Announced that he will not run for reelection. Togood evening at welcome southwest texas junior college, and Sul Ross State University satellite location here and you bow they. I want to explain this is a year like no other and an election like no other. And this is a debate like no other. We are here in a mostly empty auditorium. The pandemic has required that. You might notice centerstage as an eight by 12 foot plexi glass wall. Part of what we are going to do is politics through the plexiglas. We have our photographers in this auditorium. We are following strict protocols. The three of us are on stage, the two candidates and myself, and people from southwest texas junior college. We are thrilled to wring this to from the heart of district 23. We have a timekeeper to my right who is going to keep time and she is from this area so, sandra, im glad we could cut down on your commute. Let me the candidates. Two people who want to take over the Office Currently have i urd, who chosell h not to run for reelection. Jones, amongtiz her endorsements, joe biden. Her opponent, republican Tony Gonzales back by our current president , donald trump. Tonight, these two square off face to face. I want to welcome Gina Ortiz Jones and Tony Gonzales. Thank you both for being here tonight. Thank you. Thank you. The debate is simple. I have got over the rules with the campaigns. I will be giving the campaigns but we have questions submitted online from viewers. For most questions the respondents will have one minute to answer. Then i as moderator have the option to expand on those answers with 32nd allotments for the candidates to answer. We will have a Rapid Response from where each candidate will have 45 seconds to answer and i have discretion to expand on those answers or at any time to interrupt if i do not fill the question is being answered. We do not have Opening Statements but we do have closing statements of two minutes. We flipped a coin to see he would go first and tony willssed Tony Gonzales have the first question First Closing statement. Since we do not have Opening Statements, i want to know more about u. S. Person, not just you as a politician. Im going to ask each of you this question. What is the biggest personal challenge you have overcome to be on the stage tonight . First, tells never felt so im glad go first and im thankful to use the end case app for hosting this and for dr. Gonzales and president gallego for being a part of this, it means a lot. For me, my life is never been easy. At two months old i was abandoned by my father, at five years old i grew up in a battered womens shelter. I have lived on my own since i was 15 years old. I joined the navy at 18 years old without high school diploma. I came in as an e1. 20 ears later i retired as a master chief. And e nine. Now im finishing my phd. This race for me is about the American Dream. No matter where you start in life, you can do and you can be anything. It does not matter the color of your skin. It does not matter if you come from a small town or a big city. This is america and here we can do anything. Thank you. Gina ortiz jones, the same question . What is the biggest personal challenge you have overcome to be on this stage tonight . Gina steve, thank you for hosting us. Thank you at home for joining us this evening. I want to express my prayers to those of you still suffering during this pandemic and economic crisis. My story starts 40 years ago, when my mom came to this country chasing the American Dream. She reminded my sister and i every day we were so lucky to be born in this country. That we would have to get back to this country that gave us so much. It is why i served and my sister serves in the navy to this day. And it is why i am in this fight, for working families. And that starts with quality, fertile health care. I know the quality Affordable Health care. The opportunities that allowed me to grow up, get an education and serve this country. I am in this fight to make sure every working family has the same fighting chance i have. We are at our best we invest in people, when we invest in the most honorable. Ofave seen the importance American Leadership and the indents fence ability and the indispensably of it. Im in this race to get our country back on track. Steve issues that have been front and center in your advertisements we see often on television, radio and in the newspaper. This question is from a viewer. Now and how live long have you lived there . Gina i am a proud product of 78245. I went to adams hill elementary school, john jay high school, first communion at saint rose, altar server at saint rose and i am proud to be a product of san antonio and to have served our country working to protect our national and Economic Security for 15 years. I came back to take care of my mom when she was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2006. I was proud to work at 410 houston at the time. I live at fort sam houston. I live in the home i grew up in an heritage. I am proud of the community that has invested to me. To make i knew i had sure my community was well represented, to protect the opportunities that allowed me to grow up healthy, get an education and serve our country. So i came back in 2017 to make sure my community was well represented. , where do youon live now and how long have you lived there . Tony i spent time growing up not too far from here in kaplan hills, a small town. I live in san antonio and i am raising my family there. My wife angel and i are raising our six children there and thats important. This district deserve somebody who is going to roll of their slaves and go to work ever roll up their sleeves and go to work every day. This is an issue where my pundit and i differ. Where my opponent and i differ. These are the facts. She has property in washington, d. C. She does not visit the district. In the past week i visited 14 out of the 29 counties. The people of district 23 deserve a representative that is going to roll up their sleeves and go to work, not a virtual representative that they are never going to see. Obviously, Gina Ortiz Jones, summit rebuttal time on the charges he made that you have properties not here . Gina im proud to have served my country for 15 years. When my country asked me to go to iraq my went. When they asked me to work in germany, i went. When they asked me to work at fort leavenworth, i went. And when that offense Intelligence Agency assigned me to washington, d. C. , i also went. I am proud to serve our country and i look forward to ringing those experience and service to this district. My opponent knows better. My opponent was also assigned to washington, d. C. And also owns property outside of the state. This is Tony Gonzales doing and saying whatever he think so get him to congress. Steve im going to move on. Represent chosen to district 23 you would represent a rich and diverse area . Beliefsand landscape, and raise. The next question has to do with the last president ial debate and a story in the huffington post. Com, about what seemed to be a reluctance to call out that kkk to be designated as a terrorist group by you, mr. Gonzales, during an inch gum interview. I want to give you the opportunity to set the record straight here and now. Do you condemn White Supremacists including the socalled proud boys and kkk . And did President Trump make a mistake by not clearly doing so in the first president ial debate . Tony i have searched 20 years in the military. This is my first time running for office. What i have learned is politics is ridiculous. To ask a mexicanamerican, by the way, the only hispanic in kkk . Race, if i condemn the of course i condemn the kkk. Of course i condemn terrorist organizations like ms 13 and on , and opponents have the same thing . This is about the district. Dont get distracted. This is about the people of district 23, a district 70 hispanic that perished from rural to urban and everything in between, the focus is on agriculture, the focus is on oil and gas. Does race plan issue . Yes. But we should not be talking about this. We should be talking about the people dying of covid, the families that are broken. Steve you have the question and you said you condemned white supremacist organizations and called on Gina Ortiz Jones to condemn them. The kkk is a terrorist organization. It is unfortunate my opponent struggled to answer that very basic question. Again, this is about Tony Gonzales doing whatever he thinks is going to get him to ongress, whether he hedges sing a very basic fact like that. Or when he says when he actually says he is going to aluminate the aca and its 11 eight the aca and its protections for people with preexisting conditions during a pandemic. If you want to talk about being out of touch with this district taking some at away during a pandemic . And by the way when we can have the opportunity to help working families get back on their feet, what does he say . We cannot give working families our help. They will just stay at home and watch netflix. That is so insulting to working families. Single moms trying to take care of their kids, put food on the table. I will care about those families because that was my family. So Tony Gonzales is out of touch but he is willing to take away your health care, oiling to insult you at the same time. Steve we are going to get to health care but i want you to answer the question posed to you. Do condemn the organizations . Gina absolutely i think any behaves inn that Political Violence should be condemned. Tony i year ago, i died. I struggle with preexisting conditions every day. I will always fight for those that are struggling with preexisting conditions. Say this is the difference between the two of us. It took her over one minute to oppose the organizations i support law and order, a lot of. Inferences. Steve we will get to law and order question says. Lets get the questions we heard on cap on campus. Voters to seehe what are the topics that mean the most to them . What are their concerns . What keeps them up at night . We are going to begin with the pursuit of scientific truth. Although there are many issues affecting this country, one that is fundamental is science and its quest for the emerging truth. Nowadays, if we see there is a denial, of scientific truths. And that happens at the highest levels of government. So that is one thing that keeps me up at night. That attitude toward science. And what it seeks to do. Jones, . S. Ortiz science forlow the covid19 or Climate Change or pellucid or pollution . If the science does not line up with what up local party believes, what would you do . Gina absolutely. My entire career has been in service to our country. Protecting our economic and national security. First as an Intelligence Officer in the air force and then working as a civil servant. It has always been about putting country above everything else. I have a long record of doing that. I look forward to doing that in service of this district. We absolutely need to be listening to our medical experts. When they say wear a mask. Minimize your activity outside your home. Practice social distancing. Practice good hygiene. We should absolutely do that. That is how we get this pandemic under control and get our economy back open. Unfortunately my opponent has put his blood glenn bish and over the medical guidance his political ambitions over the guidance of medical experts. He has been Holding Indoor activities, without masks, putting his ambitions above our health and above our ability to safely open the economy. He is willing to sacrifice anyone and our economy together. I want to ask you the same question about science . Will you follow the signs, covid19 or climate 19 or ,ollution the science covid19 or climate, or pollution . If it does not line up with what your party is espousing, what would you do . Tony the answer is yes. My opponent, her first vote in office is going to be that is her first vote. Me, i believe this district. This is about the people of district 23, not a party, not a president , not a speaker. And yes, i have made my way around this district time and time again. I guess what . , with aone it safely mask and with sanitizer and social distancing. Heres the thing, our nation is to back to work. We need to get back to school. We need to get back to church and we need to open up our border with mexico for economic purposes. The only way you know that is if youre in the district not being a virtual representative. Steve ms. Ortiz jones, a 32nd rebuttal time . Gina look, if you care about this district, if you care about this district get hard by covid19, san antonio, bear county, we have had one of the highest cover 19 related fatalities of any major error in the state. There are commute of any major area in the state. There are communities with a Positivity Rate of 19 . We are going to have covid19 survivors who need quality, fertile health care. Quality Affordable Health care. My opponent wants to eliminate the aca, the only thing now that protects people from Insurance Companies kicking them off of their coverage but jacking up the premiums they have a preexisting conditions. Go ahead. Tony i have a preexisting condition. Why would i take that away from myself . Like i believe in protecting people with preexisting conditions . I will always fight for that and you talk about communities hurting, eagle passes hurting. This morning i was at a Food Distribution event and the lines were as far as the eye can see, people are hurting any help. Steve we will get to questions about covid and the economy and help and preexisting conditions. Hopefully if you have time, coming up. Not to our next question from campus. My biggest concern is this the safetyct between covid and thes in economic consequences of safety measures. What keeps me up at night is, is he going to go off the rows one way or the other . Thats off the rails one way or the other . I know it is a tough and difficult position for politicians to be in. But there is a balancing act. And i think both sides have to be considered as opposed to just one side or the other. Covid19 andout balance. How do we balance the safety of people in the Economic Impact of covid closures . How we not put people at risk but still open up and grow the economy . Mr. Gonzales first . Tony look, everybody is hurting. We have to get back to work, we have to, it is the way we solve our economic problems. The way we do that is you come together. This is not about being republican or democrat or independent, we are americans. We are all hurting. Covid is not just pick a party, it picks everybody. Look, i was in el paso a couple is a u. S. Go, maria citizen who works as an executive assistant in el paso and she lives in warez. Every morning juarez. Every morning she has to get up two hours early to make it over the bridge. She works a full day and has to make it home and it takes her an extra two hours to get home. That is wrong. We have to safely reopen our border for economic purposes for places like el paso, eagle pass, del rio. That is one community. This is about americans, not a party. Steve Gina Ortiz Jones, how do you balance the people of in the district versus the Economic Impact of covid closures . Gina medical experts a time and time again the way we open up the economy is by addressing this pandemic. We still do not have a National Testing strategy. We do not have enough contact tracers. We do not have enough ppe. Starto art there there to safely open the economy and get help to working families and Small Business owners. Opponenthave an putting political ambitions above the safety and health of community. Tonight youre hearing two different visions. We are going to be dealing with covid19 for the foreseeable future. People need quality, formal health care. My opponent again supports eliminating the aca and its protections for people with preexisting conditions, like covid19. I think that is wrong during a pandemic and an economic crisis. It shows who he is willing to do anything, take away someones health care during a pandemic it against them to congress. Steve he says he is not against eliminating preexisting conditions. Yeah, beyond that, look, my loyalty is to this district, why . Because im the only candidate that owns property in texas. I love district when he three. District 23. Places like el paso have lost 260 million of Retail Revenue because of that close border. My opponent would know that. If she travels the districts but she doesnt. Gina if you want to know how much Tony Gonzales cares about your health and your health care, go to his website. Look under the issues page. You know what you are not going to see . Anything about health care. Because he does not have a plan. He has been running for 500. Days. He has been asked repeatedly, what is your plan . You want to a limited the ac say, the only thing protecting people with preexisting conditions from Insurance Companies nine coverage or jackie a premiums. He does not have an answer. All he does is attack me. We need quality Affordable Health care. Steve we are going into health care i hope if we keep the time. Lets go to our next campus question from a student here. Mom is a teacher at a junior high. She has diabetes, so she is at high risk for if she catches covid, her mortality rate is higher than the average population. So i have been really worried about reopening schools specifically. And i know from her talking about, because they are doing flex classes for some students in person and some online. She has talked about it being a mess of far. So im concerned about the reopening of schools. Kaitlyn is a student here at southwest junior college. She asked what about education in a pandemic . Are we doing enough to protect teachers and students . Two they have the proper resources . So do they have proper resources . Should schools be open right now . Gina thank you for the question. Public education is personal for me. Im a proud product of Public Education and the daughter of a public educator. I know that Public Education is the great equalizer in our country. Ed is so important we get our Young Students and teachers back into the classroom as safely as possible. From theortunate administration to the state level, that we have not had leaders. That that we have had leaders denying, delaying and instructing. My opponent in april said President Trump was doing a fantastic job, and we see where that has gotten us. See tony is going to say and do whatever he thinks will get him to congress. We need to make sure we have protection and Contact Tracing so students can get back in the classroom so we can make sure students are receiving a quality education they deserve. Steve are we doing enough to protect teachers and students . Should schools be open a . Tony education is everything to our country. We need to invest should schools be open right now . Tony education is everything our country. Im a proud product of public school. My children have gone to public school, religious goal, charter school, we have done it all and we have to do it safely. My sixyearold had a birthday last week and he went to school, prek, he gets first day earlier this wake. We were as this week. We were as excited as can be because school is exciting. Our children need to go to school because it is more than just education, it is social interaction, development, nutrition, health care. We have to get back to school. We can do it safely and we have to do it together. We have to listen to experts, to respect one another. And our nextopic campus question. What is something you are worried about . Something that may keep you up at night . Veterans getting disability they need. My husband and myself are veterans. He does have Service Related injuries he cannot get the disability he needs. I have just billed as well. I have disability as well. My brotherinlaw has had eight surgeries, sixpack and two hip, one hip replacement, he has been trying to get this ability since 2012 and has been denied three times. She is a veteran and so is her husband and theyre having trouble getting disability. Mr. Gonzales . We received a similar question from a viewer, utterance yourselves, and as veterans yourself veterans yourselves, and as a military brat and veteran, i see veterans that if its getting cut more and more. Tony i will fight for veterans. I served 20 is in the military, and a rock and in afghanistan and it is not just about the veterans. It is about their families. The sacrifices our brave men and women make every single day. I am proud to help. When i served on capitol hill to help as a fellow, to pass the ba account billy act. Acthe v. A. Accountability that allowed us to fire bureaucrats who are not doing their job. We need a lot to do that. When i went to office i would be a voice for veterans. My opponent i appreciate your service. She claimed her time in service was a job. Serving in the military is not a job i am afraid. It is the duty, it is a service, anyone that serves. If you are in the military, Police Officer or a Border Patrol agent, it is not a job. Jones,gina ortiz veterans benefits. This your says she sees them getting cut more and more. We fight to protect veteran benefits . Gina absolutely. Im a Proud Air Force veteran. A proud iraq veteran. I know how important it is that we keep the promise our country made to art my fellow mothers and sisters in arms. I get my own care to the v. A. And i know there are improvements that can be made there. And i look forward to working with anyone on whatever side of the aisle to make sure we get that done. And make sure we bring better ba services to our veterans in rural communities. My opponent again supports bill amending the aca including eliminating protections for people with preexisting conditions. That is 500,000 veterans to him that would apply. I do not need to be lectured by Tony Gonzales on what duty means. Tony gonzales was silent in this president insulted our Fallen Heroes, call them suckers and losers. So excuse me if i do not have faith in Tony Gonzalesability to stand up for veterans when you cannot even stand up for our Fallen Heroes. Steve i want to let you respond to that. Ms. Jones, please stop. I have already said it and i will set again, ive a preexisting condition and i will always, always fight for those with preexisting conditions. This is about veterans and i love veterans. I wear this bracelet and it says do not give into the war within, because the v. A. Is broken and we need somebody that is going to fight for it and that starts with Mental Health awareness and resources for Mental Health. Shee with all the respect asked you about the statements the president allegedly made about calling veterans suckers, and losers. He has been very critical of john mccain and his time, the late senator from arizona. You have not made a Public Statement about those words. Will you make one right now . Tony absolutely. This is not about the president. This is about the district. I do not always agree with the president and i do not appreciate the president attacking veterans. I will always defend and fight for veterans. Steve all right, lets move on. We are going to talk about health care now. That started with health care that leads us into a topic both of you have hit hard on your commercials and during this debate so far. We are from a lot of people concerned about protecting coverage for those with preexisting conditions. If the a formal care act is repealed by the Supreme Court, what we do to ensure texans are provided Affordable Health care that covers preexisting conditions . I want specifics. What we do to protect people with preexisting conditions . Gina ortiz jones first . Gina health is so personal to me. It was health care that saved my moms life when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Id come back for my deployment. I will never forget standing in her kitchen when she told me she was diagnosed with colon cancer. The fear that i could list my mom. The fear that it could bankrupt us. The fear that i could lose my mom. I want to make sure everyone has access to the same quality care that my mom that which allowed her to be cancer and be with us today. Again, this comes down to people having access to quality, ford will health care. That is quality Affordable Health care. I support protecting and expanding aca and providing a public auction public option. My opponent wants to peel the aca. Folks with asthma and diabetes and it is unfortunate during a pandemic my opponent supports that lawsuit. Supports that lawsuit that would take away health care ring a pendant. It shows you supports a lawsuit that would take away health care during a pandemic. Steve same question. Isthe Affordable Care act repealed by the Supreme Court what we do to ensure texans are provided Affordable Health care that covers preexisting conditions . Be specific about what your plan is . Tony absolutely and i keep hearing from my opponent. Theres a term in spanish. Without, stop with the lies, this is about the district, this about the people. To me this is about increasing access. It is about improving the quality of care. What will i do . I will ensure aca is broken. As i have made my way around the district i hear that time and time again. Right from are all hospitals, right . It is broken, right . She wants to take away private insurance for millions of people and that is wrong, i believe increased funding for Community Health centers, id leave and ensuring private practices have are protected from lawsuits. At the end of the day this is about americans coming together and solving one of the most difficult problems in our country, health care. Steve please correct me if im wrong. I have not heard of a health plan that covers preexisting conditions that is not the Affordable Care act . Do you support the Supreme Court overthrowing the Affordable Care act . Tony i support the next version of the informal of the Affordable Care act to have preexisting conditions abetted and it, thats important. This is what we have, we have a broken congress, we have the left and the right and all they want to do is fight and oh by the way, my opponent is funded by black groups, liberal groups that fund her. All right, Gina Ortiz Jones, time to answer those charges . Have beene, you unfortunately unsuccessful as have many other reporters, and asking him how hes going to protect the 300,000 people in texas 23 that have at least one preexisting condition. How are you going to do it . He cannot answer that question. He does not have a plan. Washington republicans have been talking about replacement for 10 years. 10 years they have no plan. It is the same empty promise. We are going to do it, were going to do it, at the same time they want to 11 eight the one thing between insurance they want to eliminate the one thing between Insurance Companies and people with preexisting conditions. Without the aca we go back to a time when Insurance Companies could deny you covered, jack up your premiums just because you have a preexisting condition. I am on the side of working families and i know why this is so important. Tony gonzales continues to show that on the issue that is the most part to this district, to our country, he does not have a plan. He is focused on getting himself to congress and he will take away your health care to do so. Steve mr. Gonzales come up to have a plan to protect preexisting conditions . Is there a plan i do not know of . That protects preexisting conditions . Tony aca is broken, right . The next, everyone agrees on that, my opponent is for a government funded, government mandated health care, which is going to strip away private insurance. That is wrong. Steve we are talking about preexisting conditions. Tony my plan includes preexisting conditions because i have one. That foughtd women alongside me have preexisting conditions. This is about taking care of people not politics. See why our nation is broken, because people will not come together and solve our nations problems. Steve all right, lets move on. I want to talk about the border. We have a short time to cover a lot of issues tonight. A huge part of this district stretches along the border. Mr. Gonzales, is a border wall a good idea . Are you in favor of making it easier to legally immigrate to this country . How would you handle ilLegal Immigration . Tony i was just on the border, i was in eagle pass a week and a half ago and i did a tour with the Border Patrol agent and it is amazing what our men and women in uniform to everyday, right . Just earlier this week in del rio, our Border Patrol agents saved a young mans life that was trying to enter our country illegally. Right . They do this every day and they get no thanks for. My plan includes this, while where it makes sense a wall where it it makes sense. And resources for people doing the job, dhs, ice, but that is not enough, we have to add technology to the equation. At the end of the day this is about Legal Immigration reform. I have been pushing for Legal Immigration reform and i would like to move the conversation from are you for the wall or against the wall, two argue for the American Dream . And by the way to argue for the American Dream . The American Dream does not always start in america . Steve i remind you i asked the question are you in favor of making it easier to legally immigrate . Tony absolutely. Steve it was part of this question so i wanted to point out that as part of this discussion. Gina ortiz jones . Are you in favor of a border wall, are you in favor of making it easier to legally immigrate to this country and how would you handle ilLegal Immigration . Gina im a proud firstgeneration american. My mom came to this country 40 years ago. I know how special our country is. I know how important it is we have immigration policies that reflect our values. That is why im so committed to making sure we passed a clean dream act and put these young people who are as american in every sense of the world on a path to citizenship. My opponent, he is changing it up tonight, he has said he wants to finish the wall, right . Oft is a 15 million waste an ineffective border wall, that we could obviously use those moneys in a different way. Lets also never forget that border wall steals from our military bases. When i talk to leaders on the border, they do not want a border wall. Half the citys revenue in giggle pass is based on those two international bridges. When i talk in eagle pass and dell, they want more bridges. They want infrastructure that will allow them to be economically competitive. Because that is additional revenue for their streets and schools and hospitals. Steve quickly on the question of the border wall, should be finished . When sheopponent says talks to people, what, via zoom . Steve we are talking about the border, are you in support of finishing the border wall . Tony you have to actually visit the border to have a position on the border, you cannot zoom your way through being a representative, this is about the people of this district. I was just in eagle pass this morning, you know what i would love for us to talk about, creating a third bridge to build that Economic Opportunity between our two great countries. Steve time is up. Gina the reality is we cannot spend money on everything, right . My opponent wants to spend 15 billion on a wasteful, ineffective border wall and steal from the military to do so. Stare from cap bolus, still from fort bliss. Steal from fort bliss. We need to make sure we are working with Law Enforcement and with our Border Patrol to make sure our policies are as effective as possible. We should work with Border Patrol, not make them props in our commercials. Tony i have to briefly respond. Steve go ahead. Tony im not going to steal money from the military. I make 20 or combat veteran. Supporting basis. Unlike my opponent. Steve we are going to talk about brack coming up and talk about protecting our bases. I want to get to our Rapid Response, 45 second answers for each candidate. Hopefully no rebuttal but i will grant one if needed. Rapid response. An engineer im not sure if im going to have a job once i graduate until 2022. Am i going a job by then . Am i be lost without a job . That is my main concern. Am i going to be lost without a job . Steve that is a main concern with College Students across the board. Without a plummet continuing to with unemployment continuing to rise, with every jobs for College Students when they graduate . He is studying Petroleum Engineering and wants to know if there is a future and truly mentioning for him . Gina ortiz jones. Gina it is so important we are committed to opening our economy as safely as possible and making sure our economic recovery is as inclusive as possible. That starts with addressing the pandemic. I want to make sure texas remains a leader when it comes to the Energy Sector and in particular clean energy. 25 of the countrys wind energy is produced in our state, where the fifth largest producer of solar. When it comes to clean energy and the Energy Sector we have to compete and lead, not get left behind. That is why want to invest in the additional infrastructure, advanced skills training, that makes our region as competitive as possible, so we can bring good paying jobs to texas 23, and remain the leader in the Energy Sector that we are and to continue to be. A plummet rising, uncertainty with covid with on employment rising, with unemployment rising, and covid. And this joma is worried about the future of petroleum this student is worried about the future Petroleum Engineering. Tony my candidacy is about bringing Job Opportunities to this district and not stop that starts by protecting the Job Opportunities we have, the oil and gas industry that feed so many families throughout this district. My opponent is for agree new deal. For a green new deal. Im about dignity of work fighting hard every day for bluecollar americans. I was just out west texas and the echo is the same, we need help, we need jobs, we need to reopen the economy, we need to get things back knowing and that starts by protecting our energy industry. Steve i want to ask you a question quickly he brought up. Are you in favor of the green new deal, gina ortiz does . Gina im not in favor of that green new deal. I am in favor of us making the investments in clean energy that ensure we continue to lead. Right on the street one of the largest solar farms in the entire state. You cannot drive west texas without a windfarm or a solar farm. These are good, paying jobs. We need to invest in people, invest in the infrastructure, so we are competitive. Invest in storage cannot storage technology. Investing carbon capture. Make sure we are a leader when it comes to energy and so we are not left behind. Steve weve commit to protecting the Area Military bases at all costs, when and if another round of base closures is required . You brought up rack earlier, elaborate on that 45 seconds. Tony i love my brothers and sisters in uniform. I spent 20 years in the military. My family vaulted into the middle class because my grandfather was a world war ii veteran. He works at Kelly Air Force base as an airplane electrician and because of that he vaulted us into the middle class. Guess what . Washington bureaucrats closed kelly and those jobs are gone. My opponent is on the record saying she believes the pentagon has the best choice. To me this is not about a party. This is about a policy, and the people of district when he three. Of district 23, that is what i will fight for everyday. Steve we commit to protecting the Area Military bases at all costs if and when another round of base closures is required . Gina i do not support closing military bases and my opponent knows this. Im a proud iraq war veteran. I trained at Lackland Air Force base. My first assignment was kelly annex. I worked at fort houston with u. S. Army south. I came back to help my mom which is battling cancer. I spent 13 years of my career working on a military base and i know exactly how important our military bases are to our national security. With my background from having worked in a rack to the executive office of the president , i am best positioned to bring more military business to this district. Atopponent supports billy 15 billion border wall that stills from the military 815 billion border wall that steals from the military. Steve mr. Gonzales, do you think you are defunding military bases by supporting the border wall . Tony i do not support that. I support the u. S. Military. This is congresss job to complete. My opponent continues to attack throughout. This is about the district, the people of district 23. When she says her time the military was a job she is disconnected, a washington bureaucrat. Steve lets move on. Gina let me address that, he is attacking my character. Look, my opponent was silent when this president called our Fallen Heroes suckers and losers. Ps that nothing to say in the facebook reports that russia has placed bounties on our Service Members heads in afghanistan. Nothing to say when this demonstration failed to act in so many ways. And in making sure our men and women have the resources they need. Again, Tony Gonzales is focused on getting himself to congress and he will say or do anything including defunding military bases. Steve a quick word. Tony are you having fun yet . There is a reason why. I think it is clear tonight. Gina so lets declare. Lets be clear. The san Antonio Express news clarified and pointed out my opponent has been lying about this. It is unfortunate because i know there is something at home now who has lost somebody to covid19. Somebody trying to figure out how they are going to put food on the table, pay the rent and they tune in tonight to hear my opponent launching these baseless attacks, lies. We deserve better. We deserve at the least somebody who is going to protect our preexisting conditions, make sure everyone has quality formal health care. Steve youre maintaining you have been campaigning in the district. Gina my last inperson event was in march. Our medical experts have said we need to minimize activity out of the home. We need to wear a mask. I follow medical experts advice. Militarys doctors deployed here, that is how bad it was in our community. There are still some communities with a 15 Positivity Rate. So we have been on connecting with voters. And im proud of the work we have done. I will always prioritize the health and voters here. Unlike my opponent doing indoor mask list event placing his put a clan but above our health and is opening economy safely and as rapidly as possible. Tony i will be brief. Seat said out of her own words she has not been active since march. Steve she did not say she is not an active. She said she has been following the science. Tony look, i appreciate zoom as much is the next person but you cannot zoom your way to a food bank or blood bank. This district deserves more than a virtual representative. Gina families deserve more help and what it families asked if they should get more help, he said they will stand home and watch netflix. Not only will he not help working families but he wants to insult them. Tony i believe in another round of stimulus checks and i think thats important. Everybody is hurting. The president of the United States set i will sign in lot my opponent is backed by nancy pelosi we are going to move onto the next campus question. I would like to ask what should be the federal governments response, if any, when the constitutional right of protest conflicts with the protection of private property . Weve seen the images and the videos from protesting. The vast majority i want to point out have been peaceful protests, but damaged buildings and a argument over protecting private property has been raised. Of you,tion to both what should the federal governments response be, if any, when the constitutional right to protest conflicts with the protection of private property . Having taken the owes to support and defend our constitution, i will always support somebodys right to peaceful protest. I dont support violence in any way, though, especially the distraction of property. When it comes to Law Enforcement, we know that the vast majority of cops show up every day and do what we need them to do to protect our communities. Killingve seen with the of george floyd is not everyone is treated equally in our justice system, so it is important we make needed reforms to make sure our communities are as safe as possible. Isa for doing this with law icement, making sure support doing this with Law Enforcement, making sure communities are safe as possible. Moderator what should the federal response be, if any, if freedom of protest conflicts with private property . George floyd should be alive today and this is an issue in our country we should come together to discuss but cant because we are so divided. We cant even have a civil discussion. I believe in the first amendment. I served 20 years, fought in two wars, and believe in civil protests. That is good for our nation but thats not what we are seeing. And imeeing chaos proud to support Law Enforcement. Im proud to be endorsed by the Police Officers association and el paso municipal police, eagle pass Police Officers. My opponent supports defunding and d militarizing our Law Enforcement. That is dangerous. Ms. Jones i do not support defunding the police. My opponent knows this. He continues to say and do whatever he thinks will get him to congress, and he keeps talking about not having unity in our country. When asked because if the kkk is a terrorist organization, he didnt have the courage to say it was. Aboute to be very clear how we work with Law Enforcement to make sure our communities are as safe as possible. Moderator i want to get to closing statements. We can be going back and forth for a long time, but it is time statements. I appreciate both of your time. Each of you will have no longer than two minutes. Mr. Gonzales, you first. Mr. Gonzales thank you, everybody for tuning in tonight. I appreciate the people of district 23. Here. Aising my family i have traveled the district time and again because i believe in this district. Fight for the district and put the district first, whether eagle pass, della , i, el paso, Fort Stockton will fight and protect you. I believe in the American Dream. My life is the American Dream. A year ago, i died. I praise god that he pulled me out of that and set me on my journey. I will always protect preexisting conditions. You know, it couldnt be more different, the two of us. I believe in the second amendment. She believes in taking guns away. I believe in the oil and gas industry, she believes in the green new deal. I believe in Law Enforcement, she believes in defunding. I believe in protecting the sanctity of life. My opponent believes in federal funding for abortions. Ask you come help us win and push back against the washington kratz. Go to our bureaucrats. Website, follow us on facebook, twitter, give us a call. In. K you for tuning god bless everybody. You have two minutes. Ms. Jones thank you for hosting us, thank you for joining us from your home. My story starts over 40 years ago and i know how important our countrys example is. I look forward to protecting the opportunities that have allowed me to grow up healthy and serve our country. Those were opportunities i had because our country invested in me. Ive lived the American Dream and my service to our country as an Intelligence Officer in the deploying to iraq, advising in operations all over latin america, africa, and working in the office of the president. See hown able to indispensable American Leadership is and as working families are struggling right we get is so important our country back on the right track and that starts with people having access to quality, Affordable Health care. You heard two very different visions for texas tonight. My vision includes families having Quality Health care. My opponent failed completely to provide his plan to protect people with preexisting conditions. He was asked repeatedly. He does not have a plan. He supports eliminating the aca and its protections for people with preexisting conditions. He wants to roll back the clock and send us back to a time where you as a covid19 survivor, cancer survivor like my mom, if youve got diabetes, asthma, Insurance Companies could deny you coverage only because you have a preexisting condition. I have a plan to lower the cost of health care, expand access to health care. My opponent wants to do the opposite and that is what this election is about. Usnk you again for joining today. We are just a couple of days away from the start of early voting next tuesday. I respectfully ask for your vote
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