What Democratic Presidential Candidates Said at Iowa Presidential Forum
Leah Jessen /
ALTOONA, Iowa—While many 2016 presidential candidates are in Ohio tonight for the first Republican national debate, Democratic presidential candidates gathered in Iowa this afternoon at a presidential forum to show their support for workers and labor unions.
Candidates were given three minutes to make opening remarks, answered a series of questions posed by a panel and were given 10 minutes to make their closing statements.
Candidates present were former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb.
The event, held at the Prairie Meadows Events and Convention Center, was hosted by the Iowa Federation of Labor, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, located in Washington, D.C., addressed the crowd through a video conference.
For the candidates who appeared in person, below are brief points that were highlighted in the order they spoke in.
Lincoln Chafee
.@LincolnChafee is starting off the Presidential Forum in Altoona today #iacaucus pic.twitter.com/H0gkEUnZyV
— Leah Jessen (@_LeahKay_) August 6, 2015
“I’m a big advocate of education,” Chafee said.
Chafee supports federal programs such as Head Start for early childhood education and the federal Pell grant at the higher education level.
“These are federal programs that are proven to work,” he stated.
He would like to see resources put into these programs and addressing the “crushing” student debt issue.
He would like low-interest loans available for higher education.
Chafee also supports young Americans taking an alternate path to education, such as joining the Peace Corps.
Martin O’Malley
“As Americans, our role in the world is to lead by example,” O’Malley said.
.@MartinOMalley at Iowa @AFLCIO presidential forum : “our economy isn’t money, it’s people” pic.twitter.com/OkEz7G9fSE
— Leah Jessen (@_LeahKay_) August 6, 2015
O’Malley, who opposes the Obama administration’s proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, spoke on criteria that would meet his standards for trade agreements with other nations.
“Our trade deals should not be designed to create a breached shoot to send American jobs abroad in the name of corporate, multi-national profits,” he said.
O’Malley would like the economy to be built up at home and have workers earn more money by reforming minimum wages.
“I’m for trade deals so long as they actually embrace standards for workers and the environment. … I’m particularly opposed to secret negotiated trade deals that we’re not allowed to read before our Congress is forced to vote on them.”
Jim Webb
“[Immigration] is what America has always been about,” Webb said.
To “fix this problem” of the immigration system in the United States, Webb said, “First we have to stabilize it.”
Webb would like to see a path to citizenship for people who have come to the country illegally, “put their roots in the community,” and have met certain standards.
.@JimWebbUSA gives opening statement at presidential forum in Iowa, he wants “practical solutions to complex issues” pic.twitter.com/GudE2uD4Io
— Leah Jessen (@_LeahKay_) August 6, 2015
He would have the immigrants meet things such as a series of tests and fluency in the English language.
“We need to recognize that open borders are not valuable to the health of this country. We have to be able to define our population.”
He wants to stabilize the illegal immigration situation and define the borders for the future.
He stated that he wants to take care of the immigrants currently living in the United States and “help them become productive Americans.”
.@BernieSanders is in Washington right now, so he’s at the Presidential Forum on screen #iacaucus pic.twitter.com/2p1HQxMEAj
— Leah Jessen (@_LeahKay_) August 6, 2015