Senate candidates debate healthcare, abortion, stocks

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(The Center Square) - Republican candidates running for U.S. Senate in Georgia debated healthcare policies, access to abortion and congressional stock trading on Sunday.

The Atlanta Press Club hosted former football coach Derek Dooley, John Coyne, retired brigadier general Jonathan McColumn and Reps. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and Mike Collins, R-Ga., for a debate centered on campaign issues ahead of early voting on Monday.

The candidates said there is an affordability crisis nationwide and called for expanded access to healthcare while lowering prices. Dooley called for greater price transparency in healthcare access.

“We need a lot of changes in our healthcare system as it relates to transparency, as it relates to putting patients and doctors first, and as it relates to innovation because the system we’re in now is not working,” Dooley said.

Georgia’s Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act, often referred to as the “heartbeat law,” bans abortions once fetal heart activity is detected. When pressed on his support for the law, Dooley said it was “not the way I would have written it.”

“That’s the law of the land, it’s been that way for six years and I just don’t think the U.S. Senate and federal government should weigh in on it,” Dooley said.

The former football coach reiterated his support for the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and asserted that states have a right to decide guidelines.

Dooley criticized the Affordable Care Act and said it has been used to provide government-backed health insurance for individuals who “make plenty of money.”

McColumn proposed increased competition to lower healthcare costs. He said the competition in the insurance industry would benefit patients and doctors alike.

“We can expect those people who need insurance to have to compete with more or have access to more competitors,” McColumn said.

Carter also called for reform to the healthcare industry. He highlighted work in Congress to reform insurance and pharmacy benefit managers, as well as President Donald Trump’s efforts through TrumpRx to establish a database that provides pharmaceuticals at lower prices.

“We can bring prices down through competition,” Carter said. “We’re having to subsidize the affordable care act. Any time you have to subsidize a federal program it tells you it ain’t working.”

All candidates in the debate were asked whether they would support a ban on congressional stock trading. Collins said he was a staunch supporter of bans on congressional stock trading and pointed out that he is a cosponsor of the Restore Trust in Congress Act, a bipartisan bill that would ban members of Congress from insider trading.

“Let’s ban that and get on with what we’re supposed to be doing up there and that is getting this place back on track and getting the federal government under control,” Collins said.

Coyne, Dooley and McColumn also said they would support a ban on members of Congress trading stocks. Carter said he would support the ban but warned a it may deter individuals from running for office.

“We’re a citizen legislature and we have different people from all walks of life and from all levels of income,” Carter said. “Some of the people, it will deter them in a way and it frightens me a little.”

Carter said he owns stocks, but they are managed by a third party, as required by the law. Carter has $11.53 million in stock trading volume, according to publicly accessible data.

“I don’t have any control over it, that’s the decision I made personally,” Carter said.

Georgia’s primary election is May 19 and early voting begins on Monday, April 27. Sunday's debate was part of the Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series featuring statewide candidates.