Highlights From The Jeff Van Drew, Amy Kennedy Debate

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — Thursday's debate between Congressman Jeff Van Drew and Amy Kennedy featured minimal interruptions and even some agreements. Here are some key highlights from the 2nd Congressional District debate.

Stimulus Package

Both candidates supported another round of stimulus funding addressing the financial difficulties brought on by the coronavirus.

"We need to get people back to work," said Kennedy, the Democratic candidate. "But in the meantime, that necessary stimulus is going to have to be the bridge there. It’s not just the airlines, but it’s the small businesses that have really struggled. And I’d like to see that stimulus go to the small businesses and working families, as well as our frontline workers."

Van Drew, the incumbent Republican, wants another round of funding to pass but said "even some Democrats" found issues with the HEROES Act, which would release some prisoners and allocate funding to undocumented residents.

"All these ideas were squeezed in when most of the bill was good," Van Drew said. "So at the end of the day when we left, it didn’t get done, and we are still where we are. I want to go back. I want to get it done."

Van Drew also said he believes in financially assisting states with expenses related to COVID-19 but not for poor budgeting.

Climate Change and Flooding

Both candidates agreed: climate change is real. Van Drew pointed to his sponsorship of the land and water conservation bill, which "guarantees open space and open areas and maintaining waterways."

Van Drew also pushed support for Carbon Capture — a technological process of capturing up to 90 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and preventing it from entering the atmosphere — along with nuclear energy and incentivizing solar energy.

"What I don’t believe in is sometimes we make deals with countries like China responsible for 28 percent of the carbon, 28 percent of the pollution, and then we give them a special deal where they can still go on and we'll pay for it."

Kennedy emphasized infrastructural projects to build climate resiliency in South Jersey, including natural dune protections for businesses and homes and a transition to green energy.

Both expressed support for beach replenishment as a short-term solution to beach erosion.

"In the short term, I think we need to continue to do it for for our tourism," Kennedy said. "But of course, if there’s a more viable solution for the longterm then i hope we’ll use that."

Van Drew brought up support for raising homes to help with flood insurance costs. Kennedy said flood insurance needs to remain available.

"This is a community," she said. "We know not everybody is moving away."

'Defunding' The Police

Kennedy claimed that Van Drew has misrepresented her views about police reform.

“You said I supported defunding police," she said. "You've used it in every ad in mailers about me. You are willing to put words into my mouth I have not even said."

Kennedy said she instead has discussed how to provide funding to police and how to use funds on causes such as mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Van Drew said police should receive additional funding and also invest in community policing.

"There should be reform in anything," he said. "Theres always more you can learn. There’s always more you can do."

South Jersey's Economy

Kennedy pushed for diversify the local economy through investments in infrastructure, which included broadband, climate resilience and building out research on green technology.

Van Drew added that he supports working with the Federal Aviation Administration's tech center in Egg Harbor Township on new technology and pushed for helping the tourism industry.

"It shouldn’t be the only industry," Van Drew said of tourism. "But one of the shameful things that happened is every other state in the United States of America had a plan where areas that weren’t hit as hard by COVID were able to open up earlier."

Health Care

Kennedy supports expansion of the Affordable Care Act through a public option that would support people in between coverage plans. She supports maintaining health insurance through employers.

Van Drew said the ACA isn't as good as it should be, but he needs to see a better replacement before voting to repeal it.

"I would say there are some pieces of it (a replacement)," he said, "but for an entirely appropriate plan, I would need to see more of it."

'Undying Support' To Trump

Van Drew pledged his "undying support" to President Donald Trump when the congressman switched from the Democratic to the Republican party in December. But Van Drew said that doesn't mean he agrees with President Trump on everything.

"What that meant is I support the presidency," Van Drew said, "that I support some of the things that he’s done about a strong America, an America that really can stand up is No. 1 in energy production, an America that has its own supply chain, an America that supports education, an America that will fight for the environment, an America that will support its military and other things, as well."

This article originally appeared on the Ocean City Patch