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You work hard to put a roof over your head, and Overhead Solutions works hard to be the

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first choice as a trusted partner to help protect your investment.

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Our team doesn't just repair and replace roofs, we install peace of mind.

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Call us today.

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Today, we're going to learn more about where three of the candidates stand on the issues

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to help you make an informed decision this August.

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Whoever wins the primary will face the winner of the Republican primary in the November

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election.

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Let's meet the candidates.

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From left to right, we have Ginger Murray, Fred Clark, and Chris Armstrong.

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We will hear opening statements in just a moment, but let's get acquainted to the

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rules.

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Candidates will have 90 seconds to answer each question.

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When a follow-up is necessary, the candidate will be given 30 seconds.

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No one has been given the questions in advance.

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Let's start with opening statements, Mr. Clark, your first.

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Well, thank you, Dan.

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Thank you for moderating, and to WJFW, thank you for hosting this important event, and

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for all of your viewers here today, thanks for taking time out of your day to learn about

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this election.

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You know, it was never my dream to go to Washington, but I spent a lot of time last summer and

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thought long and hard about what we need from our Congress and what thousands of people

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across northern Wisconsin deserve and expect from Washington, and I talked to a lot of

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people I trusted.

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I knew this race would be a tough uphill battle, and I knew for a Democrat to win here in

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the 7th Congressional District would take a unique candidate and a lot of work, and

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I decided that he had what it took to enter this election.

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I think people in northern Wisconsin right now are fed up with the chaos that's going

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on in Washington, and they're being affected directly by the actions of this administration

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in so many different ways, and health care with this tariff war, with affordability,

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and what I've learned in my career as a forester, my career as a community leader, and my career

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as a state rural representative is that our small communities work when everybody works

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together.

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I want to bring that same spirit to Washington, D.C., and represent the people of northern

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Wisconsin.

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Now, we'd love to have your support.

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I look forward to this debate.

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Mrs. Murray, your opening statement.

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Thank you.

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Thank you to all of you for hosting us today.

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Thank you, most importantly, voters for paying attention and listening to us today.

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My name is Ginger Murray, and I'm running to be your next Congresswoman in District

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7.

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I am the only female running on the Democratic ticket.

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This is a vast District, 26 counties, and I believe the people here deserve to have

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a representative who listens to learn and who will get you results in return for your

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vote of confidence shown by voting for me on August 11th.

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This district is ready to flip, and I'm not just talking about Republican and Democrat.

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I'm talking about the haves and the have-nots.

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You'll remember Dave Obie had this district for 40 years, one of the best of the good

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old boys we ever had.

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But do you see what's happening now?

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Have you watched as this district voted in Susan Crawford?

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Have you watched as this district flipped over the 50% mark to bring in Chris Taylor?

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Well, I too am a fellow lady, leader, lawyer.

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And I'm looking for that same movement that you were willing to make for Chris Taylor

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to make her a Supreme Court judge here in the state of Wisconsin to allow me to be your

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first Congresswoman in District 7.

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I was born in Eau Claire, raised in Forest County, served as City Attorney of Crandon,

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Town Attorney of Leona, Family Court Commissioner, and I'm happy to be your candidate today.

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Mr. Armstrong, your opening statements.

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Well, howdy folks, Chris Armstrong from Richmond and St. Croix County.

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I grew up of North of Star Prairie on the Apple River.

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I went to school in Amory and got my degree in astrophysics from the University of Minnesota.

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I started programming computers when I was 13 years old and have been running my own IT

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company for 30 years.

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And I got activated after Trump's second inauguration with the flurry of illegal, un-American,

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unconstitutional executive orders, and Elon Musk taking a sledgehammer to the federal government,

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and I couldn't believe that nobody was doing anything about it.

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So I took to the streets in my hometown of Richmond and started protesting by myself

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at the busiest intersection in town at Rush Hour.

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And it was shortly after that that I founded the Richmond Indivisible with other local organizers.

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But with the upcoming April election of Susan Crawford, I felt I needed to do more than

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just sit on my butt and hope that cross my fingers, put up a sign and hope that it would

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all work out.

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So I started working with the St. Croix County and Polk County Democrats, knocking on doors

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in my local community.

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And it was shortly after that in April 2025 that I declared my candidacy as the first

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candidate from either party in April 2025.

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And I'm going, you know, we're going back to Congress because we need to hold this administration

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accountable and get Congress back to doing the work for the people.

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This question will go to Mrs. Murray first.

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Democrats haven't won this seat since 2008 and to be honest, ever since it hasn't been

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close.

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So my question to the candidates, why do you give Democrats the best chance to win in

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November, Mrs. Murray?

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Thank you.

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Yes, Steve Obi was an amazing human being and a great representative for the folks of

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this district.

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After that, we have some gerrymandered boundaries.

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We lost all of our college towns, and that definitely gave Sean Duffy and Tom Tiffany

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an advantage.

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However, as I indicated in my opening statement, since then the lady, lawyer leaders have

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been killing it, crushing it and getting the support of this community.

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Just notably, Susan Crawford pushed this district over the 50 percent mark and showed

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that counties that haven't voted blue in the longest time voted blue for her.

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They are looking for a progressive candidate.

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They are tired of the corruption that is happening in Washington, D.C.

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They want people who are listening and showing up talking to the folks here and who will

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stand for justice.

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As a lawyer, that's been my entire career defending the Constitution.

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I studied it.

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I defend it.

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It is time to get back to the rule of law, and that is what I do best.

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I believe that the voters in this district are absolutely looking for someone to take

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the reins.

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There are 96 other women in the Democratic caucus who are waiting for more women to join

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them, to hold people accountable in Washington, D.C., and I fit that bill.

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I sure hope they will send me to D.C., so I can take care of business for them there.

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No retainers, no lawyer fees.

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Mr. Armstrong, why do you give Democrats the best chance to win?

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Well, you know, I have a good question.

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I am just a normal guy.

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I grew up here, went to school here, raised my family here, started my company here, formed

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a grassroots organization in my community, and I think what people are looking for is

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just normal people that are going to get up there and advocate for them and really

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hold this administration accountable and start advocating for policies that are really going

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to make a difference in people's lives.

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What I've heard across the district, not just in Richmond, is it's not just Democrats,

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but it's also independents and Republicans that are really sick of the status quo.

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They're really frustrated with this administration being, you know, corrupt and criminal, not

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being held accountable, not following the Constitution.

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And I think we just need, you know, a fresh perspective, you know, new people to represent

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us here in the 7th District.

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Mr. Clark, same question.

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Yeah, I'm, when I'm bringing to this job is my experience as a small business owner and

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also as a, I'm the only candidate in this race whose head experience is a rural elected

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representative.

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I served in the Wisconsin State Assembly representing parts of SOC, Columbia, and Marquette counties

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between 2009 and 2014, and something that I learned then in that experience was that

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in order to be effective in your job as a representative in a district that's very mixed politically,

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you have to commit to working with everybody.

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You have to commit to engaging every person you represent with respect and with listening

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and with the willingness to find solutions.

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I used to tell the people that I worked with, I don't care whether you voted for me or not,

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it's my job to represent you and I'm going to do that to the best of my ability.

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So in this campaign, I'm reaching out to voters with the same proposition that this election

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is more about character than it is about party.

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On the right over to farm technology days in the wagon today, I ended up speaking with

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a farmer for about five minutes who told me, are you a Democrat?

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I said, yes, I am.

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I'm a proud Democrat.

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He said, well, I haven't voted for a Democrat since Jimmy Carter.

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I don't know if I'm going to vote for you, but we ended up talking for another four minutes

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about his dairy herd, about his knee replacements, and about what life is like managing a small

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farm.

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And it's exactly the commitment that I want to bring to everybody in the seven congressional

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district and representation that works for everybody.

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Our next question goes to Mr. Armstrong first.

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Health care remains one of the biggest issues facing.

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I asked for a rebuttal.

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Yeah, I'm going to be issuing the rebuttals, not you.

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Oh, I'm sorry.

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Next question goes to Mr. Armstrong first.

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Health care remains one of the biggest issues facing Americans, and in rural areas like

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the seventh, it can verge uninaccessible.

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Within the Democratic Party, there's disagreement about the best path forward.

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Some support Medicare for all.

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Others want to build on the Affordable Care Act.

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If elected to Congress, what approach would you support Mr. Armstrong first?

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Sure.

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Well, I think the Affordable Care Act and Patient Protection Act, which of course got

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rid of the prerequisites and preconditions, I think is a bridge to a different program.

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I don't admit to be a health care policy expert, but Medicare for all sure seems to be something

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that is viable.

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If we look at the other side, it appears as if health care is something that they believe

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you have to work for in order to get.

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And I think that's completely backwards.

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You have to be physically and mentally healthy to be able to work.

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And we're the richest country in the world and the history of this planet, and there's

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just no excuse that we can't deliver high quality health care for everybody in this

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district.

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We're, again, it's very challenging given the low population density.

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We shouldn't have to be able to drive an hour or two to get the health care we need,

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be able to have birthing centers.

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We need to be able to attract physicians and providers here.

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So there's a lot of work to do, but we know with the innovation and know-how and the right

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kind of support, I'm sure that we can deliver that for the seventh district.

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Mr. Clark, your health care solution.

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Well, right now in northern Wisconsin, we are facing a health care crisis.

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And let's be clear.

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Their health care system didn't work perfectly by a long shot before 2025.

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But what this administration and this Congress has done by limiting the Affordable Care

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Act tax credits and by cutting almost a trillion dollars out of our national Medicaid program,

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which will take effect at the end of this year, they have precipitated a crisis that

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is going to affect every one of us.

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Now, there are rural clinics and rural hospitals in northern Wisconsin that depend on more

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than 50 to 60 percent of their revenue from Medicaid, which in Wisconsin is our Badger

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Care program.

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Those clinics are going to lose millions of dollars of revenue.

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Thousands of Wisconsinites are going to lose coverage.

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It's going to affect their health and their welfare.

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But those clinics, those hospitals, more than we'll close, more providers will leave our

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area in what's already a very thinly stretched rural health care system.

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And that will affect every single one of us in northern Wisconsin, regardless of where

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we get our coverage, because we'll lose access to care that we need.

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The first thing Congress needs to do is restore those cuts and restore the funding for Medicaid.

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And then we need to look forward to how we find health care that works for everybody.

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I support strengthening Medicare.

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I support lowering Medicare enrollment age.

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And I support creating a public option that will make affordable health care run by the

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Medicare program available to everyone at any age for a fair price.

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Mrs. Murray, same question to you.

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Yes, thank you.

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That's an excellent question.

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I know health care is on the mind of everyone I've talked to in the district.

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I've noticed at different places where the leave questionnaires or surveys consistently

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health care concerns are number one for the constituents of the CD district number seven.

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Medicare for all, Affordable Care Act, public option, those are all improvements from where

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we sit today.

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This administration has taken us backwards as it relates to health care for all.

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I am for universal health care.

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I do not over, I don't over estimate my impact or influence.

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I will be one of 435 people who will be voting on this issue in the House of Representatives.

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I come at it from a different perspective.

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As an attorney who settles 90% of my cases, I look at what the problem is.

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I figure out what answer is it that we need.

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And the work is how do we get there?

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And so I will work with the other members in the House of Representatives, whether it's

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Medicare for all, whether it's improvements on the Affordable Care Act or public option.

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As long as we're making progress, I'm in favor of it.

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As long as we get results, not empty promises to our people, they need real results and

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they need them really quick.

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And I can't imagine any elected official actually being able to say that their constituents

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don't need help in this area.

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So I hope that we will be able to get it done immediately.

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Let's move on to some individualized questions.

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We'll start with Mr. Clark.

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Mr. Clark, you're portraying yourself as a middle of the road candidate.

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It's a similar playbook to your successful runs for assembly, but let's go back to Act

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10 in 2011.

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You attempted to unseat a state senator in a highly charged recall election.

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Are you really as bipartisan and independently minded as you say you are?

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That's a great question.

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I appreciate that.

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I served from 2009 to 2014 in the state assembly.

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My own state senator, Luther Olson, was somebody who I worked, who was a Republican.

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Who I've worked with closely on many issues, and we had a strong working relationship.

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Unfortunately, during Scott Walker's first term in office, his signature piece of legislation, Act 10,

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basically stripped away the rights for public employee unions throughout the state.

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And that unfortunately divided Wisconsin in a way that we haven't seen probably since the Civil War.

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I made a decision then to run against Senator Olson in one of the recall elections.

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And I'll tell you that there was one of the most intense campaigns I've ever experienced.

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And unfortunately, it was something that Wisconsin became divided over so unnecessarily.

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But you mentioned me as a middle of the road candidate, I'll recharacterize that.

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I'm willing to work with anybody who's willing to work with me to help get things done for the people that I represent.

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But I'm not going to sacrifice my values as a candidate committed to fairness and

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equity and having government work in a way that benefits all of us.

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And what happened here in Act 10 unfortunately divided this state, we need unity more than ever.

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I won't sacrifice my values in order to get that.

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I'm going to follow up with you Mr. Clark in 2011 in that recall election.

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You called a female voter and she hung up on you.

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You said quote, I feel like calling her back and smacking her around end quote.

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And this was caught on her voicemail.

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Can you address this exchange?

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I sure will and I have addressed it and I'll address that any time.

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It was a very unfortunate conversation with at a point where I thought the phone had hung up and

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the woman had said something to me that offended to me.

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She was completely with and her rights to say that.

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And I made a statement that was completely indefensible when I thought I was in private.

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When I learned that she had heard that, I called her immediately and I apologized.

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And I sent her a letter of apology which she accepted.

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But something more important is that I learned from that, is that our words matter.

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And who we're speaking about and how we speak about others matters.

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And it matters whether you're alone or whether you're talking to someone or about someone.

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And I took some important lessons from that experience that have really served me well in the 15 years since then.

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Thank you, Mr. Clark.

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Now to Mrs. Murray, you said in an interview with Up North News that quote,

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I could not for one second think of anything that President Trump has done that I would aspire to do.

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End quote, do you stand by what you said and you'll probably need some Trump voters to vote for you to win a selection?

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Is that the right message?

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Thank you.

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I also had an interview with Dale Reiman where he asked me what is it that President Trump has done that you appreciate.

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And the clarification that I was able to bring during that interview is that we have some of the same thoughts.

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It's his execution that I don't agree with.

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For example, there can be a reason to have tariffs when you're trying to make our domestic manufacturers more competitive.

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However, the way that he did it and the way that it's like a mystery to folks, what the tariff is going to be this day versus that day.

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I just don't believe in the way that he's executing the plans that he wanted.

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I believe in America first, I don't believe in the way he's doing it.

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It's unconstitutional to start a war unless we're under attack or there's an imminent threat.

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And yet, he took us to war without getting the permission of Congress, which is required by Article 1.

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I don't appreciate that he has given agents the right to violate due process and

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use lethal force to kill agents who are costing and

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murdering citizens who are out there using their first amendment right for freedom of speech and assembly.

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They are engaging in a violation of Fourth Amendment freedom from unreasonable search and seizures, and he's doing nothing about it.

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And we just had two more people killed in the last 48 hours.

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The president is supposed to lead from the top and show us how to do things right by example.

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He is unleashing chaos into our communities, and that needs to end.

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So there's still nothing that you would agree with that the president has done, according to your statement.

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Is there nothing that he's done?

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There is not very much that I appreciate that he has done.

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When I think about President Trump, he got elected.

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So I give him credit for getting people to the polls that had never been to the polls before.

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And I will take that as a lesson.

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He reached out to folks who had given up or never cared about government, and he figured out how to get them to the polls.

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He has learned how to do his messaging so people pay attention.

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I will give him credit for that, and I am trying to learn to be more concise than my words.

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Thank you, Mr. Murray.

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Now to Mr. Armstrong, you've never run for office before.

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That could be an asset, but it can also be a liability, as we saw in Maine just recently, it can completely derail an election.

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So Mr. Armstrong, are there any skeletons in your closet that you'd like to get off your chest?

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No, I don't think that what happened in Maine, I think, didn't have anything to do with Mr. Plattner's lack of experience that had to do with judgment, apparently, and in the past.

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So if you look at the U.S. Constitution qualifications for holding the seat in the U.S. representatives, it's pretty simple.

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It's got to be 25 years old, doesn't say anything about having to have held political office before.

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And in fact, as everyone knows, the policy turns over in its entirety every two years.

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So that tells me that the founders expected that the entire representative of the states might turn over 100%.

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So, you know, I think what people are looking for is a fresh perspective.

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They're looking for bold, fearless, relentless leaders that are willing to go to the mat for the people.

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And that's what I'm going to do for the people in the seventh district.

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Your two fellow candidates on the stage have held elected office.

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They arguably would know more about how government works, or people, should they be worried that you might not know how to get things done in Washington, D.C.?

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I don't think so.

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My job as an enterprise architect and a systems engineer, and a big part of that is something called governance.

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And the whole idea is that we want to be able to provide facts and information to make things fair, transparent, accountable.

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And so I've got a lot of experience in the consulting work that I've done for state and federal government agencies and large organizations about what it means to try to govern your business strategy and

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your IT portfolio.

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Okay, back to our normal, least scheduled questions.

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Our next question goes to Mr. Clark first.

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If Democrats win the House, there is a decent chance some members will again pursue articles of impeachment against Donald Trump.

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Would you support this, Mr. Clark?

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So, right now, what we see from Washington is what any of us can read in the newspapers.

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And the outright and overt violations of the law, including the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution,

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including any number of corrupt actions that are clearly illegal on their face,

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is something that we can all read about and members of this administration have actually been open about that they're doing.

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But the role of impeachment in our Congress is a critical role that needs to be approached solemnly.

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I believe the first step is investigations, and I think the House of Representatives is the body that needs to begin those investigations to determine and document violations of the law.

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And from there, the House would make a decision about whether to file articles of impeachment and pursue an impeachment investigation and bring that to the Senate.

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So, I can't tell you how I would vote on that, but what I can tell you is that the investigations need to begin,

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and we have all the evidence that we need for violations of the law and corrupt activities that Americans of all political persuasions are seen and they're appalled by.

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And our Congress needs to be the first body of the federal government that reverses that and holds the people that have done that to account.

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And I will be part of that process.

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Now, to Mrs. Murray, would you support articles of impeachment?

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Thank you for that question.

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We get asked that all the time at our town hall meetings and at our forums.

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We have already impeached this president twice.

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If the fellow members, the other 434 members of the House of Representatives, if there is a majority that thinks that that's what we need to do to do what's right for the folks who come out on government to take action and hold someone accountable, I would absolutely support it.

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What I also want to say is there are other moves that are being made, some people play chess, some people play checkers.

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There are other folks that I watch specifically, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury.

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I know that there are other things that they are looking at.

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They've called the question as to whether or not we should have the other group that's available under the amendment 25 that allows for impeachment there.

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I think back to the days of Nixon.

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There was a special investigation that was required then.

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Dick Cates was the attorney who was a special investigator and Hillary Rodham was his assistant.

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I worked for lawton and Cates for some time.

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I am aware of the work that Dick Cates did for our country at that time.

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I agree with my colleague, Fred Clark, that an investigation is necessary.

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I also think it won't take very long considering all the information that we already have.

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I also think the fastest way to remove the current administration is to get to the bottom of the Epstein files.

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The women, we'll talk about that more later.

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That is fine. Mr. Armstrong, same question.

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The answer is absolutely.

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I mean, it is actually the primary foundation of my campaign, which is we need to hold this administration accountable.

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It breaks the law and does not follow the Constitution every single day.

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The fact is that Trump admits it publicly.

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He is certainly the most transparent corrupt criminal politician we have ever seen.

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There is a preponderance of evidence.

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However, I'll defer to Ginger and her expertise in trials on the proper procedures.

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The first thing I'm going to do when I get seated in the next Congress is work with my fellow members,

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both Democrats and Republicans to introduce articles of impeachment.

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Because the thing I think viewers want to understand is today is the worst day of the Trump administration until tomorrow.

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So this administration knows no depth of the cruelty and criminality.

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What's the point of passing any new legislation when they currently don't obey any of the laws that we already have?

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So it's not easy. It's not simple.

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But it's something we have to do.

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I will take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution.

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And it is the constitutional remedy for taking care of a president who abuses his power.

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We will start with Mrs. Murray for this next question.

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Across northern Wisconsin, employers say one of their biggest challenges isn't finding jobs.

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It's finding housing for workers in communities across this district.

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Teachers, nurses, police officers and young families are struggling to find homes they can't afford.

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What role should the federal government play in addressing this housing shortage?

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Mrs. Murray?

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Yes, thank you.

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Affordable housing most definitely is an issue, especially in the Northwoods.

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I see that in line with many other things that we also have affordability issues with.

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We've talked about health care and talking with farmers and loggers.

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They're also worried about how to bring in that next generation or have a successor plan in place.

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I think that the federal government needs to find funds that are available

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without going into further debt. So we need to have funding that's available

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to assist with people who are interested in buying a home,

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somewhat like the student loans that I had, where you can have interest free

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or very low interest at the beginning, and then you can have graduated payments.

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When folks are just starting a new job and relocating,

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it is a very expensive time in their life. It's an uncertain time that you have to move,

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that costs money, you're starting at a job, you might be there as a probationary employee.

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And so I think just how we treat student loans, we should have that available for people starting

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jobs instead of going to school, that we should have financing available where the government

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will get paid back, but that we help folks who are trying to prosper and grow our rural communities

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by having subsidized or assistance in financing through the federal government.

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That would apply towards farmers and foresters, as well as people trying to buy that first-time

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house. We know statistics say right now, you're almost 40 years old before you're buying a house,

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that needs to change. Now to Mr. Armstrong, same question, what should the federal government do

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about the housing shortage? Well, of course, you know, this is a challenge that, you know,

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transcends multiple jurisdictions. So there's certainly state and local, you know, permitting

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issues about being able to build multi-dwelling small houses, you know, a lot of people

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in the Northwood, you know, use mobile homes or prefab homes that are subjected to, you know,

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some unnecessary restrictions. I know that, you know, my wife, you know, she was the beneficiary

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of, you know, having a very low down payment, you know, due to a program from President Obama,

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I think programs like that are pretty essential. But, you know, we also have to deal with the fact that,

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you know, everything is more expensive right now, you know. So the cost of building a house

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because of the insane terrace, you know, the, you know, who are the people that are going to build

402
00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:39,800
this? The cost of electricity, you know, to operate it. So there's, you know, a lot of different

403
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dimensions. But I think, you know, the, you know, the federal government definitely has a role in

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trying to give people, you know, a leg up and trying to pursue, you know, the American dream

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00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:53,960
of home ownership. And I think there's a lot that we could do in Congress.

406
00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:56,920
Now to Mr. Clark, same question.

407
00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:02,440
Well, this is one of those problems that's, it's multifaceted and it's going to require

408
00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:07,480
both the federal government, along with state governments, local governments, and community

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00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:12,120
leaders to address. There's not a single solution. It's one of those silver buckshot problems.

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00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:16,840
I will tell you that one of the things I agree with our President about is that he allowed to

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pass into law a bipartisan housing bill that was one of the first significant legislative

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achievements around housing in at least 20 years. So credit where credit is due. But we need to

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00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:36,440
look at the cost of housing for homeowners. And the 7% mortgage, that's almost impossible for

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many people to leave the home that they're in and move to another one, even if they want to move

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to a smaller home. But for many homeowners today, property taxes is another burden on

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affordability and the ability to stay in their homes. But the cost of building a house is

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00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:56,760
exorbitant right now and it's so much higher than it was even 20 years ago. We need a workforce

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that can help build those houses. Chris mentioned it. We need to invest and allow create rules that

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allow efficiently, efficiently built manufactured housing to lower the cost of getting into a house.

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We've got to provide incentives for developers to provide housing that's affordable for working

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people. And then we've got to put the limits on commercial investors who want to buy up

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hundreds of single family homes and turn them into rental units. And those homes are no longer

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available for people to own that home and start building their equity, which is what the American

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dream used to be. We'll go to Mr. Armstrong first on this one. It's a very straightforward question.

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What's one promise you're making tonight that voters can hold you accountable for if you're

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00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:46,120
elected, Mr. Armstrong? Well, I'll be real. I'll tell you the truth.

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I will work tirelessly for you. You know, the representatives that we've had here for 16 years.

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I looked at, you know, you know, are we more prosperous? Is there more opportunity? Do we have

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00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:11,000
better jobs? You know, is health care cheaper? Are you healthier? Is the air cleaner? Is the

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00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:16,840
water cleaner? You know, having grown up here and had the, you know, the wonderful experience of

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knowing what it's like to, you know, be a part of this part of the country. You know, I'm committed,

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you know, because of, you know, me and my family growing up here and, you know, my daughter and

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00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:35,480
my grandson growing up here, you know, that I'm committed, you know, to making this the best

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possible place in the United States to live because it is, you know, a unique place amongst all across

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00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:48,520
the world. Mr. Clark, one promise you can make to voters? Well, the promise I can make to voters is

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that I will be in every county in this district every year in order to do the job that voters

437
00:32:56,840 --> 00:33:01,080
should expect and demand from their representative in Congress. And then we'll start by showing up

438
00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:07,240
and listening and engaging voters and citizens with respect that they deserve and a willingness

439
00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:13,080
to find solutions that get outside our normal political boundaries. One of the issues that

440
00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:20,280
will be a signature issue for me is how we revitalize our northern Wisconsin economy. And for so many

441
00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:25,320
years, the North Woods has been really held up and our prosperity has been so dependent on our

442
00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:32,120
forest resource and our recreation economy. And right now we're suffering and so many

443
00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:38,120
northern Wisconsin communities are suffering. The federal government has a role to play to help

444
00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:43,480
restore a prosperous forest-based economy that will drive jobs and will drive the right kind of

445
00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:49,160
development in order to create the opportunity for the children of people who live in northern

446
00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:55,000
Wisconsin to stay in these communities and contribute to the prosperity and the vitality that so many

447
00:33:55,000 --> 00:34:01,000
people have enjoyed here for so many generations. Mrs. Murray, a promise you can make to voters.

448
00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:11,000
Thank you. My promise is to not stand on promises or platforms but to focus on results. I think that

449
00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:18,120
this district, number one, has felt ignored for far too long. And when folks aren't coming in

450
00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:23,160
to gather information and to learn about what's needed, you cannot get the job done for folks.

451
00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:29,880
So I am results oriented and to be able to get those results, number one, I have to be accountable

452
00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:37,000
to folks and show up. Once in each county per year is a minimum, my goal is to work on having an

453
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:41,720
app that's available so every time there's a vote going up, folks can chime in and tell me what

454
00:34:41,720 --> 00:34:48,840
their thoughts are about the votes that I'll be taking. Number two, to be accountable to what I

455
00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:53,800
stand for, which is following the law and holding other people accountable when they're not following

456
00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:59,800
the law. And number three, to hold me accountable for getting results so that we have progress in

457
00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:06,360
the Northwoods on the affordability of housing, on quality health care that's available to all

458
00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:11,800
people in the northern district so that you don't have to cross county lines to get to an OBGYN,

459
00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:16,440
that you don't have to go to two different doctors in order to have appointments for the next appointment.

460
00:35:17,240 --> 00:35:23,480
So results oriented, holding me accountable to everything that I say tonight, to everything that

461
00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:28,120
I've said to anyone during this campaign, results oriented, hold me accountable.

462
00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:35,560
Our next question, we'll go to Mr. Clark next. Just in the past 24 hours, tensions with Iran

463
00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:41,240
have escalated again with the US carrying out additional military strikes. If these tensions

464
00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:46,760
continue, Congress may be asked to authorize military action, approve additional funding,

465
00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:52,200
or weigh in on the president's war powers. So if elected, what role should the United States

466
00:35:52,200 --> 00:36:00,200
play in confronting Iran? Mr. Clark? Well, we are in a very difficult situation in Iran right now,

467
00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:06,920
and there is a reason that US presidents, Republican and Democrat, going back to Jimmy Carter,

468
00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:12,680
have realized that attacking Iran would be a mistake that would bring risks,

469
00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:19,400
that would threaten both the US and the global economy. This administration, unfortunately,

470
00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:25,320
never learned that lesson, and took us to war with no oversight and no consultation with the US

471
00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:33,640
Congress, with a lack of planning that has resulted in what right now we can only characterize as a

472
00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:40,360
quagmire. And the president sending his son-in-law and his buddy over to negotiate with the Iranians

473
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:48,920
who are hard-nosed, smart people, was almost guaranteed to result in a deal that fell apart

474
00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:53,880
and put the United States in one of the weakest positions we've been in global affairs in many,

475
00:36:53,880 --> 00:37:01,160
many years. Congress needs to first reassume the authority over war powers, and this administration

476
00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:05,640
needs to be talking to Congress right now for any new authority for hostilities against Iran.

477
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:12,360
And we need to figure out a way to bring stability to this region, including stability to our oil

478
00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:19,960
markets, because every single American right now is paying more because of what this war has caused,

479
00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:24,440
and this president seems to be uninterested in figuring out how to solve it.

480
00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:27,720
Mrs. Murray, same question.

481
00:37:27,720 --> 00:37:35,560
Thank you. Talking about the war is just difficult from the get-go, you know, so I have seen my dad

482
00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:39,400
with his friends who were in Vietnam and what happened to them from what they saw when they were

483
00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:49,800
there. I have friends and cousins who were in Iraq when I was off in college, and to imagine us

484
00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:54,520
increasing it, you have to realize we're going to be looking at boots on the ground.

485
00:37:55,240 --> 00:38:00,920
This was an unconstitutional war to begin with. Our president failed to do what he was supposed

486
00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:10,600
to do. I'm opposed to this war. Not only is it a bad choice and it's unconstitutional,

487
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:16,840
we don't have what a country should have if you're going to declare a war. We don't have our allies.

488
00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:24,520
This administration has burned so many bridges with the people that we have always been able to

489
00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:33,080
count on as our allies. We need to be rebuilding relationships, not bombing schools full of children,

490
00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:39,160
not bombing colleges full of researchers. I can remember with the next morning we were told that

491
00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:43,720
this is about a change of regime. Then the next day the message was we just have to make sure that

492
00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:50,840
they don't have a nuclear weapon. We have weapons that have laser precision and yet we're responsible

493
00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:56,440
for the death of 150 children in a school. This needs to come to an end. I would vote against

494
00:38:56,440 --> 00:39:01,080
giving more money for this war. Finally, Mr. Armstrong.

495
00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:08,520
This puts the Congress and the American people in a pretty tough position. You've got to hand

496
00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:16,280
it to President Trump. Most presidents, a lot of presidents are engaged by affordability and the

497
00:39:16,280 --> 00:39:24,520
price of gas. To be quite honest, the policies of any administration in Congress really don't

498
00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:31,000
have a lot to do with that. It's just remarkable that President Trump did the one thing that was

499
00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:38,280
going to guarantee to increase gas prices, fertilizer and chemical prices. It's just astounding how

500
00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:47,000
stupid and imbecile this move has been. One of the big problems is not only did he not consult

501
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:53,640
Congress, which as Ginger and Fred said, was a constitutional responsibility because again,

502
00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:59,480
this was not an imminent attack. This was not a provocation. This was totally a

503
00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:13,560
war of choice. We did it alone. Trump gets pissed off because he wants to cut off trade to Spain

504
00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:20,680
because they didn't allow airplanes to refuel at their air bases. I don't blame him. We didn't

505
00:40:20,680 --> 00:40:25,720
talk to Spain. We didn't talk to anybody in NATO about what was going on. How are we going to get

506
00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:31,560
out of this? I'm not really sure. I don't know. It's going to be really tough for America to

507
00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:35,800
save face in this incredible debacle. But I'm sure there's something we can do about it.

508
00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:40,680
It's time for us to take a short break. We'll be back in about eight minutes. During our break,

509
00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:45,480
our chief meteorologist, Jeff Weller, will have a forecast for you. We will return with more

510
00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:47,160
questions with the candidates shortly.

511
00:40:55,720 --> 00:40:59,960
You have everything it takes. I've always wanted to do this.

512
00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:09,080
AGT, tonight on NBC and Peacock.

513
00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:12,680
Watch it now. Oh, my God.

514
00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:19,160
Tonight, it's the real housewives of Password, the NALI reunion.

515
00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:24,200
Password, tonight on NBC and Peacock.

516
00:41:25,720 --> 00:41:29,480
What if there was a place where every kid got a chance to be great?

517
00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:37,400
There is a place, and there's no other place like it. It's my school, Milton Hershey School.

518
00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:42,840
Our founders were Milton Hershey, the famous chocolate maker, and his wife,

519
00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:48,760
Catherine. They wanted to help children who didn't have much to create a place that was safe.

520
00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:55,000
The Hershey's believe learnings didn't have a price, so we don't pay anything to go to school

521
00:41:55,000 --> 00:42:01,080
here. Everything reading is taken care of, even a place to live with other students

522
00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:04,280
our age, with caring houseparents to watch over us.

523
00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:11,640
In our homes, we learn to accept and appreciate one another, because the things that make us

524
00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:19,080
different bring us together. Our classrooms, they have no walls. We learn by doing through

525
00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:22,920
programs that give us an early start on college and our careers.

526
00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:31,560
You seem more than a school. We're a community. We change lives. I know, because this place changed

527
00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:38,120
mine. Milton Hershey once said that if he could provide for a hundred kids, it would be worth it.

528
00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:44,440
But look at us now, more than a century of memories. And there's still more good to do,

529
00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:50,520
because here we have the chance to be great, and you, you can be next.

530
00:43:52,920 --> 00:44:01,560
All right, we're in. Can you find a cloud mode across the area today? Plenty of sunshine,

531
00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:05,560
high temperatures back in the 90s. Tomorrow, those more clouds across the region and

532
00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:12,280
slightly cooler tomorrow. The average high 80, the average low 55, will have lows tonight down

533
00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:18,040
near 70 at their high state and mid 90s across the area that record high 102 back in 1936.

534
00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:24,280
The sun sets now at 845 these days. Okay, going forward though, so slightly cooler tomorrow,

535
00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:30,600
the high of 92, 89 for us on Thursday, 85 for Friday. But look, there's some 70s back in the 70s

536
00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:36,600
forecast, but they are, of course, a week away. All right, not just heat, also incredibly humid

537
00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:42,440
outside due points upper 60s, low 70s. It's like Key West tropical out there. We have the heat,

538
00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:46,600
the humidity. Also, there's not a big breeze in the area at all the coolest down.

539
00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:51,560
Likely going calm again tonight. So as temperatures meet the two points tonight,

540
00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:55,160
we'll likely get some dense fog once again. If you're out driving, you know, three, four,

541
00:44:55,160 --> 00:45:00,440
five, six a.m. Likely that dense fog in the area before sunrise tomorrow morning. Okay,

542
00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:04,680
we're going forward though. So outside now, lots of clear skies for us. But looking to the west,

543
00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:10,760
this ridge, this big heat dome ridge is eventually going to break down beginning as soon as late

544
00:45:10,760 --> 00:45:15,560
tomorrow, but more so throughout the day on Thursday into Friday. And finally, some rainfall is back

545
00:45:15,560 --> 00:45:20,440
in the forecast for us, especially on Friday. So tomorrow, increasing clouds throughout the day,

546
00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:25,080
tomorrow evening, some showers north of our area. And then really, by Thursday, it begins to kind

547
00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:29,880
of sag down our direction. And there is definitely some good rain in the forecast for us on Friday.

548
00:45:29,880 --> 00:45:33,320
Our forecast going forward. They'll look at this, right? Cooler temperatures are on the way. Just

549
00:45:33,320 --> 00:45:38,120
hold the hand. A slight chance for rain showers on Thursday. A pretty good chance for storms on

550
00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:42,280
Friday into Saturday morning. Then Sunday looks great. Probably cloudy skies and high temperatures

551
00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:45,640
back in the mid eighties.

552
00:46:42,280 --> 00:47:10,040
I believe you have everything it takes. I've always wanted to do this.

553
00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:11,800
Tonight on NBC and Peacock.

554
00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:15,400
Watching now. Oh my god.

555
00:47:17,240 --> 00:47:21,880
Tonight, it's the Real Housewives of Password. The Nally reunion.

556
00:47:22,920 --> 00:47:26,920
We're ready to make it nice. Password tonight on NBC and Peacock.

557
00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:33,160
I'm Ginger Murray. Born and raised in Wisconsin, I grew up here in the Northwoods. I've spent my

558
00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:39,640
entire career advocating for children and families. Like many of you, I am fed up with the federal

559
00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:44,760
government cutting taxes for billionaires while cutting services for the people who needed in

560
00:47:44,760 --> 00:47:51,400
the Northwoods. I'm a straight shooter. It's past time to blast tax breaks for billionaires.

561
00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:56,920
I'm Ginger Murray. I approve this ad. I hope to earn your vote. No actual animals were harmed

562
00:47:56,920 --> 00:48:04,200
during this ad. Bam. My accident. My accident happened in a second. My settlement. Let's take

563
00:48:04,200 --> 00:48:08,600
in a really long time. If you've been injured in an accident and need money now while your case

564
00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:10,360
settles, call Oasis today.

565
00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:22,920
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566
00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:28,840
Express cash is easy and takes three minutes. We'll work with your attorney. And if you're approved,

567
00:48:28,840 --> 00:48:36,600
it's you $500 to $100,000 in as little as 24 hours. Use it for bills. Rent. Whatever you need

568
00:48:36,600 --> 00:48:42,440
help with. So call now or go online to apply. Remember, there's no risk to you.

569
00:48:42,440 --> 00:48:49,480
Better days. Better days. Better days start today. Oasis financial because life moves faster than

570
00:48:49,480 --> 00:48:56,280
your case. Call now. Once approved, get your money in as little as 24 hours. 1-800-745-9991.

571
00:49:07,080 --> 00:49:13,160
Primary debate. Our first question will go to Mrs. Murray. The Trump administration has called for

572
00:49:13,160 --> 00:49:18,920
increasing timber production on federal lands. While many in the industry argue that the bigger

573
00:49:18,920 --> 00:49:24,680
problem isn't the timber supply, it's the loss of paper and pulp mills like the ones in Wisconsin

574
00:49:24,680 --> 00:49:31,720
Rapids and Park Falls that process it. Which should Congress focus on increasing logging on public

575
00:49:31,720 --> 00:49:37,240
lands investing in new wood processing facilities or something else? Mrs. Murray.

576
00:49:38,360 --> 00:49:45,080
Thank you, Dan. That is something that has been on my radar for a very long time. Having grown up

577
00:49:45,080 --> 00:49:51,560
in Forest County, I have many cousins that rely on timber harvest as their means of supporting

578
00:49:51,560 --> 00:49:56,360
their families. Those cousins who used to like have fun with me and let me hang out as one of the

579
00:49:56,760 --> 00:50:03,480
guys in the group. When I was at a fundraiser for the shooting range kids at the school,

580
00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:09,800
my cousin said to me, gender, we're facing bankruptcy in about three years. And I said,

581
00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:15,800
are you kidding me? Like your family has always done so well in the forestry business. And he

582
00:50:15,800 --> 00:50:21,400
said, no, the mills are shutting down. We don't have a place to take our wood. And that not only

583
00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:25,560
affects the folks who are in the woods cutting it, but also then my other cousin who drives truck

584
00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:34,040
to haul the wood out of the forest are in trouble. So I have been trying to figure out what can

585
00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:39,400
Congress do to help the folks that I call family in Forest County and across the district. So we

586
00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:44,200
have the cross laminated timber, which is now a product that can be used and substitute for the

587
00:50:44,200 --> 00:50:52,360
steel beams. I know they're looking for ways to use the biomass pulp for like fuel. They were

588
00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:59,640
looking at, you know, creating plain fuel from from the remnants. It is about finding places that

589
00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:07,560
will use it. And we talked today about perhaps data centers could be using biomass fuel from the

590
00:51:07,560 --> 00:51:12,200
timber industry for their energy. Mr Armstrong, same question.

591
00:51:13,240 --> 00:51:18,600
I'd say, well, you know, generally speaking, you know, when when I'm seated in Congress,

592
00:51:18,600 --> 00:51:24,120
I will certainly defer to Fred and be given a recall on forestry policies, since that is his

593
00:51:24,120 --> 00:51:31,880
expertise. So, you know, you know, learning lessons from the past, you know, there's virtually no,

594
00:51:31,880 --> 00:51:39,080
you know, old growth forest left in Wisconsin. So I do not believe that doing more timber in our

595
00:51:39,080 --> 00:51:43,960
national forest is the right answer. You're doing that, you know, responsibly as it relates to

596
00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:51,080
the environment is absolutely essential. I think the repealing of the roadless rule

597
00:51:51,640 --> 00:51:57,000
is going to cause, you know, widespread devastation to our ecosystem. That being said, you know,

598
00:51:57,000 --> 00:52:01,960
ginger also brought up some good points. You know, I think, you know, I really don't know

599
00:52:01,960 --> 00:52:06,920
why the wood pulp processing plants are closing. I guess it has something to do with economics and

600
00:52:06,920 --> 00:52:12,040
supply chains. But, you know, if there's opportunities to diversify that industry, I think we should

601
00:52:12,040 --> 00:52:18,840
explore them. And like Ginger said, there is some investment going on in the Hayward area around

602
00:52:18,840 --> 00:52:25,560
using the remnants, the sawdust and scraps for sustainable aviation fuel. That's, I think,

603
00:52:25,560 --> 00:52:30,600
a real big opportunity because most of the world's airlines have committed to transitioning

604
00:52:30,600 --> 00:52:36,280
to that by, I think, 20, 40 or so, as well as, again, you know, laminated wood products. So,

605
00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:39,880
you know, timber is still going to be a part of Wisconsin's history. Just we got to figure out

606
00:52:39,880 --> 00:52:44,520
how to make it economically viable and sustainable. Now's a Mr. Clark's same question.

607
00:52:45,640 --> 00:52:51,720
Yeah, I've spent most of my career thinking about forests, managing forests, and try to make an

608
00:52:51,720 --> 00:52:58,920
entire forest sector work. And right now, we don't have a supply problem. We already grow a

609
00:52:58,920 --> 00:53:03,480
tremendous amount of timber in this state. We have a demand problem. And then the president's

610
00:53:03,480 --> 00:53:08,360
executive order to increase timber supply will do nothing to help the forest sector that

611
00:53:08,440 --> 00:53:14,840
makes up about 15% of the gross domestic product of northern Wisconsin. This is the single biggest

612
00:53:14,840 --> 00:53:20,440
economic sector that we have. And it's declining, as Ginger and Chris both pointed out, the pulp

613
00:53:20,440 --> 00:53:25,720
and paper sector, which Wisconsin is the number one in, has been declining year after year for

614
00:53:25,720 --> 00:53:30,920
the last 20 years. And with those mills goes jobs. And with those mills goes the ability to manage

615
00:53:30,920 --> 00:53:35,640
forests by the states, the counties, and the Schromiga-Nicole National Forest, which is actually

616
00:53:35,720 --> 00:53:40,440
one of the most productive timber forests in the country. So what's the solution? Well,

617
00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:45,720
we need to invest in new product development. Something has got to replace pulp and paper.

618
00:53:45,720 --> 00:53:51,080
Biofuels is one excellent example. There's concerns about what biofuels would mean.

619
00:53:52,520 --> 00:53:58,120
I organized a meeting last month between members of the LeCudire tribe and Hayward,

620
00:53:58,120 --> 00:54:03,720
and folks seeking to develop a biofuel plant in Hayward to help bridge understanding and bring

621
00:54:03,800 --> 00:54:07,560
people together to better understand what that opportunity means and how we could secure that

622
00:54:07,560 --> 00:54:12,040
investment without threatening the sustainability of the resource. That's really what it's all about,

623
00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:15,720
but I want to bring that experience to Congress and I want to bring that experience to northern

624
00:54:15,720 --> 00:54:22,280
Wisconsin. Mr. Clark, we're going to go right back to you for this question. Snowmobile season has

625
00:54:22,280 --> 00:54:26,600
become shorter and less reliable in northern Wisconsin, creating challenges for businesses

626
00:54:26,600 --> 00:54:32,680
that depend on winter tourism. What should Congress do if anything to address climate change

627
00:54:32,760 --> 00:54:38,120
and protects communities whose economies rely on winter recreation while keeping in mind energy

628
00:54:38,120 --> 00:54:44,760
prices have never been higher? Mr. Clark. That's a great question. In the last year and a half

629
00:54:44,760 --> 00:54:50,360
climate change has sort of gone away from the conversation, but we're talking about it and

630
00:54:50,360 --> 00:54:54,600
thinking about it in lots of different ways. And for people selling snowmobiles or writing

631
00:54:54,600 --> 00:55:00,360
snowmobiles that shorter winter season, it's something that affects everybody and people are

632
00:55:00,360 --> 00:55:05,160
talking about and everybody can remember one or two seasons back when we had a winter with almost

633
00:55:05,160 --> 00:55:11,560
no snow. Likewise, in the logging industry, that shorter winter season means loggers can operate

634
00:55:11,560 --> 00:55:15,800
for a shorter period a year in the winter. That makes them less efficient, makes it much more

635
00:55:15,800 --> 00:55:21,720
difficult for them to be profitable. If you're farming, if you're growing apples, if you're a

636
00:55:21,720 --> 00:55:27,560
community that's been subjected to flash flooding or subjected to high extreme heat like we're

637
00:55:27,560 --> 00:55:32,760
experiencing right now, climate change is touching our communities. It's touching our land and

638
00:55:32,760 --> 00:55:38,120
water. It's touching our people in so many different ways. We can't ignore this problem.

639
00:55:38,120 --> 00:55:42,680
The photo government needs to move back to a commitment to reduce greenhouse gases and then

640
00:55:42,680 --> 00:55:47,720
we need to make the investments to help our communities be ready for the changing effects of

641
00:55:47,720 --> 00:55:53,160
the climate. That includes watershed management, includes better farming, and includes climate

642
00:55:53,240 --> 00:55:57,560
oriented forest management, and it includes helping our recreational industries like

643
00:55:57,560 --> 00:56:03,080
snowmobiling and skiing prepare for seasons that are going to be very different than what we've

644
00:56:03,080 --> 00:56:07,960
all grown up with and been used to. I've spent a lot of my career working on climate change and I

645
00:56:07,960 --> 00:56:13,080
want to become part of that effort. And Mrs. Murray, same question. What should the federal government

646
00:56:13,080 --> 00:56:19,000
do about climate change, if anything? I think you, Dan. So something that a lot of folks know about

647
00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:24,840
me while I was in law school, I studied environmental law. In fact, I was the president of the

648
00:56:24,840 --> 00:56:30,520
Environmental Law Club for two years and I received a scholarship to go to the A-L-I-A-B-I

649
00:56:31,320 --> 00:56:36,520
conference in Washington, D.C., my third year in law school. First of all, let's just use the

650
00:56:36,520 --> 00:56:42,120
laws that have been on the books for a long time. Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and allow the

651
00:56:42,120 --> 00:56:47,800
EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, to do the work they were intended to do. What's happened

652
00:56:47,880 --> 00:56:52,120
is those laws have been stripped back so that folks don't have the enforcement rights that we

653
00:56:52,120 --> 00:56:57,640
used to have. And I know that that causes some manufacturers to be worried. Today I was talking

654
00:56:57,640 --> 00:57:03,640
to the big truck guys who sell semis and we talked about their concern about emission control.

655
00:57:03,640 --> 00:57:07,640
But when you look at these new rigs, they're already so far advanced from what the old diesel

656
00:57:07,640 --> 00:57:12,360
trucks used to have that I think that there's a way to bring folks together so we don't have to

657
00:57:12,360 --> 00:57:17,400
negatively impact folks who are in those businesses in order to be able to take care of our environment.

658
00:57:18,120 --> 00:57:23,080
Also, we need to turn away from fossil fuels and being so dependent on them and turn towards

659
00:57:23,080 --> 00:57:28,680
nature. Solar, wind, hydro energy is the wave of the future. And we can do that without

660
00:57:28,680 --> 00:57:34,040
negatively impacting our farmers. We don't need to be putting those things in places where there's

661
00:57:34,040 --> 00:57:40,200
nutrient-rich soil. It requires collaboration across industries to be able to take care of our

662
00:57:40,200 --> 00:57:44,600
climate while still allowing for people who need resources for their economy to still stay in

663
00:57:44,600 --> 00:57:50,680
business. Any question to you, Mr Armstrong? Sure. Well, I don't know about you guys,

664
00:57:50,680 --> 00:57:55,880
you know, having grown up here, but I swear when I was a kid, you know, the snow is like this high

665
00:57:55,880 --> 00:58:01,640
or here, this high. And now of course that might have been, I was that tall too. But you know,

666
00:58:01,640 --> 00:58:06,120
winters seem to start like the end of October and in November, you go deer hunting, you could track

667
00:58:06,120 --> 00:58:13,240
your deer, you could go start ice fishing. But you know, we've seen with our own eyes, you know,

668
00:58:13,720 --> 00:58:20,040
the ice is coming in later. It's going out earlier. It's not snowing as much. We're lucky if we have

669
00:58:20,040 --> 00:58:26,280
that snow cover, you know, for Christmas or New Year's. And you know, to all the people out there

670
00:58:26,280 --> 00:58:31,560
that might be, you know, denying climate change, you know, I have, you know, background in science

671
00:58:31,560 --> 00:58:37,320
and engineering. And I believe in these things called facts. And you know, there, you know,

672
00:58:37,320 --> 00:58:41,640
if we think about gravity, for example, you know, gravity does not care if you don't believe it.

673
00:58:41,720 --> 00:58:46,840
If you jump off of a 10 story building, you will fall to the earth and hurdle to your death. So,

674
00:58:46,840 --> 00:58:51,480
you know, this is a real thing. There are no quick solutions. And this is one of the things that is

675
00:58:51,480 --> 00:58:56,120
really, really challenging to be able to have the commitment to get over this on, you know,

676
00:58:56,120 --> 00:59:00,840
two year congressional election cycles, four year presidential election cycles. But you know,

677
00:59:00,840 --> 00:59:06,440
for God's sakes, if we can put, you know, a man on the moon, if we can build, you know, an atomic

678
00:59:06,440 --> 00:59:11,560
bomb, we certainly can harness the innovation and hard work of the American people to solve this

679
00:59:11,640 --> 00:59:18,200
problem. But it requires some, you know, serious investment in renewable energy and joining the

680
00:59:18,200 --> 00:59:24,360
world in trying to turn this around. Mrs. Murray, this question will go to you first. President Trump

681
00:59:24,360 --> 00:59:30,360
has called for the largest deportation operation in US history. Supporters say it's to protect the

682
00:59:30,360 --> 00:59:36,040
rule of law and save Americans jobs. But Wisconsin agriculture, tourism and manufacturing all rely

683
00:59:36,040 --> 00:59:41,000
on immigrant labor to varying degrees. How should Congress balance stronger immigration

684
00:59:41,000 --> 00:59:47,320
enforcement with the workforce needs in Wisconsin? Mrs. Murray. Yes, thank you, Dan. So again,

685
00:59:47,320 --> 00:59:53,000
it's give and take and taking a look at the big picture. So what we need to look at is reform

686
00:59:53,560 --> 00:59:59,640
on both ends of the spectrum. Number one, we need to, as I already mentioned, talk about our

687
00:59:59,640 --> 01:00:05,320
enforcement agency following the rules when they're trying to protect our borders. But the other

688
01:00:05,400 --> 01:00:11,080
side of it is we need to figure out a process by which people can actually in a reasonable time

689
01:00:11,080 --> 01:00:18,920
frame gain the how their paperwork process so that they can be legally here. I definitely on the

690
01:00:18,920 --> 01:00:25,560
West side of the state more noticeably is suffering from the lack of labor. And they are talking

691
01:00:25,560 --> 01:00:30,440
specifically about not being able to keep the immigrants who are here with the proper paperwork

692
01:00:30,440 --> 01:00:37,160
here. And if they go home, they can't come back. There is a way for us to allow folks to come to

693
01:00:37,160 --> 01:00:41,560
this country. That is what this country is built on. We are all immigrants. We all came from

694
01:00:41,560 --> 01:00:47,000
somewhere else unless you're one of our indigenous friends. So we need to continue to be a welcoming

695
01:00:47,000 --> 01:00:53,240
community. However, we need to enforce laws where someone is here illegally or they have

696
01:00:53,960 --> 01:00:59,560
engaged in crimes while they're here. But most notably, when folks talk about it as the folks

697
01:00:59,560 --> 01:01:05,320
who help their business, then they want their immigrants to stay here. We just need a better

698
01:01:05,320 --> 01:01:12,600
process. And Palmyra, I hope I said that right, has done an amazing job in leading that discussion

699
01:01:12,600 --> 01:01:17,480
and I'll follow her lead for that reform. Same question out of Mr. Armstrong.

700
01:01:19,000 --> 01:01:23,400
Yeah. So the question is about the president's deportation efforts. Do you support his immigration

701
01:01:23,400 --> 01:01:28,760
agenda or what would you tweak with it? Absolutely not. I mean, it is just inhumane

702
01:01:29,320 --> 01:01:35,000
cruel and fundamentally anti-American. I mean, as Ginger said, in the United States, we are a

703
01:01:35,640 --> 01:01:41,560
nation of immigrants and not only do many parts of the seventh district economy depend on

704
01:01:41,960 --> 01:01:47,240
immigrant workforce, immigrants are actually the greatest source of entrepreneurs and starters

705
01:01:47,240 --> 01:01:53,080
of new business of any population. So it's a big part of the life blood of our economy.

706
01:01:54,040 --> 01:01:59,640
Undocumented immigrants, they pay taxes even though they're never ever going to see any

707
01:02:00,520 --> 01:02:06,680
payback from that as it relates to what is given to citizens. So immigration is essential.

708
01:02:07,720 --> 01:02:14,680
What happened back in January in Minneapolis, which has happened a couple of days ago in

709
01:02:15,560 --> 01:02:22,440
Texas and Maine is atrocious. These people must be held accountable and it reminds me of a

710
01:02:23,880 --> 01:02:27,880
unsolicited email I got from a gentleman in Eagle River who said, you know, what do you think

711
01:02:27,880 --> 01:02:32,920
of President Trump's leadership and what ICE and CBP are doing? And this was back in January.

712
01:02:32,920 --> 01:02:37,720
And I said, well, not a big fan of Trump's leadership. And when ICE and CBP are regularly

713
01:02:37,720 --> 01:02:43,240
violating people's first, second, fourth, fifth, eighth, 10th, and 14th amendment rights,

714
01:02:44,600 --> 01:02:48,360
these people need to be held accountable for their crimes against the American people.

715
01:02:48,360 --> 01:02:52,600
And he said, you know, I voted for Trump and I'm voting for you because I need someone who's

716
01:02:52,600 --> 01:02:54,680
going to stand up for the rule of law and the Constitution.

717
01:02:55,720 --> 01:02:56,840
Same question to Mr. Clark.

718
01:02:58,920 --> 01:03:04,040
Yeah, there's Chris and Ginger pointed out we're a nation of immigrants and the vast majority

719
01:03:04,040 --> 01:03:09,400
of immigrants in America are people who are trying to provide for their families to create a better

720
01:03:09,400 --> 01:03:15,240
life and are hardworking and who contribute to our economy. And there's no question that

721
01:03:15,240 --> 01:03:20,600
we need a secure border and there's no question that we need immigration enforcement that identifies

722
01:03:20,600 --> 01:03:23,800
immigrants who break the law and when appropriate departs them.

723
01:03:23,800 --> 01:03:29,880
But what this administration has done is to create a reign of terror in American communities

724
01:03:29,880 --> 01:03:36,440
that's not making us safer, but has led millions of law-abiding people to hide in their homes

725
01:03:36,440 --> 01:03:40,360
because of fear of the federal government. And when can you name the last time the federal

726
01:03:40,360 --> 01:03:45,320
government was not a source of stability and peace, but was a source of chaos and terror in our

727
01:03:45,320 --> 01:03:50,680
communities. It's not only immoral, but it's unconstitutional as my two colleagues have pointed

728
01:03:50,680 --> 01:03:56,760
out. But if we're talking, we talked about housing, we talked about our economy, we talked about

729
01:03:56,760 --> 01:04:01,080
healthcare. Well, everyone in those sectors is dependent on immigrants who help provide the

730
01:04:01,080 --> 01:04:06,600
services that we all need. So this administration is successful in departing millions of people

731
01:04:06,600 --> 01:04:11,720
who are working in this country and would like to do so legally. We are all going to suffer

732
01:04:11,720 --> 01:04:16,440
from the economic loss and all the other things that will come with that.

733
01:04:16,440 --> 01:04:21,720
This Congress needs to start with visa reform. There would be the single simplest, most impactful

734
01:04:21,720 --> 01:04:25,320
solution that we could be good with to allow law-abiding people to work in this country

735
01:04:25,320 --> 01:04:31,880
legally and fill American jobs that employers need. This question will go to Mr. Armstrong first.

736
01:04:31,880 --> 01:04:37,240
Democratic socialism has become a larger part of the national political conversation

737
01:04:37,320 --> 01:04:42,200
with several of their candidates winning high-profile primaries this year. Francesca Hong,

738
01:04:42,200 --> 01:04:47,240
a Democratic socialist, is a front-runner in winning the party's nomination to be governor.

739
01:04:47,240 --> 01:04:51,080
Is this a positive or negative direction for the party, Mr. Armstrong?

740
01:04:51,880 --> 01:05:02,520
Well, I think parties need to lead people to where this country needs to go. I'm a big fan of

741
01:05:02,520 --> 01:05:08,120
Fran. I'm certainly very supportive of all of our other gubernatorial candidates.

742
01:05:10,040 --> 01:05:14,280
I just don't really think it makes a lot of sense to get caught up on all the trappings of

743
01:05:14,280 --> 01:05:20,360
different labels. I mean, if we're talking about policies that are good for normal people,

744
01:05:22,360 --> 01:05:28,200
the policies of many administrations, not just the Trump administration, have favored the well-connected,

745
01:05:28,200 --> 01:05:34,760
the super-rich, and like I said at the very beginning, we need to be getting back to the

746
01:05:34,760 --> 01:05:40,760
work of the people. I really don't care what label you put on it, as long as we're following the

747
01:05:41,640 --> 01:05:48,040
state model of Wisconsin forward. Mr. Clark, Democratic socialism, what are your thoughts on it?

748
01:05:48,920 --> 01:05:53,000
Yeah, I think it's an interesting label. I'd never even heard that label until a few months ago.

749
01:05:53,960 --> 01:05:59,800
But if you want to pull apart what different candidates are talking about, on both sides of

750
01:05:59,800 --> 01:06:05,720
the eye, it comes down to things we've already talked about today. How can we afford to live

751
01:06:05,720 --> 01:06:10,200
in our communities? How can we find housing that's affordable and available? How do we find health

752
01:06:10,200 --> 01:06:14,680
care that's affordable and available? How do we create an economy where everyone can prosper

753
01:06:15,240 --> 01:06:22,200
and fulfill some kind of a dream for their lives and have a secure life? And there's a role for

754
01:06:22,200 --> 01:06:27,560
government in helping make sure that those things can happen. And if you want to go back to look at

755
01:06:27,560 --> 01:06:33,080
Republican presidents like Dwight Eisenhower, a lot of the things that his administration was

756
01:06:33,080 --> 01:06:37,800
talking about are things that people on the other side of the aisle would call socialist or communist

757
01:06:37,800 --> 01:06:42,760
today. So I don't think the labels are doing us any good. The conversations I want to have and

758
01:06:42,760 --> 01:06:49,080
I am having are about how we help people afford to live and lead healthy, prosperous lives,

759
01:06:49,080 --> 01:06:54,200
have roads at work, have education that works for us and for our kids and allows people to have

760
01:06:54,200 --> 01:06:59,240
a dignified retirement. And there is a role for government there. And I want to make sure

761
01:06:59,240 --> 01:07:05,720
government does the work to make that possible for all of us. And finally, same question to Mrs. Murray.

762
01:07:05,720 --> 01:07:11,960
Thank you. So I've had the pleasure of being at many locations with Francesca as well as with

763
01:07:12,440 --> 01:07:18,760
Sarah and other gubernatorial candidates. I think what Fran stands for and resonates with me

764
01:07:18,760 --> 01:07:23,880
is this is no longer about left and right. I think Tom Tiffany is doing his best to label it in a way

765
01:07:23,880 --> 01:07:31,160
to try and again do the divisive tactics that this administration has done. What I take away from

766
01:07:31,160 --> 01:07:36,440
what she has to say is we are now about the haves and the have nots. During the break we got to see

767
01:07:36,440 --> 01:07:41,160
my commercial where I said that's it. It's enough of giving tax breaks to billionaires while we take

768
01:07:41,160 --> 01:07:47,000
away resources to the people who live here. Our government is set up to support billionaires.

769
01:07:47,000 --> 01:07:53,320
Our government allows for money to come dark money coming into this community to support

770
01:07:53,320 --> 01:07:59,480
folks who have never lived here before as their candidate. We need to take care of

771
01:08:00,280 --> 01:08:05,960
number one cutting taxes for billionaires. Number two term limits. Number three citizens versus

772
01:08:05,960 --> 01:08:11,560
United. First it was the Montana plan. They had to pause. Colorado moved forward but didn't get

773
01:08:11,560 --> 01:08:16,840
it over the finish line. Hawaii actually got it done. Corporations are not people and money is

774
01:08:16,840 --> 01:08:23,400
not speech. We need to stop with this ridiculous million dollar campaigns when we're talking to

775
01:08:23,400 --> 01:08:29,160
people about affordable housing, health care and enough gas to get to work. That we need to

776
01:08:30,040 --> 01:08:32,840
be real and stop talking about labels and talk about results.

777
01:08:33,720 --> 01:08:39,960
Mr. Clark you're first on this one. Congress is expected to take up another farm bill. It touches

778
01:08:39,960 --> 01:08:45,320
everything from crop insurance and conservation programs to nutrition assistance and broadband.

779
01:08:45,320 --> 01:08:51,080
But many Wisconsin farmers say they're facing shrinking profit margins, rising input costs,

780
01:08:51,080 --> 01:08:57,320
labor shortages and uncertainty over trade policy. If elected to Congress what is the single biggest

781
01:08:57,320 --> 01:09:02,360
change you would fight for in the next farm bill to help Wisconsin farmers remain profitable.

782
01:09:02,440 --> 01:09:07,720
Mr. Clark. The farm bill is something we're supposed to pass every five years and it's a

783
01:09:07,720 --> 01:09:12,200
big comprehensive piece of legislation that really defines and drives a lot of American

784
01:09:12,200 --> 01:09:18,120
agriculture and it needs reform. Unfortunately right now there are far too many farmers

785
01:09:18,120 --> 01:09:24,440
here in the Midwest are growing in corn and beans because that's where the incentives are to

786
01:09:25,240 --> 01:09:30,920
produce those crops but too many farmers are losing money on those crops every year because

787
01:09:31,000 --> 01:09:37,480
of a pricing system that doesn't work and because we've allowed the agribus business corporations

788
01:09:37,480 --> 01:09:42,520
to get so big and exercise so much control over our farm sector that it can be almost impossible

789
01:09:42,520 --> 01:09:48,920
especially for small and medium sized farmers to survive. So what I want to see our next farm bill

790
01:09:48,920 --> 01:09:54,200
do is number one restore funding for nutrition assistance programs that directly goes into the

791
01:09:54,200 --> 01:09:59,480
mouths of children and families who need it the most. Number two to strengthen our enforcement

792
01:09:59,480 --> 01:10:05,800
of antitrust laws and prevent the biggest corporations in agribusiness from preventing

793
01:10:05,800 --> 01:10:09,560
farmers from actually getting a price for their product that allows them to stay in business.

794
01:10:10,200 --> 01:10:16,120
And number three we need to basically diversify and help farmers diversify

795
01:10:16,120 --> 01:10:22,520
by incentivizing things like value added, incentivizing other crops, incentivizing

796
01:10:22,520 --> 01:10:28,600
grass based agriculture and tying together the environmental outcomes of farming with the

797
01:10:28,600 --> 01:10:33,560
economic outcomes that would benefit all of us from healthier food and those things can work

798
01:10:33,560 --> 01:10:38,040
together right now government is working across purposes we need to realign government programs

799
01:10:38,040 --> 01:10:43,320
around agriculture. Mrs. Murray same question how can the federal government support farmers in

800
01:10:43,320 --> 01:10:48,440
Wisconsin? Thank you and so I thought I heard the question originally was the single most

801
01:10:48,520 --> 01:10:53,480
I appreciate Fred having many examples I'm teetering between single most or many but

802
01:10:53,480 --> 01:10:59,640
I think the single thing to do is to take care of how can we help farmers financially I would

803
01:10:59,640 --> 01:11:04,840
much prefer to invest in farmers than to have our funds to help when there's a cleanup or a problem

804
01:11:05,720 --> 01:11:09,480
mother nature is going to do what mother nature does and we need to be there to help farmers if

805
01:11:09,480 --> 01:11:15,800
their crops are taken out by a storm or a flood. As I was saying before I think just like students

806
01:11:15,800 --> 01:11:21,560
can get financial aid from the federal government I think especially our newer farmers and our

807
01:11:22,440 --> 01:11:28,280
newest generation farmers need that assistance to boost them while they're getting their feet

808
01:11:29,080 --> 01:11:34,840
underneath them and getting the solid base that they need. Fred also talked about antitrust and

809
01:11:34,840 --> 01:11:40,040
when what I learned is when there's a barrier to entry that's a problem and I think the government

810
01:11:40,040 --> 01:11:44,520
needs to tackle that right now at the tech the farm tech where we were at earlier today

811
01:11:45,240 --> 01:11:49,800
you can see how this equipment can really make a difference you don't need as much labor if you

812
01:11:49,800 --> 01:11:56,680
can get the big tractors that can drive themselves but the smaller mom and pop farms or the new

813
01:11:56,680 --> 01:12:00,680
person in the next generation can't afford them so we need to be able to support them on the front

814
01:12:00,680 --> 01:12:06,200
end so that they can be competitive. If they're in that subsidized financing program I also

815
01:12:06,200 --> 01:12:10,440
think that any federal facility that's buying product from farms should buy it from the farmers

816
01:12:10,440 --> 01:12:16,040
that we're lending money to to help give them that boost. I have lots of ideas but that's the top.

817
01:12:17,080 --> 01:12:21,880
None of us are strong same question what do you want to see in the next farm bill to help farmers?

818
01:12:23,000 --> 01:12:27,640
Well I think you know unsurprising finds them similar to between our answers I think you know

819
01:12:28,760 --> 01:12:35,480
reinvesting in food assistance you know SNAP benefits you know USAID was one of the you know most

820
01:12:36,280 --> 01:12:41,880
valuable programs in getting us agricultural products across the world doing you know wonderful

821
01:12:42,440 --> 01:12:48,280
humane work it's you know it's pretty darn tough to be a farmer from you know the friends that I

822
01:12:48,280 --> 01:12:53,800
have that are farming you know the thing that's remarkable is that you know these are people that

823
01:12:53,800 --> 01:13:00,120
love working the land working with their animals and their commitment to it is just astounding and I

824
01:13:00,120 --> 01:13:06,920
just can't imagine what it's like to go into a growing season knowing that your you know equipment

825
01:13:06,920 --> 01:13:14,760
prices your fertilizer input seed prices land prices are going up up up up and then the federal

826
01:13:14,760 --> 01:13:21,400
government is deliberately putting its finger on the scale and you know really catastrophizing you

827
01:13:21,400 --> 01:13:26,600
know the world markets what it must be like to go into that going am I going to be able to even

828
01:13:26,680 --> 01:13:32,280
make money and then getting you know some payments from the federal government where a lot of those

829
01:13:32,280 --> 01:13:38,040
you know payments go to you know the debts that they are servicing so it goes into you know all

830
01:13:38,040 --> 01:13:44,840
of the suppliers so we need some you know a radical reform you know like Fred suggested diversification

831
01:13:44,840 --> 01:13:49,160
I think is a big part of it but that's not easy because the USAID infrastructure is really

832
01:13:49,160 --> 01:13:54,440
set up for corn and soybean so you know it's this is where the United States started from

833
01:13:54,440 --> 01:13:58,360
you know hundreds of years ago and it's you know we still have the opportunity to be the

834
01:13:58,360 --> 01:14:03,880
best producer of the best products in the world we will go to mrs. Murray first on this question

835
01:14:03,880 --> 01:14:09,160
Wisconsin is competing for major data center projects that promise jobs and investment

836
01:14:09,160 --> 01:14:14,360
but they also raised concerns about electricity demand water use and impacts on nearby communities

837
01:14:14,920 --> 01:14:20,520
if elected what role should the federal government play in regulating these large data centers mrs.

838
01:14:20,840 --> 01:14:26,600
Murray yes Dan and isn't that what everybody is asking us these days these data centers are still

839
01:14:26,600 --> 01:14:31,720
a bit of a mystery and I think that we shouldn't be going into business when the business is a

840
01:14:31,720 --> 01:14:37,080
bit of a mystery I'm not supporting a moratorium but I think from the federal level we need to go

841
01:14:37,080 --> 01:14:41,560
back to the rules that we had with the Clean Air and Clean Water Act I think that there should

842
01:14:41,560 --> 01:14:48,200
be independent studies done to talk about the environmental impact that would come from whatever

843
01:14:48,280 --> 01:14:54,440
proposal is being presented to a community my concern is much like the mine when it was trying

844
01:14:54,440 --> 01:15:00,600
to come to crayon and just as I came back from law school they entice leaders of small communities

845
01:15:00,600 --> 01:15:06,920
with these big price tags on what they're willing to pay to put their facility on your land in

846
01:15:06,920 --> 01:15:13,400
your community however you have to talk about what insurance is coming in what funds are coming

847
01:15:13,400 --> 01:15:18,680
in to pre-fund whatever cleanup might be needed because of that kind of facility

848
01:15:18,680 --> 01:15:24,200
now coming into your community also we need to talk about other ways to bring in energy could

849
01:15:24,200 --> 01:15:30,120
they put solar panels on the top of their buildings could they be using the biomass fuel for

850
01:15:30,920 --> 01:15:38,280
their energy source whatever they do I don't want them on nutrient-rich soil so it needs to be a

851
01:15:38,280 --> 01:15:43,160
collaborative that we're looking at the environmental and economical impact of the

852
01:15:43,160 --> 01:15:47,880
proposal that's being presented to a community from the federal level I think it's about the

853
01:15:47,880 --> 01:15:53,240
big laws Clean Air Clean Water Act otherwise local communities need to do their local government

854
01:15:53,240 --> 01:16:00,440
checks mr. Armstrong your thoughts on federal government regulating data centers well you know

855
01:16:00,440 --> 01:16:05,560
I've got a unique perspective to offer having been in the IT industry for you know over 30 years

856
01:16:05,560 --> 01:16:11,400
and I got to tell you I have seen you know the latest and greatest technology trends come and go

857
01:16:11,400 --> 01:16:17,320
over and over and over again and the same thing's happening you know particularly with AI in my

858
01:16:17,320 --> 01:16:25,240
opinion we're over promising over spending over investing in the end is there going to be some

859
01:16:25,240 --> 01:16:33,960
you know benefit possibly but you know my my concern is when a new industry comes along

860
01:16:34,520 --> 01:16:39,080
and as many of your viewers may have heard and you know a couple of hyperscale data

861
01:16:39,080 --> 01:16:46,440
data centers by themselves are going to consume the amount of energy of all houses in Wisconsin

862
01:16:47,080 --> 01:16:52,280
I think we need to stop and take a look around and say what the heck is going on because we're

863
01:16:52,280 --> 01:16:59,640
talking about a dramatic transformation of the electrical grid electrical you know power generation

864
01:16:59,640 --> 01:17:06,520
at the time when you know power and energy prices are sky rocketing so you know ginger

865
01:17:06,520 --> 01:17:10,040
made you know a good suggestion that others have which is you know if you're going to build a

866
01:17:10,040 --> 01:17:13,560
data center you know apart from having you know environmental impact community impact

867
01:17:14,840 --> 01:17:20,280
require them to provide their own power through green energy but I think we want to keep in mind

868
01:17:20,840 --> 01:17:25,480
that these are all investments that are being done locally for the benefit of making the tech

869
01:17:25,480 --> 01:17:30,200
you know brawler garks even richer and I'm just not sure what the value is to our local communities

870
01:17:31,400 --> 01:17:37,160
Mr. Clarkson question to you yeah so it used to be that when there was a bust in the tech sector

871
01:17:37,720 --> 01:17:43,240
a bunch of people in silicon valley lost their jobs today with the build out of data centers

872
01:17:43,240 --> 01:17:48,040
driving this AI revolution what we're seeing is some of the wealthiest corporations and the

873
01:17:48,040 --> 01:17:54,600
wealthiest people in the world are basically in an arms race or a war to build out computing

874
01:17:54,600 --> 01:18:01,560
capacity as fast as they can in as many communities as they can with the prospect of eventually

875
01:18:01,560 --> 01:18:05,400
making a profit but we need to understand that none of this sector is profitable today

876
01:18:06,520 --> 01:18:13,160
there's a huge bubble going on in the AI and tech sector today and that means that these

877
01:18:13,160 --> 01:18:19,000
developments are at risk and we don't know the long-term viability of this entire sector we don't

878
01:18:19,000 --> 01:18:24,200
know how many of these data centers are going to be sitting empty a year from now so there is an

879
01:18:24,200 --> 01:18:28,840
important role for state and federal government here at the federal government level we need to

880
01:18:28,840 --> 01:18:33,960
make sure that those companies are financially solvent and viable for the investments that they're

881
01:18:33,960 --> 01:18:39,960
going to make so communities aren't on the hook we need to ensure that communities can ask for

882
01:18:39,960 --> 01:18:46,040
and demand enough payments from these companies to benefit everybody in that community so that

883
01:18:46,040 --> 01:18:51,720
that the community is not paying higher rates and not paying for the the disastrous effects of

884
01:18:51,800 --> 01:18:57,400
some of these developments and we need to treat these developments like public utilities and

885
01:18:57,400 --> 01:19:02,360
federal law needs to authorize that so that states public utility commissions can actually

886
01:19:02,360 --> 01:19:09,560
regulate data centers we are nearing the end of the debate so i want to know about an issue we

887
01:19:09,560 --> 01:19:14,520
haven't spoke about tonight so we'll go to mr armstrong first mr armstrong what have we not

888
01:19:14,520 --> 01:19:16,200
talked about tonight that is important to you

889
01:19:19,560 --> 01:19:22,520
well you've done a pretty good job uh pretty good job dan

890
01:19:23,320 --> 01:19:23,720
um

891
01:19:26,360 --> 01:19:33,720
kind of grasping for straws here um i think you know one of the things that makes the united states

892
01:19:33,720 --> 01:19:39,240
you know one of the most unique nations in the world is you know we're not defined by nationality

893
01:19:39,240 --> 01:19:44,040
we're not defined by ethnicity we're not defined by language we're not defined by

894
01:19:44,040 --> 01:19:53,080
culture uh religion um the strength of the united states you know from it's uh a motto

895
01:19:53,080 --> 01:20:02,120
e pluribus unum out of many one is really you know a unique perspective on how groups of people

896
01:20:02,120 --> 01:20:07,960
from across the world can come together and build something you know fantastic and as we move into

897
01:20:08,840 --> 01:20:16,440
you know uh the 250th year um and the anniversary of the united states what i'm asking is for

898
01:20:16,440 --> 01:20:21,560
everybody you know we are different and that's okay and that's one of our strengths but we need to

899
01:20:21,560 --> 01:20:29,800
come together around those things that uh that uh that uh are that we hold dear and that thing is

900
01:20:29,800 --> 01:20:36,040
the u.s. constitution so i'm asking for everybody to you know renew our covenant with one another

901
01:20:36,040 --> 01:20:41,880
as we seek to make this you know the greatest country on earth free to pursue happiness and

902
01:20:41,880 --> 01:20:48,600
liberty in life thank you mr. Armstrong not a mr. Clark something we haven't spoke about this

903
01:20:48,600 --> 01:20:54,520
evening that you'd like to touch on well i think citizens across northern Wisconsin are realizing

904
01:20:54,520 --> 01:21:00,760
in the last year and a half how important the federal government actually is and we have an

905
01:21:00,760 --> 01:21:06,440
administration right now in washington that's really good at breaking things and we have a

906
01:21:06,440 --> 01:21:13,160
congress that has sat back and been silent after so many of those things have been broken and whether

907
01:21:13,160 --> 01:21:17,800
it's the president tearing down the east wing of the white house it's still a pile of rubble right

908
01:21:17,800 --> 01:21:24,680
now or whether it's the gutting of one federal agency after another where many of the federal

909
01:21:24,680 --> 01:21:31,400
agencies that do important work across this country have lost 20 30 40 percent of their career

910
01:21:31,400 --> 01:21:36,680
federal employees who knew how to do the work that the public needed are now gone and many of them

911
01:21:36,680 --> 01:21:41,160
are replaced with loyalists who don't have qualifications who don't understand the work of those

912
01:21:41,160 --> 01:21:47,080
agencies but they're 100 percent loyal to this administration that is a recipe for a disaster

913
01:21:47,080 --> 01:21:52,840
so the next congress is going to have a tremendous amount of work to do to begin the rebuilding

914
01:21:52,920 --> 01:21:57,480
of a federal government that works for all of us whether that's foreign aid that was

915
01:21:57,480 --> 01:22:03,080
destroyed with the elimination of uscid or restoring integrity in our department of justice

916
01:22:03,080 --> 01:22:07,720
or restoring capacity in the u.s. forest service so they can manage the public lands that we all

917
01:22:07,720 --> 01:22:13,560
benefit from we've got years and years and years of rebuilding ahead of us and and people

918
01:22:14,200 --> 01:22:18,600
northern wisconsin need to elect somebody who's willing to go to work and envision what the

919
01:22:18,600 --> 01:22:25,000
federal government needs to be in the future and now to you mrs. murray thank you uh you did

920
01:22:25,000 --> 01:22:29,080
a wonderful job covering most of the topics that i wanted to talk about so i appreciate that

921
01:22:29,960 --> 01:22:35,640
i will say that as i've been going to places where they're allowing for the visitors to keep tabs

922
01:22:35,640 --> 01:22:40,840
of what interests are most important to them health care by far is the number one uh yesterday

923
01:22:40,840 --> 01:22:45,400
when we were at a forum number two was the right to vote and i think that goes to a bigger picture

924
01:22:45,400 --> 01:22:51,400
which is defending democracy and while maybe in years past being a lawyer and asking for your

925
01:22:51,400 --> 01:22:55,880
vote to go to washington d.c folks would have responded that's all we need is another lawyer in d.c

926
01:22:57,000 --> 01:23:03,000
times have changed right now our democracy is under attack the fact that the number two concern

927
01:23:03,000 --> 01:23:07,960
was the right to vote tells us that there's something significantly wrong with our government

928
01:23:07,960 --> 01:23:14,360
when folks fear whether or not they'll have their right to vote and so i am asking to be elected

929
01:23:14,360 --> 01:23:20,200
as your next congresswoman the first congresswoman in this district to go to washington d.c to defend

930
01:23:20,200 --> 01:23:24,440
that oath that everyone took including this president to defend the constitution of the

931
01:23:24,440 --> 01:23:29,080
united states to make sure that people know that they will have their right to vote to let them know

932
01:23:29,080 --> 01:23:34,600
that it means something when we say you have freedom of speech freedom of press freedom of

933
01:23:34,600 --> 01:23:40,920
religion um it means something when it says you should be safe from unreasonable search and seizures

934
01:23:40,920 --> 01:23:46,680
it means something when we say we have due process in america we need folks who are willing

935
01:23:46,680 --> 01:23:52,600
to stand up when a government oversteps the boundaries and the authority that they've been

936
01:23:52,600 --> 01:23:57,720
given i'm ready to do that we now move to our closing statements mr clark you in the floor

937
01:24:00,760 --> 01:24:05,720
you know what what i learned in my career as a forester and a business owner and

938
01:24:06,520 --> 01:24:12,840
in my three terms as a rural state legislator is that for our small communities to work

939
01:24:13,720 --> 01:24:20,040
everybody has to work together and that means setting political differences aside to coach the

940
01:24:20,040 --> 01:24:26,760
high school sports team or to help me in the ambulance crew or to organize the fair that goes on every

941
01:24:26,760 --> 01:24:32,760
year and those communities can't afford to let politics divide them because everybody's got to

942
01:24:32,760 --> 01:24:38,360
work together to make things in that town work and people are so hungry right now to get away

943
01:24:38,360 --> 01:24:45,000
from the divisive extremist politics that has made it impossible for our federal government and our

944
01:24:45,000 --> 01:24:50,600
congress especially to do its job and influence it even more strongly by the money and politics

945
01:24:50,600 --> 01:24:56,120
so what i'm bringing to this race is the commitment and the experience of somebody who's made a career

946
01:24:56,120 --> 01:25:00,600
out of working with everybody to find solutions that are practical without giving up my values

947
01:25:01,080 --> 01:25:06,680
and i've also made a commitment in this race not to take any public excuse me political action

948
01:25:06,680 --> 01:25:12,280
committee money and any special interest money because people know that the money in politics

949
01:25:12,280 --> 01:25:16,840
is part of what's prevented republicans and democrats from solving some of our biggest problems

950
01:25:16,840 --> 01:25:22,440
i'm looking forward to a new kind of politics that helps us recognize that we have way more in

951
01:25:22,440 --> 01:25:26,280
common than we have that divides us and i look forward to going to washington next year to help

952
01:25:26,280 --> 01:25:32,520
do that work for everyone in the seventh congressional district now mrs mary your closing statements

953
01:25:32,520 --> 01:25:37,800
thank you i appreciate the voters and the confidence that they've given to my fellow

954
01:25:38,360 --> 01:25:46,120
lady leader lawyers first of all i'm a lady i'm a female i was the first female city attorney of

955
01:25:46,120 --> 01:25:53,800
crandon first female town attorney of leona first female family court commissioner in forest county

956
01:25:53,880 --> 01:25:59,320
as well as family court commissioner in onada county um some of those are elected positions

957
01:25:59,320 --> 01:26:06,360
so thank you for dan for giving me an opportunity to address that here um also as a lady and a mom

958
01:26:06,920 --> 01:26:12,600
my children have decided as of now they have no interest in raising their own children if that

959
01:26:12,600 --> 01:26:19,160
was their choice i would have no issue with it i defend a woman's choice on whether or not they

960
01:26:19,160 --> 01:26:23,480
want to have children my girls don't want to have kids because my environmental scientist

961
01:26:23,480 --> 01:26:27,800
doesn't think mother earth can support us my other one thinks that it's not affordable

962
01:26:29,160 --> 01:26:37,400
i am a leader i act i get results lawyers are judged on results i am a 30-year award-winning

963
01:26:37,400 --> 01:26:43,640
attorney and i'm offering that to the folks here as a lawyer as a city attorney i brought in money

964
01:26:43,640 --> 01:26:48,440
the city never had by creating new ordinances and creating a tiff district at the county level i

965
01:26:48,440 --> 01:26:53,000
brought in federal funds that had never been brought in before i grew my voice as the only

966
01:26:53,000 --> 01:26:58,360
female sitting in those meetings and i am ready to go and join the ladies who are going to unveil

967
01:26:58,360 --> 01:27:03,080
the f steam files the women in the democratic caucus as well as the republican caucus are

968
01:27:03,080 --> 01:27:08,920
calling it a reckoning and i'm ready to go and finally mr armstrong you're closing statements

969
01:27:10,120 --> 01:27:15,240
well you know one of the big reasons i'm doing this is you know i'm a grandfather for the first

970
01:27:15,320 --> 01:27:20,760
time and i envision a time you know sometime in the future you know talking with my grandson

971
01:27:20,760 --> 01:27:25,960
and he's like you know gee grandpa i heard things were pretty crazy when i was growing up what did

972
01:27:25,960 --> 01:27:32,440
you do to try to make a difference and i want to be able to look him in the eye and say i did

973
01:27:32,440 --> 01:27:37,480
everything i possibly could to make this a better place for you your family and our communities

974
01:27:38,200 --> 01:27:42,120
you know we like i said earlier you know we were privileged to grow up in one of the most

975
01:27:42,120 --> 01:27:46,520
beautiful places on earth and we owe it you know to those that brought us here and to future

976
01:27:46,520 --> 01:27:52,680
generations to leave it in a better you know better shape than we found it you know i i don't

977
01:27:52,680 --> 01:27:57,800
need this job i'm not looking for something to do i have a job you know i love it but you know i

978
01:27:57,800 --> 01:28:04,840
just can't sit in my living room and do nothing um when you know we are demanding to need you know

979
01:28:04,840 --> 01:28:10,520
fearless bold relentless leadership to hold this administration accountable and do the work for

980
01:28:10,600 --> 01:28:14,840
the people you know how are we know if this is going to be better when our children and our

981
01:28:14,840 --> 01:28:19,880
grandchildren you know can afford to live here find a good job get good health care breathe the air

982
01:28:19,880 --> 01:28:24,520
drink the water and be able to enjoy the wonderful opportunities that the seventh district has to

983
01:28:24,520 --> 01:28:29,480
offer and i'm not doing this for me i'm doing this for you and to all my volunteers and supporters

984
01:28:29,480 --> 01:28:36,920
out there you are my inspiration every day the wind beneath my wings and uh 2026 is the year of

985
01:28:36,920 --> 01:28:43,960
the people there's nothing we cannot do together to demand change as we wrap up tonight's debate

986
01:28:43,960 --> 01:28:48,440
i want to thank all three candidates for taking part in this very important conversation and thank

987
01:28:48,440 --> 01:28:53,080
you at home for joining us if you missed our republican primary debate it is viewable on the

988
01:28:53,080 --> 01:29:00,040
wjfw youtube page the actual primary election is on tuesday august 11th we encourage everyone to

989
01:29:00,040 --> 01:29:05,240
research the candidates make a plan to vote and most importantly participate in our democracy

990
01:29:05,240 --> 01:29:21,160
on behalf of everyone at wjfw thank you for watching have a great evening

991
01:29:35,240 --> 01:30:00,680
you

992
01:30:05,240 --> 01:30:07,240
You

993
01:30:35,240 --> 01:30:37,240
You

994
01:31:05,240 --> 01:31:07,240
You

995
01:31:35,240 --> 01:31:37,240
You

996
01:32:05,240 --> 01:32:07,240
You

997
01:32:35,240 --> 01:32:37,240
You

998
01:33:05,240 --> 01:33:07,240
You

999
01:33:35,240 --> 01:33:37,240
You

