Brown and Warren chimed in on issues ranging from speculated closures and cuts at local military bases to the economy and job creation in Massachusetts. Watch video
SPRINGFIELD — During a substantive and spirited debate inside Springfield's historic Symphony Hall Wednesday evening, Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren sparred over a myriad of topics relevant to the voters of Western Massachusetts.
Brown and Warren chimed in on issues ranging from speculated closures and cuts at local military bases to the economy and job creation in the Bay State.
When asked to define the middle class, Brown said it "comes down to incomes."
"When I think of middle class I think of the people with one, two, sometimes three jobs," Brown said. "We know from past experience that professor Warren says she is out there fighting for you, but she is actually fighting for large corporations. It is about whose side you're on."
Warren said that in her view, the middle class is made up of the people "who work hard, who play by the rules."
"Let's face it, America's middle class is just being hammered," Warren said. "That's why I'm in this race ... What I believe is that everybody pays a fair share. That means the millionaires, that means the billionaires, the big oil companies. Then we invest in our future."
Brown told Warren to "put down the hammer," a quip at her popular catchphrase about the middle class "getting hammered," to which the crowd responded with jeers, which led Brown to smile and pause, before going on to charge that Warren's previous legal work is in contrast with her image as a consumer advocate.
The battle over past legal work has been in the spotlight over the past few weeks with Brown charging that Warren's work on behalf of Travelers Insurance was "to deny benefits to victims of asbestos poisoning."
Warren has shrugged off Brown's characterizations of her work and said that she was defending a legal principle involving protecting trusts so future victims could be compensated.
The two candidates sparred over military base closures and cuts, which could affect Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee and the Air and Army National Guard units at Barnes Regional Airport in Westfield.
When asked which federal programs she would make cuts to, Warren said that cutting the defense budget and subsidies to agriculture were on her radar. She said that reducing the size of the standing army and promoting the Air Force's C-5 Galaxy cargo plane as an example of what the military needs going forward as part of a reevaluation of the country's military needs.
Brown argued that she walked herself into a contradiction, saying that she "can't have it both ways."
"You can't protect military and cut defense," Brown said, going on to discuss his and the rest of the Massachusetts delegation's efforts to limit the impact of defense cuts on the Bay State. "The jobs at Westover and Barnes in this area are critical. We have a very strong defense industry in Massachusetts, but it is going to be a challenge."
Warren later explained that when she discussed making cuts to the defense budget, she was alluding to specific cuts that would alleviate the need for base closures and cutbacks.
Brown has also supported targeted defense spending cuts as outlined in his deficit-reduction plan as provided to the Boston Globe.
On the topic of jobs and the overall economy, the candidates reiterated their respective messages.
Warren charged that Brown did the state a disservice when voting against three Democratic jobs bills, and the junior senator defended his votes by saying that raising taxes to create jobs is the wrong way to go.
Brown, aware of his location, came out the gate thanking former Democratic mayor of Springfield Charlie Ryan for his endorsement, and talking up a job fair he held in Chicopee a few months ago.
He said the best way to boost the economy is to keep taxes low for those who create the jobs and to make sure legislators "spend wisely."
When probed about the rising cost of health care, Brown repeated his opposition to the president's Affordable Care Act and charged that Warren was supporting tax increases and Medicare cuts by supporting it.
Warren charged that Brown was making up claims that the health care plan would make cuts from Medicare, an accusation that drew applause and a loud boo.
"There's a lot the Affordable Care Act does and a big part of it is bringing down costs," Warren said. "This is going to be a big driver for the economy in Massachusetts."
A Congressional Budget Office report on the Affordable Care Act released in July did conclude that the legislation will cut $716 billion in Medicare spending, mostly due to lower reimbursement rates for doctors and health care organizations implemented over time.
When moderator Jim Madigan of WGBY-TV asked the candidates what they would do ensure higher education is affordable for future generations, Brown and Warren delivered answers peppered with jabs.
Brown cited Warren's $350,000 salary and a zero-interest loan Harvard University gave her as an employment inventive as reasons for college debt being so substantial in the U.S.
Warren said she is proud of how far she's come, and went on to tout federal investment in local colleges for job training.
"There are four great community colleges in this area. We need to be investing in those institutions," Warren said.
On the topic of the federal government's role in public education, Brown said that unfunded mandates "are what's killing places like Springfield and other communities across the commonwealth."
Warren said that while municipalities come up with the ideas of how to run their community schools, they need "a good federal partner."
"I believe every dollar we invest in Head Start and even pre-Head Start is something that pays off for years. It is our moral responsibility and just good economics," Warren said.
Warren lashed out on Brown when women's issues came up. While Brown said that both he and Warren are "pro-choice" when it comes to abortion rights, the differences between the two candidates are starker than the junior senator alluded to.
Brown supports abortion rights, with limitations: He opposes taxpayer funding of abortion, opposes partial-birth abortion, and supports strong laws regarding parental consent and notification. Brown has supported policies that expand women’s access to contraception, but he has also supported wide-ranging conscience clauses protecting those who object to providing contraception.
Warren, on the other hand, has said she disagrees with some of the restrictions on Brown's abortion stances, although she has offered varying degrees of candor when pressed for specifics.
Warren also hit Brown for his vote against the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have required employers to prove that any discrepancies between male and female pay are job-related and not based in discrimination.
Brown said that while he supports the sentiment behind the legislation, it was "just the wrong bill."
Warren also took aim at Brown for his co-sponsorship of the Blunt Amendment, which would have allowed any employer or insurer to deny coverage for any procedure or prescription based on their religious or moral convictions. Brown has said the bill was about religious liberty, but critics, including Warren, have called it wide-sweeping legislation that would have put medical decisions affecting women into the hands of their employers.
"I want to be blunt, we should not be fighting about equal pay and access to birth control in 2012," Warren said. "These battles were won years ago until the Republicans brought them back."
Brown also touted his support for re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which some Republicans are fighting against because it extends domestic violence protections to same-sex couples and Native Americans.
On the topic of Syria, both Brown and Warren said that President Bashar al-Assad has to go, while Brown suggested providing rebel forces with "weapons and support."
When it came to the question of how to deal with Iran, Warren repeated her support for President Barack Obama's handling of the situation, saying that "it's absolutely critical they do not get nuclear weapons. That's why I support the approach of President Obama. He takes nothing off the table, but comes in and works with other countries to apply pressure. "
Brown said that "there is no nuanced approach to Iran."
While recent polls show Warren leading by a heavy margin in this part of the state, Brown has not given up on chipping away at her support. Ahead of the debate, Brown released a TV ad specific to the Springfield market focusing on his part in the recovery efforts from the June 2011 tornadoes.
And on Thursday, Warren will be spending the morning at an event in Holyoke alongside U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and other Democrats, marking the anniversary of a Democratic jobs bill Brown voted against.
A Western New England University/MassLive.com poll concluded that while Warren is maintaining a lead in the western part of the state, Brown has gained some followers in the three weeks that passed since the previous poll. The poll concluded that while Warren has 58 percent support from Western Massachusetts residents, her number has dropped three points. Brown, on the other hand, now holds 41 percent support in this part of the state, an eight-point increase over the late September poll.
Both candidates will square off in one final Senate debate to be held in Boston on Oct. 30.
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