Bass, Kuster Talk FEMA and Fiscal Cliff in Last Debate

Given that the final 2nd District Congressional debate was moved to Friday after Hurricane Sandy slammed the East Coast earlier this week, it didn't take long for the two candidates to fire away about disaster aid for the monumental weather event.

Congressman Charles Bass (R-NH), called the incident a "horrible tragedy," saying that in the past he supported a funding level for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that was higher than the Obama administration's request.

"I think that the federal government has a responsibility to provide aid to people when they really need it," he said.

Democratic opponent Ann McLane Kuster slammed Republican leadership, saying that she is concerned about "deep, deep cuts" that the GOP have proposed and where that will leave the states that have been tragically hit.

She also took aim at Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, saying that he has made previous statements about how disaster events should be state responsibility.

"When you look at what is going on in the tri-state region, there is no scenario that a single state can cope with that," Kuster said.

Later in the debate, Bass said that Congress has pulled together during natural disaster events.

"We do have a lively debate about how we pay for disaster aid, because it's not part of the regular budget," he said. "In the end we always come up with the resources that are necessary."

Both showed concern for the environment, with each saying that they hope climate change will continue to be taken seriously.

Kuster said that Bass is in the minority of his party on that issue, mentioning science deniers at the top of the Republican ticket.

The debate, hosted by WMUR and the Union Leader at St. Anselm College, also took a long look at the debt ceiling and the idea of the United States reaching a so-called "fiscal cliff" at the end of the year.

"Who would run a country this way, it sends shivers throughout the entire economy," Kuster said when asked if leaders in Washington were wrong for pushing the debt ceiling agreement.

Bass argued that the fiscal cliff was a "predictable and avoidable crisis" that could have been resolved or avoided had the two parties been willing to work together.

Kuster slammed Bass and his party for being "frozen" from moving forward on a rational or reasonable balanced plan, citing his taking of the Grover Norquist anti-tax pledge.

Bass argued that he is not frozen at all.

"The only pledge that I have taken that I will not break is the pledge to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America," he said.

On an income tax in New Hampshire, Kuster came out and said that she would vote 'no' on Question 1, which would permanently ban an income tax in the state. She explained that the hands of future generations should not be tied.

Bass said that Kuster has supported an income tax for 30 years, and that she ought to oppose an income tax not just for this campaign, but for forever.

The two also spent several minutes of the one-hour debate outlining their beliefs on U.S. foreign policy.

One day after Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) decried the Obama administration's handling of the Sept. 11 Benghazi attack, Bass referred to the situation as a cover-up.

"The Obama administration knew what was going on, they knew it was a terrorist attack, they did not supply the ambassador with the security he needed and they tried to cover it up," he said.

Kuster agreed with Bass that the loss of four American lives was tragic, but for the most part defended the security effort.

"It is clear from the timeline that everything was done that was possible to protect those people," she said.

Kuster did suggest that the U.S. increase security at all embassies.

Bass said that he regrets that the truth on the issue will likely be "punted" until after the general election.

She also accused Bass of supporting the outsourcing of 20,000 jobs to China, also referencing tax breaks and loopholes for companies that move abroad.

"We should be encouraging companies to create jobs here in New Hampshire," she said.

Bass referred to Kuster's remark as one of the talking points outlined for her by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

"I think we'll find that in five short days this discussion will end on this particular matter," he said in reference to the day after the election.

For the most part, both candidates shrugged off negative campaign ads that have dominated the airwaves for months. Bass called ads attacking his ethics the untrue, "not unbiased" position of a liberal advocacy group.

Kuster said that people have told her that commercials displaying her dancing are "disrespectful," but that she has just laughed it off.

Both agreed that this election for them is about the economic and social issues.