DENVER—Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter defended his vote for federal stimulus legislation during a debate Thursday, insisting that the U.S. was on its way to an economic depression and the bill was the solution.
Perlmutter made his point after Republican challenger Ryan Frazier said the stimulus was a failure during the taping of their first televised debate. It was lively at times, with Perlmutter showing a map of his district to illustrate the depths of the country’s financial problems before the stimulus.
At the end of George W. Bush’s presidency, Perlmutter claimed, the country was losing more than 786,000 jobs per month, exceeding the total population of the 7th Congressional District that he represents.
“We were going into a depression and it had to be stopped,” Perlmutter said. “We’ve got a long way to go, no question, we’ve got a long way to go but we’re getting there.”
The debate, which included Libertarian Buck Bailey, a self-described “long shot,” will be televised at 9 p.m. Friday on Colorado Public Television.
Perlmutter also defended his vote to overhaul the country’s health care system, saying it will help insure more people and stop the discrimination of people with preexisting conditions.
In one of the more energetic exchanges, Frazier said the health care overhaul wasn’t necessary and noted that Colorado already had programs to help cover the uninsured. Perlmutter countered that the federal government needed to help such programs. Frazier answered by saying the federal government can’t afford more debt.
“We have a $13 trillion debt, $43,000 for every American. I don’t know Ed, can we afford that?” Frazier said as he sat next to Perlmutter. The exchange prompted a quip from Bailey’s sister, Terry Thompson, who said, “They should’ve put Buck in the middle.”
Bailey said the health care bill should be entirely repealed. He said if the size of government was reduced, it would present fewer obstacles for businesses to create jobs.
Perlmutter and Frazier, an Aurora City councilman, met at a forum last week where both made jobs the centerpiece of the three-minute speeches they delivered to voters. Jobs again were a major thread of the debate Thursday.
“The best way for us to get this budget under control is first, have people back to work,” Perlmutter said.
Frazier said voters want a Congress that will be fiscally responsible.
“In the past several years, people have really, really become disheartened and they lack confidence,” Frazier said.
Bailey, who said he retired from the Navy in 2008, admitted he’s stands little chance of winning but said one of his goals is to get his party’s message out.
“A win for me really would be to show a good showing for the Libertarian party,” he said.
