On April 11th we had scheduled an in-person Townhall style Forum with all 5 U.S. Senate candidates. Due to the pandemic we adapted the event to a virtual format. After soliciting questions from the public, we submitted them to the candidates and asked them to video record their replies. Here are the responses we have received so far. The questions we submitted are below.
Mike Franken: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIv6Se1qTAk&feature=youtu.be
Kimberly Graham: https://youtu.be/liOj0put3gk
Theresa Greenfield: https://youtu.be/6bB8lVfkRD0
Eddie Mauro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f-lDmwaE64&feature=youtu.be
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HEALTHCARE
Do you support single payer health care?
Do you support Medicare for All, and if so. how would you argue this before your potential future Senate colleagues? (Remember, at least 75% of the Americans polled want Medicare for all, regardless of party.)
Where do you stand on healthcare and how do you anticipate making that happen (whether it is building back up the ACA or medicare for all?)
Describe your strategies to promote and demand a comprehensive national healthcare plan. And, describe how you plan to counter Joni Ernst's claim that she is fighting hard to reduce prescription drug costs.
After three years of data about the pricitazation of Medicaid, an inability to get data from the MCO’s about the services, and the hundreds, if not thousands of individual and family stories about the decrease In services and supports for the most vulnerable citizens in our state- people with disabilities. What answers will you be seeking about the current status of the ‘not improved Medicaid system’ in Iowa? What policies would you develop to improve the conditions for individuals and families who need Medicaid services for their health, their well being and their participation and support in their communities?
ENVIRONMENT
Do you support a Green New Deal? If so, what elements of it are the most pressing?
Do you favor a carbon tax and dividend?
How do you plan to keep climate change as a top issue amidst all the distractions caused by COVID-19.
Do you think that a possible “silver lining” to our current crisis with the Coronavirus might be a drastic reduction in air traffic, enabling us to vastly redure our carbon footprint? If so, how could we continue with that reduction, once the crisis is over?
Would you be willing to subsidize small farming operations devoted to organic and sustainable agriculture?
Do you support a moratorium on new or expanded CAFOs until Iowa’s waterways are restored to normality & would you support legislation to restore local control over zoning and public health for all properties, including agricultural land?
GUNS
What are your views on gun safety/gun control? Banning sales of assault weapons? Background checks? Waiting periods?
How can we implement sensible gun laws without making gun owners fearful that we are trying “to take their guns away?”
ELECTIONS
What do you support for campaign finance reform? Do you support Democracy Dollars, vouchers which would allow voters to contribute to the campaigns of candidates with public money and no direct costs to themselves?
What is your position on public funding of campaigns? What will you do in the Senate to achieve public funding?
Do you support implementing Ranked Choice Voting in elections? In this five candidate race, the winner could secure the nomination with 65% of the voters voting for a different candidate.
COVID-19
What congressional action is necessary to address the corona virus pandemic?
Would you have signed the Covid-19 Stimulus Bill?
OTHER ISSUES
What is your position on a UBI of $1000 per month for each American adult? For kids? Permanently? Until the end of the Coronavirus?
Do you support the repeal of the Hyde Amendment and protecting abortion rights?
Will you push vigorously for Congress to claim its responsibility for declaring (or not declaring) war?
Would you consider decriminalizing all non-violent drug offenses?
How would you work with the republicans to make things happen such as healthcare, pharmaceutical costs, common sense gun laws, or any other contentious issues?
How would you reach out to citizens in the more rural and sometimes the more conservative areas of our state to assure them that you would represent them?
How will you approach the national debt? It was horrible before the COVID-19 crisis and now it will be off the charts.
Personally, a good day for me is a day when I make a new friend and learn something new. Tell us about something you learned today, or about a new friend. thank you.
