Tom Steyer in Iowa Democratic Primary Debate

On Corporations: Can beat Trump on economy, did not inherit a penny

On Education: Redistribute tax dollars so every kid gets a good education

On Environment: Environmental justice, not managed retreat

Mayor Pete BUTTIGIEG: We are going to have to use federal funds to make sure that we are supporting those whose lives will inevitably be impacted. That disproportionately happens to black and brown Americans, which is why equity and environmental justice have to be at the core of our climate plan going forward.

STEYER: Look, what you're talking about is what's called managed retreat. It's basically saying we're going to have to move things because this crisis is out of control. And it's unbelievably expensive. And of course we'll come to the rescue of Americans who are in trouble. But this is why climate is my number one priority. I would do it from the standpoint of environmental justice and make sure we go to the black and brown communities where you can't breathe the air or drink the water that comes out of the tap safely.

On Foreign Policy: Don't meet with North Korea without preconditions or allies

STEYER: No. It's very clear that if we're going to do something with North Korea, we're going to have to do it in concert with our allies, that meeting with him without preconditions is not going anywhere, that the staff can meet to try and see how far we can get. But this is a classic situation where the United States' idea of going it alone makes no sense. And when you are talking about Iran, let's face it. Iran is under great pressure economically. So every single discussion we've had about Iran has had to do with military power and America versus Iran, whereas, in fact, what worked with President Obama was an alliance of our allies and us putting economic pressure on them for them to give up their military tactic. That, to me, is called strategy. Having a goal to make America safer, by looking more broadly than just us, as the policeman of the world spending money.

On Free Trade: Undo Trump tariffs; negotiate trade deals for U.S. workers

STEYER: On the first day, I would undo Mr. Trump's tariffs. On the first day, I would get rid of his waivers to oil refiners [regarding] not having to use corn-based ethanol.

Sen. Elizabeth WARREN: These trade deals have been negotiated surrounded with giant multi-national corporation lobbyists who whisper in the ears of our negotiators and then get deals cut that are great for the giant multi-national corporations, not good for American workers.

STEYER: In fact, these trade deals have been exactly what Senator Sanders and Warren have been saying, which is that they've been designed to grow the American GDP for the corporations of America, not for the working people of America.

On Health Care: Break corporate stranglehold to get public option

V.P. Joe BIDEN: The proposal I lay out limits drug cost. It allows Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for the price. It sets a system whereby you cannot raise the price of a drug beyond the cost of medical inflation.

STEYER: Look, we've had this conversation so many times. Everybody on this stage believes that affordable health care is a right for every single American. And it makes no sense and the government has to step in. I do agree with Vice President Biden that we should move and develop the Affordable Care Act with a public option. But the real question is this: This is not a new problem. Why do we keep having this conversation? We have a broken government. It has been bought by corporations that include the drug companies, the insurance companies, and the private hospitals. How do we actually break the corporate stranglehold on our government so that we can get any of these things passed?

On Health Care: Term limits will break stranglehold on low taxes for rich

On War & Peace: Set a strategy: What are we trying to accomplish in Mideast?

STEYER: I would take military action to protect the lives and safety of American citizens. But what we can see in the Middle East and what this conversation shows is that there is no real strategy that we're trying to accomplish in what we're doing in the Middle East. Obviously, Mr. Trump has no strategy. He is going from crisis to crisis, from escalation to escalation. But if you look further over the last 20 years, including in the war in Afghanistan, there was no strategy. There was just a series of tactical decisions that made no sense. So we really have to ask ourselves in the Middle East, what are we trying to accomplish?

V.P. Joe BIDEN: We have lost our standing in the region. We have lost the support of our allies. The next president has to be able to re-establish our alliances.

STEYER: I agree with Vice President Biden. To do it, we should definitely be doing it in coalition with other countries.

On War & Peace: It isn't so much about experience; it's about judgement

Sen. Elizabeth WARREN: The job of the commander-in-chief is to keep America safe. I think that's about judgment. It starts with knowing our military. I sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee. I work with military leaders, but I also visit our troops. I make sure they get their pay, the housing and medical benefits they've been promised. We have a problem with a revolving door between the defense industry and the Pentagon. We need to block that revolving door, and we need to cut our defense budget.