tossup. ♪ >> from ntn news this is the race for u.s. senate. welcome to today's u.s. senate debate here on the montana television network. yes, our focus today is montana's 2020 u.s. senate race one of the most closely watched in the entiremo country and it looks to be on track to become the most expensive political race in montana history. the general election of courses coming up november 3 and if you're keeping track at home that is just 24 days away and ballots were mailed out on friday this week so voters you are looking for those ballots to be arriving soon in the mailbox near you. those ballots need to be returned to your local election office by 8:00 o'clock, 8:00 p.m. on election day. of course, at stake in this race is one of montana's u.s. senate seats, salary of u.s. senator is currently at $174,000 a year. now it is time to meet the candidates. >> governor steve bullock was born in missoula, grubb and helena and earned his law degree from columbia university in new york city. earlier in his career he worked in private practice as an attorney and as is assistant attorney general for the state of montana. he wonat election as montana's attorney general in 2008 and then became governor in 2012 and 2016. bullock, a democrat, says as governor he has worked with both democrats and republicans to expand affordable healthcare, strengthen montana's economy and invest in public schools. he and his wife lisa have three children. u.s. senator steven daines grew up in boozman and has a chemical engineering degree from montana state university. he had a 28 year career in the private sector before he was elected to congress. and includes a dozen years as an executive at right nowas technologies. the bulman software development firm for greater more than 500 high-paying montana jobs. he was elected in 2012 as montana's only u.s. senate representative and one election to the senate in 2014. he says he is been recognized as one of the most effective and bipartisan members of congress. steve and his wife cindy have four children and one grandchi grandchild. >> as we get started today aft quick summary of the rules. the first candidate being questioned will get 60 seconds to respond in the second candidate will then have a 32nd rebuttal and the first candidate would have 30 seconds response time. we are asking the candidates and to stay within the constraints of our time that way we can get in as many questions as possible. we have our mtn debating with us today and let's meet joe valley, anger, reporter at kp x tv in missoula, t political reporter with montana television network and i'm jane cohen, anchor emeritus at kt bq in billions. i have the first question and we have a drawing prior to our debate and senator daines honor of getting the first question goes to you and here we go. senator daines, first topic today is the pandemic. the coronavirus continues to surge across country here in montana and again today more than 170 new cases. the country is still waiting for yet another covid relief bill. the president has been inconsistent to say the least as to what he might except in that bill and of course what would you accept in another coronavirus relief bill and will we get this done soon? will you get this done? >> thanks. the numbersrs we saw today were staggering, 700 to anyone new active cases we just got ranked the third-highest of infection rate per capita r basis in the country and at 209 montana's tragically have lost their lives. first and foremost we need to focus on those who are multiple vulnerable, compromising systems, senior citizens and those in a indian country we are seeing the death rates with covid in any country five times greater than the general population across montana. i want to see another package but we want to get working to get a package done. the challenge we have right now is nancy pelosi and chuck schumer want to put $400 billion in there to bail out states like new york, california and illinois that had physical problems before and i don't want to see taxpayers footing the bill for these liberal states. here's a real problem i'm seeinc right now. out in indian country we see governor bullock's team has allocated dollars, more dollars for missoula country project then all the tribes of montana combined. >> thank you, senator daines. >> governor bullock youbi have 0 seconds. >> we do need another cares package. unfortunately, washington dc and steve daines has dropped the ball. we put out our cares dollars over 31 different relief programs and committed 97% of the money of $700 billion out the door but the challenge really does not to indian country. steve daines did not want to provide the $259 per tribe in the first and right now on the ground we're working with all our tribal nations and i know we have [inaudible] and others and will continue to do what is necessary but we do need washington to get basically but quit pointing fingers. >> senator daines, 32nd response. >> governor bullock to slide in that response. i got $8 billion in the covert relief package in march. i was on the northern tribe reservation yesterday and met with the crow leadership yesterday and they are appalled by the fact that governor bullock in esteem and primarily took the one .25 billion dollars in montana in april and give them more money to missoula congo project then all of the tribes combined and that was to be dollar sent to tribals in the local community. >> thank you. my next question goes to mr. bullock. you issued>> shutdown orders in montana this spring when we had far fewer cases and as we saw today 721 new in montana so how come no drastic action now when it seems like montana is suddenly a hotspot and do you feel like you're managing this crisis effectively? >> the numbers are concerning from my perspective. you know, or not only seen spikes in montana but really all acrossth the country and i think the reason why governors and others aren't rolling back and one of which is that look, if we shut down parts of our economy right now, senator daines took seven weeks vacation this summer while we were trying to get money to our small businesses and we helped out over [inaudible] but if we shut them down right now both workers and businesses would have nothing along the way because dc will only point fingers and can't get it together. second, we got to learns. when e will reopen. we have to learn how to live with this virus. meaning that we know the steps we have to take we need to be wearing masks. we need to be taking social distance and we need to be disinfecting and if we do that we will get our hands around this again and i do have faith and montana. >> thank you, mr. bullock. daines, 30 seconds. >> i strongly disagree. we need to learn how to live alongside the pandemic, i reject that. we need to focus on the most vulnerable and focus on those in indian country in a way out of this will be therapeutic drugs and a vaccine. think about polio, smallpox, measles we have face pandemics in the path past and if i reject the notion we run out of but we need to ended. i fought to get $10 billion funding in the first package and we've done exactly that and a safe, effective vaccine out to montanans as soon as it's ready to be shipped. >> the cares act is giving drug companies more of our money so maybe that is why he got $10 million but they gave him $24000 more around that same time. he even got money from drug companies but he's never gotten it from before. it's pretty damn surprising because of never seeing a corporate special interest like steve daines will fight for. we do have to live with it in our midst right now. we can keep our schools and businesses open until we get to the point of the widely accepted vaccine so i do encourage montanans to continue to take it seriously. >> mr. daines, welcome this evening and thank you for being here. we will continue along this line talking about the pandemic. you mentioned the billions of dollars in the first package went to the drug companies that developed a vaccine or some sort of treatment and is there anything in law or anywhere else that guarantees that that will be made available to the public and to insurers out of affordable price and also i'm wondering where are you on requiring people to wear masks? to end this pandemic. >> first of all, i spent 28 years in the private sector and like governor bullock had a career in politics. i launched fda regulated products or know how you can safely get those products to market and do it faster and safely and that is why i was able to secure these funds working parallel paths to get these critical vaccines in the hands of montanans in the bottom line is yes, they will be given to montanans and americans at no charge and they will be free. that is why we got to stay focused on the miracle of science and the vaccines and that will be the key to end the pandemic, regarding masks i think it's a personal response ability. i was out on two reservations yesterday and believe me i was messed up at all times and hand sanitizing and taking it seriously and temperature tracks everywhere we need to continue to do these medications test now to keep primarily our most vulnerable safe and that includes those in indian country. they need help now. >> mr. daines, follow-up. you said these things will be available for free but how will that guaranteed? is that a w promise or anything written down that guarantees that. >> that has been agreed by the bio medical advanced group of the government and that's all part of w working together the best science we have in the federal government alongside the best scientists in the private sector and a vaccine that will be given voluntarily and given for free and get it out to montanans safely and quickly as possible. >> thank you. mr. bullock, your rebuttal. >> steve baines takes pride in working the private sector for 20 years but he spent time building manufacturing factories in china in the same time the u.s. comedies were laying off american jobs. he was peddling software all across india, china and asia and let's talk about the facts that it was $10 billion and it was given with no restriction by you and they can charge whatever they want to their are promises that everybody will get it for free. we actually do need to start holding the drug comedies accountable. >> thank youar mr. daines. >> that is flat out falls.r here is what is here in montana but we send governor bullock one .25 billion dollars in april and he sat on those and has not even spent up to 50% of it to help montanans and i want to help ask governor why have you given more project with your cronies instead of donating the campaign to all the tribes in montana combined. i just read this first hand out on the reservation yesterday. >> moving along, it goes to governor bullock and we will stay on the same topic but pivot to healthcare, governor. one thing democrats seem to agree on in this election is that the affordable care act needs to be strengthened and my question to you is what areas should be strengthened or changed in the aca and how will we pay for it and your response to charges that the affordable care act is government controlled healthcare? >> even before covid-19 the affordable healthcare was so important to so many montanans and that is why we brought democrats and republicans together to actually expand medicaid for 90000 people and we've taken on the drug companies and the insurance companies to lower prices but the whole time senator daines was supposed to represent us and ending coverage for pre-existing conditions like cancer and diabetes and look at repealing the aca will mean repealing millions of dollars that montanans received for prescription drug coverage and not actually taking on the pharmaceutical so look, i do think we need to build on what we have on the best way to do that is to finally start taking on the drug companies. start pain, not just for repeated deaths but results. we can do more but steve daines wants to strip away all that coverage on all of us. >> thank you, governor. senator daines. >> scare tactics from pelosi and hall over the country. it will always protect those with pre-existing conditions and i signed on a bill that does exactly that. the governor forgets that when obamacare past premiums for montanans double. 20000 montanans lost their healthcare insurance. he wants to team up with pelosi and schumer and have a complete government takeover of healthcare systems and that will be the biggest threat to pre-existing conditions. i've a sister the died of a pre-existing condition but it's personal to me and her medical bills were over $1 million and thank god she had access to healthcare. >> governor bullock. >> you know that's not true protect stirred up saying we should not have government takeover of healthcare. it's disappointing because when "the washington post" actually gives you for pinocchio the most dishonest ratings you will protect people with pre-existing conditions like cancer and diabetes and he's literally voted five times now and the last time would've been about one week ago and let's recognize the whole time he hasn't been there he has been working to take away your healthcare. democrats, republicans came together in montana you can't let steve daines get out of there. >> will stick with that topic and myy question goes to senator daines. i think it's important to talk about this because it's frightening to people to think that afterer obamacare assured e sickest folks could have coverage and they could actually afford and you have voted against that. you have a specific plan that can guarantee montanans will be able to afford this and their insurance isn't going to be stripped away leaving them in a vulnerable position. >> absolutely. i will always protecte ng pre-existing conditions print this is a schumer pelosi scare tactic. i signed on to protect that. let's keep in mind there was an a judge panel little over a month ago they came together including jamie kony barrett the decided unanimously that aca would go before the supreme court and this is more scare tactics coming from the left. schumer, closely liberal are trying to destroy this libera liberal -- destroying her career. his lieutenant governor was walked off the job with no expiration at tonight governor bullock give a chance to be honest with montanans and you know what happened to lieutenant governor and the second woman to ever hold the position because according to record she believed she was dumped standing up for what is right. those were the headlines from your hometown paper paid what was she standing up for? >> thirty seconds. >> let's talk about honesty. we don't want to know las vegas odds about whether that case literally the week after the election and what you think and whether it will overturn the aca but we want a senator who will fight to protect healthcare for montanans and all throughout this time, literally, this is a national playbook but steve daines five times voting to strip away coverage for pre-existing conditions. montanans really deserve an independent miserable fight for them but that's what i've done is governor and that is what i will do. >> mr. daines. >> again, look at the playbook. they did this back in ten, 14, 16, 18 and out 20. i don't want to see judge amy coney barrett careers destroyed next week. the democrats will try to destroy her during those hearings. i asked the governor a question paid i asked what happened to angela and white which you seriously quit her job and walk off only the second woman to ever hold with this lieutenant governor and she could be on thd stage running for governor right now in a rising star in politics but it was pushed out by governor bullock. >> mr. bullock, let's talk about the supreme court as we've already been doing. amy coney barrett is up for confirmation hearings on monday but number one, are you supporting or not her confirmation to the supreme court? if democrats win the senate and she is on the court and they win the presidency will you support any efforts to expand the court members i.e. court packing? >> thank you for the question, mike. here is what i support. i support a u.s. supreme court in our overall judicial system beyond politics. steve daines, mitch mcconnell [inaudible] four years ago he said absolutely not should've justice be confirmed when people are voting. now we are 23 days away and he's trying to ram it through, much more than the chairman of small businesses in montana that need assistance with cares act. it is unfortunate and i think it does have more to do with that case that happened the week after that would strip away coverage for pre-existing conditions and that paid expansion and more. we need to figure out a way to get politics out of the court and that is what i'm committed to doing like in montana we have a judicial standard that gets that's judges along the way that they expect at the end of the day our court to be free of politics and who wants to make it more political? >> mr. vote, i don't thank you answered either one of the questions i asked you. would you like to? >> as far as do i support amy coni barrett? first, i don't support anybody, any judge getting confirmed literally a week and a half before the election. seconds of which, i do think look, they have been trying to politicize the court every step of the way and we have to figure out ways to make it less political. i'm open to that and that is anything from a judicial standard commission or we look at any other thing that might be suggested including adding a justice. >> thank you. mr. daines, your rebuttal. >> alicia got an answer. i support the nomination and the confirmation of justice amy coney barrett. steve bullock opposes it. steve bullockti just got a yes r packing the courts. you want to politicize the court for everything, pack it pretty just that he's willing to do that. even joe biden won't answer that question right now. stay bullock just said he's willing to pack the court. that should be a profound moment that has not happened for generations. if montanans, that's a threat for the second amendment and our freedom of liberty that we so cherish in our great state of montana. >> your response mr. bullock. >> you just did pack the court, senator daines. four years ago you said no we should never confirm a justice when people are voting so let the people decide and now that's ththe most important thing to y. not getting the cares act, not helping small businesses, not helping our hospitals but you are packing the court right now and i think it actually has more to do with the case that they will hear next week and that was a week after the election and that would strip away the protections of the affordable care act, something you were trying to do ever since we sent you topr washington. >> thank you, governor bullock. senator daines, another question on the supreme court and you are supporting judge barrett for her nomination and confirmation and you say she will protect our way of life such as our second amendment rights, oil pipeline and the timber industry but what about those other rights to privacy and affordable care act and the law that many americans depend on, voting rights, campaign money. critics say all those will be in jeopardy if judge barrett is confirmed. aren't those important rights as well for montana and the nation? >> let me clarify something. governor bullock to stated what packing the court means paid and means increasing the number of judges to 11 and 13 and doesn't mean you will have a process of nine justices. [audio difficulties] here is the bottom line. justice ginsburg in the front page said this. justice ginsburg puts the second amendment on center stage and i have an a+ rating in the nra and steve bullock has an f. justice barrett will protect montanans second moment rights and she will also ensure that she will stand up against these radical environmental groups that are shutdown projects in the keystone pipeline which, by the way, the judge that shut down the pipeline is adjudged that steve bullock supported and put on the bench. he stopped to keep stone dpipeline. explain that. $80 million coming in and taxpayer and property taxes as well and this is an x essential threat to future montana having these liberal justices shutting down resource industry. >> governor bullock, 30 seconds. >> he didn't answer your question. he had the informal correct is in jeopardy. the influence of money in the system where steve daines is taking over to me and for corporate tax money is actually at risk. at the end of the day even as he talks about these liberal judges, judges shouldn't be liberal or conservative. judges should leave the politics at the door in the courthouse. all senator daines is concerned about is trying to get more judges on that will take away our healthcare. montana expect much, much more from senator daines. >> senator daines, your respon response. >> we already talked about the issue that will not get overturned by the supreme court but the bottom line is this, the most important decisions in the vote that is grass is for the court. they protect our liberty and they protect the second amendment and it is quickly important and you don't have activist judges and that is why i will stand up to fight for montana way of life to ensure judges aren't overreaching shutting down timber projects, shutting down pipelines and allow us to move forward with introducing dangerous species act for the grizzly bear and are so many issues at stake and that is the way the judge's role. >> thank you. the next question goes dovetail into the second amendment. democratic presidential nominee joe biden has a long list of gun-control actions that he supports and you can read them on his website. it would include a ban on assault rifles, high-capacity magazines and banning online sales of ammunition and firearms. are there any of his proposals if he is elected that you would actually oppose if you were elected to the u.s. senate? >> jill, montana know i'm a gun owner and hunter and one might happen when my son got his first you also know i stood up for our second amendment right. when steve daines was pitching software i think somewhere in asia i led the state's efforts to make the second moment recognize individual rights. we've expanded our gun rights and our second moment rights while i was governor. i do think we ought to be able to have a conversation along the way about things that we could do to actually keep people more safe. i'm never met a gun owner that does not want to keep their communities and their families safe and 80% of montanans think it's an example we should have universal background checks. the same way that i bought my gun i think we should have that discussion about moving forward in doing so. there are other steps, common sense, while protecting i will always stand up to our party to protect human rights but we also should have a conversation. >> mr. daines, 30 seconds. >> back in 2009 let's talk about the vote in 2019 when he ran for president he sat on the stage with elizabeth warren, bernie sanders and he moved way to the left. you've got to see the real steve bullock when he ran for president. he went on cnn with jay tapper and said yeah i support a ban on semi automatic guns. what part of the second amendment shall not infringe the steve bullock understand? i have a from the shooting association and he has enough. i have an a from the nfa and he has an effort let these objective groups outside groups because it's not even close. >> owner bullock's two. >> i'm just not wealthy enough to get my dream gone which is a semi automatic but i think we ought to be able to have discussion on assault weapons and assault rifles. walmart does not even use sell them in the not used for hunting but we should have that conversation about not telling [inaudible]ns i think actually o be honest that came more about the fact that i stand with montanans and we ought to have violent history background checks than anything else. i will always stand up for the second amendment rights and that is against my party and i will always stand with montanast. >> mr. daines let's talk about voting. your party sued undue mail voting in montana during a pandemic and your party scheme to get the green party on the ballot so are you supporting of these efforts? why or why not? >> first of all, i support the all-male and ballot. we saw that on the june primary. june 22 with a primary and i received more votes than anybody on the primary ballot history in montana. the question is why? why do we see such a huge interest in selection and why do we havee mail and partly because the pandemic going on. we wanted to make every and montana and had a vote. if steve bullock is elected to senate will most likely chuck schumer is the majority leader and there will be absolutely no way to stop nancy pelosi and the liberal tyranny in washington dc. it's a frighteninge thought. there is so much at stake. this is about the second amendment and the carbon tax with which steve bolin supports which would threaten thousands of montanans jobs. this is shutting down the pipe laying or keeping it going and packing the courts.n steve bullock doesn't know what packing the courts means braid that means 11 or 13 justices to the bench and said the current nine. there is so much at stake in the american people want to stand with on force meant versus defunding the police and support the liberal model. >> thank you. mr. bullock i am sure you would like to respond to that. [laughter] >> i'm not sure he answered the question but look, he stayed silent as were public initial committee and try to take away the ability from folks that actually vote and he stayed quiet when he tried to dismantle the postage and stayed quiet time and time again and senator, you know that if it jeopardizes the montana way of life i will stand up but 95% of the time you've been with mitch mcconnell and montana is a leader and a lapdog and that's what they've got now how to view. >> mr. daines, 30 seconds. >> some more bowl from steve bullock for regarding the postal service i was the lead republican to get additional services and funding for the postal service so he got that i but i tell you what, talk abot lapdog, room number who the guy named chuck schumer flew into montana and got in the race and stay bullock is getting money from the liberal groups and schumer is flooding the airways right now and talk about a lapdog. i can't keep up with bullock and i'm getting outspent by stay bullock and guess who's doing that, chuck schumer. talk about a lapdog that the governor of montana chuck schumer. >> thank you, senatorve gaines. question about climate change grid energy secretary was in montana last week visiting [inaudible] talking about carbon capture technology but really and no time was climate change discussed. what climate changeap initiativs would you support as senator and do you think carbon capture technology is the saving grace of the power plants that are currently listed third largest polluter of co2 in the nation. >> yeah, i do think carbon capture is part of the overall discussion and that's why i've led a group of 17 states, democrats and row begins to look into this along the way. but, montanans know that we have to respond to climate change grid fire seasons are longer, that is why we have both doubled when and can dribble our solar and still one of the nation's top coal producers along the way. this can be a bipartisan issue and democrats and republicans need to come together. unfortunately senator daines has his hands in the pocket of the corporate donors all the way along and not even acknowledging the climate change is impacted by human beings. i think that is more to do with a million dollars we've gottenma from the allele and gas industry then revoking the needs of montanans.s. no, i don't believe and i'm not strong on carbon tax but we can look at this as an opportunity to create good jobs and not leave communities behind. >> senator daines, 30 seconds or bottle. >> what, i've got a comical engineering from montana university and i do believe there's a human component to climate change. what governor bullock wants to do is he supports the carbon tax and that's a direct threat at 35000 montanans jobs and families and also supports getting back into that paris climate accord which, by the way, experts put burden and the united states and let's try to off the hook. we got to china accountable and remember we've seen huge reductions for the delay of energy down 12% over the last ten years while china is up 24% in steve book is too liberal position and it's a threat to so many hard-working montanans. >> governor bullock, final 30 seconds. >> senator daines knows that's flat out false for the carbon tax. you know when he was pitching software in china i was the first time to stand up and say we should have the keystone going forward and supported that as well. i think why he tries to bring this national issues is because he doesn't want to run on his own and he's been spending more time trying to make me into something i'm not and at the end of the date when you're captured by corporations and special interests and you don't have much results to show from montana that isos what you get. >> thank you, governor. next question goes to senator daines. travel nations are demanding justice when it comes to missing and murdered indigenous women and men and you are on the 24 indian affairs. what specifically have you done to help our tribal nations on this issue? >> big issue but when you look at what's going on right now with the murder rates of native american women it is ten times of the national average and that is why we are closely and i've got the act and in fact i marched on the northern cheyenne reservation with her family and who she tragically was murdered and you got one more tragic example of what happens to women in native american countries and so i absolutely have been working with the tribes to ensure that that's another big issue right now that law-enforcement they don't have enough boots on the ground and they're caught up in these horrible bureaucracies and that's why just yesterday we were talking to these women and they thanked me for the work i am doing on behalf of one of the most vulnerable parts of our population which are native americans and that is why you are seen great support from my campaign in indian country and not for my support for governor bullock. >> but to follow up on that have you been able to enhance the law enforcement resins on the reservation because itpr seems o be. >> asked and answered. we worked with them and i'm pleased to report now they have literally now filled up all these open positions for the crow tribe. as the name conversation yesterday. [audio difficulties] and the problems they have right now is members of law-enforcement they want to work there could caught up in his background checks and that is how we saw it and they are working on that and we talk to the northern cheyenne and what they're doing to help their reservations favor. >> mr. bullock. >> we have brought democrats and republicans together in montana to address the academic missing and murdered indigenous women. they're asking five differentrd bills and we do need to do more but it is interesting because i've had those same conversations while the northern cheyenne are saint why are there only four bureaus indian affairs officers for the entire reservation i've heard that from other but senator daines has been back there on that committee for the last six years and he has an increase those opportunities. i will always stand and work with indian country in both permitting the safety for government relationships. >> mr. dane. >> well, just at the conversation yesterday with the president of the northern cheyenne tribe and i was there and i was there on the pro tried there in pro agency as well and what they were very excited about that we're finally starting to see the results of working with the tribe and ensuring they can have the principle of self-determination sovereignty as they are now getting these positions filled. as a wonderful thing to see he here, critical for us to protect were the most vulnerable part of our population and these are missing and murdered indigenous women and i'm pleased to report refining making progress there and it's a productive meeting yesterday. >> thank you. mr. bullock, democratic presidential candidate joe biden has proposed increasing income taxes on those earning over $40000 a year to help reduce federal deficits. do you support that? >> yeah, i think we should be first looking at some other things like we got here with the apprenticeship tax credit. the idea that those that are wealthy should pay a little more makes it a heck of a lot of sense. senator daines proud as a, schmidt is getting through those 2017 tax cuts. trust party leaders we have to get through to make our donors happy. you know what? amazon, chevron, 60 fortune 500 companies paid zero in taxes. montanans only got $2 trillion of debt along the way to their kids and grandkids will have to pay. i will never vote for something that makes it so my kids teacher pays more taxes than the largest corporations. senator daines every step of the way has been saying how can we provide these benefits to the corporations and not working montanans and i think working montanans expect a heck of a lot better . >> thank you, senator daines. rebuttal. >> perhaps i have a different view on what traps are. maybe the governor's $1200 a year and ask if that is the case but studies show average montana family sought $1200 a year of tax relief as it relates to that tax bill in 2008 and i want to cut taxes but stay bullock just set it great he wants to raise taxes. poverty rates came down to lowest levels in 50 years and on a plumbing rate is at the lowest level in 50 years and wages were rising at the highest levels in our nations history prior to the covid pandemic. why? because we cut taxes but bullock wants to raise taxes and i want to cut taxes. >> thank you, governor bullock. >> montana's did get $1200 but even the provision that steve daines insisted on that it had to be split in there he got $37000 and one chilean dollars in stock buybacks do not create jobs here and it is not helping montana so what i want to do is you have guys like steve daines pay his fair share and corporations pay their fair share and i will watch for mainstream small business montana and steve daines has been watching out for the wealthiest. >> thank you, governors. senator daines, you have the next question we will stick with this topic about wealth inequality over the last three decades the united states has witnessed a huge shift of wealth from the working ranks of our country to the top 1% and part of the reason for that continuing is the 2017 tax cuts bill that you supported the bill that helps push the tax rate on the 400 wealthiest households below the rates of almost everyone else. is that a trend that needs to be reserves reversed? if not, what will you do about it? >> this comes up to a fundamental question hereic that keeps jobs going here in the united states. we cut taxes, job growth occurs with the pope pandemic hit and it slowed the economy down. bottom line is this, we saw the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years prior to coalbed and we have the highest increase in median wages for hard-working americans and montanans in 30 years. we sought the lowest levels of unemployment for african americans, asian americans, for women. why? keep in mind, when we had that debate about tax cuts i stepped in and said we need to lower taxes or main street montana businesses and that's called the pass-through and called as for montana businesses cheered, that's why they're supporting me in this race because i need 5% of our jobs in montana on the private sector come from 20 employees or less. why are they supporting my candidacy? because i allow them to grow their jobs, hire more people and pay higher wages met governor bullock, your response. >> i think he did say that a tax law that gives the overwhelming benefit to the wealthiest in this nation like him in the largest corporations are something that he wants to push. let's be honest, senator. you've created more jobs in china than you did in montana or the u.s. not only building those manufacturing factories but continue to protect the tax breaks for confidence that shifted their jobs overseas. we need to make sure that actually folks to pay their fair share and folks like steve daines and folks like 60 fortune 500 comedies a paid zero in taxes under that tax cut while we got $2 trillion more of that. >> thank you, governor. >> senator daines you are 32nd response. >> well he is just parroting the chuck schumer act that montanans are sick and tired of what they're seeing. that was debunked by usa today so that's the facts on that, by the way. bottom line, we just heard governor bullock say that he wants to raise taxes. joe biden, nancy pelosi and chuck schumer have already relayed the message they are ready for the largest tax increase in american history. since steve bullock to washington dc and that is what you will get. >> next question goes to governor bullock. it is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive for families to afford childcare and that is part of what is contributed to women leaving the workforce at eight times the higher rate than men are doing s in this pandemic. is there anything government should do to make childcare more affordable and available because it does have huge economic applications in montana and across the country? >> it really p does breed one of the things we've done with the act dollars is provide a childcare grant so people can stay in the workforce. one of the things i pushed for my whole time as governor is a voluntary public pre-k, not only for the workforce needs that we know 90% of the jobs develop before they enter into kindergarten so i do think there should be more federal funding for that. look, no one should have to be choosing. one of the ways if we increase wages, childcare will become much easier both for the workers and the folks in the workforce and that is one of those things that senator daines, that's what you missed. half of americans have had a pay increase in real terms in 40 years. the wealthiest have gotten that much more wealthy and that is why we do need tax policy to make guys like you pay your fair share and make sure corporations are paying their fair share so that working families actually have more in their pocket so they can afford childcare. >> senator daines. >> yet, as part of the care package we passed the family care act so that with working moms can deal with the children who are home to attend virtual learning and i still strongly support that. you mentioned that we sent governor bullock one .25 billion dollars and i fought for that and the governor of montana to be distributed to montanans and to date he hasn't even given out half of it, half of it. we could help montana's in the middle of the pandemic by moving that i sent back to him back in april. >> governor bullock family paid leave enhanced unemployment benefits and money for our tribes, money ford our hospitals and steve daines tried to get the cares act through without any of that in and it's the only way people stood up and said look, you're missing a whole lot of folks along the way that you have to capitulate and take care of and 97% of those cares act dollars are committed. our schools would not be open if we were waiting for washington dc to open. i would not have been able to provide benefits for 43000 montana and businesses since on insurance taxes along the way so we have been utilizing that money while they were waiting for washington dc to give it together. >> senator daines your campaign and i thank you refer to yourself as a fifth generation montanans and of course you were born in california and were your parents even born and is it active to call yourself a fifth generation montanans? >> my great, great grandma was born 23 miles east and is buried there and on the tombstone it says saved by grace. my great grandma and my great grandpa and my grandpa was born there and conrad and i was nearly born in montana but my dad was going to school at the university of montana and my mom was seven months pregnant and my dad was a united states marine but cannot find a job in montana and that's why he went to california and they did not like him and a with right back to boozman. the reason was because they couldn't find good high-paying jobs and under governor bullock swatch the average wages here montana we went 44 in the nation, 44. the governor talks about wages and needs for higher wages but i've been doing appeared we created 100 jobs right here in montana at twice, twice the state average good i'm very proud of that that we created all these jobs in montana and i have done it and we are seeing a blossoming high-tech, high wage sector across montana. governor bullock hasn't created one single job in his life and has been a career politician. big difference in our backgrounds. >> governor bullock. >> when it comes to the private sector you were crating jobs for those jobs were in china and throughout asia but before the pandemic montana if you look over the last eight, ten years we were among the nations leaders and income growth, housing growth. that is why folks in the small businesses giving them apprenticeships along the way. even you claim that my company but you created more jobs overseas than here. i will always fight for montana and not for the tax breaks and the corporations are shifting their jobs. >> mr. daines, 30 seconds. >> the governor put the bowl back in bullock again. back when iran in a prior election and the montana ogmocrat party had to publicly apologize on the front page of the montana newspaper debunking a steve what he said but the fact he'she discrediting a great montana company because of great high-paying jobs there are 500 and montana and steve bullock through this company under the bus. so many of us fought to great this job over the tight the state average and i'm proud of that and i've done it in the private sector and steve bullock has never had a private sector job in his life. >> governor bullock your appointments are running as in this campaign that you let one of your chief lieutenants go after he was accused of harassing women but then failed to inform his next employer of that fact. in fact he then went on to engage in more harassment. doesn't this reflectct poor judgment on your part and is this something that montana voters should consider? >> j, from 91-97 steve daines was building manufacturing factories in china. from 2007 from 2008 he was actually the head of asian sailing call center software all across the issue so it is true that he's been creating jobs there and not here and look, when it comes to my former aide kevin o'brien when i heard what he had done as a subsequent employer i said he should immediately be fired. that kind of behavior is never acceptable and unlike the leader of any large organization i do what i can to make sure i built an organization to reflect the values of montana values and when somebody that falls short i take action because it's what we do that shows who we are and in the senate i will be a leader to make sure people are protected when it comes to sexual harassment and also people paying for equal work. >> senator daines. >> listen, governor bullock has had a consistent hostile repeated pattern of hostility towards women in the workplace. governor bullock's former top aide kevin o'brien this was his and chief ofger staff sexually harassed women under the governor's watch and according to "the new york times" not only to governor bullock cover it up but got him a new job in a position of power as a mayor of new york city blahs io where he victimized women again because he shows not to warn his new employer. i'm a father of two daughters and that is not how to treat women. >> governor bullock, your response. >> steve, i did not even know where he got another job along the way. for a guy who literally has voted to repeal protections for hundreds of thousands of women in the workplace when it comes to arrest and for a guy who continues to just be mobbed when his party leader says well, will grab women by their and i can't say that on regular television or continued sexual harassment claims are brought up and you don't say a word along the way and we all expect and we should actually be doing everything we can to protect women both in the workplace and all throughout. >> cannot correct the record on that? >> once he bullock was asked why he didn't tell de blasio the answer was i didn't think he would do it again. that is not how you treat women but that's a public record, governor. >> steve, the actual record is i did not know where he went to work but i did find out and look, i was disappointed like everyone should both as he did something again and when he went there that i didn't know. from that perspective. >> you never answer the question. >> we all can do better. >> thank you, thank you. [inaudible conversations] >> next question goes to mr. daines. you seen the campaign ads and that say you voted against funding and the veterans home in 2018 but you were there with the ground making ceremony taking credit. is that hypocritical? could you ask play and how that came to be? >> not to doll.l. i was proud to fight for that funding for that home in butte and i'm on the appropriations committee. we got it passed appropriations and through the senate but here is a problem when nancy pelosi jammed some of these great big spending bills with a bunch of pork you either have a chance to vote yes or you vote no. i was rejecting all the additional pork and they are to protect taxpayers but fully supporting the veterans loan. if so misconstrued. i record for veterans is i got the something past with the [inaudible] when chris and julie brown replaced tilley clinton in the senate i worked with her to get that past to protect the vietnam veterans workspace to agent orange. his primary supporters was jane fonda. if you want to upset vietnam veterans let them know that jane fonda is one of his biggest fans who, by the way, just said the covid-19 was a gift from god from the left. >> governor bullock, your response to that. >> you know that jane fonda has not given me a nickel in this campaign and he maybe brings that up because he tried to cover up for the $50000 he took from the wilkes brothers to take access to public cans or the $80000 that he took from the divorce family or the 800,000 he 30took from out-of-state real estate interest or the 700,000 he's taken from prescript and drug companies and insurance companies. they have actually gotten their worth out of you but look, at the end of the day senator daines voted to give that funding for the veterans home and we work so hard at the state level to get and then came home to take credit for it. montana's expect better. >> senator daines. >> that's a misrepresentation of facts. special interests, let's talk about self interest governor bullock. montana's, they were worth $14 million for state contracts for your company since you been in office and you said you let the company but he still chairman of the board print let's set the record straight. my cousin to you is do you or do you not receive a monthly check from your brother's company, governor bullock? >> do i have the opportunity to answer that? >> quickly. >> my brother started the company in his basement in 1992 and got his first state contract 20 years before i became governor and stepped down as ceo eight years before i became governor, for years before i became governor he was out of any financial interest so i've never awarded one contract through my whole time in state government. you go after my brother so what is next? my mom, steve? >> your brother is chairman of the board and look at the secretary of state website. he's chairman of the board. you will see the story right there. >> time now to move toward closing statements. each candidate has a minute 30 to summarize their final pitch for voters. again, drawing determine you go first on that. >> thank youor for watching. whether you were attending helena public schools are wandering our public lands montana has given me, my wife lisa and our kids more than i could ever give back and that is why is governor i've worked to check that montana for today and future generations bringing democrats and republicans together we've expanded that care and checked our public lands and public we've invested in education and have helped our small businesses and workers and those are democratic issues and republican issues but those are montana values. we been working together to secure a better montana steve daines proved he can't be trusted to do what's right for our state and spent his entire campaign and this debate distorting the facts about his own record and lying about mine because he's more interested in saving his job in healthcare than he is about protecting yours. he tells you he cares about our economy but don't forget that he created manufacturing china and then went to dc to protect tax breaks for those corporations to ship our jobs overseas trade when he tells you to look out for our seniors don't forget about the facts that he made trillions in taxta cuts while risking medicare and social security and when he tells you that he will protect your healthcare remember time and time again he voted to strip away coverage fory pre-existing conditions. let me make this simple. i will always do what's right for montana. that is what i have done and that's what i will always do. eggs so much for listening into day and i sure appreciate you both. >> thank you, governor. senator daines, final 90 seconds. >> it was five generations ago that my great, great grandma came to montana and settled 23 miles east of conrad and left a legacy of faith, family, freedom and those are the same values that cindy and i have passed on to our four children we been able to raise here in montana. i went tote montana state university and got a degree in chemical engineering and i spent my career building businesses and creating jobs. in fact, hundreds of great high-paying jobs right here in montana. steve bullock has been a career politician, and that's one of the many clear differences between me and governor bullock. montana wants to protect the second amendment. at an a+ with the nra steve bullock has an f. montana wants lower taxes, higher wages and steve bullock raised taxes as governor and his if leaving he will raise them in dc. we want to move forward with the keystone pipeline. he is come out opposed to it. montana want their voice heard in the supreme court with amy coney barrett as the next open court justice. you heard it here today, steve bullock is opposed to her and montanans stand with president trump to protect our way of life here in montana. steve bullock one year ago stood up and said he wanted to see president trump impeached and removed from office. montana's one a senator who is pro-life. steve bullock has the most radical position on abortion of any governor in america. i'm grateful to serve montana in thee senate for the past six years and spent honor of my life and i humbly ask for your vote. >> that concludes today's debate for the u.s. senate here in the montana television network. we like to think governor bullock and senator daines for a spirited debate today. good luck to both of you as the campaign winds down. our mtn debate team is not quite done yet we invite you to join us in just five minutes at 7:05 tonight for facebook live. we willil be joined by political science professors rob saleem from the university of montana and jeremy johnson as we break downon tonight's debate. that starts at 7:05 on the mtn facebook page across the state. finally, one last pitch for everyone to get out and exercise your right to vote. for mike and our crew behind-the-scenes and our director jane rafferty and producer i'm jay cohen here in billings and thank you so much for all of us of the montana television network and have a great evening. >> stay with mtn news through election day and beyond for in-depth coverage of the 2020 vote from montana's news leader. ♪ >> who will control congress in january? stay informed on all the competitive congressional races leading up to election day with c-span's campaign 2020 coverage. watch the candidates debate and election results on c-span. watch online@c-span .org or listen on the free spent radio app. ...

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