The gloves were off Wednesday night as incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) faced off with his challenger in the race for the 1st Congressional district, New York State Senator Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), during a heated debate held at a packed Riverhead Polish Hall. See video below.
The debate was sponsored by RiverheadLOCAL and SoutholdLOCAL and moderated by co-publisher Denise Civiletti, who kicked off the event by asking for civility, reminding the crowd that, “this is not a sporting event, or a circus. It’s a debate.”
But the standing-room-only audience, comprised of a large majority of Zeldin supporters who came waving signs, was at times unruly, shouting and heckling the incumbent as he spoke despite requests to maintain decorum and remain respectful. At one point, a man in the audience stood up and screamed at Bishop, “You’re a stinkin’ liar!” and yelled at him about his position on abortion before storming out of the room.
From the outset, the candidates — who vied for the seat once before in 2008, when Bishop, who has served for 12 years in the post, was re-elected — locked horns over issues including immigration, health care reform, the Common Core curriculum, Medicare, Social Security, and economic development.
Zeldin, in his opening statements, came out swinging, saying the race presented a “clear choice between a problem solver and a backbencher.” During 12 years in office, Zeldin charged, Bishop has had only four bills signed into law, all renaming post offices. He, however, said he’s had 48 bills passed on a wide range of issues including protecting military families, cutting taxes, eliminating the MTA payroll tax and elimination of the saltwater fishing license fee.
“Pelosi, Obama and Bishop,” he said, “are on the wrong path.” Of his opponent, Zeldin said, “If you believe in Pelosi and Obama, then he’s your man.”
Bishop said he was proud of the post offices that bear the names of recipients of those who have received medals of honor and asked his opponent not to speak “disparagingly” of legislation that was important to families who’d lost loved ones.
He also said during his tenure, he’d focused on making higher education affordable and taken the lead on veterans’ issues, including his current work on the “Helping Veterans Exposed to Toxic Chemicals Act,” which will establish three Centers of Excellence to help with prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation of health conditions related to open burn pit exposure.
“I’m proud of my record as a legislator,” he said.
Securing U.S. borders
Sparring began in earnest as the candidates answered a series of questions. On the issue of securing the nation’s borders, Zeldin first discussed the unaccompanied immigrant children “surging across the borders”; he said he believed the children should be detained humanely and then “expeditiously” reunited with their parents in their home countries. Sending children with coyotes over the border is not only dangerous, but is “the wrong message to be sending,” he said, adding that he is opposed to amnesty. “We do not have the bandwidth as a nation to open up our borders.”
Instead, Zeldin said border patrol officers should get “off baby-sitting duty and do the job they were trained to do.” Improved technology at the borders is also important, he said.
Bishop said the question posed was broader than just refugee children and said in his 12-year tenure, the number of border protection agents has doubled, as has the budget; billions, the congressman added, have been spent in border technology. In addition, he said, the number of undocumented immigrants crossing the border yearly has dropped from 1.5 million to 500,000. “That’s real progress,” Bishop said. “We obviously have a way to go and we have to keep working at it.”
Immigration reform
Bishop also explained the path to citizenship that he’s advocated for years, which is included in a “compromised bill” that recently passed the Senate by a vote of 68 to 32. The path would give status to the millions of individuals now living in the United States without documentation, so that they would not be subject to deportation and would be allowed to work on “legitimate payrolls, no longer off the books”. Over a 15 year period, they would pay fines twice, back taxes twice, learn English and civics and maintain a clean record, Bishop said. At the end of 15 years, they would be granted citizenship.
“That’s the compromise,” he said. “Is this a perfect solution? No. But it is a compromise that can pass the House of Representatives if the speaker would ever allow it to come to the House.”
Comprehensive immigration reform, Bishop added, would mean $900 billion in deficit reduction over 20 years as those currently in an underground economy began paying Social Security and income taxes, Bishop said.
“I’m all for legal immigration,” Zeldin said again. “I do not support amnesty, or giving citizenship to those who are not here in the country legally.”
The first step, Zeldin said, must be securing the borders.
Bishop said the first step to the comprehensive reform bill he was referencing included “very stiff border protection provisions. It’s a red herring to say we are not securing borders.”
And, Bishop added, “You’ve got to live in the real world. On Long Island, 50 percent of farm work is done by undocumented immigrants. Farmers aren’t waking up every morning to say, ‘How do I break the law today? They’re asking, ‘How do I bring in my crop?'”
Zeldin added that for the undocumented already here, it’s key to “bring them out of the shadows” so they can begin paying for benefits, but he could not support citizenship.
Ebola & health care reform
One topic on which the candidates agreed was the issue of the ebola virus, with both men stating that air travel should be banned to Ebola-ravaged countries until screening procedures at airports are dramatically improved.
But tension escalated once again on the issue of health care reform. “Obamacare is a work in progress,” Bishop said, adding that the during the current “transitional period,” there were elements of the law that were “very, very good” and others that are “not working and that we need to fix.”
Bishop said in any other “mature, legislative body, we would set about the task of fixing those things.”
He added that he’s voted against legislation that would repeal Obamacare 52 times and said despite opposition, in four years, not a “single bill” has been brought forth to replace it. “If you have a plan, I’m all ears.”
Zeldin said he and Bishop disagreed. “I believe we do need to repeal,” Obamacare, he said, adding that he did support allowing children to say on their parents’ policies and allowing those with pre-existing conditions to have coverage. But, he said, there are many other ideas and proposals to consider other than Obamacare. “Implementation,” he said, “has been horrendous. It needs to be repealed and replaced.”
Common Core
The topic of the Common Core curriculum elicited a similar response from Zeldin, who said while he supports higher standards, he does not believe Commmon Core is the answer, adding that he helped to craft legislation to slam the brakes on the curriculum.
As a father, Zeldin said he is concerned about national standards that are not age appropriate. “We’re throwing our kids in the deep end without a life jacket.”
Zeldin slammed Bishop, stating that the federal government played a “huge role,” dangling a carrot of $700 million that New York State would lose if Common Core was not implemented.
“I think my opponent may have set a record for most misstatements of fact in three minutes,” Bishop fired back. “If anything can make the affordable care act rollout look good, it’s Common Core. It’s atrocious.”
But, Bishop said, it needs to be fixed, not thrown out. He added that there is no federal mandate that says states must accept Common Core or lose Race to the Top or No Child Left Behind funding — and said Common Core is adopted by the state. “Congress has no authority. He wants to put it on the federal government because he thinks it’s a wedge issue.”
“In Albany there are people who do not support Common Core,” Zeldin said. And, he added, “You are saying the federal government has no role but you personally signed the letter.”
Bishop said he signed the letter along with every other member of Congress at the request of the governor.
Helicopter noise
Locally, the candidates discussed the helicopter noise that North Fork residents say has shattered their quality of life.
Bishop said he believes the answer lies in extending the North Shore route around Orient Point, relying on the South Shore route, and also, realizing that East Hampton will have the ability to regulate traffic as of January 1, when the time limit runs out on grant assurances put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration after the town accepted grant money from the FAA.
Zeldin countered that if there is a “loophole” that allows pilots to fly over land, the loophole should be closed.
Bishop responded that there is no loophole, and the new northerly route is the first time helicopter traffic has ever been regulated, after he and Senator Charles Schumer advocated for change. “Before that, it was the Wild, Wild West,” he said.
Dysfunctional Congress
When discussing his criticism of Congress for partisanship, Zeldin was asked about his “campaign attack ads.” He said that his ads are “100 percent positive. I’m not going to defend my ads.” He said the spots showed his love for family, the military, and his support for equal pay for women.
“It’s unfair that I’m stuck here trying to defend myself,” he said.
Civiletti said she had been speaking of attack ads by other groups but said “vitriol is on both sides.”
Bishop maintained that he has “a long history of working with the other side” on a wide range of issues including the environment.
Zeldin said both parties could take blame. “They need to get their act together,” he said. “People are here because they care about their country. And Washington is not working.”
Social Security & Medicare
The candidates also engaged in heated discourse about privatization of Social Security, something Bishop said was a “bad idea.”
Solutions, he said, should not increase the nation’s deficit or debt.
Zeldin said he wanted to assure seniors, “I do not support privatizing your Social Security in any way, shape or form.”
Bishop countered that no one was talking about privatizing Social Security for seniors; his opponent, he said, had suggested the option for younger individuals putting money in a private account. “I don’t know what’s worse, that he thinks privatization is a good idea, or he’s running for Congress and he doesn’t know what privatization is.”
The threat of ISIS
On the threat of ISIS, Zeldin supported putting a general in charge on the ground overseas. “We need to change our strategy,” he said.
Bishop said the solution did not lie with the military but instead, the answer had to come from the governments of the Middle East.
Jobs & EPCAL
When asked about Enterprise Park at Calverton and its potential as a regional economic engine, Bishop said his focus has been on wastewater infrastructure and in educating young people in high-tech fields.
Zeldin said he’d work with Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter to help develop the parcel; the federal government should help with the project, he said. “The supervisor has a vision and I’d like to see him develop it,” he said. He added that private sector jobs are critical. “We’re losing too many of them.”
Bishop said he helped secure funding for the rail spur that connects EPCAL to the Long Island Rail Road and said he stands ready to assist Riverhead in any way.
In his final statement, Bishop said, “We have a real contrast here. A real choice. What I am is a good, hardworking, solid, pragmatic, solution-oriented member of Congress. I am not part of the problem. I am part of the solution.”
Zeldin said the issues are affecting seniors who have to choose between filling their oil tanks and buying prescription medication, about young people saddled with student loans that can’t afford a mortgage on Long Island, about families who are heading south because they’ve reached the breaking point and can’t afford to live on Long Island any longer.
Zeldin asked the audience if they were happy with the “Obama/Pelosi/Bishop agenda that Bishop supports, 110 percent.” He said he represents a new direction. “I”m asking for your support on November 4,” Zeldin concluded.
