Live Video: Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA02) Debates Right-Wing Republican Jen Kiggans

See below for live video, courtesy of WTKR, of today’s VA02 debate between the superb Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA02) and the dishonest, hard-right Republican Jen Kiggans.

• Rep. Luria says she is NOT your candidate if you believe – like Kiggans – that Trump should be president again, that the election was stolen, that $70 million of taxpayer money should go to a “forensic audit,” if you “stand with insurrectionists,” if you want to criticize the FBI for doing their job and enforcing federal law, if you think you know what’s best for women, or if you don’t believe that America continues to have the strongest military in the world. Kiggans blathers about firing Nancy Pelosi and really has nothing of any specificity or positivity to offer. The choice in this election couldn’t be clearer: GO LURIA!!!
• On the 2020 election and the “Big Lie,” Kiggans says she hates “negativity” and “division,” despite the fact that her campaign is heavily about those things. She dodges the issue of MAGA Republicans’ election denial and assault on our democracy. Rep. Luria rejects the “both sides” slanting of the Republican debate moderator’s framing. She also rejects the Republican debate moderator’s slanted question that implies there was something “normal” about the 1/6/21 insurrection. Rep. Luria says protecting our democracy is one of her key concerns, while Republicans won’t even say it’s wrong that we had a violent insurrection at the Capitol and that Trump pushed  – and continues to push – the Big Lie. She said she’s serving on the 1/6 committee, and that’s the  most important thing she’s ever done or will do, yet Kiggans will just go to Congress and vote for the people who want to ignore this, act like it didn’t happen and kiss Trump’s ring and pretend. Luria says Kiggans “does everything she does for political expediency…I don’t know what she stands for…She’s not fit to serve in the U.S. Congress.” Kiggans says “shame on you for attacking my character,” then segues to “election integrity,” while STILL not condemning Trump’s Big Lie or Trumpists’ assault on our democracy. Rep. Luria says Kiggans is an election denier, has never clearly said in public that Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election and that it was a free-and-fair election.
• Rep. Luria said China’s an “existential threat,” that it keeps her up at night, and that she’s very focused on defending against China. She touts the CHIPS Act, which she notes that Kiggans would not have voted for. Kiggans, of course, attacks the superb/bipartisan CHIPS Act, then attacks Luria falsely for supposed “insider stock trading.” Rep. Luria really bristles at that, and for good reason. Rep. Luria says the US should come to the defense of Taiwan and ditch the policy of “strategic ambiguity.”
• Rep. Luria calls for comprehensive immigration reform, which she says is “absolutely necessary,” and which of course we would have and should have had years ago, except that *Republicans* blocked it! Kiggans of course fear mongers about the border and immigration. Truly disgusting, xenophobic blather, including “finish the wall” (blech). Rep. Luria says she supports keeping Title 42 in place for now. As for seeking asylum, Rep. Luria said comprehensive immigration reform would make the process better, yet Kiggans would rather just “build the wall” and keep people out.
• Rep. Luria schools Kiggans on how caring for veterans is NOT partisan, despite Kiggans trying to politicize it. In fact, Rep. Luria has done a superb job of delivering for veterans and military families.
• It’s really exasperating to listen to Kiggans, as she really doesn’t have a command of the facts or tell the truth. She also keeps harping on “high gas prices,” when they’re actually waaaayyy down from this past spring, and when she has horrendous ideas for U.S. energy policy, which would only make matters worse by doubling down on our  economically/environmentally harmful fossil fuel addiction.
• Kiggans says “shame on you” for implying that she might be an extremist on abortion, which she clearly is. Rep. Luria says businesses don’t want to locate in a state with draconian anti-abortion laws.
• Kiggans raises the idea of a 15-week ban on abortion and continues to bristle at being called an abortion “extremist.” Rep. Luria says she’s confused, says Kiggans claims that abortion should be decided at the state level, but she’s running for CONGRESS.
• Kiggans just laughably claimed that Luria is an “extremist” on abortion and asks Luria what her restrictions on abortion would be. Luria says she’s clearly stated that Roe should be codified. She also notes that 95% of Republicans in Congress – including several who have endorsed Kiggans – recently voted against affirming women’s right to contraception.
• Rep. Luria says that a woman should have the choice of what to do with her body, along with her doctor, and that Roe v Wade should be codified. Luria also notes that this very much IS a business issue, even though Kiggans tries to deny that.
• Kiggans just said she is a “pro-life candidate” (translation: she’s anti-abortion), claims Luria calls her an “extremist on this issue” (which is accurate!). Rep. Luria says Kiggans’ number one bullet was that her reason for running was to “protect the sanctity of life – her number one reason – she does not believe in choice!…She won’t even show up for an interview with a national news outlet.”
• Rep. Luria said Kiggans wants to make Virginia look like Texas when it comes to access to reproductive healthcare.
• Kiggans just threw out the right-wing talking point of making Virginia looking like California. Oh god, not California!!! LOL And she flat-out lied about California’s power grid not being able to handle demand because of “energy mandates.” Again, that is a LIE. Kiggans claimed Youngkin has “great ideas” (hahahahah) on energy.
• Now Kiggans just flat-out LIED that we’re in a recession. Absolutely FALSE. Kiggans also says she supports Youngkin’s [horrendous] energy plan.
• Kiggans has zero idea for dealing with inflation, just flippantly says we need to “lower gas prices.” Yeah, how exactly?!? She has no clue, and doesn’t understand that oil is a world market, fungible commodity, etc. She even mentions the Keystone Pipeline, which is a standard right-wing talking point that’s complete bulls***. Rep. Luria says Kiggans keeps mentioning gas prices, but has heard ZERO recommendations from Kiggans about how to do so?
• Rep. Luria points out that Kiggans will vote for Kevin McCarthy, that Republicans voted to massively explode the deficit/debt under Trump, etc. Rep. Luria also noted that the Inflation Reduction Act will LOWER the deficit. Luria says Kiggans is lying to the voters in the district and the people in the room about Social Security. Kiggans also keeps throwing out the bullshit Republican talking point about “wasteful spending.” So what’s “wasteful” exactly? Social Security? Medicare? The US military? What exactly?
• Kiggans also bashing the military, claiming it’s “weak,” which is utterly absurd, given that our military is BY FAR the strongest in human history. Rep. Luria responds that she’s gotten $62 BILLION added to the defense budget, that this is the largest defense budget we’ve ever had, and that she very much has gotten the job done! Luria also notes that she hasn’t heard Kiggans recommend anything, other than just complain. Kiggans responds by yet again bashing the military as “weakened.” Luria says we need to keep up with and exceed China’s naval construction.
• Rep. Luria says there’s not a single small business owner who doesn’t say thank you for the support they got during the COVID pandemic with the Payroll Protection Program, etc., and that this work has kept so many businesses open in the district. Kiggans, of course, continues to bash everything and claim Luria supports Biden’s policies (which, by the way, have been working) “99% of the time.”
• Kiggans is also irresponsibly attacking measures to help people during the COVID pandemic.
• On a scale of 1-10, Rep. Luria rates the U.S. economy at “about a 6,” while Kiggans laughably rates it a 1 or lower.  That’s completely insane and ignorant, by the way, given that we’re at FULL EMPLOYMENT(!) and 10 million jobs created since President Biden took office.
• Rep. Luria says when she’s campaigning, she says she voters talk about prices having gone up, but that gas prices are high “because Vladimir Putin made them high”; that the Inflation Reduction Act is a huge investment in making the US energy independent. She also stressed her support for the bipartisan infrastructure package, and that Kiggans is not providing ANY solutions to the things she’s complaining about. Luria noted that Kiggans keeps reciting the same, false talking points.
• Kiggans, not surprisingly, attacks the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration’s economic record (which has unemployment at a 50-year low!), etc. but of course offers ZERO of her own ideas. Kiggans throws out the widely debunked claim about IRS agents.