Less than a month until May 17 primary electionsthe three leading Democrats running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania faced off on the same stage together for the first time, touting their platforms while taking jabs at their opponents in a contentious, hour-long debate.
Candidates – US Representative Conor Lamblieutenant governor John Fettermanand state representative. Malcolm Kenyatta — answered questions about the economy, crime and legalized marijuana at a forum hosted by ABC-27 News in Harrisburg on Thursday night.
The a widely watched and crowded race this is one of the few chances Democrats have to win a seat and employ their slim majority in the upper house. On May 17, registered Democrats in Pennsylvania will vote for one of four candidates, including a member of the Jenkintown Borough Council Alex Khalilseeking his party’s nomination to replace retiring Republican senator Pat Toomey.
On the Republican side, voters will have a choice between a conservative commentator Kathy Barnettereal estate investor and businessman in Montgomery County Jeff BartosTrump-endorsed celebrity doctor Mehmet Ozformer hedge fund CEO Dave McCormickformer ambassador of the Trump administration Carl Sandslawyer from Philadelphia George Bochetto, and Montgomery County attorney Sean Gale.
Each Republican Party candidate for U.S. Senate, except Gale and Bochetto, has pledged to: debate took place at the same place and time on Monday, April 25.
Coming back to the event from 2013
Lamb, D-17, and Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, criticized Fetterman for skipping the debate earlier this month to avoid questions about his record and 2013 confrontation with Christopher Miyares, a black man whom Fetterman held at gunpoint after he suspected he was involved in a nearby shooting.
On Thursday, former Mayor Braddock was questioned in connection with the incident.
Asked if he would do anything differently if he were in the same situation again, Fetterman avoided answering directly. Instead, he defended his decision and refuted claims that he pointed the firearm directly at the person.
“This is certainly not a situation that anyone wants to be in regarding gun violence,” Fetterman said. “But I want to emphasize that I am the only Democrat on this stage who has successfully confronted crime and gun violence and is leading a police department.”
Miyares, who is in prison for an unrelated crime, previously wrote a letter to Questioner from Philadelphia saying: “It is inhumane to believe that one mistake should determine a person’s life. I hope he becomes a senator.”
Lamb and Kenyatta, who criticized Fetterman for the incident and his refusal to apologize, were asked why the incident would disqualify Fetterman from serving in the U.S. Senate.
Former prosecutor Lamb noted that in the same letter, Miyares claimed that Fetterman “lied about everything” that happened in 2013. He added that Fetterman, who serves as chairman of the Commission on Pennsylvania Board of Pardonsshe is one of the people who “hold the keys” to free him.
“It also won’t really answer your question about whether he did something wrong and whether he should have done it differently,” Lamb said.
In a direct conversation with Fetterman, Kenyatta accused him of being afraid of “two little words – I’m sorry” and insisted that he apologize.
Fetterman, however, defended his actions and touted his re-election as mayor of Braddock, near Pittsburgh.
“It never happened,” Fetterman said, without apologizing or admitting any mistake. “I never pointed a gun at a specific person.”
Answering questions about the economy, energy and environment, foreign policy and immigration, the candidates varied in their approach to policy.
Here are their positions on some key issues:
Suspension of the federal gas tax
Fetterman was the only candidate to say he supported suspending the federal gas tax, saying it would make up for any lost revenue by insisting that “multi-billion dollar corporations” and “extremely wealthy billionaires pay their fair share.” Fetterman pointed to GOP Senate candidate McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO, as an example of someone who should pay his “fair share” of taxes.
Lamb and Kenyatta, who opposed suspending the federal gas tax, had different approaches to the issue.
Lamb said the United States should focus on increasing oil production. He also said he was against tax increases among the middle class.
Kenyatta said the “root causes of inflation” must be addressed first. He added that the “difficult costs” families face – child care and prescription drug prices – must be reduced. Kenyatta said the income cutoff for higher taxes is those earning less than $500,000 a year.
Criminality
With gun violence rising across the country, all candidates have said they support gun control measures.
Lamb said it’s “paramount” to redirect law enforcement resources away from non-violent drug crimes toward a “more aggressive” approach to gun violence.
“We do not do enough to prosecute firearms trafficking,” he said. “Stop the Flow of Guns to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.”
Kenyatta emphasized a three-point plan, saying people need access to good jobs, schools, health care and retirement. He added that the government should focus on laws related to lost and stolen weapons.
Fetterman called for an end to the filibuster so Congress could pass gun reform legislation.
“We would need 10 to 12 Republicans to join our ranks and decide, ‘Yes, we want to join you on an assault rifle ban. We want to join you in passing red flag laws. We want to make it more tough for hazardous and unstable people to own weapons,” he said.
Fracking
Kenyatta said the gas industry does not care about workers or their health, claiming that “they will leave in the blink of an eye, go bankrupt, open under a different name and leave the workers with sticks.”
He added that Pennsylvania can be a leader in creating immaculate energy jobs and addressing the climate crisis. He did not express support for a complete ban on fracking, the process of extracting natural gas from the ground, but said there should be no novel fracking permits.
“It’s about what we’re going to do in the future,” he said. “Will Pennsylvania be the place that leads in geothermal, bio, wind and solar energy? I want us to do this.”
Fetterman, who faced backlash from Kenyatta for changing his position, called for a mining tax. He added that fracking is an vital industry that allows for energy independence and helps create jobs.
“Two things are true at the same time,” he added.
Lamb said the United States should think about its energy strategy “like a three-legged stool” to lower greenhouse gas emissions, provide access to affordable energy and create jobs.
“Fracking enables us to achieve all three goals,” he said.
Legalization of recreational marijuana
All candidates have stated that they support the legalization of recreational marijuana. But Lamb stressed that it had to be done “slowly” and promoted regulatory policies to ensure safety.
