having parents know what is happening in their kids lives. and also allows people other than doctors to conduct. that is in a stream position out of step with people of this district. >> i want to talk about another topic that is adjacent to this and has come into the spotlight, in vitro fertilization. congressman kane, you said you strongly support the right to ibf. a lot of your fellow republicans have said they agree on that issue, including donald trump. if that is true, why hasn't congress done anything this year to protect ibf, and what in your second term would be different? what would you do to make that happen? >> thank you for that question. i support ivf since i was first in the general simply back in 2001. i voted to make sure we had in -- new jersey state insurance cover ivf because i'm send the

importance of that procedure. i have continued that support, supported and sponsored four different bills. that will not only make sure the bipartisan bills, but make sure they are recovered from the federal level. but also made sure they were more affordable. so we had tax credits and things like that to make sure that procedure is more affordable for families. my opponent would never reach across the aisle for that bipartisan solution. everything she would do would be on the far extreme of her own party versus reaching across the aisle, finding important health and family legislation bills like this. >> i just want to press you on the first part of the question. why hasn't this already happened? if you have all of these bills, what will change that will make them finally happen?

>> we were able to get done on new jersey. i will do everything to make sure we get done across on the federal level as well. >> first of all, i worked across the aisle. you don't fight corruption just dealing with democrats. you fight across the aisle and work across the aisle. that is what i did in my time. so please do not mischaracterize it. on the issue of ivf, right across the delaware river, represented of susan wild who represents just across the river from up here, has a built that would enshrine the right to ivf for all families into law. and i know she has some bipartisan sponsors on the bill. and yet congressman, you have not signed onto that bill. i forgot to mention the last question. -- an advocate for performing abortions or providing illegal reproductive care.

it is pretty scary. we will see a brain drain from those states from doctors who otherwise onto help women in those states but who are afraid of being prosecuted for their medical profession. so i don't understand why you haven't signed onto the ivf bill. because all the rest of it doesn't matter if it is not enshrined into law. >> i supported ivf when i first entered the legislature, i support it now. have sponsored 8842, which provides that coverage. my focus is to ensure we get that coverage available across the country. the most important thing we can do is ensure the safety of this read my opponent has never reached across the aisle, never supported republicans to find common ground solutions. it is not what she has done in her entire career as an activist for a group bernie sanders once

said the closest thing to socialism in this country. >> mike arrest pisan, the executive director of the dash institute. you are next. >> are proximally how much money must an average middle-class family earn annually to afford to live comfortably in the seventh district? how has that changed since covid? >> that is a fantastic question. median income in our district is something like 102 $5,000. this is one of the more affluent district in our country. one of them was highly educated districts in the country. yet i hear over and over again from people in this district how hard it is to make ends meet. they just barely afforded a house in a wonderful school district here. and donald trump came along and got rid of the salt reduction and they cannot find a way to make ends meet. i can only imagine how difficult it is for people all over the

state and country who make far less money than the people in the seventh district. prices are too high, wages are too low, and things have not kept pace since the pandemic. i believe it is due to a lack of competition, corporate greed, but also because prices have gotten too high and wages are too low. in this district, i will fight back -- to bring back the salt -- on the blue state. >> tom paine. >> we need to ensure the salt reduction. part of the reason things are so unaffordable across the country is the out-of-control inflationary spending that has caused the inflation that i partisan congress knew was going to happen, that my opponent supported her entire career. she understood what the spending would do to this district. i was opposed to the deduction

taken away when it happened, and i was the only new jersey member of congress who voted against the tax bill because it did not include salt restoration. it is important we do that. but also to find the common ground to get that done. my opponent, a professional activist did not support the salt reduction. she said to give away to the rich, this district needs the salt reduction restored as a cochair of the bipartisan salt pocket and -- >> would you like 30 seconds to respond? x yes, there are bills in congress the new york republicans sponsored. i don't know if there's any you have sponsored to restore the salt reduction. but your characterization of why things is simply stick. it is easy for you to say when you are part of the landed gentry of new jersey that the government should not interfered at the end of covid. i'm glad they did.

part of the recent prices are so high is because we are living through an unprecedented era of corporate consolidation. as a former basque about player, i'm a competitor and i know that capitalism requires competition. and one role for the government is to be on the lookout for corporate consolidation and to make sure there's competition so small businesses can thrive. not just billionaires like elon musk. >> congressman kane, if you are reelected, what concrete steps would you be able to realistically commit to taking in congress to help families afford to live comfortably in the seventh district for the next few years? >> as you know, the tax package will be renegotiated next year. we need to get the salt reduction restored. we will make sure it gets included. we need to make sure we continue to have lower tax rates. we also need to make the country energy independent once again.

we need to have more manufacturing as well. my opponent is an extreme activist. she is voted -- she has supported every single spending bill since 2019, whether on state level or the federal level. she opposed the salt restoration as a professional state activist. she supports every single spending program that will make the space less supportable and on the world stage. she has harmful policies because she supports increased spending, increased taxes, and increase regulation which are hurting small businesses, hurting families, everything has gotten more expensive in new jersey because of the policies she supports. >>, rissman, i'm just barely old enough to remember a time when the republican party was the party of small business, economic competition. but let's look at our farming

sector. the last remaining farms in nj seven are beautiful, small family-run farms. you can go apple picking this time of year. but the type of farms the republicans support, 75% of our pork is produced by four companies, and 85% of our beef by three companies. and all of the tax incentives that go to iowa for corn, that is the type of agribusiness the republican party supports. what that means is small farmers, small businesses, the places that give our country character are squished out of the market. when i'm in congress, i will fight like heck to protect those small farms and small businesses from the type of corporate consolidation republicans have been all about in the last 20 years. >>, rissman, on friday you attended a ribbon-cutting for a solar farm. is green energy affordable energy for families in the

seventh district? >> i support all of the above energy strategy. we need to make sure we are 40% nuclear in the state, 9% natural gas. you need to do what you can from a solar perspective, land-based wind perspective, and making sure there are alternatives. we are in ingenuity state, innovation state. our focus needs to be supportable. our focus is the green new deal. an out-of-state program that increases costs on households by over $630,000 over 10 years. she has an extreme green new deal approach to regulation and spending that will cripple new jersey families, manufacturers, make the state unaffordable, make the country less competitive on the world stage. i think that is the better

approach to have. >> congressman, i don't even know if you can name what is in the green new deal. solar ribbon-cutting -- there was a time once upon a time christine todd whitman, your father, they were proenvironment republicans. this district has all of this land preserved because republicans in part were the ones who lead on that sure the highlands act was passed and clean water and open space. so to throw around the green new deal like something radical, when i don't even think you know what is in it. at the same time, the ra had huge investments in green energy but you despaired that as it was a socialist intervention. you and i both know our economy is moving towards a green economy. we have to. there's no way to compete overseas if we are not reducing our impacts and increasing our homegrown energy. we have to do it in a way that is responsible and speaks to the people whose jobs are in that

sector. we must move quickly and efficiently. so we can be proenvironment. you don't have to use scare tactics against the green new deal. being proenvironment includes energy, but also things like open space, clean water, and clean air. >> i will give you 30 seconds to respond before moving on. >> we need to ensure we have an all of the above energy, not one dedicated to extreme spending and regulation's out of step with what is necessary to actually compete. i support green energy. i support making sure we have a responsible pathway, and i support competition. my opponent has a position out of step with the needs of new jersey, this country, and she was able to protest energy independence in this country, and she got support from a company closely tied with the government. need to be innovative in this country.

>> we will go back to david while seen for his next round of questions. >> i would like to ask a series of foreign policy questions. ms. altman, i will start with you. in the vice president of the bay, both candidates dodged this question. i'm hoping none of you will. some experts believe iran can build a nuclear bomb within the next year. if there is evidence it is taking place, would you support or oppose a preemptive strike on iran by israel? >> i am deeply concerned about good intelligence. israel is an important ally in the middle east that has every right to defend itself. iran has said over and over again it wants to wipe israel off the face of the earth and the united states off of the face of the earth. israel is a really important intelligence partner. a lot of businesses in israel. there is democracy in the middle east. it is important as a jewish homeland. lord knows there's a lot of

anti-semitism in this country and there always has been. there's country clubs that did not admit jewish people until later in the century. it is a very important question. i think there could be a case made for a preemptive strike on iran if that was the case. but i would be very careful, i would want it to be surgical and make sure we are eliminating its ability to re-create the nuclear threat. i think overall what we are going for is lasting peace because lasting peace is stable for israel and the region. >> tom paine. crux iran has supported the houthis, hamas, they have supported has below. hamas have killed and kidnapped israeli citizens. there are still u.s. citizens captured that we need to do whatever we can to make sure israel has the tools, intelligence, and the types to

win this fight. and i would support israel making that decision and going in on its own. this current administration, what they have allowed to happen on the world stage. iran is tied up with vladimir and china. and not only in ukraine, in and around israel. we need to make sure we have a strong approach, allow israel to stand up against iran, and if necessary, to strike its nuclear power. we should allow other powergenerating powers to do that and make sure israel is -- this fight, and to stand up against anti-semitism anywhere. >> congressman, sticking with you on the next question. i will repeat the same question i asked senate candidates week. do you support the united states supplying ukraine with long-range missiles so they can hit targets deeper into russia?

how would you balance your support of ukraine with russia using nuclear weapons? >> the one thing president zelenskyy has asked for in this country when i met with him and had those conversations is he wants the long-range attackers. you need the weapons and to be able to use them in ways he sees fit. unfortunately, the biden administration has stood in the way of using those weapons. i have been sanctioned by vladimir putin because of my strong support that allows them to use the missiles. we should make sure they have that support. my opponent would never be able -- would never counter joe biden or kamala harris in this regard. have been week, she has not stood up against what biden has not allowed a seven ski tube be able to do.

we need to make sure he has the tools and weaponry. great britain has asked biden to go in a different direction because he's wrong in this regard. my opponent would never be able to stand up against kamala harris or joe biden. >> i have to jump in. donald trump is actively booting for vladimir putin to win the war. we just found out last week he sent covid testing machines to vladimir putin. he has praised vladimir putin, he's praised the dictator of hungary. donald trump is rooting for authoritarians in russia and all over the world. so please. it is because of democratic support we were able to get the aid bill passed through congress. mike johnson could not do it because the extremists in your party blocked the bill that would have helped ukraine. vladimir putin is a thug and a bully. i use to teach history. i know what happens to europe if you don't stand up to a bully. you have to nip it in the bud,

fight him. if ukraine goes, poland goes and nato goes and we are in world war iii. the whole world is watching. if the united states will elect kamala harris or donald trump. because the whole world knows donald trump is unstable, he is erratic, and has authoritarian impulses. and we need to stand up to trumpism for this reason and so many others. so please get your own party in line before you lecture me about hours. >> let me go back to you. this week marked one year since the hamas attack on israel. do you believe the u.s. should unconditionally support israel? if not, what conditions do you support? >> absolutely yes i do. israel is doing everything it can. it is trying to route out terrorists. in hamas, the gaza strip. these individuals have raped and

killed and pillaged throughout that region. and have said they want to do it again, and they are being supported by iran, hezbollah. what israel needs to do is have the time and resources necessary to win this fight and make sure it prosecutes that case. in the position where we need to be strong, it is a democracy, a country we need to support, it fights for the same rights we do as a country. and allowing israel to fight against hamas and and has below, because that is important for the future of this country. >> yes, if you were born a woman in the middle east, you want to be born in israel. if you were born gay in the middle east, you want to be born

in israel. it is of the utmost importance we give israel the same support they need. what happened on october 7 was a horrific, horrible terrorist attack by hamas on innocent civilians. and hamas knew what it was doing. it went out and attacked and ran underneath tunnels where it has been hiding and holding hostages we still need to return home. it is an ugly, awful, horrible war. my heart goes out for the women and children of gaza. but israel has to be able to defend itself. and i will fight with every thing i can to make sure that democracy succeeds because it is the right thing to do, but also because they are an ally in the middle east. we have conditions on all aids we support all over the world, and we should not hold israel to any different standards. it should be held to the same standard with everyone else, which i think the biden administration has done. >> moving on to joey --

>> 30 seconds. >> as recently as 2021, remember my opponent supported conditioning aids in ways that were different -- so we have to focus to make sure israel has the weapons and intelligence necessary. on the world stage it needs to know we are standing with israel in this regard because when they look at what is happening with hamas, hezbollah, iran, the who these, we need to show strength, being an aggressive ally -- >> you can make your point without lying about my background and about my stance. i've never held a public stance on israel. i have fought against the bdf moment -- movement on the left. i have been to israel, i got materials from the holocaust material to teach high school history students how to watch

for anti-semitism and hateful propaganda. and you know which party has the most hateful propaganda? the right wing of your party. where were you when neo-nazis were being hosted in the bed mr. call course that belongs to donald trump? you were nowhere. jewish leaders around our district and state signed a letter to have you speak out. and i know you got that letter. and you have done nothing. so spare me. >> we can probably spend an entire debate on any one of these questions. joey, you are next with your round of questions. >> i want to shift over to the topic from organized labor. the international longshoremen's association's strike from earlier this month ended relatively painlessly. if it had gone on for longer, it was clear there could have been serious repercussions for american consumers. ms. altman, i will start with you. do you think there needs to be any sort of reconsideration of how much power unions hold in situations like this? >> unions are crucial for democracy. they are the balancing we need

to make sure people have power and workplace organizing is crucial for a healthy democracy. organizing in general is, but particularly workplace organizing. there was a wonderful op-ed today in the star-ledger that i hope everyone will read. it outlines precisely why my opponent is terrible on labor. he's fought against osha safety requirements. he's fought against minimum wage. he's cut the retirement benefits to law enforcement and teachers when he was in the state senate. he fought against the proactive, a bipartisan bill chris mentz from new congressman kean has never had to work hard. he's never had a physical job. i don't know if he's had mud on his shoes. when i'm in congress, i will fight like i've always fought for working people, for the dignity of retirement and the strength of our labor sector because in states where there is