{"id":37872,"date":"2022-10-14T01:37:30","date_gmt":"2022-10-14T07:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/boebert-frisch-debate-inflation-environment-and-education-ahead-of-early-voting\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T02:40:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:40:51","slug":"boebert-frisch-debate-inflation-environment-and-education-ahead-of-early-voting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/boebert-frisch-debate-inflation-environment-and-education-ahead-of-early-voting\/","title":{"rendered":"Boebert, Frisch debate inflation, environment and education ahead of early voting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Lauren
Lauren Boebert and Adam Frisch<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and her Democratic challenger Adam Frisch answered questions about rising inflation, the environment and education policy Wednesday in their final debate before ballots arrive next week in residents\u2019 mailboxes.<\/p>\n

In his opening remarks, Frisch described himself as someone who \u201c(stands) up when (he) sees problems\u201d and said that he decided to run for Congress last year because he felt that Boebert was not prioritizing the needs of constituents.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not focused on the ranchers and farmers, it was not focused on our veterans in our district,\u201d Frisch said. \u201cShe seemed to be more focused on herself and traveling around the country. I see that her and her mentor Marjorie Taylor Greene are the leaders of this \u2018angertainment\u2019 industry that\u2019s been talked about, and I think people want the circus to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frisch said that, if elected, his first goal would be to join the House\u2019s bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in order to collaborate with representatives on both sides of the aisle to pass legislation that benefits Americans, especially those in Colorado\u2019s 3rd Congressional District.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 20 years, I\u2019ve been saying that if there was a \u2018Get Stuff Done Party,\u2019 I\u2019d be in that party,\u201d Frisch said. \u201cBut that party\u2019s not doing very well right now, and I think our country is suffering for it, and I think our district is suffering for it immensely.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Boebert\u2019s opening statement, she said the government is \u201cbroken\u201d and that she \u201cjust wants the government off our backs.\u201d She frequently criticized U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who she said is \u201crunning a con game in Washington, D.C.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used to trust our elected leaders on both sides of the aisle to look out for us, but they failed that,\u201d Boebert said.<\/p>\n

Emphasis on energy independence<\/div>\n

Questions posed at the forum largely centered around rising inflation, with both candidates emphasizing energy independence as an important step toward reducing costs of living in the district. Boebert said she does not want to \u201crely on our adversaries for energy development, rather than producing that good, clean energy right here at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frisch said that while he believes renewable energy is \u201cimportant in time,\u201d he wants to focus on achieving energy independence in the district through a combination of both renewable and nonrenewable sources.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe produce the cleanest coal, the cleanest energy, we do great work in solar and natural gas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Frisch said another priority for him is lowering the prices of prescription drugs such as insulin, calling Boebert out for voting against the Affordable Insulin Now Act<\/a>, which would have capped the price of monthly insulin supplies at $35.<\/p>\n

To address the lack of affordable housing in the district, Frisch said he would \u201clove to see a lot more money coming from D.C. straight into the county level and local control.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a liberal or conservative or moderate conversation \u2013 it isn\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cYou bring home the bucks to have the local elected and civic leaders make those investments in that community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boebert said she is in favor of expanding opportunity zones, which allow private investors to develop real estate in low-income census tracts in exchange for federal capital gains tax advantages. She mentioned Durango\u2019s designated opportunity zone<\/a>, in which 4,200 residents of the city live.<\/p>\n

Immigration reform and climate policy<\/div>\n

\"Adam
Adam Frisch speaks while debating U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Silt, on Sept. 10 during the Club 20 Western Colorado Candidate Debates at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. (William Woody for Colorado Newsline file)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

On the subject of immigration reform, Boebert expressed concerns about fentanyl \u201ccoming into our country\u201d via the southern border. She cited a bill<\/a> she introduced that would classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction as a part of her response to drug trafficking.<\/p>\n

Boebert described the Biden administration\u2019s current immigrant policy as consisting of \u201cwide-open borders,\u201d which she said she plans to hold Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas \u201caccountable\u201d for.<\/p>\n

Frisch agreed there is a \u201cdrastic\u201d problem at the southern border, but argued that increased security \u201ccan be done with humanity.\u201d He cited the bipartisan Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act<\/a> of 2013 as an example of what he views as \u201cvery thoughtful\u201d immigration legislation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to put more funding on the border to process those families and children and people that want to go through the legal process,\u201d he said. \u201cWe should be supporting the legal immigration process as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about climate change legislation, Frisch said he would like to help Colorado \u201ccontinue to work in a more responsible way toward renewable energy\u201d while still maintaining its reputation as \u201cthe cleanest producer of (natural) gas and oil and coal in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also emphasized the importance of ensuring that water falling in Colorado stays to support agriculture in the state.<\/p>\n

Boebert argued that the most important step in reducing carbon emissions is to prevent wildfires.<\/p>\n

\u201cI say we have to start with managing our forests if we want good clean air and water resiliency and to be good stewards,\u201d Boebert said.<\/p>\n

Different definitions of \u2018local control\u2019<\/div>\n

\"U.S.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Silt, takes the stage with her opponent Adam Frisch walking behind her on the evening of Sept. 10, during the Club 20 Western Colorado Candidate Debates at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. The candidates are running to represent Colorado\u2019s 3rd Congressional District. (William Woody for Colorado Newsline)<\/span>William Woody for Colorado Newsline<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The moderator presented candidates with the statistic that homicides, suicides and accidental deaths from firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and the second-leading cause of death for adults aged 25 to 35, surpassing motor vehicle deaths.<\/p>\n

In response to the question of how gun-related deaths can be mitigated without infringing on the Second Amendment right to bear arms, Boebert said the country \u201ccertainly (needs) responsible gun ownership, but that doesn\u2019t involve restricting the rights of Americans to own and bear a firearm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of these knee-jerk reactions don\u2019t do anything to solve the actual problem,\u201d she said of gun control legislation.<\/p>\n

Boebert also denounced the movement to defund the police and remove police officer qualified immunity, saying that such efforts are \u201cencouraging this crime to take place in our state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frisch said he is a \u201cbig proponent of the Second Amendment\u201d and supports more bipartisan collaboration on gun safety measures. His response focused more on suicide prevention, describing the mental health crisis in the state as an \u201cutter disaster\u201d in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

He said he would like to see the district\u2019s 28 counties receive better health department funding \u201cto make sure we can get to the root cause of what\u2019s happening\u201d in terms of mental health.<\/p>\n

When asked whether he supports the federal government\u2019s involvement in education, Frisch said the funding of public education is a big priority for him. He obtained his substitute teaching license at the beginning of the pandemic, and his wife, Katy, is the president of the Aspen School District\u2019s Board of Education.<\/p>\n

He said his goal is to obtain both more state and federal funding for schools in the district, especially those in underserved rural areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI so cherish to try to figure out how to get more money not just from Denver, but also from D.C.,\u201d Frisch said.<\/p>\n

Boebert criticized Frisch for his wife\u2019s role on the Aspen Board of Education, saying the district has taught \u201ccritical race theory and terrible comprehensive sex ed.\u201d She also called for the dissolution of the federal Department of Education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe money we invest in public education should follow our students, not the institution, allowing parents to make the best decision for their children,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She also spoke out against the Biden administration\u2019s Student Debt Relief Plan<\/a>, calling it \u201cgrossly unfair to those who paid off their student loans or never got loans.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the issue of health care, Boebert described the current system as a \u201cmess\u201d and called for \u201cmore competition, closer doctor-patient relationships and more portability with our health care insurance,\u201d emphasizing the importance of support health care workers and veterans.<\/p>\n

Both candidates agreed that expanding rural health care access must be a priority, with Frisch arguing that Colorado \u201c(needs) to make sure that private practice practitioners are staying in the valley and on the reservations.\u201d He said there are no circumstances under which he supports a nationalized approach to medicine.<\/p>\n

He also called Boebert out for voting against the PACT Act<\/a>, which would expand VA benefits for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their service.<\/p>\n

In her closing remarks, Boebert cited endorsements from the Colorado Springs Gazette<\/em> and the Washington Examiner<\/em> as evidence that she will \u201cfight for our district.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is just such an honor to be with you all, to be your representative and to take this fight all the way to Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Frisch closed by highlighting the bipartisanship of his endorsers, naming the National Council of Coal Miners, the Ford Party and Marina Zimmerman, a Republican who challenged Boebert in the primary election.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t report to Joe Biden, I don\u2019t report to Nancy Pelosi and I won\u2019t be reporting to anyone in D.C. because my focus is on the families and the businesses of our district,\u201d Frisch said.<\/p>\n

The virtual forum, hosted by the Colorado League of Women Voters, was moderated by energy economist and Durango resident Lori Smith Schell, who previously served as an unaffiliated commissioner on the Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission.<\/p>\n

Residents of the 3rd Congressional District submitted questions in advance of the event, and Schell said those posed to the candidates were selected to \u201crepresent the diversity of the citizen\u2019s concerns and perspectives.\u201d Each candidate was given two minutes to respond to each question, as well as three minutes at the beginning and the end of the forum for opening and closing statements.<\/p>\n

Kate Corliss is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at kcorliss@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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