<\/p>\n
PUEBLO \u2013 Third Congressional District Rep. Scott Tipton and his challenger, Gail Schwartz, argued about public lands, renewable energy and others issues before a sparse crowd at Hoag Hall on the Colorado State University-Pueblo campus Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Tipton, a three-term Republican, defended his record over six years when Schwartz accused him of doing nothing and \u201cquietly\u201d leaving two key congressional committees to serve on the Financial Services Committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou left natural resources and agriculture, committees critical to the 3rd District,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In turn, he accused Democrat Schwartz of causing the loss of 1,100 mining jobs in the 3rd Congressional District in 2010 when, as a state senator, she helped pass a renewable energy bill.<\/p>\n
Schwartz said the bill, SB252, has actually spurred $3.6 billion in economic activity and renewable energy will save consumers $400 million in the next 25 years.<\/p>\n
Tipton continued to hammer at that law.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnion members have to take a look at her record,\u201d he said. \u201cThe University of Colorado and The Denver Post agreed she has killed 1,100 plus coal jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat bill did not have bipartisan support, not in committee, not in the House,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you are a union member, remember what she told those coal miners that she would stand up for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also said that Schwartz did not support the construction of the Keystone Pipeline, which would have helped union members in Pueblo.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo fifty-two didn\u2019t choke any jobs,\u201d Schwartz said, returning to the coal argument. \u201cThe natural gas industry and the free market is what created the impasse in our coal industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Chieftain Managing Editor Steve Henson acting as moderator, the two sparred back and forth over those policies and what Tipton called a lie with Schwartz\u2019s contention that Tipton is systematically selling off public lands so energy companies can explore them.<\/p>\n
Schwartz repeated her contention that Tipton\u2019s bills are a pattern of forcing the lands into state hands, and when states can\u2019t afford the land, they will sell it to fossil fuel energy interests, a large contributor to Tipton, she said.<\/p>\n
Schwartz said Tipton is part of a do-nothing Congress and promised \u201cin 2010, 2012 and 2014,\u201d to represent the 3rd District. \u201cI know I don\u2019t feel represented.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tipton reminded the audience, made up mostly of Schwartz supporters, that there are two houses of Congress and that the House of Representatives passed 691 bills, 11 of which he sponsored and four that became law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey all had bipartisan support,\u201d he said of his bills.<\/p>\n
Schwartz said Tipton has done nothing to enhance conditions for workers in the district, \u201cwho constantly say they never see Scott Tipton in the district.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s support American steel and stand up for fair trade deals, unlike the Trans-Pacific Partnership, that benefit Americans,\u201d she said. \u201cLet\u2019s invest in roads and expand broadband.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schwartz said Tipton voted to close down the government and voted repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.<\/p>\n
Tipton said that the act was not affordable, and that some people were paying premiums that virtually amounted to another mortgage, \u201cnot to mention deductibles and co-pays.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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