By Stephanie Witt Sedgwick:
On Friday morning, the candidates for Congressional District 10’s House seat met in Leesburg, Va. for a debate hosted by the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce. The debate, part of the Policy Makers Series, drew a sell-out crowd of close to 550, a high mark for the Policy Makers Series.
State Sen. Jennifer Wexton and U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock faced off on questions that were all business-related over the course of the morning. The topics ranged from national issues, the Affordable Health Care Act and immigration to more local issues, such as Metro funding and the welfare of Dulles Airport.
The candidates opening statements set the tone for the debate. Comstock talked about her record in delivering tax cuts, reducing regulation and delivering for the district, saying she has focused on “results, not resistance.”
Wexton spoke of the challenging times we are living in, her point of view, the need for bipartisanship and the perils of a president who Congress has failed to check.
Among the many topics on which the candidates had clear differences was the tax bill. When asked what they felt were the benefits, short-comings and how it could improve, Wexton pointed out that four-fifths of the tax cuts went to the top 1%. She called for tax reform that is fair and benefits the working class, not this package which, she argued, is mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren. As for District 10, she cited the cap on state and local deductions as an example of a part of the bill that has directly negatively impacted the district’s taxpayers.
From The Blue View