Senate hopefuls debate

When voting for the president, eligible voters will also have a chance to vote for their choice for Congress and Senate.

In issue six of the Liberty Champion, four congressional candidates answered several questions pertaining to economic and faith issues.

This week, the Senate candidates, Republican George Allen and Democrat Tim Kaine, have answered similar questions. Review the candidates’ answers to gain a better understanding of their stance on the economy, debt and political priorities.

Tim Kaine bids for Senate seat

Running for a Senate seat in Virginia is the latest endeavor for Democratic candidate Tim Kaine, a man with an established, successful career in public service and politics.

According to his website, Kaine grew up in Kansas City, where he worked in his father’s ironworking shop. He attended the University of Missouri as an undergraduate student and attended Harvard Law School.

Kaine took a year off of law school to work with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras. There, his website reports that he served as a principal of a technical school, teaching teenagers carpentry and welding. At that point, Kaine committed his life to serving other people. He realized the power that education had for enabling people to live up to their God-given potential.

Following his education, Kaine practiced law for 18 years, specializing in representing people who had been denied housing due to race or disability. During this time, he also taught at the University of Richmond, an association that still continues today.

According to his website, Kaine entered politics in 1994 when he ran for Richmond City Council. He served as a councilman and as mayor. During his time in Richmond, Kaine helped implement tax cuts for small businesses and homeowners and oversaw a decrease in the city’s crime rate.

In 2001, Kaine was elected lieutenant governor of Virginia. He worked for four years with former Gov. Mark Warner to reform Virginia’s budget and improve its education system.

In 2005, Kaine was elected Virginia’s 70th governor in the midst of America’s deepest recession in 70 years. He led the state to national recognition during his tenure as governor. According to his website, Virginia was honored as the best-managed state in America by Governing Magazine, the Best State of Business by forbes.com for four years in a row, and the best state to raise a child by Education Week.

According to his website, the state budget was cut by more than $5 billion during his tenure as governor. He also expanded early childhood and technical education and reformed the state’s mental health and foster care programs, among other things. Kaine was the chairman of the Southern Governor’s Association from 2008-2009 and served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009-2011.

He has been married to Anne Holton for 27 years. They have three children — Nat, Woody and Annella — all of whom attended Richmond Public Schools. The family is active in their church and in their community.

1. What specific policies would you support to create jobs and stimulate the economy?

To grow our economy and create jobs, we must support our small and start-up businesses that are the real job creators, invest in our workforce through education and job training, and foster an environment where folks are willing to work together regardless of political party. Too often, Congress gets mired down in political fights and does not make the long-term decisions needed for businesses to plan for the future. We can do better. As senator, I will work across the aisle to find a middle ground on important initiatives to spur the economy like infrastructure investment, leveling the playing field for small businesses, and making sure that our students receive the support and affordable education they need to succeed.

2. What separates you from the other candidate?

I dedicated my life to serving others after I spent a year working as a missionary in Honduras. As mayor, lieutenant governor and governor, I learned to work together with folks in all political parties. Even though we did not agree on everything, I was able to maintain friendships so that we could find common ground on other issues. As governor, I worked with President Bush on critical infrastructure projects in the Commonwealth, and with a Republican legislature to ban smoking in restaurants and bars. I will not use my position to be an obstructionist, but rather, will use it to find solutions.

3. What are your top five priorities and what would you do to make your political goals become a reality?

I am an optimist and believe in the possibilities of cooperation and compromise. It was not long ago that lawmakers in Washington would work together to achieve common goals. Even if they disagreed on certain points, Congress found ways to compromise in order to govern effectively and move the country forward. If elected, I hope to find common ground between members of both parties to achieve our mutual goals.

Some of my goals include bringing fiscal responsibility back to government, getting our economy back on track, working to make our health care system more cost-effective, investing in our schools and making advanced education more affordable, and increasing our energy independence through a comprehensive approach.

4. What steps would you support to reduce the national debt?

Our national debt is a pressing issue, and we must take action to help our economy and to ensure the next generation is not saddled with debt. Congress needs to compromise. Some people say that we must balance the budget through an all-cuts approach, which would decimate spending on things like education, infrastructure and care for our veterans when they return home. Some people say that we must let the Bush tax cuts expire over $250,000. I believe we must find a middle ground. If we allow the Bush tax cuts to expire for those making above $500,000 a year, we would raise over $500 billion over the next 10 years. Then, we can make significant, targeted cuts, but the cuts will not be so deep that they harm investments in our future and our economy. I know how to make cuts. I am the only governor in modern history to leave office with a smaller general fund than I inherited. But I made cuts the right way — going line item by line item, starting with my own salary, to make cuts over the course of three years. This is the strategy I would bring to Washington.

5. What specific laws, if any, would you support regarding abortion?

We all share the goal of reducing unwanted pregnancies and abortions. The right way to do this is through education and access to affordable health care and contraception rather than criminalizing women’s reproductive decisions.

6. What is your position regarding whether marriage should be between one man and one woman or whether it should also include people of the same sex?

All people should be able to have a committed relationship that is treated equally under law. Churches should have the complete freedom to choose which unions that they will recognize for religious purposes.

7. Why should college students feel inclined to vote for you?

As a law school professor, I am inspired by the potential of students and am confident that the next generation will further our nation’s success. America must win the race for talent. In order to compete in the global economy, we need a long-term plan that produces the best workforce in the world. As senator, I will support investments and smart reform in education from early childhood development through college and workforce development programs. These actions will guarantee that the U.S. will continue to lead in innovation and job creation. And, we must leverage the incredible skills and leadership talents of America’s veterans to expand our economy.

The United States must equip current and future generations of students with the tools they need to succeed as part of an interconnected, 21st-century workforce. The United States can still be a leader in innovation and productivity going forward, but it will take a better education infrastructure than we have now.

This urgent need to retool our economy and ensure student success is a big part of why I will continue to fight to make college education more affordable and accessible. We owe it to those students who dedicate themselves to academic success, but are denied a college education because they cannot afford it. Recent college graduates, already struggling to find a job during the long economic recovery, are also saddled with a mountain of debt just so they can pay for the right to earn a degree. We must address this issue.

Young people should not have to choose between supporting their family and paying for tuition. That is why I will continue to work on behalf of students and their families to lower the cost of tuition and maintain financial aid for those who need it. I recently urged Congress to extend the current Stafford student loan rates and prevent rates from doubling for Virginia’s college students. I am a strong supporter of the 3.4-percent Stafford loan interest rate and the expansion of the federal Pell Grants program.

I encourage students to stay active in the political arena. Students should hold their elected officials accountable for the decisions they make and how they affect both students and their families. As senator, I will always welcome the perspective of students on pending legislation. I will encourage all of my constituents to visit one of my offices and feel free to voice their opinion and make suggestions.

George Allen seeks Senate seat

Republican candidate George Allen is seeking to reacquire the Senate seat that he held from 2001-2006 before Jim Webb defeated him for the re-election.

According to his website, Allen grew up the son of an NFL coach, learning that family was the one constant in a life filled with ups and downs, hirings and firings and moving. Because of these experiences, he sees “husband” and “father” as his most rewarding titles.

Growing up, Allen watched his father instill the importance of faith in all of the teams that he coached. According to his website, he has not lost sight of those principles.

Allen began his professional career as a law clerk in Southwest Virginia for Judge Glen M. Williams. It was there that Allen learned his appreciation for the rule of law that he still has to this day.

According to his website, Allen describes himself as a “Common Sense Jeffersonian Conservative.” He had the distinction of holding Thomas Jefferson’s seat in the Virginia General Assembly and was elected governor of Virginia in 1994, a term which ended in 1998. During his tenure, Allen set out to make Virginia a national model in economic development, public safety, education accountability, welfare reform and creative government. He reined in government spending and substantially reduced the size of the state workforce. Ultimately, he accomplished his reform agenda with bi-partisan support.

In 2000, Allen was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he advocated for the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts that spurred opportunities for more job creation and created the Competitive Caucus to keep America the “world capital of innovation.” Allen is known for introducing and advocating for real budget reform including a balanced budget amendment, line item veto and a paycheck penalty for members of Congress when they fail to pass appropriation bills on time.

Since leaving the U.S. Senate, Allen has continued to advocate for the issues and ideas he has always fought for. According to his website, he launched the American Energy Freedom Center, whose mission is to advocate positive ideas for American jobs, economic prosperity and promote increased freedom, opportunity, and competition in the development and use of America’s vast energy resources. He also serves as the Reagan Ranch Presidential Scholar for the Young America’s Foundation.

He has been married to his wife, Susan, for 25 years. They have three children — Tyler, Forrest, and Brooke — all of whom have attended public schools in the Charlottesville area.

1. What specific policies would you support to create jobs and stimulate the economy?

Creating the right conditions for more jobs is my top priority. First, we must avert the imminent threat from sequestration under last summer’s failed debt deal. Our military faces over $500 billion in defense cuts — on top of the nearly half-trillion dollars in cuts already in place. The results are devastating: more than 207,000 Virginians could lose their jobs because of failure of leadership in Washington.

Going forward, my “Blueprint for America’s Comeback” is a pro-growth plan to get our economy healthy and creating more jobs. I will work with senators in both parties for a more simple, fair and competitive tax system through comprehensive tax reform. By reducing our “worst in the world” tax on job-creating businesses from 35 percent to a competitive 20 percent, more than 500,000 new jobs could be added each year.

America is blessed with the most energy resources in the world. We must power our economy by unleashing the enormous beneficial potential of our plentiful energy resources. Accessing America’s energy resources from Virginia to the Gulf to the barren North Slope of Alaska will create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and generate more than $1 trillion in revenues for the government without raising taxes.

2. What separates you from the other candidate?

I have a proven record of bringing people together to improve opportunities for Virginians. As governor, I worked with a legislature controlled by Democrats to accomplish an ambitious agenda — abolishing parole, establishing truth-in-sentencing and overhauling an antiquated juvenile justice system, promoting the work ethic of whole families through welfare reform, adopting high academic standards and accountability for Virginia schools, and freezing tuition to keep college affordable. We cut taxes by more than $600 million, streamlined regulations and created an environment that encouraged businesses to invest and expand, and they did, creating more than 310,000 net, new private-sector jobs during those four years alone. We showed it can be done in Virginia, and I aim to provide that leadership in Washington.

3. What are your top five priorities and what would you do to make your political goals become a reality?

First, reinvigorate the entrepreneurial spirit of America with the positive tax, reasonable regulatory, productive energy and empowering education policies that will give Americans a competitive advantage for jobs, investment and prosperity.

Second, unleash America’s energy resources. Rising gasoline prices underscore the importance of using the plentiful resources under our own land and water for jobs, national security and more affordable, reliable energy. The first bill that I will introduce in the U.S. Senate will allow Virginia to safely produce natural gas and oil off our coast and use the hundreds of millions in royalties for roads and transportation.

Third, change the way Washington operates. I have long advocated for a Balanced Budget Amendment and presidential line-item veto authority to cut wasteful spending that drives up our annual deficits. Washington should live within its means, as do families, businesses and states. It has been almost four years since the Senate passed any budget. My “Paycheck Penalty Act” will withhold the pay of members of Congress when they fail to do their job and fail to complete budget appropriation bills on time.

Fourth, repeal and replace Obamacare. This harmful law is making problems in our health care system worse, takes over $700 billion out of Medicare, and is a major impediment to small-business hiring. Continue positive aspects such as allowing adult children under 26 to remain on their parents’ policies and addressing pre-existing conditions — and pursue positive solutions such as affordable, personal, portable health savings accounts and allowing small businesses to band together across state lines for greater competition and choice and less costly insurance.

Fifth, keep America strong for freedom. As we look at the events unfolding in the Middle East, we are reminded that America must be able to protect its citizens. That means prioritizing spending for the core constitutional responsibility of national defense and keeping our promises to our veterans and their families. To have a strong national defense, we need a strong economy.

4. What steps would you support to reduce the national debt?

With the national debt already over $16 trillion and growing at alarming rates, America urgently needs to get its fiscal house in order. The current path is dangerous and unsustainable, and it is endangering the future of our young people. My “Blueprint for America’s Comeback” presents specific strategies that I will pursue to rein in federal spending. They include:

1) Repeal of Obamacare.
2) Start to implement recommendations of the GAO (Government Accounting Office) for eliminating redundancy and costly waste in Washington.
3) Reinvigorate our economy and utilize our plentiful energy resources so more Americans are working and paying taxes — that is how you increase revenues, not by raising taxes that would only further weaken the economy and cause more job losses.
4) Long-term, have a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution to protect taxpayers against future Congresses returning to free-spending ways.

5. What specific laws, if any, would you support regarding abortion?

Taxpayers should not be forced to fund abortions in the U.S. or around the world. Religious institutions should be protected from mandates under Obamacare that are inconsistent with their religious beliefs. In the past, I sponsored the Unborn Victims of Crime Act, and I support personhood legislation to hold criminals who attack a pregnant woman and her child fully accountable for both lives they harm.

6. What is your position regarding whether marriage should be between one man and one woman or whether it should also include people of the same sex?

Marriage should be between one man and one woman.

7. Why should college students feel inclined to vote for you?

This election is about the future — your future — and whether young people in college today or just starting out in their careers will have the same opportunities that my generation had growing up. We have seen where the current path leads — trillion dollar deficits, our country’s credit rating downgraded for the first time, and half of all young graduates unable to find jobs in their chosen fields.

As a parent of past, present and future college students, I fully understand your perspectives in this weak economy. I want you to have the opportunity to catch your dreams, and I have put forward proven, positive solutions that will spark a genuine American comeback. If you envision a better future, as I do, then I respectfully ask for your vote to be your voice for your values and aspirations in Washington.