U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, and Republican challenger Bill Flores, of Bryan, went at it Sunday night in the election season’s only televised debate for what is widely considered Texas’ most competitive House race this year.

The hourlong debate was co-sponsored by the Waco Tribune-Herald and KXXV-TV, Channel 25.

Flores frequently invoked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama — criticizing the national Democratic leaders and Edwards for congressional spending levels, deficits and the 2009 federal stimulus program.

District 17 Democrat Congressman Chet Edwards (left) and Republican candidate Bill Flores shake hands after their televised debate Sunday.
Jerry Larson / Tribune-Herald

Meanwhile, Edwards pressed Flores repeatedly on his endorsement of private investment for the Social Security system. Edwards also referred to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities that such a reform would carry a price tag of $2 trillion.

“Your Social Security privatization plan — your private accounts you’ve proposed — would actually increase the national deficit by $2 trillion over the next decade, Edwards said. He asked Flores how he would raise revenue to offset such a cost.

“I have not proposed privatization of Social Security, so I don’t need to answer that question,” said Flores, whose campaign has rejected the “privatization” label.

Edwards later criticized Flores for refusing to answer his question.

Flores took Edwards to task for not committing to a full repeal of the Democratic health insurance reform bill.

“You can’t take a bill that’s 2,700 pages long and take the five pieces out of it that you like and then try to put it back together,” Flores said, “It’s like taking a jelly-bean jar with a million jelly beans . . . in it and trying to find the five chartreuse-colored jelly beans that you like.”

Flores also singled out several provisions in the reform bill he opposes.

“You’re going to cut $500 billion from seniors’ Medicare,” he said, “and you’re going to take 60,000 seniors off their Medicare Advantage programs. How’s that taking care of seniors?”

Edwards noted he voted against the health care bill twice, before saying he favored a partial repeal that maintains aspects of the program, such as barring insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing health conditions.

The two candidates also clashed on whether Congress should pass a cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients.

“I don’t think we ought to balance our budget on the backs of our elderly citizens,” Edwards said, endorsing an increase in Social Security benefits. “Their utilities bills have gone up, their food costs have gone up, their living expenses have gone up.”

Flores said he opposes an increase based on its cost.

“I don’t think at this point in time that it’d be fiscally prudent, in the face of $1.3 trillion deficits, to provide a COLA increase that’s not covered in the current Social Security formula. I don’t think it’s fair to future generations that are going to have to pay for that tax — that deficit spending,” he said.

Edwards followed up on the question by slamming Flores for favoring the permanent extension of the Bush tax cuts for millionaires, while opposing a cost-of-living increase for seniors.

Flores said maintaining job growth required avoiding a tax increase for many business owners who fall in the top two income tax brackets.

Both campaigns claimed their respective candidate won the debate.

mshapiro@wacotrib.com

757-5707