Said this is the kob 4 congressional debate the candidates working to earn your vote are democrat oxchitl torres small interpublic and Yvette Herrell. Muttering tonight kob 4 chris ramirez. Thank you so much for joining us tonight are those that are watching on kob 4 are listing from her network of Radio Partners across new mexico welcome. Tonights the first time democrats oxchitl torres small interpublic and Yvette Herrell have have debated in the same rapada candidates have agreed to social distancing measures. Therell be no handshaking tonight the candidates are distanced from the crew inside of her studio. This raises a rematch from 2018 when taurus mall narrowly defeated herrell and we are excited to have an opportunity to give both a platform to make your to voters. The candidates have agreed to all the rules. Candidates will have one minute for opening remarks two minutes to answer each question 90 seconds for Closing Remarks. Moderators may enter up to candidates who exceeds the time limit at the moderators discretion we will take to very short commercial breaks. Candidates agreed agree to a coin flip to determine order of appearance for opening and Closing Remarks. Yvette herrell will go first and oxchitl torres small going second. Ms. Herrell you may begin your opening statement. First off i want to thank all of you for tuning in the thank you for hosting this debate. This is one of the most important debates of our lifetime. For me its about people over politics and i want to thank our Law Enforcement right now want to thank you for your service to our community and their state and i also want to thank our veterans and the servicemembers to keep our nation safe. Again this is about putting people over politics eliminating the size of government and taking your values to washington d. C. For far too long we seen division washington. Our values are not being represented. I am asked to debate because i want to earn your support but i want to earn your vote and i want you to know who i am as a candidate as a christian and a new mexican so thank you. Congresswoman herrell you may give your opening remarks. Thank you for hosting this debate and thank you to all the viewers. Im deeply grateful to represent new mexicos the Congressional District because i know this is a hardworking district industrious humble often overlooked in underserved and thats why i wake up every single morning dedicated to working just as hard as the new mexicans work every single day. Because i havent been in congress for very long but over the two years one of the things ive learned is that we would all be a lot better off if we had more new mexican values in d. C. Values like looking out for our neighbors and working hard to find Solutions Together to fix the challenges that we all have to confront. That is why the longest distance to travel listened from las cruces to d. C. But the 45 inches that separates democrats from republicans on the house floor. I know that feeling way we will get things done for next weekends. Representative torah small thank you. Well jump in our first question for the day. The federal government has more than 11 billion so far building a wall between mexico and the u. S. As of today it is not finished and it may never be. What do you believe is the right future of this wall and beyond the wall . Why to your ideas increase Border Security . Ms. Herrell we begin with you. Order security has been something ive been proactive on and i supported President Trump administration to build the border wall and im proud he is built over 1060 miles a day. Thats part of the solution. We have to improve our order security measures. We need to give our orders as the tools that they need and found them completely so they can do their job to keep mexicans and americans safe. We have to watch that we are not allowing people into this nation illegally and then giving them benefits that are from taxpaying citizens. We have drug traffickers and we have human traffickers. We have a lot of problems on the border wall but we know better works and we know when we are pushing people to decide we can capture those coming here illegally its safety for new macs ends and the muck and people but we ever forms that take place in washington through being too weak sure their immigration policies are working and force the ones that are on the books and ensure that those that want to come to the nation legally have a way to do so that a swift and not standing in line at paying dollars upon dollars to do so. To work hard and contribute to our economy there should be a way to do that thats why work with republicans and democrats to give the legal reliable workforce they need thats why i supported that promise act to help those whose only home they know is new mexico and the ability to earn their citizenship and work on across the aisle. Moving on to the next question covid19 has large gaps in Public Education and those families that have fulfilled those resources and will follow rule families do not so should congress address this and if shut one if so what is the right answer. My mother was a schoolteacher for 30 years and growing up watching her hard work i know how important our Education System is as a product of new Mexico Public School i know we have to invest in quality education to make sure you can have your best opportunities right here in new mexico thats why supported a budget with additional 16 billion compared to the registration thats why were talking with reliable internet across the district i have talked to families who are struggling to make sure their kids of the support they need those that have put together a proposal and then to get what they need to teach their kids. Repeat the question. You believe there are gaps in education and if so what is the right way to close those gaps . No doubt about it and for far too long we are a disservice to the future of new mexico and its not fair to the teachers who put their heart and soul into the profession and then to provide funding that is necessary but also putting control back into the local hands that would support these policies. That if they had a skill set we can enhance and to come out with a skill set that would work for them and that we dont have adequate see and theres no fault of the teachers or the students and we need to work in a partnership from the federal and state level to enhance additional learning with those apprenticeship programs that would allow them to develop that skill set so they can get jobs without going to college and get them prepared. Thank you. Host now we will take a short break and when we return we will take more questions in one minute. Welcome back. Looking at the differences of the second stimulus package. What word you insist be included in the next Coronavirus Relief bill and what would you absolutely not support . Herrell we have seen a lot of stalemates in washington dc when it comes to what we need. We need to expand Unemployment Benefits we need to ensure the tools are available for Small Businesses. What i can see in the bill that doesnt make sense for that is nancy pelosi on those pages have improvements to the election system that she wants to make ballot harvesting legal and wants to see mail and ballots. That has nothing to do with the coronavirus there is the funding for the Police Department and nothing to do with the coronavirus at hand and with a viable cure and then to have the tools that are necessary to the Small Business and American Workers. We are all for helping americans but not a handout is time we come together in washington dc to make decisions benefiting the American People. Thank you small. Torres i have talked to many Small Business owners who have lost their job through no fault of their own through covid19 know we have to have their back i joined with republicans and democrats to put together a plan to get folks back to the table for negotiating. It is a stalemate we have to get an answer. And the second round of Paycheck Protection Program with loan forgiveness for those who have already received it, thats why i have worked hard to make sure people who have lost their job through no fault of their own receive support and work hard to make sure there is additional funding for Healthcare System and rural hospitals and clinics to keep their doors open and veterans can continue to receive the care they deserve it will we have promised and in a quick enough time to do something necessary before they get out of control and to overcome the challenge together we have to find solutions and thats why i will continue to push another package for covid19. Unfortunately my opponent previously debate said she did not support a second relief package. I am pleased to see she now acknowledges the need of the heard people are facing i was on the back of new mexicans and i will fight for their support. Herrell that may have been misunderstood ive always said i support the new mexican worker and the American Worker and i said if we need to expand additional Unemployment Benefits we sure do so. I said at not a 600 a week that is too much for new mexico standards we have a hard time seeing people get back to work because of the first cares package but yes people that need a handout absolutely. But i dont want to see us fiddle a bit with frivolous things that have nothing to do with covid19. The next question is about energy you have publicly said you understand the role it plays in our economy the voters may not know how you feel the role in our environment. Unlike your answer to include the energy and economy and in our environment. You go for. I want to be clear i do not support a ban but i have made that clear and i stood up to my party when they tried to ban fracking are said they wanted to ban permit on federal lands or even when they tried to exclude oil and gas workers and businesses from the Coronavirus Relief fund. Instead i work to make sure that extends to everyone and on the ground to make sure Small Business across new mexico and especially the people in Southeastern New Mexico were able to access those funds coming to Climate Change this is a challenge we have to face together having experts in the oil and gas industry to identify those challenges to solve problems and working together to make sure with her Energy Portfolio i know the only way to have a sustainable solution is having people at the table and thats why i am proud to be endorsed by the United States chamber of commerce and by the new mexico oil and Gas Association said im a strong advocate for the industry. You may now answer. No question it is the biggest industry employing hundreds of thousands of people we have seen opportunities for innovation and new Technology Prior to the covid production rates were higher than it has ever been and we need to look at the environment but this industry has been so much better at limiting the Carbon Footprint and we know we want to save the environment with clean air and clean water we need to Work Together and we have done so but we cannot little web those at the green new bill dictate the future. My opponent has voted to allow future president s to ban fracking and also says she did think we should join the climate paris accord agreement. Right there looking at joe biden the other night, he said he would join the agreement and also talked about going to a new green deal. That will not work for new mexico putting thousands of people out of work and we can see we have a great industry here. One of the top producing states in the nation and we can be pro energy and keep those people employed protecting our environment and in a way that works for everybody with the revenues to see more production levels to keep the revenue coming into the general fund for our cost of doing business and living in new mexico but now we have a stark difference in what we talk about with the environment and group oil and gas as an industry as a whole. I will advocate for your voters should the country move away from fossil fuels quick. First i would like to raise the allegation. To be absolutely clear with some statements that my opponent has made lets get the facts straight she has been corrected by the Albuquerque Journal and the daily record. Even after she has been corrected and that she is willing to say anything to get elected. When it comes to diversifying that Energy Portfolio we need to do that with everyone at the table. And then to go to the webpages because actions do speak louder than words. Host the next question and i do want to let you know that time limit have one minute each to answer. So heres the question for two election cycles it has been messy and your voters appreciate you say one thing wanting you admire about your opponent. Thank you for asking that question it is important that we continue to support each other that what she believes to the table and and his she believes in and what we believe in and that is service is not an easy thing to step up and be willing to step up to do that really matters and i appreciate that. What you admire . Herrell actually admire her as a person because i say that we obviously have seen each other over the last couple of years and it has been a Mutual Respect between the two of us. We both see eyes all over tv and it does get weary to see the kind of talk but its always refreshing at different events are on the debate stage that there is a Mutual Respect for one another and i appreciate that especially when we are running neck and neck. That is a great time to take a short break. Moving on to the closing statements. First of all thank you so much this is the most important election we are one nation under god and i am pro god and prolife profamily and pro business. You can see that there is a difference between my opponent and i to and who voted to impeach President Trump twice im happy to have the endorsement of donald j. Trump nancy pelosi does not represent new mexico or understand new mexico be voting with her 90 percent of the time and i am concerned as i am an advocate for life life starts at conception starting at planned parenthood with taxpayerfunded abortion that is wrong but what really bothers me is my opponent has said she will vote for biden and harris out loud they will raise taxes on the American People and kill Energy Industries it cannot be more clear i am running because we deserve a seat at the table caring about new mexico values and a voice to washington dc is about relationships im proud to observe the legislature for eight years and i understand the districts so lets pray for our nation and i ask for your vote in this election thank you very much. You may now begin with your Closing Remarks small. Torres thank you for engaging in our democracy today. And in the second Congressional District i can work with anyone and with that commonsense solution dont comment with the party label the hard work. Thats why 90 percent of the drugs that, through the 15 percent of those vehicles that cross that port of entry are scanned for contraband i worked looking at 100 percent of skinnier ports of entry and i am support one proud to support a pilot to do just that. When they struggle to keep the doors open i worked at the Trump Administration and that they have access to the pages so that they could reach their patience over the phone as the doctors have that as an option. Coming to supporting our robust economy i stood up to my party and for new mexicans to pass United States mexico canada agreement. Theres only one of us on the stage tonight who have demonstrated capability of working with others to deliver for new mexico and masking to continue that work and for your vote. Thank you. With that that does conclude us for the second Congressional District thank you for participating and also for watching we will be the first Vice President ial debate between Vice President pence and kamala harris. And another night at 6 30 p. M. We have debates between candidates for the third Congressional District and then and take the time to watch that we do hope you will vote between now and election day and november 3rd to have a full recap and analysis of this debate tonight