Wisconsin Congressional Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

2. Other or expanded principles
- Women have a right to decide what happens to their bodies. I support women's reproductive rights by advocating for medically sound reproductive education for girls and boys as they are emerging into being women and men. This support includes accessible and available contraceptive and reproductive services. This support involves supporting women who bring pregnancies to term and making sure that being a parent does not result in a life of poverty.

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- Yes

3. Other or expanded principles
- The United States spends 35% of the global military expenditures. Maintaining our national security involves the three pronged approach of Diplomacy, Development, and Defense. We need to use all of these approaches to create a more peaceful and safe world. In doing so the American taxpayers will bear less of the burden for global security.

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- I support bringing forward a constitutional amendment declaring plainly that money is not speech and corporations are not people.

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- In the recent tax bill corporate taxes were lowered drastically. 90% of that money went to fund stock buy backs, a practice where the nation's largest corporations pay out millions of dollars to the nations wealthiest people. I believe we should use those dollars to strengthen the foundations of strong communities: Healthcare, Education, Infrastructure, Broadband for all, Food security, Housing security. This is also the time in the economic cycle to be shrinking the deficit not increasing it.

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- All of America's children should receive the education needed to prepare them to enter adulthood with financial security. When a school is performing below the standards then an assessment should be made to determine if more resources are needed as opposed to withholding resources.

Energy & Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

3. Other or expanded principles
- Climate change is real and Northern Wisconsin has already been hit with two 500 year floods in recent years adversely affecting roads and the water quality in Lake Superior. Beyond our regional issues climate change is causing geopolitical instability, economic damage, and loss of arable land. Moving to renewable energy sources will bring about a better environment and a better economy.

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No

2. Other or expanded principles
- We need to honor the second amendment rights of responsible gun owners while keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Thorough background checks would have prevented several of the most horrific mass fatality events. I also believe its time we pass a red flag law, allowing community members to report suspicious behavior and using a judicial process stop the sale of a fire arm to an unstable person. We also need to fund Federal research into gun deaths and address that 2/3rds are due to suicide.

Health Care

1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

2. Other or expanded principles
- The Affordable Care Act resulted in 20 million Americans to gain access to healthcare. The law isn't perfect and that is why I support the Choose Medicare Act. This bill allows all Americans to buy into Medicare if they so choose, providing a path to affordable care for those who are uninsured or inadequately insured. Those who are satisfied with their coverage would not be forced to change their healthcare. The cost of healthcare must also be decreased starting with pharmaceutical and administrative costs.

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- The loss of Wisconsin's Immigrant labour force would be an $8 Billion hit to the states economy. Our dairy farmers in Northern Wisconsin need workers to milk the cows every day! We need immigration policy reform so that hard working and law abiding Dreamers have a path to citizenship and hard working and law abiding undocumented workers have a path to legal status. Our businesses need the workers, and to keep our communities strong the immigrants need legal status. American workers also benefit when all workers have legal status.

Marijuana

1. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- The use of marijuana should be legalized.It's important to remember there are some health risks associated with marijuana (association with increased schizophrenia in adolescents who use)As with other chemicals that alter brain function, there should be education and appropriate regulationThe medical uses should be studied and applied.Criminalization of marijuana is a waste of tax dollars.

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- No

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- The world's dependence on oil has resulted in an overemphasis on the geopolitical problems in the Middle East. Moving to non-carbon based energy will result is less national security interest in the Middle East and hence less need to deploy America's dedicated service men and women to that region. We have squandered $6 TRILLION on the war on terror, a new approach is needed.

Administrative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- Healthcare: I support the Choose Medicare Act, so all Americans have affordable healthcareInfrastructure: It is time to invest in the projects that will benefit our communities. Instead of passing tax breaks for the wealthiest we need to rebuild our roads, repair our bridges and ensure everyone has access to broadband.Education: Supporting public education and student loan relief are crucial to launching the next generation into successful adulthood.