Between. We were both voluntarily tested. Each candidate has a separate studio by himself. Changed are the rules, of which there are none. There is no opening statement, no closings, no time limits. We do have a lot to get through so please do not filibuster. We will be keeping track of speaking time to keep things relatively even. Good to see you both and thanks for joining us. Thank you for having us. We are going to start with masks this evening. The mask issue became huge this weekend when the president tweeted that both he and his wife tested positive for coronavirus. The university of washingtons study projects that 160,000 more people could die by january 1. That number could be reduced by 96,000 if 95 of us wore masks. Lets start with you, Kevin Oconnor. Do you support a mask mandate where it is legally permissible . Mr. Oconnor a mandate . Yes. Mr. Oconnor i dont support a mandate. I think there are appropriate guidelines that people should follow, and certainly within confined spaces, yes, then i think its appropriate to regulate whats going on. When you say appropriate guidelines, i check both of your twitter accounts regularly. I checked yours on thursday, october 1. There was a photograph of you shoulder to shoulder with a Boston Herald staffer, shoulder to shoulder with lenny clark, and inches away from five customers at a diner. None of them had masks. You didnt have a mask. How is that following the guidelines . Mr. Oconnor the guidelines talk about duration of contact. Not all contact is equal. Senator markey, you do support a mask mandate, i believe, correct . Sen. Markey i do. I think it is consistent with all the Public Health guidelines that tony fauci and Public Health physicians all across the country have been advising us to abide by. Mr. Oconnor if i could just speak on this. Arrangements, which were at the 11th hour, are not consistent with any guidelines. Senator markey and i agreed it to a set of guidelines with wgbh. Nothing has changed in terms of Public Health guidelines, my condition or senator markeys condition. What we saw was a changing of the rules by people with the power to do it. Sen. Markey can i respond to that please . We did change our views late because the world changed on friday and we tried to change with it. Our goal was to make things safer for both of you. We would much prefer to have you in here. This is what it is. Mr. Oconnor nothing did change. The guidelines that we agreed to were carefully agreed to, safe, sound. We dont think they were safe enough, mr. Oconnor. Our apologies. Could we get back and let senator markey respond. I was going to ask, many people have said that there is not any good to a mandate if there are not finds and strict enforcement fines and strict enforcement. Do you think we need that kind of strict enforcement plus fines . Sen. Markey yes, i do think we are going to need enforcement going forward. Obviously, the numbers that you just outlined, 96,000 more which, which deaths, are avoidable if we have a mask mandate. That requires everyone to cooperate and with penalties if people dont. The masks are less for your own other than to protect people as well from the exposure. The sweet from President Trump tweet from President Trump this afternoon was irresponsible as he was leaving the hospital. He said dont be afraid of the converse or it the coronavirus or it will dominate your life. If you are not afraid of coronavirus, it will dominate your life. We need that right now. A mandate for Wearing Masks, along with, by the way, other Public Health safety guidelines, including obviously social distancing, washing hands. Can i unite the trump and covid topics . The president recently gave for how he is handling the pandemic. Is that great appropriate . How would you grade grade appropriate . How would you grade our governor in massachusetts . How would you grade both of them . Mr. Oconnor i think the grades are both incomplete. They both have done things well and i am sure in hindsight, they would look back and do things differently. They do favor opening up safely as soon as possible. I am very concerned about the collateral consequences of being closed. I have a fourthgrader and eighthgrader and i see the consequences for them academically. I also see the consequences in terms of social isolation that we are seeing, in terms of reported increases in the suicide hotline, alcoholism, things of that nature. The reality is that we can be both safe and open our economy and schools. I would like to hear what you think about both baker and trumps performance. The House Democrats reduced the size of their Coronavirus Relief 2. 2ge from 3 trillion to trillion. The Senate Package was very small. By the whiteupped house. Nancy pelosi said a flat no. Issue not holding hostage billions of American Families, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of businesses and state governments . Do you support her flat no . Are you amongst those that wont let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Would you buy the white house compromise to get relief to people right now . I would give donald trump a complete failing grade for how he has handled the coronavirus. I called upon him in the middle of january to brief congress on the coronavirus before it got here. He did not do it. I called on him to name a coronavirus czar. He did not do it. I was the first sender to call upon him to use the defense to produceact tracing technologies that would be necessary. He did not do. He has been criminally negligent all the way up until leaving the hospital and telling people not to be afraid of the coronavirus. As we got to charlie baker, i would say his grade is incomplete. He has worked hard but has been hindered by the fact that donald trump did not provide early on the leadership or supplies needed. With regard to nursing homes, 2 3 of thewhere deaths that occurred in the stay occurred there, obviously things went very wrong when 2 3 of the deaths occurred there. Isnt nancy pelosi negligent saying no to 1. 6 trillion and keeping people on the edge across the country until she gets every nickel she wants . Sen. Markey absolutely not. Nancy pelosi is fighting for the funding which hospitals, for which are schools and cities and towns need. That need is desperate. That lack of willingness to negotiate by the republicans, that obstinate opposition to the real funding that is necessary, is absolutely on the white house. Secretary mnuchin tripled the senate offer. Sen. Markey it is not enough to match the magnitude of our threat to our health, economy, small businesses, hospitals, fornity Health Centers the Unemployment Benefits which people need massachusetts, which has been discontinued since august 1. The republicans still have refused to put in the funding levels that are necessary to deal with the magnitude of this. Would you vote for the white house deal . Mr. Oconnor yes, absolutely. Senator markey has been an extremist throughout. He has never offered any moderation whatsoever on this issue. In terms of coronavirus, he has very highly charged rhetoric. Has statements are misguided, to put it mildly. We have never heard throughout his campaign, is any any question as to the fault of the Chinese Communist party in causing all this. Senator markey has a long record of weakness in terms of dealing with china, and his weakness on a sustained basis poses the greatest threat to American Security and american safety. Sen. Markey thats just plain wrong. When the president said that he was going to cut off travel from china, i agreed with him, and i said so publicly at the end of january. Mr. Oconnor you have never faulted communist china throughout this entire campaign. You have politicized this issue. Is very personal for me, as you know. My father almost died of covid19, my cousin died of it. What we dont need are career politicians politicizing this issue, and thats what youve done. Point the finger at china and hold them accountable signals the level of weakness the unfortunate we have seen unfortunately we have seen direct your long career. Sen. Markey you are absolutely wrong. When the president said he was cutting off any further travel from china, i agreed with him. You are just plain wrong on this. The problem is, the president did not follow up by name ing a czar. He did not provide the moral and personal leadership that the American People needed. And once again, irresponsibly he is telling people not to be afraid of the coronavirus. Mr. Oconnor senator, china is not at fault . Sen. Markey i did not say that. Mr. Oconnor but you have not said a word throughout the campaign. You are a United States senator and your communications have importance in terms of our global stature. Sen. Markey for the third time, mr. Oconnor, i agree with the president at the end of january. Mr. Oconnor a record of weakness. Kevin oconnor, i want to be clear about one thing, you are blaming come is china as opposed to the millions of communist china as opposed to the millions of americans who have been in close contact with each other, not social distancing, not Wearing Masks . You are blaming come is china sin ,000 deathh deaths in the United States . Mr. Oconnor it is not as simple as that, but it started in common is china and they purposely misled. Lies around the world and that lies at the feet communist china. Senator markeys silence on the ear for that for a year on that issue signals his weakness. Just very briefly, you know you are a Donald Trump Republican when you dont wear a mask yourself in public, like mr. Oconnor, just like donald trump. You know you are a trump republican when you are not willing to talk about the magnitude of the climate threat to our planet and what this nation should be. You know youre a trump republican when you support steamrolling some cream Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. The environmental care act, roe v. Wade, environmental protections will be on the chopping block. Mr. Oconnor senator markey has a record week record on china weak record on china. Sen. Markey i agreed with keeping china out. Who was criminally negligent from the beginning . It was donald trump. We got the china part. Lets move on. A couple more minutes on the virus. Senator markey, you have recommended giving every american 2000 a month retroactive to march for the duration of the pandemic. Thats a lot of money, about 5 trillion, which is as big as a federal budget. How would you propose we pay for that . Sen. Markey well, i would begin by repealing the trump tax cuts. I would be going begin by repealing the bush tax cuts. President trump is paying 750 per year in taxes while getting the best medical care in the world from the federal government, millions of dollars worth of Great Health Care from the federal government. We can use those dollars to take care of ordinary American Families who are suffering right now. We have on Unemployment Rate in massachusetts which is in double digits, the worst since the great depression. These families are at home at their Kitchen Table trying to figure out how to pay the bills, rent, mortgage, health care, food, how to pay for their car payments, all that is on the table. We have to provide that funding for those families and those trillions of dollars should be brought back from those tax cuts and they should be used for helping ordinary families in the commonwealth. Do use did you support the president s tax cuts emma which mostly went to wealthy people and caused the biggest deficit in our history . What would you do to support people that are still unemployed . Mr. Oconnor senator markeys proposal is 96,000 a year for a family of four dating back to march, regardless of whether those Family Members are even citizens of the United States. It is a grossly irresponsible proposal. Someone said to me recently, there is nothing more expensive than a free lunch. Ed markey throughout this campaign has proposed these free lunch programs that are totally unaffordable, that will bankrupt future generations, and they are inexcusable. Do you support the tax cuts, though . Yes or no . Mr. Oconnor on balance, yes. And gentlemen, we are going to move to the Supreme Court. Mr. Oconnor tax cuts raise more revenue in the year after the tax cuts than before and have led to the greatest economy in the last four years. The last time we did that well was quite a long time ago. Everything that got us to that point, senator markey opposed. Supreme court. You have said if the gop rhymes through the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, you would support ending the filibuster and expanding the size of the Supreme Court. Your nominee for president apparently was annoyed, according to the washington post, with your comments. Do use still support you still support those positions. Is joe biden wrong not to support those sort of remedies if the republicans proceed, as they appear to be doing . Mr. Oconnor very simply, the republicans back in 2016 and 2017 blocked Merrick Garland as the nominee for barack obama, would not allow him to be confirmed. They just swiped that seat for their own purposes. They made a promise, that they would never nominate anyone for the Supreme Court during a president ial election year. Now, the republicans are trying to steamroll through the nominee right before an election in a coronavirus epidemic up on capitol hill. Please let me finish. Someone on thee Supreme Court who would be able to begin to hear the repeal of the Affordable Care act legislation in the second week of november, 2020. In addition to that, it would be able to begin the process of rolling back roe v. Wade, rolling back massachusetts versus epa, the most important Climate Change case in american history, civil rights, rolling back womens rights. If they take these two seats, it is very much necessary for us in america to repeal the filibuster, and to begin a discussion of enlarging the Supreme Court in order to make sure that what the republicans have done does not wind up in a fundamental change in the protections which we have provided to the American People. Mr. Oconnor, the word on the street is you went to the same law school. Are you for or against expanding the size of the court . Is a terrible idea that has been discredited by everyone. Justice ginsburg said it is a terrible idea. Nobody of common sense thinks senator markeys idea is good and even the Biden Campaign thought it was illadvised. Lets get to roe v. Wade. 10aul found eight in massachusetts voters want roe v. Wade to be upheld. You said you supported the Trump Nominee to the Supreme Court, gorsuch and kavanaugh. They could get rid of roe v. Wade. So you seem to be out of touch with massachusetts voters on that. Do you also support amy barrett to the Supreme Court . Sen. Markey she is extremely wellqualified and has lived an extraordinary life mr. Oconnor she is extreme we wellqualified and has lived an extraordinary life. She has expressed respect and reverence for the constitution and the rule of law. I think we can expect her to follow those principles. She appears to be a strong justice. That said, i will await the hearing. I will await to see what she has to say in response to the questions. Senator markey i believe has said he will not even meet with her facetoface. You support justices that were appointed to the Supreme Court because they are prolife. Massachusetts voters have indicated over and over again that they are prochoice. How come you support those justices . Mr. Oconnor the personal position of a judge is not relevant. Will a judge respect the rule of law, the constitution . These supremewhat Court Justices will be deciding 10, 20 years from now. We cannot have litmus tests. We need the best people, bright people of character and who have lived responsibly. Mr. Oconnor, mr. Oconnor, when we interviewed candidate trump in new hampshire, we asked him if he had any litmus tests, and he said yes, that they would be prolife. The president of the United States has a litmus test. Mr. Oconnor personally prolife. I dont think that the question has been asked as to what she would do on that case. I would note that justices, over the course of even recently, have followed president prsident, followed ecdent, followed the rule of law dent, followed the rule over. Lawou do support role of rule of law. Some people have called this infanticide. I think massachusetts is only 2 of americas population but we have to be the leader in ensuring that we are going to it on the books protections for women so that the only decision is between a woman and her physician, in terms of any Health Care Decision which she would make. Way that webe the deal with that issue. We have to be the leader. From my perspective, yes, what the republicans are doing is engaging court packing. They have picked up two extra justices. Their goal is to repeal roe v. Wade. President trump made it very clear repeatedly that he is going to name justices to the Supreme Court who will overturn roe v. Wade. Thats his goal. Hes made it very clear. Please, let me finish. Over and it very clear over again thats his goal. By the way, what will come after that is the Affordable Care act, environmental protections. At the top of the list is this repeal of roe v. Wade. Statutee going to get to protect women. Do you want to respond to what the sender just said . Mr. Oconnor senator markey is within the most extreme group in terms of advocating abortion rights, even at the point of delivery, ninth month, right there. It is terrible to think that he has advocated for. Viewsn extremist and his are not consistent with the majority of massachusetts voters. Consistent, you know that the first issue i think you just mentioned this a to come before this new Supreme Court will be the Affordable Care act. Win or lose, your preferences is medicare all for all, which is not even supported by the man running for president on the Democratic Party. Wouldnt it be better to improve the Affordable Care act, as Vice President biden prefers, rather than tilting at windmills, when your candidate even as president would not support it . Havemarkey right now, we a Health Care System in america that is a sick care system. We spend it twice as much as any industrialized country in the world. We are 45th in Health Outcomes in the world, 37th in life expectancy. 2 3 of all personal bankruptcies in the United States were because of Health Care Bills last year. We have a Health Care System that is broken. Because of coronavirus, this economic recession, we are seeing tens of millions of additional americans losing their health care. Medicare for all is the way in which we ultimately have to go. Step one is, lets protect the Affordable Care act from being eviscerated by donald trump and people like mr. Oconnor. Let us make the transition to a point where everyone in our country is able to access the health care which they need for their families. Mr. Oconnor, if i can. To be clear, the president says he is for a repeal, as do fellow republicans in washington, for a repeal of the Affordable Care act. They have not identified any replacement for almost four years, as they have been saying they would. You also support the challenge to the aca on november 10. If successful, the protection for those with preexisting conditions will disappear. Do you support the Affordable Care act . Do you support the challenge to the Affordable Care act . Mr. Oconnor i just want to note, senator markey, with his medicare for all program, would bankrupt medicare. It is an extreme position outside the mainstream of the Democratic Party. Vice President Biden said during the debate that he is the Democratic Party. He is against medicare for all. How about the Affordable Care act and the challenge to it in the Supreme Court . Mr. Oconnor i want to make sure that preexisting conditions are covered. That would be a critical priority. Do you support the challenge to it . Mr. Oconnor i support a challenge, so long as we immediately address the preexisting conditions. The president has said for four years in two weeks the replacement will come out, then two weeks later, there has been nothing. Why would you assume that if a court appealed Affordable Care act that there would be anything produced by President Trump or fellow republicans to protect anybody with preexisting conditions . They have not done it yet. Mr. Oconnor it will be a priority for me as a senator. President trump has been very good in terms of fighting for Prescription DrugPrice Reductions and also for greater transparency. What has he done on preexisting conditions, except saying that he supports them at the same time that his department of justice is part of a lawsuit to eliminate them . Mr. Oconnor i dont agree with the pursuit of that lawsuit. I think its illadvised. Sen. Markey if i may, thank you. If i may, thank you. They have had four years to put together an alternative Health Care Bill to the Affordable Care act. You, mr. Interrupt oconnor. Please. Preexisting conditions will be gone. The guarantee that a parent can have their Adult Children up to age 26 on their health care will be gone. Making sure that a woman, just her status as a woman, is not a preexisting condition, that will begun. Making sure there are lifetime caps on the bills that you have to pay for health care, that will all be gone. That is something that donald trump and Mitch Mcconnell and the republicans in the senate have made as an absolute commitment. Response, do you support the Affordable Care act . Which includes all the provisions that the senator just mentioned. Or do you oppose the Affordable Care act . I dont support the Affordable Care act. I support the system we having massachusetts. What senator markey wants to do with his socialized medicine is diverted dollars away from highquality providers, like we have been massachusetts in massachusetts. Its a great industry for us. Senator markey wants to ignore quality and it would hurt massachusetts and are great institutions. Sen. Markey what he caused socialized medicine is called medicaid. It is funding from the federal government that goes to our Health Care System in massachusetts that ensures that hundreds of thousands of people get the Health Care Insurance they need. Wantconnor senator, you senator markey wants i will not interrupt you, please. Alwaysublican party has harbored an ancient animosity towards social security, medicare, medicaid, the Affordable Care act. It is anything that has to do with providing health care to ordinary americans in our country. Mr. Oconnor absolutely false. The massachusetts system was passed by governor romney, a republican. He was a leader, a u. S. Senator, republican. Thats just completely false. Governor baker, who is endorsing hasnot senator markey, provided an excellent system here. Its a good model that can be used by other states, i believe, in federal support for preexisting conditions. Massachusetts state of massachusetts gets a ton of money for its very good Health Care System as a result of the Affordable Care act. Where does that money come from if the act you dont support disappears . Mr. Oconnor there can be further appropriations. It is not the end of the game. In terms ofattack this particular case, but there will be subsequent appropriations. By the way, no one has suggested that the massachusetts system would end based on this case, not at all. What you are talking about is kind of the so, if the Supreme Court gets rid of the Affordable Care act, other states that dont have it, people will have to fend for themselves until Something Else gets passed . There is a big gap. Children under 26 are under their Parents Health insurance. There is no guarantee that there will be something the next day. Mr. Oconnor we would have medicare, medicaid, private Health Insurance, and we would have an opportunity for people to bring down Health Insurance rates through competition, which senator markey opposes. Can we move on. Mr. Oconnor i would like to be clear that senator markey advocates for the end of private Health Insurance. Thats what his plan involves. As Vice President biden said during the president ial campaign, its totally unaffordable and would do nothing but hurt people who are already hurting. Brief response. Sen. Markey what mr. Oconnor caused socialized medicine is medicare, medicaid, federal funding that then goes to individuals and institutions in massachusetts and across the country. Thats what its all about. To pretend that there is some disconnect between the federal money and how our massachusetts Health Care System works is just absolutely fallacious. Mr. Oconnor you want to eliminate private Health Insurance, senator. How about the response to the private Health Insurance allegation that how about the response to the private Health Insurance allegation . Sen. Markey thats what we have to move towards to as a model to make sure that everybody gets the health care that they need. The road to it does not come through the avista ration of medicare and medicaid evisceration of medicare and medicaid. Mr. Oconnor he wants to eliminate private Health Insurance. Lets move on. Kevin oconnor, the president has said there is not systemic racism in the criminal Justice System in the United States . Do you agree with him . Mr. Oconnor i dont know what systemic racism means. There is certainly racism in america and that is included in the Justice System. You are not sure what it means . Mr. Oconnor i think you have to look at each particular program. There are certainly biases historically. I believe there is racism, not just in the Justice System, but throughout our society. Sen. Markey what would you do about it . Mr. Oconnor enforce the law. What i would not do is what senator markey has done, which is to try to divert attention from the failed social programs and Teachers Union schools that he is backing or he would illuminate choice eliminate choice. He wants to vilify police officers. He has done it throughout this campaign. Cops,cannot blame our then we will look at his record in terms of failed social programs and failing innercity schools. You said there is systemic racism. With cory signed on booker for this committee for reparations. I wonder your time in congress before this, what have you done to address systemic racism . Sen. Markey i will just start with my program, the education rate program. When i was drafting the communications act, i make sure that every child in america, especially poor children, had the internet on their desk. As a result, for the first time in american history, an Educational Technology was deployed at the same rate for poor children as for wealthy children. Thats my program, a 54 billion program. I am the leader right now and the United States senate to have a 4 billion to make sure the kids get it at home. 16 million children in america do not have the internet at home. There mostly brown, black, immigrant kids. If they dont have it, the 16 million of them, theres going to be a learning gap that leads to an opportunity gap for those kids, and those kids are going to know it. Thats my program and it goes right to the heart of the educational system. Mr. Oconnor if i could respond. Senator markey has a very weak record on issues of diversity and inclusion. Hes been there 44 years and you just heard him talk about the telecommunications act, that is frankly woeful. We know from the primary campaign that the family of dj henry reached out to senator markey and they met with him. What they were met with was indifference. They felt so disappointed, did nottheir senator really even demonstrate care for them. My record is entirely different. I was the first diversity and inclusion coordinator of what has been the Largest Law Firm in boston 20 years ago. Hads picked because i proven to be the person that carried the most about making our law firm and Legal Community diverse and inclusive. Clear,also, just to be represented a wrongfully convicted man who spent 20 years in jail for crimes that he did not commit. I care very deeply about these issues. The answer is not senator markeys indifference to the henry family or vilification of police officers. Before the senator responds to the dj henry thing, doing what you say you want done requires more than you enforcing the law. Give us what is at the top of your list of priorities around issues of racism should you become United States senator. What is the number one thing you would do in addition to whatever enforcing the lies . Mr. Oconnor senator tim scott has offered the justice act. Senator markey voted against even debating it. It is a Police Reform bill that uses federal resources to aggregate data and to teach breast practices and promote use of best practices and promote use of technology innate responsible way. Senator markey was too busy vilifying cops to even allow that bill to come up for a vote. Just imagine if we had had the opportunity this spring for a nationwide, open, public debate in what used to be the worlds greatest deliberative body to discuss policing and issues of equity and justice. That would have been a great thing. Senator markey voted against even debating it, just as he is only debating me once, just as he was afraid to debate the Green New Deal. He was afraid to even vote for it. Sen. Markey let me just say, i was just going to give you another example, the Green New Deal. When alexandria ocasiocortez and i authored the Green New Deal, yes, the plan is warming, we can create clean energy jobs. We made it clear that we had to do it with intersectionality, by putting minority communities at the front of the line. Chelsea has a very high asthma rate because of their proximity to pollution, which made them more vulnerable to the coronavirus. We made it very clear in the Green New Deal that we were going to prioritize that issue because of the systemic racism built into the infrastructure in our country. Let me finish. To go to your point again, we are 25 of the prisoners in the world. They are behind bars in the United States. Only 5 of the worlds population. 1 3 of all women in the world are in prison in the United States. There is systemic racism built throughout our entire criminal Justice System. You are both bringing up the Green New Deal. I have one more question for you, mr. Oconnor. You were complaining that senator markey did not even want to bring senator scotts provision, policing act up for a vote. Mitch mcconnell has refused to bring up for a vote virtually anything that has come out of the house. Lets pick one thing. Should the senate vote up or down on the heroes act, the 2. 2 trillion relief bill for america that was passed by the house . Yes or no . Mr. Oconnor all those bills had been negotiated in advance of the passage. Should there be an up or down vote in the senate, yes or no . Mr. Oconnor the senate will, as it has, starkly negotiate. It has not voted on the hundreds and hundreds of house bills, has not even allowed a vote. Should everything be allowed an up or down vote in the senate . Mr. Oconnor of course not. That would be a waste of time. Should the heroes act, which would provide 2. 2 billion to small businesses, airlines, families, should that be voted on . Mr. Oconnor they should reach a resolution. The answer is no . Mr. Oconnor not 2. 2 trillion billion dollars. Igh. Ink that is too h you oppose both the Green New Deal, dont think we should get back into the paris climate record. President trump has already gotten rid of 70 significant protections for clean air and water. The senator just mentioned chelsea. On cape cod, which we all of, ponds are too polluted to swim in. The ocean is eroding the land. Little clam shacks have been wiped out, at least one was wiped out two years ago. What do you think we should be doing to protect the environment, especially with a president who calls this a hoax . Mr. Oconnor weve respected the Green New Deal. Senator markey talks about that as his record. Essentially come his record on issues of racial justice. That was in 2019. He had been in the United States senate 43 years and essentially done nothing. When that bill came up for a vote, senator markey, who was the cosponsor, didnt even vote for it. Only in washington, d. C. Can someone offer a piece of legislation and then lack the courage and conviction to vote for it when its put up for a vote in his body, and then claim it as his signature achievement. Ant act in and of itself was waste of time and did nothing but diminish the clout of our senate delegation, appropriately, in the eyes of senate colleagues. What is your plan for an environment that is in trouble . Wild fires hurricanes, cape cod. What do you want to do . Mr. Oconnor there has been a plan put out by the American Conservation Coalition that strives for Carbon Neutrality by 2050. Even joe biden the Green New Deal is completely unrealistic, which is par for the course for senator markey, well outside the mainstream of his own party. Governor, the American Conservation Coalition and others have come forth with a plan. Many american corporations. Carbon neutrality is achievable by 2050. The key is to promote innovation in terms of energy technology. I dontis to remain agree with not being in the paris climate accord. I didnt agree with that deal. I absolutely agree that Climate Change is real, and that the way to deal with it is to work with people internationally. 50 of all Carbon Emissions right now are coming from asia. What we need to do is to have a system that promotes innovation, that promotes sensible negotiations where the American Worker is not sold out to china the way the paris peace accord was drafted, where we literally would have paid hundreds of millions of dollars to china and they would have had no emissions standards. The net effect is that senator markey would have harmed the American Worker yet again. It was a terrible deal. Please respond, senator. Sen. Markey when i was a boy, my mother said, dont swim in the river. It turned black because of all the polluting companies on the river. Prejimind of a it. Rix purple haze over mr. Oconnor keeps talking about socialism. And100 years, the oil, gas, Coal Industries have received tax breaks from american taxpayers. Deal,e, in the green New Alexandria ocasiocortez and i, say, lets give those breaks to clean energy technologies, fox news, the republicans, mr. Oconnor, they call that socialism. Give us some of that socialism that the oil, gas, and coal industry had to wind, solar, all electric vehicles, hybrids, Energy Efficiency technologies, and we will bury the fossil fuel industry and their asthma creating, Greenhouse Gas creating dangerous to our planet in a generation. Of course, because the fossil fuel industry has the United States senate as a whollyowned assidiary, because it donald trump, and mr. Oconnor is a Donald Trump Republican, as a holy owned subsidiary, we can do nothing on this issue. Innovationts as the capital will be the leader in creating. If you defeat senator markey, it will increase the likelihood that Mitch Mcconnell continues to be the majority leader in the senate. Obvious math. What is it that Mitch Mcconnell and Senate Republicans have done that convinces you that anything that you just listed on your agenda of environmental initiatives would even get a vote in the senate led by Mitch Mcconnell . What is the environmental policy that you support that Mitch Mcconnell is allowed his members to vote for . Mr. Oconnor the American Conservation Coalitions plan is a bipartisan plan. If i have to work across the line to get it done, i will. Name one bill where Mitch Mcconnell has worked across the line can you name one bill where Mitch Mcconnell has worked across the line to allow for there to be a bipartisan vote . Mr. Oconnor he worked across the line in terms of all the covid relief bills. In the environmental world, can you pick one . Mr. Oconnor not offhand. For all senator markey wants to run against President Trump, i am running as a Kevin Oconnor republican. I have articulated for you what my positions will be. They are largely with the governor bakers, who is endorsing me, not senator markey. I will be a proenvironment center, because i, like all of us, have children. I am worried about the future. I am deeply concerned. Senator markeys Green New Deal, the extreme program, is nothing but posturing. There is no future for the United States of america to a Carbon Neutral path with a successful growing economy without fossil fuels. There is no future in america for america in any way without fossil fuels. I will tell you environmental bills Mitch Mcconnell has allowed out on the senate floor. It is the bill over the keystone pipeline. It is to make sure that the tax breaks for the oil and gas industry continue, while windgling any help for the and solar and alternative energy industries. Mccon where macconnell nell. Will you please, i have yet to interrupt you. Sen. Markey to ensure that his call state industry coal state industry in kentucky just continues. Thats the last thing we need in massachusetts, is to send another republican down to help Mitch Mcconnell stop a green revolution, stop the expansion of Health Care Benefits in our country, to stop ensuring that we have real criminal justice reform. Gentlemen, we have to move ahead. We have a lot more to squeeze in here. Kevin oconnor, do you support the dreamers staying in the United States . Those are young people brought here by their parents and have made their homes here and lived here for years. Do you support them staying in the United States . Mr. Oconnor daca . Yes, i do. I think it is a real reflection of senator markeys ineffectiveness that he and other career politicians have seized upon this issue for politicization, just like with the Green New Deal. I would go to washington and offer myself as someone who would work with anyone and everyone across the aisle to solve problems. Solve them one by one and i believe . Would be a good first step. Senator markey, you do support the dreamers and would abolish isis. Explain your thinking. Sen. Markey very simply. Yes, we should put all those daca, young people, there are a hundred thousand of them in the United States. They grew up here. We educated them here. They are in the military and business here. Temporary protected status across the country. You keep hit keep them here and put them on a pathway to citizenship. Million of these individuals in america. We should create a comprehensive pathway to citizenship for all of them in our country. We should not be trying to an ice deportation army to terrorize people on the third floor in lawrence, chelsea or boston with the fear that there may be some Family Member apprehended. The message we have to send the beginning of january of 2020 one is at that we will pass a comprehensive immigration bill for all you 11 million, so we dont have to have a deportation army. They arenor terrorizing people and our country. 15 seconds and i have to move on. 30 40 years mr. Oconnor and 40 years. His record is complete and effectiveness. To address that as a clean bill and senator markeys efforts to vilify ice are completely irresponsible. What he wants is open borders. He wants to make massachusetts a sanctuary state that would bankrupt our state. Gentleman. Senator, 15 seconds. Mitch mcconnell will not allow a vote on daca on the senate floor. It would pass if mcconnell would allow a vote. He is waiting for someone. Block any vote on anything progressive. You list yourself as a Second Amendment supporter but i believe you support the background check . Mr. Oconnor i support background checks. Would you support a background check for a highcapacity magazine elimination and an assault weapons ban, yes or no . Mr. Oconnor those issues all depend on definitions. Are common. Hey you support a of salt weapons ban or you dont . On howonnor it depends that weapon is defined. We have sound laws in massachusetts and those with laws were guelph those work well for us. Highcapacity magazines, limiting assault weapons and background checks. Would you will for the same provisions in congress . Mr. Oconnor i have issues with some of those provisions. You support them here . Mr. Oconnor overall, we have a sound system. The case in 2007 established a reverse timeline in the history of the Second Amendments right to bear arms. Do you agree with the courts decision . Mr. Oconnor under the Second Amendment the governor can impose the purchase of weapons. That includes assault weapons. That was about banning handguns and washington, d. C. Do you support the ban on handguns . Sen. Markey i do not believe handgun should be banned, but i do believe that everyone should have to go into a Police Station to get permission from the police chief to buy the gun. Thats a massachusetts law. Thats why we have the lowest gun fatality rates in the United States. To existe lot that has in washington. Mitch mcconnell will not allow a vote on my bill to make sure that that is the standard. For notld stand relevant anymore in american politics, but the nra owns the republican politics. Final question for each of you. You mentioned several issues very farnd you are away from President Trump, dreamers, abortion, environment and part of the Affordable Care act. Why do you support him . Sen. Graham mr. Oconnor because President Trump represents the best opportunity for us to have safe borders,oods, nonopen sanctuary states, not defunding and disarming of the police the way senator markey advocates. He offers a better alternative, the better choice in terms of restoring our economy. Had an excellent economy heading into 2019 and we are coming back strong. He also stands up for american defense. Senator markey has a very weak record and a misguided record on foreign policy. Final question for you. The highest profile of issues you had the Green New Deal and medicare for all that are not supported by the Democratic Party candidate. Whats the strategy . You believe joe biden will all of a sudden have an epiphany, or is it your intention to work around the man you hope to be president . Sen. Markey i support the Green New Deal and i support joe biden. Commander inenier chief is in the oval office. Obviously the Green New Deal has shifted the whole discussion. Not only in the u. S. , but around the world. Have liftedgoals the gauge of americans and political leaders of the consolation of possibilities in green energy technologies. Joe biden has moved a long way over the last year and i will continue to advocate for the Green New Deal so that we can implement a plan that saves all of creation while engaging in massive job creation. Our apologies, but the hour forp and we thank you both participating. We thank all of you for watching and listening. Ouncer loading officials voting officials will talk today about combating in elections. It will start at 1 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan, online at cspan. Org, or listen with the free radio app. Tonight, montana candidates for governor, greg gene forte and mike cooney take part in a debate sponsored by montana pbs. Watch beginning at 9 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan, cspan. Org or listen with the free radio app. Announcer a live look at salt lake city, the site of the Vice President ial debate tomorrow. Senator harris and Vice President pence will meet at kingsbury hall. I dont think when the dust settles it is going to be whether america becomes more republican or democrat, whether we are more liberal or more conservative, or red or more below. The choice is whether america remains america. Sen. Harris as jill biden has said from the moment he entered this race joe biden, it is about the soul of the nation, who we are, what we stand for and maybe most importantly, who we want to be. Announcer watch the Vice President to debate between michael pence and seminar Kamala Harris live wednesday at 9 00 p. M. Eastern from the university of utah in salt lake city. Live on cspan, listen live on the cspan radio app and go to cspan. Org debate for live or ondemand streaming of debate coverage. There is also a link to each debate question and answer. See social media feeds on reaction and watch president ial debate video from the cspan video library. Announcer next, cspans campaign 2020 coverage continues with joe biden and his wife jill speaking at a Campaign Event in miamis Little Havana neighborhood. This is 40 minutes. This is 40 m. Victoria good afternoon. My name is victoria principe. I was born in venezuela and