1) What is the No. 1 issue in your district and how would you address it?
The number one issue for the 8th Congressional district is to rebuild our economic strength. I propose to do so with a combination of short-term programs that prime the pump of the economy and longer-term policy changes that establish the environment for an economic recovery and return to growth. Top short-term initiatives that I will support include infrastructure investment in transportation, schools, communications and utilities. Long-term initiatives include job training, business tax credits for research, payroll, alternative energy and for companies that hire returning Veterans and those who have been unemployed for more than 6 months.
2) How would you promote job growth in your district?
One of the first things I did after getting into this race was release a Jobs Plan – even before the President released his. There are several key components to the plan.
---Invest in rebuilding and improving our basic infrastructure. Transportation is critical to a strong economy, and to the 8th District. We need a new transportation bill, immediately, to repair and expand our roads and bridges, rail network and the critical hub at O’Hare Airport. Too many people in the 8th District struggle to get to work, whether their job is in downtown Chicago, a warehouse in Elk Grove Village or a shopping center in Carpentersville. Traffic can be a huge problem, and our alternative transit options are not up to the challenge of getting people from where they live to where the jobs are. We need to invest in more and better transit options.
---I favor targeted, short-term tax incentives for small- and mid-sized businesses that create new jobs, and for any company that hires a worker who has been unemployed for more than 6 months. The US Economic Institute estimated that a 15% tax credit for expanded payroll costs could create up to 2.8 million new jobs over a year. Ideas like this one are a great place to start.
---Education is the number one predictor of individual success and is vital to our national and economic security. We need to invest in our public schools. Older communities have buildings that can’t meet today’s needs and in some cases have deferred maintenance for decades. And our newer communities are struggling to meet the demand for classroom space. We should create jobs and improve our educational institutions by investing in the budget-neutral FAST (Fix America’s Schools Today) program to repair and modernize our public schools.
3) Should the federal government cut spending and where?
We must make responsible, reasonable cuts to the Pentagon budget, which is the largest of any federal agency. As a member of the military, I have the experience to be able to ask the right questions and push for better oversight of military contracts.
Medicare simply must be allowed to negotiate drug prices, just like the VA does. It makes no sense that you or I can buy medication at Walgreen’s for less than Medicare would.
We also need to end subsidies to the oil and gas industry and some wasteful agricultural subsidies.
4) If Republican, which GOP presidential candidate do you support?
N/A
5) Give an example of something you’ve done that is bipartisanship in nature.
We need to bring an end to the extreme rhetoric and partisanship that is dominating Washington and prohibiting anything from getting accomplished. Based on my past successes, I believe I can be effective in working across party lines on bipartisan legislation.
In my leadership roles in state and federal government, I reached out and worked regularly with Republican leaders and legislators. As Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, I worked with House and Senate members on both sides to establish the state’s first Veterans Caucus. Through my work with these legislators, we were able to set up the Veterans Cash Grant Program, which has helped to fund non-profits ranging from the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton to the John Marshall Law School Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic and the Southern Illinois University Students with Disabilities Program.
I did the same in Washington, DC as the Assistant Secretary for Veterans Affairs. I worked with Senator Isakson, a Republican from Georgia, on Caregivers legislation. I worked with Lisa Murkowski, a Republican Senator from Alaska, on outreach to Native American Veterans. I have a proven record of success in working across party lines, at varying levels of government. If I’m elected to Congress I will work with anyone who loves this country as much as I do so we can get things accomplished.
6) Name one good policy idea that comes from the opposing party.
I fully support Senator Isakson’s Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act, which requires the U.S. Peace Corps to give protected whistleblower status to their volunteers who report wrongdoing. Even at a time of contentious relationships in Washington, Senator Isakson succeeded in pulling together a bipartisan coalition of co-sponsors and the bill passed the Senate in 2011. A bill such as this is not only good for the United States but will also help countries continue to benefit from the work of America’s Peace Corps volunteers.
7) How do you define family values?
My definition of family values is rooted in love. Most families share the same values of hard work, making their children’s lives better than their own, and the desire to love and care for one other. Being bi-racial, my own parents’ marriage would not have been recognized in some parts of this country as recently at the 1950s. Our nation has come a long way and we must continue to balance the rights of individuals with the public good and the ongoing evaluation of what it means to be a family.
8) What are your thoughts on the healthcare law?
I support the Affordable Care Act and, in fact, I believe that it didn't go far enough. Ultimately, I favor a move towards single-payer and will work in that direction while protecting the ACA and the improvements it made to the Medicare system. I also support the reforms to Medicare within ACA which will create billions of dollars in savings for Medicare and strengthen the care Medicare beneficiaries receive.
9) Who is your political role model?
Paul Simon is someone I greatly admire. Despite being a progressive, he was elected in conservative Southern Illinois and remained a respected politician for his entire tenure. He valued equality for all. He was an honest man with the conviction and courage to stand up for what was right, even when unpopular with his party leadership. He was outspoken against President Clinton’s mishandling of the genocide in Rwanda.
10) What’s on your iPod?
Lenny Kravitz, Black Eyed Peas, P!nk, Sheryl Crow, Gnarls Barkley, and Green Day.
