BRYAN — The two candidates for the Texas’ District 17 House seat appeared face-to-face in Brazos County for the first time Monday. But their debate didn’t differ much from the discourse they’ve had through press releases and campaign commercials during the past six months.

Incumbent Chet Edwards, D-Waco, stressed the work he said he’s done for the southern part of the 17th Congressional District, including obtaining millions of dollars in funding for Texas A&M University, transportation projects and a new Army Reserve center in Bryan.

“I think together we have made a positive difference for our communities and families,” he said.

Republican challenger Bill Flores, of Bryan, repeatedly mentioned Democratic leadership and the damage he said Edwards has helped them inflict with projects like health care reform, federal stimulus and financial regulation.

“The past 22 months have seen the most destructive policies ever imagined forced down the throats of the American people,” Flores said.

The forum was the second debate in two days for the candidates. They met in Waco on Sunday night.

Monday night’s moderators spent much of the 1.5 hours focusing on two national issues: Social Security and health care reform.

Edwards criticized a plan supported by Flores that would give taxpayers the right to direct their Social Security contributions into private accounts. He said that idea would put citizens’ benefits at risk and increase the national debt.

But Flores said such benefits are already at risk and called for the Social Security money to be protected.

“We have got to have a real trust fund where the funds are really locked up,” Flores said. “We have got to make sure that Congress can’t reach in and take out the money and put in IOUs.”

He said economic growth could make up for the drop in revenue caused by some people putting their Social Security contributions into private accounts.

Edwards continued to criticize his opponent for holding an inconsistent position on the Social Security retirement age.

In an interview with a Dallas television station, Flores said he’s “not philosophically opposed” to raising the age. Later, he said he misspoke because of a headache he had from a recent surgery.

But last week a Waco radio host revealed that Flores told him in April that “you’ve got to look at different retirement ages.”

Flores took a firm stand Monday.

“I am against raising the retirement age,” he said. “One time I said I was not philosophically opposed to it, but I meant I was philosophically opposed. I had some neck surgery and (Edwards) doesn’t respect that.”

On health care, Flores pledged to work to repeal the entire reform signed into law in March and criticized Edwards for not making a similar promise.

“There is only one candidate up here that has hurt seniors, and that is because he has refused to repeal Obamacare,” Flores said.

Edwards said he voted twice against the bill.

“The reason I wouldn’t support the full repeal of the bill is you don’t know whether there is a chance in getting a majority in the House, 60 votes in the Senate and presidential signature on a bill that would replace it,” Edwards said.

He added, “I think a much smarter approach is to try to get Democrats and Republicans together to repeal the provisions of the bill that most Americans don’t like, such as cuts in Medicare for seniors.”

Later, Edwards defended his vote for the 2009 federal stimulus package, saying it brought millions of dollars to the district and created between an estimated 1.3 million and 3.5 million jobs.

He declined to say who he would support for House speaker if re-elected and cited endorsements from conservative groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Farm Bureau and the National Rifle Association as a sign that he works in a bipartisan manner.

Flores called for the elimination of the earmark process and said a vote for him would help break apart the current Congress, which he called “one of the worst in history.”

The retired oil and gas executive also didn’t commit to whom he would support for House speaker, but noted that Edwards has twice supported current Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Both campaigns declared victory soon after the debate ended. The event may be the last major chance for the candidates to sell themselves to voters. Early voting ends Friday and Election Day is Nov. 2.