Bacon and Vargas hone character in second debate at N
LINCOLN — U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and his Democratic challenger, state Sen. Tony Vargas, debated “lies,” civility, criminal justice and character Tuesday night. in tit-for-tat confrontation with each other.
Bacon, who is seeking a fifth term in Congress to serve Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, has repeatedly criticized Vargas for “babble” and “a bunch of platitudes without any substance behind him.”
Vargas, who is also challenging Bacon in 2022, has repeatedly linked Bacon to former President Donald Trump and said Bacon’s voters cannot re-elect him.
Voters in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District face a rematch between Democratic Sen. Tony Vargas (L) and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.). (Candidates photos provided by campaigns; Capitol photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
“Don’t listen to Tony, this guy is a liar, he’s dishonest. He’s going to do whatever it takes to win the election,” Bacon said.
“It sounds more important to you to remain in power than to defend our region’s democracy and independence,” Vargas said.
The two candidates answered about 10 questions in an hour-long debate hosted by Nebraska Public Media at its Lincoln studios with the Nebraska Review Newspaper, Lincoln Daily Star, Omaha World-Herald and KRVN Rural Radio Network. No live audience was present.
Aaron Sanderford, political reporter for the Nebraska Examiner, moderated the debate, with a panel of three reporters: Kassidy Arena (NEB) Alaska Public Media), Erin Bamer (Omaha World-Herald) and Dave Schroeder (KRVN).
abortion
Bacon and Vargas disagree on major issues, including abortion, with Bacon saying he supports Nebraska’s current 12-week age-related abortion ban, which passed in 2023, but rape, incest and the exception of mother’s life. Bacon said he would defend the law.
Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas prepares to speak with U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Nebraska, in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Lincoln Don Bacon debate. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
Vargas criticized Bacon for co-sponsoring state legislation that Vargas said would ban abortion nationwide and not exclude in vitro fertilization. The bill would recognize a fertilized egg as a human being entitled to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. Vargas said the issue ultimately comes down to women’s “right to choose.”
“Politicians, especially Don Bacon, have absolutely no say in what they can and cannot do with their bodies,” Vargas said.
Bacon criticized Vargas as “deceptive” because the legislation he supported never mentioned “abortion.” Bacon did not sign 2023 version of the law He’s joined before.
“Tony, when is that unborn child supposed to have humanity?” Bacon said. “I think a science teacher who’s been teaching for two years would know that.”
Bacon said abortion “ranks very low” on the list of priorities when he talks to voters and that Vargas is “trying to create an issue that is not his own.”
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska prepares for a debate with Democratic Sen. Tony Vargas in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
Bacon told reporters after the debate that Congress may never address abortionUnless the Democrats win the presidency, control both houses of Congress, and escape the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the U.S. Senate.
“This should be a warning sign because with the 60-vote threshold, we are forced to be more bipartisan no matter what we pass,” Bacon said.
Vargas referred to his daughter, who he said has fewer rights than his wife, and urged Congress to reinstate Roe v. Wade, which created certain constitutional protections for abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it. This opinion follows a patchwork of different state laws through 2022.
Israel and Ukraine
The two candidates did agree on foreign aid, with both saying the United States needs to continue to be a good ally to Ukraine and Israel in good times and bad rather than risk the war spreading to neighboring regions.
Bacon touted his military background in the U.S. Air Force and said anti-Semitism is “un-American” and “goes against what we stand for.”
Both men expressed solidarity with Israel and said the war should end on Israel’s terms, with the elimination of Hamas terrorists and the release of all hostages.
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska thanked about 50 elected Republicans for supporting his re-election campaign. April 22, 2024.
When asked whether humanitarian aid should be restricted to Israelis, Palestinian citizens or Lebanese citizens, each candidate said no.
“I understand that the Palestinian people are hurting, but the most important thing to me is that the war ends on Israeli terms,” Vargas said.
Bacon added: “The fault lies with Hamas…Israel has an obligation to target only Hamas or Hezbollah in Lebanon, but it is very difficult when they are hiding among the people…If we are attacked and we are In a similar way on 9/11, we would go in and try to destroy Hamas and Gaza.
public safety and immigration
Much of the debate focused on gun violence, public safety and criminal justice, with Bacon criticizing Vargas’ record in the Nebraska Legislature, which the congressman said has made his district less safe , such as legislation targeting gun violence. advance parole For some prisoners.
Bacon said he supports “due process” when it comes to reducing gun violence and suggested cracking down on “straw” buying, where someone buys a gun for someone who shouldn’t be buying it.
Sen. Tony Vargas, D-Omaha, speaks at a Harris-Walz rally on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in La Vista, Nebraska. Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon. (Nebraska News Service/Naomi Delcamiller)
Vargas said after the debate that any legislation that passes the Legislature will need the support of Republicans, who hold a supermajority in the Legislature. Vargas said the bigger concern is who will actually fight for public safety and vote for bipartisan border security and gun violence legislationbacon has be opposed to.
Vargas and Bacon both said the border issue needs to be addressed but disagreed on how to do it.
Bacon said President Joe Biden’s administration could take action now but has not yet done so, and said he supported a path to permanent “legal status” for some immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally but not criminals. , and there is no path to citizenship.
Vargas, the son of immigrant parents, said steps must be taken to secure the border, stop fentanyl and prevent human trafficking to support the American dream. Vargas said Democrats were willing to compromise and he accused Republicans of inaction.
The second district is independent
Vargas and Bacon separately told reporters that if elected this fall, they would become independent representatives for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, which consists of rural Douglas, Sanders and Sarpy counties.
Vargas said his eight years on the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee showed him the importance of passing a lean, balanced budget that invests in necessary priorities, including law enforcement.
Vargas gave an example of his disagreement with Democrats, saying he opposes broad student loan forgiveness, which would not benefit all Nebraskans.
“We need someone who can be truly independent when it matters, someone who can solve problems when it really matters most,” Vargas told reporters. “I think that’s why we mentioned Donald Trump, Because he was on the ballot and very proud of his support for Don Bacon.”
Blue dot signs and red state signs appear constantly in the 2nd Congressional District, and sometimes the two signs face off in adjacent yards. (Kate Folsom/Nebraska Examiner)
Vargas said he appreciates Nebraska’s current process for allocating Electoral College votes, with two votes allocated to the winner of the popular vote and one to the winner of the state’s three congressional districts.
Bacon said he hopes all states will follow Nebraska’s model, but last month signed a letter with four other Nebraska Republican members of Congress urging the Legislature to adopt a “winner-take-all” model in which all states The statewide winner will receive all five votes.
Bacon said only Nebraska and Maine have district systems, and he criticized the model as a Democratic “cash cow” that helps Vargas and other Democratic candidates.
Vargas said it was about the region’s independence and criticized Bacon for trying to change the system as the election approaches. Vargas said Trump’s endorsement of Bacon comes shortly after Bacon backed a move to a winner-take-all approach that doesn’t have enough legislative support.
Bacon told reporters he faced hostility from Trump for voting in favor of the bipartisan infrastructure bill of 2021. Certification 2020 election and said Biden won and supported the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for young undocumented immigrants.
“I did what I did and I thought it was right for the country,” Bacon said after the debate. “The fact that he (Trump) called and still wanted to make peace. I think he knew that, in fact, it wasn’t going to help him to be at odds with people in this area.
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