Fifteen questions for the first Republican debate
Washington Examiner
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Tonight is the first Republican presidential primary debate, featuring Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and others.
Former President Donald Trump said he will not participate in this or any other Republican primary debate. That is his loss — it gives President Joe Biden an excuse not to debate him if he wins the nomination — but it is no loss to viewers. Considering that most voters don’t want a Biden versus Trump rematch, the party may benefit from a night looking forward, not back.
THE BIDEN BORDER CRISIS RAGES ON
Toward that end, here are questions we’d like the Republican candidates to answer as they make their case to lead the party.
Economy: Total household debt reached a record $17 trillion this month, including a record $1 trillion of credit card debt alone. How big a threat to the economy are these levels of debt, and what will you do as president to address the issue?
The average home mortgage rate is up to 7.5%, the highest since 2000. This locks many people into their homes with much lower 2-3% rates, and it prevents many young people from buying their first homes. What will you do to make housing more affordable?
Colleges and universities cost too much money and don’t deliver marketable skills. What will you do to reform our nation’s higher education system?
Rule of Law: Biden’s Justice Department has targeted Catholic churches and pro-life activists for surveillance, infiltration, and arrest. What will you do to end the weaponization of federal law enforcement?
Retail theft is soaring across the country, especially in cities controlled by Democratic prosecutors. What will you do to restore the rule of law to retail outlets so shoppers can go to stores without facing the risk of finding themselves among robbers and having all the merchandise under lock and key?
More than 7 million migrants have been caught illegally crossing the border since Biden became president, and he has released more than 2 million of them into the country. Democratic mayors and governors from around the country have declared states of emergency to cope with this flood. What will you do to secure law and order on the southern border?
Family: What is the biggest threat facing families today, and what would you do to address it?
Do you support a federal ban on abortion, and if so, after how many weeks would you ban it, and with what exceptions?
This summer, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first over-the-counter birth control. Do you support its decision, and do you believe more birth control methods should also be made available without a doctor’s prescription?
Environment: The death toll from the wildfire on Maui is still climbing. This comes after years of fires have devastated the West Coast. What will you do as president to make sure state and federal land is better managed so wildfires don’t happen again?
Biden has mandated that two-thirds of cars must be electric vehicles by 2032. Many people don’t want to be forced to pay for unreliable and expensive cars, so will you repeal this mandate, and how will you ensure people are free to buy the cars they want?
The safest and most efficient clean energy source is nuclear power, but the environmental movement refuses to embrace it. What will you do as president to revive the nuclear energy sector?
Foreign Policy: What is the biggest foreign threat facing the United States today?
Are there any limits to the amount of money or the types of weapons you would send to Ukraine to prevent Russian victory in the war for domination of that democracy?
If China were to invade Taiwan during your presidency, how would you respond?