March 28, 2024

U.S. Sen. Gillibrand campaigns in Creston

During a campaign stop April 18, presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), stopped in to Adams Street Espresso to field questions from local voters.

As she stood at the back of the full coffeehouse, Gillibrand told attendees about her upbringing in upstate New York, which she said is similar to small towns in Iowa with its agriculture and manufacturing industries.

Gillibrand said when she first ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, the odds were stacked against her.

“In my first campaign for congress, I ran in a district that no one thought I could win because it was 2-to-1 Republican,” she said.

She said a pollster told her there were more cows than Democrats in her district and that she couldn’t win. However, Gillibrand went forward with her campaign. She said her earliest messages focused on taking troops out of Iraq and why health care should be a right and not a privilege.

Gillibrand’s said individuals should be able to buy in to Medicare “at a price they can afford” and suggested that amount be 4 or 5% an individual’s income.

“It makes sense. Medicare is good. We all like it. It’s quality. It’s affordable. And at 4 or 5% of what you’re making, it doesn’t matter – it’s affordable.”

Gillibrand was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 to represent New York’s 20th congressional district, and reelected in 2008.

After then-Senator Hillary Clinton’s appointment as Secretary of State in 2009, Gillibrand was appointed by then-Governor of New York, David Paterson, to fill the senate seat left vacant by Clinton. Gillibrand then won a special election in 2010 to stay in the position and was reelected to two full senate terms in 2012 and 2018.

Gillibrand touted that she had the highest vote total in the history of the state – 72%.

“The reason my vote totals are so high is because I bring together the red areas, purple areas and blue areas all the time. I listen, I absorb what the concerns are of the communities I serve and I get things done,” she said.

In the Senate

Gillibrand said, in her first term as senator, she passed two major bills.

“I repealed ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ – one of the most corrosive, discriminatory laws that told men and women that would die for this country that their service was not needed based on who they love,” said Gillibrand.

Gillibrand then discussed passing a 9/11 health bill for emergency first responders.

“Men and women ... raced up those towers when everyone was coming down,” said Gillibrand. “They stayed on that pile for weeks and months, all the while breathing in toxins ... now dying of horrible cancers.”

Other bills she has passed include funding for rural broadband, funding for entrepreneurial farmers looking to start ag-related businesses and money for small businesses who want to sell their businesses to their employees.

“I passed all those bills this past year even though it was a Republican house, senate and president. So I get things done.”

On Trump

When speaking about Trump, Gillibrand said she feels Trump has created a “real division” within the country.

“I think he’s divided us on every line you can imagine – every racial line, every religious line, every socio-economic line,” said Gillibrand. “What angers me the most is he demeans the vulnerable.”

Bravery

Gillibrand talked about how change requires bravery.

“When we fought for suffrage, women were brave. When we fought for civil rights, people marched and put their lives on the line for basic rights for their neighbor. When we fought for LGBTQ equality, making sure everybody could marry the person they love, that took bravery. And those acts of bravery are acts that inspire me every day – when Americans stood up to do what’s right even when it was hard,” she said.

During her House tenure, Gillibrand was a noted as a “Blue Dog Democrat” – a democrat with a conservative voting record – and voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which is better known as the “bank bailout.”

“I stood up to the banks even though I was a member of congress from New York. I voted against that bank bail out twice because tax payers were going to be left holding the bag,” said Gillibrand.

Gillibrand told attendees she’d “go through fire” for what she believes is right.

“That’s what I believe in. And I think this country deserves a president who is brave ... worthy of our greatest sacrifices,” she said.

Public forum

Four attendees spoke during an open forum.

Matt Brummett of Creston asked if it was possible to impeach U.S. Attorney General William Barr for what he feels are impeachable offenses.

“What I know about impeachment is that you can impeach a president, I didn’t know you can impeach an attorney general, but you do it because of high crimes and misdemeanors, or because they lost the faith of the people,” Gillibrand said.

Gillibrand told Brummett his question was interesting.

“He (Barr) did a couple of things that were disturbing to me, but I don’t know if they rise to impeachable offenses,” said Gillibrand.

Gillibrand said the four-page letter Barr published summarizing the Mueller report put his views between the special council and the American public. She also criticized the number of redactions in the actual report and said Barr behaves as if he is the president’s personal attorney.

Marcia Fulton of Creston asked what the federal government can do to help rebuild small towns.

“I’m sorry to hear that you see your town’s dying. It sounds like a lot of upstate New York towns, too. I know that people are worried that young people move away and don’t come back.,” said Gillibrand. “I know you have a really, really low unemployment rate, but I also have heard your underemployment is really high. So unfortunately, despite having a job, the job might not have enough hours or pay enough for you to actually make ends meet.”

Gillibrand proposed ways to attract young people to stay or return to their hometowns.

To reduce the underemployment rates, Gillibrand said communities need to survey what jobs are available and work with community colleges and schools to create programs to train the workforce necessary for the area. She mentioned she would be touring Southwestern Community College later that day.

Additionally, Gillibrand, who has served on the ag committee for 12 years, said one of the best parts of the USDA budget is the funding for grants and loans available to individuals interested in expanding their small or rural businesses.

Jean Weisshaar of Creston said Trump’s trade war is “crushing” area farmers and has depressed prices. She then asked Gillibrand her plan to address trade relations with other countries, particularly China, and her thoughts on TPP and NAFTA.

“Trade wars are the worst. It’s the worst outcome you can imagine. Because I know Iowa has a lot of exports – ethanol, corn, soy, pork – and your No. 1 purchaser of those four things, China. So if you have a trade war with China, what that means is, you can’t make any money,” said Gillibrand.

Gillibrand said the U.S. needs to have fair trade agreements in place and fairness needs to happen on both sides.

Rose Hiatt of Creston asked if Gillibrand thinks Puerto Rico should become a state.

“I’ve been down there a bit to help serve those constituents that don’t have senators and don’t have same rights as states do, but those are American citizens and they’re suffering,” said Gillibrand. “You have to let it up to the Puerto Rican people to decide if they want to be a state. I certainly would like for them to have a larger voice in congress, so having two senators would be amazing.”