(Radio Iowa) – The two major party candidates in Iowa’s second congressional district met in a debate Monday night on Iowa P-B-S and disagreed on a host of issues. Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says illegal immigrants with criminal convictions should be deported immediately. “The right amount of illegal immigration in this country should be zero,” Hinson said, “and let’s focus on our Visa programs and taking care of those, but we must secure the border first.”

Democratic challenger Sarah Corkery says there should be more border patrol agents and presidents should have more authority to close the border, but immigrants are necessary for the economy. “If we all of a sudden deported everybody, the price of milk would go from $2 to $10,” Corkery said. “We would see massive increases in our costs because we rely on people to do a job.”

Corkery says her top priority would be passing a law to ensure women have a right to an abortion, with no reference to the number of weeks in a pregnancy beyond which abortions would be banned. “This is not a flippant conversation and that’s what it’s become when it’s become when we focus on one metric, so that’s why it should be between a doctor and a patient,” Corkery said. “Nobody should also tell you that the fetus you carry has more rights than you do.”

Hinson did not rule out supporting a federal law to limit abortions after some point in a pregnancy, but Hinson says it would have to provide exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother. “We need to have some protections in this country because life is valuable. I certainly don’t want to support a culture of death like my opponent,” Hinson said. “That, I believe, is extreme and you heard her say it right here. She does not believe in having a conversation about weeks.”

Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-Marion) and Democratic challenger Sarah Corkery of Cedar Falls debated on Iowa PBS on Oct. 14, 2024. (Iowa PBS photo)

The two also disagreed on the Trump-era tax cuts set to expire at the end of 2025. Hinson says they should be extended. “If those are allowed to expire, the average Iowa family will see an increase of about 25%,” Hinson said. “That’s the equivalent of about seven weeks of groceries for an Iowa family.”

Corkery says the tax plan Trump signed in 2017 should end, so the wealthy pay higher taxes. And she called for getting rid of the cap on Social Security taxes, since the payroll tax is not charged today on annual income above 169-thousand dollars. “I’m worried about people who need to pay their groceries and their job is laid off or shipped to Mexico, our union brothers and sisters who are on the picket line,” Corkery said. “That’s who I’m worried about.”

This was the only debate between the two candidates before the November election.