Pappas, Prescott debate over how to lower costs, fix U.S. immigration system

The top candidates running in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District outlined two different approaches to the economy and immigration in a debate at the NHPR studios in Concord Friday afternoon.

The discussion between incumbent Democratic Congressman Chris Pappas and Republican Russell Prescott was mostly cordial, and was recorded before a live studio audience who were instructed to remain silent. Aside from clear differences on how to lower costs and fix the U.S. immigration system – and an impassioned back-and-forth on abortion access – the pair generally agreed on many of the core issues. Watch and hear the full debate here.

Prescott, a former executive councilor and state senator, campaigned broadly on his belief that cuts to government spending, and reducing the federal deficit, would be the most effective way to lower consumer inflation. He said Friday that he supports trimming all federal departments by a slim margin, which he claimed could save $300 billion each year. Pappas, who has represented New Hampshire in Congress since 2019 and is seeking a fourth term, suggested expanding the child tax credit as a means to reduce the burden of costs for food and rent on many American consumers.

Leaning into his record in the state Senate, Prescott said he opposes broad tariffs, describing them as a “tax on every single person in the United States.” Instead, Prescott said he wants to balance the federal budget without increasing taxes.

“Raising taxes is the wrong thing. We’ve already had 30% inflation that’s accrued over the last four years and raising taxes would just add to that,” Prescott said.

Pappas emphasized the importance of lowering costs, noting that external pressures like global conflicts have influenced inflation rates and hit New Hampshire families hard. He said he supports expanding the child tax credit, adding that his constituents have communicated support for the policy.

“We had an expanded credit during the early years of the pandemic that cut child poverty in half in our country,” Pappas said. “It ensured that families could deal with basic, everyday expenses.”

Each candidate acknowledged that there are major problems with the immigration system. Pappas said the federal government has a role to play in countering the upstream factors that influence people to come to America from other countries, and to lean into effective diplomacy.

“We also have to be smart about how we modernize a broken immigration system and fix it so that it’s serving the needs of our country,” said Pappas, who noted his support for a bipartisan national security bill that would funnel billions of dollars into hiring more asylum officers and detention judges, expanding the number of detention beds, and other border provisions. After months of negotiations, Senate Republicans blocked the bill when former President Donald Trump opposed it.

Prescott said he supports Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, noting the Mexican people are affected just as much as Americans by immigration issues.

“This problem is not just the border north. It’s also a problem the border south,” Prescott said. “If we firm up that wall, in working with our neighbor to the south, Mexico, it helps both of us and that’s what I’m talking about: Make sure we have a plan that will help remain people in Mexico and not just Mexico. Other South American countries need to know that we are working very hard to streamline our way of becoming a citizen of the United States.”

During the discussion on abortion, Pappas offered his unwavering support for codifying abortion rights at the federal level. Pappas also leveled modest attacks at Prescott on his record, which Pappas characterized as unfavorable. Prescott countered, arguing he supports the status quo formerly codified by Roe v. Wade, and expressing his displeasure with “negative ads” about his position authored by the Pappas campaign.

“When I was in the executive council, I voted for judges that said that Roe v. Wade is concrete, it’s the law, and I voted for those judges,” Prescott said. “While I was in the state Senate, I also voted for an amendment by the Democrats to be able to make sure that we enshrine Roe v. Wade in our laws. My record stands, and I just wanted to say that I’m disappointed that Chris is having a negative campaign.”

Pappas said Prescott did support overturning Roe v. Wade, an allegation that Prescott denied, insisting he never said the rule should be overturned. Prescott told WMUR last year the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision was an effective measure to return political power to the states.

“That is bringing more power to the people to decide for themselves what that issue’s going to be like here in New Hampshire,” Prescott said. “Chris Pappas is saying, ‘No, I’ll decide for you what that is,’ and that’s not fair and that’s not good for people here in New Hampshire.”

During Friday’s debate, Pappas told Prescott, “You may be disappointed that this is a political problem for you, but the women of America are disappointed that they had a right taken away from them that was guaranteed by the Supreme Court for nearly half a century.

“The fact is that you supported overturning Roe, which has now created this new paradigm where we have a race to the bottom across the country, dangerous laws being passed that are threatening the health and safety of women,” Pappas said.

The general election is Nov. 5. Hours of operation at the polls vary throughout the state, but generally open between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.