10th District congressional candidates clash in televised debate | Online Athens

ATLANTA | Spending and the Constitution dominated a Sunday debate between the front-runners in the Republican primary for the 10th District.

Donna Sheldon pounced on Mike Collins for saying early in the campaign that he would have voted to raise the federal debt ceiling.

“I’ve explained this, and I’ll be glad to explain it again,” he said, adding that he would extend it while also imposing a plan for reducing it.

Sheldon disagreed, saying spending should be cut first.

“We have got to cut spending. We can’t continue to raise the debt limit,” she said.

And Jody Hice took fire from several directions about his interpretation of the Constitution because he has said he opposes any federal programs not envisioned by the Founding Fathers in their draft of the document.

Hice, whose platform is based on ending federal programs that are not part of the Founding Father’s original intent when they drafted the Constitution, was stumped when asked if he supported repeal of the 19th and 26th amendments since they weren’t part of the original document.

“I never claimed to be a constitutional scholar,” he said. “Being a constitutionalist doesn’t mean you have the whole document memorized.”

After another candidate said they concerned giving women and 18-year-olds the vote, Hice said he is opposed to repealing them.

Also in the contest are Gary Gerrard, Mitchell Swan, Stephen Simpson and Brian Slowinski.

via 10th District congressional candidates clash in televised debate | Online Athens.