Rep. Hurd, challenger Gallego, debate in San Antonio
The candidates for Texas Congressional District 23 debated in San Antonio Thursday morning.
KSAT 12’s Steve Spriester served as the moderator for the debate in the hotly contested race, which he called one of the most expensive congressional races in the history of Texas.
Rep. Will Hurd, (R) Texas District 23, said he is the “only one candidate willing to stand up to both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.”
“I’m an independent voice and I have developed an independent relationship with my constituents,” Hurd said.
Former Democratic District 23 Congressman Pete Gallego, ousted by Hurd, has accused his opponent of not condemning Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump’s controversial comments from the beginning of the presidential race.
Gallego said if the recording showing Trump bragging about his sexual aggressiveness towards women had never been leaked, Hurd would have never asked Trump to drop out of the race.
“There’s that old saying in Texas about the Longhorn rancher who says, ‘There is a point here and a point there and a whole lot of bull in between,'” Gallego said.
Both candidates accused each other of being partisan politicians. “If I was a career politician, I would not have received the endorsement of the San Antonio Express News and The El Paso newspaper,” Hurd said.
Gallego cited data in publications, like Congressional Quarterly, that he says reveals Hurd has a 97 percent partisan voting record. “That’s not leadership, that’s followership,” Gallego said.
“He votes with his party. He follows his leader. The frustration for those of us who live in this district is we don’t have a voice,” Gallego said, adding Hurd’s voting record is not in line with the district. “If the majority leader says jump, Mr. Hurd will ask, ‘how high.'”
“People are tired because they call Mr. Hurd’s office and they don’t get a response,” Gallego added.
Hurd said constituents in the district are concerned about ISIS, Border Security, Mexican criminal organizations, and all Gallego has focused on is Trump. “It’s a distraction from his record and what he was not able to do. The bills I have gotten passed all have bi-partisanship sponsorships. If Pete was so bipartisan, why wasn’t he able to get any bills passed during his time in congress,” Hurd asked.
Hurd said he helped pass “one of the largest appropriations bill in the history of the VA.”
The Republican Congressman also said he supports free trade. “NAFTA was signed right here in San Antonio. We should be talking about being partners in energy with Mexico,” Hurd said.
When reminded by the moderator Trump has said NAFTA is one of the worst trade deals he’s ever seen, Hurd does not agree with Trump’s opinion.
When asked if he supports trade deals like NAFTA, Gallego said, “We have learned a lot from NAFTA.”
On the topic of rising Obamacare premiums, Gallego said there are certain things about the health care reform law worth keeping. “There are things we can do to make it better, I wouldn’t throw the whole thing away,” Gallego said, citing some of the law’s most popular features like coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, equal rates for men and women, and parents being able to keep sons and daughters on their policies until they are 26.
Gallego said many people are unaware of the government subsidies they may qualify for and these subsidies will help offset the cost of rising premiums. The former congressman also said raising the minimum wage will “allow people to make more money. You have to let people earn living wages.”
Hurd said he is in favor of getting rid of Obamacare. “This is one of the reasons Gallego got fired two years ago,” the congressman said.
Hurd also said Republicans do have a plan on how to replace Obamacare while preserving the law’s most popular features like like pre-existing conditions. “We need to make sure we are not taking money out of Medicare to prop up Obamacare,” Hurd said.
