Transcripts For CSPAN2 Campaign 2020 New Hampshire Governors Debate 20240712

The following is a New Hampshire 2020 special presentation. The exchange candidate debate with partnership from New Hampshire. Welcome to the candidate debate from the New Hampshire governor. Along with the senior political reporter these debates in collaboration with following Health Guidelines as we bring them to you today. All four of us are in separate studios and all of us wear masks when in public areas of the office. Heres the format. Each will have 60 seconds to deliver a statement and then move to questions with 60 seconds to respond and in many cases we will likely follow up with a question or a point of clarification which will get 30 additional seconds. In the case of an attack on a candidate that person will be given 30 seconds to respond and also id like to strongly discourage candidates from interrupting each other. The candidates are the incumbent republican chris sununu running for third term and a former executive. Welcome back to the exchange. Its great to have you. Also the democratic nominee state senator from congress and Senate Majority leader and senator, thank you for your time and welcome back. Its great to be here. A. We will start with the Opening Statements in alphabetical order, so senator, you have a 62nd opening statement. Thank you very much. Im not running for governor simply to be governor. Im running for governor to get things done for working people and working families. Families are sacrificing and they are struggling. Doctor Benjamin Chandler and unemployment democrats and republicans across the spectrum are supporting 20 points down in the polls but there is no excuse for the negativity and attacks and lies is not appropriate it is a matter how down you are in the campaign have to talk about the future because that is exactly the challenges we have ahead of us in 2021 we can tackle those with the right experience of the right team and positivity i have been transparent and honest everyday stepping in front of the camera and we will keep doing it. Host good morning the latest covid19 case numbers show a spike level of two weeks ago hospitalizations while still low are raising higher numbers are mostly tied to more testing but this pandemic to size the need to read circumstances flexeril and flexor restrictions. What is the benchmark . Cases are going up. Knowing in the fall as schools and universities open cases arise. They are raising much more drastically in other parts of the country, but we should do think that can happen here. My plan is to plan for the rest of the pursuit these measures in place whether testing or ppe. We used to do 500 test a day now we do 10000 Positivity Rate is still at 1 percent. That is good individuals and hospitals today is 16 or 17 it used to be will hundred. We have a lot of capacity in the Health Care System. Whether schools are restaurants and retail in a surgical and strategic way. You have to ask a very tough decision we can be strategic Going Forward but we use the data to department of Public Health. You do mention hockey the case numbers and percentage of population were quite small but some districts have decisions they are making on their own given from indoor restaurant dining and Church Gatherings should be considered limits and those segments of society again . Gov sununu not at this time work at the data not day by day but hour by hour. Is not something were looking to do now. We always have other cards to play but if we see a cluster or spike to work with your Organization Still has those numbers in the country where the strongest economies and then to be very specific and have another card to play. As we get deeper into the pandemic that economic effect higher rate of wage loss the real possibility it may not return so up policy should the state adopt to ensure economic losses dont become permanent . Theres a couple of issues talk about women or minorities who were disparity and healthcare or the workplace one of the best states in the country number five in terms of equity pay with a coefficient looking at equity pay of men and women one of the best in the country worth middle class pay. I think its about going after one specific area to make sure the experience to the economy back up we have been very successful so far. If you are governor right now but would you do given the case numbers we are seeing on coronavirus . Feltes wilson to the medical experts that something donald trump and the governor doesnt do to wear the mask we would take care were people that is at the medical experts have recommended not like word trump and sununu did is not just of too criticize them for not doing anything schools opening with no Public Health standard owned by medical experts including the former commission on this commissioner pages jessica is on the ground and also for the Health Care System to make sure we protect and strengthen obama care and Chris Sununus supports the obama care just like donald trump to rollback and restrict access to safe and legal abortion. You will hear lots of donald trump gives himself the a are the Gold Standard. To protect and strengthen the Health Care System. Host was grandma state or zip about the performance managing the pandemic the pool is at percent including 70 percent of democrats so one thing the governor has done a good job on this wrong . The people i talked to need help. They are struggling. Working families are struggling they dont know what the next week will bring let alone the next day healthcare is critical in the midst of a pandemic i helped Health Insurance companies during the last economic crisis paddling wall street banks all across New Hampshire as a state senator paddling the Health Insurance industry with Medicaid Expansion of existing conditions precedent a little took a 100,000 in Campaign Contributions to support the repeal of obama care if you move forward we have to protect and strengthen obama care there is a Supreme Court argument on november tend christenings is a process Going Forward we have to move Forward Together and lift each other up the stories a working families and healthcare stability is critical to moving forward in this pandemic. Host you can discuss this later in the show but many businesses that would have been devastated were kept afloat by federal aid more of that could be coming to New Hampshire but with more restrictions on that being he needed later this fall and winter and more money doesnt come from washington. Do you do to support businesses that could be ravaged by the Economic Impacts quick. We need to support them with the covid c. A. R. E. S. Act relief fund one. 2 5 billion taken control of by chris sununu. To the paper listening at home how much of chris sununu one. 2 5 billion did you get . How much did your family get . I bet you didnt get much. Corporate Campaign Donors to the sununu campaign look out for Small Businesses on main street working families to strengthen and bolster the Health Care System. Gov sununu the mainstream relief set up is the most successful business for the front of the country no other state that the money with the for businesses and employees tens of thousands go tell the small diners of the flower shops are those numerous businesses some with only a couple of ways got money to pay bills and taxes. In order stated but we did. 500million national was so successful we are doing for two other nonprofits and selfemployed enough for texas or new york i cannot be part of the success we have had to keep those businesses going through tough economic times. Host talk specifically how the pandemic has affected elderly the granite stators. But interpreted the numbers in ways that bolstered your particular argument would like to set aside the statistical back and forth so what specifically do you have done differently . With a true measure of society is the way it treats its most vulnerable represent folks in Nursing Homes and longterm care facilities and i thought for the most formidable the states and including during the pandemic. The most concrete initiative with longterm care facilities to bolster childcare and help people like diane who is a Breast Cancer survivor who lost her job reaching out to governor sununus office we end up getting her the unemployment in terms of Nursing Homes we put forward measures to help ppe testing Financial Stability and an independent audit and review of what went wrong and what recommendations that was vetoed by chris sununu. As we see spikes and more outbreaks in Nursing Homes and longterm care facilities. Host you repeatedly said this morning the governor wants to get rid of the Affordable Care act be at the governor signed onto a multistate lawsuit to defend the aca. What he join to repeal that instead of seeking to defend it . The campaign failing is one thing christenings has the history to oppose obama care he will down Obama Care Health Care Exchange to be set up in New Hampshire and ran on the request to repeal he said because donald trump will and the horrible it is obama care he showed the federal efforts solution sheet and the late senator mccain voted no senate will now he wants to go for judge parents nomination to the Supreme Court. She has a long history of opposition to obama care. Governor sununu did not sign on to the letter to judge barrett that will give you 30 seconds about the previous statements and positions that were ways that sound like opposition to the aca . Gov sununu talk about the aca i agree with most americans we are frustrated the lower cost did not come to worship with the promises of obama care. But you dont just throw it out. And then fighting to keep the aca in place and other provisions are in their and those of to do Medicaid Expansion for the next five years that was to support these types of initiatives so judge people on their record to hold them accountable to what they do. Medicaid expansion was a bipartisan effort getting back to longterm care, given the serious toll physical and Mental Health i had elderly parents myself and it was tough how would you as governor decide whether to clampdown or ease up what sort of metrics . Listen to the medical experts the independent audit and review with concrete recommendations moving forward and then nursing home facilities would be devastated without replacement and thats what that legislation was a repeal without replacement passing the u. S. House in the u. S. Senate dealt a huge loss and now in order to move forward the entire Health Care System we need to protect and strengthen obama care to make it work. Host but my question was how did you decide making that tough decision whether to clampdown more restrictions in place but then Nursing Homes or ease up . So that is my question we already talked about obama care. You need to listen to the medical experts and cdc guidanc guidance. Early on that routine frequent testing and the provision of ppe on the continuous ongoing practice a month and a half into the crisis that chris sununu went to the Corporate Campaign donor o facilities only inadequate not because of the good work of the people on the ground but the inadequate approach from governor sununu. Weve got to move forward we need to do an independent audit and review and talk about transparency. Host i just want to jump in but looking at the clock i do want to give them a 62nd opportunity you said that doing a great job but doctor fauci said vermont is a model far more precautions and for earlier in the course that extends to Nursing Homes and universal testing word our elderly have been better protected . Your right vermont and i have done a great job but lets be very clear doctor fauci said way of testing and ppe and that was doctor chan and myself will use to and longterm care facilities we had some of the best experts in the country right here helping us make very tough decisions i was talking to doctor brooks and doctor fauci. We tackle these issues oneonone with the most aggressive Testing Program in the country testing more and longterm care than any other state because we are so good at getting that testing he was off the first three months three months after the thing had started and passed a bill to do that we had already done. We would have challenges and longterm care and to focus on the stakeholders at risk. In her senior political we will tackle this will take a quick break and be right back. Host welcome back to the debate for New Hampshire governor. We are talking with ken governor chris sununu and his democratic challenger and we will begin than us one the next section with you. Host doing to the ongoing state of emergency you can and State Government with a free hand the legislature mostly out of session the judge will have the authority to distribute federal covidien without oversight you are reelected in the state of emergency and sue will be back having to work more closely with the state house that could be largely under democratic control and there was some gridlock before the council showed the public expect things to be different . Feltes we had to take strict action the legislature went away so when it came to doing a deal for ppe your testing literally minute by minute me in the morning i work with fema, the phones and people in china on one side to get together you have to make decisions very quickly thats what they allow the governor to do and we were successful go there are a lot of pieces of the state of emergency in the orders that the legislature should take over my hope we can keep that telemedicine and keep that permanent there are certain things and restrictions i will stay in place more longterm and a lot of that should come before the legislature when the democrats me to create bureaucracy to slow things down that would have been a disaster for the state of New Hampshire and they have the gall to think accuracy is what you should do during a pandemic but being imposed on the reasons with got such Great Results for the stat state. Feltes donald trump gives himself the a chris sununu gives himself the Gold Standard is not time to put yourself on the back. We have to fight plan for the future and have paid family medical leave insurance and stabilize the healthcare system. I have been helping people prepare the pandemic like diane who follows through the cracks during the Unemployment Insurance system, help Small Business owners navigate. We made commonsense progress and telemedicine and passed a number of measures to move New Hampshire forward. This is fundamentally an issue of working together. Host i will cut you off so to go back to the governor maybe this is Wishful Thinking a return to a pandemic world in which when you are governor and inaugurated you said divided government that requires to embrace the spirit of cooperation. And with the highest court with the chief justice more than a year so what evidence with that spirit of cooperation . In the past year i spend more legislation with the Democratic Legislature weve got more done and then the four years so did i say no to that extreme legislation with taxes and fees and surcharges . Yes absolutely. That is the executive council and then they said you are a republican and that the ugliest of washington politics and played in that process and that was wrong. You sat on the council the governor you have to get the votes you knew you didnt have it. He was the most qualified candidate dozens of judges and lawyers said this is the guy who was the political move frankly that was a body i was on and there was no politics involved working with republicans and democrats and then it came to a grinding halt because they let that type of attitude theres no place for that in the state of New Hampshire. So 55 of which had bipartisan support with Addiction Treatment services universal background check Redistribution Commission bipartisan work paid family medical leave insurance the problem is and the democrat or republican problem its chris sununu problem. So that question for you know what those circumstances but i want to talk about your administrative experience what makes you qualified to run a bureaucracy like New Hampshire government . Pressure the finance committee serve as a legal aid lawyer for a decade helping people as best i could the housing work in the casework the finances in the casework and discrimination to manage the attorneys of the casework to battle wall street banks i knew quite frankly i was not as gifted as my opponent i managed to help people save their homes during that same time he was on that ski resort is a difference a background is working out for workers on the front line. The team of state employees and state associations the state troopers and state police endorse me in the space. So quite frankly governor your team once a new coach. Just to be clear you ask you what type of Management Experience. Zero. He is no answer never managed the budget process or ap and our stay up nights wondering how they make payroll the next day taking shots at my business for so long i could not be more proud. My brother was a senator my sister runs a museum with her sister was a teacher that service not career politician that is for New Hampshire is all about and i cannot be better of the service to constantly take shots at my family and my Family Business we did a great job with that negativity and attack ads is unbelievable every ad is an attack every single night why is that . Feltes first of all lets just be clear governor you talk about your management of the stimulus as an issue so we will not talk about it and campaigns are about distinctions i say peoples house we were working at the ski resort. Thats fine thats a difference of perspective to help struggling in the last economic crisis get back up on their feet i saw the devastation of the budget cuts that what christianity was doing to people on the ground and i will manage that budget for working people and working budget. You cannot sue your way out of a crisis you have to lift them out with positivity. Thats why they support my campaign. Host you promised senator to make support as a litmus test and promised to nominate approach was moment for the Supreme Court if elected. Other other key requisites you would require judicial nominees . Feltes is no surprise i am prochoice and no surprise i will make a nomination i will nominate a woman to the Supreme Court i think it is a surprise but chris is not prochoice. He says that around election time but every action is anything but he later he can leave money to antiabortion Counseling Centers in the nomination to make them illegal like Brett Kavanaugh and working to defund planned parenthood thats not the record of someone who was prochoice i am prochoice every step of the wa way. Was supporting contracts before he was even a senator and we stood by that and request we have stood by that and it should be a litmus test all the judges i have nominated ive never once asked where do you stand on this issue or that issue they know the law to make legal judging but emotional decisions based on the political personality has to be a bipartisan so thats the right way. I used up all of our time on this segment thank you for the spirited back and forth to highlight these issues that are part of the campaign that is race and policing. The final report on accountability covers a wide range of topics and widely praised with all 48 recommendations how much more word you do as governor to say good job. I support the recommendations of the commission and to move forward with legalization of marijuana something that chris sununu opposes throughout the entire political career as a Racial Justice issue also to create the up the Racial Equity making it a priority to root out systemic racism and then denying systemic racism exist. Sure he will talk about some of the things he has done. You cannot be a leader on Racial Justice he calls himself i asked several times if hes part of over donald trump no response and then to turn down donald trump and then to stand by that is not the right way to go. The governor has spoken clearly and racism saying there is no place in our state and the president should have been more i go about condemning White Supremacist Group that has spoken out pretty clearly so what more does he need to say . If you supporting donald trump not speaking on a quickly and the pressure to Say Something and have it raise you cannot have it raise. Other subtle or overt, each and every day black americans face words and actions and policies not just a moment but a movemen movement. I will give you 60 seconds for that language and others in your party and how you position yourself as a republican and given the language we have seen people of color. Thats word i do when i hear folks in our own community that we disagree with and as you pointed out we have been clear those types of things are unequivocal there is no gray area so as you pointed out and still is a great example because black lives matter and the aclu on aclu that is demanding and rightly so with a change of attitude that has to happen we brought them into work sidebyside the state police and local Law Enforcement in standards and training everybody came in over a series of 60 days to come up with over 40 different recommendations we agreed with them all and the agreed with each other. That partnership see across the country im part of where those efforts that is an awesome process not over we will keep coming back at as a living breathing document. Of the series of demands there are lots of them but they are demanding legislation with qualified immunity is is a proposal you support. No. Talk about qualified immunity those at the National Level will remove that you might as well just chase all Law Enforcement out of here. There are certain things that have to be held in place to make the right approach. And those that come to partner with Mental Health not just things we talk about the things we do today. Over 40 recommendations we are not talking were getting it done and held up as an example for the rest of the country. How do you feel about qualified immunity . I will be clear about that. Work, the protection therefore Police Officers and others and taking them municipality off the hook the systemic change that could be implemented. And individual Police Officers in the amount of money they could give in the legal redress. Its about making sure there is justice. Moving to the environment and then not to sign on and that would be more supportive of Renewable Energy at the same time the lowest animal one dash all things that had Florida Missions where they be comfortable as an outlier in that region quick. That allowed other states to make the decision for New Hampshire will make decisions for ourselves. Coming to actually went pushing for that to be a big part of the Renewable Energy polio. Rooftops to one solar to the millions of dollars of subsidies in the back pockets there is a surcharge you will i pay the bill and i vetoed hundreds of millions of dollars of those surcharges lets make sure rooftop solar goes on apartment buildings and Mobile Home Park parks, those are the folks that can least afford the surcharges changing and doing a little bit differently. Is the only governor to say we will not accept offshore drilling and i got that commitment from the secretary which we codified into law. Not what you say but what you do its an important issue for state. And that Clean Energy Legislation resulted in New Hampshire losing solar jobs and Investments Clean Energy of solar and Energy Efficiency that is the fact so to move forward we need to step up to take our responsibility here in New Hampshire and Clean Energy Jobs is how we get out of this mess right here in New Hampshire not only that the jury is out on Climate Change in his own words its time to move forward aggressively here in New Hampshire. We will be better and a moment thank you gentlemen for more conversation with the candidates for governor right here. Watching New Hampshire election in 2020 teeseventeen welcome back to the candidate debate along with senior political reporter josh rogers. And this is for republican governor chris sununu and his democratic challenger senator is. We were going back and forth about Climate Change and i want to get but little more opportunity to jump in. Governor the first 32nd you said you dont believe in Climate Change you can clarify. Of course im leaving Climate Change humans contribute is what weve been saving saying in 2018 and before i deanna likes to have a nice political talking point with lies but with that accountability to say with these hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies that somehow that word raise rates this is the exact opposite of solar energy Renewable Energy require subsidies you can have the balance and those investments but adding up to 1 billion in subsidies is a smarter way than to say yes to everything teeseventeen is the governors own words the jury is out on Climate Change he attack science and calls himself following trump have to move forward with clean energy the beta of clean energy and Energy Efficiency results in rates going up is not just a couple of bucks its hundreds of millions. And Bipartisan Legislation that was vetoed teeseventeen used say that the jury is out on climate science. When were the statements made . Do you know . A few years ago. He said that. Gov sununu you not keep saying things and not back it up. Did use to feel the jury is still out . Im an environmental engineer for over ten years and i went to mit my job is cleaning up Hazardous Waste to design the exact system we are talking about. And that is where drive those decisions we make today. I will veto them again to focus the effort on those that can afford it the least. Climate to Mental Health lets talk specifically about what is available for children of Mental Health and this is something youre looking at because senate bill 14 to have Mental Health overall with the childrens Mental Health care for just recently doing some great reporting a very few steps have taken place on the finance committee and ways and means so what have you been doing to keep track of this and push it forward . And to give to the end of june. June of this year. And for those at risk with the Child Protection with those Mental Health treatment if you break a leg or have a heart attack you get medical care mental care not so much under this administration 27 kids waiting in Emergency Rooms. That could have been taken care of and then actually been implemented by chris sununu. He is left the request for proposal last week will stand up to those Mental Health Services Look out for children and families every step of the way. Host same question on Mental Health 20 million etiquette on allocated last year and yet we hand a spike waiting for psychiatric beds many are children it is heartbreaking when you see this giving years of attention and money on this issue once and we dont have a money issue its a timing issue and we have to. The way in Emergency Rooms was the world. With her experience and her team to make those investments and doing the right thing. The pandemic is had a variety of issues isolation issues, the name the the numbers would spike up you cannot use the pandemic as the example we have the model to show that zero and we have made investments across the community with transitional housing. One of the first Mental Health crises in 2017 and made progress and pass legislation on Suicide Prevention and on the training of Mental Health issues. And then to have a more kid friendly and fair in expanding beds. And then to have matt on a model that were not backing away from a challenge we know the model can work and then we can get back to zero on the first governor to get that number 20 in ages we are able to do but so many more that are counting on us to get back in the normal system is pandemic. Like it or not the top of the ticket looms large in is President Trump. As we heard today democrats very much want to make this race about the former Massachusetts Governor mounting that primary against President Trump do you still feel that way . If not, why . Dan was to be governor but he talks more about donald trump than ideas. Keeping score 20 times you have named him. Running for governor you have to come up with solutions and real ideas, head of the Republican Party in New Hampshire i support the ticket i support the president think thats a shock to anybody frankly hes been trying to go down this path for years. I call the balls and the strikes as i see them when he was not clear about the racism in the statements and charlottesville we stood up and said unequivocal there is no place for that kind of gray area. Giving us the testing materials we so they have to do a better job i am a New Hampshire diet i will despite for the advantage also work with trump or biden or clinton or obama dont care who was president it will the president to get the best results for our state. Host there are other republican governors like baker, scott, morgan who said they have not voted for President Trump administration critic as well criticize the president on the to be with her daughter and turned it off but do you think four more years of the president is the best option for the country right now . Gov sununu asking what we are doing Going Forward the challenges Going Forward if you look at those challenges there about jobs, the economy, supporting Law Enforcement and safety in our communities, these are the anxiety, we are 46 million from the federal government senator feltes wouldnt even take the money. And focus on New Hampshire to create those opportunities will make sure what they are feeling not just what the government said. Are you better off after four years . I dont think so working families and working people and every step to move forward so line workers has been vetoed and he took a 31000 a raise while doing the minimum wage to call himself a trump guy. Those are my words. Those are his words. The governor cannot give myself to raise that is the most outrageous lies. The legislature decides the governor salary. Ive never asked for a raise. They were independently wealthy they chose not to that is wonderful that is great that i get the seller the legislature give me somehow that i gave myself raises is outrageous is more of his campaign then it says about ourselves. This is something respect frontline workers i will reject the raise he gave himself. I will give it back until he reinstates the minimum wage. Feltes you are part of the legislature one of the legislature dictates that they of the governor . Feltes you dont have to take it i am to work for free . Host we have exhausted the subject so worth the paper to endorse and 30 years so you have that repeated prompts he, meaning you chose to highlight that trump and who does that criticism paste make you thank you have underestimated voters capacity to assess the governor on his own record . And we have plans for the future to reduce cost and increase access the uninsured rachel pulled it into the comprehensive Health Care Plan and the plan to move forward with the Bipartisan Initiative and we have a vision to lift up working families. We havent heard anything from chris sununu. None about why he is running away our third term as governor. Serving as the working people working family and to say that it is which chris sununu has said recently and working out for working families. He said he is out working for working families. That is absolutely not true. He says he was to create jobs when i ask him not to put in the 13. Five business tax he said no way did not get the business tax increase he said he was to create opportunities with kids with 46 million from the federal government to open opportunity and expansion of Charter Schools at the end of the day you have to look at results the lowest covid numbers 85 percent of the schools with no outbreaks , these are the results people expect when they have anxiety in the pandemic this is a leadership and Management Experience to bring the economy back. Host will have anxiety about the clock. [laughter] you can do another 30 seconds. Thats not true. Were talking about paid family medical leave insurance that chris sununu opposes. People need the help, diane a Breast Cancer survivor didnt have access to paid family medical leave insurance. We tell you how to make a girlfriend me page covid dont have access. This is what it is all about to make sure we take care of our families and its Pretty Simple but the fact of the matter is i been standing up for working families my entire life and it is a flat out lie. Payments shall equal. 5 percent per wages for employees per week those are his language and with those everybody pays no matter how much you make everybody pays we could had paid family leave today. Senator you have 30 seconds. Let me make it very clear. The governor has no plan. The status quo not one person supported this bill it was not of just an effort to stay in the selection hes running for a third term each other first two terms did not get it done with those bipartisan bills democrats and republicans on the bill is a democrat or republican problem to move on paid family leave is a chris sununu problem. I promise that to the state of New Hampshire. Last question 15 seconds, who and the opposite party a living person do you respect the most . I word think that a living person, okay probably former state senator nancy stiles i worked with her on a host of issues she is terrific to work with the down barriers needed just a wonderful person. Host a democratic living politician you respect the most. Bobby stephen from manchester he worked closely with my dad back and a bipartisan got stuff done a great manchester guy. I still talk to him a lot and go for one go to him to advice. I was not expecting them. [laughter] thank you gentlemen two weeks before the election today my best wishes you stay in good health on the campaign trail moving forward. That concludes our debate thank you to governor sununu we appreciate it and democratic nominee and senator feltes initiated also my colleague josh rogers and then many Staff Members who worked on this event this is the exchange on public radio. Order. Thank you all for being here, good morning. Today the committee can