LEWISTON - Democrat Walt Minnick traded jabs with U.S. Rep. Bill Sali, R-Idaho, in a Thursday night's 1st Congressional District debate in Lewiston.

Among the highlights: Minnick and Sali disagreed over a U.S. House bill providing extended federal unemployment benefits for workers who lose their jobs. Minnick would have voted for the $6 billion bill on Oct. 3, while Sali opposed it.

They also parted ways on health care insurance reform.

Minnick called for changes that provide "comprehensive, affordable health insurance for everyone in this country" to reduce the 47 million Americans now without health insurance.

Sali also wants to cut the rolls of the uninsured, largely by relying on free-market competition to reduce costs. Still, he says the magnitude of the issue is being exaggerated.

He says, "There are people out there without health care, and we need to address that, but it's not as big of a problem as some people would make it out to be."