U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., squared off against Republican opponent Chad Lee in a debate on foreign policy at the University of Wisconsin Sunday.
Baldwin emphasized the importance of her constituency, while Lee pointed to the need for a well-defined game plan on military strategy.
During the debate at Granger Hall, Baldwin referenced her record of relying on expertise and experience from members of the 2nd District to influence her decision-making ability in Congress.
However, Lee argued both Baldwin and Congress exhibit a lack of a strong strategy on multiple issues, such as the conflict in Afghanistan.
“We need to realize that right now, we don’t have a game plan. What I want to see first and foremost is a game plan,” Lee said.
Lee, who mentioned multiple times the need to fight for women’s rights across the globe, also argued ending funding prematurely for the war in Afghanistan could jeopardize the ability of the U.S. to secure proper education for Afghan women.
Baldwin countered by saying the U.S. cannot seek to militarily intervene in other countries based solely on women’s rights violations and should instead use other diplomatic tools to achieve those goals.
“What about the Congo, where women are being raped by the thousands? What about Darfur”? Baldwin asked. “When we send our troops into harm’s way, it must be to secure vital U.S. interests.”
Baldwin highlighted her own case-by-case foreign policy experience as a member of Congress as an example of her foreign policy expertise, including helping to facilitate international adoptions and visas.
Citizens of Madison and students and faculty at UW have strongly influenced her tenure in Congress, Baldwin said.
Baldwin also seemed to question Lee’s grasp of certain issues, such as the Millennium Development Goals. Lee said he would use his experience as a business owner to advance legislation to pursue the development goals, which include eliminating extreme poverty and hunger.
“First you start by knowing what the Millennium Goals are,” Baldwin said, adding she would pursue the goals by promoting foreign aid and micro-lending.
The candidates also disagreed on the appropriate level of U.S. foreign aid. Baldwin argued foreign aid actually benefits the U.S. economy and is an important diplomacy tool, while Lee said U.S. interests should come first.
Baldwin and Lee did agree on several issues, including the continued viability of a two-state solution in Israel and an easier pathway to citizenship for immigrants.
Lee used his last trip to visit his wife’s family in southern Texas to illustrate the need to streamline the citizenship process as well as how the tension over the immigration debate has escalated.
Lee compared the scene near the border to a war zone, describing barracks and soldiers with machine guns, but still emphasized the need to secure the border, even if that means building a fence.
Baldwin voted against the construction of the border fence.
On the subject of Cuba, Baldwin said she would support a policy shift that opened the door for trade and person-to-person exchange, specifically for farmers in the 2nd District who could potentially trade with Cubans.
Lee also agreed the situation with Cuba could necessitate a policy shift.
There are currently no other 2nd Congressional District debates scheduled for the two candidates.
