Rothfus, Lamb Differ On Gun Control, Minimum Wage In Debate

PITTSBURGH, PA - In their first debate, U.S. Reps. Keith Rothfus and Conor Lamb appeared to agree on more issues than they differed. That wasn’t the case in Tuesday’s second debate, where the candidates disagreed on issues such as gun control, the minimum wage and climate change.

Exactly three weeks before the Nov. 6 election, the two congressmen running for the newly configured 17th Congressional District seat squared off with Lamb still holding a significant edge in the polls and in fundraising. Rothfus did not appear to land any rhetorical blows that would significantly bridge those gaps.

But Rothfus did his best to assuage anyone who thought there weren’t significant difference between the candidates that that wasn’t the case. Both men are wary of strengthening gun control measures, but while Lamb said he would back universal background checks for firearm purchases, Rothfus would not.

“It would not change any of the mass shootings we’ve had,” he said.

Regarding the minimum wage, Lamb favors a gradual increase to $15 an hour, with future hikes being indexed to inflation levels. Rothfus disagreed, saying the booming economy has helped raise wages and noted that Affordable Care Act mandates have prompted some employers to cut back on workers’ hours to avoid health insurance requirements.

Lambe expressed concern about a recent United Nations climate change report warning that unchecked global warming will significantly increase the risk of catastrophic weather events and lead to poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

“We are long past the point where we can tolerate having people in positions of leadership who deny that climate change is taking place,” he said.

Rothfus countered that environmental regulations adopted under the Obama administration would not significantly improve the environment but potentially could cost tens of thousands of energy workers in Pennsylvania their jobs.

The entire debate, which was broadcast on WTAE-TV, can be seen by clicking the link.

The new 17th Congressional District covers all of Beaver County, a portion of Butler County including Cranberry, and many suburban Allegheny County communities, including Ross, McCandless, Penn Hills, Oakmont, Moon, Robinson and Sewickley.

Photos via U.S. House of Representatives.

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