STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Dan Donovan and his Democratic challenger Max Rose debated President Donald Trump's performance in office, the Island's opioid epidemic and health care during the televised debate Tuesday at the College of Staten Island's Williamson Theater.
Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn), a three-year incumbent and Staten Island's former district attorney, has sought to tie Rose to national Democrats who've endorsed him and some of the more liberal campaign issues that have emerged in the mid-terms.
Democrats hoping to flip the seat added Rose to the national "Red-to-Blue" program, which provides resources and strategic support for candidates, but the Cook Political Report still marks the race as "likely Republican."
(Staten Island Advance/ Bill Lyons)
On President Donald Trump's performance in office
Donovan rattled off a list of accomplishments by President Trump when asked about his performance in office, including discussions with North Korea to denuclearize, getting hostages back from North Korea, receiving the remains of U.S. soldiers who died in the Korean War from North Korea, and getting the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal.
"The president has done an amazing job," said Donovan.
Donovan also said that the economy's high performance during Trump's presidency was reason enough for approval.
"Ask these people to look at their 401(k) plans," said Donovan. "Unemployment is down to record lows and people couldn't even imagine this two years ago."
Rose didn't directly answer the question but criticized Trump's tax plan and said that the country should be focusing on issues such as infrastructure and creating more "21st century" jobs.
"We need unprecedented investments in human capital and infrastructure," said Rose, later adding, "We don't have trained people in health care, in tech, and yes, even in construction trades."
Both candidates agreed that President Trump shouldn't be impeached, but Donovan argued that the special counsel, Robert Mueller, should end his investigation while Rose argued that he should complete it on his own timeline.
(Photo/Associated Press)
On Staten Island's opioid epidemic
Donovan answered questions about disbanding the narcotics unit while he was Staten Island's district attorney, after which overdoses spiked on Staten Island.
The GOP incumbent rejected that the crisis was his fault and spoke about his innovation of equipping NYPD officers with the overdose recovery drug naloxone, a tactic which has since become a national model to combatting opioid related overdoses.
"No one has done more to fight opioids on Staten Island then I did," said Donovan.
Donovan also argued that the narcotics unit was only made up of three prosecutors and was an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
"When I came in I had 50 lawyers doing narcotics cases. That's how many we had," Donovan said. "Disbanding the narcotics bureau sounds like a terrible thing. But what we did was that we were overloaded with so many cases that I had to have more attorneys working on it."
Rose, who previously worked as chief of staff at a nonprofit health care clinic network, attacked Donovan for getting a bill passed that requires U.S. Post Offices to put up a picture of the president of the United States instead of passing a stand-alone bill addressing the opioid crisis.
"We need unprecedented investments in treatment, and prevention, and, yes indeed, law enforcement as well," said Rose. "Because far too many people are dying from fentanyl-laced heroin and he's had no solutions to help this community and he still has no ideas."
(Photo/The Plain Dealer)
On President Donald Trump's tax cuts
Rose said that President Trump's signature tax cuts were only "a win" for the wealthy and large corporations.
"We needed to lower the corporate tax bill for our small businesses," said Rose. "But we needed to eliminate these egregious loopholes that allow many multinational corporations to pay an effective tax rate of zero percent some years. The inequality has been skyrocketing for a generation all while real wages have been stagnating. "
Donovan reaffirmed his vote against the GOP tax bill last December. The GOP incumbent was one of only 12 House Republicans who voted against the bill, saying that it hurt high-tax states like New York and citing the capping of the state and local tax deduction (SALT) to $10,000. The average deduction in New York is north of $20,000.
"I voted no against the bill," said Donovan, adding that the SALT provision will sunset in seven years.
Cory Morse | MLive.com
On separating families at the border
Donovan said that the Trump administration's hands were tied.
"We shouldn't be in the business of separating children from their parents," said Donovan. "The Trump administration was following the law."
After defending the administration's efforts to find guardians in the U.S. for children separated at the border, Donovan added, "What's the option? To let every lawbreaker out of prison."
Rose said he wholeheartedly disagreed with the policy.
"We should be a nation of security and one that enforces our laws, but also one that affirms our values," said Rose. "And our values are not in line with ripping scared children away from their people."
(Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons)
On transportation issues
Donovan said that he would focus on securing funding for a new light rail and bus rapid transit on Staten Island.
"Certainly the bus rapid transit on the North Shore of Staten Island and the light rail from the South Shore of Staten Island to connect to the bus rapid transit is very important," said Donovan
Rose said that he would advocate for a South Shore fast ferry, more express bus options, and investments to improve the R train in Bay Ridge, before attacking Donovan for not doing more on the issue.
"Dan Donovan has stood on the sidelines," said Rose.
On to the general election
Rose and Donovan have both released a torrent of ads attacking each other in recent weeks.
Rose reported raising over $1.6 Million in the federal filing period ending on Sept. 30 and filed with $1.4 million cash-on-hand heading into the final month of his campaign, which dwarfs Donovan's $342,000 raised and $277,000 cash-on-hand.
The general election is on Nov. 6
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