U.S. Senate candidates debate Bernie Sanders’ record and Gerald Malloy’s ties to Trump

A debate Wednesday night made it clear that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and his opponent in Vermont’s U.S. Senate race, Republican Gerald Malloy, are deadlocked on key policy issues – from abortion to affordability to health care to Climate – pursue opposing approaches to change.

During the event, hosted by VTDigger and Vermont Public, Sanders sought Malloy’s support of former President Donald Trump and tried to bring the two Republicans together. Malloy, a U.S. Army veteran and government official, repeatedly criticized Sanders for what he called 34 years of inaction and empty rhetoric in Congress.

Those arguments were clearly on display at Vermont Public’s Winooski television studio as debate moderators gave the candidates time to ask each other questions.

Citing the attacks on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, Trump’s denial of climate change, his opposition to abortion rights and frequent false claims, Sanders asked Malloy why he supported the former president.

Malloy pointed to inflation, high gas prices, US involvement in Ukraine and Israel, a “wide-open southern border” and the opioid crisis – and blamed the “progressive left” and Sanders himself for these problems.

“You’ve been a member of Congress for 34 years,” Malloy said. “You saw that. People die. It is time for action, not inaction.”

Sanders pressed again, telling Malloy he hadn’t answered the question.

“The question is, is there someone who lies all the time,” Sanders said.

“In your opinion,” Malloy interjected, prompting a wide-eyed Sanders to respond, “not in my opinion.”

Malloy chided Sanders for using the type of rhetoric that he said led to two assassination attempts against Trump and said Sanders should not call the former president a “pathological liar.”

“Do you know why?” Sanders answered, his voice getting louder. “Because he’s a pathological liar!”

“How about someone who has been making the same promises for 40 years and never keeping them?” Malloy countered, his voice also getting louder. “This is a pathological liar.”

As the candidates continued to talk, co-host Mikaela Lefrak of Vermont Public chimed in and told Sanders and Malloy, “We’re trying to have a debate here, not a competition.”

Malloy’s own question to Sanders sparked another lively back-and-forth.

“You are 83 years old and seeking another six-year term,” Malloy said. “You have been in Congress for 34 years and have introduced an important bill next to the post offices.”

The senator has “talked about health care, housing and education for more than 40 years, and you haven’t enacted any laws to improve those areas,” the Republican candidate said, asking: “You’re suddenly going to start passing laws. “ “Achieving results, not just talking” to achieve long-held goals?

Sanders grinned at the end of the question.

“Let’s not be ageist, Mr. Malloy,” he said. “It’s true, I’m 83. I don’t know how old you are, but -“

“I’m 62,” Malloy said.

“Okay,” Sanders said, raising his hand. “You are a very young man. But I’m just fine.”

Sanders defended his record and effectiveness by pointing to the role he played as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee in passing the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of Covid-19. The law, he argued, supports hospitals, colleges and individuals — and helps prevent evictions and reduce child poverty rates.

Sanders said he has also worked to reduce the cost of prescription drugs such as insulin and asthma inhalers and plans to expand community health centers and work to reduce student debt in the next Congress.

Another tense moment came when Lefrak asked the candidates whether Congress should “take action to expand or restrict federal abortion access.”

Malloy said Congress should not take such action and argued that abortion laws should be set by the states. He said he agreed with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, but would not support a nationwide abortion ban.

Lefrak noted that Malloy had previously expressed a different view. While running for Senate in 2022, Malloy was asked by an NBC5 reporter whether he would “vote to ban abortions in all cases,” even if the pregnant person’s health was at risk. At the time, Malloy responded, “I would, I would.” I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”

“Right now, as I run for U.S. Senate, I will not support any comprehensive legislation, whether for or against, in the U.S. Senate,” Malloy said Wednesday. “It’s a state issue.”

When Lefrak asked Sanders the question, he said he and Malloy had “significant disagreements on this issue” and called the Supreme Court’s decision “an absolute disaster.”

“It has taken away women’s constitutional right to control their own bodies, and it is unacceptable to say that while women in Vermont have the right to control their own bodies, they don’t in Mississippi or Alabama,” Sanders said.

“Women have fought to achieve first-class citizenship since the founding of this country, and I know nothing more basic and fundamental about being a first-class citizen, an equal citizen, than having the right to control your own body. “”

Sanders said he would do “everything I can” to restore abortion rights.

Broadly speaking, Sanders and Malloy agreed on some of the biggest challenges facing the country and the state, including affordability and health care, but they clearly disagreed on how to address them.

In response to a question about the high cost of living, Malloy said Democrats have contributed to inflation by overspending.

Sanders noted that inflation rates were falling and attributed the problem to “the disruption of supply chains, but also the incredible level of corporate greed that we’re seeing right now.”

“Mr. Malloy mentioned the high prices we pay at the grocery store,” Sanders said. “He’s right. Look at the level of corporate profits in the food industry and the incredibly high prices they charge the American people.”

Asked about health care, Sanders, who currently chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said he would “take on the very powerful pharmaceutical industry and drive down the cost of prescription drugs.” Americans pay more for health care than any other major country, he said, noting that he has long argued that health care is a human right for all people.

Malloy said Sanders has been an “outstanding” supporter of health care, citing Vermont’s failed attempt to adopt a unified health care system in 2014. He said the best way to tackle high health care costs is to improve transparency and introduce laws that address competition, monopolies and collusion.

When Sanders asked Malloy whether he thought the United States should “provide health care to all people as a human right,” Malloy said he was not in favor of the tax increases that would drive such a system, but was in favor of the health care system , Congress could “enact laws to improve it.”