Houlahan, Ciarrocchi face off in 6th Congressional District debate

Oct. 24—The questions were the same, but the answers were polar opposite.

U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan and Guy Ciarrocchi, a challenger trying to unseat her in the race for the 6th Congressional District, shared a stage Sunday evening inside Reading Area Community College's Miller Center for the Arts to take part in a debate.

And in making their pitches for why voters should cast their ballot for them, each told voters to look backward.

Houlahan has represented the district — which includes all of Chester County and parts of Berks County, including Reading — for the past four years. Both candidates want this election to be about that span.

And both are asking, "Are you better off now than you were then?"

For Houlahan the answer is a resounding yes, an example of the leadership she has provided.

For Ciarrocchi the answer is a firm no, a sign that a change is needed.

Voters will have to decide where they stand on the question on Election Day. Sunday's debate gave the candidates a chance to share a little bit about themselves and their platforms in hopes of influencing that decision.

The debate was held by the Greater Reading Unity Coalition. The coalition was formed in 2015 as a way to bring together minority groups in Reading to work on diversity issues in Berks and includes Centro Hispano, the Islamic Center of Reading, the Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks, the LGBT Center of Greater Reading and the Reading Branch of the NAACP.

Here's what the candidates had to say about themselves, as well as their responses to questions crafted by the coalition.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan

The 55-year-old Houlahan was first elected to serve in Congress in 2018. She previously served as an Air Force officer, was a businesswoman and engineer, taught chemistry with Teach For America and served as an executive for a nonprofit literacy organization.

"My work has resulted in lower costs for health care and child care," Houlahan said. "I helped write what Forbes Magazine called the best inflation-fighting blueprint to come out of Congress. I've worked to keep us safe, delivering funding to local police and pushing for the first gun violence law in 28 years all while working with both parties."

Houlahan said she and her office have been responsive to constituents, having received and responded to more than 8,000 calls every single month.

"I've held more town halls than anyone else in the Pennsylvania delegation, and I'm the first congressperson in a long time to have an office right here in Reading," she said. "I've even won awards for being bipartisan, constituent-service focused and accessible."

Houlahan said the election is about choices, and she is a choice who has led by example and has accomplished important things. But, she added, she's not finished.

"There is so much more work to be done," she said. "Looking ahead, our community is starting to see the benefits of important legislation I helped pass. Thanks to these efforts manufacturing will go up, prescription drug prices will go down, farmers will get more direct help than any other time since the Dust Bowl, fewer guns will get into the wrong hands and our roads and bridges are going to be repaired."

Guy Ciarrocchi

The 58-year-old Ciarrochi previously served as president and CEO of the Chester County Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as the regional director of Housing and Urban Development under President George W. Bush, as the director of public affairs for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and as a township supervisor.

He said the answer to whether or not people in the 6th District are better off now than when Houlahan took office is clear.

"Never has the government been bigger, more powerful and more expensive," he said. "Yet, never have we felt more anxious, powerless and, at times, even angry. And never before has the federal government seemed so out of touch with what's going on with our lives."

Ciarrocchi said that's why he's running for Congress, adding that he has been reminded about the importance of the race time and time again as he has campaigned across the district.

"It's the small-business owners who are fighting to get through the COVID pandemic, the Latino clergy who feel left behind by local officials, the emergency doctor who has seen the impact of fentanyl firsthand," he said. "We run to offer hope and a path forward — a path based on commonsense. Right now we are all united in our problems. I want us to be united in our recovery."

Ciarrocchi said he would be a leader who would help revive the economy, make communities safe and secure and restore the American dream.

"I'm committed to doing that, and I'm the right guy for the job," he said.

What will you do to advocate in Congress to protect Berks' natural environment?

Houlahan said this is an issue she believes most people can agree on at some level. She said climate change is real, people cause it and that it has broad implications for our natural resources, economy and national security.

At a federal level, she said Congress can ensure the country is evolving toward more renewable energy supplies and sources. She said the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act is already making strides on that front.

Houlahan said that legislation addresses the need to get more electric vehicles on the roads and ensures that local communities have what they need to combat flooding.

Ciarrocchi said it's crucial that we protect our environment. He said there are many ways to address this, but one is to help struggling family farms become more sustainable so they remain part of the local landscape for future generations.

He said the federal government must work in partnership with state and local governments to find solutions. He said that right now regulations handed down from the federal Department of Environmental Protection are actually hurting local farms.

He also stressed that protecting the environment is a balance between having a clean environment and a strong economy. He said politicians often tell Americans that there is only one choice: a green economy or a dirty economy. He said that is a false choice.

Are you willing to pledge that you are committed to working across the aisle to get things done?

Ciarrocchi said he has a lot of experience in this area.

He said that as a candidate he has traveled to every community in the district speaking with many different groups representing many different interests, and in his role as a Housing and Urban Development executive he has experience speaking with minority groups. He added that his position as a chamber of commerce president has led him to hold events with elected officials representing both major parties.

He said he is interested in finding solutions that will positively impact everyone in the district, and that means putting partisanship aside.

"My pledge is this: I want to grow this economy, I want to empower parents, I want us all to be safe," he said. "Anyone who has an idea on how to do that and is willing to roll up their sleeves and be part of the solution, you're welcome on my team."

Houlahan said her record in Congress over the last two terms shows she is willing to work with members from the other side of the aisle.

She pointed to several groups she belongs to that include Democrats and Republicans who are united by common interests. One of those is the Problem Solvers Caucus, which worked in a bipartisan way to craft elements of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Another is the For Country Caucus, composed of about 20 members from both parties who have served in the military.

She highlighted her work as part of the For Country Caucus with Republican Congressman Jim Baird of Indiana to push legislation promoting STEM education.

"He and I don't necessarily agree on a lot, in fact he didn't vote to certify the 2020 presidential election," she said. "But we work consistently together."

Would you support a two-state solution between the Palestinians and Israelis to end the conflict in the Middle East?

Houlahan said she is very fortunate to serve on the Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees where she has a good view of what's going on in the world and has traveled to Israel as a member of Congress.

She said she is also the daughter of a survivor of the Holocaust and has traveled to Israel as an individual to celebrate the man who saved her father as a young boy by forging documents to make him appear that he was a Christian.

Based on her experience with the region, Houlahan said she believes peace in the Middle East and Israel's right to exist are both crucial.

She said she supports a two-state solution to reach those goals, adding that the recent Abraham Accords helped make some progress in the right direction. She said there has been some thawing in the relationships between Israel and some of its neighbors, but not yet with Palestine.

"I'm very, very hopeful that we will find a pathway to peace in that particular region because as that region of the world goes so does our country and our national security," she said.

Ciarrocchi said there have been decades of work to try to bring about peace in the Middle East, but that any deals toward achieving that have to keep U.S. interests in the forefront.

He said the U.S. needs to make sure it is in a position of strength and when discussing any conflict anywhere in the world that the U.S. needs to be economically and militarily strong in order to exert influence. Ciarrocchi said that isn't currently the case, calling the U.S. economy weak.

"It's all the more reason that we need a strong economy and a strong national defense and an administration that speaks clearly so both our allies and our enemies know what we mean," he said.

Ciarrocchi said he is open to options in regards to Israel and Palestine, but did not directly specify whether he supports a two-state solution.

"When it comes to the Middle East, what we're all seeking is a lasting peace where those children can grow up in communities that are safe," he said. "I'm open to solutions that will bring that peace, but those solutions must include a safe and secure Israel and also provide long-term safety for the families of that region."

Tell us your thoughts on the January 6th Committee hearings?

Ciarrocchi said it is time for the committee to come to a close, saying the country needs to move beyond this chapter in our history.

"We have an economy that's falling apart, we have problems of safety in our own communities, we have issues within our own nation," he said. "We need to get Democrats and Republicans to stop fighting with each other so they can focus on the things that impact our lives."

He said Congress must turn its attention to the business of the people.

Houlahan said Congress has to be able to do both.

She said the country cannot not simply put the past behind it because democracy is literally at stake. She said the 2020 presidential election was a free and fair election that was secure.

Houlahan said that while she agrees that Congress must focus on the kitchen table issues that impact constituents, she believes democracy is the very thing that allows the nation to exist as a free and fair country.

She said it's really important that the insurrection on the Capitol is recognized and investigated, and that the country ensures it never happens again.

Will you support legislation to protect the LGBTQ community against discrimination?

Houlahan said this is a big reason why she ran for office, explaining she has a daughter who is queer and was very concerned about her rights being protected.

She said she stands in strong support for protecting the right to marriage equality and has twice voted for the passage of the Equality Act, a bill that prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in a wide variety of areas, including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit and the jury system.

Ciarrocchi said he would support legislation that provides protection to members of the LGBTQ community from discrimination.

But, he added, Congress needs to make sure everyone feels welcomed in the nation. That means ensuring that people of faith do not feel pushed down at the expense of lifting another group up.

Do you support passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act?

Ciarrocchi said he was not familiar with the provisions of the legislation and could not say definitively whether he could support the bill.

However, he said he believes any legislation regarding voting should protect the right of every American to cast a ballot. He said voting should be easy, that it should be hard to cheat and that the system should deliver results we can trust.

Houlahan has voted for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and said she would do so again if given the opportunity. She said she believes strongly that there should not be voter intimidation, and, if there is an indication of intimidation, it should be looked into at the federal level.

She said she has concerns about this happening in Berks, explaining that she shares the concern of state officials and voting advocacy groups about a new policy the elections board instituted that will allow deputy sheriffs to question voters dropping off ballots at the county's two drop boxes if the ballot they're casting is their own.

"This is the kind of thing that I would think the John Lewis Voting Rights Act would speak to," she said.

What can you or Congress do to combat rising antisemitism and hate crimes?

Houlahan said the rising rate at which hate crimes are being committed is alarming and especially concerning since her father is a survivor of the Holocaust and her daughter is queer.

She said that on a personal level combating bigotry and hatred begins at home by being positive role models for the next generation.

Congress, however, can play a part by giving law enforcement the resources they need to effectively protect everyone. That means supporting the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation — the agency charged with investigating and prosecuting these crimes.

"We need to be supportive of our law enforcement, we need to be supportive of our FBI and we also need to be thinking about how we are educating our kids, which starts with civility and decency," she said.

Ciarrocchi said he would use his platform as a member of Congress to speak out when he sees something wrong. He said that means calling out antisemitism and making sure everyone feels welcomed in the district.

He said schools also have a role to play. In the past few years, he said, schools have focused too much on dividing children rather than uniting them. He said he believes schools need to change course and remind students that they have much more in common than they do differences.