Senate Candidate Coats Speaks In Warsaw
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Senate Candidate Coats Speaks In Warsaw
By Jennifer [email protected]
Coats (R-Fort Wayne) spoke to approximately 135 people during a meeting hosted by Kosciusko Silent No More at New Life Christian Church & World Outreach, Warsaw.
Coats faces opponents Brad Ellsworth (D-Evansville) and Rebecca Sink-Burris (L-Bloomington) in the Nov. 2 election.
Coats previously served as Indiana's senator from 1989-1999.
He spent an hour fielding 18 questions from attendees on topics ranging from Social Security, education, term limits, lobbying and immigration.
Coats was asked his views on the privatization of Social Security.
He said he thinks Social Security needs to be returned to its original intent as a supplement to people's retirement. He also said the money they have paid over their lifetime needs to be returned to them in the form of Social Security payments.
Coats also was asked his thoughts on getting the federal government out of local education without punishing teachers.
"Education should be controlled by the state, not the federal government, and decisions should not be decided on by the National Education Association, but by the school board under the direction of the state, not the federal government," Coats said.
He was asked why the current administration has a problem with Arizona's stand against border protection and illegal immigration.
"I think Washington has a problem with Arizona's law because, for political reasons, they want to cater to illegal immigrants and provide them with amnesty because illegal immigrants will be obligated to support the party that provides amnesty to them," Coats said.
He said he does not blame Arizona for doing what they are doing, and said the law is reasonable.
He was asked what the first thing is he will do if he is elected.
"I am going to go down to the senate floor and discuss how to get our country back on the right track, fiscally, from a military standpoint and a foreign policy standpoint," Coats said.
He said he is not going to Washington to go along to get along or to build a career, but to stand up for what the people of Indiana want out of a senator.
Coats was asked if he will support cap and trade. He said he will not support the policy.
"We are a fossil-fuel fired state with low utility rates and attract businesses, and cap and trade is nothing more than a tax against those states that have low utility rates shifting it away from states that have high utility rates because of decisions they have made," Coats said.
Coats also addressed the topics of term limits.
"I pledged term limits when I was first elected and honored that pledge, and that's why I left the senate because I had served two terms," Coats said.
He said he has been out of politics for 12 years and came back because he felt a sense of responsibility and purpose, and wants to get the country back on the right track.
Coats was asked if he ever lobbied for any groups that he disagreed with on their mission.
"Most of what I have done has been horribly mischaracterized and misrepresented," Coats said.
He said most of his work was consulting and strategizing to talk to company representatives that had grievances with the federal government. He said he advised them on how they should deal with the issues.
"I have disclosed everything I have done, but unfortunately my opponent and his advisors have distorted things," Coats said.
"Clearly my opponent doesn't want to talk about his four years in Congress when 90 percent of the time he supported the Obama-Pelosi agenda and wants to take down the other guy rather than talk about the issues."
Coats talked about the sanctity of life.
"I believe life is given by God and is a sacred gift that needs to be cherished and life begins at conception," Coats said.
He said the political and health system doesn't have the right to make decisions about someone else's life.
"It should be God's decision to how life is prolonged or the duration of life," Coats said.
[[In-content Ad]]
Coats (R-Fort Wayne) spoke to approximately 135 people during a meeting hosted by Kosciusko Silent No More at New Life Christian Church & World Outreach, Warsaw.
Coats faces opponents Brad Ellsworth (D-Evansville) and Rebecca Sink-Burris (L-Bloomington) in the Nov. 2 election.
Coats previously served as Indiana's senator from 1989-1999.
He spent an hour fielding 18 questions from attendees on topics ranging from Social Security, education, term limits, lobbying and immigration.
Coats was asked his views on the privatization of Social Security.
He said he thinks Social Security needs to be returned to its original intent as a supplement to people's retirement. He also said the money they have paid over their lifetime needs to be returned to them in the form of Social Security payments.
Coats also was asked his thoughts on getting the federal government out of local education without punishing teachers.
"Education should be controlled by the state, not the federal government, and decisions should not be decided on by the National Education Association, but by the school board under the direction of the state, not the federal government," Coats said.
He was asked why the current administration has a problem with Arizona's stand against border protection and illegal immigration.
"I think Washington has a problem with Arizona's law because, for political reasons, they want to cater to illegal immigrants and provide them with amnesty because illegal immigrants will be obligated to support the party that provides amnesty to them," Coats said.
He said he does not blame Arizona for doing what they are doing, and said the law is reasonable.
He was asked what the first thing is he will do if he is elected.
"I am going to go down to the senate floor and discuss how to get our country back on the right track, fiscally, from a military standpoint and a foreign policy standpoint," Coats said.
He said he is not going to Washington to go along to get along or to build a career, but to stand up for what the people of Indiana want out of a senator.
Coats was asked if he will support cap and trade. He said he will not support the policy.
"We are a fossil-fuel fired state with low utility rates and attract businesses, and cap and trade is nothing more than a tax against those states that have low utility rates shifting it away from states that have high utility rates because of decisions they have made," Coats said.
Coats also addressed the topics of term limits.
"I pledged term limits when I was first elected and honored that pledge, and that's why I left the senate because I had served two terms," Coats said.
He said he has been out of politics for 12 years and came back because he felt a sense of responsibility and purpose, and wants to get the country back on the right track.
Coats was asked if he ever lobbied for any groups that he disagreed with on their mission.
"Most of what I have done has been horribly mischaracterized and misrepresented," Coats said.
He said most of his work was consulting and strategizing to talk to company representatives that had grievances with the federal government. He said he advised them on how they should deal with the issues.
"I have disclosed everything I have done, but unfortunately my opponent and his advisors have distorted things," Coats said.
"Clearly my opponent doesn't want to talk about his four years in Congress when 90 percent of the time he supported the Obama-Pelosi agenda and wants to take down the other guy rather than talk about the issues."
Coats talked about the sanctity of life.
"I believe life is given by God and is a sacred gift that needs to be cherished and life begins at conception," Coats said.
He said the political and health system doesn't have the right to make decisions about someone else's life.
"It should be God's decision to how life is prolonged or the duration of life," Coats said.
[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092