Democratic Senate candidates Haley Stevens, Abdul El-Sayed full debate

[0:00] This is a special edition of The Pulse, the Democratic Senate debate. [0:04] Live from our Fox 2 studios, here's Roop Raj. [0:08] And good evening and welcome to Studio C for the Democratic Senate debate. [0:12] It's a chance for the two candidates to make their final pitch as to why they are the ones who can go up against Republican Mike Rogers. [0:19] Now, this is a race the whole country is watching. [0:21] And control of the upper chamber of Congress is on the line tonight. [0:24] Now, we should mention this debate is an hour long. [0:27] The first half hour is on both Fox 2 and our streaming platform, Fox Local and Fox2Detroit.com. [0:33] The second half is exclusively streaming on Fox Local. [0:36] So have your phone ready. [0:37] We'll have a QR code at the end of the first half hour that will take you right to the stream. [0:41] Or you can just log on to Fox2Detroit.com and be ready for that second half hour. [0:45] Now for the rules. [0:46] Candidates will get a minute opening statement and up to a minute 30 to answer any question I decide to ask. [0:52] The candidates will not address one another directly, but if statements are made about another candidate on stage, about a policy point or a direct accusation, that candidate will get up to a one minute rebuttal. [1:04] But to both the candidates, a little note, the more you make accusations, the more time you're handing over to your opponent. [1:10] So let's have a productive debate that highlights what you want to do, not what the other candidate can't do. [1:16] There's too much on the line, too much on the table, and people deserve substance over punches tonight. [1:21] Now I want to welcome the two Democratic U.S. Senate candidates, former Wayne County Health Director Dr. Abdul Al-Sayed and Congresswoman Haley Stevens. [1:29] To both of you, we give you a warm Fox2 welcome. [1:32] We thank you for being with us. [1:34] We're taking your questions, by the way, via text, and many of those will be asked in the second half hour. [1:38] Send them to 248-200-5042 or scan the QR code on your screen. [1:44] The last time we did this, the system almost crashed. [1:46] So many of you have questions. [1:48] We know more of you will. [1:49] So get on that as soon as you can. [1:51] Dr. Al-Sayed, you get the first opening statement tonight. [1:55] Root, studio audience, folks watching at home, I am so grateful to be here. [1:59] My name is Abdul Al-Sayed. [2:01] I'm a doctor. [2:02] I became a doctor because I go 15 minutes from where I grew up and travel a difference of 10 years difference in life expectancy. [2:09] Instead of practicing clinically, I went into public health, rebuilt Detroit's health department, led Wayne County's Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services. [2:15] We did things like put glasses on kids, took on corporate polluters. [2:19] Made sure that our kids weren't breathing the worst coming out of smokestacks and eliminated medical debt. [2:24] But I'm running because it just shouldn't be this hard. [2:26] I've been down to 110 different cities, 475 public events. [2:31] I could go to a living room in Lansing. [2:34] I could be in a church in Detroit. [2:36] No matter where I go, people tell me, I need to be able to afford my groceries. [2:40] I need to be able to afford my gas. [2:41] I need to be able to see a doctor when I get sick. [2:43] My friend is going to frame this race about me and her. [2:46] It's not about that. [2:47] It's about you. [2:47] It's about what you deserve. [2:49] It's about you deserving of politics that's not bought off by the same corporations picking your pocket at every single turn. [2:55] I'm looking forward to the conversation about how we get money out of politics, put money in your pocket, and pass Medicare for all. [3:00] Thank you, Dr. Abdul Al-Sayed. [3:02] Next up, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, you have one minute for your opening statement tonight. [3:05] Well, thank you to everyone tuning in tonight. [3:08] As we know, the stakes of this race couldn't be higher. [3:11] Costs continue to go up. [3:13] Our health care, voting rights, civil rights, it's all on the line in addition to Social Security and Medicare. [3:20] And if Mike Rogers wins this race, all goes by the wayside. [3:25] Look, Michigan deserves a senator who can win and who can deliver. [3:30] I'm the only one on this stage who has flipped a Republican seat. [3:34] And I was named Michigan's most effective Democratic lawmaker in Congress because my only focus is you. [3:42] Abdul is running for celebrity. [3:44] Republicans are propping up his campaign. [3:47] And Mike Rogers just the other day said in a secret phone call that he makes it easier for him to win, that he's the one he wants to run against. [3:55] Look, this isn't about the D.C. or New York influencer crowd. [3:59] This is about putting Michigan first, and I've got the receipts to do that, which is why Governor Whitmer and so many others are joining my campaign to win in November. [4:09] Congresswoman, Dr. Al-Sayed, thank you both for your opening statements. [4:12] Listen, I just want to give you an idea of how we're going to do things a little bit differently from other debates where perhaps it's a little more formalized. [4:18] This is going to be a conversation where I'm the moderator. [4:21] I'll ask you questions. [4:22] The time cues will be given by me. [4:23] No clocks here. [4:24] So let's go, and we'll begin with this. [4:26] So many people have questions about affordability. [4:28] It's the number one thing we hear about from people. [4:30] What are they doing in Washington to make sure that life is more affordable for me? [4:35] Dr. Al-Sayed, what are you doing that's something that perhaps we haven't heard before in Washington that's different to keep the cost of living down? [4:41] So let's just tell you, for me, it's I don't take money from the corporations who are jacking up your prices in the first place. [4:47] When you're bought off by DTE and Blue Cross and Big Pharma and Big Tech and APAC, don't be surprised that there's a pro quo that comes with that quid. [4:58] That money doesn't just fall off trees. [5:00] $60 million from outside organizations in this race didn't just come from nowhere. [5:04] It's because those exact same organizations expect something on the other side, and that's that they get to expect to own your next U.S. senator. [5:12] So it starts with being able to say I'm the only candidate in this race who doesn't take any money from corporations. [5:17] Never have, never will. [5:18] And then from there, I actually can stand up to them. [5:21] I can do things like enforce our antitrust policies that haven't been enforced. [5:26] I can do things like tax billionaires their wealth so we can take that money and invest it in you and your kids in your schools. [5:32] I can do things like make sure that rather than sending your money somewhere else to drop bombs on other people and their kids, we can keep that money here at home. [5:41] And just in case you don't believe me, just think about this. [5:44] Just last week, our friend here voted to send $3.3 billion of your tax dollars to a foreign government. [5:51] That is the pro quo that comes with a quid of $30 million spent by AIPAC. [5:56] So it really comes down to how are you funded. [5:59] Dr. El-Sayed, thank you. [6:01] Congresswoman Haley Stevens, we heard a lot from Dr. El-Sayed. [6:03] Some of that was about your record in Washington. [6:06] I want you to be able to address that, but also tell us what you would do to keep the cost of living down. [6:09] Yeah, our affordability crisis is choking us out here in Michigan. [6:15] You know, everywhere I go, if it's at the Fish Fry in downtown Detroit or the working single mom who just the other day told me her health care costs continue to go up, that the grocery bill is only getting harder. [6:29] We don't need lip service. [6:31] We need action. [6:32] And Abdul's going to talk about where employees from certain corporations are spending their money, but let me tell you about what I am doing. [6:40] Because DTE and our utility companies are selling out their payers, and I'm giving them an option. [6:48] I'm saying DTE, either stop raising rates or lose your federal funds and cut executive pay. [6:57] Look, we need proven fighters in these positions. [7:02] And that is what I have done time and time again. [7:05] I've got the receipts to show it. [7:06] And this is also why Governor Whitmer and A.G. Nessel, you know, two proven fighters who want to see results, have endorsed me in this race. [7:16] Because Michigan, it needs a workhorse in the United States Senate. [7:21] Sleeves rolled up, ready to tackle our problems on day one. [7:25] And I'm not just stopping there. [7:27] Let's lower the cost of groceries with my bill, no tariffs on groceries. [7:30] I do want to get in the weeds a bit with this, because I want to ask you a very direct question that so many people ask us. [7:36] Are these folks getting money from big utility? [7:39] Congresswoman Haley Stevens, are you taking money for your campaign from DTE or consumers? [7:45] No, but let me say this, Rue. [7:47] I have been transparent. [7:49] I have been transparent throughout this campaign. [7:51] And let me just say this, that the only thing that ever motivates my work is the people of Michigan, the people who I hear from. [8:02] You know, my opponent is on these big podcasts. [8:04] You know, he's running a podcast himself. [8:06] These folks are making fun of the way I sound. [8:09] But yet, I sound like the people who need help, who are talking to me about what they need done. [8:16] Congresswoman, that was a follow-up to ask the direct question, whether you're taking money from utilities or not. [8:20] And I said no. [8:20] The answer is no. [8:21] Thank you. [8:21] Dr. El-Sayed, I'm asking you the same question. [8:24] Any money from anyone that we don't know about? [8:26] No and never. [8:27] But then $40,000 in direct receipts to her campaign from DTE's corporate PAC. [8:33] And then there's, I don't know, Center for Democratic Priorities, which released its funders. [8:38] But then they're behind these shell organizations, these 501c4s. [8:42] So I'd really like to revisit that question, because I don't know how to explain $40,000 directly to her campaign from DTE. [8:49] I'm the only candidate in this race who's never touched a dime of corporate PAC money. [8:52] I do want to ask both of you about your campaigns, respectively, when it comes to certain questions that people have. [8:57] Congressman, we'll begin with you, and we'll dive right into that right now. [9:00] You've heard many people ask the question about AIPAC, and it seems as though on many instances you haven't directly answered the question. [9:06] Do you see why some people are bothered by the fact that so much money, $40-plus million, has come from AIPAC for these PACs to talk about you and to promote you and to put you up as a candidate? [9:18] Yeah, and I appreciate the question, Root, because this moment in this country and here in Michigan, people have every right to be frustrated about our campaign finance system. [9:29] My opponent here on this stage, Abdul, he's got a super PAC that his father-in-law funds that has millions of dollars going into it. [9:37] And look, in terms of foreign policy, you know, Abdul and I do differ. [9:42] I believe in a two-state solution. [9:44] He has attacked me by name for purporting that the people of Palestine and the people of Israel deserve to live side-by-side peacefully. [9:54] The goal is always long-term peace. [9:56] And also, the prime minister of Israel has attacked me by name. [10:01] They both represent the extremes. [10:04] Look, Michiganders want peace. [10:07] They deserve to see peace. [10:09] And that is where I have always cast my vote. [10:12] And that is the work that I want to do for Michigan and the U.S. Senate. [10:15] But Congresswoman, specifically about AIPAC money, more than $46 million has been spent on AIPAC spending to back your campaign. [10:22] A lot of people wonder if that is something where they're, you know, you're going to do their bidding should you win this seat. [10:28] Is that something people should be concerned about? [10:30] And if not, why not? [10:31] Absolutely not, Roop. [10:32] Look, I have been very clear, consistent, and transparent. [10:36] And I have continued to be. [10:37] I want to see long-term peace. [10:39] I want to see a two-state solution. [10:42] I am deeply proud to represent one of the largest Jewish populations in a congressional district in the country. [10:50] This is a community that I have grieved alongside, that I've mourned alongside, and have fought to bring the hostages home. [10:58] And I'm still working to get us to long-term peace. [11:02] But no concern about the $46 million-plus spent on the behalf of AIPAC that should worry people about perhaps you doing their bidding should you win the seat? [11:10] Well, I don't think there's much difference between super PACs going in for Abdul or super PACs going in for me. [11:16] We have a problem with campaign finance reform in this country. [11:20] I have an A grading from N Citizens United. [11:23] I have been endorsed by Defend the Vote. [11:26] I have voted consistently. [11:27] And I'm going to stop Mike Rogers from getting anywhere close to the United States Senate, which is why he doesn't want to run against me. [11:36] And which is why somebody like Governor Whitmer is supporting me in this race. [11:40] Congresswoman Stephens, thank you. [11:41] I want to give some equal time here to Dr. El-Sayed, and specifically I want to talk to you a little bit about this geopolitical weight that we all feel in this community, which is about the Israel-Palestine issue. [11:51] It obviously has colored this election greatly. [11:54] It colors the Democratic Party. [11:56] How do you see yourself moving forward should you become a senator here handling the situation with Iran, Israel, and Hamas? [12:03] So I just want to say the difference between us is $46 million of AIPAC spending. [12:08] They've set a record in this race to help elect my opponent because they know that she'll be a reliable vote, just like she took last week to send your tax dollars to a foreign government that is aiding, arming, and abetting the very people who want to foreclose on the possibility of Palestinian self-determination. [12:26] Look, at the end of the day, my job is to take care of you here. [12:28] I want to be your U.S. senator. [12:30] I want your tax dollars spent in Michigan to provide schools in Michigan, to build health care in Michigan, to build roads in Michigan. [12:37] And I think that money sent over there to kill kids and women is the worst use of our tax dollars. [12:45] And yet, that's exactly what $46 million in spending will buy you. [12:50] And I believe deeply that we have a responsibility to make sure that we don't make other people's problems worse. [12:56] So I believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis alike. [13:01] I believe that we should not be fighting stupid wars that AIPAC wants us to fight in the first place. [13:06] And I believe we have a responsibility to keep our money here, to invest here. [13:10] That really is the difference. [13:11] We're being outspent in this race 12 to 1. [13:13] Chances are you're going to see an ad, probably two of them, on behalf of AIPAC for my opponent in the next commercial break. [13:20] That's what that buys you, lying about a record around President Obama's endorsement or lying about me and my character. [13:26] But that's exactly what happens when you stand up and say, maybe Palestinians should have rights to, and maybe we should have rights to our tax dollars here at home. [13:33] Dr. Alassane, I'm going to give Congresswoman a chance to respond as you made a couple of accusations there about her record. [13:38] Go ahead, Congresswoman. [13:39] Well, as I said, I have been transparent, and that is why I have released my full tax returns, and Abdul still hasn't. [13:46] We need to ask him, what's he hiding? [13:48] What are the Republicans going to uncover in the general election that they will use against him? [13:54] I am the only non-millionaire in this race. [13:57] I have been recognized as an effective Democratic lawmaker who, yes, governs in a clear, consistent way on complex challenges. [14:06] I am beholden to the people of Michigan, the people who I hear from when I am in the grocery store line, people who have broken down in tears asking me how we can address this affordability crisis. [14:22] And that is what I am doing. [14:24] That is what I will do on day one. [14:26] And I have the receipts to prove it. [14:28] Dana Nessel agrees with me. [14:30] Dr. Alassane, I do want to ask you a question about the tone and the tenor of this campaign. [14:33] It is safe to say that everyone from Washington to Washington Township in Michigan are sick and tired of people pointing fingers, screaming, yelling, and insulting one another. [14:41] We have seen a lot of that all across the country. [14:44] Just earlier this week, we heard that there was some kind of a Zoom call in which you had referenced an opponent as ogre on a pike. [14:52] And so many people took offense to that. [14:54] And it really pointed to the bigger question about the tone and tenor that you have been accused of having in this campaign. [14:59] Do you regret any of the comments that you have made? [15:02] And do you think that this race could take a more productive and a more substantive tone if we kept those personal slams out? [15:10] Look, I took to Twitter last week and said that the tone in which people talk about my opponent is unkind. [15:15] And I asked anybody who supported me to not talk about her that way. [15:18] In fact, when she got booed on the stage at the Michigan Democratic Party convention, I called her personally and said that that was unkind. [15:24] My supporters had nothing to do with it. [15:26] But I don't think that that's the way we want to do politics. [15:29] I was referring to a guy named John Fetterman, who's a senator from Pennsylvania, who has done terrible things, got elected on a set of values, and is now completely throwing those values in the mud. [15:39] And I do think it's important for any senator in Michigan to have a relationship with folks who are in the U.S. Senate. [15:45] And if those folks are not actually acting in accordance with what they got elected on, I think it's important for all of us to have an honest opinion about what we're going to do to make sure that our Senate looks like the people it represents. [15:55] But when we talk about unkindness, I also just want to speak to the fact that on behalf of my opponent, UDP, another name for APAC, has been running attack ad after attack ad after attack ad on my character. [16:07] I'm the father of two daughters. [16:08] I'm raising them to be stronger than any man. [16:10] My wife is a doctor. My mother was the first tenured professor of engineering at her university. [16:16] I was raised by strong women. [16:17] To say that somehow, because I wrote an op-ed 15 years ago about First Lady Michelle Obama, or I ran against Governor Whitmer, that somehow I'm disrespecting anybody is just inconsistent with the truth. [16:29] So I really think it's important for my opponent to speak to why she thinks it's okay to spend $10 million of APAC money coming after my character. [16:37] I'd love to understand that, because I went on Twitter and I said that those comments are unkind. [16:41] I'd like to see the same thing. [16:42] Congresswoman, we're going to get to some questions from our audience in just a moment. [16:44] But, Congresswoman, I do want to give you a chance to address that civility issue that is lacking severely in American politics. [16:51] Is this something that the ads that you see on television, whether you paid for them or whether someone else paid for them, [16:55] do you think they're doing an injustice to voters by just filling the room with vitriol and hate and not getting to the issues? [17:01] Well, look, there was something else that was revealed in the phone call that Abdul was mentioning, [17:08] which is that he said that he's not going to be able to get much done, [17:12] that he's not focused on policy for the first two years that he is in the United States Senate, [17:17] that he's going to be focused on national politics. [17:20] Again, Michigan needs a workhorse, and I am offering these ideas on day one. [17:26] Congresswoman, respectfully, respectfully, I do want you to answer the question. [17:30] It's about civility. [17:31] But it is important to be transparent about what is being said here. [17:34] And look, Abdul's a great guy. [17:36] He's a great father. [17:38] You know, only he can account for saying that, you know, Whitmer's bought and paid for [17:42] or that, you know, no one cares about Debbie Stabenow or that Mallory McMorrow isn't smart enough. [17:48] You know, that is certainly on him to respond to, which we certainly just did hear from him on that. [17:53] Ruth, can I respond? [17:54] Dr. Al-Sayed, you have a quick minute here. [17:55] Look, I told you at the outset that my opponent was going to make this race about me and her. [18:01] But this is about you. [18:03] This is about whether or not you deserve a politics of the people, by the people, and for the people, [18:07] or of the corporations, by the billionaires, and for the special interests. [18:11] In an effort to talk about civility, I just took another attack. [18:14] And I just want you to ask yourself, what is it that you deserve from your politics now? [18:20] Do you deserve a politician more focused on their opponent because they want to be in a seat? [18:24] Or do you deserve a politics where we're all asking, how do we actually serve you best? [18:30] Because that's what I'm focused on here in this debate and been focused on for this entire 15-month campaign that we've been running on. [18:36] Well, and thank you for clarifying that you didn't call me an ogre. [18:38] No, again, for the record, it was Mr. Fetterman that was apparently called an ogre in the call, not you. [18:45] However, I do want to get to some audience questions as well. [18:47] It's time to take questions from our studio audience. [18:50] We want to remind you that we are taking your questions at home as well. [18:52] Just scan the QR code on your screen or text it to 248-200-5042. [18:57] Make sure you tune in at 8 o'clock to stream Fox Local on fox2detroit.com. [19:02] These candidates will be answering your questions. [19:04] But right now, we begin with Hannah, who is a voter who is here today. [19:08] Thank you for being here. [19:09] Thank you for having me. [19:11] So what I wanted to ask was, compared to neighboring states, Michigan consistently ranks among one of the worst for power reliability and rate affordability. [19:21] As hotter summers and severe storms strain our infrastructure, what federal policies or grid investment standards will you champion to ensure Michigan residents get reliable, affordable power? [19:36] We'll begin with Congresswoman Haley Stevens for an answer on that. [19:38] Yeah, well, and Hannah, thank you so much for asking such an important and palpable question to so many Michiganders. [19:45] It has been deeply frustrating to see Donald Trump get rid of the clean energy tax credits. [19:50] It has been deeply frustrating to see our utility bills go up and up and up. [19:55] These companies do not care about the rate payers, and they are selling us out. [20:00] I am not offering lip service to this issue. [20:03] I'm offering a solution, which is to say to these companies, either lower the rates or lose your federal funds. [20:10] Look, I voted for the infrastructure bill. [20:13] I secured funds for us back here in Michigan. [20:15] I want to do more of that, passing the largest climate bill in the history of this country. [20:21] Donald Trump's trying to erase it. [20:23] We need a science-forward agenda delivering for us, meeting the moment for who our families are, what our children deserve, and that's why I'm running for the United States Senate. [20:34] Hannah, we have an answer from Dr. Al-Sayed as well. [20:36] Hannah, thank you so much for such an important question. [20:38] I just want to speak directly to what's happening right now. [20:40] Now, you've got DTE, which is the biggest spender in our entire politics. [20:44] They spend on 93% of the entire elected state legislature, as well as most of our congresspeople, including my colleague here. [20:51] And that allows them to get away with things like building one of the largest hyperscale data centers in our state in ex parte approval. [21:00] Now, that's fancy terms for saying approval without actually going through the normal process. [21:04] And this is going to increase the load on our grid by more than twice. [21:08] Now, we just lost our power for five days in a row because of a mid-level storm. [21:13] We need to do a lot better. [21:15] To me, it's about transparency in policymaking. [21:18] People should not be able to take that money and then turn the other cheek and then allow for these approval processes that aren't approval processes at all. [21:25] I still have yet to see a plan from DTE about how they're going to improve our reliability while doubling more so the amount of electricity they're expected to provide for a data center that nobody asked for. [21:36] I put out a terms of engagement because these data centers, that was one of 15 that proposed last year alone. [21:41] We need to be serious about the incoming threat that's going to make all of this so much worse. [21:45] Thank you both. [21:46] And thank you, Hannah, for your question. [21:48] I want to address both of the candidates. [21:49] And by the way, we are going to get to some text message questions as well from all of you at home. [21:53] But I want to talk specifically about your campaigns. [21:56] And I think it's noteworthy that one of the reasons we're doing this debate is to contrast the two of you, where you stand on so many issues, but also on how you go about doing your business, how you campaign. [22:06] Dr. El-Said, I'll begin with you. [22:08] The Democratic Socialists of America have not made an endorsement in this particular race. [22:13] But when you go to our rally, and we've covered so many of them, so many of them are from that organization. [22:19] Who are you when it comes to your political stripes? [22:21] Many people call you progressive. [22:23] Some have accused you of being a socialist. [22:25] Not that that's a bad word. [22:27] But people have said that about you. [22:29] Where do you stand on your politics? [22:31] How would you describe your politics? [22:32] Ruf, I'm a doctor and a scientist. [22:35] I want policy solutions that actually map to the problems that we face. [22:39] My governing experience is rebuilding a health department in the city of Detroit, leading Wayne County's Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services. [22:46] We had to go in there and work with a diverse community to be asking, what are the challenges we face and how do we actually solve them? [22:52] We were able to identify the fact that our county ranked the number eight for medical debt nationwide. [22:58] And we could eliminate that for a penny on the dollar. [23:00] So we set aside $7 million to erase up to $700 million in medical debt. [23:04] When kids couldn't get glasses, 30% of them would get tested positive for needing glasses and wouldn't get a pair, we put optometrists on vans outside of schools. [23:13] So that as soon as a kid got a positive test, they'd go out, get a full optometric exam, and get a pair of glasses delivered within two weeks of a vision test. [23:20] Now, working with a diverse community of people, you come to realize that not every solution fits the same way. [23:26] You've got to be thinking about a solution in the right way. [23:28] When it comes to the question of socialism, I'm not a socialist. [23:30] I'm just a capitalist who understands how capitalism works. [23:33] The biggest threat to capitalism was never the idea of government regulation. [23:37] It was always monopoly. [23:38] I want you to think about the stuff that you have to buy, whether it's your groceries and the number of stores you can go to, or it's buying a flight to see your grandmother, or it's picking a phone or a phone provider. [23:48] You have like two or three options. [23:50] And that shouldn't be legal, but that's the way our economy works right now. [23:53] So I think government ought to be there to regulate on monopolies and oligopolies so that everybody can actually participate in an economy without having to be forced to pay more or get paid less for the work they do. [24:04] Congresswoman Stevens, another question about your campaign. [24:07] We've seen, just in the last few days, of course, Senator Sanders, we've seen AOC, and we've seen Elizabeth Warren just today, and they're all behind Abdul. [24:16] These are the people who worked with you in the same room, have watched you for your four terms. [24:21] Should that concern voters that they're taking the outsider's side in this case? [24:25] You have a minute and a half. [24:26] Well, I think that we should look at the fact that Brenda Lawrence, my longtime mentor and dear friend, congresswoman from Oakland County representing Detroit, has been an early endorser of mine in this race alongside Governor Whitmer, Senator Stabenow, Senator Peters, who, like myself, has been recognized as the most effective lawmaker for our state. [24:46] But let me be really clear right now, because I'm going to tell you what kind of politician I am. [24:54] I am Michigan's manufacturing geek, okay? [24:58] I have visited hundreds of small to mid-sized manufacturing shop floors. [25:04] I have operated CNC machines in my life previous to being in elected office. [25:10] I have a deep passion for the bread and butter of our state and a unique understanding of it. [25:16] So when Donald Trump and Mike Rogers go to lick the bootstraps of China and start a trade war with Canada, screwing us over and selling us down the river, I will be standing up for us. [25:30] And securing things like what I did with the Chips and Science Act to deliver for our youth and equity and inclusion that is so very important to our future. [25:43] Jobs for everyone, lower costs. [25:46] And, yeah, stop these abuses of power that are coming down from Trump and Rogers, who are treating it like the stock trading floor. [25:54] Congresswoman Haley-Stevens, Dr. Al Sayed, we thank you so much for your time. [25:57] We're not done at all. [25:58] In fact, the debate is only halfway through. [26:00] Our conversation continues. [26:01] We have a lot of text messages. [26:03] That phone's been blowing up when it takes some of your questions. [26:06] The debate continues on our streaming platform, Fox Local. [26:09] Here's what you do. [26:10] Scan the QR code on the right of your screen. [26:11] Go right to Fox2Detroit.com if that's easier. [26:14] On your phone, iPad, or on your connected TV, Fox Local. [26:17] The candidates will answer more of your questions, and we'll hear from more of our studio audience as well. [26:21] We've already received more than 700 text messages. [26:24] We're going to comb through them, get to a couple of them after the break. [26:27] I'm Roop Raj. [26:27] We'll see you in a few minutes. [27:27] The next edition of The Pulse, the Democratic Senate debate. [27:31] Live from our Fox 2 studios, here's Roop Raj. [27:36] Thanks for staying with us on this special edition of The Pulse, streaming exclusively on Fox Local and Fox2Detroit.com. [27:41] You're about to hear more from the candidates, and they'll hear from you. [27:44] Scan the QR code on your screen, or text your question 248-200-5042. [27:50] Our producing team in the control room, they're monitoring all these texts. [27:53] Yours could be asked next. [27:55] We'll also hear from our studio audience as well. [27:57] And so we begin with this text message with Dr. Abdul Al-Sayed and also Congresswoman Haley Stevens. [28:02] How will you bring back manufacturing jobs and secure longevity for the big three? [28:07] Congresswoman, you had a chance to address this earlier. [28:09] We're going to begin with Dr. Al-Sayed on what he plans to do when it comes to manufacturing jobs and securing the big three. [28:15] Well, I'm grateful for the endorsement of the UAW. [28:17] And they endorse me because they understand that a pathway forward to bring back the manufacturing that we lost because of terrible policies like USMCA, voted on by my friend here, [28:28] is to make sure that we are thoughtful about actually regulating the way that corporations and the top of corporations make decisions. [28:35] Number one, I think we need to ban stock buybacks. [28:37] This is this process by which corporations will literally buy their own stock to artificially raise their stock price, taking money away from the future of R&D and the workers themselves. [28:47] Number two, I actually think that there's a pathway. [28:50] Unlike the stupid tariffs of Donald Trump, which is around-the-clock tariffs for everyone, I think that there's a place for targeted tariffs. [28:57] If you think about free trade like cancer, I think we need some chemo. [29:01] And the way that that would work is that they were transparent, specific, directed to particular product lines. [29:07] And then number three, I think we need to massively invest in continuing to be the best place to make an internal combustion engine in the world [29:14] and also to invest in EVs and EV infrastructure. [29:18] And I want to talk about what I mean by that. [29:19] I don't believe in a mandate, but what I do believe is that you should be able to buy a $25,000, 300-mile range car brought to you by the big three. [29:29] Why? Because that's the way that we're going to be able to create a product line that can compete all over the world [29:34] with the kinds of cars that China is now manufacturing and eating our lunch on. [29:38] But that means we have to invest in workers. [29:41] And that really is the most important piece here. [29:43] The UAW has built the American automotive industry. [29:46] We need to be invested in them. We need to make sure that we continue to have the best manufacturing and engineering talent in the world. [29:54] And that means ending the restriction that we've seen, and it means investing in our workers again. [30:00] Again, we have an opportunity to continue to lead if we're willing to actually think past the ridiculousness of the Trump administration [30:06] into what the future can be and into how we continue to invest in workers, engineers, and a product line be fit for the future. [30:13] Congresswoman, I know you have a lot of notes and a lot in your mind and heart about manufacturing, [30:17] but does it disturb you at all that the UAW put their endorsement duel when you've done all this stuff for manufacturing that you've talked about? [30:23] Look, I am so deeply proud to have a longstanding relationship with retirees and UAW members [30:30] and to have 17 labor endorsements in this race by a long shot. [30:35] And I'm also very proud to have receipts and plans, and I'll show you where I'm leading the charge. [30:41] Costs are killing us in our manufacturing sector. [30:45] All right, the trade war with Canada has sold us out. [30:48] There are 1,000 Cleveland Cliffs workers, mostly in downriver, that are out of work right now. [30:56] You know, Mike Rogers wants to rubber stamp all of this. [31:01] The stakes couldn't be higher. [31:02] November is 50-50. [31:05] He said on the leaked call he wants to run against Abdul. [31:08] He knows that I pass bipartisan wins for Michigan with chips and science to lessen our dependence on China, [31:16] that I want to do that with critical minerals, which will lower costs and create jobs [31:21] and continue to propel us as a manufacturing hub. [31:24] And look, Roop, I was deeply proud to play a role in the Obama administration when our big three was on the line, [31:33] particularly General Motors and Chrysler and hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs across our state. [31:40] That was a long time ago, but it was policy that worked. [31:43] We cannot take for granted that this incredible state of ours, Michigan, is just one of a handful left in the country [31:51] whose central economy, all the jobs, drive through manufacturing. [31:57] Representative, thank you. [31:58] I'm going to be the champion for that in the United States Senate, and I'm going to run through anyone and anything that gets in my way to deliver for us. [32:05] You know, one of the things and one of the reasons we wanted this debate to happen right now, [32:10] just hardly what a week away from the big election, is because people don't always understand the differences between the two of you. [32:17] Some of them are clear, some of them are not. [32:18] So I'm going to ask you a question that is really mirrored in this text message from one of our Fox 2 viewers, [32:23] and I think this is really a poignant question. [32:25] Dr. Al-Sayed, I'll begin with you. [32:27] What is the number one thing Senate Democrats are failing to do right now that you would do differently? [32:32] Well, number one, I just think the filibuster itself is anti-democratic, and we had an opportunity to break the filibuster. [32:39] Now, let me just talk about what the filibuster is. [32:41] The filibuster is a process by which all of the Senate can hide behind one senator who wants to filibuster, [32:48] which requires a 60-vote threshold to break. [32:51] And that means that you need 60 votes to pass something when it really should just be the majority number of votes. [32:56] I oppose the filibuster. [32:58] I think the filibuster has been anti-democratic for a lot of reasons. [33:00] And once you get past that, we have the opportunity to get money out of politics to take on Citizens United. [33:06] We have the opportunity to put money back in pockets by doing things like passing the PRO Act to stand with unions like the UAW who have endorsed us. [33:12] We have the opportunity to start changing and enforcing our antitrust policies so a few corporations can't pick your pocket at every turn. [33:19] We have the opportunity to tax billionaires their wealth, [33:22] and we have the opportunity to finally guarantee every single person in this country health care through Medicare for all. [33:27] But we've got to get the democracy part of it right. [33:30] And right now, the biggest risks to our democracy are the filibuster. [33:33] It's anti-democratic at the Senate and money in politics. [33:36] The attack ads that you've seen probably in the last commercial break itself that change our political system. [33:41] When you ask $60 million to come into a race for you and then say that somehow you're electable, [33:45] I think you don't quite understand what electability means. [33:48] If you need a $60 million crutch, you probably can't be elected on your own terms. [33:51] So I would just say that you should probably, if you really want to beat Mike Rogers, [33:55] find the candidate who is electable without having to ask for a $60 million crutch to do it. [34:01] Congresswoman? [34:02] Well, look, you talk about the senators who've come in here from the coast to campaign alongside Abdul. [34:09] And I think one of the things they are really missing is what we need here in Michigan. [34:15] You know, an understanding of what makes our state tick. [34:20] You know, go and visit a small business. [34:23] Go and talk to a black-owned business. [34:25] You know, I know it's great to host rallies and have these fun events, [34:29] but everywhere I have gone in Michigan, I have taken the time to visit a minority-owned business. [34:36] I want to see my bill that would take an investment capital structure into black-owned businesses, [34:43] so things like what we have on the Avenue of Fashion, which is a national best practice, [34:49] that we can do that in Saginaw and Muskegon and Lansing. [34:52] There's so much great economic development happening here, [34:55] but our tax code and our tax dollars aren't working for us, [35:00] which is why I have staked such a big part of my campaign on hope and equity, [35:06] so that every zip code gets equal investment. [35:10] I have fought to bring these dollars into Pontiac, and I'm darn proud of it. [35:15] You know, for the bridge and for youth recreation, we need to continue to do that across the state. [35:21] And the people who aren't from here, who are so eager to campaign here, [35:25] they should really come and spend some time with the residents and the people [35:29] who I'm hearing from each and every single day. [35:31] Look, there's a lot to be proud of for Michigan, [35:34] but there is so much we could be doing to do more for folks. [35:39] I just want to make sure that the viewer had their question answered, [35:41] because I think it was about what was going wrong in the Senate, [35:44] and we got this conversation about why senators should come visit, [35:47] which is actually exactly what they just did. [35:49] But I just also want to just be clear about this, [35:51] that at the end of the day, yes, you should go to small businesses. [35:54] That's actually what we've done. [35:55] We've also gone to 475 public events where we actually took questions from an audience [36:00] rather than these baked and polished, made-for-a-camera events [36:03] that too often is the way that my friend has campaigned. [36:07] And so, look, we do bring people in because we want to actually introduce them to Michiganders. [36:12] And wouldn't it be better if one of our senators went to the Senate [36:15] with colleagues ready to work with them on day one? [36:19] Well, I do want to ask you both about contrasting something that I think is really important right now. [36:22] When we talk about ICE, this is something that obviously has seemed to kind of calm down a bit, [36:28] but it's still fundamentally important to everyone who's watching right now. [36:32] Congresswoman Stevens, where do you stand on ICE and the funding for ICE [36:37] and where things should be going? [36:39] Well, I am leading the charge in the Congress right now [36:41] to redirect $70 billion of your tax money, Michiganders' taxpayer money, [36:48] that went to ICE at the expense of your health care, [36:52] at the expense of food benefits, [36:54] all things that I am hearing from a Michiganders where they are experiencing pain points. [36:59] We've got to redirect that $70 billion back into communities. [37:04] I called for Kristi Noem to go. [37:06] She was fired. [37:07] But guess what? [37:09] No reforms. [37:10] Not a penny more for this rogue agency that is wreaking havoc. [37:14] Look, I've talked to administrators at Harms Elementary in Detroit, [37:19] you know, parents who are afraid to drop their kids off for school because of these ICE raids. [37:24] This isn't working for us. [37:26] This is abuse of power. [37:28] And I am standing up to Trump right now on these abuses of power, [37:32] not shouting into a bullhorn, not getting in front of the first camera I see, [37:37] but doing the hard work. [37:40] That is what Michigan deserves. [37:42] Look, my opponent here, Abdul, he is such a talented guy. [37:46] He's written three books. [37:47] He's had 300 podcasts. [37:50] You know, he's had all this attention. [37:51] But the deal is, is we don't need a celebrity candidate. [37:55] We don't need a celebrity senator. [37:57] We need somebody who is committed to six years of hard, unglamorous work [38:03] that's going to stand up to this junk that is wreaking havoc and causing chaos [38:09] right before our very ICE. [38:10] It's unacceptable. [38:11] All right, Congresswoman, thank you. [38:12] Dr. El-Sayed, you heard Congresswoman Stevens there say, [38:15] essentially, strip away some of the funding for ICE. [38:18] Is that not good enough? [38:19] Well, she's also voted to raise ICE funding four times. [38:23] That's the part that you didn't hear. [38:26] Four times voted to raise ICE funding. [38:27] Voted to thank ICE, in fact. [38:30] So this is the same kind of D.C. hypocrisy, I hate to say it, [38:34] that we often see. [38:35] Say one thing in front of a camera, do another thing. [38:38] I said that we need to abolish ICE. [38:40] ICE is not about immigration. [38:42] ICE is not about the southern border. [38:43] We can have a safe and secure southern border. [38:45] We can also enforce immigration policy. [38:48] But ICE is not about that. [38:49] ICE is about normalizing paramilitary force on our streets. [38:52] And I just want to push back on the idea that it's calmed down. [38:55] I mean, I was just in Genesee County this weekend, and you had raids in Saginaw. [39:00] People are scared to death. [39:02] And we've got a Congresswoman who tells you that she's against ICE, [39:04] has voted to raise ICE funding, voted to thank ICE, [39:07] called the people who work in ICE, I don't know, [39:10] very fine public servants and other things when she went and visited herself. [39:13] So I'm just saying that I do the thing that I say I'm going to do. [39:17] I don't think ICE needs to exist. [39:19] For the better part of our country's history, we did not have an ICE. [39:22] And I think we can do a much better job when it comes to immigration without one. [39:27] And here's the last thing I just want to say about this. [39:29] When it comes to the question of immigration, [39:31] we need Democrats who are going to stand up and actually talk about the great good [39:34] that immigration has done for our country in the first place. [39:36] The idea that somehow we can't say abolish ICE because we're so afraid of what they're going to say [39:40] when we've seen ICE terrorize people in our streets, to me, [39:44] is exactly the kind of cowardice that we don't need from Democrats. [39:47] So yeah, I'm going to take the bullhorn, and I'm going to say that I think we need to abolish ICE [39:51] because I am not afraid of what they're going to say about me. [39:53] Doctor, I do want to follow up, though, with both of you. [39:55] Isn't saying abolish ICE like saying defund the police? [39:59] Is that just busting the whole thing open? [40:01] Or do you believe that in order to have enforcement, [40:03] you need to have an agency that knows how to do it? [40:05] Yeah, well, I just also ran government agencies. [40:08] And I know that when a culture of impunity sets into a government agency, [40:11] it becomes almost impossible to take out. [40:14] And so I think the agency, as it exists, does not need to exist. [40:19] That's not to say that we are not going to keep our streets secure. [40:23] That's not to say that we're not going to enforce immigration policy. [40:26] That's not to say that we shouldn't have a safe, secure southern border. [40:29] How do you do it? [40:29] The same way we did it for most of our history, Root. [40:32] For most of our history, we didn't have ICE. [40:33] We had INS, and they were targeted. [40:36] They obeyed the laws of this land. [40:38] They didn't terrorize people in places like preschools and parking lots. [40:41] They didn't run up in schools and churches. [40:44] They understood that their job, yes, was to enforce immigration policy, [40:48] but they did it under the protection of the Constitution itself. [40:52] And that's what we're losing here. [40:54] You've got ICE agents who do not understand that the central law of this country is the Constitution itself. [40:59] ICE has become a tyrannical agency, [41:00] and I think there is no way to get past that except for to undo the agency and then build from scratch. [41:06] Congresswoman, you have been on video saying on social media before about the fine people of ICE. [41:13] Do you feel differently about that? [41:15] Do you believe that both can be true, that there needs to be reform, [41:18] but there are good people working with ICE? [41:19] Root, let me just be very clear. [41:22] Your complaints and slogans aren't solutions, all right? [41:27] I went up to an ICE detention facility to call out and see why people were losing their lives, [41:34] why they were being held for long periods of time without due process. [41:40] This has been an outrage. [41:42] And look, a lot of you remember Abdul from when he first ran for governor in 2018. [41:48] It didn't work out. [41:49] So he started the podcast, he wrote the books, and now he's running for Senate. [41:53] And he's already bought the website for president. [41:57] You know, it's just another rung on the ladder. [42:00] That's not what this job is for me. [42:02] That's not why I'm putting up my hand in this moment. [42:05] It's not about celebrity. [42:06] This is about making sure that Mike Rogers doesn't get anywhere close to this seat. [42:13] I'm the only one on this stage who has beat MAGA four times and delivered repeatedly for this state [42:21] and for our values, for our rights, and our freedoms. [42:24] And I promise you, Michigan, I will make us shine. [42:28] Dr. Al-Sayed, there are people watching this right now, [42:30] and every time they hear this podcast business, they're scratching their heads. [42:33] They're putting food on the table, gas in the tank. [42:35] They're curious to know what that's about. [42:37] Have you made a ton of money because of podcasts? [42:39] Yeah, I don't know. [42:40] I told all the viewers at the outset that while my opponent was going to make this about me and her, [42:45] I want to make this about you. [42:47] Somehow she just really, you can listen to the podcast. [42:50] It's there. [42:51] Congresswoman, if you enjoy podcasts about public health, I welcome you to take a listen. [42:54] You seem very concerned about that. [42:56] I'm more concerned about the fact that people can't pay for their gas. [42:59] They can't pay for their groceries. [43:00] We're fighting a war that's cost us billions of dollars. [43:03] That has been pushed by the government of a foreign country, [43:07] the same foreign country that the folks paying for your ads want us to send billions of dollars to. [43:13] And that's the thing that I think Michiganders really want to understand. [43:16] They're not that worried about the fact that I hosted a podcast. [43:19] They're worried about the fact that right now, for a lot of folks, [43:22] their kids go to schools that are unbecoming of their future. [43:25] They are worried about the fact that they can't gas up their car because it costs, what, $4.50 a gallon? [43:30] They're worried about the fact that the same corporations who funded your campaign are raising rates [43:34] on the things that they can't go without, like their power. [43:36] So I'd really like us to focus on the things that actually matter, [43:40] which have nothing to do with the podcast, have everything to do with the future of Michiganders [43:43] that we would like to serve. [43:45] Yeah, but it also is about transparency. [43:48] And you have not released your full tax returns, $300,000 in other income, [43:53] while you sat in the podcast chair and you hawked junk health care cures that RFK Jr. would thumbs up. [44:00] You talk about getting money out of politics and putting money in people's pockets, [44:04] but still no one knows who's putting the money in your pocket. [44:08] You know, I have been transparent, and I am offering, you know, real plans [44:13] to address the cost of living crisis, to tackle Donald Trump's abuses of power. [44:17] I know what you're talking about, what you did, but you also made some accusations here. [44:20] Dr. El-Sayed, that is a question that some people may have that Congresswoman's talking about. [44:25] Talk about the money and the financial disclosures. [44:27] You were going to release some today. [44:29] We released all of our financial disclosures. [44:31] Again, this is a distraction from the issues in your life. [44:34] But not the deal. [44:34] I'd love to talk about transparency. [44:36] I really would. [44:37] Because I want you to ask yourself, there is this group called the Center for Democratic Priorities. [44:41] They didn't exist until they popped up and started running ads for my opponent. [44:45] And then there's this other group called Center Forward that paid for a flight [44:48] for the Congresswoman and her mother to go to Portugal. [44:51] And they just released their donors. [44:54] And then it's a whole bunch of shell 501c4 organizations. [44:57] They're the folks who are literally putting money in our pockets right now [45:01] to try and miss and disinform us about this race. [45:03] And here's the thing about it. [45:05] None of it actually makes your life better. [45:07] Think about the $60 million that got spent in this race. [45:10] What could $60 million do for a community in Detroit? [45:12] What could $60 million mean for erasing medical debt? [45:15] I'll tell you, $6 billion it could erase. [45:17] But they want to spend it to get the Congresswoman elected. [45:21] Why? [45:21] Because at the end of the day, they know that they're going to have a safe seat [45:24] doing their bidding instead of yours. [45:26] Every single dollar that DTE is spending is a down payment on knowing that they can raise your rates. [45:31] Every single dollar that Blue Cross Blue Shield spends in this race [45:33] is a down payment on raising your premium. [45:35] All right. [45:36] Every single dollar comes with something. [45:36] Thank you, Dr. Alcide. [45:37] I want to ask some more questions from our audience at home right now. [45:41] You're texting us. [45:41] I got them right here. [45:43] The next question is, [45:43] how will you ensure low-income communities receive equitable and adequate education? [45:49] You've heard so many people say Michigan ranks 44th when it comes to literacy for fourth graders. [45:54] We'll start with Congresswoman Haley Stevens. [45:55] What are you doing now? [45:56] What do you plan to do should you become senator? [45:58] Well, we are certainly being robbed by Washington, D.C. and Donald Trump, [46:04] who treats the Oval Office like a stock trade floor. [46:07] This is why I want to end the corruption of seeing people who want to be celebrities [46:13] or get famous or rich in office. [46:16] I want to ban stock trading folks. [46:18] I'm the only non-millionaire in this race. [46:21] But let me tell you something about what I have worked on and what I am fighting for, [46:26] full funding for special education. [46:29] You know, our public schools here in Michigan are getting the short end of the stick. [46:36] And if we fully fund special education, [46:38] we can meet the needs that a family in Royal Oak has talked to me about, [46:44] where they feel torn about making sure that their child with special, complex medical needs [46:51] actually gets the education they deserve. [46:54] This is also why we have to expand Medicaid, not just reinstate the cuts that Donald Trump cut. [47:01] We have got to expand these programs. [47:05] And I consider myself a warrior for public education. [47:09] And this is also why I have written legislation [47:12] and why I'm leading the charge to redirect grants to go into the profession of education, [47:21] just like my father was. [47:22] He was a first grade teacher in the city of Detroit doing reading recovery, [47:27] in addition to running his small business. [47:29] And so I want to see more people go into that profession, go into our public schools. [47:36] And that is going to certainly solve a lot of problems for us. [47:40] Dr. Al-Sayed, you heard the congresswoman say, redirect grant money. [47:43] Is that part of the solution here? [47:45] What do you think? [47:46] You know, you asked a really important question about education. [47:48] I'd like to answer that question. [47:49] I'm proud of the fact that the American Federation of Teachers has endorsed me in this race. [47:54] And they've done it because I'm a proud product of public schools. [47:56] I know what it's like to walk into a public school in Detroit in January. [48:02] And kids are bundled up because the boiler's broken, trying to learn how to read. [48:06] You talk about a literacy crisis. [48:08] How do you learn how to read when you have to wear a coat in the middle of the day? [48:12] We put glasses on kids' faces specifically because we knew that [48:15] it doesn't matter what's happening on the blackboard if you can't see the blackboard. [48:19] But we need to radically rethink how we do public education in this country. [48:23] We are not invested nearly enough. [48:24] I want to tie the support for public education through the Department of Education, [48:30] which, by the way, needs not just to be brought back but fully invested in. [48:35] I want to tie that funding to the Department of Defense. [48:38] So when they try to raise the Department of Defense budget, [48:40] we're going to make sure we're invested in public schools too. [48:43] I also think that the way that we have funded local education, [48:46] specifically school buildings, has too often ported the historical racism of the past. [48:51] Right now, we fund school buildings based on property tax. [48:54] Property tax is a function of property value. [48:55] Property value is a function of who's been able to live where [48:58] as a function of redlining from the past. [49:01] And when we say that that same process should be patterning [49:03] the social mobility of the future through public schools, that's a real problem. [49:06] But I just want to say this. [49:07] I actually agree with the Congresswoman on one really critical thing. [49:10] We are being robbed. [49:11] The money that we should have to invest in our schools [49:13] is being sent to foreign governments to destroy other people's schools [49:16] instead of investing in our own. [49:18] And that is exactly what AIPAC wants you to do [49:21] and why they're spending so much money to get the Congresswoman away. [49:23] Dr. Al Sayed, Congresswoman, it's one point in which at least partially you agree on. [49:27] As one of you will be taking on Mike Rogers, people want to know, [49:30] what are the defining differences? [49:31] This next question comes to us from a young person herself [49:34] who actually is a student in Detroit, a college student. [49:37] And we thank you so much, Kimora, for being with us here today. [49:39] What's your question to the candidates? [49:41] Thank you. [49:41] Good evening, candidates. [49:42] My name is Kimora Riddick, and I'm a Wayne State University junior [49:45] studying broadcast journalism. [49:47] And my question is about the wildfires. [49:49] So the wildfires from Canada deeply affect Michigan's air quality, [49:53] especially in Detroit. [49:55] What environmental measures are you planning to decrease the dangers of air pollution? [50:00] Let's start with Congresswoman Ellie Stevens. [50:02] Yeah, well, it is so great to have a student from Wayne here. [50:06] I've just treasured working with that university [50:09] in their science program and STEM education. [50:13] And that is very much at the heart of why we need good climate policy, [50:19] not the junk science that we are getting from the Trump administration. [50:23] And let me tell you what I think that looks like. [50:26] One, we've got to cut the carbon emissions. [50:29] We've got to lessen our dependence on big oil and gas. [50:35] Investments like I secured in our clean energy future [50:39] so that from Marquette to Detroit, we were evolving and moving forward. [50:45] You know, that has been stripped away by Donald Trump, and that's not right. [50:49] But it's also not enough to just say, hey, we're going to go in there and just fight Trump. [50:56] We've got to put forward our own creative ideas, [50:58] which is why for four terms, I've sat there on the science committee securing resources, [51:05] looking at alternatives for plastic and our supply chain. [51:09] This is an opportunity for Michigan manufacturing, Michigan innovation to shine. [51:15] I want to make sure that we are leading the way. [51:18] And then what Kamara is a broadcast personality, [51:23] she's talking about the things that we have secured in the United States Senate for Michigan, [51:28] for our jobs and for our clean energy future. [51:31] Dr. Al-Sayed, clean air. [51:33] Kamara, just be careful. [51:34] If you become a broadcast personality, somebody might come after you. [51:37] I just want to speak specifically to your question. [51:40] I can tell you about what we've already done. [51:41] We put air quality monitors all over Wayne County [51:43] so folks can get real-time information about the air that they're breathing. [51:46] Took on some of the biggest corporate polluters in our state when I was in the city of Detroit. [51:50] Took on Marathon Petroleum, the biggest polluter and the most polluted zip code in the state. [51:54] Forced them to invest their own money to reduce emissions when they had wanted to increase them. [51:58] The truth of the matter is that these wildfires are happening more often [52:00] because it's drier and hotter than it has been in the past. [52:03] It's drier and hotter because we continue to rely on fossil fuels for our energy. [52:07] We need to get to 100% renewable energy. [52:10] And the only way we're going to do that is by taking the chevrons and the exons of the world out of our politics. [52:15] Now, guess who's campaign they supported? [52:17] Well, if you guessed my congresswoman colleague, you probably guessed right [52:21] because, yes, they have both given to that campaign. [52:23] So when you hear ideas of things that ought to be done but they never actually get done, [52:28] you should ask yourself why it doesn't get done. [52:30] Well, because the people who sell oil in this country fund the politicians [52:33] who make sure that they can keep selling oil. [52:36] Dr. Al-Sayed, congresswoman, thank you so much. [52:38] We have another text question. [52:39] One of the many, many text questions. [52:42] This one, I think, is important because, again, my main goal and our main goal at Fox 2, [52:47] let's differentiate between the two of you. [52:48] What are the big differences here? [52:49] So what would you do on your first day in office? [52:52] We'll begin with you, Dr. Al-Sayed. [52:53] What would you do on your first day of office should you become senator? [52:57] Anybody who knows me knows that getting people health care is the passion of my life. [53:00] I went to medical school only to realize that too often our health care system is part of the problem. [53:05] We need and deserve guaranteed health care through Medicare for all. [53:08] I have been thinking about this question. [53:11] In fact, I've testified to the U.S. Senate twice. [53:13] This wouldn't be my first time walking into the chamber. [53:15] On Medicare for all, guaranteeing health care, on eliminating the medical debt in this country, $225 billion. [53:21] Now, on Medicare for all, there is work that we're going to have to do. [53:24] We're going to have to get a president elected who can do it in 2029. [53:28] Now, in the process, though, I actually think that we could eliminate all the medical debt [53:32] in this country, $225 billion, just so you understand what that is. [53:36] That is the amount of the GDP of more than half of U.S. states in this country. [53:42] So on day one, I want to offer medical debt relief to everybody. [53:45] I think we could get bipartisan support to do it, and I'd love to get that done. [53:49] And let's start working through Medicare for all, and then let's make sure that we can get money [53:53] out of politics so the big pharmas and the big insurances of the world aren't in the way [53:57] when it comes down to finally getting this done for all Americans. [54:00] Congresswoman, in a minute and a half, tell us what you do on your first day in office. [54:04] Yeah. [54:05] Day one, we have to stand up to the abuses of power. [54:08] Take it from somebody who has been recognized as our most effective lawmaker. [54:13] When I tell you I'm going to go to the United States Senate and ban stock trading for elected [54:19] officials, their spouses, their children, for our president and our vice president, [54:22] and for candidates for those offices, I am going to get it done. [54:27] I am sick and tired of seeing Donald Trump sell us out to the highest bidder, go cut deals [54:33] with every other country except for cutting deals for us here in Michigan. [54:37] We have been paying the price, and it is not acceptable. [54:41] And speaking of prices, day one actions to lower costs and to invest in small businesses, [54:48] minority-owned businesses right here in Michigan. [54:51] Those are your tax dollars, and I believe in the effective stewardship of them so that [54:56] they go back to our communities here. [54:59] And I've got the receipts for that. [55:01] I've got the proof points for that. [55:03] And then lastly, we've got to make sure that the jobs of the future are coming from the [55:07] place that we all love to call home, which is why my manufacturing agenda on day one will [55:13] also be in the hopper. [55:14] I got all the bills ready to go, Roop. [55:16] We have 30 seconds left for each of you to answer the following question. [55:20] What makes you think you're the formidable candidate who can take on Mike Rogers? [55:24] 30 seconds. [55:25] Dr. El-Sayed. [55:26] Well, poll after poll after poll has shown, despite what my colleague says, that I am [55:30] the most competitive candidate to take on Mike Rogers. [55:33] But it's also this, that you've got to have something you're fighting for. [55:36] Ask yourself, if DTE funds both Mike Rogers and Haley Stevens, who wins? [55:40] DTE wins. [55:41] And Blue Cross and Big Pharma and Big Tech and APAC, all funded by the same people. [55:46] We need a choice. [55:48] I'm the only candidate in this race who does not take corporate money. [55:50] And so I offer a real contrast to a guy who has never seen a corporate dollar he did not want. [55:55] Congresswoman Haley Stevens, 30 seconds. [55:57] Well, look, Governor Whitmer, Attorney General Nessel, the chair of the Michigan Legislative [56:02] Black Caucus, Amos O'Neill, they all agree that I will be Michigan's workhorse, [56:07] that I will stand up for us on day one, that I will beat Mike Rogers just like I have beat [56:12] Republicans four times over. [56:14] Thank you so much. [56:17] Congresswoman Haley Stevens, Dr. El-Sayed, the vote is now in the people's hands a week away. [56:22] A critical conversation happening on this stage that, yes, is local, but is national, [56:26] as the world is watching, to hear what both of you have to say. [56:29] We thank you for your time here tonight. [56:30] We want to thank you for joining us in this special edition of The Pulse. [56:33] If you miss any of the debate or the Republican or Democratic gubernatorial debates, [56:37] you can watch all of them on Fox2Detroit.com or on our YouTube page. [56:41] Stay tuned here on Fox Local. [56:42] We're taking you inside the spin room where both of these candidates are answering questions [56:46] from the media who have come up from across the country. [56:48] Ronja Shimona picks up our coverage next with reaction from tonight's debate live. [56:53] I'm Ruparaj. [56:54] As always, it was good to be with you.