BRIANA: IN COMMITMENT 2020, A DAVIE COUNTY GUN STORE OWNER IS RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION TO CONGRESS.
TEDD BUDD IS HOPING FOR A THIR TERM.
THE REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT I BEING CHALLENGED BY DEMOCRAT SCOTT HUFFMAN IN THE STATE’S 13TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
BILL O’NEIL SPOKE TO BOTH CANDIDATES ABOUT WHERE THEY STAND ON CERTAIN ISSUES.
WE START WITH CONGRESSMAN BUDD.
BILL: TED BUDD HAS LED A CHARMED POLITICAL LIFE.
HE WON HIS FIRST GOP PRIMARY BY BEATING OUT 16-OTHER CANDIDATES.
TWO YEARS AGO HE DEFEATED A DEMOCRAT WHO SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEIR RACE.
NOW HE HAS EXPERIENCE, MONEY, AND THE BACKING OF THE PRESIDENT.
BILL: ARE THERE ANY ISSUES IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT AND YOU DON’T AGREE UPON.
>> I’M A NORTH CAROLINIAN AND HE’S A NEW YORKER.
WE HAVE VERY DIFFERENT STYLES.
BILL: TED BUDD DOESN’T NAME A SINGLE ISSUE WHERE HE DISAGREES WITH THE PRESIDENT.
HE SAYS AFTER GETTING TO KNOW THE PRESIDENT HE SEES HIM AS A HONEST MAN.
>> I NEVER KNEW MY GRANDFATHER, BUT THERE’S A SAYING THAT HE HAS JUST DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU’RE GOING TO DO AND IT’S GOING TO BECOME A FAMILY MOTTO.
I REALLY SEE THAT TRAIT IN THE PRESIDENT, HE DOES WHAT HE SAYS HE’S GOING TO DO, OR AT LEAST HE GIVES IT HIS ALL, AND HE’S STILL DOING THAT.
I REALLY SENSE THAT HE LOVES THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND HE’S A NEW YORKER, LET’S REMEMBER THAT . THAT’S VERY DIFFERENT THAN OUR STYLE HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA.
BILL: WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS URGING VOTERS IN NORTH CAROLINA TO VOTE TWICE.
>> I THINK HIS INTENTION WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR BALLOT WAS CONFIRMED.
HE WOULD NEVER ENCOURAGE LOOK, I KNOW HE’S A STRAIGHT SHOOTER, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT LIKE HIS STYLE BUT YOU KNOW EVERYTHING HE WANTS TO DO IS IS FAIR STRAIGHTFORWARD, AND IT’S ABOUT
CONFIRMING THAT YOUR ONE VOTE, ACTUALLY COUNTED, AND WAS IN PLACE.
BILL: FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS, NC’S STATE BD OF ELECTIONS WARNED VOTERS THAT VOTING TWICE IS A FELONY.
DO YOU BELIEVE LIKE THE PRESIDENT THAT THIS WHOLE MAIL AND VOTING THING COULD LEAD TO FRAUD.
>> I THINK WE’VE GOT SOME GREAT SYSTEMS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES, INCLUDING IN PERSON, EARLY VOTING, AND ABSENTEE VOTING.
SOME PEOPLE CAN VOTE ABSENTEE CAN VOTE BY MAIL SUCCESSFULLY . BUT I THINK THE GREAT SYSTEMS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE ARE PLENTY OF PLENTY SUFFICIENT,
AND WHEN IT COMES TO MAIL VOLUME.
BILL: WE ASKED CONGRESSMAN BUDD ABOUT THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE QUESTION OF DO BLACK LIVES MATTER.
ABSOLUTELY.
WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK BLM INC AS AN ORGANIZATION, VE DESTRUCTIVE ORGANIZATION.
BILL: DO YOU THINK THAT THE POLICE TREAT THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND THE WHITE COMMUNITY THE SAME.
>> YOU KNOW, IT JUST IT’S GONNA DEPEND ON WHERE THEY ARE.
I LOOK I SEE LOTS OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
URBAN AND RURAL POOR, I SEE SOME SIMILAR CHALLENGES.
I THINK POLICE LOVE THEIR COMMUNITIES.
BILL: ON SOCIAL SECURITY BUDD SAYS HE WOULD NEVER CHANGE BENEFITS FOR THOSE ALREADY RETIRED OR NEARING RETIREMENT BUT ADDS CHANGES ARE NEEDED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
TALKING ABOUT EXTENDING THE AGE LOWERING THE BENEFITS.
>> THOSE ARE ALL CALCULATIONS THAT NEED TO BE ON THE TABLE, BUT YOU HAVE TO CLEARLY COMMUNICATE THAT YOU CAN’T ADJUST IT FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM.
THIS IS NOT YOUR, YOUR WHOLE RETIREMENT SO WE NEED TO CHANGE THE EXPECTATIONS, MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING TO SAVE MORE, SO THEY NEED TO B FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR
THEMSELVES.
BILL: THE HOUSE IS ABOUT TO VOTE ON MARIJUANA, TAKING IT OFF SCHEDULE ONE, DECRIMINALIZING IT IN EFFECT.
I’M WONDERING HOW YOU VOTE ON THAT.
>> I WILL ABSOLUTELY VOTE NO.
I SEE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS.
WE SEE DISCONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE STATES AND THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DECRIMINALIZING AND LEGALIZING THIS.
LOTS OF STATES ARE ALREADY STARTING TO DECRIMINALIZE IT BUT IT’S STILL A FEDERALLY BANNED SUBSTANCE, AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE THAT WAY.
BILL: WHEN TED BUDD RAN FOR THE FIRST TIME BACK IN 2016 HE TOL ME HE FAVORED TERM LIMITS.
HE TOLD THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER AT THAT TIME HE WOULD LIMIT HIS SERVICE TO THREE TERMS.
BUT A SPOKESMAN FOR THE BUDD CAMPAIGN NOW SAYS BECAUSE CONGRESS NEVER ADOPTED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IMPOSING TERM LIMITS, MR. BUDD WILL NOT LOCK HIMSELF INTO ANY
TIMETABLE REGARDING HIS POLITICAL DECISIONS.
IF BUD WINS THIS ELECTION, HE WOULD BEGIN HIS THIRD