CONWAY -- U.S. Sen. John Boozman on Friday clashed with Democratic candidate Natalie James on the debate stage, defending himself against allegations that he was more concerned about forgiving pandemic loans for his former company than he was about Arkansans.
Boozman, a Republican, James and Libertarian candidate Kenneth Cates faced off Friday at the Arkansas PBS debate on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas. They face one another in the Nov. 8 general election for the U.S. Senate seat Boozman has held since 2011. Early voting begins Monday.
Boozman, of Rogers, defeated Jake Bequette of Little Rock, Jan Morgan of Hot Springs and Heath Loftis of Stuttgart in one of Arkansas' most high-profile congressional campaigns this primary cycle, one that drove millions of dollars in spending between campaigns and super PACs.
James, a real estate agent from Little Rock, won the state's Democratic primary over small-business owner Dan Whitfield of Bella Vista and Jack Foster, a former Pine Bluff City Council member.
A Democrat hasn't won a U.S. House or Senate race in Arkansas since 2010.
James and Boozman had an exchange of words during Friday's debate before the moderator took control after Boozman expressed opposition to President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan.
"The reason being it's not fair," Boozman said. "Why is it fair if you just paid off your student loans before March of 2020, and then if you took a student loan right after that and you get your loan forgiven on one end and the other not?"
James responded later by saying Boozman had nothing to say when his former co-workers were getting their Paycheck Protection Program loans forgiven.
"If we are going to talk about forgiving loans, we need to talk about the PPP loans that were given to numerous colleagues and co-workers of our divested Sen. John Boozman from his company," she said. "We need a senator who makes sure they are thinking about everybody, not just the corporate colleagues and co-workers getting their PPP loans in the amount of millions of dollars are forgiven versus $10,000."
Boozman responded by saying he has not been a part of the company James mentioned for two decades.
"You need to get your act straight in the sense of you accusing people of things," he said. "I have not received any PPP loans. I don't know where that is coming from. My brother and I started a clinic many, many years ago. I worked there for 25 years, but I have not been associated with it for two decades.
"So, like I say, I don't know who is feeding you your facts, but they are totally false, and right is right and wrong is wrong."
James replied that she mentioned he had divested from the business, with Boozman replying again that he hadn't been with the company for 20 years before moderator Steve Barnes reminded the candidates multiple times that time had run out for their answers.
One of the main themes of the day was rural Arkansas and the need for change when it comes to schools, hospitals, amenities and population.
Candidates were asked what role does the federal government have when it comes to subsidies for farmers.
James said she supports subsidies for farmers because of the important role they play in the world.
"Arkansas is one of those great states where we not only provide to just us, we provide to everyone across the nation and everyone across the globe," she said. "Right now we are in a global market, and we need to make sure our farmers can remain competitive."
Boozman said he believes Congress will take on another farm bill next year and that he will be greatly involved in the process.
"Agriculture is not a partisan issue," he said. "It's not about Democrats or Republicans. It's about taking care of the farm community throughout rural America, which is so very important."
Cates, a firefighter/paramedic from Harrison, said he doesn't agree with federal subsidies but suggested the best move the federal government could make would be to deregulate the farming industry.
"The EPA puts a lot of restrictions on them, and [by lifting those restrictions] that could help them grow more and do better and provide food for homes," he said.
James disagreed.
"We have regulations to better protect us," she said. "We have EPA regulations to protect our ground, our water, our air and to make sure what is being put into our actual agriculture is helping everybody."
James said subsidies would be amazing as long as they were inclusive and noncompetitive.
"All farmers need ready access available to these subsidies, so again we can remain competitive in the global market," she said.
Boozman said providing farmers with the stability to make a business plan is important in today's economy because of inflation.
"The input costs are tremendous right now, and because of that agriculture is in pretty dire straits," he said.
All three candidates agreed that something needs to be done to address the population decline in the rural parts of the state.
Boozman said losing population in rural areas has a ripple effect.
"You start losing population, you lose those turnback dollars," he said. "You already don't have much to begin with, and you just dig yourself deeper. That is why I said agriculture is so very important.
"It's not just agriculture, though. It's also rural schools and rural hospitals, protecting them. You lose your school, you lose your community. Same is true again of the rural hospitals."
Boozman said that is the reason why efforts like statewide broadband are important.
"If you are not wired, you are not going to grow," he said.
Cates said people are leaving the state because there are no job opportunities.
"We need to lower taxes to get businesses to come back to the state and create jobs," he said. "That is what will bring people here."
James said if taxes are lowered, it must be for actual citizens to allow them to stay in Arkansas.
"We need to make sure the citizens here are well taken care of, because right now a majority of the state is not taken care of, especially in the Delta," James said.
Boozman said Arkansas faces real challenges in rural areas.
"The average age of our farmers is 60, and 40% of the health care providers in Arkansas are over 60," he said. "Young people are getting married at a much later age, and because of that they are having fewer children. So, again, the population is not there to backfill.
"So as a result we need to work as a group: the state working with the federal government, working with our local governments. We need to make sure schools are not disallowed because they have gone five students too low and they lose their rural school."
James said she agreed that shutting down rural schools needs to be prevented, but said people living in rural areas also need livable wages.
" If you don't have a living wage to sustain your household, then what incentivizes you to get married?" she said. "If you don't have a job in your hometown, what incentivizes you to stay there?
"We have to provide multiple incentives to keep people in the rural area and make sure they have a living and adequate wage so they can live in that area and be better protected and feel safe."
All three candidates agreed that rural hospitals have needs for federal assistance, but their solutions differed.
Boozman said rural hospitals are important because once it's gone the community usually disappears with it.
"That is the first thing people look at when they decide to settle. What are the amenities? What are the schools like? What is the health care situation like?" he said. "There are a number of federal programs that are helping rural hospitals. So I'm committed to continuing those programs as we go forward."
Cates said the nation needs to take a look at the health care system as a whole.
"Both parties always argue how to fund the health care system instead of how to fix it," he said. "The problem with the health care system is the billing. All the prices are hidden. So there is no free-market competition."
James agreed but said there was something in place to fix the health care system -- the Affordable Care Act -- before it was broken apart during legislation.
"It's important that we have these hospitals taken care of, and federally there is a lot more we can do to keep a lot of them open," she said. "We need to make sure that everything is totally taken care of with all hospitals across the state. That should be first and foremost."