A state assemblymember criticized for being “too nice” and a city councilmember deemed “too aggressive” dueled in a Middle Village debate last week.
The two candidates running for the open 6th District Congressional seat — Democratic Assemblymember Grace Meng and Republican Councilmember Dan Halloran — detailed their stances on hot-button federal issues and defended themselves against their negative portrayals at a Juniper Park Civic Association forum held on October 18.
The hopefuls butted heads when it came to their clashing opinions on the Affordable Care Act and immigration reform.
While Meng believes the Affordable Care Act is not a “perfect system” — saying it initially led to confusion for small business owners and fear for seniors — she said the federal statute, commonly called Obamacare, is a “great step in a very important direction.”
Halloran disagreed, saying the health care law will stifle small businesses and create “as many problems as it’s going to solve.” He also said health care should be a state issue and not one handled by the federal government.
In regards to immigration reform, the two candidates were unified in saying providing help to legal Americans come first, but they did not share the same views on passing the DREAM Act. Meng supports the bipartisan legislation — which would make qualifying undocumented youths eligible for a path to citizenship if passed — while Halloran firmly said there should be no path to citizenship for anyone who comes to the country illegally.
The hopefuls then had a chance to debunk how they are commonly depicted. Halloran said he may be seen as “too aggressive,” but that forcefulness, he said, is sometimes necessary to get things done.
“Nobody stands up for the county of Queens loudly enough,” he said. “You don’t do that by being quiet.”
Meng, on the other hand — who said she is seen by many as being “too nice” — said that quality should not be underestimated.
“Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness,” she said.
