Paul Miller, left, and Blake Moore during a 1st Congressional District GOP primary debate at the Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City, Monday, June 10, 2024. (Pool photo by Chris Samuels/The Salt Lake Tribune)
Rhetoric versus reality, spending and deal breakers in the U.S. House of Representatives were some of the highlights in a debate ahead of the Republican primary election for the 1st Congressional District.
Rep. Blake Moore, who has been in the role since 2021, faces Paul Miller, a South Ogden electrician for the Republican nomination in the November general election. The hopefuls discussed their views on issues such as Russia, immigration, abortion, guns and health care in a debate broadcast by PBS Utah and moderated by podcaster Julie Rose.
Similar to a debate earlier in the day for the 2nd Congressional District, the incumbent spoke about forging relationships with counterparts and reaching compromises in a slim Republican majority. But, Miller criticized that Moore has voted for spending bills that “fund Biden’s agenda.”
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“I’m not running the compromise. I think that the Republican Party has compromised their principles too much. And it seems like the Democrats are the only ones that win out of the compromise,” Miller said.
However, Moore said, even with a narrow majority, Republicans have been able to support defense agencies while saving about $2 trillion in other expenses in a budget cycle.
“It’s easy to vote no. When you’re in the majority though, you’ve got to lead and we’ve been back there trying to lead this through,” Moore said. “I support Speaker Johnson in his effort to try to trim out as much of this budget as we possibly can, while keeping all of President Biden’s other initiatives that he would want to do completely at bay.”
Blake Moore during a 1st Congressional District GOP primary debate at the Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City, Monday, June 10, 2024. (Pool photo by Chris Samuels/The Salt Lake Tribune)
The issue of government shutdown was another controversial piece among the candidates, with Moore arguing that the action hasn’t ever solved the country’s debt. He would go to a shutdown if the Republican Conference were united in a plan.
“If we’re fractured, and we already got what we required a bit, then going to a shutdown would be arbitrary and will be for political points, which I’m not back in Washington to do,” Moore said.
Miller disagreed, stating he wouldn’t vote against a government shutdown, which he described as an “abusive process” from congressional leadership.
Miller also pledged to push for policies that benefit the middle class, such as tax cuts. During the debate he expressed concerns about votes for budget deficits, which he said may cause inflation.
But, the vast majority of the approved appropriations support the country’s defense, veterans and border security, Moore said, which make up a sizable workforce in the 1st district.
“That’s the big misnomer that often gets missed in a lot of the rhetoric that you’ll see. But the reality is, we need to make sure that we support our defense community,” Moore said. “And especially when you represent 25,000 plus individuals serving every day to support our defense community.”
Paul Miller during a 1st Congressional District GOP primary debate at the Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City, Monday, June 10, 2024. (Pool photo by Chris Samuels/The Salt Lake Tribune)
Miller also repeated support for Trump policies, such as finishing a wall at the southern border, which he deemed “a huge safeguard as far as illegal immigration,” and securing elections.
However, on one point, both candidates distanced themselves from some of Trump’s statements; who should regulate abortions.
Trump has said in the past he believed that decisions on abortion should be left to states. Though his plan for abortion is not yet clear, Trump said on Monday that he would work “side by side” with a newly formed religious organization that says abortion should be “eradicated entirely.”
Though Miller initially said that abortion needed to remain in the states’ power, he later agreed that he would be in favor of a national abortion ban.
Moore said that there is no legislation regarding a federal abortion ban, but if it came up, he would support it, “if it is something that will protect the sanctity of life.”
Ultimately, Moore hopes this is something that won’t be “so combative,” and more about the affected women and children.
“We’ll see how President Trump is going to be able to deal with this and handle this,” Moore added.
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