Congressional candidates debate their views
Students were able to participate in live, heated politics on Friday at a congressional debate held on campus. Civic Awareness Week at USU was capped off by this event with the 1st District congressional candidates: Rob Bishop, the Republican incumbent; Morgan Bowen, of the Democratic Party; and Joseph Buchman of the Libertarian Party.
“This is the first time that these candidates have debated this season,” said Jackson Olsen, a senior in political science and the president of the Government Relations Council at USU.
The debate was held Friday in the HUB at 12 p.m. Many students and members of the community were there to support the event endorsed by the Rock the Vote campaign. Greg Probst, freshman in political science, said he found out about the debate through his classes. Danielle Brown, sophomore in English, said that she came because Probst told her about it and that she was there to support Bishop.
“I’ve always been impressed with him. He is very personable,” she said.
Yalemi Morales, senior studying biochemistry, was there, however, to support Bowen.
“He’s a great speaker, he is bringing out the democratic demographic in Logan,” she said. “He is inspiring us.”
She came to the debate because she wanted to see more of what Bowen had to say, she said.
The Congress hopefuls debated many issues and presented their platforms.
Each candidate was asked what they believed the number one issue facing America was. Bowen said the nation is a slave to its debt. He elaborated on the economy and its current condition, and said Americans spend more than $700 billion dollars in foreign oil every year and that the US economy is hooked to the energy crisis.
Bishop said he believed that the current energy crisis was the biggest issue facing Americans today. Because of the increase in the price of oil, Americans will see an increase in the price of natural gas and food this winter, he said.
“This country can solve problems and become self-sufficient,” Bishop said. “Within Americans there is a core creativity and we need to turn to that to find solutions.”
Buchman believes that Americans have a “loss of consciousness” and have become apathetic towards the government. He said Americans are being taxed for things that they are not aware of. Buchman says that citizens need to be more involved in governmental processes.
“It’s time to return America back to the Americans,” he said.
The candidates each proposed what they would do to help solve the current economic state the nation is in.
Bowen said that the price of housing around the nation has sky-rocketed and many people are buying homes that they cannot afford. He said Americans cannot afford to have the banking industry bail them out of financial crisis.
“We need to look at stopping predatory lending and get back on a more sound market,” he said.
Bishop focused on government spending and that Americans cannot afford to be taxed because of profligate governmental spending.
Buchman focused on federal spending as well saying that the national debt is a direct cause of federal spending and will be a huge burden on the coming generations.
The candidates each discussed the nations health care crisis. They each had a different idea on how it should be handled.
Bowen said he thinks Americans need to look at what other countries are doing and what is working for them and implement the things that are working into our own society. Bowen said that the problem with the health care system in the United States is due to big corporations controlling Congress and touched again on the importance of getting money out of politics.
Bishop said he thinks the nation can’t start from scratch but must implement some new ideas into the health care system to make is sustainable. He said the solution is to put free-market enterprises into the existing system which will give individuals more options and allow health care to become more affordable.
Buchman said if elected, he would do nothing to fix it because he doesn’t believe health care should be sanctioned by the federal government.
“Just because (the federal government) can do it, doesn’t mean we should, or that we can in an effective way. Health insurance should be free market,” Buchman said.
The debate focused on what each candidate disagreed with the others on and on off-shore drilling on which each candidate presented ideas. After the debate the floor was open to questions which is when things got really heated.
Bowen and Bishop squared off on what to do with storing nuclear waste in Utah. During the debate of this question, Bowen accused Bishop of participating in lobbying by being paid off by Energy Solutions. Bishop said that through his experience in Congress, he has become accustomed to being misrepresented and made it known that lobbying is a legal act.
Chris Tracey, senior in public health, posed the question.
“I feel like I got my question answered by Bowen, that the federal government can control because of its supreme power. I felt that Bishop just beat around the bush and wouldn’t really give an answer,” he said.
Robby Tanner, junior in human resources, however, was satisfied with Bishop and said after the debate he felt Bishop is who he would vote for.
“He is honest. He’s been on the same platform for six years and hasn’t changed,” he said. “I love that he wants Utah to have the power.”
The Congressional Debate provided a way for students to become involved with politics and become educated in the variety of opinions and perspectives as displayed at the event.
–beck.turner@aggiemail.usu.edu