Congressional responses

• By Tabitha Cassidy
• Published: October 9th, 2012

Candidates present their district-specific cases

In addition to voting for the future president of the United States of America, on Nov. 6, citizens will be given the opportunity to vote for both congressmen and senators for the state in which they are registered to vote, should the congressional or senatorial seat’s term be up for reelection.

For this issue, the Champion will include information on the candidates running for Congress in the 5th and 6th Districts of Virginia. Those who live in the 5th District will be voting between Gen. John Douglass (D) and Robert Hurt (R). Voters living in the 6th District will be voting between Dr. Andy Schmookler (D) and Robert Goodlatte (R).

All four candidates have responded to questions posed by the staff at the Liberty Champion regarding issues most relevant to Liberty students. Each candidate’s responses were to total no more than 1,000 words and were edited only in regards to newspaper style rules.

The candidates’ responses can be found on A3-A4. Students are encouraged to read the responses and understand the differences for themselves.

Having served in the Air Force, Douglass was the assistant Secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition under Clinton and was the president and chief executive officer of the Aerospace Industries Association. Douglass’s campaign website, johndouglassforcongress.com, includes information about his view of students, Virginia families, jobs, veteran rights and safety.

Since being elected congressman, Hurt has made job creation, support of small business and reduced government spending his top priorities. Hurt’s campaign website, roberthurtforcongress.com, goes into detail about his views on federal government, energy, second amendment rights, jobs, national security and social security.

According to Schmookler’s campaign website, andyschmooklerforcongress.com, Schmookler “had grown up in poverty.” He was the valedictorian of his high school graduating class and graduated with highest honors from Harvard University. Schmookler later received his doctorate from the University of California Berkeley and the Theological Union.

Since starting his 10th term in Congress in 2011, Goodlatte has become a member of the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over any proposed amendments to the Constitution. Goodlatte’s campaign website, bobgoodlatte.com, contains information on his primary issues, promoting fiscal responsibility, national security, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his views on illegal immigration.