Prince William Today - Wittman, Mosher Find Little Common Ground in 1st District Debate

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By Jill Palermo

Rep. Rob Wittman and his Democratic challenger Norm Mosher found little common ground in a Thursday evening debate sponsored by the Prince William Committee of 100.

Wittman, the three-term Republican incumbent, and Mosher -- a retired Navy captain and owner of a consulting firm specializing in shipbuilding and ocean research -- disagreed on several issues including gay marriage, immigration, minimum wage, and the corporate tax rate during the nearly two-hour forum.

The two mostly agreed, however, on the major foreign policy issue of the day: whether the United States should arm moderate Syrian rebels and continue airstrikes against the terror group calling itself the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

But even that question, the first posed by moderator and University of Mary Washington professor Stephen Farnsworth, revealed significant differences in opinion about the best way to navigate what critics fear could be the start of another protracted conflict in the Middle East.

Wittman, who serves on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee but has never served in the military, insisted that ISIS "must be destroyed" and that the United States must take the lead in the effort.

Mosher, a 26-year Navy veteran who spent the early days of Vietnam War as an advisor to a paramilitary group patrolling the coast of the Mekong River, urged caution and diplomacy while also noting that U.S. policy in the region is partly responsible for the group's rise.

"ISIS is a violent and despicable organization but we have to recognize that we have to take some responsibility for the existence of ISIS," Mosher said. "When we invaded Iraq, we upset the balance and let loose forces we can't control."

Mosher added that "nations who are under the most threat should be the ones taking the lead," including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Wittman insisted that Turkey, "our strongest ally in the region," should be engaged in the effort. But Mosher again urged caution, saying the U.S. must do everything possible to prevent an assault against the NATO country. "An attack on Turkey commits all of NATO and commits us," Mosher said, adding if Turkey is attacked, "we're in it and it won't be good."

The event was likely the first time many of audience of about 80 had ever heard Mosher speak publicly. Although he worked on Capitol Hill in the 1980s, this is Mosher's first run for Congress. His prior political experience includes six years on the town council of Irvington, a tiny community of about 400 in Virginia's Northern Neck.

Mosher earned his bachelor's degree from Boston University and master's degrees in international relations and law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. After retiring from the Navy, he was a staff member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.

Wittman hails from Montross, where the population numbered 384 in the 2010 census. Wittman served on the town council there from 1986 to 1996, serving as the mayor from 1992 to 1996.

Wittman holds a Ph.D. in public policy and administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, a master's degree in public health policy from the University of North Carolina and a bachelor's degree in biology from Virginia Tech. Wittman spent 26 years working in state government, most recently as field director for the Virginia Health Department's Division of Shellfish Sanitation.

Wittman was first elected to Congress in a 2007 special election to fill the seat of the late JoAnn Davis. He has been reelected three times, most recently in 2012 against Democrat Adam Cook. Wittman won 56 percent of the vote in the sprawling first district, which stretches from Newport News to Gainesville, encompassing parts of 17 counties and four cities, including Williamsburg and Fredericksburg.

Wittman did not win Prince William County, however. About 49 percent of local voters chose Cook over Wittman, who won just 48 percent of the vote, according to the Virginia State Board of Elections.

That might be why Wittman talked a lot about his various bi-partisan efforts during the debate, touting his work with Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-11th, as well as senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats. Wittman also said he appointed Mosher to his environmental advisory committee back in 2008.

"I had known Norm for years and he had some great ideas about what had been going on," Wittman said in an interview after the debate. "I'm always looking for areas where we can agree and get things done."

Other highlights from the debate:

On immigration: Mosher blamed "extremists in the Republican party" for stalling debate on a federal immigration bill and said he supports a path to citizenship for undocumented residents. He said unaccompanied Central American immigrant children who have recently arrived in the U.S. must be guaranteed full due process under the law: "It would be inhuman to send those children back to certain death and we can't do that as a nation. We have to consider that a humanitarian duty first."

Wittman did not mention the recently arriving Central American children, more than 2,800 of whom are now living in Virginia, but said the American people have lost trust in the immigration system. Wittman said the U.S. must further secure the border and fix the broken Visa system. "Only then can we begin to have a discussion about people who are here illegally," he said.

On the corporate tax rate: Wittman said the U.S. corporate tax rate, now at 38 percent, is too high and said U.S. companies must be on a more level playing field with global competitors. Mosher noted that few large corporations actually pay the current rate, because of loopholes and exemptions, and noted that former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney paid a rate of only about 12 percent while stashing million in overseas bank accounts.

"Nobody was shocked," Mosher added. "It used to be in this country that a tax cheat or a tax avoider was looked on like a cockroach. Now, it's looked on as, "Gee, he's a really smart guy.' And that bothers me a lot."

On the minimum wage: Mosher said the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 "should certainly be raised" and said too many companies base their business plans on hourly schedules and wages that ensure their employees qualify for public assistance, something he called "really just shameful."

Mosher said the country should strive for a "living wage" that would ensure a sense of dignity in work and lift low-income workers off public assistance: "Now we have people working two and three jobs and delivering pizza at night to try to keep their heads above water," he added. "Their children are not being watched over as carefully as they should. We're imposing too large of a burden on a large segment of society that we call the working poor."

Wittman countered by insisting that raising the minimum wage would kill jobs and that "the real problem" is that too many people lack the education necessary to land higher paying jobs in skilled labor: "Our focus should be workforce development and making sure our children get the education they need," Wittman said.

On gay marriage: Wittman said the matter should be left up to the states, which issue marriage licenses. Wittman praised the vote this week in Virginia's Republican-led General Assembly to reinforce the state's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and said the power to define marriage should remain with state lawmakers -- not the courts.

Virginia's gay-marriage amendment has been struck down by both state and federal courts. Prince William Circuit Court Clerk Michelle McQuigg recently appealed those decisions to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has not yet issued its response.

"The determination [defining marriage] should be made through the state legislators," Wittman said. "If there is a difference opinion, people have the opportunity to go to the polls and express that opinion."

Mosher said he doesn't understand the dispute about gay marriage under the law. "I don't see any reason why anyone can't marry anyone else in the same manner my wife and I got married," he said. "Should states be involved? I think they will… but I really do believe equal is equal and that's the end of it."

To watch a tape of the full debate, visit the Prince William Committee of 100's website.

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