The major candidates for Vermont’s open U.S. Senate seat participated in another debate Wednesday evening. The Democrat and Republican displayed stark philosophical differences throughout the session.
Republican Gerald Malloy served more than two decades in the military after graduating from West Point.
Democrat Peter Welch is Vermont’s current at-large Congressman, elected in 2006. He previously served in the state Senate and was its first Democratic president. They are hoping to replace retiring long-term Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy.
Several of the questions and subsequent answers during the debate on WCAX Channel 3 were similar to previous debates.
After an eventful year on the Supreme Court, the two were asked if they support any changes to the high court. Welch said reforms are necessary, while Malloy disagreed.
“The Supreme Court is terrible in what it has done recently," stated Welch, "especially taking away a Constitutional right of reproductive choice that women in this country have enjoyed for 50 years. My view, we do need change. I think the best way to do that is to have term limits, 18-year limits, and you would then have turnover that is appropriate. But I do believe we need reform.”
Anchor Cat Viglienzoni turns to the Republican candidate. “Gerald Malloy?”
“I applaud the decisions by the Supreme Court," replied Malloy. "Particularly EPA vs. West Virginia where it’s actually telling the Congress to actually start doing your job. At the beginning of my campaign, I thought that Roe v. Wade should be overturned per the 10th Amendment and put that to the states respectively and the people. That’s exactly what happened. I am not in favor of term limits for the Supreme Court. I am in favor of term limits for members of Congress.”
The two candidates sparred over the validity of January 6th Committee with Welch recalling being at the Capitol that day and Malloy discounting the event.
“I do believe that this work of the January 6th Commission," asserted Welch, "has provided overwhelming documentation about how close we came to having the peaceful transfer of power stolen from us.”
“Gerald Malloy?” asked anchor Darren Perron.
“January 6th folks that went there and broke the law need to be held accountable," said Malloy. "Folks that went there to exercise their First Amendment rights I am in support of that.”
“There were 146 law enforcement officers who were injured and some died," recalled Welch. "I mean that was a violent assault on the peaceful transfer of power. I was there. You know you have said that you wished you were there. I wish that it had never happened. This is terrible for our democracy.”
“The American people have First Amendment rights," asserted Malloy. "They have right to freedom of speech, right to peaceably assemble. That’s what hundreds of thousands of Americans went in there to hear their president speak. I’m not calling that an insurrection. It got out of control. People broke the law. They need to be held accountable. That’s what happened.”
Malloy’s platform includes stopping unnecessary government spending. When he said he would look at the budget closely but did not specify any cuts, Welch took the opportunity to press him for details.
“You’ve been talking about spending but I have yet to hear specifically what you’d cut," noted Welch. "Would you pledge that if you’re elected to the U.S. Senate you will oppose any effort to decrease Medicare benefits or Social Security benefits?”
“What I will pledge to you is that I want to get back to a balanced budget and stop the overspending," repleid Malloy. "And I do not, I have no intention of cutting Medicare or Medicaid or Social Security. That’s not on my radar screen. But what I do want to do is stop overspending so that we keep adding to this national debt that is going to possibly even collapse our economy.”
“Well," noted Welch, "you know that Senator Rick Scott who is the head of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee is saying we’re going after Social Security. We’re going after Medicare. That’s where the money is.”
“I don’t know that actually,” responded Malloy.
