The three candidates running in the 4th Congressional District debated Tuesday, offering their views on the nation’s response to the Ebola virus, the future of Interstate 49 through Arkansas and whether marijuana should be made legal in any form.
Democrat James Lee Witt, Republican Bruce Westerman and Libertarian Ken Hamilton discussed those issues and more in an hourlong debate set to air Tuesday night on AETN.
On Ebola, Witt said he believed the government is “doing what it can to make sure” the virus is contained. Westerman, though, questioned the response under President Barack Obama, asking why all travel to west Africa hasn’t been restricted and why troops are being sent to the region “that could return with the virus.”
“That disease is about 5 hours away in Dallas,” he said. “That’s close to home.”
Westerman and Witt both said they want to see Interstate 49 completed, calling it a major economic driver that will benefit the 4th District.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Witt said he supports the idea of an “infrastructure bank” in which the U.S. partners with corporations to have them move money currently held in off-shore accounts into a bank account where the interest would support infrastructure projects.
“The problem we have today is Congress kind of kicked the can down the road by not reauthorizing the highway bill until May of 2015,” Witt said. “We’ve got to create another avenue of funding to fix our infrastructure in Arkansas and our country.”
Westerman said a balanced budget should be passed that places a priority on infrastructure projects including I-49 rather than starting “another government program.”
Hamilton said he favors completing projects like I-49 that are already under way, but thinks states and not the federal government should be responsible for infrastructure projects.
On immigration, Westerman and Witt agreed the nation needs to secure its borders but disagreed on whether there should be a “pathway to citizenship” for immigrants currently in the country illegally. Witt said such a pathway could require participants to learn English, obey laws and pay taxes through the process.
But Westerman said such a pathway would “let people cut in front of other people” who are seeking citizenship legally.
“That’s not fair and that’s not the right way to do it,” he said.
Hamilton called for a “state-based visa system” where states could decide how many immigrants be allowed in to seek work.
“I think that would be the best way to do it based upon the needs of the states,” he said.
Responding to a question about marijuana, Hamilton said it should be legalized at the federal level and then left to the states to determine whether it’s allowed. He called it a “natural remedy” that should be legal.
“God created the marijuana plant,” he said. “I think we should utilize it properly for medicine and also it can be used recreationally.”
Westerman and Witt both said they oppose its legalization. Witt said he didn’t see evidence it was more beneficial than prescription drugs while Westerman said allowing it medicinally would likely lead to it being used recreationally.
See Wednesday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more on this story.