Major funding for election 2026 Arkansas TV debates is provided by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.

From the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in the studios of Arkansas TV, it's election 2026, Arkansas TV debates and you in five, four, three, two one.

And hello again, everyone, and welcome once again to Debate Week here on Arkansas TV.

And at this hour, the candidates for Congress in Arkansas's second district.

Those candidates are in alphabetical order.

French Hill, the Republican Party nominee and the incumbent.

And Chris Jones, the Democratic candidate, questioning the nominees this hour.

Steve Brawner and independent journalist Hunter Field of Arkansas business.

And Ryan Houston of KTV, little Rock.

And now the rules.

As always, each nominee will have one minute to respond to questions.

The candidates will have 30s for rebuttal if they choose.

And at the conclusion of questioning, each candidate will have one minute for a closing statement.

As always, the order of candidate appearances, podium placement, everything determined prior to the debate by the toss of a coin.

And that ceremony observed by the candidates themselves or their representatives.

And now our first question, Mister Bronner, has, the first question.

And it goes first to Chris Jones.

Mr.

Jones, this is a combined foreign policy question.

First, do you support the Iran war and what policies would you support that would prevent Iran from being a threat to its neighbors and to the United States?

And second, do you support President Trump's deal to buy diesel fuel from Russia and to call for President Zelensky's replacement?

Well, thank you, Steve, for having us here.

Thank you.

To Arkansas TV.

Thank you, Mr.

Hill, for being here as well.

Look, my, I am I am thankful for that question.

The answer is no and no.

It is.

We are spending money on, Russian oil, and that is causing our own gas prices to go up.

That's money that can be going on the ground.

I've traveled, this district.

And I'll tell you when when I talk to people across the district, they're hurting because their health care is cut.

They're hurting because gas prices are high.

They're hurting because, food is high.

And spending money on Russian oil, is not it?

And look, we, What was the first part of your question?

Iran.

Iran?

Absolutely.

This is a war of choice.

That we did not have to be in.

And Congressman Hill has voted to allow us to remain in that war on multiple occasions, and I certainly do not support that.

We need a clear set of goals, a clear mission and a pathway out of it, because that that war is causing pain at the pump and pain in the grocery store right here in this district.

Mr.

Hill, one minute.

Well, thank you for the question.

Thanks also to, Arkansas TV for today.

And I appreciate, Chris Jones joining as well.

Look, for 50 years, Iran has been one of the strategic enemies of the United States, Israel, the Gulf countries, Europe.

And for 50 years, they have been at their goal of destroying Israel.

And I don't believe that we should let Iran have a nuclear weapon.

So I do support the effort the United States to, once and for all, eliminate a nuclear weapon in Iran with our allies, Israel, the Gulf countries, the support, in Europe.

I think it's been way too long and there's been too much, damage by Iran to our allies for that not to be the case.

I don't support buying, Russian diesel.

I think that's not the right way to go.

I think a much better approach would be to simply waive the federal gas tax on diesel fuel as a supply side effort to try to help our families during this tough time.

Back to Mr.

Jones for 30s.

You all know that we had an agreement that prevented Iran from having a nuclear weapon, the JCPoA and this administration, with its reckless decisions toward that agreement up.

And as a result, farmers right here in Arkansas, it's costing them $343 million more.

And that that is leading to bankruptcy.

That's leading to farmers committing suicide.

This is not the place to be, Mr.

Hill.

Well, of course that's not right.

That's factually inaccurate.

The JCPoA.

Mr.

Obama's attempt at getting a, nuclear elimination, elimination of a weapon in Iran was withdrawn and was opposed by both Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate back in 2015.

It was a bipartisan decision to say that was a bad deal.

It did not block a nuclear weapon, did not block plastic missiles.

So I don't agree with that.

And in your own, graduate school paper, you wrote that Iran was a dangerous, risk to nuclear proliferation.

Could get into there.

Mr.

field, you have the next question that goes first to Mr.

Hill.

You know, thank you both for being here.

Arkansans or or feeling it in the pocket book on rising costs, everything from groceries to utilities, health care insurance.

Yesterday and today, we've gotten hot inflation reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, retail and wholesale.

Is there anything Congress can realistically do to bring down inflation, the federal government?

And what's it going to take to lower the cost of household necessities?

Well, thanks, Hunter.

Good to be with you.

Inflation is the biggest issue facing our families, in my view.

It's what I hear about everywhere I travel in the eight counties, in Arkansas.

And inflation is to, many dollars chasing too few goods.

And since the pandemic, we've had a terrible issue with inflation from supply chain disruption.

And by $6 trillion in new spending during the Biden administration that saw prices increase over 23% in those four years, while inflation has come down from 9% to 4% and close to three, it's still a problem.

And what Congress has done is curtail long term spending programs, reformed spending programs, try to put more money back in the pockets of our citizens by blocking a Democratic tax increase last year so that, families here have more money.

Through no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, a doubled child tax credit, and then the housing bill, which I think will lead to affordable housing in the years ahead to Mr.

Jones for one minute.

I'm glad that Mr.

Hill agrees that inflation is a major issue.

For you all across this district.

You're filling it at the gas station, you're filling in at the grocery store, you're filling it with housing.

But what he didn't tell you was that what drives inflation are tariffs.

And this war in Iran.

And five times he could have voted to rein in the tariffs.

But he did not do that.

That is problematic.

That's what's driving up costs.

And I will say I'm glad that Mr.

Hill read my dissertation.

It was called, Nonproliferation and Nuclear Energy Future.

And my dissertation advisor was none other than Ernie Moniz, who actually wrote the JCPoA.

So I do know what I'm talking about.

Back to Mr.

Hill for 30.

Never are.

You didn't know what you're talking about.

I just think that your advisor did a terrible job on the JCPoA.

You know, it was rejected by Congress because he was not effective in that treaty.

Look, inflation is bad.

Putting more money in people's pockets helps them offset that out of reducing regulatory costs.

Helps on that.

But if we really want to control inflation, we've got to stop the deficit spending that we have.

And that's why I voted to reform deficit spending.

I think that will help.

And I support price stability at the federal Reserve.

Is their top, issue that they can do to help the American people.

Mr.

Jones?

Another 30.

There are two major things that drive the deficit up.

Since Mr.

Hill mentioned the deficit.

And number one is the interest on debt.

And Mr.

Hill has voted, to the tune of $14 trillion.

If you count up his votes, the debt is now $40 trillion.

That's an impact.

And the other is this war, this war that we cannot afford.

We have another question now from, Mr.

Houston, who goes first to Mr.

Jones.

Good afternoon, gentlemen.

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act became law recently, but experts note it could take years to affect supply.

What immediate federal relief or policies do you support for central Arkansas renters and first time buyers who cannot wait for long term market adjustments?

So thank you for that question.

Look, I've traveled to Clinton, Arkansas and visited Patton Square Apartments, and they cannot wait.

They received an eviction eviction notice for the entire apartment complex, and they showed me where in their bathrooms sewage was leaking out of the toilet and roaches were coming out of their stove.

It's not just in Clinton, Arkansas.

It's also in shorter gardens right here in little Rock.

These are issues that have to be addressed.

And what we're seeing is that folks need relief from the prices right now.

Yes.

There are some good parts of the housing bill.

I myself ran a community land trust, and community land trust support is a part of it.

I ran one of the largest community land trust in the country.

And so we train community land trust all over the country.

But the question is, how many community land trusts are in Arkansas?

There's one in northwest Arkansas.

It's not bringing the relief that folks need now.

And with prices so high and paychecks so low, something has to change immediately.

Mr.

Hill, one minute.

Well, thanks for the question.

First, the state has a very good, robust, down payment assistance program, which can help people get into housing.

It's one of the best in the country.

Secondly, the points raised by my opponent about failures in public housing, subsidized housing is in Shorter College and in Clinton.

These are both instances where the federal government has failed for years to properly administer, housing and housing lending for multifamily for our poorest citizens.

That's why I started a major counter to HUD's failures in overseeing public housing, including the failures here in little Rock at Metropolitan Housing, the challenges at Shorter College at Clinton, out in Maumelle, our committee has uncovered 30 cities that have failures in public housing.

Two things to change one, our cities need to take responsibility for their public housing appointees and leadership on those committees.

And secondly, the Congress will hold hold HUD accountable for holding the public housing accountable.

That will make sure our tenants and those who are most vulnerable have clean, safe and affordable housing.

30s Mr.

Jones, look, we know you all need support from the federal government.

That's what makes a difference.

And Congressman Hill talks about, coming in and dealing with the housing issues.

Well, they've been if they've been going on for so long, Congressman Hill has had six terms in Congress, 12 years to address it.

So why now?

Why all of a sudden in the last year, has he said this is an issue that we need to address.

It's been an issue that he needs to address.

And as your congressman, I won't wait and back to Mr.

Hill.

You know the fact free answer back in 2019, the Memphis congressman and I said that HUD is the least accountable agency in the government.

They're doing a terrible job of helping our most vulnerable citizens.

We want accountability.

And I worked for years to get that accountability.

Accountability through the 21st Century Housing Act.

I brought metropolitan housing in little Rock to the attention of the Biden HUD, who did nothing and let it fester.

And from 2015 until now, we have a disaster.

And when I became chairman of the committee, I decided I wouldn't wait for anybody.

And we've now changed it.

And we're now improving metropolitan housing in little Rock.

Steve Bronner with a question first for Mr.

Hill.

Congressman, the national debt reached $40 trillion.

Excuse me, $48 trillion on August 18th.

And since then it has added another 300 billion.

You're a banker.

If someone came to you with the federal government's balance sheet, what would you tell them to do?

And has Woodruff as their votes in Congress reflected that strategy?

Sure.

Well, my votes and thank you, Steve and I always enjoy our visits about the deficit, the debt now approaching 40, trillion dollars is largely increased with three big events in the last 25 years the global war on terror, the pandemic and the global financial crisis probably account for almost 15 trillion of that.

Those were major issues the the Congress was confronted with on a bipartisan basis, and we had to save the country in those instances.

But I have voted consistently to reform the long term mandatory spending programs that are growing at twice the GDP rate, which is what I think causes a big part of the sustained deficit.

And I've got ways that I would tackle that.

Secondly, in the Biden administration, they added $6 trillion of new spending, but even Democratic Congress, Democratic economists said we don't need we should not be spending 6 trillion more.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, Democrats recommended not to do it.

President Biden proceeded, and that's contributed mightily to the deficit over the past five years.

Mr.

Jones, you have one minute.

So here's what I agree with, Mr.

Hill.

We should not consistently and persistently add to the national debt.

And yet, over the past 12 years, Congressman Hill has overseen 14 to $20 trillion of addition to the national debt with his own votes.

So there's a discrepancy there.

And I think you need to read the fine print.

But Congressman Hill, you mentioned he's a banker.

He's not only a banker, but the most powerful banker in Congress.

This is a reason to get to get your balance straight and a reason to address the debt, because the debt is something that you all future generations are going to have to carry.

I have three girls.

They're 17, 13 and ten.

I am very concerned about the debt that they will have to carry based on decisions that folks like Congressman Hill made.

Mr.

Hill 30s, we'll look again.

The biggest portion of this debt is a bipartisan challenge.

And if we want to get it under control, it will take bipartisan votes.

I have voted consistently to grow the economy faster and rein in some of the most out-of-control spending programs.

And I think that's important.

I agree that there's much more to do, but it's going to have to be done on a bipartisan basis if we're going to be serious about it.

And back to Mr.

Jones.

I'm you all.

I'm all for bipartisanship.

In fact, Governor Hutchinson appointed me, to two economic development commissions.

Bipartisanship is critical, particularly in these moments when we need to get out of the mess that was caused by votes that Congressman Hill made and by this reckless, out of control, administration that's creating nothing but chaos.

So certainly, we need to make sound decisions about the debt that is weighing heavily on our future.

100 Hunter field for, question to Mr.

Jones.

Do you have any concerns about the pace and direction of, the development of artificial intelligence?

And do you believe that the federal government should take a more proactive regulatory role to make sure we maximize the technology's benefits while minimizing the risks?

I have lots of concerns about the pace and the development and the scale of artificial intelligence.

I actually know a little bit about the subject.

And in fact, I do think there are frameworks out there that exist already that can be important frameworks for the federal government to, to utilize.

As we think about how do we take advantage of the innovation and see growth across the board, while not allowing the value to only go to the top and while putting safeguards in place?

One of those frameworks is the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that allows us to have civilian nuclear power without having nuclear weapons.

And artificial intelligence is more powerful in terms of its potential for good and its potential for detriment than even nuclear power.

That's the sort of framework which is not only bipartisan, it's also multinational, because artificial intelligence does not care about national boundaries.

And we have to work together to solve this problem.

Mr.

Hill.

Well, I think artificial intelligence is here.

It's a big part of the future of working in both commerce, technology business and our military and intelligence, services across the world, and particularly with Western allies.

And I think we have to open, with our Western allies, make sure that we get it right, so that it's deployed to benefit, society and not, be one that can be a detrimental both in a commercial application and certainly in a national security application.

I support, the kind of work we're doing now where we have public private work like project Glass Wing that is assessing frontier models and how they could be deployed in a safe and sound way, and that those models get tested and thought through in the right way before they're deployed to the public.

In the financial services industry, we're particularly concerned about that, and we have an active process where we'll have the government and the private sector put up those strong and important guardrails.

Mr.

Jones, one half million.

You all send me to Congress and there for essential questions that I would ask about artificial intelligence and anything else.

Number one, who pays the cost?

Number two, who keeps the benefit?

Number three, who gains more power as a result of it?

And number four, who was at the table when those decisions were made?

Those are the questions that I would ask, in assessing artificial intelligence and anything else.

Mr.

Hill, you have 30.

Well, over the past three years in Congress, I've worked on artificial intelligence assessments on a bipartisan basis for Minority Leader Jeffries and Speaker Johnson.

We want to have a human in the loop in this process, and that includes in the use of frontier models, both by the government and by the private sector.

But what concerns me the most is the fact that these companies themselves don't have a full understanding of their capability.

And that's why I believe a state, federal and private sector partnership on guardrails is essential.

Next question is by Mr.

Houston.

And it goes first to the congressman.

What specific measures do you support regarding firearm regulations to ensure public safety in schools while protecting Second Amendment rights?

Good question.

I think, we know that school safety is a primary concern for all of us that have had kids in our schools and kids, kids that are there now.

And over my time in Congress, I have voted for grant programs to make sure that school safety is paramount in terms of both, locking mechanisms, training mechanisms of payment for, special, civilian, not in uniform, armed guards to help school districts all at school district direction.

But when it comes to school safety, no parent wants to compromise that.

And so therefore, I support federal grant programs that have helped local school districts with state legislative money to make sure that we have safe schools for our kids.

Mr.

Jones won by that.

I'm an Arkansan through and through seventh generation Arkansan, and I'm a gun owner, and I support the Second Amendment.

I also support every other amendment.

In the Constitution, like school safety is critical.

Again, I have school age kids, and we want to make sure that they're safe.

So I thank Mr.

Hill for the grants, for school safety.

I also believe that there are mechanisms that are bipartisan that across the board, Republicans, independents and Democrats agree.

So things simple as background checks are things that we can agree on that are critical.

And those are the sorts of, changes and advances that we have to make.

Mr.

Hill, back to you for 30.

Of course, I support our federal background check system.

It's extensive.

It is one that, perhaps could be improved.

I think one thing that concerns me is that data is not always in the database for people who are prohibited from owning a firearm.

We've seen that in the Las Vegas shooting and some others over the past tragic days in the past decade.

So improving the background check system for that disclosure and integration of state and local data, I think is important.

Mr.

Jones, here's what we agree.

We need to improve the data.

The data is not there.

And those changes are changes that can actually bring greater safety to our schools, our churches and our communities.

Because at the end of the day, regardless of what your party is, regardless of where you live, you want your families to be safe.

And as your congressman, I'll do everything I can to make sure that happens.

Mr.

Jones gets the first and next question first, and it's from Steve Brunner.

Mr.

Jones, the US Constitution created three separate but equal branches of government that are supposed to check and balance each other.

Congress's powers include the power of the purse and the responsibility to declare war.

How do you think Congress is doing in this area, and what changes would you like to see over the next two years?

You know, this is one area that deeply saddens me, because our founders weren't perfect, but they got something right.

They knew that we could have and out of control administration a mad king if you would.

But they put Congress in place to have a check on that.

And it disappoints me to the highest level that this Congress has been feckless.

They have refused to hold the administration accountable.

And talking and writing letters is not holding the administration accountable.

Congress has the power to declare war.

Congress has the power to investigate, and Congress is supposed to put the white House in check when it is run amuck.

As your next congressman, I will certainly exercise those rights because we should have checks and balances with all the branches.

One minute, Mr.

Hill.

Thank you.

It's a good question.

50% of the words in the Constitution or for article one, the congressional branch, it's the founders view was the most important branch.

And I'm proud of the of the authorities and the oversight that the legislative branch conducts.

Let's take, for example, Mr.

Trump wanted to cut significant spending, during his first year in office.

Those spending cuts, most of them were rejected by the Congress and the spending, for FY 26 and the spending that's proposed for FY 27, that's us conducting our oversight.

Mr.

Trump has had other policies that have been struck down by the federal courts, the third branch of government that's independent and equal to the executive legislative branch.

So I believe that Congress is doing its job in an effective way.

I think the judicial branch is doing his job in the in an effective way.

And President Trump, like his predecessors, all were also trying to drive the executive branch in the way they would like to see it managed.

Mr.

Jones, 30, might be one of the most surprising comments that I've heard that Congress is doing his job and holding the white House accountable.

I don't think there's anyone that agrees with that.

And I'll just tell you 97%, 97%, that's the percent of which Mr.

Hill voted with this administration.

That is not holding them accountable.

That's letting them have free rein for the reckless decisions.

Mr.

Hill 30 well, of course, we're voting on bills put forward by Republicans in Congress.

The fact that President Trump supports those, that's, his decision to do that.

We put on the House floor what we think we have 218 votes for.

Secondly, look, President Trump didn't want the housing bill.

President Trump said it wasn't a good bill.

I told President Trump, no, I told Senate Democrats no.

That's how our system works.

And with that, by saying no, we got the most significant housing bill passed.

And now law in 30 years.

A new question, Mr.

Field, for Mr.

Hill.

Let's move, to health care here in the second district to Jacksonville.

Lost its emergency room in the spring.

In 2025, nearly half of Arkansas hospitals lost money.

Conditions may not be improving next year because we expect to have more uninsured people in Arkansas.

What is the federal government's responsibility here, and are there any steps you'd like to see taken to help providers and patients?

Sure.

Well, first, one of the worst decisions took place decades ago before, any of us were thinking about being in Congress or running for Congress.

And that is how CMS, the Medicare Medicaid system, the U.S, reimburses in Arkansas.

It's systematically unfair.

And since I've been in Congress, working with John Bozeman, with Tom cotton, we've tried to get that reimbursement rate higher.

And it's not that's the most fundamental thing that we can all fight for.

We need the governor.

We need the medical community all on the same page to do that.

So that's number one.

Number two, is our rural hospitals, many of them suffer primarily from declining populations.

It takes 600 live births to justify an ob gyn, labor and delivery practice in the state.

I was pleased to see our new chancellor, James Lowery Barnes, say that he would work with UAMs to keep open some of these key areas, and I appreciate the governor making maternal health as a top issue as well.

So those are the top things I want to mention at first on this topic.

One minute.

Two Mr.

Jones, Mr.

Hill oversaw the largest cuts to health care in American history in order to fund the largest tax breaks to billionaires in American history.

That's not trying to fix the problem.

Now, look, my mother had a stroke a few years ago.

She had a stroke here in little Rock, and I watched her when she pulled up to hear my girls and their violin in concert.

I watched her as her face drooped and her speech slurred.

Fortunately, we were blessed and that she made it to the hospital in less than five minutes.

But if she had been born in her hometown of Stevens or my dad's hometown of Hughes, I'm not sure she would have made it.

So when Congressman Hill votes on a bill that cuts funding to rural hospitals, it's personal to me because my mom might not have been here if his bill had been enacted and taken effect.

So I'm very concerned about the future of health care, and we can't get there by cutting funding to rural hospitals and and increasing premiums for folks that are just struggling to make it.

By Mr.

Hill 30 we have not cut funding to rural hospitals.

In fact, we just put $50 billion into transformation for rural hospitals, which Governor Sanders in the legislature and our public health department and UAMs and others will have $203 million to work with, assuring that we have good rural health.

Working with the consortium, our federal community health centers, we have 173 of them, fully funded by the federal government, delivering primary care and important care across all 75 counties of our state.

Back to Mr.

Jones for 30.

I encourage all of you all to go read the fine print.

$50 billion, is one thing, but when you take 200 or more billion dollars out of my pocket and then ask me to say thank you for $50 billion, that's not good.

And that's what happens.

So you have to read the fine print.

These rural hospitals need to be funded, and they need to be funded because it's a matter of life and death.

Mr.

Houston has the next question goes first to Mr.

Jones.

What specific immigration policies do you support to secure the southern border while maintaining humane enforcement procedures?

I certainly understand and fully support the need for a strong border.

We need to control who comes into this country that has to happen.

We also need an immigration system that is clear, that is transparent, and that is fair.

And so I would support funding to make sure that our border is secure, that we have the right law enforcement agents at the border to make that happen.

Because if we don't, then we certainly are in a lot of trouble now.

And that secure border, again, has to be in combination with an immigration system that is fair, transparent and clear, Mr.

Hill.

Well, let me just touch again on rural hospitals and again, be clear.

The best way to help all health care providers is to have a higher reimbursement rate for Medicaid and Medicare, something that we should fight for in the delegation that was lost years ago.

Secondly, we didn't cut, Medicaid here.

Arkansas has a provider tax that is fully covered by the federal government.

It is not cut as it is.

And in states wealthier states like California and New York, and that rural transformation money is very, very important on, immigration reform.

I voted for every immigration reform that's been proposed in the House to clean up the asylum process while we at the same time, we secure the border, improve the legal immigration system, improve how we grant visas to people.

We've had those bills on the floor.

I've supported them.

I've also supported, border security.

And we saw the utter failure of that in the Biden-Harris administration.

And really, just in the last 12 months, has the border been secure during all the years I've served in the House to Mr.

Jones for 30, he brought it up.

So certainly I think the hundreds of thousands of Arkansans, who are losing health insurance because of the one big, beautiful bill that Mr.

Hill not only signed but supported wholeheartedly.

They would have a different feeling.

And I agree, we need to fix the reimbursement rate, so I'm glad that that's happening.

I wish it had happened earlier, because if decades ago it was a problem, then Congressman Hill has had six times 12 years to get it right.

And it's not right yet.

Mr.

Hill, another 30.

Well, it's not right because it takes a vote in Congress to do it.

And many, many states have vested interest to make sure Arkansas doesn't get helped.

So we're a small state.

We need to have a coalition of governors and members of our legislature and health care providers that work with us to try to get that change.

And it was the decades of Democratic rule here in the state that left us, holding the bag on Medicare Medicaid reimbursement rates.

And we will take a few seconds, to remind everyone before the next question that, the candidates will have the opportunity to hold press conferences directly following the debate.

Individual press conferences.

You can scan a QR code on your screen with your mobile device to watch.

So get your phones ready.

You will see that QR code periodically through the balance of our debate, Mr.

Bronner has the next question, and it goes first to Mr.

Hill.

Congressman, Americans are accustomed to a political system.

When we have elections, the winners celebrate and the losers say we'll get them in two years.

Then there's a peaceful, orderly transition from one Congress to the next on January 3rd.

Are you confident that that will happen this time?

Whoever wins and what will be your role to ensure it does?

Well, thank you, Steve.

I think we're all proud of the American election system.

We're celebrating our civic win.

Centennial 250 years of good years and bad years, good politics and bad politics over 250 years.

And I have every confidence that we will have a robust debate this fall and that we'll have winners and losers, and that the new Congress will form, that first week in January and start the work for the American people.

So I'm proud in Arkansas for example, that we have, we're ranked in the top five states, I think, and voter integrity.

And I think citizens want voter integrity.

They want to make sure the rules are clear, concise, easy to follow, and what we need is we want to encourage folks to get out and vote.

So, I believe we will have a fair and sound election.

I look forward to the results, and I look forward to heading back to Washington in January to continue to serve the people of Central Arkansas.

Mr.

Jones, one minute January 6th, is one of the most tragic moments in American history, one of not the most, but one of the most tragic moments, because it was a time when we did not see, what should have been a peaceful transfer of power.

Now, I am confident that there will be a peaceful transfer of power up and down the ballot.

Also concerned, I'm concerned because of all the games that are being played.

I'm concerned, because of the the gamesmanship that have been played with ballot boxes and the intimidation that happens.

So I'm watchful.

But at the same time, I'm confident because we certainly need secure elections and we need folks that at the end of the day, when the results are in, you have to understand that when we get on the other side of November 3rd, we all have to work together to solve the problems that we face as a country.

Mr.

Hill, 30, couldn't agree more.

And, I was obviously in the House on that fateful day in 2021.

It was a horrible day.

It was a brutal day.

It was outrageous.

What happened to the U.S.

Capitol.

And I still remain scarred by what I saw there, the damage to the building, the Capitol Police that were hurt, the terrible decisions that are now public.

But Nancy Pelosi made not to defend the United States Capitol, not take President Trump up on his offer of additional National Guard support.

I hope we never, ever see another horrible day like that at the US Capitol or anywhere in our country, Mr.

Jones, I'll just say that I think it's, really interesting that Mr.

Hill wants to bring up Nancy Pelosi and not bring up the person who spearheaded that at the at the center and heartbeat of what happened on January 6th.

And that's the president.

And now he fully supports all that the president does.

That seems problematic to me.

Mr.

field has the next question, and it goes first to Mr.

Jones.

The Social Security Administration expects that its fund that pays retirement benefits will run out of reserves in about six years.

That's moved up.

And that means that effectively benefits would be cut by about 22%, without any action.

What needs to be done?

Well, you all have worked your entire lives putting money aside, expecting that there would be a cushion, a safety net, a support for you to occasionally take a vacation for you to help your grandkids out, when they're in college.

And unfortunately, because of the largest tax breaks to billionaires in American history, the decision now by the Republican controlled House, is to cut things like Social Security.

And they told you with their own words, not mine, that if they get power, then come the next session, they will go after Social Security.

That to me is problematic.

Mr.

Hill, once again, a fact free answer, House Republicans, leadership in the Congress on a bipartisan basis all support a sound Social Security system.

We know our seniors depend on it.

We also know that House Republicans, for the first time in any memory I can think of, found a way to eliminate taxation for our seniors on Social Security.

And eight out of ten seniors, now don't have to pay federal income tax on Social Security.

So you're right.

We are approaching the date where we'll have to deal with that.

And my proposal to deal with it is precisely how Democratic Speaker of the House tip O'Neill and Republican President Ronald Reagan, did it 40 years ago when we last confronted the same set of funding concerns.

They had a bipartisan commission.

They had an up or down vote.

Social security is sound today because of their decision.

And both President Reagan, who won 49 states in 1984, and the members of Congress who voted on it were all reelected.

We can do this, and we can do it in the right way.

30s Mr.

Jones, support, no tax on Social Security.

And as your next caller, Congressman, I certainly will continue to support that.

But if you want to check the facts, look at what Mike Johnson said.

Don't believe me?

Check his own words and we go back to where are where are we?

And I think, Mr.

Hill, you get 30.

Yeah.

Well, yeah, we want to save Social Security.

We make sure it's sound.

There's no doubt about that.

I hope Speaker Johnson and, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries can agree on that.

I think that's a I think that's an incredibly positive, positive issue.

And again, we didn't cut Medicaid.

We put in work requirements for able bodied people.

So the program is sound for those who need it.

The very most.

And you mentioned billionaires.

You might check with your pal Governor Pritzker, who's the only billionaire trying to buy this election in Arkansas.

Mr.

Houston has the next question goes first to the congressman.

Congressman, this question comes from channel seven viewers.

How do you respond to two constituents who feel congressional town halls and office accessibility in central Arkansas have been insufficient during your term?

Mr.

Jones, what would you do differently?

Well, first, I answer about 1200 letters a week.

Every letter that comes in, they get an answer within two weeks.

Secondly, we send out a newsletter to some 45,000 people, a week.

Thirdly, I'm around the district and all eight counties on a regular basis.

I come home every week and every weekend I'm traveling somewhere in one of those eight counties to visit with people and hear directly.

I particularly love my town hall meetings with our veterans that we have four times a year across the district.

And finally, we do telephone town halls because of running a home in little Rock and having a home in Washington to get the maximum participation.

We have 200,000 people we've talked to this past year in telephone town halls.

We'll have sometimes that people stay on the call where there's 20 or 30,000 people still listening.

So I think between telephone town halls, visiting the district every week when I'm home in Arkansas, and then prompt with my constituent service for veterans and for families across the district, they know that I'm working for them and fighting for them every day.

Mr.

Jones one another question real quick.

Yes, sir.

How do you respond to contracts to constituents who feel congressional town halls and office accessibility in central Arkansas have been insufficient during your term?

Doctor Jones, what would you do differently?

Well, look, you can ask you all how many of you all have had an opportunity to not only say something to Mr.

Hill, but to get an authentic response back.

And I've talked to folks who have not.

They've tried time and time again, and that is very problematic.

One of the first things that I would do after elected, even before being sworn in, is establish the people's office and office that's truly accountable to everyone in this district.

Now, I launched this campaign by having eight town halls, one in every county in the district, and since then I've done at least 30 talking to folks.

And I recently went to a VFW and had conversations with veterans.

I'm a combat veteran spouse.

I 100% support the troops and support our veterans.

And that is why I'm very concerned that we have a bill that cut aid to to to our veterans, and they cut staffing to the VA, which is very problematic.

Back to Mr.

Hill for 30.

Well, there's 484,000 people that work at the Veterans Department.

They have a 9% turnover rate, which means 40,000 people every year change jobs at the VA or leave or come.

And the OMB, early retirements number I saw was about 20,000 people.

So 480,000 employees.

I'm not sure that's an issue, but we do veterans visits across the districts.

We have days where we go out and at our county courthouses and cities listening to ordinary people.

And my office is open every day.

Hillhouse.gov.

And we hear from people every day.

Chris Jones 30s.

Well, I talk to veterans.

My wife's a combat veteran.

My uncle is a Purple Heart from Vietnam.

My other uncle served in the Gulf War.

And I'll tell you, the veterans here in this district, across the district, they're very concerned.

And to them, it may.

To Mr.

Hill, it may sound like a a random number, but to them it means they have to wait days to get the care and the services they need.

That is very problematic.

And that's something that I would change.

Steve Brunner has the next question.

Mr.

Jones takes it first.

Do you support President Trump's tariff policies?

Which ones do you support?

Which ones do you oppose?

Tariffs.

There's a place for tariffs.

I do not support the president's willy nilly in the middle of the night, tariffs on everywhere from Canada to Burkina Faso to any other random country.

And if you look at Mr.

Hill's record at least five times, he voted to allow the president to continue these unchecked tariffs.

Congress is supposed to control the purse strings, and Congress should have a say on what tariffs are important when they're important, how long they would last, and what the economic impact of this country would be.

Mr.

Hill, 1 million.

Well, since the 1930s, since President Roosevelt was in office, Congress actually delegated a lot of tariff authority under certain with certain strings attached to the executive branch.

And that's the way it's been since before World War Two.

President Trump, in trying to do his tariff policy, has tried to use all those tools that have been granted to him by Congress.

Let me say that I don't support and all the above tariff policy, which is what the president has done.

I think it's counterproductive.

I think we should target the worst actors, where we need to pry open markets for American agricultural American products and use that as the club to get them to open their markets for our services.

We we'll threatened tariffs and I think tariffs generally across the board like he's done raise costs for our small businesses here in Arkansas.

And that's why I took an appointment, took a big group of small businesses to the Commerce Department last March to walk through the exact negative impact that we're reeling here in Arkansas for both farm issues, but mostly in manufacturing as well.

Mr.

Jones 30.

So Mr.

Hill had a conversation and had a meeting, that is different from having a vote.

And when he had the opportunity to vote to rain, in which I agree, the president's random tariffs and blank check, he did not take that opportunity.

Instead, he voted to allow the president to continue to impose these tariffs.

And that is very problematic.

Mr.

Hill, again, the Congress has granted authority to the president.

The president took that authority where he overextended his ability to do that.

Congress made that comment, but more importantly, so did the federal courts.

And so now President Trump is back following the congressional direction on how to impose tariffs.

It's not about voting because the president is working within the rules granted by Congress.

Even if I don't like them.

That's the power that the president's been granted.

I think the courts and Congress have pushed back, and he's narrowed his approach to what he's doing with tariffs.

Hunter Field has the next question.

Mr.

Hill takes it first.

Congressman, your committee has started looking at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

This agency was formed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, to police things from overdraft fees to certain types of lending.

Does the agency need to be reformed, strengthened, left alone?

And why?

Yeah, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was set up after the global financial crisis to do additional consumer financial regulatory authority for both big banks, small some small banks and then the non-bank sector.

So fintech companies, financial technology type companies and consumer finance type companies and some things they've gotten right, but a lot they've gotten wrong.

And I think the reforms that Mr.

Field is asking about would be, first, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should be on appropriations.

It should answer to the Congress right now.

It does not.

It answers only to, it's self-creation.

It's a self-perpetuating agency that does not get an appropriation from Congress.

So the first reform I would make is put it on budget, put it on appropriations.

Secondly, I think it should have a bipartisan commission running it.

I think that would make sure no matter who's in the United States, that you get a good independent viewpoint of the role it plays in regulating consumer finance.

Mr.

Jones one minute.

So I have no concerns with that.

I, I don't disagree.

Here's where I do have concerns.

Congressman Hill, the most powerful banker in Congress when he had the opportunity to to protect consumers, when he had the opportunity to do something for you, he chose to vote to remove the $5 cap on overdraft fees.

That, to me is problematic, particularly in an environment where gas is higher than it's ever been, where diesel is higher than it's ever been, where our farmers who are struggling to the point where they're going bankrupt and they're committing suicide at a rate higher than any other in the country, that to then layer on a removal of a cap of $5 from your overdraft and junk fees, that to me sounds like you're doing the bidding of big banks and the powerful and not the bidding of the people who we should be held accountable to.

As your next congressman, I'll be held accountable for you, 30s Mr.

Hill.

Well, I think it's very important that our consumers at all levels have access to the credit they need to help their family.

For 15 years before I was in Congress, I was a banker and actually in Chico County, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.

Some of the poorest people in our state live in those counties.

I watch them every day, be reliant on overdraft protection so they could get a utility bill paid and take care of their family.

The Cfpb proposal would have removed the ability for overdraft protection for millions of households.

Mr.

Jones, another 30.

He killed the $5 cap on overdraft and junk fees.

And look, I've been in a situation where multiple times where it's the 24th, 25th of the month and you run out of money and you can't figure out exactly how to make ends meet.

And then in those moments, you certainly don't need an overdraft fee knocking you in the head.

And really pushing you over the ledge.

So as your next congressman, I would fight for you.

Ryan Houston, with a question for first, Mr.

Jones.

Mr.

Jones, this is a very hot topic.

What's your stance on trans athletes competing in boys and girls sports?

Yeah, so I don't I think that boys and girls sports should be fair, fair and transparent.

And I don't agree with trans athletes competing in boys and girls sports.

Now, here's the deal, though.

That's an issue that becomes a distraction.

Well, we need to focus on is the economy.

When I go across the state, I hear folks talking about the fact that they cannot afford gas.

I hear folks talking about the fact that they're getting kicked off of their health care.

I hear folks talking about the fact that they can't afford groceries.

And even when they can't afford groceries, they're not sure if the lettuce is okay to eat.

Those are the problems that people are dealing with, and those are the problems that I would focus on as your next congressman, Mr.

Hill, one another.

Well, I certainly fight for every member of our district across the eight counties to have a more affordable, more effective economy where there more jobs, more opportunities of lead in Congress on skilled trades, of lead, in Congress, on expanding the Pell Grant so that you can use the Pell Grant not just for a college education, but for skilled trades, because I believe education is the best way for people to step up, earn more money.

I voted to cut taxes for Arkansans, a family here with two kids taking the standard deduction.

If they make, $70,000, they don't have a federal tax liability because of the vote I took last year, every Democrat voted no.

The Democratic Party is for raising taxes on working families.

And that's why I think that's a huge mistake from when it thinks, when you think about affordability, that my, opponent was talking about.

I don't support trans children in same sex sports.

Transgender boys who are girls, they say in girls sports.

I think it's crazy and I'm opposed to it.

Mr.

Jones 30.

Yeah.

So, you know this tax cut that Congressman Hill talks about, and I'm not sure where he gets the fact that I would not support tax cuts.

I want a tax cut on the middle class.

I want more tax cuts on working families.

I want tax cuts on single parents who are struggling to make ends meet.

I want a real pathway out, a ladder out of poverty.

What I don't want, is more tax cuts at the top.

That is what's causing the debt to increase the deficit increase and creating enormous pain for all of us.

Mr.

Hill.

30s top 40% of taxes.

Or 72% of taxes are paid by the top 40%.

We have a very progressive system.

It was House Republicans that doubled the child tax credit.

It was House Republicans that removed the taxation on overtime, on tips.

It was House Republicans that increased the standard deduction.

So that family in Arkansas has more money to cope with the inflation environment that we have.

New question, Mr.

Bronner.

And it goes first to Mr.

Hill.

Congressman, the Senate has passed the Protect College Sports Act.

The House has not passed its version.

What should be done to protect college sports?

Yeah.

Thank you.

Steve, this is such a great topic in the middle of football season.

I do support, federal legislation on name, image and likeness because it's the Wild West out there, and it's crazy.

And every athletic director and every coach I know, whether it's D1, D2, D3 or not, want to have rules so that they can recruit players, make sure the players, have some capability and be able to build a team.

That bill has been blocked in the House by the Congressional Black Caucus.

Twice.

It's come to the House floor.

It's been blocked twice because, some in Congress want all the players to be unionized.

And I don't know that that's a requirement.

The Senate bill does not have that.

And the Senate bill passed overwhelmingly through committee.

And I suspect before the end of the year, Steve, we will have a name, image and likeness.

Bill, that's either the basis of Senator Cruz bill in the Senate or some amendment from the House.

I think we need it.

I think our schools need it, and we want our sport, our athletes, educated and treated fairly, and we want the donors.

And the campus is treated fairly.

To Chris Jones, one minute, as a former, football player myself wasn't out of high school, and and ran track.

I certainly support legislation that would protect name, image and likeness.

I think it's something that can be done in a bipartisan way, but I want to go back to, the, the economy and talking about how are we growing small businesses.

So Congressman Hill talks about supporting small businesses.

And I'll admit he has, because when I ran the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, he did come, and support the work that we did where we were creating hundreds of new business owners for they would take an idea and turn it into a real business.

And that's how we have an economy that thrives.

And I'll tell you the difference, though, is Congressman Hill gets excited when we get one new trillionaire.

I get excited when we get a million new millionaires.

That's how we have a thriving capitalism.

That's how we have a thriving society.

And I want capitalism to thrive.

I don't want crony capitalism.

Mr.

Hill 30.

Well, again, I'm not engaged in any of that.

I was a banker before I was in Congress.

I've helped people start businesses.

I've raised money for people to start businesses.

I co-chair the entrepreneurship caucus, in the House of Representatives.

I was there for every Arkansas business during the pandemic to make sure they got a paycheck protection loan and they could pay their employees.

And I believe strongly in a startup culture, and we are out, every day trying to make sure it's easier to raise money, start a business with lower regulatory burden, lower tax burden, and easier to raise capital for that startup mom and pop business.

Mr.

Jones, you have another 30.

So I think Mr.

Hill's past actions and his words don't line up with his current actions.

And when you think about the bill that cut funding, to our rural hospitals, the bill that cut funding to Medicaid, the bill that's kicking so many hundreds of thousands of Arkansans off of their health insurance, the bill that cut funding to schools that cut the parent, plus, loan Grant, Pell grant, the bill that cut so much funding is what is causing us to not have small businesses grow and flourish as they should.

And with that, we conclude the question and answer portion of our debate.

And we turn now to closing arguments for closing statements.

And as before, the order of those closing statements was determined by the toss of a coin prior to the debate.

Our first close is from Mr.

Jones.

Arkansans, I want to tell you this.

I wear this lapel, bumblebee on my lapel all the time because it's a reminder to do what other people say is impossible.

And when I think about what Mr.

Hill and the Republicans are telling us, they're telling us that we can't have health insurance for our grandmothers.

They're telling us that we can't have reasonable price prescription drugs.

They tell us that we can't fund rural hospitals, that tell us that we can't fund our schools.

They're telling us that we have to have tariffs.

And being in it, being in this war.

Well, I think that's not true because I believe that together we can have a future where regardless of your zip code, you have health insurance, regardless of your zip code, you have a quality education.

And regardless of your zip code, you're able to have an idea and start a business and grow it.

And and regardless of your zip code, you don't have billionaires and trillionaires getting all the benefit and you pay all the costs.

As your next congressman, I will fight for you because I believe that we can build something better together.

Thank you sir, Mr.

Hill.

Well thanks, Steve, thanks, Arkansas TV.

Thank our panelists today.

First, I ask every Arkansan in the second district to vote for me for reelection.

Keep me fighting for you in Washington.

I'm the workhorse for the central Arkansas area in the house.

My philosophy is, look, good policy attracts good partners.

My bills are bipartisan.

The housing bill we talked about is just one of those.

And I have a servant's heart.

The rotary motto of service above self is how I get up every day when I'm working for Arkansas, I look at the track record.

We have a Fisher House here for our veterans.

That is because of my work.

We have an expanded little Rock port for more jobs with more opportunities.

Because of my work, we fighting waste, fraud and abuse at HUD because of my work and I ask everyone in this send me Quinn Centennial year of America, reject this far left government big government approach.

Vote for common sense.

Support centrist policies like I've offered in my leadership in the House.

I would appreciate your good vote, Mr.

Hill.

Thank you very much.

And with that, our time has simply expired.

Our thanks once again to our candidates, our nominees, and to our panelists for their questions and a reminder that you can watch this and all Arkansas TV debates on demand at the Arkansas TV YouTube channel and on our website.

The candidates have been invited to participate in individual press conferences immediately following the broadcast, and you may continue to watch, those at our our live stream@youtube.com slash at Arkansas TV or by scanning the QR code that is on your screen.

Now, as a reminder, Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd.

So make your voice heard.

It's your government.

Thanks for watching.

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