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LOGAN — A 16-year incumbent of Congress and former high school teacher wants two more years in office to shepherd through some important lands bills aimed at the nation's forests and the national park maintenance backlog.
On Wednesday evening, challengers to Republican Rob Bishop — Lee Castillo and Eric Eliason — told a crowd why they believe that is a bad idea.
"I think it is time we have someone in Congress who actually represents the people," Castillo said, adding the nation's capitol needs someone with the "backbone" to stand up to the Trump administration.
Castillo, a Democrat, thanked Bishop for his years of service, but then stressed it was time for him to retire.
"You have the opportunity to have someone who has your back," he said afterward.
The Utah Debate Commission hosted the hourlong debate at Utah State University, where the trio of candidates engaged in a verbal sparring match moderated by Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem Gardner Policy Institute.
Bishop is chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee.
He believes those leadership positions and the work that goes on with those committees are vital to the interests of Utah and the nation going forward.
While Eliason — a member of the United Utah party — pointed to the polarization in Washington, Bishop said there is good work being done by committees.
"We have passed 220 bills and a third of them are Democrat bills," Bishop said, "… and 53 were signed into law. In my committee we have worked together and reached across the aisle. It is not as bad as what you see."
Bishop's critics say he is too beholden to the oil and gas industry and favors extraction of natural resources.
Bishop, a strident opponent of too much D.C.-control of Western land issues, says he favors the practice of "multiple use," which means recreation and conservation can coexist with economic development, which is vital to rural Utah economies.
He said the accusation of his entanglement with special interests was both unfair and untrue.
"No one really knows or sees what's in my heart."
The candidates were asked questions on a wide range of issues including gun control, immigration, programs like Social Security and public lands.
On the area of immigration, Castillo said people need to be treated with compassion.
"We have to act humanely," Castillo said, saying "absolutely" immigrants known as Dreamers, who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children, should be allowed to stay in the country.
Bishop said before any immigration reform can play out, the country needs to secure the borders.
"When we tell people we have absolute control of the border, then those other things can happen."
Eliason said there are practical ways to address Dreamers' situation by giving them a path forward, while still securing the borders.
"We need to look for common ground."
Castillo said he's against cutting Medicare or raising the eligible age for taking Social Security benefits, while Eliason said the system was implemented when the average life span was 65.
He said he'd entertain raising the age eligibility, but not for people close to retirement.
Bishop said Social Security could be reformed to run like the Utah State Retirement System, which is based on actuarially sound rates of investments that meet its benefit obligations.
If that happened, "we could easily fund that program."
Bishop took hits from Castillo and Eliason for tax cuts and spending under President Donald Trump's administration.
We have passed 220 bills and a third of them are Democrat bills ...and 53 were signed into law. In my committee we have worked together and reached across the aisle. It is not as bad as what you see.
–Rep. Rob Bishop
Castillo said he'd take those tax cuts given to the 1 percent and return it to the poor, noting Jesus was a great "economist" who practiced charity.
Eliason said the administration is on a spending spree that must be stopped.
But Bishop rejected the connection between tax breaks and the deficit.
"The tax breaks what went to every American is not the cause of the deficit going up," he said. "What is causing it to go up is the overarching spending. It is a not a tax cut problem, it is spending problem."
Bishop has said this will be his last term in Congress and has been coy about rumors he may run for Utah governor.
"The people in this district have been very kind to me," he said, noting he's taking nothing for granted in this election despite a significant lead over his opponents.
Eliason said that like so many people, he is frustrated with the status quo two-party system that offers too little choice to voters.
The politicians, on important issues, are "kicking the can down the road and pointing fingers at each other. … The measure of our country will be how we overcome this politically divided nation," Eliason said. "We need to explore areas of agreement as opposed to areas of disagreement."
But Bishop said there are success stories where politicians are working together to address signficant issues, such as the $12.6 billion maintenance backlog in the national park system.
He and the ranking member on his committee, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Arizona, are sponsoring a bill that would take surplus revenue from energy development on public lands and direct that to addressing a portion of the backlog.
"It's a good bill," he said afterward, noting that the bill came together at the right time with a supportive administration and wide support across the aisle.
Although UtahPolicy.com polling shows Bishop with 58 percent of the vote, both Castillo and Eliason say they believe they will attract unaffiliated voters or newly registered voters in the November general election.
