4th District candidates square off

OTHELLO - Fourth Congressional District House candidates Dan Newhouse and Clint Didier took center stage last week at a political debate in Othello and demonstrated their differences.

Reichert's Showhouse movie theatre in Othello was transformed into a political arena. Community members filled the seats to catch a glimpse of the two candidates.

From Othello Mayor Shawn Logan to Grant County prosecutor candidate Garth Dano, residents throughout the fourth district were interested to hear what Newhouse and Didier, both running on the Republican ticket, would bring to the position. Newhouse and Didier disagreed on the federal government's role.

"This is where my opponent and I do differ," Newhouse said. "I believe the federal government does have a role in many important things. My opponent has said on many occasions, and he will probably say tonight, the federal government has no role in health care. I disagree," Newhouse said.

Newhouse and Didier agreed on the need to repeal, replace and defund the Affordable Care Act but disagreed on how to go about doing so.

Newhouse said the federal government does have a role in health care, explaining the federal government has to create an environment to allow a market-driven system that will work for all Americans.

It means creating a system where people can purchase the kind of insurance they need, not what the government is telling them they need, remarked Newhouse.

Didier is opposed to the federal government playing any role what-so-ever in healthcare.

"You tell me this insurance is working, this 'Obamacare', this Affordable Care Act," he said. "I say we defund, repeal and get it out of our hair. There is other means of fixing our healthcare than the federal government, which hasn't run anything effectively that it is ultimately responsible for. Let's get them out of our healthcare."

Didier believes competition is a good thing, and Americans should be able to shop for insurance coverage across state lines. He said the solution is going back to free enterprise and the private sector and that a government run healthcare is nothing less than socialism.

Another issue Newhouse and Didier disagreed on was how to handle the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Didier proposed repealing the War Powers Act, which he believes gives the federal government too much power and gives the president the power to become a dictator in times of war and conflict.

"In the Constitution they said if there is no country to declare a war against, as we had that problem back in the day with the (Barbary) pirates, let us marque and reprisal. 'And therefore we put forth letters of marque and reprisal.' We mark the guys that need to be taken out. We have the special forces to do it," Didier said.

Didier stated the only way the U.S. was able to take out Osama Bin Laden was by using the same tactic, special forces. He also believes it would be cheaper than the current proposed way to deal with ISIS.

Newhouse stated he supports the current plans to deal with ISIS, and he believes it is better to deal with the threat up front before the it reaches American soil.

Newhouse believes that special forces will not adequately deal with the problem, and a larger response is needed.

"I'm not sure that going back into the annals of 17th century history is going to solve the problems we have in the Middle East today," he said. "Certainly our special forces are effective, they have done a lot, I have a lot of respect for them. But this could be something that is going to be an all hands on deck sort of thing."