Ensign, Coffin differ on abortion rights

Monday, Sept. 30, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Rep. John Ensign and Bob Coffin differed sharply on partial-birth abortions and whether to bar the children of illegal immigrants from Nevada schools during a live television debate.

The two front-runners in Nevada's 1st Congressional District were joined in the KLVX Channel 10 hour-long debate Sunday night by Libertarian James Dan of Reno and Independent American Party candidate Ted Gunderson of Las Vegas. Natural Law candidate Richard Eidson declined to participate.

Ensign, joined by Gunderson and Dan, bitterly opposed a controversial partial-birth abortion procedure. Clinton vetoed a bill to ban the procedure. Ensign, a Republican, voted with the majority in the House to override the veto, but the Senate upheld the veto. That means partial-birth abortions are still legal.

"This is a gruesome procedure," said Ensign, who favors a constitutional ban on all abortions. "This is one inch from murder."

But Coffin, who is pro-choice, reminded viewers that a majority of Nevadans favor a mother's right to make her own decision.

"I'm not going to try to practice medicine without a license," he said.

On the issue of illegal immigration, Ensign said he backed a proposal requiring proof of legal residency as a requirement of school admission.

"We need to take care of Americans first," Ensign said.

Coffin said it is unfair to penalize children who had no choice when they came with their parents to this country.

"I would not support a provision that would deny education to children," he said.

Ensign defended the GOP proposal to slow the rate of Medicare growth. But Coffin said seniors should be given the chance to stick with their own physicians, an option he said Republicans have not addressed.

On the issue of water, Coffin said fast-growing Nevada could get more by "changing the law" covering the Colorado River so that water could be bought and sold across state lines. But Ensign said changing the river law "is virtually impossible." Ensign was confident along-range solution could be found within the next five years.

Coffin and Ensign also blamed each other's political parties for the introduction of the federal gaming commission bill, which was signed into law by Clinton. The commission will study the gaming industry, but critics worry that it will lead to federal taxation and regulation of casinos.

Ensign focused on special interests from Washington, D.C., such as organized labor that have backed Coffin, while Coffin accused Ensign of distorting his legislative voting record.

Ensign, sticking to themes such as family values and government downsizing, implied that Coffin was a big spender opposed to welfare reform.

"This election is about protecting our community," Ensign said. "I want to fight to get rid of government spending and will fight to allow families to keep the money that they earn."

Coffin sought to portray himself as the candidate representing seniors, who he said have been hurt by GOP proposals to limit the increase in Medicare funding. He said that instead of reforming Congress, Ensign and his fellow Republicans have set records for campaign fund-raising and tax-supported mailings.

Coffin also accused Ensign of lying about his legislative record. Ensign has run radio advertising saying Coffin overbilled the state for travel expenses. Coffin countered that he has a letter from the state Legislative Counsel Bureau saying he did not overbill.

Coffin said he charged the state for the full mileage allowance for round-trips from Carson City to Las Vegas, even though American West was giving legislators a cut-rate ticket.

"This campaign doesn't have to be a mud-fest by John Ensign," Coffin said.

Coffin challenged Ensign to sign a fair campaign pledge, but Ensign refused.

Gunderson, a retired FBI agent, represents a party that believes in a strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. He complained that President Clinton and Congress have enacted more than 64,000 new regulations and laws within the past four years.

"I'm tired of it," Gunderson said.

Dan espoused the Libertarian view that citizens should be free of government intrusion. He called for the American military to defend only its own borders and said the federal budget should be trimmed by 90 percent.

"Government doesn't work," he said.

The 1st District includes urban parts of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson.