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Incumbent U.S. Representative Neil Abercrombie and Republican challenger Orson Swindle meet for a rematch of their close 1994 congressional race, with no calls taken. Abercrombie opens by defending Hawaii-specific federal programs that mainland Republican groups label wasteful, including brown tree snake control; Swindle questions the program's effectiveness while agreeing Hawaii is unique. The tax debate is sharp: Swindle argues Hawaii families pay a combined federal and state burden among the highest in the nation, and cites slower economic growth under the Clinton administration than under Reagan; Abercrombie says the 1993 budget reduced the deficit by more than half and that tax increases fell entirely on the wealthy. On defense, Swindle charges Abercrombie with voting to shrink the Navy and costing Pearl Harbor jobs; Abercrombie, serving on the National Security Committee, says he is aligned with military leadership on Pacific strategy and that new submarines are already arriving. The bitterest exchange concerns welfare reform: Swindle says Abercrombie voted against the bill four times; Abercrombie says the Republican bill cut benefits to legal immigrants who pay taxes, and that he supported a bipartisan substitute instead. Each closes by arguing his party's congressional majority will better serve Hawaii after November 5th.
Transcript
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Companion newspaper commentaries
Commentaries by the guests, published in The Honolulu Advertiser around the broadcast.
