Senator John McCain’s town hall focused on heated topics
Mar 25, 2013, 9:25 PM | Updated: 9:28 pm
PHOENIX — Arizona Senator John McCain returned to his home state Monday to host a town hall meeting at Goelet A.C. Beuf Community Center in north Phoenix.
The first thing McCain addressed was gun control. He said that people with mental disabilities and criminal backgrounds should not be allowed to have access to weapons.
“We need to have background checks, but we also have to make sure that those background checks do not violate the privacy that all of us citizens are entitled to,” McCain said.
McCain also went on to talk about the national debt that will eventually be passed on to future generations.
McCain said there’s a $51,000 debt for every man, woman and child in America and if we don’t do something to take care of it the nation will see furloughs for federal employees, layoffs at companies — such as Boeing in Mesa — and curtailed operations at Luke Air Force Base. The Arizona senator doesn’t believe there will be Medicare, Social Security or other programs in the future because the country will be broke.
The final topic McCain addressed before taking questions from the crowd was immigration reform. McCain would like to see more investment in censors, towers and drones to help U.S. Border Patrol.
The town hall meeting had supporters and critics of immigration reform. At times McCain had to ask the crowd to remain civil. McCain says immigration talks are long overdue.
Another town hall meeting will take place Tuesday at BASIS Oro Valley on 11155 N. Oracle Road. The meeting is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
