The two candidates in the race for Colorado's seventh congressional district are sparring over gun control in the wake of the deadly movie theater shootings last July in Aurora.
During a debate at Rocky Mountain PBS, Democratic Congressman Ed Perlmutter said he’s pushing two bills through congress he hopes will curb the rise in deadly shootings.
“So right now if you want to buy a firearm, you have to buy it from a licensed fire arm dealer, face to face. But you can buy ammunition over the internet, or through mail order. So one bill I’m co-sponsoring requires that you have to buy ammunition from a licensed firearms dealer. You have to do it face to face.”
Republican Joe Coors countered that there should be no change in federal gun laws.
“We need to reinforce the laws that are already on the books a little better. I support what Governor John Hickenlooper said. There are not enough laws that can be created to keep people doing from whatever they want to do. If they want to get them illegally, they’ll get them illegally.”
The debate also focused on how the two candidates would approach fixing the economy. Coors explained shrinking government, and reducing taxes was his approach to mending the economy and reducing the deficit.
"The backbone of this country is small businesses operating in a free enterprise environment. If we can get the government out of the way, put certainty back into taxes; we can accomplish something that hasn't been accomplished in the last four years."
Alluding to Wednesday's first Presidential Debate, Perlmutter stressed that across the board cuts to government programs would not improve the economy, but increased revenue would.
"We need additional revenue in this country, not just cutting different programs. Whether it's Big Bird and Sesame Street or some transportation projects or those kinds of things. You have to have both sides of the ledger, the revenue and the expense if we really want to make a dent in our debt."
The two candidates also squared off over health care as well as recent campaign attack ads sponsored by both sides. The debate airs next week on Rocky Mountain PBS statewide.
