Kentucky.

Tonight I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you for joining us.

Kentucky has six U.S.

congressional districts, and each district is being contested in this year's 2026 general election.

And the second half oftonight's program will focus on Kentucky's fifth Congressional District.

But we begin tonight with a look at the first district.

It covers more than 30 counties, western Kentucky and Fulton County, stretching along the Tennessee border to Clinton County and then north to Franklin County.

Two candidates in this race met our criteria to appear on tonight's program.

Republican Congressman James Comer declined our invitation.

Democrat John Drew Williams accepted.

He is a lifelong resident of Marshall County and builds boat docks and marinas.

As you.

You can send your questions and comments through X at Public KET.

You can send an email to KY tonight at KET dot org or use the web form at ket.org/ky.

Tonight, you can also call us at one 800 4947605.

Mr.

Williams, we welcome you to our set this evening.It's good to visit with youhere.

>> It's a pleasure and a blessing.

>> You are a Democrat running and what the Report considers a solidly red district a question that you may get a lot is why do it?

>> I have seen the district for along time.

Be kind of abandoned to the processes.

A lot of us look atpundits and the way that data plays out as howwe're going to determine these spaces.

But working in building boat docks, hanging out with a lot ofconstruction workers and people who are going through the grind, it easy to see that there is a change kind of undertone in this election cycle specifically,but it's been building in the previousyears of people being really sick and tired of being sick andtired.

And so knowing that and knowing that even if it was $30,000 in my car and as much time as I could put on my feet as possible,we were going to give this space a good shot.

And we've been really pleased with the outpouring of the growing consensus we have that whatwe're talking about in our movement matters to people.

>> You told me that you have been in politics since 2010.

Now what do you have you been working on other campaigns?

What previous experience do you have in government, and what mightbe your biggest challenge if you are elected to Congress?

>> I have not been an elected official.

I think at a period where Congress has a 15 to 20% approval rating, not being someone who's been rubbing elbows with all the wrong people and having their hands in individual stocks or corporate PACs is a boon and not a detriment right now.

And so I know there's a lot of people sitting athome thinking that they can do it better than the people who are currently elected to office.

I also kind of had that feeling general space of where Congress has been in the last decade or so, and so I have I mean, I've door knocked for plenty of candidates.I was a personal assistant to a state House candidate.

I was campaign manager foractually for this position in the 2018 through 2020 time period for a couple of months.

And so again, just being able to see the district and the space and know what energy we typically get put into it, I think that made a dent inthat conversation.

We've definitely showed that we havepolicies and goals and that we're willing to meet peoplewhere we're where they are.

We've hosted almost 200 public events over the course of this campaign, and a over many dozens of them have been what we consider town halls.

And that might be with five people, but it's also been with 100 to 200 people at a time.

And so, unfortunately, Mr.

Comer hasn't had a public town hall since 2019.

And those he thinks that aren't his, the people who agree withhim are considered villageidiots.

I think that we need a different changeofpace and tone.

>> You've indicated that you think town halls should be mandated.Is that still your your thoughts today?

>> Yeah, we were actually at Paducah last night talking about the FLoC issue that's been going onthere.

They have 32 sponsored or contracted with, and Dwayne Thomas, one of the city council members,actually showed up.

He had voted for the bill initially last year when he had gottenon to it.

It was not the first bill.

It was the re-up on that contract.

And he stood there, took questions, got some boos, got heckled a little bit.

But at the end, multiple people in the crowd thanked him for the time of standing up there and dealing with that and learning from the community.

And so again, it just reallyreinforced the conversation thatlike showing up in public, being held accountable, making sure the policies that you'refighting for, the things that your community wants and advocates for is, is even moreimportant now than it was when we started the campaign.

>> Well, let's talk more on flock Camera.As you just mentioned, those they have come under intense scrutinyacross the Commonwealth.

Some constituents have privacy concerns Others see them especially law enforcement sees them as a powerful crime solving tool.

Do you support the use of flock cameras?

And are you concerned about the U.S.

becoming a surveillance state?

>> So I have heard from a bunch of community members.

I haven't really found too many that are pro flock cameras or Alpers.

The license plate readers I have spoken with a lot troopers and sheriff's departments, and while again, we can all find meaningful benefits to those kinds of systems, I think that when you enter into, say, this building here or a library or a courthouse,you're entering into a contract to be recorded, to haveyour your data kind of stored for a set period of time, closed or closed circuit TVs have, you know, for police officers have been available for decades at this point, but it's literally somebody sitting there going through the system and looking up that information fora crash reconstruction or looking for a certain criminal activity rather than AI being able to automatically search whereyou've been for the last six weeks.

And both the sheriffs, statetroopers and the and the citizens are all concerned about accessible.

No, no need for judicial warrants.

It should really be a black box if it is implemented at all,in which youneed a direct judicial warrant for the exact information thatyou're looking at.

But people want a Fourth Amendment consideration into the security of their persons and papers.

And I think that this is a really big infringement on that space.

Obviously, we're going to be able to which there are useful instances of it.

But at the cost and considerations of what our Constitution affords us, I think that we need to be very carefulabout that moving forward.

>> We do have a question from a viewer, Brian, from Calloway County in Western Kentucky ask, what would you do as a U.S.

congressmanto restore America's standing in the world, particularly in regard to war and >> Sure.

So a lot of conversationsabout U.S.

aid have been had in which we we have given power to NGOs and to other countries.And we're always curious about the waste, fraud and abusesystems that are engaged with that.

Be happy to overfund waste, fraud and abuse prevention services by an additional 20%, making sure that those systems are taken care of.

The way that we initiate soft world is very important.

We can see China's Belt and Road system really taking a a hold in a lot of other countries.

They own like 90% of Brazil's electrical grid.

And soif we're going to talkabout the ways in which we can help provide for countries and keep those ally ships going, I think that those systems are really important.

You look at the the New World screwworm that came up from South America, because we cut that kept it below the Panama Canal area.

We're now importing the consequences of those of those issues and situations.

So I think that having a strong system of foreign aid is important.

We want to scrutinize that to the nth degree.That'sfine.

That's what our inspector generals are for when it comes to reestablishing our space on the global stage.

I mean, we're in the middle of a trade war with Canada, of all that's wild.

And so, you know, getting rid of the blanket tariffs, making sure we're using tariffs strategically for national defense, for civil and humanitarian workerrights across the globe, and making sure thatthose systems are aligned correctly as well as, you know, I feel like Mr.

Kamar is pretty much in favor of a war in the Middle East.

I don't know if it matters which country particularly, but as long as there is to be something he's been for.

I am not for the war in the Middle East or with Iran.

There has been obviously grave consequences as well as grave indignations thathave been done bythe Iranian regime.

And obviously we want to holdthem accountable.

I think that the JCPoA was doing a great job.

They had embers of their of the cabinet and the federal government and the executive branch even last year that were saying that it was doing its job and that they nuclearweapons.

We obliterated theirnuclear weapons.

Then in June or July, now they have complete, apparently, access to it again, according to, you know, what we hear coming out of the white House.And so it's really hard for us to see where we're going to be moving forward in a meaningful way, as well.

As obviously, we've seen that there is ameaningful level of ceasefire available from the terms of the Ukraine Russian war.

And we have held fast to our 1994 Budapest Accords in terms of providing them aid.

And, you know, because of their demilitarization oftheir nuclear program there in Ukraine.

And so as long as they're they're committing to that.Our commitment was to help keep them.

The Russian bear, away.

And it seems like, you know,now we're we're only doing so because we're for more and more things from them in order to keep doing that.

And that doesn't breed a level of trust in the United States and in our commitments that we've made.

It doesn't really matter how long ago.

They're always important.

And so we should we should be more steadfast in our conversations.

>> Well, let's talk domestic policy again.

I'm sure you're hearing from or I would suppose that you're hearing from voters about economy, inflation, affordability, all of these things.

Candidates across the country are running on a platform of affordability.

So if elected, what would you do realistically, as a member of Congress to lower the cost of some things like gas and groceries, thingsthat are really putting a strain on families and their finances.

>> So we definitely need to enforce our antitrust laws.

We are seeing many of our services are being monopolized.

It is really hard for families to feel like they can get ahead when 2 or 3 companies own an entireaisle of the grocery store, and so we really need to create real small business competition in America, givethem the tools to compete again, to create that level of competition that that drives down prices and improves wages and creates a local economy.

Again, it seems like everywhere, especially in our district, we'relike carving out the the main street and court squares, and we're building on the Beltway.

And so like,we have a hollowing out of our village spaces.

And so obviously re-empowering local business and workers would be a good step forward in making sure that we have money in our pockets.

But when it comes to getting the know, I'm an all hands on deck kind ofperson when it comes to energy production.

So if that's geothermal, hydro, nuclear, wind, solar.

>> You want to see more cleaner energy.

>> You know, I mean, that's obviouslythe goalacross the spectrum, butit's not the government shouldn't be picking winnersand losers.

I don't think that's a good policy.

And so when it comes to whether or not it's makingsure firedplants are more efficient and cleaner at the same time, if it's making sure that we're having less leaks from our oil pipelines and from our processing facilities, if it's making sure we havebetter fuel economy standards.

I think is the name of it is a company in Canada that just developed the new North Star Electric Drive motor.

And what it is is it's three materials.

It's just steel, it has almost the exact same horsepower and savings as a full magnetized electric motor.

And that gets rid of all the rare earth materials.

So the conversationsmoving forward in terms of generation for nuclear power, we're just ongeneration two right now.

And so like what we see right now iswhat we consider like the unsafe type, where if we skip over or leapfrog over what they're proposing for Gen four, it's a completely different conversation in terms of the safety and the natural processes to, to shut down those facilities in terms of an accident.

And when, when you're looking at like, now wehave sodium based batteries, sodium ion batteries that are coming out, which is a byproduct of other manufacturing processes, instead of lithium ion batteries, costly and have humanitarian and civil rights issues that are happening in other countries.

I think that there is a path forward for, again, in all hands on deck strategy to make sure that we have energy dominance,but also national security in a way that, like, we can see that, you know, we go to war in a space across the globe and we're affected by theprices.

When our country is so heavily dependent on one type of energy.

>> Well, you do live in a strong agricultural district.

A lotof farmland across Western Kentucky.

What are you hearing?

I know you just you referenced New World Screwworm shortly.

We know that affects livestock.

What are you hearing from farmers on the campaign trail?

Are they voicing concerns with you about the price of things like diesel, fertilizer prices?

What has been the conversation there?

>> So a lot of it has lack of being able to right to repair for their vehicles and equipment, the costs that go into building and growing their, their farming capabilities, the fact that they need more and more acres to take care of the exact same amount of personal livelihood thatthey've had in the past.

So those dollars, you know, they'regetting paid, but they'regoing less going not as far.

And so, you know, it really, we have a whole farming system promoted into row cropping and global crop markets.

And we have a whole system where our communities don't feel so connected to our farmers anymore.

And so we really need to bebuilding into a system.

And a lot of people are really in favor of that kind of conversation where we diversify, you know, farms so that they have a domestic or a local, a domestic and a global crop to be able to sell shores their, their losses and allows forthemto weather different types of storms.

You know, the goal really making sure that they have access to, to retirement and quality health care.

A lot of farmers that I talk toare like, you know, the, the problem that Ihave with keeping a farmhand year over year is I can't give them health care.

I can't pay them enough to make the make it, make the ends meet.

Unfortunately, you know, Comer was AG commissioner for four years, and I felt like a lot of people had a positive interaction with that.

But since getting toCongress, he's moved out of cattle farming into row cropping.

He saw the writing on the wall and chose to get out of that system instead of trying to fix that system.He's not stood upfor farmers in terms of these rising costs, but he did write a letter to the president about maritime shipping.

And so he has theability to express his needs in these But he hasn't donethat for farmers yet.

And obviously, I think that, you know, he's unfortunately wanting to just send them a government check than createa stability platform in whichthey can actually survive long term.

You know, there is really good policies available with doing conservation set asides for rebuilding our herd.

I'm advocating for 14 million new acres of conservation set asides and availability so that we can strengthen American beef production.

I'm in favor of the bill that Thomas Massie continually promotes, which is theprime act in some variation, which allowsfor more intrastate meat production in terms of what we canhave access to and using USDA inspectors and helping cover those costs for local communities.

>> Okay.

Well, I do want to let's move to health care because you said something about farmers having a time hiring people because they can't pay for their health care.

And that's a concern for a lot of people.

A 2024 report by KFF found that nearly a quarter of all U.S.

adults have overdue medical or dental bills.

That's despite more than 90% of the population havinghealth insurance.

How should Congress address this?

>> So when wemove to the ACA, we moved from having about 25% uninsured rate to having a lot lower uninsured.

But we have a 23% now underinsured.

So we have people whowere paying for health care, either through Medicaid, through Medicare, or through private insurance, but they don't makeenough money to actually spend that usefully to actually go to the doctor.

And so we definitely need a full roundabout in terms ofhow we're addressing that system.

America is really good at operative and recovery Youcan name a topic.

We're pretty good at that.

Preventative systems.

We're really poor at.

So when it comesto your regular checkups, your screenings, helping manage your chronic disease, diseases and illnesses or conditions, routine care, like we're talking about withdental vision or hearing, we just we fail at that part of it.

And then we act like, why is it, why are everything so costly?

It's like, well, emergencies are costly.

is is cheap.

It's just takes a while to get to.

But I alsosee that the main issue we're running into is the vertical integration of health care.

So when your insurance companies are buying up the hospitals and thetreatment facilities and the doctors labs and the pharmacies, we're in a system where it's all about profits and it's not about people.

And we definitely have to change away from that system.

Your coverage needs to mean something.

I mean, if your insurer approves a procedure, you know, they got to really like adhere to that, you know, they should establish plans that if their needs aren't met in a timely fashion orwe're not approved through the insurance company, like there's some automatic approvals so that they can workharder at gettingyou the care you need in a timelyfashion.

I mean, even again, we always about othercountries and their wait list, but we're starting to get up there too.

And we're paying more than everybody else at the same time.

The A proposed 15% profit cap on essential medicines, right.

You know, things that youneed to survive shouldn'tcome at a profit or a profit benefit structure.

Gilead, which is a company that makes a Lou Prevnar, which is an HIV prevention medication, is offering.

They just just kind of cameonto the market forus, us to buy $40 for low income countries to buy.

And so we're seeing the disparity.

>> Well, something else that is costing people a lot more is housing.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the median age for first time home buyers is now 40 years old.

The the interest rate for a 30 year fixed mortgage is above 7%.

Owning your own home.

That'soften been the American dream.

Do you think we've made that dream out of reach for more and more working families?

>> Well, I'll have you know, again, I work construction.

My wife's a school teacher.

We don't own a home.

So I agree that it is definitely getting out of place for people.

I just saw yesterday in my home county, somebody pulled up a tiny home, you know, on a for one bedroom, one bath, literally the size of a trailer, like not a trailer home, a like pull behind trailer.

And so we're seeingagain, like that, the American dream is just really out of place for a lot of people.

I think that studies show we're needing about 4 million new homes, affordable homes, not $400,000 luxury homes that people can't afford.

So I have quite a few policy positions on my website that really talkabout that.

Addressing those systems.

>> Is there an affordable housing shortage in Western Kentucky?

>> Yes,I know in my home county, I think that apartments are on a like six month wait list.

And like houses are, are few.

I mean, again, people just aren't selling in the way that they, they want to be selling right now.

We, we need that transactional trade and it's not happening.

>> So you feel like the supply is there, but people can't afford the not enough supply.

>> I think I think I think both, Ithink people are trying to move into spaces that are getting smallerand smaller as apartments kind ofspring up, but it's not meeting the demand.

We were 290,000 houses short, I think, in the 2024 survey.

By 2029, we're going to be an additional 80,000 houses short.

So I think houses are getting constructed andpeople are moving intothose spaces, but it's justnot needs to beoccurring.

You know, we need to be building 75,000 homes in every county and every district.

That's that's a differentsize home.

But we need tobe building houses about that price for the modern age and allowing people to have some equity and a stake in our community.

And right now, again, I can see why a lot of young people don't feel like they belong in the communities in which they live.

>> We'd on immigration.Politicians on both sides of the aisle have long argued over ways to change our country's immigration system.

What changes would you support?

How would you handle undocumented █migrants that are already in the United States?

>> So Jesus taught me to welcome the stranger, and I believe that we can maintain active borders, immigration law, and treat people with dignity.

I think all three of those things have to together.

It's easy to have low border crossings when people feel likethis is a hostile placeto immigrate to, and so we have to make a change in that regard.

Immigration enforcementhas existed long before Ice.

There have always been concernsabout its practices, but I think we've definitely reached a new low in terms of both training,the executionof that and the availability ofeffective deportations.

We got to prioritize violent criminals, traffickers and people committing fraud or exploiting others.

Timely deportations are and proceedings are necessary, butthat comes at the in lieu of due process and, you know, respecting humanitarian standards.

Senator Rand Paul actually made a really good distinction on Joe Rogan's podcast that I agreed with.

He addressed violent criminals getting deported and but otherwise peaceful areworking and raising families, having a pathway to permanent residency.

And I think that's a great first step as a conversation insteadof just straight to that, that availability for citizenship in this first round of the conversation, because, you know, we're we're wanting to promote the correct documentation and systems for immigration.

And then that would also change the systems in which you do redistricting seats.

I think that the argument has been made that undocumented immigrants pull up a specific House district that gives certain states more power, keeping them inthe census, but removing them from that, that count, that determines district allocation would be a great middle of the road kindof approach to making sure that people feel like this system is done in good faith, you know, longtime residents who have demonstrated paying, they're paying taxes or trying to pay taxes, trying to go through the right way.

I think that they have they have earned that kind of conversation.

>> You would like to see them have a path to citizenship.

>> Permanent residency, permanent to not worrying about like having to constantly carry papers and having to constantly be in that kind of engagement.

You know, the Statue of Liberty says, you know, we have our huddled masses yearning to breathe free,and that's who we are welcoming.

And I think that the immigration system as a whole has majority of people who would be in that category.

We're obviously offering million dollar visas right now.

And so that's a completely different scale of of who America was built for.

>> Well, just three minutes left.And I want to get to artificial intelligencebecause several counties in your district are being asked to thinkabout AI.

We've seen that big data center project in Paducah.

What, guardrails shouldthe federal government put in place on AI?

Are you concerned that too much regulation could slow innovation?

What are.

What are your thoughts on on AI and where we are with that now?

>> I think we rolled out the red carpet for data centers here in Kentucky and across the country, while completely ignoring the guardrails that wouldprotect communities and people in our lands.

The state andfederal government really need to enforceable protections.

So local governments aren't negotiating alone against billionaire, mega wealthy corporations.

I support a moratorium on new construction and on expansion until those laws become enacted.

I have about 11 policies on my website for data centers specifically, andabout 32, I think, policies for AI.

And that covers human rights, creator ethics, civil rights, worker rights.

a whole spectrum of needs that are going to be implemented in this new economy, and we're going to make surethat people are actually being taken care of.We have a lot of work to do in those regards.

Mister comer has, you know, showeda lot of enthusiasm for the $100 billion data center coming in to to Western Kentucky, but he doesn't seem to haveany plans for binding protections or benefit plans for those those structures.

I definitely think he's moreconcerned with impressing his corporate citizens than, than the people who livearound him.

>> Just about90s left now, and you've mentioned your opponent afew times thisevening.

You know, we often hear how Kentucky punches above its weight in Washington.

Your opponent has an influential committee chairmanship of the House Oversight Committee.

So what do you say to voters that they don't influence and that visibility, and that might be a deterrent to them supporting your campaign?

>> Sure.

He is leaving the OversightChair next year.

Regardless, he is termed out.

Also.

He has both feet, both of his feet in the governor's race next year.

So if you haven't seen him or met him recently or in the last ten years he's been in office, you're definitely not going to meet him while he's running for governor.

And so I think it's really important that people understand that these positions aren't supposed to be lifetime appointments.

I'm in favor of term limits.

And so what we should be doing is making sure we have the right person bench, building that bench and making sure that we have a good space going forward that feels like you're represented well.

>> And if your bid is unsuccessful, have you thought about future plans?

Would you do you want to run for public office again?

If this time doesn't work out.

>> For you?

I love being a community servant and I have picked up 35 counties.

I have a really hard time putting down projects.

35 counties is probably what supporting with community service and outreach going forward.

This is either we're going to win in November, or it was one of the greatest campaigns towards seeing what this district was ready for.

And so I am really excited for what the futureholds.

>> Well, we sure appreciate your time this evening.

Thank you, MisterWilliams, for being here when we return.

Our candidate conversations continue with a look at Kentucky's fifth Congressional District.

>> From Fancy Farm to election night, activity is picking up here.

KET is your home for election 2026.

[MUSIC] >> We'll have much more on today's discussion.

>> The movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest either jaded us or revealed secrets as to how mental illnesses were treated.

To see what's new in the treatmentof mental illness in 2026, please join us for next Kentucky Health as we talk with psychiatrist Doctor David Roth about new medical and non-medical treatments for mental illness.

>> Sunday 130 1230 Central on KET.

[MUSIC] Kentucky edition weeknights 635 30 Central on KET.

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[MUSIC] >> There's a sense of terror that crime is out of control.

>> We have become consumed with practices of punishment.

>> It's have a resource like KET because it reaches everyone in thestate.

Itreally brings learning to life.

I think at the core of both the SA and KET is education.

We have worked with education to produce some professional development materials, as well as hosting a professional development event here this summer at the SA.

We know that good content is reaching people throughout the state with the goal of wanting to create a more informed citizenry.

>> On the next inside Louisville, we go inside baseball.

Louisville has a long history with America's favorite pastime, dating back to the 1800s.

But baseball went away here for a very long time, making a major comeback with the minor leagues and of course, theiconic Louisville Slugger that has its own story and pop culture history we go inside baseball on the next Inside Louisville.

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[MUSIC] Friday eight seven central on KET.

>> This week on Kentucky Life.

Once roaring with fire and activity.

Iron furnaces across Kentucky produced the metal that helped shape the state and the nation.

We'll explore the legacy of one of America's important literary voices, Pulaski County native Harriet Simpson Arnow.

We'll explore the setting for thisweek's show, the Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve in Louisville, and we'll look athow the Underground Railroad in Kentucky provided shelter for escapees from slavery and helped send them to freedom.

Join us for Kentucky Life.

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life.

>> Thank you for watching Kentucky tonight.

I'm your host, Laura Rogers.

We are turning our focus to Kentucky's fifth Congressional District.

It covers 33 counties in eastern Kentucky from Rowan and Boyd counties in the north, down through Pike and Letcher counties and into Whitley, Bell and Harlan counties.

Two candidates running in the Fifth Congressional criteria to appear on tonight's program.

Republican Congressman Hal Rogers declined our invitation.

Democrat Ned Pillersdorf accepted.

He is a lawyer from Floyd County.

As always, we want to hear from you.

You can send your questions and comments through X at Public Affairs KET.

Send an email to KY tonight at ket.org or use the web form at ket.org/ky.

Tonight, you can also 47605.

Mr.

Dorf, welcome to you.

Nice to have you this evening.

>> I appreciate you having me.

>> A lot of people know you from your involvement in the Eric C. Kahn case.

For those that don't know, it's been billed as the largest Social security fraud scheme in United States history.

How might your work with that case influence and inform if elected to Congress?

>> The ten years we battled for the almost 4000 former clients of Eric Kahn impacted me, traumatized me.

For those unfamiliar, Kahn basically was involved in a bribery scheme.

I think for seven years he bribed the judge and unfortunately, theSocial Security Administration treated the former Kahn clients, almost 4000 of them, like And we went through these very difficult, rigged hearings where they treated the clients as if they were part of Kahn's coconspirators.

The truth is, you won't finda former client who ever met Eric Kahn.

And I thought I understood rural poverty.

I've been a poverty lawyer in Prestonsburg for 45 years.

But representing those desperate, frightened people who were scared to death of losing their benefits impacted me.

The thing that frustrated me the most, even angered me, was the whole point of Social Security.

When President Roosevelt set it up, was to help the least among us and the Social Security Administration was weaponized.

They put these people through almost 2000 hearings, and it impacted me.

It made me angry.

And what really botheredme was this.

Andthis has not been enough.

I am convinced to this day that if Kahn had been representing,say, people involved in a tax court, wealthy investors, they would never have gone after them as hard as they went after the former Kahn clients.

And I am convinced it was Beverly Hillbillies, anti Appalachian stereotypes.

Having said that, the good newsis we eventually won.

We had the terrible hearings declared unconstitutional,and it was the greatest volunteer effort in history of the nation.

And I am so grateful for the lawyers who flocked in all over to help my vulnerable neighbors, but it impacted me.

And it's one of thereasons I decided to run.

I care about those people.

I care about the people being marginalized and the people who are frightened of losing their health care and losing their $900 a >> We'll talk more about that.

I do want to ask you about this.

Youcited that your congressionaldistrict in Eastern Kentucky, you say, is among the poorest in the country.

What actionable steps need to be taken to alleviate generational poverty?

>> The first thing we need to do is to repeal the big ugly bill.

Andy Beshear said it better than could ever be said.

He said that bill is destructive bill in his lifetime.

It is catastrophic on so many levels.

The Medicaid slashing, the snap, cutting the transfer of of wealth away from the less fortunate to the ultra rich.

We already have a significant hospital shortage in the Fifth Congressional.

And you're right, it is one of the poorest or maybe the poorest in the nation.

I live in Floyd County.

Three counties that border my Magoffin, andnot have no hospitals.

Governor Patton has recorded a commercial for me, and what he says is important in that commercial.

He says, according to the University of North Carolina, there are 15 hospitals at risk of closing once these Medicaid cuts hit next year.

And I don't know what the folks in my district are going to do.

We already have a rural hospital shortage.

We already have affordability shortage in terms of people not being able to pay theirbills.

And where we are rightnow.

You know, when Hal Rogers voted for that bill.

I think he will guarantee we will stay in last place as being the poorest in the nation.

And that's why I decided to run when I, I decided to run when I watched C-Span and I saw the Republicans chanting and there's no congressional in the district who will be hurt more by that big ugly bill than the fifth Congressional District.

And Iwant to get to Washington, repeal that bill.

We need to do something about expanding the Affordable Care Act.

And what's not talked about much is the Affordable Care Act.

That was, I think, elected in 2010 or 2011.

That contained the Medicaid expansion.

And that's deal.

This morning I went to Hardee's in Prestonsburg.

That lady who served me my sausage biscuit makes $10.50 an hour.

Thanks to the Medicaid expansion, she has health care.

Currently, the Republicans are just on a vendetta to rip health care away.

And I saw Rocky Adkins speak very recently in hazard.

And what he said was, and Ihad forgotten this, that when Steve Beshear embraced the Affordable Act, including the Medicaid expansion, the uninsured rate went from 24% to 5%.

Currently, it's going up because of the Republicans have just had this hatred, vendetta, whatever you call it.

But the Affordable Care Act, and I'm all about making sure people have insuranceand not taking it away.

>> Let's goback to you say that there are numerous hospitals that will be at risk of closure in your district when effect in, I believe, in January.

Have you had conversations with hospital administrators?

Have they expressed to you that this could really happen?

>> The answer is yes, I have, and it's already happening.

The one of my counties is Lincoln County.

That's, I think, four hoursaway from Floyd County.

They've already closeda birthing center.

If you are pregnant and pregnant and get ready to give birth, you got to go to Danville.And what we learned in the Universityof North Carolina study is a lot of our hospitals are already fragile.

We are probably the most Medicaid dependent congressional district in the nation.

And our congressman voted for that.

Medicaid slashing.

And it is significant slashing.

We're talking almost $1 trillion.

I don't understand how you can cut billion, ten, 10 to 12 million people losing their Medicaid and not affecting hospitals.

It will just make it worse.

And frankly, it allgoes back to also the affordability.

You know, I'm a lawyer.

If you go to bankruptcy court, why are those people bankrupt?

Medical debt.

And when all these people start losing their health insurance, it'll just make it that much worse.

>> Whatplan does the Democratic affordability issue?

For bringing down prices?

>> You know, we first of all, we got to getrid of these ridiculous tariffs.

We got a president who thinks Canada is our enemy and Russia is our friend.

The tariffs are terrible.

And frankly, you know, I'm a Democrat.

You know, I came to Kentucky in 1980 because my hero was Jimmy Carter.

I traveled with his campaign.

My Democratic Party is that we are viewed as a New York, California elitist party.

I'm running as a rural Democrat.

We have different issues.

We have huge areas of East Kentucky and a fifth congressional.

They can't drink the water yet.

We're still hauling water to the small community in Perry County in Martin County.

It's been historic.

The chronic water shortage.

We have different issues.

get to Congress, would be to focus on rural issues, getting better, internet, fixing this water situation, which is just intolerable.

And just getting infrastructure grants to rebuild our economy.

Because right now, the Republican Party is just doing the opposite, pulling out with the infrastructure,all to give tax cuts to the the wealthiest among us.

>> Let's talk education, because you have indicated that community college should be free.

You can tell.

Let us knowif that's still your position onthat.

And if so, how do you propose funding that would provide that?

>> I think community college should be free.

Weshould be moving in that direction.

You know, once upon a time you could afford to goto a state university.

That's really problematic.

Now, you know, not only am I a lawyer, but what's affected me for the last 30 years, I've been involved with the David School inFloyd County.

School is famous.

There's actually a a documentary on, I guess, Amazon Prime about the David school.

That school is one of the in one of the poorest areas in the nation.

I've been to basketball coach.

I'm currently the executive director, but we got to do something about education.

The.

You know, we got todo something about getting internet.

If you go to.

David Kentucky right now, you may or may not get cell phone service.

You mayor may not be on the internet.

We don't charge tuition at the David school, but I'm passionate about that.

And the idea that so many kids in East Kentucky just can't afford to go to college.

I want to makecommunity college free.

And I think we ought to be doing what Carl D Perkins wanted.

What I if you go to Hindman today, there's a there's a plaque about all of Carl D Perkins statutes.

In my view, he was thegreatest congressman we ever had, and every one of his accomplishmentswas, what can we doabout education?

Student loans, Pell grants, vocational training.

And right now, the fact is, the Republicans are just about everything on every one of Carl D. Perkins accomplishments.

voted downtoday by the radical Republicans, whose only goal in life seems tobe tax cuts for theultra rich and ripping away the safety net that my my vulnerable neighbors in East Kentucky desperately need.

>> And their argument may be that it'scontributing to the deficit, and they want tochip away at that.

They say that leads to inflation.

What is your response to that?

>> I mean, that they have to cut programs for the deficit.

That's laughable.

The reason the deficit is now the highest is because of the tax giveaways to the ultra wealthy.

We have the situation now with the biggest corporations pay zero tax.

And that, in my opinion, is all linked to the fact that we have a corrupt campaign finance system that millionaires, billionaires and even one particular trillionaire, they get all these tax breaks, and that's what's exploding the deficit.

You know, I tell my Republican friends once upon a time, the Republicans used tocare about the deficit.

Have you been paying attention to what's going on lately?

The deficit is exploding because of these tax giveaways to the ultra rich.

I think the Republicans have made the political calculation, and it may be right.

The people I care about, the people on Snap, the people on Medicaid who depend on Meals on Wheels, they don't vote in substantial numbers.

The Republicans think they can crush them and it won'thurt them at the ballot box.

Well, I'm running because I care about those people.

I've spent the last 45 years as a poverty lawyer in Floyd County, Kentucky.

It's a poverty stricken county, and I'm sick and tired of the Congressional District being the poorest in the nation.

And when Hal Rogers voted for that big, ugly bill as Governor Patton put it, he sold us out.

And that's why I'm running.

I want to get us out of last place.

>> Do you support work requirements for some of these, some of the safety or the social benefits programslike Snap, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as food stamps?

Do are on that should have to work to attain those benefits?

>> I, I generally disagree with work requirements.

You know, one of the big ugly bill, if you're 64, they're going to make you go to work to keep your your Medicaid can a 64 year old work 40, 80 hours a week?

I mean, this is justa war on the less fortunate by this radical Republican Party who is decided to do this class warfare.

And no congressional district in the country will be hurt more by this big, ugly bill.

And that's why I'm running.

>> Eastern Kentucky was hit hard by the opioid crisis.

Are you satisfied with efforts there to tackle addiction recovery and rehabilitation?

>> You know, I you know, I have done some criminal defense.

And what's changed in the last 20 years, 20 years ago, I hardly represented awoman.

Most of my clients today are women hooked on methamphetamine.

Going back to the big ugly bill and the Medicaid cutting the difference.

Now from ten, 15 years ago.

How can I get these women out of jail?

Medicaid will pay for drug rehab when these people start losing their Medicaid, I. My prediction is drug rehabs will close and these women hooked on meth, they're going to go tojail.

I want him to get help.

I like drug rehabs.

And they have expanded.

My concern is we're going to go the otherdirection.

Starting January when these Medicaid cuts kick in.

>> You you said this a moment ago that you call yourself a rural Democrat.

What does that mean to you?

Will you elaborate a little more on that?

And what issues doyou you're out in your district and you're meeting with voters, many of them who voted for President Trump?

What are you hearingfrom them on the campaign trail?

>> You know, I've made about 200 stops around the district, and I've listened and I would say 90% of the concerns about when I was in BellCounty in the mill, is the Middlesboro Hospital going to close?

Are people going to hospital, lose their job?

That's what people care about.

We are losing population in the fifth Congressional District, and I can't think of a worse bill.

To make things worse than the big ugly bill.

And there's a perception that somehow my opponents are a moderate Republican.

Who cares?

He's an extreme Republican.

You know, it's interesting, about a year ago, I didn't talk much Trump in the district.

As you mentioned, he was kind of popular then.

But I was in I was recently in Clay County, and I mentioned the fact that we had this situation on January 6th with these criminal domestic terrorists.

They stormed the Capitol.

Fortunately, the Democrats tried to stop the payment of this crazy payment of $1.8 billion.

You know, Hal Rogers voted to pay those criminals.

And I just think disconnect between, what 88 year old Hal Rogers is doing and what the needs of our district.

And that's why I've decided to run.

>> This week will markeight months since the U.S.

war with Iran began.

President Donald Trump has said Iran was close to developing nuclear weapons.

Do you support the idea that Iran should not have nuclear capabilities?

>> You agreement for Iran not to have nuclear weapons.

You know, initially we bombed Iran before this ridiculous war, and we claim we the Trump administration claimed we obliterated them.

And now we've attacked them.

This may be the greatest foreign policy blunder in the history ofour country.

Not a single one ofour allies, with a possible exception of Israel, supports this And.

The deal was Iran was on a path not to havenuclear weapons.

And now we're in this crazy situation.

And as a direct result, we have these gas prices.

It's not just the gasoline prices, as.

Which is a direct result of this war.

And by the way, my opinion, why did Trump startthe war to deflect from the Epstein files?

I really think there's no logic to why we're there.

And, you know, more troubling, not only are the gasoline prices, but the diesel prices.

And I think we're in a in line for a rough economic road because of the diesel prices.

We never should have.

If I'd get to Congress, I'd vote to end this war the first dayI get there.

>> What about the relationship between theUnited States and Israel?

What do you think that should looklike?

>> You know, I'm very you know, I believe Israel is a democracy.

It ought to exist.

I do not support Netanyahu.

I think he can't jump into this ridiculous war.

And frankly, I'm hoping this week Netanyahu gets beat.

You know, Netanyahu, he is really just blended in and joined the Republican Party in the United States.

I'm against that.

I think if you're a foreign policy leader from another country should not get involved in our domestic politics.

And unfortunately, the Republican Party has embraced Netanyahu.

And we have this terrible situation in Gaza.

And, you know, the Middle East has been a problem for years.

But frankly, has it ever been worse thanright now?

And I blame Netanyahu.

I blame the Republican administration, and I blame people like Hal Rogers who won't stand up to Trump and stop this.

>> There havebeen some big data center projects proposed for your district.

And of course, thatpowers artificial intelligence.Another part of the of the big conversation right now.

Where do you stand on the construction and placement of these data centers.

>> For heavily regulating them?

You know, at the end of theday, what are these data centers?

They're artificial intelligence.

And what the big corporations want to do is use a computer to replace human beings and cause unemployment.

And I think we're going in a dangerous direction.

And I'm very suspicious of the people wanting to set up these data centers.

And I think we need strict regulation.

And I would support a moratorium on them.

>> You you have been on the record saying that you expect Democrats will do very well next week.

I believe I heard you say you predict a blue tsunami wave in the midterms.

What are you seeing in Eastern Kentucky that suggests that.

>> I have never been more convinced than right now that we're not going to see a blue wave.

We're going to see a blue tsunami wave.

Right now, Trump's numbers are at Richard Nixon levels.

You remember in the first Trump midterm, we flipped 40 seats.

In my if we only flipped 40 seats this time, I'd be disappointed.

We only need toflip 3 or 4 for the Democrats to take control.

And I tell my my friends in the Fifth Congressional, you know, Hal Rogers likes to brag.

He has allthis influence.

Somebody isgoing to beelected 2027 to the Fifth Congressional.

Will there be an 8990 year old congressman in the minority?

I don't think he'll get much done.

I think if I go to Congress and I will tellmy fellow Democrats,you got to start listening torural America, I think I can get something done to help help our region.

And boy, does the Fifth Congressional need help.

And if anybody tries to suggest to you we're booming ordoing well, they simply haven't been paying attention to what's going on in our district.

>> You have spoken your opponent's age.

He is in hislate 80s, been in Congress a longtime, brought a lot of money back to Eastern Kentucky.

But do you support term limits, age restrictions, when you bring thatup?

Is that where you're going with that argument?

>> How Rogers isn't here tonight.

We've had 4 or 5 congressionaldebates.

I've actually havetwo independents running.

He hasn't shown any of them.

We had a debate scheduled actually in his hometown of Somerset.

He didn't show up.

You know, it was kind of interesting.Right now, Kentucky has two.

Representativeshave been there a long time, Mitch McConnell and Hal Rogers.

McConnell, in fairness to him,made the wise decision given his health and his age, not torun again.

Rogers actually four years older, Rogers is not here tonight.

because he doesn't want to be.

I don't know that he'sable.

If you've seen him lately, interviewed, he has trouble putting sentences together.

I think we need an act of Congressman.

Because my district needs so much.

And the idea that we'll have a 90 year old in the minority as a Republican in the minority, I don't think he'll get much, too much done for our our district needs a lot of help.

>> I'm sure you you probably hear from voters.

I mean, Congressman Rogers has a lot of influence in Washingtonbecause of the time that he'sbeen there.

His visibility.

He's on the House Appropriations Committee.

What do you say to those voters that that they want to continue to vote for that experience and that high profile candidate?

>> Well, I think the reality is Hal Rogers and the Republicans arenot going to be inthe majority.

They're going to be in the minority.

And frankly, his voting record lately is alarming.

There was a recent bill to increase funding for low income schools.

Rogers voted against it.

In fact, he voted for a 26% cut.

Is there a congressionaldistrict in the country who has more low income schools than us?

I think he has lost touch.He has joined the radical wing of the party.

You know, it was kind of interesting.

The only campaign appearances Rogers has made, he's held up these big infrastructure checks.

The truth is.

When the Biden infrastructure bill, it was a big bill, 1.2 trillion.

Rogers actually issued a press release saying he's against it because it's leading us.

I think he said,to fast tracktowards socialism.

I believe in infrastructure.We need in East Kentucky.

And out of touch.

And anybody tells you that, well, he canget stuff done, why was he against the infrastructure bill?

That's the best thing that happened.

East Kentucky, we need that.

>> Whatare you seeing as far as housing in Eastern Kentucky?

Do you have an affordable housing shortage?

We know owning your own home is a goal for a lot of a lot of people, a lot of families.

Is realistic goal for those in Eastern.

>> A terrible affordability crisis?

That's why we're losing population.

People can't afford rent, you know, it's interesting.

The only real boomtown in the Fifth Congressionalis Pikeville.

You know, part of that is we have 4000 peopleworking at the Pikeville center, and we have the University ofPikeville, which is sprawling.

That's the one place where actually people want to can they canafford to live there.

The rest of the district, people are struggling.

I think it causes all sorts of other social problems.

Drug addiction.

And we have a huge affordability crisis.

And so much of our district is still struggling.

And it's, you know, it's been that way for 45 years now.

>> Immigration isanother concern about 90s left in our conversation.

What about immigration?

>> Is I would have voted for the the the bill from James Lankford had a bill from Oklahoma Republican.

I would have voted for that.

That would have secured our border.

And stopped all this ice harassment of immigrants.

I think what Ice is doing is terrible.

I don't like the ideaof Ice agents running into Mexican restaurants, arresting these hardworking people, chasing them into strawberry fields.

I would have voted for the James Lankford bipartisan infrastructure bill.

>> Would you likeIce to be abolished, reformed?

What?

How would you like that agency to operate?

>> I want it to be reformed and downscaled.

What we're seeing now isa problem with ISIS.

These Ice agents, they legally may have what's called immunity.

I'm a lawyer.

That means they can do what they want and not be any time you have out of control, ill trained Ice officers harassing citizens, I just think we have to stop demonizing people who look different.

And unfortunately, that's where the Republican Party is right now.

Demonizing immigrants, gay people, immigrants.

Youknow, I'm a Martin Luther King guy.

I think we ought to judgepeople on the contentof their character and nothing.

>> Else we appreciate your time so much this evening.

Thank you.

And thank youfor watching.

We'll seeyou back here for Kentucky edition tomorrow night.