This video captures a 2026 Democratic Congressional Primary debate in New Jersey's 12th District, where nine candidates presented their policy positions on healthcare (with most supporting Medicare for all), immigration (with varying views on ICE abolition), military force (requiring congressional authorization), AI regulation (balancing innovation with guardrails), and tax reform (addressing wealth inequality). The debate highlighted generational differences in political perspectives, with younger candidates emphasizing urgency while experienced politicians focused on practical governance.
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Good evening everybody and welcome to the New Jersey Globe Ryder University 2026 Democratic Congressional Primary Debate for New Jerseyy's 12th district.
Uh we're coming to you live from the campus of Ryder University in Mercer County. I'm David Wildstein, the editor of the New Jersey Globe. And I'll be asking questions tonight along with Joey Fox, uh, the New Jersey Globe Washington Reporter, and Micah Rasmusen, the director of the Rebich Institute for New Jersey politics at Ryder University. And some questions will come to you from students at Ryder. Uh, this debate is sponsored by Uber, RWJ Barnabas Health, and the New Jersey Education Association. And with us today are nine Democratic candidates seeking the seat of retiring Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman in a strongly Democratic district uh where the outcome of this primary will likely determine who will be the next member of Congress. Uh we have a long uh list of questions for a large field of candidates. So, I'd ask that our audience hold their applause uh during this debate and remain silent uh except for now as I introduce your candidates for Congress. Uh starting with former US Army combat surgeon Adam Hamway and East East East Brunswick Mayor and Physician Brad Con, Princeton University professor Sam Wong, Assemblywoman Verina Reynolds Jackson, former Biden White House aid Jane Vine Jay Vineer, Somerset County Commissioner Chanel Robinson, >> uh, former New Jersey working families uh, director and Senator Andy Kim, state director Sue Alman, Planefield Mayor Adrien Mack, and attorney and businessman Squire Sm.
So, thank you. You could all relax, have a seat. We're going to get right into the debate. Uh uh except for you, Assemblywoman. Don't sit yet. Uh you you're you drew the uh the first slot in a in an uh for the opening statements.
So, we'll go to you for 60 seconds.
>> Good evening, everyone. I am Assemblywoman Verina Reynolds Jackson and I lead with action. You see, my mom and my dad were both public servants. My dad is a Vietnam War veteran and we wanted to make sure we took care of everybody. I was inspired by them. I went to the YW.CA where I learned all about empowering women and eliminating racism. My sarity sent me to Washington where I saw democracy at work. And so as an assembly woman, I brought an $87 million project for maternal health to the state of New Jersey. I am currently fighting for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act bill against the Trump administration. When I say I'm battle tested, I am battle tested. I am MAKING SURE I FIGHT against the Trump administration. I am a people power campaign fighting for people to return their votes to them. I am Verina Reynolds Jackson and I thank you for coming tonight.
>> Thank you. And I'll remind everybody this is this is the point. Let's just move through this without applause as much as all of you would like to. Uh uh but we'll ask Mr. Vagener to uh give his opening statement.
>> Good evening. My name is Jay Vonger. I'm 28 years old. I'm a former White House and Department of Energy official. And I'm running for Congress because I can barely afford to live in the community where I was born and raised. Right now, we're governed by Republicans who profit from the status quo. They profit when our neighbors are detained by ICE. They profit when bombs are dropped on children. They profit when our utility bills skyrocket. And then we have Democrats who tell us, "Sign on to our letter and our petition, pass our non-binding resolution, show up to our ribbon cutting, and then hopefully things will go back to normal." But let me tell you, at 28 years old, my generation has never experienced normal in our politics. We were born in the aftermath of 9/11. We were raised in a recession. We graduated school in a pandemic. And now we're struggling to find jobs in the advent of AI. So tonight, I'm asking you for your vote.
Vote for someone not because they've waited their turn. Vote because we cannot wait any longer.
>> Thank you, Mayor Con.
Well, thank you to the Globe and to Ryder. Uh, my name is Brad Cohen. I'm the mayor of the Township of East Brunswick and a practicing OBGYn physician. As an OBGYn, I could tell you that I've sat with women when they've made the hardest decisions. I've been there when they've had the ability to deliver a miracle in front of me every day. I've also sat on the phone for hours with insurance companies fighting for the ability for women to have those rights. As a board of education member, I had to deal with Christy cuts 10 years ago or more and then still be able to provide education for folks and a fiscally responsible budget. As mayor, we were able to deliver redevelopment in a way that stabilized taxes and provides affordable housing for the next generation of Americans. We do not have Democrats that are fighting with the seriousness that this moment deserves.
We're Americans. This is a land of opportunity and for too many people that is whisking away most importantly the next generation. So we need somebody who can go to to Washington fight Trump fight MAGA and do it with the experience. I know that I'm that person because as a doctor and as a mayor I've always done that.
>> Thank you. Professor Wong.
>> Hello. My name is Sam Wong. I'm a scientist, an educator, a father, a husband, and our family belongs to three dogs. I am here to run to as a scientist to save science, health, and democracy.
And I've uh worked to u uh I've worked in my research to build tools to help with early diagnosis of autism, which we hope will help millions of families. But I'm also practical. My laboratory, our research has raised $10 million in research that's led to dozens of jobs here in the Garden State. And we are um you know we're really proud to do that.
Now I want to say that and it before I ever became a scientist I also have worked in Washington. I worked in Washington when I was 28 years old working in Congress for Congressman Lloyd Dogget and Senator Ted Kennedy.
And it was there that I learned to do practical work. A lot of us tonight are going to hear about um fighting for democracy, fighting for you. I'm going to show you how it's done. I'm going to describe to you how and I encourage you to listen to everybody's answers. Hear what they say after they say the word fight. I'm looking forward to tonight's discussion.
>> Thank you, Dr. Hamoy.
>> Good evening. I'm Dr. Adam Hamoy. I'm a father, a doctor, a veteran. My parents immigrated to New Jersey when I was 7 months old in search of a better life. I joined the military to pay for college.
I was a combat trauma surgeon in Iraq. I was a first responder in 911.
Every day I work with people in New Jersey to take care of them and I volunteer all over the world in war and disaster areas, most recently in Gaza.
Every day I see my patients getting crushed by the health insurance industry. In the richest country in the history of the world, no one should have to decide between paying their medical bills and paying their rent. At the same time, I see where we're spending our money. We're told we can't afford Medicare for all, but we always have enough money for bombs, ICE, and for for bombs, ICE, and endless wars. So, I'm running for Congress so that I could fight for healthcare and not bombs, to abolish ICE, and to unrig this economy so that it's working for working families and not for the billionaires at the top.
>> Thank you. Uh, Mr. France, >> good evening. Uh, I'm not I'm Squire Surveance. I'm not a career politician.
I'm a ruckus trained nor a scientist, an attorney with nearly 20 years experience. An entrepreneur that's launched and created companies in this district. I know how to step into difficult situations and get results.
It's because of my experience I've been called down to Congress on numerous times to advise on healthcare and life sciences legislation and policy. I'm also a husband and a father and part of the sandwich generation. I know what it feels like to juggle child care, elder care, and rising costs at the same time.
Our campaign has knocked on over two thou 20,000 doors in this district.
Hearing what you wanted, and the results are in. You want less talk and more results. In Congress, I'd fight to lower cost, expand access to healthcare, and bring results back to our district. This moment calls for a new generation of leadership that's ready and willing and able to step in on day one and get results. That's what I've done my entire career and that's what I do as your congressman. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Commissioner Robinson.
>> Good evening. I'm Chanel Robinson, an Air Force veteran, a community leader, and the first black woman elected countywide in Somerset County. My leadership is shaped in part by the Air Force core values. Integrity first, integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all that I do. We are facing enormous challenges as a nation.
The cost of living is rising at an alarming rate. Working families are are struggling to make ends meet, and the promise for a better future for our children and our grandchildren is fading.
This election is about who we are as a country and what type of future we're fighting for. I see challenges as an opportunity and you have an opportunity to send a principal leader with experience that matters and a heart that cares to Washington, not someone with on the job experience.
>> Thank you, Mayor M.
>> Good evening. I am Adrien Map, an immigrant from Barbados who grew up very poor and who overcame a severe childhood stutter. And I must tell you this, when I first came here, I worked as a gas station attendant and as a security guard before working my way into business. And I've had a successful career in business before entering the public square. And I was elected to the Planefield City Council. I was elected as a county commissioner and now I am serving my fourth consecutive term as mayor of the city of Planefield. I have a reputation for getting things done and for delivering results. So much so that I've earned the endorsement of Mayor Raz Baraka and of the Senate President Nickqatari as well as the statewide firefighters association. I have launched this campaign on five core pillars. affordable housing, health care, immigration, education, and tax and tax, you know, reducing taxes for people across the district. And so, I pledge to you. I'll be a fierce fighter for you in Washington. Thank you.
>> Thank you. And Miss Alman, >> hello. Good evening. Thank you so much to Ryder and thank you to the Globe. It is wonderful to be here. I am Sue Alman and I have fought against powerful people my entire career. As a former teacher, I stood up to Chris Christie when he was cutting our public education budgets. As the state director of New Jersey working families, I stood up to crooked insurance brokers to make sure that they weren't taking our taxpayer dollars and using them to line their pockets. And the last time I ran, Elon Musk spent over a million dollars against me. Powerful people do not want me in Congress. And powerful people do not want to hear the voice of us. We have to deliver for people. When I was Senator Andy Kim state director, I saw firsthand the chaos and the cruelty of the Trump administration and it inspired me to jump in and make sure that we deliver for people. That means abolishing ICE. That means passing Medicare for all. And it means holding Trump and his billionaire friends accountable. and I will bring this energy to Washington. Thank you.
>> Thank you. And we're going to go to Mic Rasmus soon for our first question.
>> And this is a may a question for Mayor Map. Uh we'll start with should a new House majority impeach President Trump a third time if there are not 67 votes in the Senate to convict and remove him.
I believe that given the behavior of President Trump that a new Democratic majority in Congress should vote to impeach President Trump. He has done too much harm to the American people and he has not demonstrated that he is capable of leading this nation and Democrats have got to have the balls to make sure that they impeach President Trump. and I will vote when I get to Washington to impeach President Trump. Regardless of whether or not we have the votes in the Senate, we have to work together. We have to lobby and advocate for senators to stand behind a majority of people in the House of Representatives who are Democrats and who want to do the right thing for the American people. And so, yes, we should impeach President Trump. His behavior is beyond the pale and he's a threat to our democracy.
>> Thank you, Professor Wong. I saw you wanted to address this question also.
>> Yes, I'm I think that's a good answer, but I just want to broaden the point here a little bit. We can talk about the specific political battles that we're undergoing right now. But the broader question is making Congress the article one power it's supposed to be and exercising all its powers and not holding back because of political risks such as not being able to convict, but actually exercising all the article one powers against any official who breaks the law. And this is the central long-term challenge facing any Democratic Congress and any Congress.
>> Look, look, I think we're in we're in a state where people want results. We're going to try to impeach people, but we don't have the votes in Senate to get them out. Let's not waste time. Now, look, if that vote comes, we need to vote to impeach. But the reality is we need to use everything in our toolkit to stop him from advancing his agenda.
Whether that's being power of the purse, whether that's being legislation, whether that's being calling people and holding people accountable for um for what they're doing in this administration. So, yes, we should also I think everyone in here would probably say they would vote to impeach, but that's not the real goal. The goal is to stop his aggressive agenda in this country.
>> Yes, we should impeach. However, Donald Trump is not the problem. He is a problem. Our rights and our freedoms are under attack. We have a lawless president, a radical Supreme Court, and we have a Congress who has not addressed the concerns of the American people. So, yes, we should impeach him. However, we must take back and restore constitutional order in making sure that the American people are taken care of.
>> Thank you. Okay, seeing no others, we will move on to the next question.
>> And this is a question that will start with Mr. Bener. If American voters give control of the House to Democrats in November, it will be the fifth swing of the pendulum in 20 years. What must a new majority do to retain the majority for more than a Congress or two? And should Jeffre and Schumer remain as the Democratic leaders?
>> Well, first of all, for Jeff and Schumer, they need to earn our votes, just like all of us have to earn all of your votes tonight. Um, when it comes to actually passing results, we have to get something done for the American people in that first term in Congress so that we can win the trust back of Democrats, Republicans, and people all around the country. That's why I've directly supported abolishing ICE. Because when I was in the White House in the Department of Energy, we worked on the largest climate investment in US history, $400 billion to lower utility bills. And in the so-called big beautiful bill, Trump took that money, tore it apart, and sent it to ICE. Every time we see a child being kidnapped on our streets by ICE, we are paying for that in our utility bills. So the first thing we need to do when we get the new Congress is we need to abolish ICE and send that money back to the clean energy investments that can create good union paying jobs in this district. When people of all political parties see that Democrats can actually deliver, then we can actually come forward on our promises. We can win forward the votes in 2028 and beyond. If Jeff and Schumer are ready to step up and actually enact progressive agenda like that, they can earn our votes. But we're not making any promises tonight.
>> We'll go to Miss Alman and then uh Mr. Vance and then Commissioner Robinson.
>> Yeah, Democrats, one of the most jarring aspects of the past 18 months has been watching the fact that Democrats do not have an answer for the project 2025.
They came in and they ran their play and we seem to have no comparable vision. We need we seem to have nothing comparable at all and we have billionaires taking everything that isn't nailed down. We have a democracy that's in shambles. the fight for our democracy and the fight for our economy are one and the same. We have to make sure we are revamping the tax code that it doesn't favor the richest people in the entire country, the corporations and the billionaires because they want to control our money so they can control the votes to give themselves more power and more money. It is the oldest trick in the book. So, we have to learn from this moment, hold people accountable, and build a new tax structure from the ground up so that middle-class Americans like all of us in this room are not screwed over by the taxation code.
>> Thank you, uh, Mr. Svance and then Commissioner Robinson and Mayor Conn, and then Dr. Hamway.
>> Think Democrats are too often reactionary instead of visionary. That's why during my campaign, we've been calling for a new democratic contract with America that lands and starts with dignity where we can have access to affordable care, access to to low lower houses and um cheaper houses. We need to protect um women's freedoms and protect reproductive rights. These are the things that we need to be doing in our country that we need to be grounded in dignity and be focused on as a country.
And I think that's the reason why you have this swing. We've been too often a a a a generational strategy is not don't vote for them because um they're not us.
We need some vision and we need a strategy and we need a focus for the next generation for the next 250 years of this country.
>> Thank you, Commissioner Robinson.
>> Actually, the energy uh funds were frozen. They weren't reallocated to ICE.
What was funded in ICE and what has been funded ICE is the cutting of the big ugly bill and reduction of uh social services and human services such as health care, such as housing, such as SNAP and Tana. So I just wanted to set the record straight that those funds allocated for energy in the IRA were frozen. They weren't allocated towards ICE. But what is impacting the human lives that we seek to have a quality of life are those things that were in the big beautiful bill, a big ugly bill, excuse me, and uh funding ICE. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Uh well, first uh Mayor Con and then >> we have two years. We have two years in order to get to Congress, convert it to a Democratic Congress, hopefully a Democratic Senate, and actually make the change that Americans want. The reason you're seeing this pendulum is because most of the time people get to Congress and spend more of their time trying to make the other side look bad than actually getting anything done. That's why Congress has an 11% approval rating, which they have earned. So, we need to get to Congress. And I know we're in a room of people that are hyperviligent about wanting to fight. We do need to fight. We need to stand up for our values, but we do need to deliver results. Every one of the things you're going to hear tonight are topics that should be on our agenda and all the things that we need to have a plan for them hit the ground running. But more than anything, if we have any chance of the White House in 28, we have to prove the American public that as Democrats, we can actually do things and get things done.
>> Dr. Hy, >> the question about democratic leadership, I think they are failing to meet the moment. When we're talking about fighting is not just fighting for the sake of fighting, but are we listening to the base? And I think the base is not satisfied with the way things are going in Congress. So, we need people who are actually going to stand up and speak against the transgressions that are happening. We don't need more backroom deals and same business as usual that we've seen in Washington. That has gotten us to where we are today.
Thank you. And Dr. Wang, >> I just want to very briefly point out that the second part of your question was not answered by most of the people.
So, Congress has let us down. Republicans have been captured, but Democrats have lost their way. And that means there's a necessity for new leadership. If you've been watching in the last couple of years, millions of people have turned out out of unhappiness of where things are going. And what that means is that outsiders need to come in and take over and bring the Democratic party back to where it should be. And that means voting for new leadership. And I just want to be very specific that I would not be very favorable towards electing Hakee Jeff as speaker of the house. I think that there's a lot of good talent in the House of Representatives, a lot of good people, whether it be Jamie Rascin or others, there are many good people in the House of Representatives who could lead.
>> Okay. Thank you. Uh, Assemblyman Reynolds Jackson, the next question is going to be for for you. Uh, should the United States provide military aid to Israel for defensive weapons uh only or uh also offensive weapons as as well as neither at all? And give one example of something you would support and one that you would not.
>> Well, let me let me set the record straight here. I support Israel. I support the twostate solution. The issue we have and I'm going to go to Donald Trump in these senseless wars that we're having. We are bombing innocent people.
We s we spend so much money on military aid, not just in Israel, but other countries around the world. I think if we really want to look at this issue, we need to say if we're going to stop there, we need to be able to look at other places as well that we are bombing. The the war that we're going on right now in Iran is un is unauthorized by Congress. There is no end to when we're going to stop. And again, endless people, innocent lives are being lost. I don't want us to forget that we're in this war without congressional approval.
This is unheard of. Congress needs to step up, put in its authority, and stop this senseless wars. I'm about peace, and I think these things that are happening may not be popular, but I refuse to continue to support Donald Trump and all of the things that he's doing in the countries around the world.
So, that that's my bottom line where I stand on that.
>> Thank you. I just want to remind all the candidates, Dr. Hamill, you can come up next. For all the candidates, you'll have 60 seconds. You're all welcome to answer uh these questions. So, Mr. Viner, you will go after.
>> We need to be consistent with our laws and how we treat all countries. And based on our laws, we should not be providing any weapons to any country that is not following the rules of international human rights, let alone committing atrocities and genocide. So I am against giving any kind of weapon to Israel or any other country that is not following these rules.
>> Thank you Mr. Vancor and then Mr. Shvans you'll go next or I'm sorry it was Mayor Matt. I'm sorry. Go ahead.
>> Okay. So I think it's really important that everyone be very clear about where they stay on this issue. You know, I was horrified by the October 7th attacks by Hamas, and I supported Israel's right to defend itself. But it's very clear the Netanyahu regime has gone too far and has been careless and oftentimes deliberate in the killing of innocent civilians. And that is why I have said it is time to restrict aid to to the Netanyahu regime and directly sanction the genocidal ministers that continue to keep us in this crisis. You know where I stand. You don't know where a lot of folks on this stage continue to stand.
We've got folks like Sue Alman, who I love and respect, who when she ran in a red district said, "I support unconditional aid." Now she's running in a blue district and says, "Oh, well, maybe we need to block the bombs." We've got folks like my friend, the Assembly woman, Verina Reynolds Jackson, who says, "I support Israel." She's been attending Apac conferences since 2018.
And like Sue, they've been ditching every progressive candidate forum this year where they might be answered, asked questions about this issue. Then we've got Mayor Brad Cohen who openly describes himself as a card carrying member of Apac. Listen everyone, New Jersey 12 needs a member of Congress who's honest with all of you about where they stand and is committed to peace, not afraid of their wealthy donors.
>> Thank you. And since we got a uh uh since there was a direct response, I'm going to take everybody whose names was mentioned. We'll start with uh Miss Alman and then we'll go to the assembly woman and then to Mayor K. So, I'm the only candidate in this race that Apac has actually endorsed against. When I ran against Tom Kaine Jr., Apac endorsed Tom Kane Jr.
I believe that Israel should exist, that Netanyahu is a war criminal. I believe that we should not be sending our taxpayer money to Israel to kill civilians. But I also think the Iron Dome should exist. Israel is a prosperous country, however, and it doesn't need our money to support the Iron Dome. It can pay for it on its own.
The atrocities in Gaza have been heartbreaking and awful. The war has extended to Lebanon and it's really hard to watch the carnage and destruction there as well. Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, these are terrorist organizations and Israel should be allowed to defend itself against those organizations.
What I really find troubling and sad about this moment is that the increase in anti-semitism and anti-Muslim rhetoric in our politics and in our lives in our country is at an all-time high. And while I very much respect and feel completely completely sad and horrified at what's going on, we cannot >> Thank let those violent things come to our shores at all. And we can have to stand against bigotry in any form. I stand for block the bombs. Thank you.
>> I have been on that. Sorry, David. I have to finish this. I have been on that since the beginning.
>> All right, we just >> All right. Thank you.
>> We're gonna go other we have we have a long two and a half hours. So, uh, Assemblyman uh, Reynolds Jackson, >> first of all, let me say I just love the oper operational uh, uh, research that Jay has done on me. But if you think about it, in 2018, the world was a different place. And what I learned when I went to Israel is that it is a beautiful country. I also went to the Muslim side and that is a beautiful side as well. the kabuts that I went to go see in 2018 is no longer in existence. And I think when we talk about protecting the right for Israel to defend itself, when we talk about the innocent lives that has been lost, I am not afraid to say that I am pro- Israel and I am pro- Muslim. These are people that deserve to live in peace. I come from an oppressed I'm a black woman living in America. I come from an oppressed place. I fight for oppressed people every single day. I will continue to fight for both at the same time and no one is going to tell me that I can't do that because that's what I believe in.
>> Thank you. Uh we're going to Mayor Conn and then uh uh and then Mayor Map and Professor Mah.
>> I believe very strongly in Israel's rights to exist and not only exist but to thrive in the Middle East along with its neighbors.
Everybody in that region of the world deserves to live in peace.
That isn't always so easy. US has always been an ally of Israel. And we have allies throughout the world that we support with military aid. That aid should not only be for defense, which Israel uses to defend its citizens, 20% of which are Muslim. It also must be able to fight back when attacked, just like we do for every other US ally that we have around the world.
We also have a country that's a democracy fighting against people around it whose leaders in most of these terrorist countries wake up every single day screaming death to America. If you want a country that looks like the United States, it would be Israel. You don't need to agree with its leaders. I don't agree with its leaders. I don't agree with Netanyahu. I can sure as hell tell you I don't agree with Donald Trump.
>> I'm still an American and I still support my country.
>> We're going to we're going to move we're move this on and just remind candidates if they you know there there's a time clock on the side and >> you know that's that's okay. We're good.
Uh uh Mayor M you're up next and then uh uh Professor W. It is my firm belief that any aid to Israel should be conditioned on our humanity.
I believe that Israel is a very important ally of the United States and any nation should have the right to defend itself against acts of terrorism.
I believe that Israel should exist within secure borders and shall continue to be a very important ally and partner of the United States. On the other hand, I do believe that the Palestinian people have a right to exist and a right to defend itself within secure borders. And so we must make sure that we negotiate a peace agreement that will bring the Palestinians and the Israelis together, existing in borders of their own.
Palestinian people having their own autonomy within secure borders while Israel continue to exist within secure borders. I believe that this is possible and we must work towards a two-state solution.
>> Thank you. and Professor Wong.
>> Israelis and Palestinians both del deserve to live in peace and live their own lives. I think I want to step back a little bit and talk about what's going on here. This is an issue that's deeply divided the Democratic Party. It's an issue in which there's massive change that we never would have thought would have existed a few years ago. I think it's going to be easier to navigate this if we remember our values as citizens, as Americans, and including us all on the stage as Democrats. We should have values that are based on respecting human rights both here and abroad. We are not respecting those human rights here and also not abroad. And if we start thinking about that, it'll help us guide our thinking about ICE. It'll help our thinking about how we deal with our fellow immigrants. And it will also help us think about how we factf find and find our way forward in regard to problems in Israel. Now, I just want to say I have a few seconds left that I hope that we can have a civil discussion about this. I've seen some things that disturb me. I've seen that doctors Cohen and Hamoi accused of uh things that I wouldn't expect. I've heard that Cohen that Hamoi has been accused of cheering on the deaths of Israeli children. And I think that's inappropriate. I think we need to have a civilized discussion in which we understand that this is a strongly emotional issue.
>> Thank you. Uh we'll do a a follow-up question on on uh on on this issue and this will start with with Miss Alman. Uh do you support a single human rights standard for all US allies not not just Israel uh but also places like Saudi Arabia or Turkey or other nations? And would you enforce it by restricting military aid and security protections if those standards are violated?
>> Yeah, I think it's a great question and I actually love the expansive nature of it. We should have a standard human rights standard that all of our allies are equally held accountable to and I would like to see that uh implemented and I see no reason why it shouldn't be.
Um we also as far as how the United States conduct itself abroad, we also need to reinstate USID so that we are not just relying on military means to muscle ourselves into a conversation internationally. We have a strong economy, but up until Trump destroyed it, we had a really strong diplomatic sector as well. And so I'd like to see us move towards diplomacy and nuance and conversation and aid and exercising that soft power rather than just waiting until things are a disaster and then always using our military as a first course of action.
>> Thank you. Uh Dr. He >> I support a consistent standard over all countries. If we are going to provide aid, we need to follow our rules about how we're going to provide it.
International human rights. When we're talking about defense, okay, this isn't about defense. Every country has a right to defend itself. But what we have from the International Criminal Court, what we have from Human Right Rights Watch, from Annesty International, and what I have seen and experienced with my own eyes isn't self-defense. It's a country that is committing genocide and continues to bomb innocent people every day. We need to hold our standards to every country. It's Israel. It's the UAE and what it's doing to Sudan. It doesn't matter where you are. We have to be able to project that we are fair and even.
And Israel is not the exception. Thank you, Commissioner Robinson.
>> As a veteran, I've seen firsthand the cost of going to war has cost the people of America.
Every life has a value. You have mothers and fathers being sent off to war while children have anxieties and traumas that we can't undo. Innocent lives are being lost. All for what?
for control, for power.
The monies and billions of dollars that we send to fight these unilateral decision of unending wars could house the unhoused, could feed families, could provide livable wages to the American people.
We should be recommitting to NATO, working with our international partners in making sure that this does not happen again.
>> Thank you, Mr. Shvance.
>> I think when we talk about foreign policy, it needs to be grounded in our constitution, needs to be grounded in dignity, needs to be grounded in protecting civilian lives. That's how we should be approaching foreign policy and it should be grounded in consistency.
The problem with the current administration, we treat different countries different ways, right? And I think if we provided some consistency across the board, we'd be in a better diplomatic position on a national stage and be in better position than where we are right now.
>> Thank you. Uh, assemblywoman, >> Donald Trump is the problem here. He is comm he has said horrible things about other other countries. People that come from c they're eating cats and dogs.
He's saying that they come from hole countries. Donald Trump is the problem. What we're talking about here is getting to the deep roots of systematic racism and war. He's creating this chaos within us that's dividing us.
This is the root cause that we're talking about here. Let me go to Washington to call out this appropriations that are spending money on wars. Let's check Donald Trump. Send me to Washington to continue to fight against him and the things that he is doing.
>> Mr. Baker, >> so let's be clear here. There already is a single military standard of how US aid is treated. It's called the Lehey laws.
When countries that receive our aid violate international law, they're supposed to be sanctioned. They're supposed to be punished. And I think the best way to do that is by directly punishing the folks who make the decisions to drop those bombs like Netanyahu, Ben Gavir, the leadership of Saudi Arabia, the UAE. And we actually have precedent for this. This has happened before in 2019 when the US was giving offensive aid to Saudi Arabia for its war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. They went too far. They started committing what many considered to be a genocide in Yemen. And Republicans and Democrats got together and they enforced American laws and they restricted the types of weapons that we sent to Saudi Arabia. The reason why we selectively enforce our laws is because members of Congress are afraid of dark money being spent against them by crossing Apac and other dark money groups. Let's just be very clear about this. The reason why we were able to hold Saudi Arabia accountable, but we couldn't hold Netanyahu or Ben Gavir accountable is because too many Democrats in Congress and of course Republicans are scared of Apac and you need everyone on the stage to reject their money. And if they don't, you know where they stand.
>> Thank you. Uh our next question is is going to come from uh Leonel Rivera Rodriguez, a student here at Ryder University.
>> St. Francis Hospital is being torn down a block from my house in turn. Do you believe the federal government should step in preserve hospitals in underdeserved cities or who do you believe is responsible to stop these failures?
>> Thank you, Mr. Shir. We'll start with you.
>> Healthcare is one of those personal uh >> it's personal issues right now. It's too complicated. It's too expensive. This is not just an issue in Trenton. It's an issue in playing field as well. You have the Muenberg hospital up there which been shut down or at least converted to a smaller uh simply an emergency room. I think we need to be fighting for and matter of fact my my my wife's family lives on on Rutherford Avenue and Capitol Health System did the same thing in Trenton. These are things we need to be addressing and I absolutely yes we should be bringing federal dollars to make sure that communities like Trenton, communities like Plankfield have hospital systems where they can serve and and and u serve the community in this district. This is and this is a broader issue. We need to go go further and lower costs and and provide for hospital transparency. We need to um expand access to health care and insurance. Expand access to care. We need more doctors. We need more community health systems, more doulas, more midwives. This is what I'm saying.
And our campaign slogan is really around access to a healthier, more affordable communities. And as your congressman, that's what I would be focused on. I have experience delivering results, and that's what I would do as your congressman.
>> Thank you, Miss Alman.
So, I was in Senator Kim's office during the Doge era, and all of a sudden, we got calls in from healthc care providers all over the state, but particularly ones in low-income areas because they knew that the cuts to Medicaid and Medicare were going to destroy their hospitals. And so, I'm super sorry. I don't know where the student is that this is happening in Trenton, and I'm not surprised, but it is a downstream effect of the disastrous policies the Trump administration have brought upon this country, and they will keep happening. And the gap will keep widening. You know where we didn't get calls from? We didn't get calls from places in the wealthiest parts of our state because they didn't have to worry about those reimbursement rates going down. We have to pass Medicare for all.
We are in the richest country in the world. We have the most highly educated population in the world. Our people work hard. Every single human deserves medical care. So when I am in Congress, I will work hard to pass Medicare for all because it is long past time that we solve this problem in this country.
>> Thank you. Uh Dr. Cohen, did you want to go? Okay. And Dr. Hamo, after you >> I think a lot of folks don't recognize that in our state, our state, the last maternity hospital in Kate May County closed several years ago. So it's not just urban communities. It's healthcare in general that's being retracted. costs are so astronomically high that it is on a tail spin. State health benefits went up by almost 30%. The issue in in poorer communities is that they have no other options. They can't many instances have transportation to get them to go somewhere else. So these health disparities continue to get worse in the richest country in the world where we have outcomes for a system that is far more expensive than anyone else in the world and our outcomes are worse. We desperately need a universal health care system that provides access to everybody that's affordable and complete with coverage and doesn't make distinctions based on your zip code.
>> Thank you, Dr. Hamilly.
I agree with all my colleagues. We need a universal health care system. It's long past due. What we have is Trenton used to have three hospital. Now it's down to one. But the question is always why aren't we doing it? We have the monopolization of hospitals now. They're they're getting together because they're all for profit. And everyone says how are we going to pay for this? We're spending a trillion dollars on the Department of War. And Trump wants to make it at $1.5 trillion dollars. We're spending over a billion dollars on this war that started that no one needed and we spent over a hundred billion dollars there so far since it started. This is where we get the money. We need to cut the money that we're spending on bombs and on war and put it into our communities that desperately need it and we need to put it into health care. We need to build it into put it into building hospitals, paying for the the the needs of the people, building infrastructure, education. This is what we need to we need to do. And yes, Medicare for all is possible and we can afford it.
>> Thank you, Assemblywoman Reynolds Jackson.
>> Thank you for that question. It's one of the things that I've been fighting with for a very long time. Um the closure of the hospital is definitely related to Medicaid, Medicare, and charity care.
But let's pull the onion back on it. The reimbursement rates are still extremely low. So they're not able to pay the bills to keep the hospital open. So again, back to Trump, the big blue, beautiful bill, ugly bill, whatever you want to call it, cut those fundings to those hospitals. What we need to keep our eye on also is Robert Wood Johnson and Capitol Health because they're on the chopping block, too, because they're also in an urban community. We need to keep our eye on it. make sure we fund those hospitals in addition to our qual federally qualified health care centers that's specifically for urban centers but is not gone under overlooked we are working very hard and I also like to put out in the state of New Jersey you can't open or close a hospital without government approval >> thank you mayor ma'am >> I find it sad that it's always in urban centers that hospitals are closed we've had the experience in playing field over 25 years ago. And the problem is with charity care. And if the government, the federal government would provide for universal health care, we would find a situation where hospitals wouldn't be forced to go under because of providing medical care to communities that need that care. And then when they can't stay afloat, we have the state department of health that closes these hospitals. And so in Planefield, for example, we have a federally qualified health center that was about to close its doors on September 30th of last year. And through my leadership and partnership with private um developers, we were able to structure a deal that kept a federally qualified health center doors open so that it can continue to provide care to families that need that care. And so the federal government has an obligation to provide funding to keep hospitals open and not to close hospitals.
>> Thank you, mayor. And we're going to go to Joey Fox for the next round of questioning.
>> So, I want to dive a little deeper into a topic that a number of you have already brought up a couple times, which is immigration and ICE. Um, and I'm going to start with Mr. Wong. Um, do you believe, as as some Democrats have said, that uh ICE should be abolished? And if so, in your ideal world, what does American immigration enforcement look like? Who is responsible for enforcing the law?
>> ICE was established by Congress in 2003.
Congress established the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. The key element here is that Congress has the authority to create and abolish and rearrange agencies. ICE needs to be replaced by an agency that enforces immigration through civilian means, not through mass paramilitary, not through kidnapping innocent people, not through shooting people on the streets of Minneapolis or any other city. We can enforce immigration laws in a much more humane manner. There's legislation that has languished in the Congress. It didn't pass because of partisan division. If Congress were able to exercise its authority and use every tool at its disposal, we would have immigration reform. Just this weekend, there was an article in the New York Times that got into how DHS employees themselves expressed desperation and unease at having to operate without having fresh legislation. We need to be able to get through the filibuster. We need to do whatever we can to get proper immigration reform.
>> Thank you.
>> Assembly woman. Yeah.
Um, I believe that uh Trump is using ICE to get rid of erase us from the fabric of America. He has made sure that he used ICE in a way that is just unacceptable. It's illegal. It's ICE has has outused its youthful life. I believe that there is a pathway to citizenship that we should be looking for. Those dollars could go to FEMA. It can go to protect our infrastructure. It can go to a lot of other places for health care, for education. It doesn't necessarily have to be there. But the goal here is a pathway to citizenship. That's what people want. When you come to this country, every once wants to be a part of the American dream. Let's get down to fighting to end the chaos with Trump and let's restore peace and prosperity for America.
>> Miss Alman and then Mr. M. then Mr. Emily. Our broken immigration system has been a political football that both parties have used for the better part of 30 years to maintain their own power. So we need a comprehensive program that starts with abolishing ICE for sure.
That starts with reinventing DHS and in fact getting rid of DHS, inventing it a new to make sure it's actually an agency that serves the people. And then with regards to immigration, we have to pass DACA. We need a pathway to citizenship for people who are already here. We have to reform our H-1B visa policy. We have to fund our courts which handle people who are here um as as uh refugees and as migrants. And we need to make sure that the regular people who are trying to to convert their citizenship to full American citizenship have the resources in this court system that they need to navigate it. Because it right now it is an unfair bureaucratic mess that has led us to this moment in time full of heartbreak and crime. Not crime of immigrants, crimes that Trump is doing against immigrants.
>> Everyone up here will probably tell you that I should be abolished because they think that's what you want to hear. The fact of the matter is we need an agency in order to defend our borders and to carry out our immigration laws. And these are the same ones that were calling for the defunding of the police.
That's not the solution. What we need to do is to reform ICE. You don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. You change the bathwater. The problem is not in ICE or XYZ. If you create a new agency and you leave the same people and policies in place, you're going to get the same results. The solution is to reform ICE, change the policies and procedures, and change the people that were put in place to carry out those draconian policies.
That's what we need to do. Reform ICE, change the policies, and change those that were put in place to carry out those policies.
>> Mr. Finger, Mr. Henley, and then we're going to move on.
So these kinds of half measures when people try to argue against abolishing ICE, this is why Democrats lose elections. You've seen some nonsense this year from let's put QR codes on all the ICE agents and let's give them body cams while they shoot people in the streets. This is a bunch of nonsense.
ICE was created in 2003 as an overreaction to 9/11 and it has not kept us safe. It is funded by the same military-industrial complex that funds too many corrupt politicians in Washington DC and it needs to be abolished. I've often said I'm the youngest person on this stage and even I am older than ICE. We were able to enforce our immigration laws before 2003 and we can rely on local law enforcement to go after violent criminals in our communities. And the real issue that we have to get to is actually funding our legal immigration system. Republicans have deliberately defunded the system to keep Democrats divided on what we actually need to do with ICE while we overwhelm our immigration judges, while people languish applying for asylum.
While people wait in really long lines for H-1B visas, we have to actually fix this system by abolishing ICE and funding the legal immigration pathways.
Half measures are no longer working.
>> I was going to come and disagree with uh Mr. M. So I agree with Jay everything he said. There's no redeeming ICE there. It it has been set up. It's been targeting black and brown communities and we have to start a new. There was life before it and we need to dismantle the DHS.
There's no reason we have 20 organizations on there. We have ICE, we have FEMA, we have the TSA. When we have a problem with one, our whole system breaks down. Now that we were holding the funding on the DHS, if there's a storm, we can't respond to it. We cannot travel because we can't get to the airports and get through lines through four hours. So, abolish ICE, rebuild the DS the DSA so that it actually is consistent with what it's supposed to do. So, I I'll jump back in here and this question will be directed at Miss Robinson. Um, if the Trump administration were to plan to build an immigrant detention center in the 12th district as it has in other parts of New Jersey like uh Roxbury, like Newark, um, first of all, would you oppose it? But second of all, maybe more importantly, what specific steps would you take to fight against that facility and the Trump administration's plans?
>> Thanks for the question. Uh, it's a complex issue competes with other priorities. However, I would be against and opposing them coming into our communities with the detention center. I have already taken action with my Somerset County Board of Commissioners to put forth a resolution in support of not allowing them in public spaces and also not to come in to buy up our assets in order to put in a detention center.
So, we need policies around stopping the craziness that's going on. And Mr. Trump has got to go. Again, I said it before, he's not the problem. He is a problem and his cronies are doing his bidding.
So, I again, I would oppose a detention center. I've already put measures in place as Somerset County Commissioner and I will continue to fight at the top.
Thank you, >> Miss Alman.
>> I love this question because it's about organizing. All right, we got something coming to our district. What are we going to do? First of all, I'm going to call the governor. I'm going to call our commissioners. I'm going to call our mayors. and we're going to gather around and we're going to use New Jersey's famous home rule bureaucracy against the federal government and we're going to make sure that we have every every ounce of bureaucratic energy used to push these guys out. And then I would tap into our incredible immigration organizing groups here in the state. We have Make the Road. We have the Alliance for Immigrant Justice. We have labor unions like 32BJ who are really always show up for organ for organizing on immigrant issues. and we'd rally people to show up. We had a there was a um a the situation in Roxberry was an incredible accomplishment um fighting it by people in the district and around the state. And so I would marshall all of our resources together to make sure that we as New Jersey kept that thing out.
Does >> anyone else wish to weigh in? Mr. wrong.
>> Being reactive against power is a good first step. It's a good step when you're in the minority. What are we going to do when in the majority?
Rebuilding our nation and rebuilding our republic is not just stopping the damage and not just stopping things like ICE detention centers. We need a long-term plan to make sure that acts like this never happen again. And that means a second part of this, which is doing something in the long term. Now, the Trump administration is going to disobey court orders. They're going to keep on using money. Congress can take the next step, which is to zero out that money.
But then there's a longer term step, which is have courts that are going to step in and do their job. And what we need is a Supreme Court that is going to not stand in the way of Congress exercising its power. And that requires long-term action. that requires taking a really good hard look at the size of the Supreme Court, the term of the Supreme Court, and the relationship of Congress to the executive branch in the judiciary. And that's a long-term solution to these ICE detention centers.
>> M Jackson and then Mr. Spence, >> I'm already doing this type of work.
Right now, we are fighting to close juvenile prisons in the state of New Jersey. We work with all of our partners. However, there are six more juvenile detention centers that are opening. So, if we talk about not bringing an ICE center here, that means we have to work with our congressional partners and really bring the force in to say no, not in our neighborhoods. No, we don't want this in our community. But it also requires the leadership to be able to deliver that. And that means that this fight is not just going to be a one-time fight. This is going to be a ongoing fight for every single year that this comes up. We're fighting now to close these prisons, but again, I'll tell you, we have six more coming. And we have control of all three branches.
So, we have to go to Congress. I need to go to Congress to fight again against the Trump administration trying to do these illegal um roundups of pe innocent people in our communities. And that's the fight I'll take to Washington.
So to answer your specific question, we would I would absolutely um fight to make sure that does not build those that detention center is not built here in this district. We need to do use whatever tools and the toolkits we have.
I think it seems like the current administration really understands litigation. So we need to go take it to the courts. We need to fight fight fight tooth and nail do whatever we can and legally um to make sure that we make sure that those types of detention centers do not come to our district. We also need to organize. The power of the people is strong. We need to make sure that people rally and let our voices be heard in our community, that this will not be allowed in our district, and we need to rally the troops and do whatever we can as whoever gets elected um in in this office to fight to that those types of things do not get built in our communities.
>> Um okay, I think everyone else wants to speak, so I think yes. Um Mr. Hoy, Mr. M, Mr. Vinker, Mr. Cohen, and then we're going to end the immigration section.
So, I've been up to Delaney Hall and I saw what was happening there. I talked to families that were outside trying to see trying to see their members or family members. I saw the volunteers.
And Delaney Hall is for-profit.
Someone's making money off of incarceration. So, what we need to do nationally is ban any for-profit prisons, whether it's Delaney Hall, for ICE, or for any other um you know, like state or local law that's using that kind of system. No one should be profiting off the misery of others. No one should be profiting to to incarcerate someone. And guess who's paying for it? You're paying for it.
We're paying $9 million a day to be able to keep people in jail that were being kidnapped off the street. And these are our friends and our neighbors. So start by that.
>> I wanted to say that this is one of those policies that I would advocate very strongly against. We should not be building more prisons. We should not be building any more detention centers.
This is the problem. We should be reducing the number of penal systems that we have across the nation. And given the conditions at these detention centers, they are so inhumane and we must look at these situations through the lenses of humanity. And so we don't need any more detention centers. And Delaney Hall should be closed because it's a part of the prison industrial complex which profit private investors.
>> Mr. Cohen and then finally, Mr. Thank you.
>> I think to answer your question, you really need to combine your last question in this one because the real answer is that if we had an immigration system that had been overall, if we had a a system that was fair and just, then you wouldn't have all those people being put in prisons. We wouldn't need them. I would be against them because the answer is that we need to reform the system to begin with. And we don't really even need to start from zero. I think most of you recall that before the election, we did have Democrats and Republicans had a bill that had a path to citizenship that they agreed on. It was Mr. Trump that wanted to be elected and didn't want Republicans to pass that bill and then they capitulated to that. So, we don't need to reinvent the stone. We need to work with what we have. We need to prove to the American public that Democrats and Republicans can actually make a difference. They've done it before and do the right thing.
>> I think there's something I think there's something really important to remember about this Roxbury location.
The location Roxbury is a warehouse.
It's not a prison because ICE wants to treat prisoners like storage. And many of tonight, we're here in Lawrence Township. Many of you here are local activists who have been fighting warehouse sprawl in West Windsor and Lawrence. And so part of fighting the growth of this prison industrial complex is fighting the corrupt real estate developers that have rammed down warehouse sprawl all over our community here in Mercer County and around this district. And so in order to fight the expansion of these ICE prisons, we need to elect members of Congress who are actually rooted in the community here in central Jersey who've been fighting these corrupt real estate agents and and developers who've been forcing warehouse development in place of open space because ICE is going to see these as an opportunity to actually cram prisoners.
So, in order to stop the expansion of these prisons, we also have to combat the real estate interests that have done warehouse sprawl all around Central Jersey.
>> Okay. Um, this is a question for Mayor Cohen. In the face of an already perfect storm of high electric and gas prices, at least 45 attacks, fires, and explosions have struck refineries and other global energy infrastructure. Does there come a time when all energy sources must be mobilized, whether they're renewable or not?
>> This takes us to the heart of environmental justice and making sure that we take care of our environment in a in a safe way. That requires three things. It requires that we have appropriate regulation and that doesn't mean overregulation. It means regulating for safety and fairness. And that means bringing back the uh the the uh Paris Accords, making sure that we hold people accountable, charging uh individuals who are um abusing the system and investing uh and not investing in renewable forms of energy. It means educating our public and making sure that our children know from a early age exactly that um they're responsible for knowing about reusing and and repurposing. And and finally, we need to work at innovation and making sure that we look at making sure that we continue to innovate in ways that uh provide a way in which we don't need to depend on energy in the form that is dirty and environmentally unsafe.
>> Sue. Yeah.
So I lived in Camden for seven years and in the city there was a source of energy that was trash incineration which gave the suburbs clean energy and meant that the people in Camden inhaled trash particullet in their lungs which led to higher cancer rates and higher asthma rates. And so it's an easy question to be like, "Yeah, yeah, no problem. Let's just on all of the above strategy that includes things even as dirty as trash incineration." But it's very important to remember that the downstream effects will fall on communities of color and our poorest communities when we include an all or above energy source. So I want to be mindful of that and proceed very much with caution.
>> M >> our utility bills are too high. We need to invest in renewable energy sources.
We need to reduce our carbon footprint.
We need to get rid of the greenhouse gases and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. And we have to do that so that we could begin to explore other renewable energy sources such as wind, such as solar, such as harnessing the energy from the ocean waves. There are so many ways that we could focus on bringing down the cost of our utility bills. Data centers consume so much energy and push up the cost of our utility bills. The average data center result in utility bills being increased anywhere from 19 to 39% and we have to put guard rails around data centers. We have to do everything we can to invest in renewable green energy sources.
>> Dr. Hamoy, >> this is a question about infrastructure.
It's a question about energy. So, we have a crumbling in infrastructure that's falling apart and we have an increasing energy requirements. So, it's about time that we pass the Green New Deal. We need to move away from fossil fuels, go to renewable energy, and have a just transition so that we're creating jobs, reducing energy prices, and then we have to make the polluters pay so that we could rebuild this infrastructure as well. It's a problem that needs to be addressed as a whole and not one thing at a time.
>> Mr. Voner, >> so I was a former climate official at the US Department of Energy and I worked on multiple energy shortage and disaster relief efforts uh around the country, including in Ukraine and around the world. We're seeing a false choice presented here by the fossil fuel industry. When there are energy shortages, the fossil fuel lobbyists come in and say, "Well, that means you got to pump more oil. You got to pump more gas." But we actually have the technology to combat these blackouts.
It's called battery storage where when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, we can store that excess energy into new batteries and technologies of the future. The problem is fossil fuel lobbyists got with Trump and so-called Democrats and restricted the funding for this kind of battery innovation and research such that now we hear questions like, "Oh, well, I guess we just got to go for the fossil fuels to keep our energy safe." This is a false choice presented by big oil propaganda. And that's why it's important that everyone on this stage reject any kind of dark money or money in their campaign accounts from any fossil fuel interests so that they don't get presented with the false choice either.
>> Yes, please. Assemblywoman, >> I'm a little I'm a little challenged for short. Um I believe in workforce development around this energy crisis that we have right now. We do need to um working with Mikey Shaw right now, the governor who's talking about nuclear energy. That's a long-term plan to bring down our utility costs, but it's something that can also increase what we need to do now. But I want us to to to take a step back and think about what Trump is doing into our energy cost. You know, when he has blocked off the rivers for us to get our supplies, everything he touches is increasing. our utilities costs, our health care costs, our our our our our uh taxes are going up. Everything is back to Trump. I'm sorry. I just can't help it. But I want us to be able to focus on those alternatives. It's a long-term plan with battery storage, but I want to also focus on the fact that there are relationships that I already have to make sure that we can bring those battery storage. And in addition, I live in the the the 12th legislative district.
>> That is time Thank you.
>> These are excellent priorities. And if our long goal is to replace polluting and greenhouse gas emitting technologies with technologies that are clean, we need a specific strategy for doing this.
As we are here on the stage, over the last couple of years, thousands of PhD scientists have been fired from the federal government. research into clean energy has been choked off and the Supreme Court has blocked the EPA's ability to classify carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. If we're going to execute on these excellent ideas, we need fundamental reforms that are going to restore America's ability to work scientifically and we need a mechanism for Congress to exercise the will of the people. And if we can do that, it comes back to Congress exercising its will, including finding a way to have a Supreme Court that is somewhat in line with the views of the American people.
And these are ways to bring us forward on solar, on nuclear, on wind, and other renewables.
>> Thank you, Commissioner Robinson.
>> We talk about fossil fuels, we talk about data centers. As an IT executive, I sat in those rooms where decisions were made. And while I understand the business case for data centers, we must think about the working families and the working community. We are destroying those who are our most vulnerable.
Health care crisis are going up. So while their health is at risk, what are we doing to help them on the other side?
Six in one, half a dozen in the other. I understand the cost. I understand the decisions and I have the IT acumen to sit in the rooms as they're rapidly charging and rapidly fasting and firing up and standing up these data centers.
However, we must continue to fight and you have someone that will take it all the way to Washington that understands that they cannot self-regulate when profits are on the line and can keep up with them and put policies in place to stop it. And Mr. Sance, >> this this is this is personal to me. Um I I keep up stay up at night worrying about things uh that are happening today, but I also have my my six-year-old and seven-year-old here tonight. I worry about them for the future, right? That's what we need to be preserving our environment for. We do need to transition um to green technology. We should be looking into things nuclear energy and solar power.
That's what we should be doing as a country and as a community here in the district. And we also need to be doubling down on climate change um infrastructure and resiliency in our community. I know if I'm out of time, but uh but thank you. That that's that's what my approach would be um to addressing this this this crisis that we're having in this district.
>> Thank you. Uh I know this is a long debate, two and a half hours. I want to show the proper respect for those in the room that are 55 and older. So we are going to take a five minute break. Uh we're going to take a fivem minute break and it's a real five minutes and we'll resume uh then. So thank you everybody.
The next question is going to begin with Dr. Hamoy. The 12th district is home to a dynamic research and educational corridor increasingly driven by AI. But many residents are worried about the industry's expansion and job costs. As a member of Congress, would your legislative record treat AI as a blessing or as a threat?
AI has exploded onto the scene over the last three or four years and there's clearly a lot of good uses that we could we could benefit from in medicine, in technology, in jobs, but we are also have a lot of bad things that are happening. What's it doing to our children, our education? What jobs are we losing this way? What are we doing to our environment and climate? And so, we need to stop and slow down. We're going through this too fast right now. We have really a profit incentive where the billionaires are making money and they want to build data centers all over the place. And what we need is a moratorum so that we could see the pros and cons and proceed so that it could benefit society instead of harm it.
>> Commissioner Robinson, >> it would be a threat. However, that's without guard rails. So my my uh administration or my term as congresswoman, we would be making sure that we had guard rails and to safeguard the working families and those who need jobs and continue to work. Also for clarification on a previous question, I would not support Hakeim Jeff or Schumer as the leaders. Um but I stood up to clarify. I did not stand up to answer the question. So for those that you were wondering. Um, additionally, Somerset County has been awarded in 2023 for its smart growth in the areas of land use, resiliency, and economic development.
So, we must continue making sure that we're protecting the working class and the working families and making sure that AI does not take them out.
>> U, Mr. Sance, >> AI is going to transform how the the world works. It's an industry that America needs to lead. America needs to set the standard in. Um I think uh like I am a job creator. I've created multiple companies in this district creating jobs here in this community. We need to understand how this is going to play out. AI definitely is going to take away jobs, but it also is going to create jobs. And in that transition, we need to make sure that we're retraining, reskilling, educating our our our community uh uh individuals in this community so that we can take advantage of these jobs for the future. We do need to make sure we have guardrails in place that protect against bias that protect make sure there's transparency and accountability for what we're doing. I don't think it's going to be a threat. I think it's something we need to lean into as a community and as someone that's launched and created jobs in this in this district. Um, that's something that I think we need to make sure that we take advantage of for the future and we make sure that those new jobs are created here and that it makes us a healthier, more affordable community.
>> Mr. Vener, >> this issue of AI is something that uniquely affects my generation. If any of you have recently been in school, you've been through the experience of figuring out how to use chat GPT in your school to avoid uh compliance issues.
Uh, we've dealt with some of the horror stories of those chat bots having conversations that led to romantic situations, mass shootings, and suicide.
I mean, this is really serious. I mean, we've seen how our attention spans have been damaged, but we've also seen the incredible potential of AI to detect cancer early, detect financial fraud, and make our daily tasks easier. So, AI has the potential to be a blessing if we put it in the hands of the right people.
So that's why I support an AI bill of rights that bans non-consensual imagery, actually regulates these chat bots, and ensures that the benefits of AI, those billions of dollars in inflated value, go to communities like ours and generations like mine. A lot of people are going to lose their jobs from AI and a lot of billionaires are going to profit. They should be paying a form of reparations that actually funds the new job training to make sure our generation is not left behind.
>> Dr. My family grew up, my siblings and I grew up with autism in the family. And later in my career, I created technology that would allow for early diagnosis of autism that can help millions of families. That was technology that uses AI in a responsible manner that protects privacy and works for everyone. The question was about New Jersey 12. Here in New Jersey, we have enormous human talent. I've been endorsed by multiple Nobel laureates, including one of the progenitors of AI, a good friend of mine who's here in the we just saw him a few hours ago over at their house. And in his Nobel address, he expressed concern about the advent of AI and how it's not used for everyone.
AI is a public good. It's based on all human knowledge. These large language models are built on our knowledge, on our intellectual output. Just like food and drugs and safe roads and flights, AI should be used for good and for all.
We've lost our way on that and it is time to regulate AI in a responsible manner that uses our smarts and builds jobs here in the 12th district.
>> Assemble Reynolds Jackson.
>> So I'm the chair of education. AI has come before us on multiple occasions about how we regulate it. when I go to Washington, this is what our plan is to be able to regulate and give directions down to the state. But we have to push pause and say AI is amazing. I think about the all the technology that came in from biomarkers to be able to see where you have cancer. I think about my friend Jasmine who suffers from cerebal palsy and all the technology that she's able to use to benefit her. There is a benefit to AI but it must be regulated in the way. And so when I go to Washington, that is my goal to make sure one, it's a workforce development, but we we protect our students, we protect consumers through that, but direction should come from the national level down to the states and how it should be used.
>> And finally, Mayor Matt, >> AI is not the problem. The problem is how it is used. And like anything, if it's not used in the right way, and if they're not rules and regulations and guard rails around it, it can be a tool for bad. But by and large, the positives far outweigh the negatives. The issue with AI is what is driving AI, and that's the data centers. The data centers are often times the problem because it costs about five million gallons. It takes about 5 million gallons of water to cool a data center. The noise pollution from the industrial fans, those are problems that we're facing.
Not only that, but in communities that are water stress, it's creating problems for the environment. And so we have to put controls in place and that is why Bonnie Watson Coleman has a bill that is calling for a study around AI and data centers because of the dilitterious effect of the data centers on our community. The problem is not AI.
>> Thank you. Our our next question is going to go to uh Mr. Surveance first.
uh what is your clear standard for when the United States should use military force abroad, including conflicts like Iran and Venezuela? And can you name a scenario where you would vote as a member of Congress to authorize force?
>> I think when when we're talking about foreign policy, my stance is grounded in justice and it's grounded in our constitution. I think when we look at what happened with Iran, um we have the president and administration that went in without full clear diplomacy, someone that went in who the end goals and the the results continue to change and one that didn't really have a clear pro uh clear avenue on what success would look like. Now look, my mother was a Marine, so I understand what it means when you're sending u people in harm's way. I think we need to be guided by that, guided by our constitution, guided by protecting civilian lives. And that's how we should approach making those decisions to go to war. We can't go into Iran and other other scenarios and other countries without having the Congress involved, right? These are these are we're arguing over semantics currently. Uh whether it's a war or an operation, it's a war.
If people are dying, it's a war. So, we need to we need to do better. and that's how I would guide my decisions with respect to uh entering into a war.
>> Thank you, Mr. Viden. And then Miss Waltman.
>> So, I am just barely old enough to remember 9/11 and the impact it had here in central New Jersey. Some of my earliest memories were the cars in Princeton Junction that were abandoned from the commuters that never made it home or the flight attendant from East Windsor who fought the hijackers on Flight 93. That was very personal to us.
And I think everyone agrees that the US had the right to go to war to defend ourselves from an imminent threat. But we also realized the United States under fear and under propaganda invaded countries that had nothing to do with 9/11. And we watched as people fear-mongered with Islamophobia and anti-br racism to drive us into countries that didn't actually present a clear and imminent threat. So if we are ever to go to war, we need to hold a very high standard that the people here in our nation are under threat of violence. And if we ever do go to war, it needs to be approved by an act of Congress. Right now, we are in an illegal and immoral war in Iran because Donald Trump is trying to distract us from his crimes in the Epstein files.
That war needs to be defunded and that money needs to be returned back home to funding our healthcare, our utility bills, and actually creating jobs here at home.
If we are going to send our service members off to war and put their lives in harm's way, we better have a darn good reason. And it better be explicitly clear that our national security interests are at risk.
We have funded, we have sent young men and women off to die for decades and decades of endless wars.
Our defense budget is through the roof.
So our country has to think hard about when to invoke war and we need to make sure Congress exercises war powers and the control over those powers every single time this country goes to war.
>> Dr. Hily, >> I'm the only one on this stage who has been to war and actually seen the effects of war. I've seen the broken bodies of our troops. I've seen the broken bodies of children that had our bombs dropped on them. War powers should really be in the hands of Congress to give authority. We've started using the euphemism of a conflict because we don't want to say it for what it is. It's a war. And we need more members in Congress that understand the consequences who have been to war and have sent their ch children to war before they, you know, start making decisions on what to do. The only ones profiting from this are the war profiteeers, the defense industry. It's not m these are these wars aren't making us any safer. Thank you, >> Commissioner.
>> Correction. You are not the only one that has seen the impact of what war does to a family and to the American people.
>> My sentiments are that we already have rules of engagement when we go to war. However, we're not following them. We have a lawless president. We have a radical Supreme Court. And we have a Congress who has not restored the constitutional order and don't have a backbone to do it. We have failed the American people.
There is nothing like seeing a family crushed because they get a call or they get a visit or a call with from the Red Cross that something has happened to their loved one.
I have a grandfather who served in World War II and Korean War and was P and MIA.
My family was blessed to get him back. I have a father who is no longer with us that served in the Vietnam War. And I watched him over the years as he felt the impact of his PTSD from serving in Vietnam. I have an ex-husband who served in over 20 years that was also a Purple Heart recipient. I understand and know exactly what is happening and we should no longer allow it to happen.
>> Thank you, Mayor.
>> There's nothing in the last 60 years that would justify the United States going to war. Whether we're talking Vietnam, whether we're talking um Iraq, it's all the same. The United States should not go to war unless the safety and security of this nation is under attack by another nation. And so when I go to Washington, I will not vote for the United States to go to war with anyone unless the safety and security of this nation is under attack.
We haven't seen a good reason why we have gone to war in the last 50 or 60 years. And I don't see myself voting for the United States to go to war unless we are under attack from another nation.
>> Thank you, Commissioner Robinson. This next question will go to you first. Uh, how should the United States respond to China's economic and military rise while avoiding escalation into a new cold war?
Uh, and what tradeoffs are you willing to make to protect US workers and global stability?
>> Very good question.
>> I thought so. Thank you.
foreign policy when it comes to the wars and and domestic violence and domestic wars, excuse me, is re wrapped around diplomacy.
It also diplomacy is not a weakness.
However, we must use the rules of engagement and constitutional order that Congress has in order to send us to war.
We must recommit as I said before to NATO international work with our international parters partners excuse me in making sure I don't know that any negotiations would be good enough until we're in that situation and I'm not at the forefront. I'm not sitting in Congress right now. I don't have all the intel to make that executive decision.
However, the rules of engagement as a veteran, I understand what it takes and what is what is needed in order to make those things happen. I can't stand here today and I'm one of those leaders. I can be vulnerable, but I sure will find out and once I get to Washington because there's some information that we as the public are not fully aware of. So, I can't stand here today and make that decision.
>> Thank you, Mr. Vance and then Assemblywoman and then Mr. Viker. Dur during my 20 year uh career as attorney, I've uh uh managed teams both in US and abroad. I've spent time negotiating in China, negotiating in other Asian countries. I understand that China is one of our fiercest competitors. We need to acknowledge that and to make sure what we're what we're going to do and how we're going to protect ourselves in our country. This is a national security issue. We need to make sure that we have supply inhouse and supply in the country and uh so that if there is an issue with China we can continue to build out um and have um drugs and technology that are being manufactured in this state in this country in the state for that matter. Um and so these are the things you need to we need to acknowledge and I have experience in in doing that and experience in going to China and negotiating these types of deals and I think that's the experience that we would want. I have experience getting results and as your congressman I would make sure we we we um operate appropriately with addressing China and their as a competitor.
>> Thank you. Uh Miss Miss U Reynolds Jackson and Mr. Vine >> Trump is not playing by any rules. Let's be clear. He has started this war without authority from Congress without any oversight. He's spending like crazy.
what's happening right now. When I go to Congress, we need to reign in on the appropriations. Stop the funding that's funding all of these things. And PS, the New START deal, the nuclear war that he wants to start, there is no, it's expired. I believe China, Russia, and other countries want to go to war. This is a political payback for Trump. Let's keep our eyes open. He's not playing by any rules, and neither should we. The Congress must rein institute its power and stop what's happening in Washington DC and that's what I'll fight for when I go.
>> Thank you. So we're going to go to Mr. Vangur then uh Dr. Conn and then Professor Wong and then Mr. Hamway and then Miss Alman.
Um, so when I was uh an appointee in the Biden administration in the White House and the Department of Energy, I had a top- secret security clearance. And one of the things I learned was that broadly the reason why China has become such a threat economically is because of decisions made by CEOs and regulators right here in the United States. They stood up under Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. They said, "We should take every factory and just ship it to whatever country violates the most human rights, can pay their workers the least, and produce the most output for as little as possible." And they flooded our country with goods that were produced with substandard human rights standards, and unemployed millions of American workers. And now as we tried in the Biden administration to make alliances with other Pacific countries to form a unity against China, we saw Donald Trump tear apart all those alliances by restricting US aid funding.
And now a lot of those countries that are suffering from third world conditions, they're now going to China for their aid for food, water, medicine, and technology. So if we are to win the 21st century, we need to start rebuilding our alliances and investing in domestic manufacturing through clean tech here at home.
>> Thank you. Uh, Mayor Con, >> areas like intellectual property are clearly issues with put the United States at risk and puts us in a position where we now become dependent. We as a country have a president, just to borrow your Trump line, that's the underlying problem. He has decided that we as a country do not need partners. We could do it all alone. We don't have alliances. They're not important. NATO, all of these people who used to work with the United States in order to make sure that we had some sort of influence throughout the world has gone out the window because he thinks he's a dictator. He spends his time increasing and decreasing tariffs. All of which I think are making just his billionaire friends even more wealthy. And at the end of the day, it goes back to America being the in the lead, but with partners. And we need to recognize that we cannot do everything alone.
>> Thank you, Dr. Ma.
>> Let's turn this question to what Congress can do.
American soft power is under attack from within. When our academic research centers are under attack, when scientific research is under attack, when we treat foreign students like invaders and don't let them in, these are ways in which we are under attack.
We had a stability for a time where we could have some kind of balance with China and also with Taiwan. That balance is now at risk. Congress has the ability to start restoring some of that soft power. Congress has the ability to legislate to make sure that we can build greatness in our American institutions to build economic might through research and to build rebuild our relationships with NATO and other organizations. This actually comes back to your previous question. We need to work with our allies and start rebuilding those soft power alliances that were a true source of American greatness. These are things that are within the reach of Congress.
>> Thank you, Dr. Hily.
>> We're talking about two threats.
Economic, we need to invest in our education, in our research. We need to invest in creating a workforce with good union paying jobs so that we could compete economically. That's the only way to do it. And then for military, they're responding to us. We pay more for our military than the next nine countries combined. And so we are the threat on the world right now with the way we are acting erratically. We are trashing the history that we have of stabilizing the world over the last 70 years and throwing it down the drain with Trump and the way he's acting. We are losing legitimacy and people are afraid of us. And that's why we see militaries, not just China, but militaries all around the world beginning to increase because they say we can no longer rely on the United States and they might turn on us at any moment. So we need to spend money instead of on building on our military that's unnecessary, the trillion dollars. Take a fraction of that and put that in research and jobs and education and that will come balance and then we'll be able to use our diplomacy and restore our soft power.
>> Thank you. and Miss Alman.
>> So this is yet another example where we have to regulate corporations. We have corporations who are inventing chips and technologies here in America and then they're selling that technology to places in China. We have the Trump administration which has just opened up mining in the boundary waters and the Canadian border, just the US side of the Canadian border. So, we have Chinese companies that are going to be mining the minerals that are on American soil that a company is now selling to China.
That is a complete ridiculous decision by the Trump administration and a complete capitulation to large powerful multinational corporations and Congress can stop that.
>> Okay, Miss Alman, you're going to be next on the next round. You might as well might as well stay there. Our next question uh comes from Somaya Smith, a student at Ryder University.
Even though New Jersey has some of the most segregated schools in the nation, we have never received any federal enforcement because our segregation is not at the result of law, but from where people live. Is there any hope for our schools to ever be integrated without federal pressure?
>> That's a wonderful question. Thank you for it. Um, yeah, New Jersey has some of the most segregated schools in the entire country. This is a systematic failure from decades of racism and redlinining and segregation in terms of where people live. There are over 600 school districts in New Jersey, each carved out for their little towns.
I am well aware and rooting for the desegregation lawsuit that is making its way through its courts right now in New Jersey. It is an absolute crime that a student educated just a couple of miles from another student with a different color skin gets a different level of education, gets a different amount of money invested into their education, has fewer resources available at the schools where they attend.
It is a shame that New Jersey continues this legacy of racism and segregation.
And when I am Congress, I will be loud about ending it and finding federal monies to support desegregation of our schools and equitable education for all students.
>> Thank you. Uh Mayor M.
In spite of Brown versus Board of Education in 1954 and in spite of Booker versus Board of Education in Planefield, our schools have continued to be the most segregated in the nation. And a part of the problem has to do with these artificial bungaries called municipalities. And I believe that we have an obligation at the federal level to have laws in place that would lead to the integration, the true integration of our schools. There is no reason why a child who is living in Planefield but whose parents are working in Madison, why that child can't go to school in Madison. There's no reason why a kid living in Scotch Plains can't go to school in Westfield. And so these boundaries are creating the segregation that we have in our schools and we need to tear down these walls so that schools are incre in integrated and there is better outcomes across all school districts in the state of New Jersey.
>> Thank you, Assemblywoman Reynolds Jackson.
>> I've been fighting this since 2010 when I was on Triton City Council. This is all based upon our zip codes. this fight when we have access we have the leadership of both the assembly the senate and the governor this is a systematic problem that we have here and the leadership will rather go to court instead of stellining it I have been vocal about this I continue to fight for this when I go to Washington I will continue to fight to make sure that we desegregate our schools because it's not fair that the funding happens and then you want to blame us why our education scores are so much lower, but you refuse to give us the dollars that we need to be able to put in our schools to make sure they get an equal education and fair education as everybody else in the district. And that's my promise to you when I go to Washington.
>> So, I I think continuing on that theme, um this question will go to Mr. Wong first. Um this is a district that includes some of New Jersey and the nation's wealthiest areas. It's also a district that includes some of New Jersey and the nation's poorest areas, especially majority black and majority Hispanic towns. Um, so given that, how would you approach tax policy in Congress? Um, would you be open to supporting uh higher taxes on wealthier Americans, even if that means higher tax bills for some of your own constituents in this district?
So first very briefly on the previous question, one of the problems that we have right now to Somaya's questions that she's asking is uh the idea that we could only act against intentional discrimination. Whereas you're talking about an effects test and one thing that Congress can do is start to mandate effects as a consequence of unintentional discrimination. And that is something can be done. I worked for te uh Senator Ted Kennedy many years ago and I was there just after the uh elementary and secondary education act was passed and that is exactly a place where this kind of thing can be legislated. Now to your question about taxation we've lost track of taxation policy in the United States ever since the Reagan era inequality has increased coincident with cutting taxes on the very highest level uh income levels. So we can do things like uh bring the capital gains tax into line with a regular tax. We can also work on corporate taxation. Amazon goes through our roads and pays no taxes. And yet they make use of our roads, our bridges, all our infrastructure. And so by reforming at the highest level, we can bring bal uh more money into the coffers of the federal government.
>> Uh Mr. Sans, >> our current tax system isn't fair.
There's no situation where a billionaire should be paying less in taxes than middle class families. period. So, yes, we need to address that. Even if it does mean um raising taxes on the wealthiest of the wealthiest in our district, our system is rigged. We can't have it that way. I think we also um need to address the salt tax. Salt is, you know, um we we are in a situation where New Jersey is disproportionately impacted by salt than any other state in the country.
This is something that we're we're we're getting taxed twice by the state and the federal government and we can and should do better. I think that needs to be increased so that the cap needs to be increased so that we can provide some benefits to the people and the middle class families in this country. I am a I'm a business owner. I am um uh uh someone that's uh have a family of six, part of the sandwich generation. I know what it feels like uh to have to juggle a variety of things and affordability in this issue and the cost of living issues in in this state and I think having a fair tax system could address that.
>> Miss Alman and Mr. M >> something like 50 55 billionaires have spent over $250 million in this cycle already for our elections. That is in order to make sure they control our taxation system. We absolutely, Democrats, have to insist that we raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans because if we don't, we literally have no sustainable resources to pay for anything. We are still riding on the same trains our grandparents laid. We are still teaching our kids in the same schools that our our grandparents sent their kids to. And that is inexcusable.
Part of delivering for people, which is to get everyone's buy in back that America is a great place to live, means we have to tax the wealthiest people and the wealthiest corporations in this country. It's a non-negotiable.
>> This issue comes down to one of taxation and we need to change our tax code if we are to level the playing field.
Public schools are now funded for the most part by property taxes and they should not be. Not one dime should be spent in property taxes to fund schools.
That is why the richest districts are able to perform better because they're able to put more funds into their local school districts. So the funding for public schools should be the responsibility of the state and the federal government. And if we change our tax code to allow or to make billionaires and these rich corporations pay their fair share, there would be more funding available to come from the Department of Education down to the state so that there's equal funding across all do all school districts across the nation. So I am opposed to property taxes being a source of funding for public education.
>> Thank you. And Mr. Henley.
>> So, we need to start first by having a cost of living um exemption for anyone making less than $40,000. There's no reason that someone working 40 hours a week doing everything right has to struggle just to pay for rent and for their bills. And then we have to tax the billionaires. There should be a wealth tax that's not just based on income.
They are able to afford it. They can contribute to society and still live very comfortable. And that's how we start to bring balance and close that gap that we have in our society.
>> Mr. Jackson and then Mr. Banker and then we'll move on.
>> So I believe in taxing the ultra wealthy. We have a housing crisis right now. I would also propose that we stop banks, the hedge funds and banks from buying up local property which escalates our price. We need to be able to redirect those dollars into building new homes. And I'm not just talking about affordable housing. I'm talking about housing that Jay can buy so that he can get out of his parents' house. Less than $500,000.
We want to make sure I drove by the other day and it was $500,000 for a starter home. That's ridiculous. We need to be able to say these dollars should go directly to the National Housing Trust Fund that can come back down to New Jersey. and we be able to have those affordable housing and actual um housing affordability options for people that want to do it. And that's what I'll do when I go to Congress.
>> Mr. Vangard, that was a grievous personal attack. So, of course, I will I will let you respond.
>> I'm sure I'll recover. My mom and dad are the ones laughing the hardest right now.
Right now here in New Jersey, the salt tax and a lot of our federal taxation system ensures that here in New Jersey, we are subsidizing the lives of millionaires and billionaires in red states that refuse to tax their wealthy.
So I agree we've got to tax a billionaires. I'm sure everyone on the stage would say that. But we have to get creative about how to do it so that people don't just try to move their wealth abroad. We need a national minimum state tax enacted by Congress so that red states can't cheat off the federal government, cheat off blue states like New Jersey. They need to tax their wealthy, too. We also need an international agreement for a minimum corporate tax. We tried to establish this under the Biden administration and then Trump took it and tore it apart and now we have a race to the bottom. Every developed country across the world should have a minimum corporate tax. We also need a minimum capital gains tax.
Right now, the wealthy avoid taxes not because they're income taxes, but they use capital gains and they take out loans on unrealized assets. So they use stocks and their housing to take out loans and then they pass them on to their to their uh to their inheritance and then never pay them back. We need to increase the interest rates and restrict the ability of rich people to do that.
>> Um so Mr. Cohen, the next question is for you. Um another clear driver of the affordability crisis is healthcare costs. Uh but not all Democrats are necessarily in agreement about what the best p path forward is, especially whether to try to implement Medicare for all uh which would essentially shift the US into a system where the government is responsible providing pretty much everyone's healthcare. Uh so I mean as a practicing physician yourself, do you think that Medicare for all is something that the next Democratic trifecta in Washington should pursue?
So I am at the front lines of dealing with patients who have to deal with not having medicines covered, not having surgeries done because of their high deductibles, maybe even going into bankruptcy with insurance. So this is not a sustainable system. The costs are going up. Most of you know that our state health benefits went up 36% this year. That's not a sustainable increase.
So we're clearly dealing with a system that is broken. We need some form of universal health care. There's a difference between universal health care, which is a term that provides some sort of basic coverage for everybody regardless of where they live, regardless of their income. Medicare for all, as most of you know, Medicare, for those of you on Medicare, that's 80% of the costs. You're still responsible for the other 20%. And so when you're talking about huge surgical bills, hospital stays, 20% of a big number could be a really big number. So we need a form of universal health care. We need to sit down and figure out how to do that fairly. But necessarily being Medicare for all, that's something I think we need to talk about.
>> Mr. Robinson and then Mr. Hoy.
>> So the previous question I start off with that that was asked directly to me.
Sue me. I'm human. Um, I only answer in part when it came to wars, but I also want to talk about the investments we made in education when we have homegrown talent right here in order to have a pathway for people to have livable wages, a roof over their head, access to health care, and the like. And we've done those investments in Somerset County successfully. Now, on to this question. Yes, I support universal health care for all, but there is no cookie cutting way in making sure that we get there. It comes with a fair labor standard act in making sure that where this Congress has gone awall in the past 17 years and making sure that the minimum wage is heightened. When you have a healthy person, a healthy employee, you have a healthy work environment, a healthier community, they can support themselves and be sustainable over the years. So I yes I would support universal health care for all health centers in our most vulnerable communities with a public option.
>> Clearly people don't understand Medicare for all. Medicare for all is not our current Medicare. It's the name of the bill. It fixes Medicare and closes these loopholes so that people do have universal health care and they don't have to worry about the gaps that really happened because Medicare was put over to put together over many decades. And that's why you have A, B, C, D, and it's all so confusing. So Medicare for all is the name of a bill. It's new and improved and it helps patients get the care they need without having to struggle and also pays for providers so that they don't leave the system like they're leaving the current Medicare right now. So it is a universal health care system and it is a bill in Congress that just needs to be passed.
>> Mr. Vanger and then uh Mr. Mr. Vance, >> I think the most important thing to remember about a Medicare for all system is the rest of the developed world has these systems already in Canada, in Australia, in Israel. They all have a universal health care system where you show up to the doctor's office and regardless of your ability to pay, you are provided with medical care. I'm tired of being told, "This is something we have to figure out. It's going to be really complicated. I don't know if this is going to be possible because every time this country goes to war, no one asks those questions. Every time it's time to bail out Wall Street, no one asks those questions. When it comes to serving working people and making sure our tax dollars are spent on providing the most basic needs in the wealthiest country on the world, we cannot be asking these bad faith questions. It is time to make sure that the hardworking resources of New Jersey taxpayers go to making sure that everyone can live their fullest life and their fullest potential. Our campaign has knocked on over 20,000 doors in this district. And one of the stories that I heard was a gentleman that uh he had too many strokes within a in a span of a month. Once first he went to the emergency room. The second time it happened that night and he was too nervous because he's like, I don't know how much it's going to cost for that first emergency room visit. So I I'm going to wait till the morning and go to urgent care.
We shouldn't be in this place as a country. We're too wealthy of a country not to have access for everyone to have access to universal healthcare. We shouldn't be in a place where um people are one emergency room visit away from going bankrupt. We need to do better. We need to have universal healthcare. As your congressman, I would fight for that. I would fight for a healthier, more affordable community.
>> Miss Alman and then Mr. Matt and then we're going to move on.
So, I played professional basketball overseas and I had the good fortune of breaking my nose in England. And when I was there, I went to the doctor and I had no idea what to expect because of course, as a young American, I thought, uhoh, this is socialized medicine. And I was afraid. But you know what? To to Jay's point, everybody else has figured this out. Our country can figure it out.
I went to the the doctor. They saw me within 10 minutes. They sorted me out.
And the whole thing cost nothing. And the pharmacy was right in the same building as the doctor's office. So I didn't have to make two stops. It was easy. It was cheap. It was efficient.
And it gives people there the knowledge and the confidence that they can go off and they can start businesses and they can take risks because they don't have to worry about health insurance.
This is a problem that comes down to who has the money. And those with the money, they have the biggest voice. And this problem can be solved if we look through the lenses of humanity. And if we don't allow the big corporations to control our health care system and if we in Congress, we can. Just this past year, we refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies. And had that been done, the millions of Americans that have fallen off and who no longer have health care, they would be able to provide for themselves and their families. And so universal health care is something that has been solved a long time ago. We just are not willing to put it into practice.
Bernie Sanders has been calling and talking about this forever. And this is done in Europe. It is done in Canada. It can be done here. The research and the development is done right here in this country and there's no reason why every single person as a matter of a human right isn't able to go to the doctor whenever he or she wants to. And so this is something that is solvable and when I go to Washington I will be a fierce advocate for this district and for people all across this nation who deserve to have the healthcare that they need.
>> Thank you Mr. M.
Thank you. Uh Mr. Voner, you you're going to go on this one first. Uh as Congress debates surveillance laws, what limits would you place on surveillance programs to protect civil civil liberties? Uh should warrantless surveillance be abolished or should there be uh better guard rails?
Right now, our military-industrial complex has gotten way out of hand. And it's currently funding programs funded by companies like Palunteer and so many other big corporations that profit from mass surveillance. And they've tried to convince members of Congress that we need to spy on Americans. We have to skip the warrant process because there's an imminent threat. And this has been abused. It's been abused to go after communities of color. It's been going after communities of foreign origin as an excuse to say, "Oh, wow. This is a threat. We need to roll back the the abuse of these FISA courts. Right now, there are bills in Congress supported by both Democrats and Republicans to roll back these abusive spy powers. We need to be taking any sort of military or intelligence action only when there is an imminent threat. And the definition of imminent threat has been stretched because of the actions of military industrial lobbyists and and xenophobes in Congress that have tried to fearmonger to distract and divide us because these forces want us pointing the finger at each other. They want us pointing the finger at black and brown people instead of the elites that have led to the scarcity and high cost that have gotten us in these crises in the first place.
>> Thank you, Assemblywoman uh Reynolds Jackson.
>> I just want to go back a little bit for the last question about the medical. You know, I do believe in Medicare for all.
I also passed in New Jersey the medical debt relief act here. I will champion that when we go to Washington because just because you go to the hospital shouldn't mean that you lose your home or you go into bankruptcy. On to the question about surveillance. I do believe that we should not be using license readers and I do believe we shouldn't be surveilling people at the airports. I believe this is also a problem of systematic racism that I would not support.
>> Okay. Thank you. Uh we're going to go back to Joey.
>> Uh so this question is for Mr. Matt first. Um it's widely expected that super PAC spending is going to play a major role in this race. It it's sort of already begun. Uh the Supreme Court's decisions in cases like Citizens United make it uh difficult to sort of legislate that reality reality away. But do you think that Democrats as a party, as an institution, should do more to discourage super PAC involvement in Democratic primaries?
Yes, I do believe that the Democratic Party should be bold enough to go to Washington to go to Congress and put laws in place to help control the effects of Citizens United. I believe that there's too much money from super PACs in our politics and it is skewing the playing field. those who are able to access the monies from these super PACs, those are the ones that by and large will be successful. I believe that Congress is able to enact laws that will put guard rails around super PACs and will prevent the influence that they currently have in politics from happening. So when I go to Washington, I will be sure to vote for legislation that would bring an end to the influence of Citizens United and other super PACs.
We need to take that money out of politics and put it in the hands of the American people.
>> Mr. Baker, then Mr. >> I think everyone in this race, especially because we are in a safe blue sheet seat, should stand up here and reject corporate pack funding. Let's talk about how the candidates on this stage are funded. I'm the youngest candidate in this race. I have no corporate pack money, no super PAC, no generational wealth. Our average online contribution is $33 a piece. The two biggest fundraisers on this stage, let's just be clear here, are two doctors who live in mansions and they want to lecture us about how expensive health care is. All while they both have multi-million dollar super PACs that they're not allowed to talk about. I mean, this is just ridiculous. And I have so much respect for my friends up here, folks like Squire or folks like Sam. But let's be honest, you both would not be on this stage and would not have met the fundraising threshold to qualify to be up here if you had not written yourselves six figure checks in self-funding. I mean, it's one thing to go around and say, "Our democracy is not for sale." It's a whole other thing to buy it yourself. I mean, New Jersey is done with the era of rich people trying to purchase seats in Congress. Congress congressional seats belong to everyday people, not the highest bidder or the top 1%.
>> Thank you, Mr. Becker. Uh there were there was a a wide spread of um attacks named and unnamed there. So I will let Does anybody wish to respond?
>> Yeah, >> this is I did write a check to the campaign. I look I am not it's something that I believe in. I believe in this this community. I'm I I I invested in this campaign because I want to do what's right for you. The reality is investment doesn't wake me up at 5 five in the morning to go out and canvas at train stations at 5:30. Investment doesn't allow us to knock on 20,000 doors across the district putting that money in the campaign. And matter of fact, it shows you that I am unbought. It shows you that I I I am not beholden to special interest. I will not apologize for being successful in business. I will not apologize for being successful in law.
That is who I am. That is my background.
And listen, if you have problems with that, look, I know you're 28. You'll have your time to grow. But look, but here but here we are. I'm 43. And so, listen, I I think if if you have problems and issues with us investing in our campaign and and and and going out and door knockocking, let's have a conversation. How many doors people knocked on? Let's have a conversation of of of all these things. It's I think this is important.
>> Thank you.
>> Okay, let's go someplace with this. I've spent a significant part of my political career, my professional career, I should say. I'm a first-time candidate. My professional career fighting to make elections fair. I've worked against gerrymandering nationwide. I've worked to help do away with the county line, which is why we have so many good candidates. I have put a lot of effort into making elections fair and working for democracy. Now, it is true that we have a fundamental basic problem with money in politics, and this needs long-term basic solutions. We need to start thinking about harnessing Congress's power to do that. That can be with public financing. That little $3 checkbox in your tax form goes to presidential campaigns and they turn down the money. So, guess what? That might be available for campaigns, including Jay's.
It would also be possible to in fact think really far ahead like smaller house districts so we can focus on meeting voters instead of talking with donors. And all of these things are going to require a Supreme Court that's going to let these reforms stand. And so this takes a comprehensive approach and we need to look further than this primary election.
>> Uh Miss Alman and Miss Robinson.
>> So I have been fighting for democracy reforms my entire time in New Jersey.
When I was a state director of New Jersey working families, we were the lead litigate on that county line lawsuit for years. And that was born off the backs of women organizers after the Trump's first election who organized to get the word out about what the county line even was because 10 years ago, nobody knew. So, this is an issue that's near and dear to my heart. Having been a candidate before, I have never taken a dime of corporate pack money and I never will because I've seen its insidious effects on our democracy in Washington and even here in New Jersey. I have called for investigations in New Jersey.
I have stood up to powerful corporate donors here in New Jersey. And so you can be sure that when I get to Washington, I will do it with relish because that is actually why I am in this fight.
I will not I have not and I've been an elected official for 11 years never taken corporate money.
My campaign is powered by the people because the my donations came for the people that believed in me. Not the fact that I not only that I believe in myself but my the monies that have come to my campaign for people that believe in me as a leader. My integrity has never come into question. I have never taken corporate pack money and again I will never do so. We have people who are being controlled by the monies and the donors that they have and they legislate based on the people that they're beholden to. I am beholden to the people of the district whether they voted for me or not because I am a leader for all people at all times.
>> Mr. I think you got to give up on some of that uh surveillance equipment that you've been using and that you're going to ultimately outlaw because it's dead wrong. Um I have not taken any corporate pack money. I'm not a multi-millionaire.
I've started from nothing. I've come from a bluecollar family. My wife's also a physician. Her father was a concentration camp survivor. They came here with nothing. I'm not going to apologize for being successful. I've put a limited amount of my own money into this campaign and I have not taken any corporate pack money. So before you go banning the systems, maybe you ought to buy a better one.
>> Yeah, you started it.
>> I am not self-unding my campaign. I'm happy to be able to say that I will not and have not taken any corporate pack money and I will not take any money from any corrupt special interests. I am for ending Citizens United. I am for getting dark money out of politics and I'm happy that there are supporters out there that are coming in that want to make sure that we have money coming into our community and not being taken out by some of the corrupt interests like Apac and being spent overseas. So until that's done, we hope that there are people that are going to look out for our communities and we need to get the dark money and get public funding in place.
>> This is a question for Dr. Hamway. If you'd like to stay up there, that's fine. It's up to you. Uh Hassan argued in the New York Times this week that stealing from Whole Foods is a form of political protest against the rich who don't play by the rules. consider the 12th district Whole Foods on Route One and in Boundbrook and tell us is there room on the left for this thinking?
>> Absolutely not. We have to abide by the laws. Everyone has to there's no there's no room for crime. Uh we have to be able to make food affordable for people when they need it, but crime is not the way to to go about it. And so I disagree with that.
Commissioner Robinson, >> unequivocally, without a doubt, it is a crime. But let's think about why the person did it. It's not excusable.
There's no reason for it. That is allowable under the law. However, when you talk about systems that are in place that have allowed people to be oppressed and suppressed for people who not being able to uplift themselves to provide for their families, what are we really talking about here? the wraparound services that counties provide for health care, for quality education, for access to mental health services, dental, vision, and prescription. That's what we've invested in and done for the people of Somerset County. I am I am leading one of the most diverse counties in the district and most diverse counties in the state of New Jersey.
We lead by example by doing right by the people of the of our district and by our county. So it's a systemic problem of what else may be happening. We've provided an opportunity for social workers to be embedded in police departments where people don't need to be detained and arrested for other things that may be happening in their life but providing a support system where they can be successful.
>> Mr. U so my parents are in the audience.
They immigrated to this country over 30 years ago from India. And that was only possible the only reason I'm on this stage today is because of the actions of civil rights protesters who fought to fix the 1965 immigration nationality act. And they did that through nonviolent civil disobedience. They did it through boycots. They did through forming human chains to make sure that people couldn't entered buildings. They did it so that people, everyday people could have their human dignity affirmed.
And so there are ways to do that to protest Amazon. We could all cancel our Amazon Prime subscriptions. We could do boycots of of businesses that don't follow human rights or commit racist actions. There are ways to do nonviolent civil disobedience to uphold the civil rights legacy that so many of us have benefited from without committing direct crimes.
>> I think Mayor Matt, if you wanted to speak. Yeah.
So crime at any level is wrong. I think the real issue here has to do with the need for wealth to be redistributed.
And one of the ways to do that is is by reforming our tax code. And Senator Cy Booker, he has a proposed piece of legislation that would raise the standard deduction to $75,000.
And if we were to do that, millions of Americans wouldn't have to pay any taxes. That would be money that they would be able to retain in their pockets and the crisis of affordability would be addressed. And so that act that you made a reference to, that is an indication that we need to change our laws in this country. We need to give more to the poor who need it. And so we need to fix our tax code whereby individuals, the workingclass people would be able to keep more money in their pockets.
>> I have the honor of asking the night's final question. Um, and we actually have time for everybody on stage to answer it if obviously you so choose. Uh, so this district has been represented since 2015 by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, first woman of color to ever represent New Jersey in Congress. uh definitely sort of a a progressive stalwart in Congress. Uh I'll start with you, Assemblywoman Reynolds Jackson. Uh how would you approach first of all furthering the congresswoman's legacy in Congress? And is there anything that a congresswoman Reynolds Jackson would specifically approach differently? Any policy issue that you would handle differently than you how you think Congresswoman Watson Coleman has.
>> So let me just say that Congresswoman has just been amazing. She's been a fighter unapologetically.
She has been fighting for workingclass families and I'll continue to do that.
you know, some of the things that she's trying to champion like uh earn child tax credits, uh sick leave. I've done these things already at the state legislature, and this is what I'm going to continue to fight. The thing I think most importantly right now is passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of New Jersey. So, when I go to Washington, we can do that on the national level. Trump has our democracy under attack. He is trying to rip away our rights. It is up to us in New Jersey to do the right thing. We've passed it in the assembly.
We need need to get it through the Senate and we need the governor to sign it. And I've talked about the ability not just to campaign, but how to govern.
And this is my fight. This is my promise to you that we're going to do this when I go to Washington. So my call to action in this room right now is for all of us to fight to pass the John Lewis New Jersey and Voter Empowerment Act. Now, Mr. Enacting a new voting rights act is certainly something that Congresswoman Coleman would do. I think that every one of us would do. We need to use that act to protect voting rights, to end gerrymandering, to make sure that people of every race get protected fairly. Your question is about doing some what we would do differently or the same from Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman.
First off, she has an excellent congressional staff. I was just uh thinking about them the other day and it's really important to make sure that they are listened to because constituent service is such an important part. Now, you asked what's what would I do differently? Well, let's see. Um I'm going to go back one from uh Reynold uh from Congresswoman Coleman and talk about a previous one, Rush Holt, a plasma physicist, a scientist like me. I think that we need to bring facts and evidence and we have to do it in the face of a more diverse district. Now, I'm just going to say really quickly that this d district has gotten more diverse. Harold and Kumar go to White Castle is kind of a documentary about the rise of Central Jersey. And so, we really have to find every way possible to protect everybody's rights in such a diverse district.
Our Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman has served with integrity, tenacity, fearlessness, and showing up for each and every one of us. Every single time I have sat at her feet and listened to her wisdom a little bit over five years, I didn't just arrive on this scene just to have another title. I actually leaned into a job that or a a a seat that I was willing to put myself on the line to work for the people of this district by gleaning from her experience and her wisdom. And what better way to honor the memory and legacy of a woman that has been there for each and every one of us every single time but to glean and learn from someone that's already doing the job. I don't know that I would do anything much differently than what she's doing. She is leaving a legacy and such as I I want to be able to leave a legacy whether people vote for me or not that the service and the work that I do outlives me.
The congresswoman is obviously a legend and she's going to leave some incredibly big shoes to fill. One of the things that I think we could work even more on is the investment in public transportation to really extend it all across our district. People want walkable communities. We need more housing anyway. We have the opportunity to build an incredible network of public transportation here in New Jersey that's in intricately interwoven with new housing. And that's a really exciting thing. I'd love to see public uh new train stations popping up everywhere and maybe even name one after the congresswoman. It would be at le the least we could do to say thank you for her incredible many decades of public service.
>> The congresswoman is a trailblazer. She is the first person I ever voted for and she's brought communities to the table that had ne had never been represented before, including with many on the stage. She's helped rescue medical workers out of Gaza. She's uplifted black maternal health conversations that a lot of politicians were afraid to have or weren't representing at the table.
And I want to be the kind of member of Congress that brings more communities to the table that have never been represented before. I'm proud to be someone on the stage that is campaigning in multiple languages. I had Laura Loomer's MAGA trolls threaten my life this past month because I dare to put out a campaign video in Hindi and in Spanish. I'm not afraid to speak the languages of this district. I'm not afraid to bring communities that are registering to vote for the first time, becoming citizens for the first time to be part of our political process. I think that being a new member of Congress in this modern era means bringing many people to the table, growing our Democratic coalition, because the most important type of swing voter is non voterto voter. If we as a Democratic party can continue to build on that legacy, we can get progressive priorities passed all the time. Can we Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman has been a champion of the people, whether it's voter rights, criminal justice, taking care of the most vulnerable in this community. She was one of the people that helped me get out of Gaza when I was trapped. And since I've come back, I've been working very closely with her as an advocate. She is someone who is not afraid to speak up, even if it's against her own party, because of her values and what she thinks is right.
She's one of the few people on the stage that's called what's happening in Gaza a genocide. And she's one of the few people in the beginning since day one was for a ceasefire and for block the palms. I'm happy to say that I was her guest at the State of the Union. I'm happy to say that I've shared the stage and had press conferences with her in front of the capital and I will continue to fight for the things that she believes in and for all of you when I get to Congress. Thank you.
>> Yeah, Mr. M.
Bonnie Watson Coleman has a legacy that we all should make sure that we build on that legacy. What I would do more of, not differently, is to fight for more funding for the Greenbrook Flood Control Commission so that communities in this district along the Greenbrook that currently suffer from flooding would get the relief that they need. But I believe that Bonnie Watson Coleman had been a fierce advocate for social justice and I would want to do that. She had been an advocate for healthc care equity. I would be an advocate for that and she had been a fierce advocate for economic opportunity for all people. And that's the way that I would seek to honor her legacy and to build on her legacy because it is so amazing and we owe her a debt of gratitude. And when I go to Congress, I will make sure to fight to carry on and build on her legacy.
>> Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman is a stalwart in our community. her legacy will live on um through all of us regardless of who wins. Um I've had a chance to work with her office on specific legislation in life science and healthcare. These are the types of things that we need to continue to double down on. I like I love her work on health equity and the bills that she's proposed in that space. These are uh moonshot bills that actually have the ability to help address health disparities in our community. These are the types of things that we need to be fighting for and continuing to address.
I love the fact that she's always in the community. Um, let's put legislation aside for a second. How engaged she's in with with her staff are in all 32 municipalities. We need to make sure that whoever is elected congressman, hopefully it's me, continues that legacy and making sure that we stay connected to the community in which we represent.
And that's what I would do as your congressman.
I know a lot of attention has been focused on the time on things that uh Bonnie Watson Coleman and I have disagreed on which is really very few compared to the multiple things in which we've agreed upon. I think if you listen to the fellow Democrats up here today, the one thing that makes us so different as Democrats compared to anybody else is that we fiercely advocate for those who don't have the ability to advocate for themselves. And if there's anything that I could say about Bonnie Watson Coleman, that absolutely captures the spirit of everything that she's ever wanted to do.
any one of us who continues to operate in that legacy, it would just be an honor to follow in her footsteps.
>> Thank you. Believe it or not, we are just about perfectly on time.
Officially, you are my favorite race of the state. So, thank you. Uh so, we're going to go to the closing statements of of 30 seconds each. That's what I guess what we call a sound bite in this business. And we'll start with Miss Alman.
We are entering one of the most vulnerable moments in American history and we as Democrats have one shot to get it right to make sure that we can deliver for people. What does delivering for people mean? We have antitrust laws that have been on the books since before cars were invented. We have a health care system that broke and we have to pass Medicare for all. We have to reign in ICE and we have to make sure we are holding those who murdered people accountable. We have one shot to get it right. We have to send someone to Congress with a history of coalition building and fighting. And that's what I bring to the table. Thank you, >> Mayor Matt.
>> I am the one candidate up here who has delivered results for his constituents.
I have built and rehab over 6,000 units of housing. I have kept a federally qualified health center open. So, I am the one that has delivered results. What you get from most of the candidates up here are just idealistic platitudes. But I have done the work. I have delivered the results and I have the receipts as proof that I have done the work and I ask you to send me to Congress so that when I go to Congress, we all go to Congress.
>> Thank you, Commissioner uh Robinson.
>> I have spent my life serving this country.
We are facing enormous challenges as a nation.
I have won competitive elections and worked across the aisle. I'm not afraid to fight when the moment demanded.
I have governed through crisis. I have delivered real change. I have carried communities forward successfully.
I see a mission and goal.
And that mission and goal is to be able to carry out the work that we all desperately need in this day and time.
>> As an Air Force veteran, as a divorced mother of three, a grandmother of three, this matters to me. This matters to all of you.
>> You can send someone to Washington. And the challenge is you don't need to send someone for on the job train.
>> Thank you, Mr. Shvance.
I'm not a career politician.
I'm an attorney, as we made clear today.
I'm a entrepreneur that's been successful.
I am uh a neuroscientist in my career. I know how to step into difficult situations and get results.
We've knocked on over 20,000 doors and we heard from you directly. You want less talk, more action. I believe this moment calls for a new generation of leadership that's willing to step in on day one and get results. That's what I've done my entire career.
That's what I'll do in Congress.
>> Thank you, Dr. Hamway.
>> I grew up workingass in New Jersey. I'm raising my family here. I work here. I know the pre the problems that people face because I see it every day. I've also lived the realities of war. I've cared for the broken bodies of our troops and of people that we've dropped our bombs on. I am sick and tired of seeing money being pulled out of our communities that desperately need it and being used to fund wars overseas over and over again. I am a proven leader who's made life and death decisions when it really matters. And in Congress, we don't need another politician with experience. We need a proven leader like me who will fight to unrig the economy, to abolish ICE, and to provide health care and not bombs.
>> Thank you. Uh Dr. Wong, >> my parents fled authoritarian rule in China in 1949, and their raising of me and my siblings made it possible to be what I am today, a scientist who solved problems. Scientists find new solutions to old problems. And this is what I've done when it's been in autism, when it's been in gerrymandering, when it's been voting rights. I've worked over and over to do that. But solving problems requires new thinking. And maybe that's why I've been endorsed by multiple by four Nobel laureates, by eminent scholars all over the district, by Andrew Yang. I am working to find solutions that are going to work for all of us. And I'm working I'm Sam Wong, a science scientist to save health, science, and democracy itself.
>> Thank you, Mayor Conn.
Well, I think if there's anything that we've seen tonight, there are a lot of things we need to get done in Congress in this next congressional um year.
And I've done that my entire life as a mayor, as a doctor, as a board of education member. I've taken care of women's health issues. I've taken care of health care issues. Had to deal with affordability issues for people in my town as a mayor. had to deal with uh many many many issues that requires somebody who is problem solver which is how we're taught as medicine and it's the same reason when you go into public service.
>> Thank you.
>> My goal is to make sure we solve problems and make the US a better place for all of us.
>> Thank you uh Mr. Vonger.
My name is Jay Vonger and I've learned from my time at the White House and the Department of Energy that government is capable of solving big problems if we elect leaders with the courage to get it done. And this is our chance. This is our opportunity to elect a Democrat that doesn't cave to their corporate donors to reject career politicians that are more interested in seeking a title than serving our community. This is our moment and we can get it done together.
So on June 2nd, I'm asking you to vote.
Vote for a new generation of leadership here to fight for Central Jersey.
>> Thank you. And Assemblywoman Reynolds Jackson.
>> First of all, thank you all for being here for two and a half hours listening to us. I am a public advocate. I got into this work to help the people. I am the only state legislator on this stage that has been fighting against the chaos that Trump is doing. I'm fighting to restore peace to us. I've been at the rallies. I've been to the viguals. I've been on the marches. And I hear people saying, "Now what?" And that's why I'm stepping up. We need a leader that knows how to fight and get things done. I am Verina Reynolds Jackson, and I am running for the people to have the power. Restoring the power to the people is exactly what I'm going to do. Thank you so much. Vote for Verina Reynolds Jackson.
Thank you. And every that concludes the New Jersey Globe Ryder University debate of the Democratic uh candidates for Congress in New Jerseyy's 12th Congressional District. Uh thank you for all the candidates for participating.
This is what democracy is about. Putting yourself forward and answering questions and letting the voters know.
And just wait one second. I just also I want to I want to thank Ryder University and and President John Loyak for hosting uh C-SPAN uh for airing this uh important discussion of issues. Our panel Joey Fox and Micah Rasmusen and and to the many many Ryder students who asked questions and volunteered this evening and helped make this debate possible. Special thanks to the New Jersey Globes Kevin Sanders and Ryder University's Tony Corby for producing tonight's debate. Uh, please join us on Tuesday, May 12th for the Democratic Congressional Debate in New Jersey's seventh district. Uh, and I and I remind everybody, vote by mail is underway.
Take responsibility for your own ballot.
Make sure uh that it's in. And thank you everybody for watching. And thank you candidates. Thank you.
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