MEET THE CANDIDATES: U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 1
Should laws pertaining to abortion and reproductive right be codified at a federal level or remain under state control? Explain.
Annie Andrews (Democrat): Laws that protect and expand the reproductive rights afforded to women under the Roe decision should be codified into federal law. The right to privacy and self-determination is a fundamental right that every single person in the Lowcountry and in the nation should have. The bills that are being put forth in statehouses under the current state-by-state framework threaten to criminalize doctors for upholding their Hippocratic oath and offering evidence-based care to their patients. These bills are dangerous for women who are not able to get the care they need.
South Carolina is already facing a shortage of medical staff, and the bills our legislature is currently entertaining would certainly exacerbate this problem. Ultimately, it will be everyday South Carolinians who suffer as a result of these anti-science, unpopular and undemocratic measures.
Nancy Mace (Republican): Regardless of whether or not you support Roe V. Wade, even Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg admitted there were serious flaws with the decision. The Dobbs ruling kicks the issue back to the states, but also to Congress. Neither side of the aisle has shown much willingness to find common ground for federal legislation, but I’ve been very open about building consensus. I’ve proposed numerous ways to do that in womens’ access to contraceptives and prenatal care, looking at gestational limits, fighting for exceptions for women who’ve been raped, girls who are victims of incest, life of the mother and fetal abnormalities.
Joseph Oddo (Alliance): The idea of control of a woman’s right to choose is an embarrassment in modern times. It feels like there is an elite social class that is so fearful of losing their ability to control outcomes, that they drum up artificially moral justifications for exercising control. Then they reach deeper by dictating what books to ban, and which corporate entities are entitled to a greater level of speech. These are campaign manipulations enabled by the Citizens United decision that allows an outsized voice to elite, big-money players. And laws like restricting abortion are distractions from real issues that would address our nation’s growing wealth divide and inequality.
Dozens of laws should be brought to a nationwide standard. We should reform elections to create more uniform ballot access. Anyone interested in running for public office should have the opportunity to make the ballot, and be included in public media and debates.
How, if at all, do partisan politics limit the effectiveness of government and what steps will you take to find common ground with legislators with different party affiliations from your own?
Annie Andrews: Tribalism and hyperpartisanship are the root of why our federal government cannot get anything done. As a pediatrician, I don’t have the luxury of walking into a patient’s hospital room and telling them that I can’t help them, but I can blame this person or that person. My job is to solve their problem, and that’s the approach I’ll take in Congress. I will work with whoever I need to in order to tackle the challenges facing Lowcountry families, whether that’s bringing down inflation, reducing our sky-high gun violence rate, or protecting our coastline and fighting climate change. I’m also not trying to become a career politician.
I’m running for Congress because I am tired of being represented by people who care more about TV appearances or staying in office than they do about helping the people in the district.
Nancy Mace: The problem exists on both sides of the aisle, where they don’t want to work on finding solutions. Seems like many politicians prefer to grandstand for Twitter followers and raise money from performing PR stunts. But I promised to be an independent voice, not toeing the party line, and I’ve lived up to that promise. I’ve reached across the aisle from day one, willing to work with my colleagues to get things done. All it takes is the willingness to find common ground. This work can be seen in the legislation I’ve passed out of committee and out of the floor of the House. In fact, one of my latest bills on cybersecurity is being hotlined in the Senate as we speak and will be signed into law before the end of the year.
Joseph Oddo: The current political monopoly that acts as two distinct parties are the most effective fundraising organizations on the planet. They collude to ensure no improvements in the electoral system take place in order to continue the status quo where the current rules allow them to perpetuate their dominance and reduce competition. Any political actor that does not fit the tightly scripted two-party narrative is ignored by the media – again dictated by the monopoly party rules.
Issues that emanate from the independent perspective like campaign reform, protecting civil liberties, advocating for a cleaner environment, sustainable agriculture or expansion of public and recreational land and waters don’t get far in the corporate controlled congress. The media amplifies the monopoly parties’ voices as though there is a significant ideological divide. They completely ignore the mountains of cash that really dictates what legislation gets passed.
What else do you think is an issue impacting your constituents and how do you propose to make improvements?
Annie Andrews: There are many issues impacting the Lowcountry – flooding and sea-level rise from climate change, crumbling infrastructure, and a broken health care system. As a congresswoman, I would support legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act that gives our district the resources to fight climate change and reduces the cost of prescription drugs, laws like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act that provide funds to fix our infrastructure, and policies that would cap the cost of insulin, reduce the cost of prescription drugs and bring down health care costs for SC-01 families. As a doctor, I know that increasing access to high quality preventative health care reduces costs for all of us. Preventing a stroke or heart attack will always be cheaper than treating one.
Unlike my opponent, I will support legislation and policies that are good for the district, regardless of who sponsors them or who else supports them.
Nancy Mace: Inflation is the most important issue because Lowcountry voters are spending more of their paychecks on basic necessities like groceries and gas than ever before. Here in the Lowcountry a three bedroom apartment can cost as high as $5,000 month to month. That’s insane! Failed policies on both sides of the aisle have fueled inflation into overdrive, but the current lack of leadership in the administration is causing even more economic pain. Earlier this year I introduced the Penny Plan, a bipartisan bill to balance the budget. I’ve also worked hard to bring infrastructure resources back to the Lowcountry, particularly in regards to flooding. I’m also very proud of the fact I had over 1,000 meetings in my first year in office, passed over 20 bills out of committee and 10 out of the floor of the House. I’ve worked so hard to deliver results for the Lowcountry.
Joseph Oddo: I will advocate for broader election reform, including Instant Runoff Voting, also known as Rank Choice Voting. Choosing the order that the voter likes each candidate on the ballot gives voters much better alternatives than the lesser of two evils. This would be a boost for the political dialogue - the best way to enliven the discourse and keep it friendlier, less negative. Without such negativity, we would get much more qualified candidates. We should implement term limits of 12 years on legislators – both state and federal – and delay their entry into lobbying for up to five years. Make Election Day a holiday and ease voter registration by enacting Same-Day Voter Registration. We should make a push to finally end gerrymandering - we can enact Nonpartisan Redistricting in every state to take effect after the 2030 Census. Reagan wanted to do it after the 1990 Census.