Stenholm, Neugebauer trade jabs in District 19 debate
by Jacqui Streety, editor-in-chief

Healthcare and prescription drugs, the needs of retirees and young people, taxes, water conservation in West Texas, as well as foreign policy were among the topics discussed at the first 19th Congressional District Debate on Oct. 12, at Tech's Allen Theater.

When it comes to reducing healthcare and prescription drug costs the candidates took opposing stances. Republican representative, Congressman Randy Neugebaur, platforms competition between pharmaceutical companies and placing caps on the benefits people receive in an effort to help with access to drugs. He says that "rather than treating a senior citizen for a heart attack, they should be treated for high blood pressure." A stance of preventative measures had his Republican supporters nodding in agreement.

Congressman Charlie Stenholm, Democrat, took a different approach. He asked why it was necessary to prohibit negotiating the best prices for drug consumers. "We should use our powers to negotiate," Stenholm said. "Neugebauer voted against this."

When asked what their top priorities would be as the representative of the 19th District, Neugebaur said that the people of West Texas would be his number one main concern. He has proposed $2.8 million disaster bill and a crop insurance program, as well as a bill that will secure the funds for research at TTU.

Stenholm said his priorities centered around National and Homeland Security, as well as energy policies. He also mentioned education as an important part of his agenda, mentioning Head Start specifically.

The debate became a bit heated when Stenholm mentioned the $2.8 million farm bill that Neugebaur introduced as he informed the voters that that same bill would also take $3 billion out of the base line of the fund.

Stenholm says that farming is much more than just a subsidies issue-it's a nutrition issue, and as it has to be ensured that the consumers can purchase affordably while the farmers still make enough to stay in business.

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