Within days of the first debate of the 2016 presidential election, American voters had an opportunity to meet 14 of the 17 Republican candidates in speed-dating style forum Monday night. The 2016 Voters First Republican Presidential Forum began at 6 p.m. Aug. 3 in Manchester, New Hampshire and was also aired on C-SPAN.
Candidates were asked questions regarding several topics, including immigration reform, health care and economic issues. Similar issues will continue to be addressed during the first Republican candidate debate, which will air Aug. 6 on Fox News.
Candidates who attended included Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), former Texas Governor Rick Perry, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina, Ohio Governor John Kasich, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania), former New York Governor George Pataki, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Donald Trump and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee declined their invitations.
After brief introductions, Jack Heath, New Hampshire Today host and forum moderator, jumped into questions, identifying immigration reform as one of the top concerns for American voters. Perry, who was first to speak, said he would begin with smarter legal processes of immigration, including identification of illegal activities and rapid response times.
“It’s like a serious wound,” Perry said. “You want to staunch the flow. And that’s not what’s happening in this country now.”
Rubio said he would prove to the American people that illegal immigration is under control by modernizing our legal immigration system and updating the legal system’s standards.
“In the 21st century, legal immigration must be based on merit, on what you can contribute economically,” Rubio said. “Basically, whether you are coming to be an American, as opposed to simply live in America.”
All candidates agreed the Affordable Care Act needed to be repealed. Carson said he seeks to replace the law with a system that will put the power back into the hands of consumers and health care providers. Walker also said he wants to create a system that puts patients and families back in control of their health care.
“The reason that I don’t like Obamacare… because it flies in the face of what we are as a nation, a nation that is of for and by the people,” Carson said. “… Obamacare comes along with the government saying we do not care what you the people think… I would replace it with something that really puts the power back into the hands of consumers and healthcare providers.”
Santorum said he seeks a .2 percent wage growth. He said he would incentivize Americans on public assistance to go back to work, including time limits and work requirements on welfare.
When speaking about the economy, Kasich said he would make amendment to the constitution that would balance the budget, viewing such as values rather than numbers.
“These things can be done,” Kasich said. “But they don’t necessarily have to be done by killing programs or chopping programs; you make them work better.”
Paul proposed a plan that would qualify college costs as a deductible.
“College is a working expense,” Paul said. “I would let you deduct it as a working expense over and throughout your entire working career.”
Rubio addressed how the continually insecure state of the economy affects the people.
“The reason why people feel so insecure in their economic lives is because our economy is rapidly changed,” Rubio said. “Today we live in a country where the largest retailer, Amazon, doesn’t own a single store. Where the largest hospitality company, Airbnb, doesn’t own a single hotel room. Where the largest ground transportation company, Uber, doesn’t even own a single car.”
The candidates all seemed to agree with engaging in the Middle East, lifting sanctions and the promotion of arming the military. Bush plans to defeat the strongholds of ISIS through Special Forces, embedding troops with the Syrian free army. He was uncertain if this would mean boots-on-the-ground combat.
“I think one of the most difficult decisions you have as a leader is to challenge the status quo,” Fiorina said. “The status quo is any system … especially in Washington, D.C. … is powerful because people who have benefitted from the status quo want to preserve the status quo.”
Paul also said he embraces the fact that he is “different” from the other candidates and thinks war should be seen as the last resort. Identifying himself as a constitutional conservative, Paul also said that he believes in the individuality of the “innocent citizens” and their right to privacy. In his presidency, Paul said he would drift away from tapping the phones of American individuals.
Graham said he additionally seeks to push back against China for stealing intellectual property and cyber attacks.
Yesterday, Fox News announced the first debate will include Trump, Bush, Walker, Huckabee, Carson, Cruz, Rubio, Paul, Christie and Kasich. It will air 8 to 10 p.m. Central time. The other candidates will be debating from 4 to 5 p.m.
