Gilly & GOPer in caravan clash
The caravan of Central Americans heading to the US became a flashpoint Thursday in the only debate between Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican challenger Chele Farley.
“People are calling it a caravan, I call it an invasion,” Farley said in the half-hour showdown, which will air Sunday on WABC/Channel 7.
“The real issue here is we have to get comprehensive immigration reform. There was an offer on the table, and Sen. Gillibrand wouldn’t vote for it.”
Gillibrand responded: “You have people in this caravan to seek asylum in this country.
“Immigration has always been a strength in this country. We are a country founded by immigrants. So we need to fix our broken immigration system.”
The debate between the two Senate contenders was civil, but the differences on the issues were stark.
Farley, a financier making her first run for office, slammed Gillibrand for calling for the abolition of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Gillibrand said ICE had strayed from its mission and become a rogue deportation force.
On health care, Gillibrand said she supports “Medicare for all,” while Farley denounced the idea of a universal government-run program as unaffordable, saying it would cost taxpayers $32 trillion over 10 years.
Trying to quash speculation that she’s planning to run for president in 2020, Gillibrand, who has held her seat since 2009, pledged to serve her full six-year term if re-elected next month.