Democrats running for U.S. Senate debate at WOOD TV8

[0:00] Live from the Wood TV studios in Grand Rapids and your local election headquarters, [0:06] this is Night One of Debate Week in Michigan, Democratic Senate Primary. [0:13] Good evening, I'm Rick Alban, your moderator for tonight's debate, along with Amber Crisco, [0:17] who will be here with viewer questions. [0:20] Candidates, welcome to you and welcome to viewers across the state watching here on Wood TV, [0:25] our sister station, WLNS in Lansing, and partners in Detroit, Marquette, Alpena, Traverse City, and Flint. [0:32] This truly is Debate Week in Michigan. [0:35] Here's a quick review of the rules. [0:37] Each question goes to each candidate for a 60-second response in an order determined by a drawing earlier in this process. [0:44] A 30-second rebuttal will follow after each candidate has given their initial response. [0:49] The only possible change to that would be for the final question, [0:53] depending on how much time is left in the program, we may eliminate the rebuttal [0:57] or adjust the length of time to answer the question. [1:00] There is no opening statement. [1:02] There will be a 60-second closing. [1:07] It is time for our first question in Debate Week in Michigan. [1:11] Again, welcome to both of you. [1:13] The first question will go to you, sir. [1:16] The number one issue facing people from coast to coast and right here in Michigan is no surprise. [1:20] It's inflation, it's affordability, everything costs too much. [1:24] You can't fix it all. [1:26] But if you're elected to the U.S. Senate, tell me one proactive thing you would do to make Michiganders' lives more affordable. [1:34] 60 seconds, sir. [1:35] I've been up and down my state. [1:36] 110 different cities, 450 public events. [1:39] No matter where I go, people say the same thing. [1:41] I just can't afford to live here anymore. [1:43] I am so worried about the price of groceries. [1:45] I can't afford my gas. [1:46] It's five bucks. [1:47] I'm worried about getting sick because I can't afford my deductible. [1:51] There's a number of things we need to do. [1:52] Number one, we need to tackle health care by guaranteeing everybody health care without a deductible, a premium, or a copay through Medicare for All. [1:58] Number two, we need to stand up to the monopolies and oligopolies that are picking our pockets. [2:02] Number three, we need to stand up to increase wages. [2:05] And that means standing with unions like the UAW and the nurses who've endorsed us. [2:09] It means making sure that we are standing with Michiganders in their moments of crisis by making schools somewhere that our kids can go, [2:16] by addressing the potholes that cause punctured tires every time you try to drive anywhere. [2:22] But all of this has to happen by way of getting the corruption out of our politics. [2:26] So long as corporations are buying politicians, we can't actually enact these solutions because they're getting the policies that they signed up for when they pay for their politicians. [2:34] Congresswoman Stevens, 60 seconds, please. [2:37] Well, thank you so much, Wood TV, and to everyone across Michigan tuning in tonight. [2:43] As your next United States Senator, I will run through anyone and anything to lower costs. [2:49] My no tariff on groceries bill. [2:52] My bill to lower your utility bill. [2:55] Look, I'm the only person running for United States Senate in Michigan who is not a millionaire. [3:01] I am not trying to sell a book or a podcast. [3:04] I'm the only one on this stage who doesn't have a talent agent trying to pitch me for paid speeches. [3:10] And unlike my opponent, I'm not running at the first mic or camera I see. [3:16] Instead, my head is down doing the work for the people of Michigan who need the work to be done. [3:23] We do not need a celebrity senator. [3:26] We need a workhorse. [3:28] And as the most effective lawmaker for Michigan in the House of Representatives, if you want a fighter and an effective leader for our state, that's me. [3:39] Dr. Al, sorry. [3:39] We also don't need politicians bought off by corporations. [3:43] In this race, you've probably seen ad after ad after ad. [3:45] Not one of those ads was brought to you by the Congresswoman's campaign. [3:48] All of them brought to you by corporate PACs and APAC, trying to buy a politician who's going to do their bidding instead of yours. [3:54] That's been the story of our politics for far too long. [3:57] The question is not whether or not you're a millionaire. [3:58] The question is whether or not you are bowing down to billionaires. [4:01] And for too long in our politics, we've watched politicians beg for those dollars only to do that bidding when they actually get to office. [4:07] That has been the story of my opponent. [4:09] If you want politics is different, I'm the only one who's never taken a dime from a corporation. [4:12] Congresswoman, 30 seconds. [4:13] Well, look, transparency is oh so important. [4:17] And this is why I have released my tax returns. [4:20] My opponent, Abdul, he said that transparency is key, but yet he hasn't released his tax returns. [4:28] Abdul, you talk about getting money out of politics and putting money in people's pockets. [4:33] But who is putting money in yours? [4:36] What are you hiding? [4:38] Moving to our next question, it'll be first to you, Congresswoman. [4:41] With a 60-second response, the Trump administration had been negotiating an agreement to end the conflict in Iran. [4:48] But within the last hour, we are told that the United States military has launched a series of what they call powerful strikes [4:55] after commercial ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz. [4:59] The question is, what should our policy be going forward with Iran? [5:05] 60 seconds. [5:05] Well, our next United States senator has one mission and one mission only, and that is to fight for the people of Michigan and represent the people of Michigan's interests. [5:16] Donald Trump selling us out to this war in Iran that no one asked for, that is raising costs for every Michigander, is totally unacceptable. [5:26] But here's the deal, in terms of the goal that I have long fought for and pushed for in the United States House of Representatives [5:34] and what I will work for in the United States Senate, we need long-term peace. [5:39] Donald Trump has failed us. [5:41] The prime minister of Israel has failed in that regard. [5:44] And he was just coming after me on this today. [5:48] Look, I am unafraid, Michigan. [5:50] You are my North Star. [5:52] And no illegal wars, no unilateral wars at our expense. [5:57] 60 seconds. [5:58] I think it's worth asking why we got into this war in the first place. [6:00] There is one man who's been wanting this war fought, and that is the prime minister of Israel. [6:04] And the reason that we've seen this war fought is because of the impact of AIPAC in our politics. [6:09] AIPAC has spent tens of millions of dollars in attack ads against me or ads lying about the Congresswoman's record. [6:16] They clearly want one individual, and it's not me. [6:19] And ask yourself why it is that we are paying $5 gas, why it is we can't seem to get out of this quagmire. [6:24] It's because for too long our foreign policy has been handed to us by the likes of the state of Israel and AIPAC, [6:29] who has made sure that Democrats and Republicans are doing their bidding. [6:34] I don't take that money. [6:35] They are spending against me because they've called me the most dangerous candidate for the U.S.-Israel relationship [6:38] because maybe I don't want to waste our money fighting wars we don't need to spend. [6:42] And instead, I want that spent here, to rebuild our schools here, [6:45] to make sure we have functional infrastructure here in Michigan, [6:47] to make sure that we have health care here in Michigan. [6:49] And so long as our politicians continue to be bought off by AIPAC, [6:52] do not be surprised when we fight wars that are in their best interest to annex Israel, [6:56] to annex Lebanon, or to do genocide in Gaza. [6:59] Congresswoman 36. [7:00] Well, Abdul, I would say no one is afraid of you. [7:03] And in fact, the GOP is spending thousands of dollars to prop up your campaign [7:08] because they think they will make it easier for Mike Rogers to win if you are the nominee. [7:13] I do not plan to make anything easier for Republicans or Mike Rogers. [7:18] What I do is I take on tough fights for Michigan, tough races, and I win for us. [7:25] 30 seconds to wrap up this question. [7:26] Well, you know, if Congresswoman Stevens makes it or Mike Rogers wins, [7:31] either way, Israel will win. [7:33] AIPAC is perfectly fine with either of my two opponents [7:35] because they know that they will have a comfortable, reliable vote in the U.S. Senate. [7:39] If you want politics to work for you, [7:40] if you want politics to rebuild your schools or fix your infrastructure [7:43] or to invest in your health care, you have an alternative choice. [7:47] We're running to get money out of politics, put money in your pocket and pass Medicare for all. [7:50] There's a reason that both Chuck Schumer and Donald Trump [7:52] don't want to see me on the inside of the U.S. Senate [7:54] because I'm a threat to politics as usual. [7:56] Moving on, but saying in the Middle East, despite a ceasefire, [8:00] the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues and Israel maintains [8:04] that eliminating Hamas remains essential to its security. [8:09] What, if any, is the role of the United States in trying to resolve [8:13] this longstanding impasse? 60 seconds, sir. [8:16] I'll tell you this. [8:18] For a long time, every president has said that they believe in a two-state solution. [8:21] The problem, of course, is that our policy has been to subsidize the Israeli military [8:27] to the tune of billions of your tax dollars every single year. [8:30] And their goal is to foreclose on the possibility of a Palestinian state. [8:34] I believe in international law. [8:35] I believe we have to hold every country to international law, [8:38] which means to me that we need to stop funding the Israeli military [8:41] in unilateral blank checks. [8:43] That also includes Egypt. That includes Saudi Arabia. [8:46] I also believe that we cannot continue to sell weapons to a country [8:48] that is doing human rights abuses, genocide, and apartheid. [8:51] I also believe that we need to stop running cover [8:53] for what has become a rogue state that is now trying to annex southern Lebanon. [8:57] And I also believe that your money needs to be spent here [9:00] because at the end of the day, the ultimate losers are you and me, [9:03] the taxpayers who paid that money to provide good infrastructure, [9:06] build schools, provide health care for our own kids, [9:09] not to watch it get sent to buy bombs and tanks [9:11] that end up annihilating other people and their children. [9:14] Congressman, 60 seconds. [9:16] The goal has to be long-term peace, [9:19] and this is what I have longed work for. [9:22] I stood alongside families who had relatives taken hostage by Hamas, [9:28] and I called for a permanent ceasefire. [9:30] The difference between my opponent and myself on this issue [9:34] is that I believe in a two-state solution. [9:38] I can say that Israel has a right to peacefully exist [9:41] alongside the people of Palestine and in Gaza. [9:45] It is very clear that Mr. Netanyahu has not made us safer, [9:51] has not brought us closer to peace, [9:53] and he's endangered Jews here in America and around the world. [9:58] This is why he was just trashing me today on CNN. [10:02] I am not afraid of bullies. [10:04] I am not afraid to stand up, [10:05] and I continue to stand up for humanitarian aid, [10:09] for the U.S. to work with the countries in the region and get aid into Gaza. [10:15] 30 seconds. [10:17] Look, I believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination [10:19] for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis alike. [10:23] But the question I think the congresswoman needs to answer is [10:25] why has she allowed $40 million of outside spending, [10:29] the bulk of it coming from AIPAC, to come into this race? [10:32] I don't think Benjamin Netanyahu is attacking her to actually attack her. [10:35] I think he's attacking her to try and steer away the stink [10:38] of how staunchly she stands for their policy. [10:42] So let's take that opportunity. [10:43] Explain what you've given away for AIPAC's support in this race. [10:48] 30 seconds to wrap up. [10:49] No one owns my vote and no one owns my policies. [10:53] Anyone who is contributing to my Senate campaign [10:56] is doing so because of my proven record of fighting for Michigan. [11:00] What I did when I served as chief of staff on the U.S. Auto Rescue, [11:04] saving 200,000 Michigan jobs, [11:07] and what I have done to get the Chips and Science Act passed and signed into law. [11:12] What my opponent needs to answer is [11:14] why is the GOP spending thousands of dollars to prop up his campaign [11:19] saying that he will make Mike Rogers the next U.S. senator? [11:23] All right. [11:23] We're going to move on. [11:24] As I told you before we started, we have a lot of viewer questions. [11:27] Amber Kriska is my colleague, and she will be presenting those. [11:30] You'll be able to see them there. [11:31] You'll be able to hear them in the studio. [11:33] If for any reason they are not clear, let me know, and I will repeat them. [11:37] Here is Amber with our first viewer question. [11:40] A lot of questions on this next topic, bipartisanship. [11:44] This is from Mark Newman. [11:46] In the spirit of bipartisanship, [11:48] talk specifically about how you will reach across the aisle. [11:51] Name a particular project that you will champion [11:54] that will require working with the opposing party. [11:57] Congresswoman, 60 seconds. [12:00] Well, I don't have to just talk about what I would do. [12:02] I can certainly talk about what I have done [12:05] in terms of passing bipartisan legislation like the Chips and Science Act. [12:10] But to answer our viewer's question very specifically, [12:13] I have a plan to lessen Michigan and the United States' dependence on China [12:18] to lower cost and to create those good manufacturing jobs. [12:23] That is day one legislation for me in the United States Senate. [12:27] And look, there is a reason why the Center for Effective Lawmaking [12:30] recognized me as the most effective lawmaker for Michigan in the Congress [12:35] because I fight for us, I win for us. [12:39] Debbie Stabenow has endorsed my campaign. [12:41] Our Attorney General Dana Nessel has endorsed me for United States Senate [12:46] because of their fight for Michigan and their results for Michigan [12:49] and them seeing the same in me. [12:51] And so, yes, when we talk about manufacturing, [12:54] when I bring in my supply chain bill to the floor, [12:58] I feel really excited about getting other colleagues on the Republican side to join me. [13:03] Thank you. Move on. [13:04] Dr. Ilseye, 60 seconds. [13:06] I'm proud to have been endorsed by the UAW. [13:08] And the reason that they've endorsed me [13:10] is because they understand that I am a fighter for working people. [13:13] I can tell you that there is bipartisan support already to blow up the USMCA, [13:18] which has been a cancer on our manufacturing industry in Michigan [13:21] and the industrial Midwest in general. [13:23] That is a bill, of course, that my colleague actually voted for. [13:26] And I think there's bipartisan consensus that that has been a danger. [13:30] We have an opportunity to rethink trade policy [13:32] to make sure that we're protecting good union jobs in this state and in this country. [13:36] And I think that means rethinking how we do tariffs. [13:39] Now, Donald Trump's version of tariffs is like chemotherapy, [13:41] but you give the patient all the chemo at the same time. [13:44] I think there's an opportunity where you pace it out. [13:46] You think critically about how you protect critical budding manufacturing industry [13:50] and that you are transparent with your trading partners about how you do this [13:53] in an effort to build long-term sustainable manufacturing jobs. [13:57] I've heard a lot from Republicans saying that they want to bring manufacturing jobs back. [14:01] Let's roll up our sleeves, work together to get that done. [14:04] 30 seconds, Congresswoman. [14:05] Well, NAFTA was a crap deal and it hurt a lot of Michiganders. [14:09] And what is also hurting us right now are Donald Trump's reckless policies [14:13] that Mike Rogers has said he wants to rubber stamp. [14:16] There's a reason why the Gordie Howe Bridge isn't open [14:19] and Mike Rogers is rubber stamping that. [14:21] There's a reason why a trade war is going on with Canada, [14:25] small businesses all over Michigan losing revenues as a result. [14:29] I thought he was going to take on China. [14:31] I've got the bill to do that and to lessen our dependence [14:34] and grow manufacturing jobs. [14:35] I've done it once before and I'll do it again as Michigan's next senator. [14:39] 30 seconds. [14:39] And the reason that the big corporations always get their way [14:42] when it comes to free trade is because they buy off politicians to do their bidding. [14:46] Everybody knew USMCA was not going to solve the problem. [14:48] Everybody knew it. [14:49] And yet, they bought the votes to get their way. [14:51] And now you can buy a cheap TV, but you can't find a manufacturing job [14:54] that can actually feed your family. [14:56] That is the devastation of corporate bot politics. [14:58] As the only candidate who's never taken a dime from a corporation, [15:01] you know I'm going to stand up for you. [15:02] It's the reason, again, the EYW, nurses, AFT have all supported us [15:06] because when it comes to the choice between working people and corporations, [15:09] I will pick people every time. [15:10] Yeah, and it's the only reason you haven't released your tax returns [15:13] and 15 labor unions are endorsing me. [15:16] Thank you, I yield, Rick. [15:18] Amber has another question. [15:19] Sure, go ahead. [15:19] Can I respond? [15:20] Quickly, very quickly. [15:21] Yeah, I took the same extension that the congresswoman took every single year [15:24] she was in Congress. [15:24] I'm talking about your tax returns, Abdul. [15:25] You haven't released your tax returns. [15:26] You don't need an extension to do that. [15:28] I think there's a process. [15:29] Who's putting money in your pocketbook? [15:30] We're going to move forward with another viewer question. [15:33] Amber is here with another viewer who wants to know where the two of you stand. [15:37] Is the Democratic Party shifting? [15:39] Joe Bieland has our next question. [15:42] He says, [15:42] Many of my friends who are Democrats are very concerned with the way the party has shifted [15:46] so far left that the party no longer accurately represents their views. [15:52] Will you continue on the current party path, [15:54] or will you pursue your own path of leadership? [15:58] 60 seconds for you. [15:59] I'll pursue my own path of leadership, educated by the countless days that I spent talking [16:04] to Michiganders across 110 cities, 450 public events. [16:08] Now, here's the thing about it. [16:09] There is no left or right. [16:11] Most people out there aren't asking, where do I fit on the left-right spectrum? [16:13] They're asking, can I afford my groceries when I go grocery shopping? [16:17] What's going to happen if I get sick or my kid gets sick? [16:19] Why does my kid's school look the same way it did 30 years ago when I went there? [16:23] And the answer to that question is that for too long, politicians on both sides of the aisle [16:27] have taken the same corporate corrupting money. [16:29] I'm the only candidate on this stage, frankly the only candidate running for U.S. Senate, [16:33] who's never taken a dime of that money. [16:35] Which is why the real issue is about the people locking you out of your politics versus the [16:39] people being locked out. [16:40] And I will stand always on the side of the folks who are locked out. [16:44] That is a pathway in our politics that I think all of us can get behind. [16:47] It's not red, it's not blue, it's not Democrat, it's not Republican, it's American. [16:52] Government of the people, by the people, and for the people. [16:54] That is where our politics needs to go. [16:56] And in the next 250 years, when we get the chart where we go from here, I hope we remember [17:00] that that's what we need. [17:01] 60 seconds. [17:02] I will run through anything and anyone to deliver for Michigan. [17:06] We've got to lower the cost. [17:09] Look, there are many who want to make this run for U.S. Senate about Washington, D.C. [17:14] insider deals, and what's going on with our party leadership. [17:19] Friends, this is about the future of Michigan. [17:22] Who is going to be the workhorse? [17:25] Look, I've got the receipts. [17:27] I have passed big pieces of legislation. [17:31] I passed my first bill to secure STEM grants for our K-12 schools in my first year in Congress. [17:38] I am ready to hit the ground for our schools, for our educators, and to stand up to the corruption [17:45] and the abuse of power that we see coming down from Donald Trump. [17:51] If you want to stop Trump, I'm your gal. [17:54] The question was about the direction of the party. [17:57] Is it shifting? [17:58] I'll tell you this. [17:59] It won't shift if we continue to elect leaders who take money from the same corporations [18:04] who have broken with the interests of the American public. [18:08] Chuck Schumer desperately wants one of us to be the next senator, and it's not me. [18:12] So if you want your politics dictated you by AIPAC or Chuck Schumer, then I'm not your guy. [18:17] I think we need to go back to the idea of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. [18:21] $40 million of spending in this race. [18:23] $40 million. [18:24] I want you to think about what that means. [18:25] That's money that buys something on the back end. [18:28] So if you elect the person who took that money, don't be surprised when they betray you. [18:32] Except for, again, I have the receipts as the most effective lawmaker for Michigan. [18:38] I'm not trying to go viral or get a good tweet out, all right? [18:44] If you check the facts, the claims that my opponent has made about eradicating medical debt are untrue. [18:50] If that's all you got to run on, Abdul, well, then good for you. [18:53] It's worth noting here that over the weekend, a third candidate that was in this race dropped out. [19:00] That leaves the two of you. [19:03] One of you will face Republican Mike Rogers, as you both talked about a little bit here. [19:09] Congresswoman Stevens, you've been endorsed, as you said, by former Senator Debbie Stabenow, former Governor Jennifer Granholm, and as you said, by the Attorney General. [19:18] You have, Mr. El-Sayed, been endorsed by Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and a number of others. [19:26] I went to both of your websites, long list of endorsements. [19:30] Is this race not only about control of the U.S. Senate, which it may well come down to, but is this race also for control of the Democratic Party? [19:43] Is there something else on the line here? [19:46] 60 seconds. [19:47] Well, I'm not going to let the pundits or the prognosticators make any such determination. [19:51] For me, this has always been about Michigan. [19:56] I am the daughter of small business owners who met at Oakland University. [20:01] My dad is 81 years old and still driving his Ford F-150 with the word Stevens Landscaping on the side, and he's drinking his water. [20:10] Look, it's that value of hard work, that ethos that I grew up with, that has always long motivated my approach to public service. [20:21] And the reason I have put up my hand to run for U.S. Senate is because of what I'm hearing from Michiganders. [20:27] Because a fully paralyzed veteran reached out to me and asked me if he was still going to get his benefit check because he saw Elon Musk walking around with a chainsaw. [20:37] I have stood up, I have called these guys out, and I am stopping these abuses of power. [20:43] And you better believe from the United States Senate, Michigan's voice will be heard with me. [20:48] 60 seconds. [20:49] I never intended to run for office. [20:50] I want to be a doctor. [20:51] I want to be a doctor because I could go 15 hours to my family's native Egypt or 15 minutes from where I grew up. [20:56] I went to medical school only to realize that our health care system was, in fact, part of the problem, not part of the solution. [21:01] I went into public health. [21:02] We eliminated medical debt. [21:03] Yes, we eliminated medical debt. [21:05] We put glasses on kids' faces. [21:07] We took on corporate polluters. [21:08] We provided free health insurance. [21:10] We did the things that for too long government fails to do under leadership that is bought off by corporations. [21:16] I'm running to do three things. [21:17] Get money out of politics. [21:18] Put money in your pocket. [21:19] Pass Medicare for all. [21:20] I'm not doing this because of some direction of a party. [21:23] I'm doing this because of the Michiganders that I've gotten to see. [21:26] A woman who had cancer three times and happened to hold on, managed to hold on to her life savings until the third one. [21:33] A woman who lost her entire life savings because her kid got cancer and died. [21:37] People who have come and shared their burden with us. [21:40] If we continue to allow corporations to buy our politicians, do not be surprised when everything gets more expensive and your job gets further out of reach. [21:47] That is the politics that is corrupting now, and we need different. [21:50] 30 seconds. [21:52] Well, transparency remains really key here. [21:54] You can see my tax returns. [21:57] I've made them public. [21:57] Again, I call on my opponent to do the same because we do need to know who's putting money in your pocket, particularly if you have a talent agency getting you paid speeches. [22:08] I've been busy doing the work for Michiganders. [22:10] Period. [22:11] Full stop. [22:12] Power Outage Relief Act. [22:13] We're still dealing with that. [22:15] Small businesses losing their revenues. [22:17] We've got to do supply chain security. [22:20] I've got a bill for that. [22:22] I am ready to go for us, Michigan, on day one. [22:25] 30 seconds to wrap. [22:26] Let's talk about power outages. [22:28] People sleeping in dark rooms without electricity for the fourth straight day. [22:32] My opponent's taking $37,500 from DTE. [22:35] Ask yourself what that buys. [22:37] Our politics have been deeply and profoundly corrupted by corporate money, and I want to get money out. [22:42] You want to talk about transparency? [22:43] There's a group called Center Forward that happened to pay for a flight for the congresswoman and her mother to Portugal. [22:49] I want to understand what she promised them in return. [22:51] You want to talk about transparency? [22:53] Why are there $40 million flowing into our politics right now in support of my opponent? [22:57] Yeah. [22:58] Well, and again, I have the receipts, and I have the bill to stand up to the utility companies of the lower rights. [23:02] Explain the receipts. [23:02] So, yes, I've got the bill. [23:04] You're not explaining them. [23:04] I've got the multiple bills. [23:05] I'll give you a chance when we come back in a moment. [23:07] But first, we're going to take a break. [23:09] And when we come back in 90 seconds, we're going to talk about something that has been discussed a lot in the past few months, and that's immigration enforcement and ICE. [23:20] That's coming up. [23:21] But first, we're going to take a break. [23:24] The candidates will enter the spin room. [23:26] Once our debate concludes, there is a QR code right now that will take you to our live post-debate coverage on Wood TV+. [23:34] We'll be right back. [23:49] Welcome back to debate week in Michigan. [23:51] We are happy to have both of the Democratic candidates for the United States Senate are here in the studio with me, and I want you both to have an opportunity to address things that have been coming up during the course of this time. [24:03] So what I'm going to do in a couple of minutes is I'm going to set some time aside, and you can both address those grievances. [24:09] But for now, I want to continue with the questions that we have. [24:12] Many people have been critical of Immigration Customs Enforcement, ICE, in the past months regarding their methods, their detention facilities. [24:21] Both of you on some level have had some questions, problems with and about ICE. [24:28] If not ICE, how would we, how should we, how could we deal with the estimated millions of people in this country that didn't come through the proper channels, [24:39] that we don't necessarily know who they are or where they are? [24:42] I'm going to start with you, Dr. El-Sayed, with 60 seconds. [24:46] What do we do with that situation? [24:49] So I just want to be clear. [24:49] I went to Minneapolis at the height of Project Metro Surge. [24:52] I watched as our government laid siege to a city in our own country. [24:57] It was awful to see. [24:59] ICE is not about immigration. [25:00] ICE is not about the southern border. [25:02] I was on the nearly the northern border. [25:03] ICE is about normalizing paramilitary force on our streets. [25:07] I've been clear that you can't reform ICE. [25:09] You can't retrain ICE. [25:11] You have to abolish ICE. [25:12] Now, that's not to say that we can't secure our border. [25:15] That's not even to say that we can't actually enforce our immigration policy. [25:18] That is to say that we shouldn't do it at the edge of destroying our constitution itself. [25:23] ICE is a new agency. [25:24] It is younger than I am. [25:26] We have done this in the past in a way that respects the basic rule of law. [25:29] And if we're serious about actually having a pathway in this country to a humane, thoughtful, common sense immigration system, we've got to invest in the court infrastructure that offers a pathway to citizenship for people who built a life here and lived here peaceably and contributed to our society. [25:44] I think that's the responsibility we need to go to while keeping our southern border safe and secure. [25:49] What would we do about ICE in 60 seconds? [25:51] Yeah, well, before I jump to the bipartisan border security bill that I do support, it must be said very clearly that Donald Trump's ICE is completely out of control and it is an abuse of power. [26:05] ICE agents from top to bottom that have committed crimes have to be held accountable. [26:11] And I've got the legislation to do it. [26:14] I called on Christy Noem to go. [26:16] She was removed, but no reforms took place. [26:19] They took $70 billion of our taxpayer money into an ICE slush fund. [26:26] This has been a failure. [26:29] A temple in my district was blown up. [26:33] It wasn't ICE that stood up. [26:35] It was state and local law enforcement. [26:37] That money needs to be redirected to those law enforcement agencies that are responsible for our safety and security. [26:46] Donald Trump has abused his power. [26:49] He has failed the American people, and we need change. [26:53] 30 seconds for you. [26:54] Look, I appreciate the change of tone on ICE. [26:55] I mean, my colleague voted to thank ICE and increase their budget and also took money from people who run ICE contracts. [27:02] That, to me, seems very different than what we're hearing now. [27:05] I've been deeply clear. [27:06] I don't take money from corporations. [27:07] I don't take money from ICE contractors, which is why I can say with a clear voice we need to abolish ICE. [27:13] I think we need clarity about where folks' money comes from and what trades they make on the policy on the back end [27:18] to bob and weave on these issues when these are issues of life and death. [27:24] 30 seconds to wrap this up. [27:25] Well, it's really unfortunate yet again to see my opponent pursuing Republican tactics. [27:31] There was a bill on the House floor to condemn an anti-Semitic terrorist attack that, in Boulder, Colorado, that killed an individual and injured a Holocaust survivor. [27:44] Instead of bringing us together, Republicans put in a cynical point about thanking ICE. [27:49] I am always going to stand up to violence, and I just wish my opponent wouldn't pursue the cynical approaches of Republicans when we do need to be united. [27:57] Amber's back with us with yet another viewer question. [28:00] Let's do this question, and then we're going to come back to some of this in just a moment. [28:04] Let's do the question. [28:04] Child care is one of the biggest expenses for the average Michigan family. [28:10] Jacob Exline, who is an early childhood educator, wants to know, [28:14] what would your plan be to make child care more affordable for families as a U.S. senator? [28:19] Congresswoman, 60 seconds. [28:21] I have long championed affordable child care here in Michigan and across this country. [28:27] And, in fact, I was on the phone with the daycare centers and the families when COVID hit, [28:34] fighting to secure dollars to make sure that daycare centers and the people who work in them stay open and employed. [28:41] Look, the costs continue to go up. [28:44] The way in which we can lower daycare costs are through the expansion of CDBG funding and grants that match what our great governor here in Michigan did. [28:54] I actually went to a daycare center with her in Troy, Michigan, to celebrate some of the programs that she put into place. [29:01] And the other deal that we need is we need paid family leave. [29:07] I'm a champion for paid family leave. [29:10] We need to secure the ability for new mothers and fathers to have that precious time with their newborns. [29:17] That's another critical step. [29:18] I've got the record. [29:21] 60 seconds, sir. [29:22] I'm a father of two daughters, and the child care for our youngest, who's three years old, is one of the most expensive items on our entire budget. [29:30] It is insane how much people have to pay. [29:32] And for a lot of folks, this has become a gender justice issue. [29:35] It's forcing people out of the workforce, predominantly women, and it's holding them behind from lucrative opportunities that they can use to advance their family in the first place. [29:44] I think we need to make child care free, 100% free. [29:47] Now, how do we pay for that? [29:47] We pay for that by taxing billionaires their wealth. [29:51] We could render $4.6 trillion if we were willing to put, let's say, an 8% tax on billionaire wealth. [29:57] This is not that difficult, but it's a function of our values. [30:00] Do we care enough to make sure that women have access to the workplace, that children have a safe, healthy place to go, [30:06] or would we rather be the kind of economy that allows billionaires to make a second billion, a third billion, a trillion, maybe like Elon Musk? [30:14] That is the question we need to answer. [30:15] And ultimately, so long as we allow billionaires and corporations to buy politicians, we're going to get the wrong answer. [30:20] 30 seconds. [30:21] This Senate seat is considered a toss-up for November, a 50-50 chance that it will go Democrat or Republican. [30:29] The one thing that I do is I win tough races. [30:32] I flipped a congressional seat that was long held by a Republican, blue, in 2018, and I held it when Donald Trump was on the ballot, living my values, living the values to make change and improve people's lives. [30:46] Mike Rogers, he's not going to do a thing to impact child care and make it more affordable for families. [30:53] 30 seconds. [30:54] Look, if you want somebody who's electable, the last three polls in a row show that I'm the most electable Democrat in November. [31:00] Why? [31:00] Because you've got to actually fight for something. [31:03] It's not enough to offer people two options that kind of look the same on the issues that matter the most. [31:07] If you're taking money from corporations, the same corporations, Democrat or Republican, how different are things really going to be? [31:13] I'm offering an opportunity to actually invest in what we want to fight for, for health care that is guaranteed, for an economy that works for working people, for finally getting corporate money out of our politics. [31:23] Well, with all due respect to Abdul, I think he looks a lot more like Mike Rogers than I do. [31:29] All right. [31:29] So we have apparently scratched the surface on a couple of differences between the two of you, and this is not scripted, and this is not something that's planned, and the people in the control room are about to pull their hair out. [31:41] But I want to give you 30 seconds, and I want to give you 30 seconds to pursue whatever this is that's going on here. [31:49] Obviously, you've got a question about some of the money in her campaign. [31:54] You've got a question about some of the money in his pocket. [31:56] 30 seconds. [31:57] Go. [31:57] Well, look, my opponent wants to make this race about lies and attacking my integrity and the work that I've done for the people of Michigan. [32:06] Look, I was the person from Michigan on the team working on President Obama's auto rescue. [32:11] I have a proven track record that I am proud of, of fighting for this state, standing up to special interests, and I have 15 labor unions standing alongside me in this fight and some other proven individuals as well. [32:26] So can we stop the lies, and can we get the transparency out that my opponent's long talked about? [32:31] I'd love to stop the lies that are being told on TV by organizations like the Center for Democratic Priorities, which, by the way, didn't exist until it started to run ads for my opponent. [32:40] Like the United Democratic Progressives, which, by the way, is a front for APAC. [32:44] Like Center Forward, which bought airline tickets for my opponent for her mother and herself to go to Portugal. [32:51] I don't know what they talked about. [32:52] I don't know what they did. [32:52] And so if we want to talk about lies, I think it's really important for us to understand who's paying for them and what was said on the back end to allow them to be told. [32:59] Because $40 million, that doesn't come for free. [33:02] So is the geo people... [33:03] I'm glad we got that all cleared up. [33:04] So we're going to get back to these questions. [33:06] Thank you. [33:07] I want to talk about data centers for a minute. [33:09] I'm going to give you a premise. [33:10] You can agree with it. [33:11] You can disagree with it. [33:12] But here's my premise. [33:13] Data centers are going to be built somewhere no matter what happens in Michigan. [33:17] So the question is, are we better off to have some of those centers here, or should they be actively opposed, as they have been, by many citizens in meeting after meeting across the state? [33:28] And it's first to you, sir. [33:30] 60 seconds. [33:31] Look, right now people are scared to death that there's going to be this gigantic data center put in their backyard so people like Mike Rogers can make gender-affirming videos about how buff they really are. [33:39] I think we have to be serious about the fact that these pose real dangers, and the people who are pushing them are the richest, most powerful corporate CEOs in the history of our economy. [33:49] And so we've put forward a terms of engagement. [33:52] We want to make sure that if you want to put a data center anywhere, that it's going to meet the following terms. [33:57] All union labor, no raising our utility rates, increasing our utility reliability, not touching our water. [34:03] And then there has to be a community benefits agreement that's negotiated in good faith with all the money put up in escrow, and this has to be fully enforceable, including shutting down the data center. [34:12] That has to be passed at the federal level. [34:13] Now, here's the thing. [34:14] Big AI has huge super PACs, huge super PACs that guess who they're funding, not me, the other person on this stage. [34:21] And so the question for us is, are we willing to actually do what it takes to protect people from these risks, or are we going to let them roll us, just like corporations continue to roll our politicians over and over again? [34:31] Congresswoman, 62 seconds. [34:32] Yeah, well, look, the citizens need to be heard on innovation and data centers. [34:37] And it is up to federal lawmakers to secure the tax code so that these gajillionaire enterprises are paying their fair share. [34:48] It is unacceptable that rates would go up as a result. [34:53] I want to force these data centers to pay the utility bills and to pay water bills for folks. [34:59] And look, I also want to secure Michigan being on the forefront of innovation and manufacturing. [35:05] I visited hundreds, uniquely, hundreds of manufacturing shop floors. [35:10] They are using this technology. [35:12] We want the jobs. [35:13] We just can't afford to force the workers to pay for it. [35:17] And look, yet again, my opponent takes jabs, except for he won't denounce the GOP when they are funding his operation and his candidacy, [35:27] and now bragging about the false polls that they're putting out that he's going to be the best one to beat Mike Rogers. [35:34] That's me. [35:35] 30 seconds. [35:35] I'm sure everybody out there thinks that Republicans really want me to win this race. [35:38] Sure. [35:38] The real question is, how much money has the AI industry spent in this race, and why are they spending it, and whose vote are they buying, and what does that mean for you? [35:50] If you want a future where AI is fully unregulated, where we lose, what, 50% of our jobs, where a data center sits in your backyard, you have a choice. [35:58] If you want someone who's going to stand up for the people against the corporations, you also have a choice. [36:03] Notice, none of the answers actually speak to any of the points I'm making about the money that is being spent in these races to corrupt our politics. [36:09] 30 seconds. [36:10] Because I have receipts, and the people who are watching this need to evaluate who is running for U.S. Senate, [36:17] the chief lawmaking role in this country that has the record, that is not a show horse, that is not, I am not someone trying to go viral and shouting into a bullhorn about problems. [36:31] I am delivering. [36:33] That is not something my opponent can say. [36:35] He's great at attacking, and he's great at covering up that his father-in-law's running his super PAC that's spending millions of dollars for him. [36:43] All right, we're going to move on to a question that you have both addressed, because these go together, and this one will go first to you, Congresswoman. [36:52] We hear a lot about AI, artificial intelligence, hear about it every day. [36:55] I doubt that most of us have a really good grasp of exactly what it is, what role it's going to play in our lives going forward, [37:04] what role the government has in putting guardrails on technology that few fully understand, [37:10] that could be a positive game changer that is evolving all of the time, and is displacing workers already. [37:18] We know that that's happening. [37:20] So, should the government jump in the business of regulating AI? [37:24] 60 seconds. [37:25] Yeah, and look, Abdul is lying. [37:27] Again, he has a super PAC that is run by his father-in-law that has spent millions of dollars on his behalf, [37:34] and the GOP is also spending money. [37:38] It's good to know that his father-in-law isn't involved with AI. [37:41] Here is the deal. [37:42] I passed my first AI bill into law in 2020, all right, in my first term in Congress. [37:49] I have supported resources to invest and protect in the privacy for consumers and to stand up for the little guy, [37:58] particularly small businesses who need equitable investment, black-owned businesses like ones I visit on the regular [38:07] who oftentimes are getting the short end of the stick, and they certainly are from Donald Trump. [38:12] I want to make sure that resources are coming into our communities and that jobs are protected and maintained. [38:20] We can do this here in Michigan. [38:22] We just need the right leadership, and I believe that is me. [38:25] Do we need to regulate AI? 60 seconds. [38:27] Absolutely. [38:28] First, I just want to be clear. [38:29] The National Nurses United is not my father-in-law. [38:31] Working Families Party is not my father-in-law. [38:34] The UAW is not my father-in-law. [38:36] But I also want to speak to the fact that we do need to regulate AI, [38:39] and so long as we are taking money, the party is taking money from the AI industry, it's not likely to happen. [38:46] I propose the plan putting AI under democracy. [38:48] What does that mean? [38:49] That means that I want to make sure that legacy Internet companies no longer own the means of creating AI, [38:55] that AI corporations are spun off as public interest corporations, [38:59] and that at least 50 percent of their boards are publicly appointed, meaning through the democratic process. [39:05] I also want real, clear guardrails on what AI can and can't do. [39:10] I want an agency in the government, like an FDA, for AIs. [39:13] And I want to make sure that we pass our terms of agreement. [39:15] I can say all this because I'm not bought off by the AI companies. [39:19] You talked about that 2020 regulation. [39:20] That was a giveaway to the AI industry. [39:22] So, yes, if you want someone who's really effective at giving giveaways to the AI industry, [39:26] you have your option in this race. [39:28] 30 seconds. [39:28] Well, I'm pleased that my opponent read my deepfake bill to better detect the use of AI, particularly with our children. [39:37] It was written alongside the National Institute of Standards and Technology. [39:42] And I am proud that that passed. [39:44] And you should be supporting it, not attacking it. [39:47] But that seems to be the only thing and stunt that he can pull while the GOP is supporting his campaign. [39:53] And, look, I worked really hard to make sure that Kamala Harris was going to get elected [39:59] and that Donald Trump would be stopped. [40:01] And my opponent did nothing. [40:03] I don't know what Kamala Harris has to do with AI. [40:06] But I want to speak to the fact that right now we have a choice. [40:09] $40 million. [40:11] We're being outspent 30 to 1 in this race. [40:13] 30 to 1. [40:14] That money is coming in from AI. [40:16] Their goal is to make sure that our money is sent abroad to kill other people rather than kept here to invest here. [40:25] Now, the question you might be asking is, what does it have to do with the question about AI? [40:28] Government will continue to work for the people who buy off government so long as we allow people to buy off government. [40:33] It is that simple. [40:33] And you're seeing a case in point of that. [40:36] This next question is one that I take very seriously. [40:40] I suspect many of the viewers do as well. [40:42] The national debt is more than $39 trillion. [40:46] $39 trillion. [40:49] Now, the interest on that debt is about $1 trillion a year. [40:53] CBO says by 2036, it will be about $2 billion a year. [40:58] That will be about 25% of every dollar that comes into the national treasury. [41:03] What do we do to begin to reduce this burden that will be passed along to your children and their children and likely their children? [41:15] Would you raise taxes? [41:18] Would you vow to cut spending? [41:20] What would you do? [41:21] 60 seconds. [41:22] Look, as everyday Michiganders know, that a budget cheat is about money in and money out. [41:28] And for a long time, folks on the conservative side want to tell us that it's all about money out. [41:33] We're spending too much. [41:34] But then they do two things. [41:36] They cut taxes for the richest people in society. [41:39] And then they cut things like health care. [41:41] And guess what happens? [41:43] They fight wars that we don't need to fight. [41:45] So money out goes up. [41:46] Money in goes down. [41:47] And we run up the national debt. [41:49] And then Democrats show up. [41:50] And we're trying to be effective stewards of the national debt. [41:53] So here's what we need to do. [41:54] We need to run the play in reverse. [41:55] How about we end stupid wars we shouldn't be fighting at the behest of foreign governments? [41:59] How about we start taxing billionaires their wealth [42:02] so that we can return trillions of dollars to the economy? [42:05] And how about we invest our money in the things that people actually need, [42:08] like good education, child care, good hospitals, and health care? [42:12] Those are the opportunities we have in front of us [42:15] so long as we don't allow the same corporations and billionaires to buy our politicians [42:19] so that they keep doing these ridiculous things. [42:22] 60 seconds. [42:23] Our national debt keeps me up for Michiganders. [42:25] And it is very serious, in part because it is mortgaging the future of our children. [42:32] And the way in which we get out of our debt and deficit mess [42:37] is by taxing the growing billionaire class and forcing them to pay their fair share. [42:44] We are growing our economy, except for it's just with the very, very few [42:50] who aren't paying their fair share. [42:51] If you listen to Donald Trump, who my opponent just admitted [42:55] he didn't do anything to help stop him from getting elected, [43:00] he wants to do everything for the billionaire class. [43:03] Donald Trump did tax cuts for them while cutting our food assistance [43:07] and our health care benefits. [43:10] It's not acceptable and it's not working. [43:13] We can't look at the middle class here in Michigan and force them to keep paying. [43:17] People can't pay their bills right now. [43:20] People are underwater. [43:22] I've had two working moms in the last day tell me that. [43:25] It doesn't work. [43:26] 30 seconds. [43:27] Look, I just want to be clear. [43:29] I endorsed Vice President Harris. [43:30] I campaigned for Vice President Harris. [43:32] I really wanted Vice President Harris to win this race. [43:35] Now, ask yourself why we were where we were. [43:38] Because for too long, our policy has been wrong on a number of critical issues. [43:42] And it's been wrong because of the role of special interests in our politics. [43:45] The same exact special interests who get their way when it comes to our tax system. [43:50] The same exact special interests that have us fighting stupid wars we shouldn't be fighting. [43:54] The same special interests who are funding my opponent. [43:57] 30 seconds for you. [43:58] Well, look, leadership is going to get us out of our debt and deficit mass. [44:03] And as someone who has my finger on the pulse of the needs of the middle class here in Michigan, you and your family, and I have the receipts and the track record of standing up for you when it matters. [44:16] When 200,000 Michigan jobs were on the line, when General Motors and Chrysler were going to go bankrupt, and I worked on that initiative to save your jobs and those jobs. [44:27] Look, we can use tax dollars effectively without letting our country go bankrupt. [44:33] Here's another question that Amber has for us, and this one kind of goes along with what we're talking about. [44:39] Here's Amber. [44:41] Social security is a top issue for many Michiganders. [44:44] This next question is from Mark Luxford. [44:47] As a senior, social security is a very important issue to me. [44:50] What is your opinion of the proposal to guarantee adequate funding for this critically important program by raising, or better yet, eliminating the income cap for the FICA tax that funds social security? [45:04] 60 seconds, Congresswoman. [45:05] Well, I fully endorse that proposal of eliminating the FICA cap and making sure that folks are paying their fair share. [45:13] What is going on with social security right now is another example of how Donald Trump and the billionaire class believe that they can rob our social security trust fund and force the middle class to pay for the crisis that we are going to be in. [45:29] We can fix this. [45:31] I have also stood up to Donald Trump today and said, rehire the social security workers that you have fired. [45:41] Because my constituents, they're on the phone trying to get access to their disability benefit, their retirement benefit, and no one's picking up. [45:50] And again, these are programs that folks have paid into. [45:54] I believe in it. [45:55] Mike Rogers, Donald Trump, they're going to sell us down the Potomac River. [46:00] 60 seconds. [46:02] I've talked to so many seniors who are struggling. [46:04] They're struggling because they paid their home off 30 years ago, but the property tax is getting too high. [46:10] Their premium on their Medicare is unaffordable, and their social security just doesn't cut it. [46:14] And they're worried they might lose that social security. [46:16] So, yes, absolutely, we have to lift the cap. [46:18] It would make social security sustainable. [46:20] But we've got to go further. [46:21] I think we need to be eliminating the premiums, the co-pays, and the deductibles on Medicare. [46:26] And we need to make Medicare fully sustainable by extending it to everybody. [46:29] Medicare for all would do exactly that. [46:31] On top of that, I think we need to be freezing property tax for seniors. [46:35] If you paid off your home at some point, we can't expect you to keep up with property taxes that are going up. [46:40] Now, how do we pay for that? [46:41] Well, again, if we tax billionaires their wealth, if we were to invest in the Department of Education [46:45] so that we're paying centrally for public schools in an equitable way, [46:48] there are a lot of opportunities for us to lift the burden off of seniors who've done their job. [46:52] They've worked extra hard. [46:54] They deserve a dignified retirement. [46:55] And we've got to be thinking about how to offer them that. [46:58] Congressman, 30 seconds. [46:59] They are bankrupting the Social Security Trust Fund. [47:02] It is unconscionable and wrong, and Michigan is going to have a choice about who it sends to the United States Senate [47:08] to do something, who's got the vision long-term for a six-year term to tackle a tough issue, [47:15] and that is what I've done over and over again. [47:18] I have a plan for Social Security, a plan to be able to work across the aisle if need be, [47:24] and most importantly, stand up to Donald Trump and Elon Musk in this moment. [47:28] 30 seconds. [47:30] Look, I'm here to serve you. [47:31] I'm somebody who worked in the bowels of city and county government. [47:35] Those are the kind of jobs where you can't dodge tough issues. [47:37] You've got to show up Monday through Friday and Saturday and Sunday, too. [47:40] You've got to make sure people get the services that they need and deserve. [47:43] And I know in places like D.C., they look down on people who work in local government. [47:47] But I also think that we need that viewpoint in the U.S. Senate right now. [47:50] We also need the viewpoint of a doctor, somebody who understands what it's like [47:53] to make sure that you look people in the eye and deliver it for them. [47:56] And I think we haven't had that viewpoint, frankly, in a Democrat since 1969. [47:59] I aim to offer that. [48:00] This is going to be our final question. [48:03] We're going to limit this answer to 45 seconds. [48:04] There will be a rebuttal, but 45 seconds on the main question. [48:07] The current economic tensions with China have created concerns that range from cheap electric vehicles [48:13] being flooded into some international markets to military concerns over the buildup of China's armed forces [48:19] and the dependence of our own military on Chinese goods and services, should we be working to lessen our dependence on China? [48:27] And how should we deal with a major competitor as well as a major trading partner? [48:33] 45 seconds. [48:34] My dad moved to this country to learn to make cars. [48:36] And he believed in this place. [48:37] He immigrated from Egypt, the place where that was not possible. [48:40] And he chose to come here because this was a place where innovation, ingenuity, those were unleashed. [48:46] We had the mighty UAW who was empowered to make the cars that my dad would design. [48:51] But the challenge, of course, is that corporatism has gotten in the way. [48:55] I remember when my dad came home in 1996 and said, [48:57] a company that's more interested in finance than it is in engineering is not going to be a car company very long. [49:01] Fast forward, 2008, there we were. [49:03] I think we need to make sure our corporations think long term. [49:06] I think we need to make sure that we are using trade as an effective way to empower and protect our manufacturing capacity. [49:12] And then I think we need to unleash ingenuity by investing in research and development for the future. [49:17] This needs to continue to be the most innovative place, and Donald Trump has sold that way far away. [49:21] 45 seconds. [49:22] Well, to every engineer watching tonight, I know how a CNC machine works and a robotic welder. [49:27] I am Michigan's manufacturing geek. [49:30] And nothing is motivating me more than standing up for our manufacturing sector and our jobs. [49:37] And that means taking on China. [49:39] Look, I've got the bill, one I also did with Senator Slocken, no Chinese Cars Act. [49:46] We have to stop these guys from coming in to our market, lowering costs up the wazoo that only feeds their Communist Party. [49:56] That's not correct. [49:58] That's not going to work for us in Michigan. [50:00] We can build affordable cars here in Michigan without having the Chinese come in and eat our lunch. [50:07] Not on my watch. [50:08] 30 seconds. [50:09] There's a reason that the UAW has endorsed me in this race. [50:11] And they endorsed me in this race because I understand that the biggest challenge we have right now, the thing that is throttling our ingenuity, is the fact that our corporations are a lot more interested in the quarterly bottom line than they are in the long-term sustainability of manufacturing. [50:25] I think we need to think differently. [50:26] That means standing up to Wall Street, not taking their money to run your campaigns. [50:30] And at the end of the day, the reason I believe in money out of politics, then money in your pocket and Medicare for all, is because as long as we're taking money from those corporations, we are not going to regulate them. [50:38] 30 seconds. [50:39] Look, I have taken on Vladimir Putin when he stole my constituent, Paul Whelan, and held him in a Russian prison for five and a half years. [50:48] I am taking on China now and standing up for our jobs and not letting them flood our markets through the north or the south. [50:58] Their technology cannot come in here. [51:00] This is about our way of life in Michigan. [51:04] This is squarely why I am running for U.S. Senate, to articulate this and defend it and protect it at the lawmaking table. [51:12] Time to wrap up this debate, if you can believe it already. [51:14] You have done a great job in keeping with you in your time frame. [51:17] I'll ask you to stay at 60 seconds with the closing statements, beginning with you. [51:21] We just celebrated our 250th anniversary. [51:24] I know what my life would have been without the opportunity to be born here. [51:27] I saw that firsthand in summers in Egypt. [51:30] I know what America can do for somebody. [51:32] I also knew that 15 miles away, there were kids who never got that same opportunity. [51:36] We have to build an America that can be what it was for me, for all of her kids. [51:41] And that means we've got to take on the ways that corporate greed have gotten in the way. [51:45] We need to stand with working people, stand with unions. [51:48] We need to take on oligopolies and billionaires. [51:52] We need to guarantee health care through Medicare for all. [51:55] Across my time touring this state, town hall after town hall, you could be in a church in Detroit. [52:01] You can be in a living room in Lansing, a VFW hall in Escanaba. [52:05] People say the same things. [52:05] It just shouldn't be this hard. [52:06] It shouldn't be this hard to afford your groceries. [52:08] It shouldn't be this hard to pay your rent. [52:09] It shouldn't be this hard to see a doctor in the richest, most powerful country in the world. [52:12] And that means we've got to build a movement of people to get money out of politics, [52:17] put money in your pocket, and pass Medicare for all. [52:19] I hope that you'll join us in building that movement. [52:21] It's the many versus the money. [52:22] Congresswoman, 60 seconds. [52:24] I am fed up and fired up. [52:26] I am fed up with Michiganders getting screwed over by bad policies that are coming down from the Trump administration [52:33] that do not understand the first thing about us [52:36] and that are raising our costs and impacting our way of life and coming for our jobs. [52:42] I am fired up, though, to be your next U.S. Senator. [52:46] I am fired up to lead for us on day one and when it matters [52:50] and to be in this fight alongside you and your families. [52:54] All 83 counties in this incredible state of ours, [52:58] the largest state geographically east of the Mississippi, [53:02] deserves its workhorse. [53:05] And that is me. [53:06] That is why I am on this campaign trail, [53:08] listening to you, hearing you, and leading in that order. [53:13] That is my ethos. [53:14] That is why I am running. [53:16] Let's go beat Mike Rogers, [53:18] send him back to Florida a second time, [53:20] and make sure that Michigan shines at the lawmaking table. [53:24] Candidates, thank you both for being here. [53:26] I know it takes a lot of time and effort to do it. [53:28] I know you know how much I appreciate it. [53:31] I just want to make sure I say it publicly to both of you. [53:33] I want to thank Amber and all of my colleagues here at Wood TV, [53:36] our corporate staff who has been doing a great job [53:38] and helping us from the get-go, [53:40] to all of our partners around the state [53:42] that are carrying this debate tonight. [53:44] And particularly, I want to thank everybody [53:46] who has just been here on the ground and helping us. [53:48] A reminder to join us back here on Thursday night [53:51] for a debate with the Republican candidates for governor. [53:54] Good night from Grand Rapids. [53:55] Thank you.