Kaine responded:

When the global economy was hit hard after Covid disrupted well-established supply chains, the U.S. recovered better than any advanced economy, but there’s more to do. I proudly cast a deciding vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which slashed prescription drug costs by capping insulin prices at $35 per month, enabling Medicare to negotiate lower prices, and capping out of pocket costs. Inflation in the U.S. has been consistently falling since then as a result. Passing strong domestic manufacturing and infrastructure bills is also creating good jobs shoring up supply chains, thus reducing prices. America is also accelerating domestic production of clean, cheap renewable power because of the Inflation Reduction Act. I will keep working to lower costs for families. We’ve increased federal support to lower child care costs and I have a bipartisan bill to supercharge existing tax credits and expand child care. Lastly, we must bring back the expanded Child Tax Credit and make it permanent. When we did this, it benefitted 1.7 million Virginia children and cut child poverty to the lowest rate ever.”

Cao responded:

Everything that’s going wrong in our country right now stems from our wide-open southern border, and Virginians across the Commonwealth know it. Housing costs are at an all-time high because we have tens of millions of people here that were not here just a few years ago for which we need to provide housing. To make matters worse, the Biden-Harris administration is spending a billion dollars a day on illegal immigrants, driving up the cost of living for everyone else. When I am elected to the U.S Senate, my first priority will be to secure our border and stop the U.S. from spending taxpayer dollars on illegal immigrants. By doing so, we will lower the cost of living for everyone and provide relief for Americans who have been hurt by Bidenomics, sky high housing costs, and increased costs for goods and services.

Cao also responded with a quote from Tuesday’s debate at Norfolk State University:  

Right now we need to be energy independent. That is the crux of everything. If it costs more for a farmer to farm their land, it’s gonna cost more for a trucker to bring it there. What they’ve made us dependent on oil from countries that hate us like Iran and Venezuela. These countries hate us in the Middle East. We need to be energy independent in this country. That means unleashing all the energy we can get to bring forth American power. I heard him say at a forum a couple weeks ago that solar and wind are more efficient than nuclear power. Can you imagine one of our aircraft carriers on wind power? Do you want to put sails on there? I’m a warrior by trade but also I’m an engineer and a physicist. I’m telling you right now that’s wrong. Nuclear power is the most clean and efficient form of energy out there and we need to exploit more of that in Virginia and we need to be energy independent and stop being dependent on other countries.

Anderson responded:

We need to put country over party to balance the budget and lower costs. Congress absolutely should not get paid if the budget isn’t balanced. The amount of spending in recent years has really hurt the middle and working class.

My opponent is sadly on the other side of this issue — he believes in the failed policies of the past that led to higher costs and more inflation.

Also, our small businesses are a key part of economic growth. I grew up in a Spotsylvania small business family — I washed dishes and mopped floors at my mom’s restaurants — and I’ll always fight for our small businesses and their employees. I see the impacts of high costs on my home district every day and offer a clear contrast from my opponent on this issue.

Vindman responded:

When my wife and I head to the store to pick up groceries or fill up our minivan on the way to pick up our daughter from school, we get the same sticker shock that I know everyone feels.

Costs are still too high, and we have to do better. In Congress, I will work across the aisle to lower the cost of everyday goods, cut excessive regulations so we can build more housing and make it affordable to buy or rent, and work to bring high-paying jobs to our region so that working families have the resources to thrive.

The COVID pandemic showed us all that vulnerabilities in our supply chain can have major downstream effects. We must strengthen our supply chain by investing in American manufacturing so that in case we face another global pandemic, we are not at the mercy of foreign countries.

Supply chain constraints are only one of the causes of the cost of everyday goods becoming unaffordable. Over the last few years, as families have been hurting, these major retailers are seeing record profits. If elected I will take on these price-gouging monopolies, and break up companies that are stifling innovation and hurting consumers.

To lower the cost of housing, I will work with local, regional, and state partners to cut burdensome regulations that make it too expensive to build new housing. The 7th district is an amazing place to live and raise a family, and an appropriate housing supply must be available to meet the high demand for housing here.

The past few years have laid bare what many of us have already known: for too long our economy has been working for those at the top while leaving the rest of us behind. We must invest in our middle and working class families. In office I will work with leaders in industry, and labor, to bring high-paying jobs to our region. I will secure federal funding to bring more manufacturing to Virginia and make sure our schools have the resources they need.

Kaine responded:

As parents of children who went through the public school system, my wife Anne and I know firsthand the power that good teachers have to change kids’ lives for the better. There are about 4,500 teacher vacancies in Virginia, and the highest vacancy levels tend to be in schools with higher concentrations of Black students and students living in poverty. I have introduced several bills to combat teacher shortages. For example, my bipartisan Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals (PREP) Act would address teacher and principal shortages, particularly in rural communities, and increase teacher diversity by expanding the definition of “high need” districts under the Every Student Succeeds Act. I also have a bill called the Supporting Teaching and Learning through Better Data Act, which would address teacher workforce shortages by strengthening data collection on the teacher workforce. Moreover, we must take steps like expanding access to Pre-K to close achievement gaps. When I was Governor, I worked across the aisle to expand Pre-K enrollment in Virginia by 40 percent. Earlier this year, I successfully pushed for a $1 billion increase for early childhood learning in child care in the government funding package, which included a $66.5 million increase in funding to support universal pre-K for service member families.

Cao responded:

My parents wanted me to achieve more than they had. I want my kids to be able to exceed my accomplishments. Every American wants the next generation to be more successful than their own.

We are the wealthiest country in the history of the world. Our schools should be excellent, and parents should have the power to demand that. If parents feel that their child’s education is not up to their standard, they should be able to take their tax dollars to a school that does meet that standard. School choice gives power back to parents and ensures that your future isn’t determined by your zip code. When we escaped Vietnam right before the fall of Saigon to the Communists, my parents dreamed of a place where their children can thrive. They taught us that your money or your title can be taken away in the blink of an eye, but your knowledge is forever. We owe the same commitment to our children and our children’s children.

Anderson did not respond.

Vindman responded:

As the father of two kids currently in public school, and the husband of a former public school teacher, who taught all over the country and overseas, I see the gaps in our public education system every day. My daughter does not have a permanent language arts teacher.  We also have kids learning in trailers rather than in classrooms. This is a problem across our district.

Growing up in an immigrant family, my brothers and I attended high-quality public schools that allowed our family to live the American dream; but for too many communities the lack of necessary resources is keeping kids back, teachers away, and success out of reach for too many families. In Congress, I commit to being a partner for every community in the 7th district and fight to ensure they have the resources to support every student, and I will fight back against MAGA extremists on local school boards who are plotting to ban books and compromise our kids’ education.

I will work across the aisle to secure federal funding to increase teacher pay, rebuild schools, and bring technology into the classroom. I will also use my position to foster more relationships between our schools and the building trades, ensuring that students interested in pursuing a career in the trades have a clear path to enrolling in an apprenticeship program after graduation. I will work to build consensus around common-sense solutions to lower the costs of college, including community colleges, so that every hard-working student who wants to pursue a college degree is able to do so, no matter their family’s financial situation. But more than any solution that I can propose, I will always look to the local leaders, educators, students, and parents for their ideas, and find ways I can support them as they fight to make our schools the best in the country.

Kaine responded:

No state is more closely connected to the military than Virginia. As the father of a Marine, I know firsthand that military families, veterans, and service members face unique challenges and need leaders who understand them. That’s why I’ve made it a top priority in the Senate to support veterans, servicemembers, and their families.

In 2022, I helped pass the PACT Act, which expanded health care and benefits through the VA to toxic-exposed veterans and marked the largest expansion of VA health care in nearly 30 years. I have also passed legislation to ease servicemembers’ transition into the civilian workforce by helping them use the skills they developed in the military to obtain a workforce credential to help them get a good job, and help remove barriers to maternal and postpartum mental health care in the military. Last month, I cosponsored legislation to help end homelessness among veterans by guaranteeing access to a housing voucher for all veterans who need it and protecting veteran families using a voucher from facing housing discrimination.

Additionally, I worked to pass the Brandon Act to provide servicemembers with key mental health support by empowering them to get the help they need confidentially. The legislation was named in honor of Brandon Caserta, who died by suicide in 2018 while he was stationed at Naval Station Norfolk. I continue to relentlessly advocate for DOD to fully implement this law.

Cao responded:

Veterans’ issues will always be near and dear to my heart as a twenty-five year Navy combat veteran who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. Our servicemembers and veterans deserve to have access to appropriate and timely healthcare, and mental health services. The idea that we are feeding and clothing illegal aliens while 80,000 of our veterans are homeless on the streets makes my blood boil. Our men and women in uniform deserve to have a Commander-in-Chief and Congress which supports their efforts across the globe. We continue to fight a proxy war in Ukraine without robust debate about the financial burden or national security implications to our country. Americans deserve to know from the Administration the desired end-state. Our military must have the resources it needs to face growing instability around the world. Right now, we face abysmal recruiting numbers and deficits in overall readiness. This is a leadership problem first and foremost and our active duty servicemembers deserve better. Make no mistake, as your United States Senator, I will work to ensure our veterans receive the resources and support that they deserve.

Anderson responded:

Vindman responded:

As a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Army, and the husband of a current U.S. Army Reservist, I don’t just appreciate the unique needs of our veteran population—I’ve lived them. The servicemen and women who’ve dedicated their lives to protecting our country and our freedoms deserve leaders who are focused on following through on the solemn duty to our veterans, not just using them as props for their political gains. In Congress, I will:

First, I will protect the existing, hard-earned benefits of veterans from attacks from MAGA extremists. The Project 2025 blueprint for a MAGA-controlled federal government has proposed slashing funding for veterans’ healthcare and housing programs, and cutting dual compensation benefits for disabled vets. It also has proposed replacing the career civil servants at the VA—men and women who have decades of experience—with partisan actors who don’t know the first thing about delivering for our veterans. If elected, I will fight tooth and nail to stop this extreme agenda and ensure that there are no cuts to existing programs to support our veteran community.

Second, I will build on recent bipartisan progress, such as the landmark PACT Act that veterans have fought for decades to make a reality. The PACT Act has meant that millions of veterans previously denied care can now access their hard-earned benefits without having to fight tooth and nail to prove their eligibility. In Congress, I will work to both ensure this legislation is effectively implemented by the VA and build on it so we can ensure that no veteran’s legitimate claims are doubted or turned away when they go to seek vital medical benefits.

Last, if I am elected, I will fight to secure the necessary resources to provide holistic support to our veterans. From guaranteeing funding for job training and placement support, to providing funding for home ownership to end the crisis of veteran homelessness, expanding physical and mental health support, and promoting increased qualified professional staffing at VA hospitals and outpatient centers. As your Congressman, I will ensure our veterans are supported and cared for across Virginia, and the country. I also know that more funding alone is not enough to solve these problems. In Congress, I will demand increased oversight so that problems are addressed and not simply swept under the rug.

Serving for 25 years in the Army was the honor of my life, and I can think of no mission more important than ensuring our nation upholds the solemn responsibility we have to our veterans. My brothers and sisters in uniform had my back for 25 years, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will have theirs.