Meet the Candidates for Congressional District 1
Wed, 10/21/2020 - 1:12pm
admin
for US Congress
By:
Elizabeth Horton (compiled by)
Joe Cunningham (D)
What is the primary need in health care reform and what action would you take to accomplish it?
For too many South Carolinians, our health care system is complicated, expensive, and in need of reform. I’ve worked with Democrats and Republicans to pass over a dozen bipartisan bills that lower the cost of prescription drugs and insurance premiums, strengthen coverage, and protect people with pre-existing conditions. In the middle of a global pandemic, we should not be talking about gutting the ACA and ripping coverage away from people with pre-existing conditions, plans that my opponent supports, with no
replacement.
How can the federal government be a catalyst for reforms in racial injustice?
While the coronavirus pandemic has caused much of our world to slow down or stop, it is clear that racism has not. The recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd demonstrate a complete lack of accountability when it comes to the killing of Black men and women in our country. As a member of Congress, I was proud to pass the Justice in Policing Act, bipartisan legislation that would hold police accountable, increase transparency, and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. However, I also know we cannot legislate our way out of the crisis of racial injustice. As White Americans, it is our responsibility to listen to and act upon the voices of Black Americans who are hurting right now and have been asking us to listen for decades.
In your view, how does “opening safely” amid COVID-19 look to you and how can the federal government assist in that transition?
We all want to get the economy back up and running as quickly and as safely as possible. But with the President himself contracting COVID-19, it is clear that this virus is still a real threat and needs to be taken seriously. We cannot fully reignite the economy until consumers feel safe enough to participate, which requires businesses to be able to safely open and stay open. We need a robust testing and contract tracing program and Congress should provide the necessary funding to states like South Carolina to make sure that happens. And as the brightest minds in the country work towards ending this virus, we need to make sure they have all the funding they need, and any treatment and vaccine is safe and accessible to everyone.
What federal tax reforms would you propose to combat the growing deficit?
For decades, both parties have recklessly run up the national debt and it is long past time we got serious about reining in our out-of-control spending. Getting our fiscal house in order will take Democrats and Republicans willing to work together and make tough choices. I support a balanced budget amendment that would force Congress to balance its budget each year, just like we expect South Carolina families to do. But I refuse to balance the budget on the backs of seniors by ripping away guaranteed social security benefits.
Besides the issues present here, what else do you think is an issue impacting your constituents and how do you propose to make improvements?
Climate change is one of the greatest non-military threats facing our nation. Here in the Lowcountry, we see the effects of climate change every time our streets flood, our fishermen find it harder to make a living, and our community is hit by harsher hurricanes and storms. I was proud to support the 100% Clean Energy Economy Act, which sets a goal of 100% clean energy by 2050.
Nancy Mace (R)
What is the primary need in health care reform and what action would you take to accomplish it?
We need more options and greater flexibility for patients. We need the free market to truly work to lower costs and increase quality of healthcare. For patients, we must expand options like Association Health Plans, increase health savings accounts and allow for premiums to be covered by them, buy insurance across state lines and access to catastrophic plans for all ages. I will work on legislation to repeal burdensome regulations that make costs higher for patients. I will also work to get the government out of the way to increase access and give choices to patients while driving down prices.
How can the federal government be a catalyst for reforms in racial injustice?
We must understand and work to fix the disparities that exist within our education and criminal justice systems. Criminal justice reform is a passion of mine. And it’s a critical policy area in which we saw our U.S. Congress came together to get something done via the First Step Act. But we also saw action here at the state level. On May 20, Gov. Henry McMaster signed my prison reform bill into law. In Congress, I would address this issue the same way I did in Columbia — hard work and true
bipartisanship.
I’ve seen, too, a large driver of socioeconomic and racial disparities is our education system. School choice is the civil rights issue of this generation – every parent should have access to a school that works for them regardless of their zip code, gender, race or ethnicity.
In your view, how does “opening safely” amid COVID-19 look to you and how can the federal government assist in that transition?
When COVID-19 first hit South Carolina, I released several policy ideas that provided targeted help to the people of South Carolina. First and foremost, amidst a pandemic, our governments must follow the science and be in the best possible decision to make data-driven decisions. This requires rigorous testing. We must empower people to make the best decisions for themselves and their families – not enforce mandates that tear us apart. As someone who had coronavirus, I can tell you, it’s very serious. I urge everybody to wear their masks, stay safe, vigilant, and healthy.
What federal tax reforms would you propose to combat the growing deficit?
I embrace the recent tax cuts, and would continue to fight for lower taxes in a simpler, fairer system for all. I have never voted for a tax increase and never will. In order to balance the budget in five years, I support the Penny Plan that would require our government to spend one penny – just one penny – less the following year for every dollar the government spends. Our debt hamstrings our seniors, kids, and families, and the only solutions coming out of DC to manage the debt? Tax increases. To restore sanity in our government’s budgeting system, and to restore trust in government, it’s time to tackle Washington DC’s spending issue.
What else do you think is an issue impacting your constituents and how do you propose to make improvements?
As a state lawmaker, I fought against spending increases and held the line on needless spending – even when my party was the one trying to spend too much. It is critically important that DC gets its house in order and its budget in check. I’m also a supporter of a fairer, flatter, simpler tax system that means no more IRS and no more guessing how much you owe the government.