Arizona 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
- No Answer

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
- To balance the budget all options have to be on the table. We saw with the most recent tax bill, the "tax cuts" will result in an additional $1.9 trillion added to the budget.

Campaign Finance

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- I'm proud to have earned the endorsement of labor organizations who know that I will be a strong voice for America's workers and a strong middle class. At the same time, I am disheartened by the outsized role of money in American politics. I look forward to serving in Congress so that I can be a leader in changing it and re-prioritizing the votes and voices of American citizens as the primary driver of our political system.

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?
- Yes

3. Other or expanded principles
- Lowering corporate taxes could be a reasonable component of an economic growth plan, but only if corporate tax loopholes are closed. To date, we have not seen the current Congress take an honest approach to corporate tax reform based on credible economic models. When Congress is ready to base corporate tax reform policies on solid economic principles from credible economists and not cable news personalities, then I would consider supporting corporate tax reform as part of a comprehensive plan to promote economic growth.

Education

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- Federal standards are important, and common core principles have proven to increase educational attainment for students across America. However, flexibility in approaches to meeting federal standards is important for states and local school districts in order to be able to meet the localized needs of communities across the country. One example of flexibility in meeting federal standards can be a move away from the current culture of overtesting that has proven to be a barrier to effective teaching and learning in classrooms across America.

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
- Greenhouse gas emissions pose a direct threat to our air and water, causing health problems for children and adults in nearly every community across America. It is imperative that we regulate greenhouse gas emissions to ensure that America - and Americans - have a healthy planet for our future. Greenhouse gas emissions cross state borders and affect all of America. Furthermore, the Federal government spends hundreds of millions of dollars subsidizing the oil and gas industry. I firmly believe we should use tax policy to encourage the development of renewable energy.

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- Gun violence is a public health crisis. I know that solutions won't be simple or easy, but I am ready to fight for comprehensive gun reform. I will start with universal background checks, supporting federal research on gun violence, and making sure criminals and terrorists can't buy guns.

Health Care

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- I do not support repeal. The ACA was improving healthcare outcomes across all segments of society. I support strengthening the ACA while we work toward a future universal healthcare solution that will work for all Americans.

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
- A wall isn't immigration reform. I support a clean DREAM act with a path to citizenship. Immigration is a complex issue affecting our economic and national security. We have to help refugees seeking asylum and to provide compassionate care. Families need to stay together.

Marijuana

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- I think that marijuana should be regulated like alcohol. As a healthcare provider, my bigger concern is that marijuana should be reclassified from a Class I drug to a Class II or III drug in order to more effectively study its use to treat multiple medical conditions. Right now, the healthcare community is limited by scant scientific evidence to inform doses and administration routes for marijuana therapy. We already know that marijuana has many therapeutic uses; our patients deserve high-quality science to ensure that they can access the most effective therapies, including marijuana-based approaches.

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?
- Yes

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- Yes

3. Other or expanded principles
- Every diplomatic decision must be made with as much information as possible and all diplomatic efforts must be exhausted before we consider using force against a sovereign nation.

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.
- My top priority is to ensure that every American has access to affordable healthcare. I believe that we can accomplish this goal with short-term solutions including a Medicare buy-in option at age 55 and strengthening the Affordable Care Act, while we determine the best long-term solution for universal healthcare in America. My second priority is to strengthen America's education systems, as education is the cornerstone of America's future. We can use a combination of state-based block grants and federal loan repayment programs to fund pre-K and post-secondary programs as bookends to strong state-based public K-12 education systems.