NEWTON (KWWL) -
The candidates for the second congressional district squared off Tuesday night in Newton.
The second congressional district is the southeastern part of our state and includes Johnson, Washington, Cedar, and Clinton Counties.
Representative Dave Loebsack, (D) Iowa City, took on John Archer, Bettendorf (R).
One hot topic: extending the Bush era tax cuts.
Archer says now is not the time to raise taxes.
"Right now with January one of next year approaching very rapidly Congress has once again done absolutely nothing," Archer said. "That's the uncertainty that exists. Unfortunately, that exists so individuals can't go out and live their lives."
Rep. Loebsack says he's trying to get a compromise passed.
"I have my own bill that I am actually putting out there as an attempt to compromise to get exactly past the dysfunction that we've been talking about," Loebsack said. "Because the problem is that we have people on both sides of the aisle that don't want to talk to each other, don't want to get along with each other and in the end the people's business is not done."
Loebsack says his bill will extend the cuts for the middle class for a year, and individuals making more than $250,000 would go back to the Clinton era taxes.
He says he would, however, exempt small businesses and family farmers.
