ANGIE CRAIG, DFL
Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications.
Growing up in a trailer park in Arkansas, I never imagined that I would end up as an executive at a Fortune 500 company. But my mom taught me that with hard work and a commitment to education, I could make a better life for myself.
Working two jobs, I paid my way through college and graduated from a public university — just like my mom did. I’ve devoted the last 22 years of my professional life to helping grow health care manufacturing companies that create meaningful, good-paying jobs.
For the last 10 years of my career, I was a member on the executive team at Minnesota start-up St. Jude Medical. As the vice president of global human resources, I focused on supporting the employees who drove our business forward. In the position I was responsible for 16,000 employees in 100 countries. In business, you don’t always agree with the person sitting next to you, but you work together to grow the business by serving patients.
While at the company, I launched a “Women in Business” program to bring more women into management positions. And by collaborating with four-year universities and tech schools, we advanced work force development programs that linked job skills to the regional economy for available jobs here in Minnesota.
Over the last 20 months I’ve heard from people all across the district who have told me how Congress can help their families achieve the American Dream, just like I did. I’ll bring their input with me to Washington and work tirelessly to deliver real results.
Top priority: I’ve seen firsthand just how much you can accomplish in this country when you have the opportunity to get an education and a good-paying job. Growing up, I never doubted for a moment that I could build a better life for my family and find a future in the middle class. But that opportunity is slipping away for too many hardworking families. Washington needs more people who are willing to put politics aside and work across the aisle to deliver results.
I’ve spent the last 22 years in the private sector — most recently on the executive team of a Minnesota Fortune 500 company. In the business world, your colleagues don’t give you a pat on the back when you obstruct a plan that didn’t come from your department. Results matter more than your personal or political preferences. Not agreeing with the person sitting next to you isn’t more important than the shared goals of growing the company and doing right by your employees. I plan to actively look for shared goals and common ground across political lines in Washington.
My first priority will be the economy: creating good-paying, meaningful jobs. We need to set a ‘fair shot agenda’ to make sure more people have the opportunity to share in the benefits of our growing 21st century economy. And that means providing strong incentives for public-private work force development programs that help bridge the skills gap as well as making smart investments in research and development, which have produced high-skill, first-generation manufacturing jobs throughout our nation’s history.
Social Security and Medicare represent promises to all our citizens. I will reject any changes that reduce benefits, undermine the programs and ultimately break those promises. One straightforward way to help make good on that promise lies in reducing the burdensome costs of prescription drugs. A quarter of Americans who take prescription drugs said it was difficult to afford them. And it’s no wonder: between May 2015 and May 2016, prescription drug costs rose nearly 10 percent. These skyrocketing costs are passed on directly to consumers and taxpayers.
Access to an affordable, high-quality education is key to making sure every American has a fair shot at creating a better life. But that opportunity is being pushed further and further out of reach for too many Minnesota families. We need to strengthen Pell Grants, lower the burden of student debt, and control the cost of college so every high school student knows that they have a path to affordable higher education and every graduate can contribute after college without the fear of crushing student loan debt.
Foreign affairs: Is the United States tough enough in its foreign policy with regard to its response to terrorism? Are additional measures warranted? Be specific. We need smart and tough foreign policies that protect the United States while continuing to preserve our values of privacy, liberty, and diversity. Our military should be equipped with the 21st century tools it needs to defend our nation while eliminating threats efficiently and safety. That means supporting innovative technologies, updating and improving our cybersecurity infrastructure, and ensuring our intelligence officials have access to every tool they need to protect us. We must also appreciate diplomacy’s role in keeping us safe by nurturing strong relationships with our allies to combat international threats.
Health care: Health care costs have increased under the Affordable Care Act, and it remains unpopular with many Americans. Would you vote to abolish the Act? Barring that, are there specific reforms you would support? Having grown up without health insurance coverage, I recognize how critically important access to care is for all hardworking families. And we’ve seen expanded access in recent years: in Minnesota we’ve hit an all-time low with roughly just 4 percent of our population left uninsured. Now we need to focus on cost control. The current healthcare debate helps illustrate precisely what is wrong with the way Washington does business. While Republicans have taken over 65 votes to repeal, Democrats have not moved quickly enough to address affordability. We need to take the politics out of health care and focus on real solutions like ways to promote and encourage high-value care. According to some studies, if spending for chronically ill patients everywhere in the country mirrored the efficient level of spending in the Mayo Clinic’s region, Medicare could save $50 billion in taxpayer money over five years. Let’s lend some Minnesota commonsense to the national discussion by focusing more on value and less on volume.
Economy: What role should the federal government play in ensuring that U.S. graduates can compete in the global economy? Are there specific measures that you advocate? One of the biggest issues facing families in our district is the burdensome cost of higher education. 70 percent of Minnesota’s college graduates have taken on some form of debt in order to complete their education, with the average price tag amounting to $31,579. That kind of debt causes our young people to delay major milestones, like buying a home or starting a family. Not only is it bad for our graduates — it’s bad for the economy.
In order to stay competitive in the global economy, we must do better to make college more affordable and expand access to higher education. One way we can do this is by strengthening Pell Grants. If Pell Grants were indexed to keep up with the rising cost of college, 9.2 million students would see an increase of $1,300. We also must allow students to refinance their debt at lower interest rates.
The private sector should be part of the solution, too. By making student loan payments part of a benefits package, companies aren’t just helping their recruiting and retention efforts – they’re helping grow the economy. Congress can help more companies do right by their employees by incentivizing student loan reimbursement with a business tax credit.
We need to take a closer look at why students are defaulting on their loans. While the problem hardly exists in other countries, 7 million borrowers in the United States are in default. In our country, the typical repayment period is just 10 years. However, in countries where the life of the loan is longer, students are far less likely to default on loans. Instead, they can begin building a life and contributing to the economy early in their careers. A core tenant of finance is that the length of debt payments should align with the life of the asset – student loans shouldn’t be an exception to that rule.
Energy: Do you support current restrictions on domestic oil and natural gas production, or would you like to see them reduced or increased? I believe that we can become energy independent while protecting our climate. Minnesota has been a leader in this industry and it’s helping us build the future of our economy. I’ve met dozens of farmers throughout this campaign. Nothing gives me more hope that we can craft an environmentally-friendly solution to our energy challenges than spending time with those that are growing the fuels of tomorrow on farms that are helping set the energy agenda of the future. Minnesota was the first state in the nation to require gasoline to be blended with 10 percent ethanol, and we’re a national leader in the use of E-85. Our state offers incentives to build advanced biofuels and biomass thermal energy plants. And our 21 ethanol plants and 3 biodiesel plants generate an estimated $5 billion in economic output. We need to chart a new, ‘all of the above’ energy future — one that creates jobs, increases energy independence while keeping costs affordable for middle-class families, and responds to the challenges of global climate change.
Debt: Federal entitlements are the main drivers of rising U.S. debt. What specific steps can be taken to keep programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid solvent and still serve those individuals in need? We need to do everything we can to serve and support seniors and others in need – that includes protecting Social Security, and strengthening Medicare and Medicaid. Currently the Social Security Trust Fund has a $2.3 trillion surplus that can pay the benefits owed for the next 19 years. We have some time to figure it out, and if we work together, we can find a solution. To asses our options, the executive branch and Congress need to create a bipartisan commission, just like President Reagan did in 1983. Another step is to reconsider the cap on taxable income. Billionaires pay the same amount into Social Security as someone who makes $118,500 a year. But just raising the cap above $118,500 a year would likely result in a tax increase for many hardworking middle class families. We need to strike a balance and make sure to exempt any family making just over that amount and implement the increase for only the highest wage earners.
Economy: What steps do you support to stimulate the growth of jobs? As a business leader, I know that Congress has lost sight of the fundamentals of growing the economy. Though things are improving, too many families have not yet felt the full effects of the recovery from the 2008 recession. We must do more to create jobs in America. Above all, we should reward entrepreneurship by making it easier for people to start and grow small businesses. For newly established businesses, navigating complex tax paperwork and regulations is extremely difficult.
We can do more to help grow the economy by allowing small businesses to simplify their methods of accounting. We should also increase tax deductions for business start-up expenditures and organizational costs. And while we’re at it, let’s increase tax deductions for healthcare costs for self-employed individuals. All of these measures will make it easier for America’s innovators to start and grow their small businesses while continuing to grow our economy.
We also need to be sure that our workers have the right skills for these high-paying, high-growth technical jobs by investing in work force development initiatives. When schools work with local employers to link training and education to the needs of the regional economy, students, workers, and the middle class win.
Finally, we need to get serious about tax reform and start looking at new solutions. The U.S. has the third highest corporate tax rate in the world, leaving billions of dollars in foreign earnings and capital overseas. Allowing companies to repatriate foreign profits to the U.S. at a lower rate would provide a critical spark to the economy so long as that money is dedicated to smart investments like research and development and infrastructure growth.
Immigration: Do America’s immigration laws need to be changed? What should be the tenets of any immigration reform legislation? As long as our immigration system remains broken, people will find a way to work around it. I believe we need common-sense immigration reform with a path to citizenship for those who are willing to play by the rules. As a country founded by immigrants, it’s simply the right thing to do — but immigration is an economic issue, too. Immigrants are growing Minnesota’s economy every day. They spent $7.7 billion in the state in 2013. And as of 2011, they comprised 7 percent of the state’s population and 6 percent of its business owners. Let’s also not forget that about 40 percent of Minnesota’s Fortune 500 firms were founded by either an immigrant or the child of an immigrant. So yes, I support immigration reform. It’s not just the right thing to do — it’s the smart thing to do to grow our economy and strengthen Minnesota’s business community.
Foreign trade: Should the Trans-Pacific Partnership be ratified? Be specific in your reasons. No, the Trans-Pacific Partnership should not be ratified. As a former business executive with extensive global experience, I recognize there are key criteria for any strong, strategic multilateral trade agreement — above all, any agreement must allow U.S. companies and their workers to compete on a level playing field. TTP fails to meet that most important standard and would also increase our trade deficit while failing to address currency manipulation from trading partners. I want to make it easier for Minnesota businesses to send their products to markets abroad, but to do so–we need these agreements that treat American workers fairly.
JASON LEWIS, REPUBLICAN PARTY
Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications.
My experience in private business — in a small, family-owned company as well as nationally syndicated broadcaster and author analyzing the most complex of public policy issues — uniquely prepares me to serve in Congress. My academic background, including a master’s degree in political science, also provides a strong foundation for public service. Knowing the state, understanding the private sector as well as the public, and talking to hard-working citizens every day for the better part of two and half decades will help me become the most effective representative for Minnesota’s 2nd District.
Top priority: I understand the economic pressures that families are facing in this very subpar recovery which has yet to hit 3 percent growth — a post World War II low. I understand the burden of a far too-complicated and unfair tax code with loopholes for the politically powerful. And as someone who’s been purchasing private insurance for my family I am keenly aware of the devastating effects that the Affordable Care Act has had on family finances and job creation. That’s why my proposals seek to create real growth not through government directed crony-capitalism but by restoring capital investment and incentives in the private economy so that everyone can prosper through a rising tide of economic activity.
Foreign affairs: Is the United States tough enough in its foreign policy with regard to its response to terrorism? Are additional measures warranted? Be specific. At the outset, this means controlling our borders and putting a moratorium on dangerous refugee admissions — starting with Syria. Unfortunately, the Obama administration has already accepted 10,000 new refugees and is set to admit 110,000 next year. I have also been the only candidate in this race demanding an end to the financing of Sunni terrorist groups —whether Al Qaeda, Al Nusra or ISIS — by our so-called allies in the Arab world, especially Saudi Arabia. Last year we sold $33 billion in weapons to Gulf countries while many them have known ties to terrorists groups. It’s tempting to talk tough on just Syria, Iran or even Russia ... and then go about supporting the status quo in the ‘war on terror’ which has failed to secure our borders or eliminate foreign aid and military hardware to those countries who are chiefly responsible for the tragedies in Brussels, Paris, San Bernardino, Orlando, Nice — and, at least indirectly, St. Cloud.
Health care: Health care costs have increased under the Affordable Care Act, and it remains unpopular with many Americans. Would you vote to abolish the Act? Barring that, are there specific reforms you would support? Obamacare promised to reduce health insurance premiums by as much as $2,500 per family. Today, however, premiums are $4,865 higher, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation report. Because the Affordable Care Act mandated the most expensive coverage for everyone, young people, as well as smaller insurers, have been priced out of the market. Right here in Minnesota we’ve seen the system collapse under MNSure, and this year’s 50 percent-plus increase in premiums is simply unsustainable for a growing number of families. The net result is a health care system bursting at the seams as employers drop costly coverage and dump part-timers onto bureaucratic ‘exchanges’ while providers refuse new patients due to government price controls. Obamacare even reduced the amount of out-of-pocket health expenses families could deduct. Let’s empower health care consumers by undoing the costly ACA ‘mandates,’ allowing individuals to buy policies across state lines, and enacting true portability by changing the tax code.
Education: What role should the federal government play in ensuring that U.S. graduates can compete in the global economy? Are there specific measures that you advocate? Ideally federal officeholders would not interject in what should be a local concern. But three decades and $70 billion (annually) later, the federal Department of Education continues to micromanage our schools with a litany of unfunded mandates. Even the recently enacted ESSA law, meant to reform Common Core, allows states to take over local districts if they fail to perform. We need real changes — such as merit pay, collective-bargaining reform, seniority rules changes, and school choice — in order to best serve our children.
Energy: Do you support current restrictions on domestic oil and natural gas production, or would you like to see them reduced or increased? Minnesota’s largest refinery is in the 2nd district and I do not support efforts to hamstring its productive capacity or reduce employment there. The administration’s Clean Power Plan would do just that and I do not support it. Moreover, I do not support the EPA’s attempt to implement these onerous regulations without congressional input.
Debt: Federal entitlements are the main drivers of rising U.S. debt. What specific steps can be taken to keep programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid solvent and still serve those individuals in need? The federal budget has doubled since 2002 and now totals an astonishing $4.1 trillion. It remains the single biggest drag on economic growth and job creation, because wasteful government spending crowds out productive private investment. An unsustainable debt of $19 trillion is putting America on the road to Athens. Net interest on the debt will be nearly $800 billion in a decade, according to the CBO. Yet Washington insiders cut another backroom deal last year, undoing the 2011 budget caps and adding another $112 billion to domestic discretionary spending. And though the federal government collected a record $3.25 trillion in 2015, we have a 2016 deficit of $600 billion. We need across-the-board budget reductions and bipartisan entitlement reform because no matter how you finance big government spending — whether taxes, borrowing, or printing money — it all comes out of your pocket.
Economy: What steps do you support to stimulate the growth of jobs? Today’s IRS code — filled with loopholes and tax credits for every conceivable special interest — has over 4 million words. All these exemptions do is place a much higher tax burden on the rest of us, especially the majority of America’s businesses who can’t afford lobbyists in Washington. In fact, the top 50 percent of income-earners (even households earning just $37,000) now pay 97 percent of all income taxes. We need a flatter and fairer tax code that not only treats everyone the same, but encourages work, savings, and investment. The last thing we should be doing is adding more brackets and exemptions to an already complicated tax system. That’s why I support the Tax Code Termination Act, introduced last year in the House, which would actually sunset the federal tax code in three years, forcing Congress to embrace real tax reform once and for all.
Immigration: Do America’s immigration laws need to be changed? What should be the tenets of any immigration reform legislation? It was Ronald Reagan who once said, ‘A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation at all.’ The best way to keep our homeland safe — along with slowing the influx of criminals and drugs –– is to enforce the laws on the books, secure the border and control who gets in this country and who does not. German officials now admit that ISIS terrorists have infiltrated the Syrian refugee community and that’s why I believe we should not be putting more of them in America’s neighborhoods. As the recent attack in St. Cloud reminds us, we already have a terrorist recruitment problem in Minnesota. Furthermore, the fiscal cost of unlawful immigration is simply unsustainable. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that when you include public education, health care, corrections, and government benefits, the total comes to $113 billion per year — most of it borne by the states. We may be able to find common ground to the non-immigrant work visa issue, skilled and otherwise, but not until we secure the border.
Foreign trade: Should the Trans-Pacific Partnership be ratified? Be specific in your reasons. Because I am a supporter of free trade — and especially making sure Minnesota agricultural exports have access to overseas markets — I do not support the TPP in its current form. It appears much less a free-trade agreement and much more a complicated multilateral carve out for special interests — not unlike our loophole ridden tax code. Real free trade lowers tariffs for all and contains special favors for none. That is why the Obama administration secretly negotiated the deal for years. For example, one foreign car company gets favored treatment in the TPP over other automakers and is permitted to import parts from countries that don’t comply with the deal. There is also no real remedy in the agreement that addresses currency manipulation for trade advantage. I look forward to helping craft a better trade deal that protects American interests while expanding vital export markets for Minnesota producers.
PAULA OVERBY, INDEPENDENCE PARTY
Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications.
I am a proud graduate of the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a second major in computer science. I have spent several years providing community-based mental health services, but most of my career has focused on quality assurance in process control and data analysis. I value family first with two daughters and a son.
My diverse social background provides a uniquely personal experience because it combines urban and rural issues that characterize Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District. My political views are informed by my community engagement, providing insight to why people feel alienated from government. As a community activist, I have dealt with issues of sexual violence, and intimate partner abuse. I am a trained abuse advocate and community educator in matters of sexual health. I firmly believe that the best solutions result when they are made at the lowest possible level and I strongly support broader focus on local initiatives. I believe that effective solutions to social issues depend on representation of the people that properly reflects the diversity of our culture.
Top priority: My top priority for the 2017 Congress is reforming the corrupting influence of “dark money” which is flowing into political campaigns. The effect of this influx of money is to enhance the power of organizations that do not have the best interests of United States citizens in mind…
Foreign affairs: Is the United States tough enough in its foreign policy with regard to its response to terrorism? Are additional measures warranted? Be specific. The United States has developed an approach to deal with the threat of ISIS (Daesh) by working with countries and groups in the region, including Iraqi troops, Kurdish forces, along with Turkish cooperation (especially using Incirlik air base to provide air support). This is a desirable approach because it prevents the United States from having to commit large numbers of troops, other than support personnel, and this effort has gradually become more successful as larger and larger ground areas (and sources of income) are taken away from ISIS troops. If the United States continues this policy, ISIS will gradually be eliminated from its home bases in Iraq and Syria. However, ISIS fighters have been dispatched to other areas of the world (e.g., Libya) which will require a similar strategy to support those organizations that are fighting ISIS in their own countries.
Health care: Health care costs have increased under the Affordable Care Act, and it remains unpopular with many Americans. Would you vote to abolish the Act? Barring that, are there specific reforms you would support? When your health care premium is more than your tax bill, as is the case with some people, you have to realize that there is something seriously wrong with the way we deliver health care in this country. I would support a vote to abolish the ACA, even though it has ensured that we now have the smallest percentage of Americans not covered by health care in our recent history. I support localized health care delivery based on a single-payer health care model. In congressional District 2, we already have an excellent model of localized health care delivery known as county-based purchasing. County-based purchasing provides targeted solutions, better mental health services and local employment. When you call your insurance company, wouldn’t you rather know you are talking to someone in your community? Federal legislation would better serve local health care delivery by reducing some of the regulatory requirements and creating transparency in health care and drug pricing to enhance consumer protections and choice.
Education: What role should the federal government play in ensuring that U.S. graduates can compete in the global economy? Are there specific measures that you advocate? Congress has given us programs like the “Every Student Succeeds Act” which is essentially a stripped down version of “No Child Left Behind” which most people agree was a failure. It involves political posturing and largely remains an unfunded federal mandate. It does nothing to address the underlying social causes of underachievement and does not provide a meaningful definition of success. It is heavily biased toward an unfounded perception that science, technology, engineering and math define the basis of educational success. Wouldn’t it be great if classrooms encouraged more critical thinking in all fields, not just science and technology? I generally oppose these federal mandates as excessively burdensome on local school districts. The federal government should be examining the socioeconomic factors that actually correlate with highly successful students and work to decrease the disparity between high and low achievement.
Energy: Do you support current restrictions on domestic oil and natural gas production, or would you like to see them reduced or increased? I support a greater emphasis on developing renewable energy and improving energy conservation. There are many initiatives already underway at federal, state and local levels. I do think that the federal government could assume a much larger role in expediting the transition from fossil fuels and minimizing the impact of employment reductions that are already occurring in that industry.
Debt: Federal entitlements are the main drivers of rising U.S. debt. What specific steps can be taken to keep programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid solvent and still serve those individuals in need? I disagree with the premise that federal entitlements are the main drivers of rising U.S. expenditures. Social Security represents about 35 percent of the total federal budget but that is misleading — even deceptive — because it is funded by FICA, which is a separate payroll tax. In fact, the Social Security and disability trust funds currently have a positive balance and are in no way contributing to the federal deficit. According to a recent Pew Research study, “Social Security’s combined reserves likely will be fully depleted by 2034, according to the trustees’ intermediate forecast. The disability-insurance trust fund could run dry as soon as the end of 2016, while the old-age and survivors’ fund is expected to be depleted in 2035 — assuming it’s not tapped to back-fill the disability fund. (The Congressional Budget Office, in a separate report that uses somewhat different demographic assumptions, projects that the disability fund will be exhausted in fiscal 2017 and the old-age and survivors’ fund in calendar 2031; if the funds are combined, they would be exhausted in calendar 2029.) The exact depletion dates depend, of course, on future demographic and economic trends. After the reserves are exhausted, the system still will be receiving tax revenue, but it will only be enough to pay about three-quarters of scheduled benefits – unless Congress changes the benefit formulas, raises the payroll tax, or makes other changes such as raising the cap on taxable wage income (currently $118,500).” I support reducing military spending to a reasonable level, transferring money from the general fund to accommodate the current retirement bubble along with an increasing income cap on FICA. Congress needs to resolve this issue and stop using it to polarize voter opinion.
Economy: What steps do you support to stimulate the growth of jobs? Implement tax and banking reforms that encourage long-term investment strategies and real capital investments over speculative market investments. It is also important to reduce regulatory requirements on small- to mid-size businesses that restrict market competitiveness. New business is starved for capital investment and these businesses represent the economic growth potential for our country.
Immigration: Do America’s immigration laws need to be changed? What should be the tenets of any immigration reform legislation? According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, “In 2014, 1.3 million foreign-born individuals moved to the United States, an 11 percent increase from 1.2 million in 2013. India was the leading country of origin for new immigrants, with 147,500 arriving in 2014, followed by China with 131,800, Mexico with 130,000, Canada with 41,200, and the Philippines with 40,500.”Only a small percentage of recent immigrants come from countries where terrorism constitutes a problem, and only a very small number of the immigrants from these countries have constituted a problem for our country: We should continue our program of carefully screening all immigrants from all countries but continue to enrich the diversity and skills of our nation by allowing the entrance of qualified immigrants.
Foreign trade: Should the Trans-Pacific Partnership be ratified? Be specific in your reasons. Even though the Trans-Pacific Partnership was originally designed as a means to support Asian countries economically and politically in their efforts to fend off aggressive behavior on the part of China, I am completely opposed to the ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. It creates a layer of global hierarchy that exceeds our national sovereignty and provides no accountability to our citizens. It will reduce health and labor standards and enhance the off-shoring of jobs.