Untitled

The next question was whether the candidates would favor a repeal of the 17th Amendment.

Steelman said she would not support repeal but did respect that power should lie at the state level.

Akin said that he had no taken a firm position on the repeal of the 17th Amendment. He said it “may well be” that a repeal of the 17th amendment would pull power back to the states. Akin told the story  of Missouri legislators resorting to violence over discussion of appointing a Senator. Akin said he would lean toward repeal.

Brunner said that we should be focusing on the important issues and he doesn’t believe that repeal of the 17th Amendment should be one of them. He said he does support ways to bring power back to the states. Brunner focused on his citizen senator theme and never directly answered the question.

The next question was on how to protect states’ rights and the 10th Amendment.

Steelman said to return power to the states and protect the 10th Amendment she would cut the budget and return those funds to the states to spend as they choose. She said she would repeal laws that have taken too much power from states and pass a moratorium on all rules and regulations.

Akin said he would get rid of the Departments of Energy, Education, and Commerce and do a restart on the EPA.

Brunner [MISSED HIS ANSWER]

 

The first question on healthcare was how to control medicare spending.

 

Brunner said the “federal government has regulated healthcare out of existence”. Brunner called for getting more competition and government out of the way. Brunner called for tort reform to address skyrocketing costs.

Brunner was pressed by the moderator and asked if he’d support eliminating the certificate of need. He struggled with the question and didn’t answer it.

Brunner said bipartanship was important to reforming healthcare. He expressed support for the Ryan-Wyden plan and criticized Democrats for not supporting Wyden.

Steelman expressed support for the Ryan-Wyden plan and having vouchers for Medicare to get insurance on the private market. Steelman called for means testing and tort reform to help lower costs. Steelman called for requiring drug companies pay their rebate back to the government which she said would save 51 billion dollars.

Steelman said she would only support a voucher plan if the voucher kept pace with the risings costs of healthcare.

Akin: [I Missed his answer]

The next question was if the candidates would support allowing individuals to deduct the costs of healthcare from their taxes.

Akin criticized the employer based system and said he thought it was a “very good idea” to allow individuals to deduct the cost of the insurance from taxes. He said it would help increase portability and stressed the importance.

Brunner didn’t answer the question and praised the Ryan-Wyden plan and his time in business providing insurance for his employees. He again said that the key would be to allow more choice and competition.

Steelman said it was an “interesting concept to look at”. Steelman called for more choice and competition and a return to more a free market system.

Steelman said health insurance companies should be subject to anti-trust legislation to help promote competition.

The third question was if the candidates would favor allowing medical savings accounts.

Akin said it was a great idea. He said the healthcare system is “half-way socialized and they want to socialize the other half.” Akin called for a return to a market based system to help stop runaway costs.

Brunner said more choice is a great idea. He said savings accounts aren’t for everyone but it should be an option alongside the current system.

The fourth question was  if the candidates would support hospitals being forced to report the quality of care, reinfection rates, etc.

Brunner said it was an interesting suggestion but doesn’t think that more government is a solution to the issue. Brunner said he wants to see those metrics but the free market could provide those.

Steelman said she passed legislation in the State Senate requiring hospitals to report their Staph infection rates. [missed her second half]

Brunner, Steelman, and Akin all said there is no right to healthcare in a quick yes or no segment.

 

The first question in the jobs segment was what it causing long-term unemployment and what specific policy would do the most to increase employment?

 

Brunner said he would support a two-pronged approach that would include cutting spending and balancing the budget. He said that we need a comprehensive energy plan, cut red tape and regulations, moving to a fairer and flatter tax rate, and tort reform.

Brunner attacked Steelman for not supporting tort reform.

Steelman said government as a whole was causing unemployment. She said burdensome rules and regulations and the national debt were killing jobs.

Steelman called for a cap on the size of the federal government and a balanced budget amendment, a moratorium on all rules and regulations, and an energy plan would help create jobs.

Steelman pushed back on Brunner’s attack on tort reform and said she’s always supported it and her record backs that up.

Akin said the government can’t create jobs, just destroy them. He said said taxes, red tape, and uncertainty were the problems for unemployment. Akin called for a Hancock at the federal level.

[I MISSED THE QUESTION ON STIMULUS PAYMENTS]

Akin said the government stimulating the economy is a “Keynesian myth” and he doesn’t believe in any Keynesian theories. He said cutting government spending wouldn’t hurt the economy it would help grow it.

Akin said welfare programs that create dependency on the government are a “moral evil and an econonmic mess.

[MISSED THE FIRST PART OF STEELMAN’S ANSWER]

Steelman said we need a fairer, flatter tax system with more people who have “skin in the game” to end the dependency class.

[MISSED BRUNNER’S ANSWER]

The next question was do you think the America is running on a “free market capitalistic economy.”

[MISSED BRUNNER’S ANSWER]

Akin said we are a transitioning away from a free market system.

Steelman said no with to many regulations and croney capitalism.

The last question was do you support fair tax?

Steelman said she supports a fairer, flatter, and simpler tax but that the fair tax would be better than what we have today and “it’s an interesting concept to consider.”

Akin said he was a cosponsor of a fair tax. He praised the fair tax because it taxes consumption instead of productivity.

Brunner said he was motivated by a sense of urgency and realistically he didn’t think the Fair Tax was feasible and instead supported a fairer, flatter tax system. He said once the economy was stabilized we could consider issues like fair tax.