Grassley, Judge clash over Supreme Court, border security
William Petroski
bpetrosk@dmreg.com
SIOUX CITY, Ia. — Incumbent Republican Chuck Grassley and Democratic challenger Patty Judge sparred Wednesday night over a U.S. Supreme Court vacancy, gridlock in Congress, health care and border security in the first of their two debates in Iowa's U.S. Senate race.
Early in the debate, Judge criticized Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, for refusing to promptly hold hearings on President Barack Obama's nomination of Appeals Court Judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"This is exactly what is wrong with Washington. This is why people are angry. We are playing political games in Washington, D.C.," Judge said. She used the issue as part of a debate strategy to depict Grassley, who has spent 42 years in Congress, as someone who has served there too long and needs to be replaced.
Grassley disputed Judge's charge, saying he still believes that during the last year of a presidency the people should have a say in the matter when they select the next president.
"We are being very consistent," he added, explaining the policy has been in place during Democratic and Republican presidencies for decades.
However, Grassley also appeared to reopen the door for Congress to confirm Garland during a lame-duck session of Congress if Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton defeats GOP nominee Donald Trump. "I would follow the will of the majority of the Senate. I don't expect that to happen though," he said.
On gridlock, Grassley discussed how he returns to Iowa every weekend and visits all 99 counties annually, remarking, "I make sure that I stay on top of things." But Judge criticized the senior senator, saying, "He has become a fixture in Washington." She suggested she's closer to Iowans and described the Senate over the past two years as having its lightest workload since the era of President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s.
"Washington is broken," declared Judge, who contended Congress needs to focus on issues like creating jobs, making college affordable, clean air and clean water and climate change.
"These are issues we have to start talking about now or we will never make progress," Judge said. She also called for gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and protecting Social Security benefits for retirees.
Grassley said he could point to a long list of legislation passed by Congress, including a major highway bill and a major education bill, and he noted that a host of bipartisan bills have cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee. He said he's worked to pass legislation to make the federal government more accountable, create jobs and spur economic growth, encourage the development of wind energy and renewable fuels, and protect the nation's security.
"Every day my job is to work for Iowans. If the senators from Iowa don't work for Iowans, no one else will," Grassley said.
On health care, Grassley called the Affordable Care Act a failure. "All you have to do is look at 13 counties in Iowa that have only one choice in the exchange," he said. He added that Americans have been lied to about the costs of Obamacare and that past promises, such as people being allowed to keep their own doctor, haven't always been fulfilled.
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Judge insisted the Affordable Care Act has represented a big step forward, noting that more Americans are covered by health insurance and that young adults can remain under their parents' health care coverage.
"Quit playing games and find a way to make this work," she scolded Grassley.
On border security, Judge, who served as Iowa's homeland security adviser for four years, said she is aware of security threats within the U.S. and overseas. She said the Obama administration is doing a good job of pushing back at ISIS militants in the Middle East, "but we have to be constantly vigilant."
Grassley said ISIS can be found in 36 countries, remarking that the United States needs to ensure that ISIS terrorists are not allowed to enter the country under the umbrella of refugees.
Judge said Iowa has welcomed refugees since the 1970s under Gov. Robert Ray. But Grassley countered, "We just want to make sure that we don't have refugees coming here to kill us."
Both candidates expressed support to ensure a federal safety net for farmers, with Judge remarking, "We cannot lose another generation of farmers." Grassley said crop insurance with farmers paying into it provides a safety net, and he called it a good deal for taxpayers.
Grassley, 83, is a farmer and former factory worker from New Hartford who has a master's degree in political science. He has served in the U.S. Senate since 1981 after previously serving in the U.S. House and the Iowa House. Judge, 72, a Democrat, is a Monroe County farmer and a former registered nurse who has served in the Iowa Senate, as Iowa's agriculture secretary and lieutenant governor.
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The hour-long debate was held at Morningside College and was attended by about 250 people in what appeared to be a predominately pro-Grassley crowd. The event was carried live online and broadcast by KTIV-TV of Sioux City and other TV stations with Iowa audiences. However, the debate was not broadcast in the Des Moines TV market. The only other debate scheduled between the two candidates will be hosted by WHO-AM radio in Des Moines at 4 p.m. Nov. 4. It will be broadcast on WHO-HD
Judge participated in the debate just one day after the death of her father, Lester Poole, 94, a World War II veteran who passed away surrounded by family in Albia in southern Iowa. The Judge campaign described him as a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
Judge has trailed far behind Grassley in several recent polls. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll conducted Oct. 3-6 showed Grassley holding a commanding 17-point lead, 53-36 percent. The poll also showed that Grassley's job approval rating — with 56 approving and 30 percent disapproving among all adults, not just likely voters — is identical to where it stood in September 2010. That was just before he cruised to victory in November 2010, defeating Democrat Roxanne Conlin by 31 percentage point