BUTTE – Republican Rep. Steve Daines accused Democratic Sen. John Walsh of wanting to grow government while Walsh painted his opponent as an obstructionist congressman, kicking off the general-election season with the first U.S. Senate debate.
The two candidates, including a third in Libertarian challenger Roger Roots, exchanged barbs in the 90-minute debate last weekend in Butte, illustrating a fiercely contested race with high stakes and one that is being watched closely across the nation.
Daines is attempting to help the GOP wrest control of the U.S. Senate by ousting incumbent Walsh, who was appointed by Gov. Steve Bullock earlier this year after Max Baucus resigned. The Democratic Party has held that seat — one of two Senate seats in Montana — since 1913.
Daines enters the race as the projected frontrunner, leading by 18 points in the latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of 750 “likely Montana voters.” Daines picked up 53 percent of the votes while Walsh garnered 35 percent, according to Rasmussen. The margin of sampling error is 4 percent.
In their first face-to-face showdown, the candidates echoed their belief that “Washington is broken,” but their solutions differed as they stuck to their well-established positions and campaign slogans.
“I entered the race because Washington is broken. Washington has a spending problem, and our congressman is a part of that problem,” Walsh said.
Daines countered, “I’m standing for more jobs, less government. John is standing for more government, support for Obamacare, support for regulatory groups.”
Roots played the wild card, taking shots at both candidates and majority parties, describing them as “government supremacist parties” that have harmed the Constitution and grown government power despite their stated intentions.
Health Care
Daines echoed his disapproval of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, and said “We need to have Montana-centered solutions.”
“The federal government has taken away freedom in health care,” he said.
Walsh said “the jury is still out” from his perspective and would remain that way until the promises of lower insurance prices come true. The nation must move to a system under which all Americans “can receive quality affordable health care,” he said, while criticizing Daines’ support for privatizing Medicare as an example of shifting costs to the backs of seniors.
Daines countered that, “John says the jury is still out. I’ve got news. The Montana people have rendered a verdict. They don’t like (it).”
Government Spending
Daines touted his 28 years of experience in the private sector and said he supports an amendment to the Constitution that would require the government balance the budget.
“Washington D.C. is out of control. Spending is out of control,” Daines said. “It’s very important if we are going to grow jobs, we have to limit the size of government.”
Walsh reiterated proposals he has made that would cut spending in federal agencies, including the Department of Defense. He also frequently reminded the audience of last year’s government shutdown at the hands of the U.S. House.
“Congressman Daines talks about cutting the budget but he shut down the government and that act raised the debt in the budget,” Walsh said. “We have to get a handle on spending but we have to do it responsibly. We can’t do it on the backs of our more-vulnerable citizens.”
EPA Regulations
Walsh said growing up six blocks away from the Berkeley Pit in Butte showed him the harsh impacts of natural resource development as the Anaconda Company pulled out after decades of mining and left families out of work. But he said jobs are important and the state will have to rely on its vast array of natural resources.
“We are going to come up with Montana solutions,” he said. “I will not support any rules that take away jobs in Montana.”
Daines said the timber industry has been devastated, citing Lincoln County, and that the new EPA regulations would only further harm natural resource development in the state.
“If we lose our natural resource base in this state, we lose good, high-paying jobs,” he said, adding, “This is not just a war on coal, it’s a war on middle class Americans and a war on jobs in Montana.”
Roots said the best solution is to “unleash the power of capitalism.”
Minimum Wage
Walsh and Daines disagreed on a proposal to raise the minimum wage, with Walsh supporting the effort to help “hard-working families working two jobs and still making below the poverty level,” while Daines said, “We do not need the federal government telling the state of Montana what our minimum wage should be.”
The best answer, Daines said, is to “move forward with jobs in natural resources. We will create more jobs if we get the government out of the way.”
Walsh agreed that more high-paying jobs are needed and cited his work as Lt. Governor in Montana.
“Over the past year, the state of Montana has created 10,000 jobs. We are doing something right,” he said.
Iraq War
Walsh, the only U.S. Senator who served in Iraq and one of only two who have served in combat, said he was proud of his service and the service of his soldiers but that the wars have cost the country and its families greatly.
“I honestly do not believe we should’ve sent our men and women, knowing what we know today, into Iraq,” he said.
Daines thanked Walsh for his service and said the nation’s foreign policy is rooted in the importance of driving toward energy independence.
“The faster we can get to an energy independent status in this country, the more secure the next generation will be,” Daines said.