By: Kayla Bremer
KBremer@klkntv.com
Bob Kerrey and Deb Fischer went head–to–head today during the first senate debate of the year.
Thousands of people traveled to the Nebraska state fair today to see the candidates square off.
Both are hoping to win the seat being vacated by current democrat senator Ben Nelson.
The senate debate at the state fair gave voters a chance to see the key differences between the two candidates.
Republican hopeful Deb Fischer took on democrat candidate Bob Kerrey in the first of three debates. They went back and forth on many issues including medicare, immigration and the keystone xl pipeline. Fischer says, "I support the pipeline. I support building the pipeline and I believe we need to do this but we have to make sure those environmental concerns are met...and that's the process we're going through now."
Kerrey also supports the pipeline but says the alternate route is a result of the people of Nebraska, not Fischer. "that didn't happened because of actions by senator Fischer. It happened as a consequence of Nebraskans objecting to their legislature, not exerting what they had all along," Kerrey says.
They also expressed their views on immigration. Kerrey says the solution to it requires a "move to the middle"...A bipartisan effort. "I support the Romney plan and I've endorsed that Romney plan which allows people that have served in the military to get legal status...there's nothing wrong with that," he says.
Fischer still argues it's a national security concern. "I don't support a path to citizenship for anyone who's entered this country illegally," she says.
As for medicare, Fischer says she's opposed to cutting benefits for anyone over 40.
Kerry says medicare needs to be reformed if we want to solve the nation's fiscal crisis.
