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Two out of the three leading candidates in Pennsylvania\u2019s Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate faced off in a fiery debate Sunday at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta each outlined their own policy prescriptions, while also taking shots at Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the current Democratic frontrunner who declined to participate in Sunday\u2019s debate.<\/p>\n
The two candidates outlined their respective stances on student debt, their approach to bipartisanship, fracking and energy issues and much more.\u00a0
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The student debt crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n Kenyatta and Lamb both cited high levels of student debt as a major issue that needs to be addressed in Washington. Kenyatta called for student debt to be canceled at the federal level, and also said students should be able to attend community college for two years for free.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to cancel student loan debt and we need to start to do the hard work of making sure college is more affordable in the first place,\u201d Kenyatta said. \u201cWe need to make two years of community college \u2013 at least \u2013 completely free, particularly in a moment where it\u2019s going to be necessary for people to upskill and re-skill.\u201d<\/p>\n Lamb touted his work in Congress to pressure the White House to suspend student loan payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. \u201cI have twice now helped lead a big group of members of the House of Representatives to persuade the White House to suspend student loan payments,\u201d he said.\u00a0 A bipartisan approach\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Both candidates expressed a willingness to work across the aisle, though each said there are certain issues where Democrats should avoid compromising with Republicans.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lamb said: \u201cWe have to be morally clear about the incredible differences between ourselves on voting rights, gun rights, women\u2019s rights, minimum wage \u2013 but it is still possible on issues related to infrastructure, our national security, technological research and development, and the future of this country in that respect to actually get a lot done on a bipartisan basis.\u201d<\/p>\n Kenyatta touted his record of working with Republicans in the General Assembly on issues like criminal justice reform and cybersecurity, and said he would work with Republicans who choose to leave \u201cFantasy Island.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m the first to welcome anybody to the dock of reality who wants to get serious about getting things done. I\u2019ve done it around criminal justice reform,\u201d he said, as well as \u201caround bipartisan legislation to strengthen our digital infrastructure and make sure Pennsylvania is less susceptible to the types of ransomware and cyber attacks that we\u2019ve seen.\u201d<\/p>\n Kenyatta also criticized Lamb for his voting record, particularly on bills that\u00a0former President Donald Trump supported<\/a>. Lamb responded by noting that his voting record aligned more with\u00a0House Speaker Nancy Pelosi<\/a>\u00a0than with Trump. \u201cIt\u2019s not true, that is not a true number,\u201d Lamb said, noting that Republicans have run attack ads citing the similarity between his record and Pelosi\u2019s.<\/p>\n To frack or not to frack<\/strong><\/p>\n Lamb, a western Pennsylvania native, said natural gas development is critical to creating jobs and reducing carbon emissions.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt gets a bad name because of some bad practices here in our state in the early years that were not caught up to its enforcement quickly enough,\u201d Lamb said. \u201cIt is very, very widely supported by people all over the state because of the opportunities that it brings. So I\u2019m a supporter of it,\u201d he added, qualifying that \u201cit has to be done responsibly \u2026 The single technology that has allowed us to reduce our carbon emissions in the United States the most is fracking because it has taken so much market share away from coal.\u201d<\/p>\n Kenyatta disagreed, noting that pipeline developers in the state have repeatedly faced lawsuits and sanctions for pollution and leaks. He also called for a halt on new drilling permits.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re going to get to a clean energy future, we have to stop approving new fracking permits,\u201d Kenyatta said.\u00a0 Attacking Fetterman<\/strong><\/p>\n Fetterman was absent from Sunday\u2019s debate, opting to make\u00a0multiple campaign stops<\/a>\u00a0in Franklin County instead \u2013 a fact that didn\u2019t stop his Democratic primary rivals from attacking him.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lamb didn\u2019t wait to address Fetterman\u2019s absence, using part of his opening statement to criticize Fetterman over an\u00a0incident Fetterman had with a Black jogger<\/a>\u00a0in 2013.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all make choices in life and John made a choice. He made a choice to point a shotgun at the chest of an unarmed Black man, and then say afterward that he would do it again,\u201d Lamb said. \u201cYou deserve a senator that you can trust to show up and not to act like a loose cannon.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Kenyatta also took shots at Fetterman throughout the night. \u201cIf John can\u2019t show up to talk to other Democrats … who the hell really believes that John is going to be able to show up and stand up and fight for our values in Washington?\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kenyatta, Lamb and Fetterman will all meet in a debate in Harrisburg on April 21 hosted by WHTM. The debate will be broadcasted on eight Nexstar TV affiliates across Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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