RUTHFULLY YOURS

U.S. CONGRESS

District 1

Paul Ryan (R)    Incumbent    

http://paulryan.house.gov/     http://www.ryanforcongress.com/

http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Paul_Ryan.htm/**     Rated -3 by AAI, indicating anti-Arab anti-Palestine voting record. (May 2012)

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

ENERGY   Voted for construction of Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments.   In 2008, Canadian pipeline company, TransCanada, filed an application to build the Keystone XL pipeline.  According to the Department of Energy and the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over this issue, the pipeline will eventually be able to move up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day.  And further, it is projected to create 20,000 direct jobs.  Since the Keystone XL pipeline would travel across the border between the U.S. and Canada, a “Presidential Permit” must be awarded to the project from the State Department.    In the years since the application was filed, the project has undergone exhaustive review by the State Department.  However, the Administration has continued to delay approval of this common sense, job creating project.  In contrast, the House of Representatives has continued to take action.  Most recently, in May 2013, the House passed – in a bipartisan fashion – H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act.  This legislation would declare that no Presidential Permit be required for the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline application, and among several other provisions, would deem that the final environmental impact statement issued by the Department of State in August 2011 and the Final Evaluation Report issued by the state of Nebraska be sufficient to satisfy all the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.    In the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact, the Department of State notes in the report that “assuming the construction of the proposed Project were to occur in the next few years, climate conditions during the construction period would not differ substantially from current conditions.”  With this in mind, there is no reason for further delay from the President.  I look forward to working with Members of Congress to find ways to move forward on this proposal which will not only lessen our dependence on Middle Eastern oil but also create thousands of American jobs.

A Long Term Solution for Energy Independence   I believe a national energy proposal must take a multi-pronged approach focused on increasing American-made energy, reforming outdated fuel regulations, building the infrastructure we need to transport domestic energy and allowing alternative energy sources to compete in the market.

HEALTHCARE   As I travel around Wisconsin, I hear from more and more individuals who have serious concerns about what the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA–commonly referred to as Obamacare-will mean for them, their families and their businesses. Indeed, businesses, policy experts, government actuaries, and even some supporters of the law have confirmed what the country already knew: the ACA is bad policy that does not accomplish what it was designed to do. Instead, the law spends trillions of dollars we don’t have, raises taxes on workers, businesses and families, and puts the federal government squarely in the middle of health care decisions. And as we have seen over the past few months, it is resulting in cancellation notices and massive premium increases for families and individuals in Wisconsin and nationwide.  Following the passage of the ACA, the President made several critical promises about the law, but in what was arguably the most central promise made, President Obama stated: “That means that no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise to the American people: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health-care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health-care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.” However, the past several months have shown this to be a hollow promise as millions of Americans have received cancellation notices due to the ACA. This broken promise is affecting people’s livelihoods, and Congress has acted to lessen the impact of these well-established problems resulting from the ACA.   In order to achieve a lasting and permanent solution to our broken immigration system, we must secure the border, enforce our laws, and fix our immigration system. That means we need tough border security and enforcement measures that will deter future illegal immigration.  We need to modernize our visa programs to ensure people who want to come legally can do so.  And we need to ensure that no one can work here unless they have legal status.  In the past, I have supported initiatives that would have accomplished these goals, and I will continue to do so as my colleagues and I consider legislation in the 113th Congress.

IMMIGRATION   In order to achieve a lasting and permanent solution to our broken immigration system, we must secure the border, enforce our laws, and fix our immigration system. That means we need tough border security and enforcement measures that will deter future illegal immigration.  We need to modernize our visa programs to ensure people who want to come legally can do so.  And we need to ensure that no one can work here unless they have legal status.  In the past, I have supported initiatives that would have accomplished these goals, and I will continue to do so as my colleagues and I consider legislation in the 113th Congress.

Rob Zerban (D) Challenger

http://www.robzerban.com/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

HEALTHCARE 

• I oppose efforts to alter Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for the benefit of private health insurance companies and financial interests. This will undermine and weaken these critical programs.
• I oppose vouchers, block grants, and other Republican gimmicks to slash funding for these programs.
• I support strengthening Social Security by lifting the cap on taxable income so the program will remain fiscally sound without raising the retirement age, changing COLAs, or otherwise reducing or altering benefits.
• I support keeping the prescription drug “donut hole” closed in Medicare Part D, and will oppose any efforts to reopen it.
• I support allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for prescription drugs with pharmaceutical companies. This removes a huge cost Republicans added to the Medicare program in order to appease lobbyists and Big Pharma.

Paul Ryan’s “Path to Poverty” Plan for the House GOP focuses on privatizing, downsizing, and radically altering Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. I could not disagree more. We all work hard, we are all willing to pay, and when we reach our golden years, we can retire with dignity. That is the American way.

Privatization is not the American way; it is the introduction of harm and risk to a program that is built to provide security and stability. Privatization, and those that support such efforts, are focused only on increasing corporate profits, most likely so politicians that support these plans can receive more political contributions. These proposals do nothing to lower costs or ensure the stability of benefits.   When the time comes, we all will retire and many of us will be glad there is a basic degree of economic security. Social Security was created to combat poverty and homelessness among seniors. The program is one of the most effective we’ve ever seen, for our society and economy.   Paul Ryan’s plan, which he called the “Path to Prosperity,” but I call the “Path to Poverty,” would privatize Medicare. Seniors would pay, on average, hundreds more a month for the same care they receive now. And we would force Social Security dollars into private accounts invested in the stock market. Millions of seniors would have been wiped out in the Great Recession under Ryan’s plan.   Both of these programs, Medicare and Social Security, are better than their private alternatives. They work.     In a time when many people are losing pensions, and have little left over to contribute to a 401k plan, Social Security has provided stability in the golden years of millions of Americans. This program is more important than ever.   Medicaid currently covers nearly 60 million individuals, including one in three American children. Medicare covers 47 million seniors and people with permanent disabilities, groups that historically have had great difficulty obtaining coverage.

Medicare is more efficient than private insurance. It delivers better care for less money, which is why I firmly oppose privatizing Medicare, vouchers, “premium support,” or many of the other ideas proposed by Paul Ryan.   The question is about what we fund with our budget. Medicare is worth it, and we can afford it. We can however, make Medicare cheaper by allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower-cost prescription drugs. We can also eliminate tax loopholes and cut waste in the defense budget to pay for Medicare and many other investments we need to make for students, seniors, and middle class families.   We must strengthen Social Security, because by the year 2036, the Social Security Trust Fund will experience a temporary period where there is more money being required from the fund than is being paid in. Social Security has not contributed a penny to the federal deficit and contrary to Paul Ryan’s claims, is not in crisis. Social Security has a $2.7 trillion trust fund and can pay all promised benefits in full for at least the next twenty years. If we just insist that the wealthiest Americans pay the same share of their income that middle-class workers pay to support Social Security, which would restore long-term actuarial balance without cutting benefits.    We can ensure the health of the Social Security guarantee without reducing benefits, raising the retirement age, adjusting COLAs, or otherwise weakening the program. Right now, Social Security taxes the first $110,100 of income. I support lifting the cap on Social Security taxes to include all income. This will ensure fiscal stability without reducing benefits, and it wouldn’t cost the middle-class a dime.   I will lead the fight in Congress to make the changes necessary so the middle class does not pay more, and we can continue to ensure retirement security for our nation’s seniors.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS   Women’s Rights and Stopping Domestic Violence

• I support a woman’s right to choose.
• I support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act any other legislation to ensure women have equal rights and receive equal pay for equal work.
• I support funding for emergency shelters, crisis lines, counseling, assistance, and other resources for victims of domestic violence.
• I will work to reinstate the Family Violence Preventive Services Act, FVPSA, and pass any and all other legislation helpful for women struggling with domestic violence.

My values are about choice, freedom, and respect. I respect each individual’s right to determine their own behavior in accordance with their own faith or values. That determination, that choice, must be made by each woman in her own way. I also oppose discrimination and will support legislation and funding to improve the lives of women.

ENERGY   Our energy policy should focus on achieving energy independence while meeting our needs in an environmentally sound way. There has been a lot of opposition to green energy and to the EPA and its mission of protecting the environment. Much of this opposition, and phony scientific studies, come from oil and coal interests that want to see our nation remain dependent upon their products. I disagree with climate change deniers and believe addressing this problem will not only help our environment, but also our economy. I believe we need to mitigate the damage of fossil fuels while also making the investments necessary to transition away from them. One of our starting points should be making sure we get a working smart grid across the United States. I am willing to look at many different options when it comes to increasing research, development, and adoption of new energy technologies.   We must work towards the future, but not ignore our current situation. Fossil fuels, including oil and coal, are not going to disappear overnight, so we must do our best to mitigate the harm. We must raise and enforce emission standards, as well as increase research and implementation of technology such as scrubbers and carbon capture and sequestration. Natural gas is a cleaner option, although fracking is a very invasive and harmful way to extract it. I believe hydraulic fracking and mountain-top removal mining (MTR) should be curtailed. So-called clean energy is only clean if the way it is extracted is responsible and sustainable.   Other things we can do to reduce carbon emissions include retrofitting buildings, using green building materials, and promoting new technology like hydrogen. I believe we also must encourage more hybrid vehicles to be manufactured and sold, and increase education, both in schools and to the general public, about the dangers of climate change and carbon emissions.   These are some of ideas to achieve energy independence and reduce emissions, but our success will depend upon the willingness to move away from fossil fuels into green energy. I support a national program to build a smart grid and encourage utility companies to use more renewables in their energy portfolios.   These ideas will lead us towards energy independence, increased manufacturing opportunities in America, green jobs, and a cleaner environment for ourselves, our children, and generations to come.

District 2

Mark Pocan (D) Incumbent

http://pocanforcongress.com/     http://pocan.house.gov/

http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Mark_Pocan.htm**

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

WOMEN’S RIGHTS   Mark Pocan has always gone out of his way to support the rights of women who continue to face disparities with men, in terms of equity in representation in leadership in politics and in the workforce, equal pay, and equal treatment under the law.   Authored and fought for 6 years to pass the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act, requiring all hospitals to offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault   Opposed effort to require women be given a test before being allowed birth control by offering an amendment requiring men be given a test before being allowed access to Viagra   Helped add a provision to a budget measure that now requires pharmacists to dispense contraceptives   Helped add a provision to a budget measure that mandates health care coverage for contraceptives

HEALTHCARE   Promoting Access to Quality Health Care   Mark Pocan believes that access to quality health care should be a right, not a privilege. As someone who’s consistently supported a single-payer health care system, Mark will continue to fight to get quality, affordable health care for every American.

Mark’s Accomplishments:

• Expanded BadgerCare to cover 98 percent of Wisconsinites and 100 percent of Wisconsin children
• Co-sponsored the original framework for legislation that became SeniorCare, and voted to create the program
• Stood up to Scott Walker when he planned to eliminate SeniorCare, as part of an effort to collect 14,000 signatures and enable the program to continue
• Restored funding to Alzheimer’s caregivers support program that would have left patients without care
• Authored and led the effort to successfully pass the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act, which requires all hospitals provide emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault

ENVIRONMENT   Voted against Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments.   Mark Pocan has always supported investing in our future by supporting the preservation of our environment.  Early on he received the endorsement of Clean Wisconsin, the only environmental group to endorse in this race, because of his strong record protecting our natural resources.  In Congress, he plans to forcefully support alternative energy and renewable resources.

NATIONAL SECURITY   Mark’s To-Do List:

• Reduce the size of the defense budget and reduce the use of private contractors
• Close the Guantanamo Bay Prison
• Support strong Congressional requirements for the use of force and use military intervention only after exhausting all diplomatic efforts
• Support our allies and fellow democracies abroad with economic and economic training assistance vice military assistance
• End the war in Afghanistan and support economic and democracy-building assistance
• Support the safe destruction of all nuclear weapons

Peter Theron (R) Challenger

http://theronforcongress.com/District 3

Change your Congressman. Keep your doctor.
Renew America.

District 3

Ron Kind (D) Incumbent

http://www.ronkind.org/     http://kind.house.gov/#dialog

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Ron_Kind.htm**     Rated -1 by AAI, indicating a mixed Arab/Palestine voting record. (May 2012)

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

HEALTHCARE   Health care is the fastest growing area of federal spending, with the country spending over $2.5 trillion annually. Coupled with the fact that over 40 million Americans lack insurance, meaningful health care reform was long overdue.   People across western and central Wisconsin have shared with me for years their concerns with our current health care system. Our economy continues to suffer as Wisconsin families fall further into debt due to rising health care costs. Comprehensive health care reform could not wait and I was glad to help shape and support the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. As a member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, I was intimately involved in the health care reform debate. Now, as the law continues to be implemented, I will fight efforts to repeal the law.   We cannot afford to repeal health care reform. Please watch the video below, with my reaction to the 37th vote taken in the House to repeal the ACA.  

ENERGY   Voted against Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments.   When gas prices skyrocket it becomes even more apparent that it is our dependence on oil that makes us vulnerable to fluctuating prices that so greatly impact family budgets. I have always favored an all of the above energy strategy that includes responsible domestic offshore energy development and increased investment in renewable energy.  A “drill only” policy will not make us energy independent.  The United States consumes 25% of the world’s oil, yet we only have 1.6% of the world’s proven oil reserves.  Oil extracted from these reserves won’t be available at the pump for at least 10 years.  And, despite the BP oil spill, domestic oil production last year was at the highest level since 2003 – higher than during most of the Bush Administration.  This increased domestic production was not enough to protect us from this spike in gas prices.  High gas prices will continue to be a problem until we put into place a 21st Century energy strategy.  Drilling alone will not solve this problem.  Petroleum is a limited fossil fuel resource and our continued prosperity depends on us finding renewable alternatives that will reduce air, water, and land pollution and produce more stable energy sources and prices.

IMMIGRATION   America is a nation founded and built by immigrants. We have a proud history of reaching out to foreigners and offering refuge and opportunity to those who seek it. Unfortunately, our current immigration system is broken. Today, there are more than 12 million undocumented immigrants residing within our borders.
Both Republicans and Democrats agree that we need to meaningfully reform our immigration system. It is vital that we dedicate sufficient resources to border enforcement and ensure that the E-Verify system not only prevents illegal employment and protects American workers, but also does not overburden small business owners. For those undocumented immigrants who are already part of our communities, I believe that we must provide a practical pathway to citizenship within a reasonable time frame and after paying taxes and learning English and American civics. Finally, as part of immigration reform, we need to create a system that keeps up with the needs of farmers and their businesses and fixes our broken H-2A agricultural worker visa program.
I know that these are sensitive issues, but I believe that Congress needs to have the courage to move forward and solve these problems. I am ready to work on a bipartisan basis to help move this process forward.

Tony Kurtz (R) Challenger

http://www.kurtzforcongress.org/

While still a senior in high school, Tony was accepted into the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Flight Training Program and left for basic training less than a month after graduation. He completed Flight school in 1986 and flew Cobra Helicopters. His first assignment was in the Federal Republic of Germany where he witnessed the effects of the Cold War and the Fall of the Berlin Wall.     In late 1990, he went to Fort Campbell, Kentucky and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). He deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and flew as a Pilot-in-Command in Cobra Helicopters. Later at Fort Campbell, Tony transitioned over to the Apache Helicopter and flew at other duty stations during his career.    Tony has served in Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Knox, Kentucky, and the Republic of South Korea. His last assignment was at Fort Rucker, Alabama where he worked at the U.S. Army Safety Center as a Training Team Director and Accident Investigator. He deployed in February 2003 to Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Accident Investigator on Army Aircraft Accidents. While serving in the Armed Forces, Tony spent evenings and weekends earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1989 and his Master of Science in International Relations from Troy State University in 1997.    In 2005, he completed the requirements as a Certified Safety and Health Official (CSHO). Tony retired from the U.S. Army in August of 2005 with 20 years of active Federal service.

HOT BUTTON ISSUES 

HEALTHCARE  There’s no argument that our previous healthcare system needed substantive reform. Instead, the reform we got from the Democrats was one-sided, covert and intentionally complex. We are now reaping the results of a bill “we have to pass to know what’s in it.” The results so far have been dreadful for so many in so many ways. We can do much better than that. Strong conservative strategies like interstate insurance markets, medical tort reform, creating pools to underwrite those with pre-existing conditions and economic incentives for effective drugs and technology–just to name a few–are reasonable and workable remedies to “Democare.”   Together, let’s remind Washington that it’s our healthcare they’re tinkering with, and we intend our voices to be heard–on November 4 if not before.

BALANCED BUDGET   When the party in power ignores the requirement to produce and adhere to a federal budget for several sessions of Congress, we get the hint. Maybe the party feels more free to “wing it,” allowing them to spend at will with no accountability. That has never worked and it never can.    As a military leader, entrepreneur and small business operator, I know the importance of a budget to stay focused on those strategic activities that will achieve the right goals in the right way. Failure to plan financially is just not an option.   In Washington, I will add my voice to the many in the majority to urge the Senate and the White House to respect our obligation to manage the peoples’ money as if it were our own and pursue proven and productive fiscal policy — beginning with a Balanced Budget Amendament.

RESTORE THE CONSTITUTION   Recent administrations have managed to expand their executive powers beyond the intent of the Constitution. That may be more true today than at any time previously.   Since our current representatives in Congress appear unwilling to stand for their rights as a co-equal branch of our government, maybe a new class of outsiders, freshly shocked at the flagrant stretching of Constitutional rights beyond their limits, can return a sense of legal restraint and cooperation and restore respect for the Constitution and its architects.  

District 4

Gwen Moore (D) Incumbent 

http://www.gwenmooreforcongress.com/   http://gwenmoore.house.gov/#dialog

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Gwen_Moore.htm**   Rated +4 by AAI, indicating pro-Arab pro-Palestine voting record. (May 2012)

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

HEALTHCARE   I was honored to be a part of history and to have served in the Congress that passed comprehensive health care reform. Through the Affordable Care Act, we extended health care coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans while at the same time lowering health care costs overall and cutting our nation’s deficit. The Affordable Care Act puts Americans and small businesses – not health insurance companies – in charge of their health care decisions.   Implementation of our health insurance reforms will be phased in until state insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.

Many benefits are already available, including:

• Small businesses can receive tax credits to help afford insurance for their employees;
• Seniors can receive assistance affording prescription drugs;
• Health plans must cover preventive health care such as mammograms and colonoscopies without charging a deductible or co-pay;
• Insurance companies have been banned from canceling coverage when someone gets too sick;
• Children with pre-existing conditions can get affordable insurance;
• Insurance companies can’t place arbitrary yearly or lifetime benefit caps; and
• Children can stay on their parents’ insurance until their 26th birthdays.

IMMIGRATION   For far too long, Congress has sidestepped our mounting immigration challenges, but the unified cry for action has never been louder from our community organizers, faith groups, labor unions and business leaders. I strongly believe that now is the time to enact responsible reform to our broken immigration system.  It is critical that throughout our reform efforts, we ensure our deeply flawed immigration laws and policies align more closely with our core values of attracting the best and brightest in the world, strengthening families and communities, and bolstering fundamental fairness and economic opportunity for all.   To face this challenge, it is crucial that we replace our failed enforcement-only policies with a solution that works.  I believe that we must include a tough but fair pathway to citizenship for the 11 million aspiring Americans currently living here in the shadows.

WOMEN’S ISSUES  As the immediate past Democratic Chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, the largest bipartisan caucus in Congress, I have spearheaded efforts to ensure women have equal opportunity and are treated fairly. I have fought year after year for adequate funding to make shelters and supportive services more accessible to victims of family and domestic violence.  I have also led the way on legislation that would improve our nation’s response to domestic violence, and help prevent teen dating violence.  In addition, I have authored legislation that would help low-income women –  including those who are welfare recipients – find a pathway out of poverty and a better life for themselves and their children.

Press Releases  –  Gwen Moore Stands up For Women, Against Supreme Court Decision –  06/30/14 –  “The extremely personal and private decision to take birth control should remain just that – personal and private. I urge my colleagues to stand on the right side of history and fight for access to women’s health care.”

• Gwen Moore Celebrates Affordable Care Act Benefits for Women  03/23/14 “Many times, our ability to achieve our goals begins with our health.”
• Congressional Women’s Working Group on Immigration Reform Celebrates International Women’s Day

03/07/14  – “This International Women’s Day, I urge my colleagues to pass legislation that keeps families together, boosts our economy and improves the well-being of aspiring Americans.”  

ENVIRONMENT  Voted against Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments.  I will continue to work to oppose efforts to increase irresponsible and environmentally damaging oil drilling in sensitive environmental areas and logging in our national forests.  I am also opposed to efforts by House Republicans to undermine key environmental protection laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act which were all enacted on a bipartisan basis.

Dan Sebring (R) Challenger

http://dansebring.com/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

HEALTHCARE   I Support The American Health Care Reform Act  The centuries-old oath taken by health care professionals reads, “Do no harm.” It is time for Washington lawmakers to take a similar approach when working to fix the problems that exist in our broken health care system. Simply repealing the President’s health care law is not enough-it must be replaced.   Conservatives recognize that patient-centered reforms rooted in free markets are the best way to lower costs and solve problems in our health care system. That is why the Republican Study Committee (RSC) is proud to bring forward a pragmatic, practical, and portable free-market alternative to the current health care system. Simply put, our bill is a better way forward. Specifically, the RSC’s American Health Care Reform Act:  Fully repeals President Obama’s health care law, eliminating billions in taxes and thousands of pages of unworkable regulations and mandates that are driving up health care costs.   Spurs competition to lower health care costs by allowing Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines and enabling small businesses to pool together and get the same buying power as large corporations.   Reforms medical malpractice laws in a commonsense way that limits trial lawyer fees and non-economic damages while maintaining strong protections for patients.   Provides tax reform that allows families and individuals to deduct health care costs, just like companies, leveling the playing field and providing all Americans with a standard deduction for health insurance.   Expands access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), increasing the amount of pre-tax dollars individuals can deposit into portable savings accounts to be used for health care expenses.   Safeguards individuals with pre-existing conditions from being discriminated against purchasing health insurance by bolstering state-based high risk pools and extending HIPAA guaranteed availability protections.

CUT DEFICIT SPENDING   Congressional Budget Office projections reveal no shortage of federal revenues in coming years. Instead, they show federal spending – which is already abnormally high – rising to unprecedented levels and the government accumulating massive debt as a result.   Historically, America’s strong growth and high living standards were built on our relatively smaller government. The ongoing surge in federal spending threatens to undo this competitive advantage that we have enjoyed in the world economy. The Congressional Budget Office’s new projections show that federal spending will rise by about 10 percentage points of GDP by 2035. If that happens, American governments will be consuming more than half of everything produced in the nation by that year. That would doom young people to unbearable levels of taxation and a stagnant economy with fewer opportunities.   In recent years, policymakers have put great time and effort into trying to manipulate the short-run economy. These efforts have been very unsuccessful, and the government is much further in debt as a result.   Instead, policymakers should turn their full attentions to long-run spending reforms. They should begin terminating the many unneeded and damaging federal programs that draw resources out of the private sector and sap the economy’s strength. The Cato Institute has documented the reasons why we should terminate many federal programs and agencies at www.DownsizingGovernment.org.

In addition, Congress should create budget restraint mechanisms to encourage policymakers to make spending tradeoffs. In testimonies to the Senate Finance Committee, former Senator Phil Gramm and former Comptroller General David Walker proposed mechanisms to target and control deficits. However, it would be better for new budget mechanisms to target spending, not deficits. A simple mechanism would be to impose a cap of three percent on the annual growth in total federal outlays. Even that modest restraint would be enough to balance the budget in a little over a decade.   Some policymakers worry that spending cuts would hurt the economy, but other high-income nations have cut spending with very positive economic results. In the mid-1990s, for example, Canada faced a debt crisis caused by runaway government spending – similar to our current situation. But the Canadian government changed course and slashed total spending 10 percent in just two years and then held it roughly flat for another three years.   Total Canadian government spending was cut by more than 10 percentage points of GDP over a decade. The Canadian economy did not sink into a recession as Keynesian economists might fear, but instead was launched on a 15-year economic boom. A recent Joint Economic Committee report summarizes other international examples of spending cuts coinciding with strong economic growth. In conclusion, cutting federal spending is the right policy to strengthen U.S. economic growth over both the short-term and longer-term horizons.

District 5

Jim Sensenbrenner (R) Incumbent

http://sensenbrenner.org/     http://sensenbrenner.house.gov/

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/James_Sensenbrenner.htm**     Rated -2 by AAI, indicating anti-Arab anti-Palestine voting record. (May 2012)

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

ENERGY  Voted for construction of Keystone XL Pipeline Without limiting amendments.   Our economy needs reliable, affordable energy sources. I support a comprehensive, all-of-the-above approach to energy policy. As the Vice Chair of the House Committee on Space, Science, and Technology, I will continue to look for ways to incorporate unbiased, scientific analysis into policy-making that will help our country better utilize our domestic energy resources, spur innovation and improve technology.    The federal government should not be allowed to pick winners and losers. We can expand domestic energy production, and create thousands of good paying jobs, by maximizing our resources right here in America while encouraging innovation and development of alternative resources.

HEALTHCARE   –  June 2012   – Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), former chair of the House Judiciary Committee, today introduced legislation, the Religious Freedom Tax Repeal Act, to stop the Obama Administration from taxing religious institutions and employers for choosing to follow core tenets of their faith rather than bow to the HHS mandate that violates their conscience rights.  Sensenbrenner introduced this bill with 57 cosponsors including lead co-sponsor Rep. Diane Black (R-TN).   “Obamacare gives the federal government the tools to tax religiously-affiliated schools, hospitals, universities and soup kitchens right out of existence.  This is the question facing religious institutions and concerned employers today: will you violate your conscience and religious beliefs or pay a hefty tax to follow your faith?”   “The taxes are severe for deciding not to comply with the HHS mandate: $100 per employee per day. So, a religious institution that, say, has a church and an elementary school beside it that employs fifty employees total, which include the administrative and maintenance personnel, ends up being taxed $36,500 per employee per year. Or the fifty-employee institution would have to pay a tax of $1,825,000 per year, every year.   “I am introducing this bill to protect employers from Obamacare’s catch-22. Our religious liberties are not bartering chips. Let’s not treat them that way. This bill protects religious freedom from this massive infringement and attack.”

Chris Rockwood (D) Challenger

http://rockwoodforcongress.com/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

HEALTHCARE   Access to quality, affordable healthcare is fundamental to the security of our families and the growth of our economy. The passage of the Affordable Care Act was a step in the right direction.  Eliminating denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions and the benefit of allowing adult children up to age 26 to stay on their parents’ health insurance has provided peace of mind to families all across the state. Taking power away from insurance companies and putting it in the hands of patients and doctors has already expanded access and reduced costs.  I believe this is only the beginning and there is more to be done.  The improvements under the ACA do not protect hard working American families from being one illness away from bankruptcy.  We need a simple and efficient system that further brings down costs and improves the well-being of all our citizens.  I firmly believe that healthcare is a human right and as such strongly support expanding the Medicare program to cover all Americans.

IMMIGRATION   For far too long Republicans have been content to block immigration reform in order to use it as a tool for political gain. We need to fix our system now by passing the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act, which features several crucial elements that would make our nation stronger. I believe this provides a fair and common sense approach to ensure the security of our nation and lives up to our heritage as a beacon to immigrants coming to our shores seeking liberty and prosperity.

INCOME INEQULITY   Since the late 1970s, both republicans and democrats have advocated for policies which ensured the funneling of gains in our economy to the top 1%. The tactics employed to tip the economic playing field, include inserting laws in our tax code which reward corporations that outsource our jobs, keep their profits overseas, undercut wages, not provide sufficient hours of work, and not invest in our great nation. This uneven playing field has directly led to an increase in the number of hard working citizens on food stamps and other government assistance programs just to get by. Unbalanced budgets created by insufficient revenues and overspending in our defense budget have further exasperated the problem. We need to realign our budget priorities to rebuild our nation, which in turn, will create more family sustaining jobs and help develop an environment where companies reinvest here at home. We need to close current loopholes in our tax code that favor and keep American profits overseas. I am committed to fighting to raise the minimum wage, push for policies that create more jobs, and enacting a fair and transparent tax code that benefits hard-working Americans.  

District 6

Tom Petri (R)  Retiring in 2014.

Glenn Grothman (R) Challenger

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/grothman/Pages/default.aspx

State Senator District 20

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

WELFARE REFORM   Page Content

“…I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer. There is no country in the world [but England] where so many provisions are established for them; so many hospitals to receive them when they are sick or lame, founded and maintained by voluntary charities; so many alms-houses for the aged of both sexes, together with a solemn general law made by the rich to subject their estates to a heavy tax for the support of the poor. Under all these obligations, are our poor modest, humble, and thankful; and do they use their best endeavors to maintain themselves, and lighten our shoulders of this burthen? On the contrary, I affirm that there is no country in the world in which the poor are more idle, dissolute, drunken, and insolent. The day you passed that act, you took away from before their eyes the greatest of all inducements to industry, frugality, and sobriety, by giving them a dependence on somewhat else than a careful accumulation during youth and health, for support in age or sickness. In short, you offered a premium for the encouragement of idleness, and you should not now wonder that it has had its effect in the increase of poverty. Repeal that law, and you will soon see a change in their manners….industry will increase, and it will be plenty among the lower people; their circumstances will mend, and more will be done for their happiness by inuring them to provide for themselves, than could be done by dividing all your estates among them.”    Benjamin Franklin, “On the Price of Corn and the Management of the Poor”, 1766.

LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2014   As the legislature wraps up and Governor Walker prepares to sign his final bills of the session, the Left has focused their hostile attention on two bills – SB 324, the uniform hours for early voting bill and AB 19 – the so-called asbestos bill.  I happen to be the lead Senate sponsor of both bills. Fourteen years ago the state changed its absentee voting rules so that you no longer had to have a reason to vote absentee, such as illness or being out of town.  This allowed local clerks to not only have absentee voting by mail, but also have people vote in-person before an election official.  Cities such as Port Washington or Mequon allow voting in normal business hours from 7:30 or 8 in the morning to 4:30 or 5 in the evening.  Rural towns, which do not even have full-time clerks, may set aside less than ten hours a week.  Since voters in each municipality should have the same opportunity to vote, this creates unfairness.  Unfortunately, Milwaukee and a couple other cities aggressively began abusing this law by allowing voting into the evenings and even on Saturdays and Sundays.  In Milwaukee, early voting has increased from approximately 5,000 individuals in 2000 to approximately 35,000 individuals in 2012.  In response, SB 324 limits in-person early voting to forty-five hours a week – between 8am and 7pm weekdays only, exact hours to be determined by the local municipality.     Obviously, it is unfair that in Milwaukee people are early voting almost seventy hours a week and in other parts of the state they are only able to vote six hours a week.  The left says this will make it hard for people to vote in Milwaukee, but in the fourteen years that we have no-excuse early voting, I have not had one person say that they could not early vote because the clerk’s office was not open at night or on weekends.  This is a commonsense bill that Duey Stroebel and I were pleased to shepherd through the legislative process.   The second bill the Left is vilifying is AB 19.  Anyone who watches late night TV or listens to radio at night is familiar with trial lawyers looking for victims of diseases caused by asbestos.  Unfortunately, these lawsuits are very lucrative for trial attorneys.  Most victims of asbestos poisoning file claims against trusts set up under federal law by companies, all of which have filed for bankruptcy.  There is over $30 billion in these trusts and settlements of over $1 million per person are frequently paid out just weeks after claims are made.  Tens of thousands of people have been victims of horrible diseases caused by asbestos, and one of our major priorities must be making sure they are adequately compensated.

Unfortunately, there is evidence that some trial attorneys are suing the trust and at the same time suing a manufacturer that had a small amount of asbestos in their plant.  Manufacturers have been sued for even making products that have a small amount of asbestos encased in metal.  Perhaps, even dozens of companies are sued at once.  There have been examples of trial lawyers suing Wisconsin manufacturers while not disclosing claims against trusts.  This is incredibly damaging to Wisconsin manufacturers who may pay tens of thousands of dollars rather than fight a lawsuit, all while simultaneously a lawsuit is yielding hundreds of thousands of dollars from a trust.  AB 19 will force trial attorneys to disclose any other claims being made while filing a suit in a Wisconsin court.  Because many claims are made by older people, who served in the military, the trial lawyers have tried to claim that we are hurting veterans.  They fail to mention that when claims are fraudulently made against more than one defendant it dries up money for other deserving victims.  Nevertheless, the trial lawyers smelled an end to their gravy train and even put up radio ads against the bill.  As more and more veterans find out the true facts, they are supporting the bill.  AMVETS has even supported the bill as a group.  It is disappointing that greedy trial lawyers are using veterans as a shield to sue different companies simultaneously and give themselves undeserved riches.  I am glad Governor Walker has the guts to put an end to these abuses.

Mark Harris (D) Challenger

http://www.harrisforwisconsin.com/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

MINIMUM WAGE  Too many workers in this country are not paid a livable wage. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 must be raised so that workers are adequately compensated for their work.   I believe that the minimum wage should be set to automatically adjust by indexing it to a percentage of the prior year’s average hourly wage. Too often the minimum wage falls too far behind, and Congress is unable to agree on a fix to raise the rate. My plan would guarantee that the minimum wage for the average worker would never fall too low. It would also become more predictable for businesses and the private sector, as there would be no sudden unpredictable increases from Congress. The minimum wage for tipped staff must also be addressed, as it remains at an unacceptably low level.

BUDGET AND SPENDING   I believe that we need to control our budget in a responsible manner. My record as Winnebago County Executive shows that I have proven success in doing this. Since I took over as county executive, I reduced the debt by more than 30% and spending by 4%.   But none of this was at the expense of the services the county provided. Despite reducing spending, I was able to build a new, 168 bed nursing home when so many other counties were closing their facilities. We built new engineering classrooms at UW Fox Valley, so the local economy would have more access to highly skilled workers. And we invested millions of dollars in new infrastructure projects.    My record demonstrates that I will be able to go to Washington and manage the budget in a way that is good for our long term fiscal health, but also still meets the needs of middle class and working families.

SOCIAL SECURITY   Social security must be preserved in its present form for current and future retirees. With fewer Americans receiving pensions after they retire, social security has become a primary source of income for many of the elderly. In fact, social security represented about 38% of the income of the elderly. ¹ Clearly, we need a guaranteed source of income for seniors that they can depend on.   With small tweaks to ensure that sufficient revenue is flowing into the system, we can ensure that benefits are available for future generations. I am completely opposed to any plan that would privatize social security.  

District 7

Sean Duffy (R) Incumbent

http://duffy.house.gov/     http://www.duffyforcongress.com/

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Sean_Duffy.htm**     Rated -2 by AAI, indicating anti-Arab anti-Palestine voting record. (May 2012)

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

ENERGY   Voted for construction of Keystone XL Pipeline Without limiting amendments.   Our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and an aging infrastructure is almost as crippling to national security as are long-term debt obligations. The country needs to make responsible investments in our infrastructure and utilize an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to energy policy that includes developing new alternative energy technologies while expanding our domestic oil and natural gas production. The House has passed a number of common-sense measures to expand the domestic production of energy in a safe way. Sean believes we should fast track the proposed Keystone Pipeline, which is estimated to create 20,000 manufacturing and construction jobs and 118,000 total jobs. It would transport more than 700,000 barrels of oil each day from Canada’s border to our refineries along the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, he believes that we should work with state officials to reform the permitting process allowing the possibility of a new iron ore mine in Northern Wisconsin. According to economic reports, the mine will generate billions of dollars in economic activity over its lifetime and create thousands of well-paying jobs.

HEALTHCARE   True Health Care Reform When it comes to health care reform, Sean promised four years ago that he’d work to either “reform the reform” or “repeal and replace” Obamacare. When it became apparent that there was no appetite in Congress to ‘reform’ this misguided law, which raises more than $800 billion in taxes and fees on families and small businesses and causes health care premiums to skyrocket, Sean voted to repeal the bill. He has voted to repeal Obamacare dozens of times now, and he has also kept his promise to introduce his own proposal. Sean’s market-focused proposal retains the few good portions of Obamacare, but puts doctors and patients in charge of health decisions, rather than unelected government bureaucrats. His plan requires insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions, gets rid of junk lawsuits, allows children to stay on their parents insurance longer, roots out waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare, and allows people to buy insurance across state lines. Most importantly, his plan’s singular focus is on lowering health care costs for everyone – not on protecting the special interests

ECONOMY AND JOBS   America’s small businesses have always been our nation’s true job creators. But the fiscal policies of the last several years, led by an Administration determined to raise taxes and punish successful businesses through oppressive regulations have created an environment inhospitable for job growth and economic prosperity. The proof of this Administration’s failures on the job front lies in the anemic job growth reported every month. This has been the slowest economic recovery since World War II. We cannot expect businesses to create jobs and stimulate the economy if they’re constantly facing bureaucratic red tape, expensive fees and non-competitive taxes that are higher than other industrialized nations. During this current Administration, the number of economically significant regulations, those costing more than $100 million a year, have gone up 52 percent. That’s unacceptable. Sean believes a pro-growth tax code that is fair and flatter for all Americans coupled with smart regulation, rather than over regulation is the key to economic prosperity. Sean’s economic philosophy is based on the principle that the individual is the engine of American prosperity. Small business and dedicated workers – not government agencies and bureaucrats – generate economic growth and wealth

Kelly Westlund (D) Challenger

http://www.kellywestlund.com/

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

HEALTHCARE   “I’d like to see [the Affordable Care Act] expanded. I’d like to see negotiation over drug prices. I’d like to see a public option, frankly.” “One of the best aspects of the Affordable Care Act was raising the age of folks that can stay on their parent’s health insurance policies.”

CORPORATE WELFARE   “Of the taxes from a $50,000/year salary, our government spends around $37 on food stamps and over $4,000 on corporate subsidies. Why on earth is Congress giving these tax cuts to the most profitable corporations on the face of the planet while they cut benefits for children, veterans, seniors, and people in need? It’s just wrong. There’s no excuse for it. There’s just the unfortunate reality that corporations have better representation in Congress than we do. Sean Duffy is a part of this problem. He works to give tax cuts to the special interests that fund his campaign by voting against the people of this district.”

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM   People, not dollars, ought to have the strongest voice in our government. Corporations are not people and money isn’t speech. I am running for Congress because I believe that people who can’t afford to buy elections are the ones most in need of champions in Congress.
I support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United because corporations are not people. Citizen voices should speak louder than corporate campaign contributions.  We need to pass meaningful campaign finance reform legislation. The Government by the People Act is a good starting point. This legislation would amplify smaller donations by providing matching funds for contributions under $150. 

District 8

Reid Ribble (R) Incumbent

http://www.ribbleforcongress.com/     http://ribble.house.gov/

http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Reid_Ribble.htm**     Rated -3 by AAI, indicating anti-Arab anti-Palestine voting record. (May 2012)

HOT BUTTON ISSUES

ENERGY   Voted for construction of Keystone XL Pipeline Without limiting amendments.   We can and we must make energy independence a top priority in Congress.   Responsibly and Efficiently Expanding Production  –  I am working with my colleagues to remove existing barriers to domestic energy production.   I have voted multiple times to expand exploration of oil and natural gas, particularly in areas known to have ample resources.  I also support efforts to streamline federal permitting processes.  With energy prices on the rise, we must remove obstacles in the way of increasing our available supply and driving down costs for consumers.   American energy production can and should take many forms, and I am a firm believer in an ‘all of the above’ strategy.  Exploration of clean coal technology, nuclear energy, renewable sources, and domestic oil and natural gas reserves will reduce the strain on any one source and help us to maintain a balanced energy policy.

IMMIGRATION   I went to our Southern border to view and learn about the situation firsthand. And while progress is being made, there is still work to do.  We can take several steps to increase the security of our country’s borders.  Electronic surveillance should continue to be utilized to form a “technological wall” along both our southern and northern borders.  Additionally, we should expand our border patrols by bringing U.S. military personnel currently stationed abroad back into the United States.  In tandem, we in Congress can pass legislation to permit these service members to detain those who try to cross our border illegally.  Finally, we must also enhance inspection of boats and shipping cargo entering our seaports and bolster aviation security.   I have worked with my colleagues in Congress to pass legislation that provides the necessary funding to our security agencies to ensure that we can meet these priorities and prevent illegal immigrants from crossing into our country.  For the sake of our future, we cannot treat this as a partisan issue, and I will do all I can to discourage demagoguery among my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.   How do we proceed?  First and foremost, we cannot grant amnesty to illegal immigrants.  I have never supported amnesty, and I never will.  It didn’t work in the Reagan years and it won’t work now.  However, we must better analyze the needs of our industries, including Wisconsin’s diverse agriculture sector that relies heavily on seasonal workers, and the supply of available, domestic workers and then craft an immigration policy that legally meets any remaining needs without harming American workers or job seekers.

HEALTHCARE   The President’s Health Care Law (PPACA)  –  While I firmly believe we need to reform our healthcare system, I do not think that the Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that President Obama signed into law is the right answer.  This $2.6 trillion healthcare law has proven ineffective in lowering healthcare costs and premiums, is hurting small businesses and economic growth, and may cause millions of people to lose their current health coverage.   I strongly support healthcare reforms that lower costs and increase the quality of care and there are small parts of this bill with which I agree. Allowing children to stay on their parents’ plan longer and barring insurance companies from denying coverage for preexisting conditions are two examples of good parts of this bill. However, good legislation cannot come from 2,000 page bills that few have read or can even understand. The healthcare bill needs to be replaced with productive reforms that actually attack the cause of our problem: the rising costs of healthcare products and services   Repeal of PPACA – PPACA’s effects on our health care system and economy are already proving to be damaging, as employers are fearful to expand because of PPACA’s employer mandates. This is why one of the first votes I took when I came to Congress was to vote for H.R. 2, a bill that repeals PPACA.  Since then, I have voted numerous times to prohibit funding from being used to implement the law, and have voted to defund certain sections of the law.  I am also a cosponsor of a bill that modifies spending in PPACA that is currently set to go up automatically and requires Congress to review and approve it each year instead.

Ron Gruett (D) Challenger

https://www.facebook.com/ron.gruett