What is your biggest difference with your opponent(s)?
The biggest difference between us and our opponents in this race is that we are Independents. We are independent of influence from Republican and Democrat party leaders and bosses. The only people who influence our campaign are the constituents of the Illinois 13th Congressional District.
Congress has declined to formally authorize America’s undeclared war against ISIS. Should Congress take a vote to authorize the use of military force against ISIS?
Congress should hold a vote on the authorization of any wars or increased use of military force before they are carried out. The executive branch of the United States governemnt should not be the only branch that determines whether our young men and women in the service are sent across the world to fight.
More generally, what should Congress do to reduce the threat of ISIS abroad and at home?
The United States should reduce our footprint in the Middle East. ISIS is a barbaric organization that must be eradicated, but that cannot be done by bombing them away. The United States leading wars in the Middle East has created the vaaccum in which people like ISIS exist.
Donald Trump has called for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. Do you support such action? What restrictions, if any, do you support on the admission of Muslims into the United States?
Donald Trump's proposed ban on Muslim immigration is unconstitutional, immoral, and xenophobic. We do not support the United States requiring some type of religious test to enter the country. Restricting people from entering this country based on their religion would violate American principles.
The United States’ nuclear deal with Iran turned one year old on July 14, 2016. Should the deal be maintained as it is, revised or scrapped completely? What is right or wrong with the Iran deal? And should the next president feel bound by it?
The Iran deal might not be perfect, but it is a better alternative to launching yet another war in the Middle East. We support this deal, but as time goes on if we see that it needs changes we will act accordingly.
Should the United States build a physical wall along our nation’s entire border with Mexico? Should a “path to citizenship” be created for the millions of people already living here without proper documentation? Would you support legislation to prevent the deportations of so-called “Dreamers” — youth who came to the U.S. illegally as small children with their parents?
We do not support something as ridiculous as a wall between the United States and Mexico. We believe in creating a path to citizenship for Dreamers and everybody else who has been here and followed the laws of this country, regardless of how thye entered. People come to the United States desperately seeking a better life for them and their family and to turn them back or tear families apart would be immoral.
Federal judges in July ruled against voter identification laws in Wisconsin and Texas, concluding that they disproportionately impact minority voters and violate the U.S. Voting Rights Act. Should voters be required to show a photo ID when voting? And should the federal government have a say in this, or is it strictly a matter for the individual states to decide?
Voter ID laws have been shown to disenranchise minority voters throughout the country and are a clear violation of the U.S. Voting Rights Act. We applaud the federal judges who ruled on these cases in Wisconsin and Texas and we strongly oppose Voter ID laws.
Should all or certain federal public lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges and forests, be given to states to control? Do you support the opening of public lands and the outer continental shelf to exploration for oil and other fossil fuels, even if those resources are not immediately developed?
Opening public lands to exploration for fossil fuels is somethimg we strongly oppose. We believe that the Federal Government should maintain control and protection of our public lands.
What changes, if any, to the U.S. tax code do you support and why?
We support a higher tax rate on people who earn over $250,000 per year and closing loopholes that allow corporations to get away with paying little to no income tax.
What are the most important actions Congress can take to ensure the solvency of Social Security?
We believe that congress should raise the cap on Social Security. Billionaires pay the same amount of money into Social Security as somebody who makes $118,500 per year because of the current cap on taxable income that goes into Social Security. Lifting this cap and having everybody pay the same percentage of their income into Social Security regardless of how much they make would allow Social Security to remain solvent and also allow for an expansion of Social Security benefits.
The Republican Party platform defines marriage as between a man and a woman. What is your view? The Obama Administration has issued guidelines to schools, saying they must allow transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. What is your view? And do you believe parents of LGBT children should be allowed to force their children into conversion therapy?
We believe that marriage is a sacred bond between two people who love each other, whether that bond is between two people of the same sex makes no difference. We fully support same-sex marriage rights. On the issue of transgender students using bathrooms in schools, we support the Obama Administration's guidelines. On the issue of LGBT youth conversion therapy, we think it is repulsive. Forcing our young LGBT citizens to go through conversion therapy is something we oppose strongly.
What is the single most important action Congress can take to reduce U.S. gun violence?
Automatic background checks on every gun purchase made and increasing funding for mental health.
The “Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act” would give the Department of Justice authority to keep suspected terrorists on the federal “no fly” list from buying firearms. The bill was voted down in Congress late last year but pushed again in June after the Orlando massacre of 49 people. Do you support or oppose this bill, and why?
We obviously do not want guns in the hands of terrorists. However, we believe that a "no fly" list violates the rights of citizens in this country. Citizens of the United States have a right to due process and since citizens on the "no fly" list are not notified when they are put on this list, we believe that in this case their right is violated.
Should Obamacare be repealed, left intact, or changed — and if so, how?
Obamacare should be changed and improved to a single-payer healthcare system. One of the mistakes made when going through the process of healthcare reform was allowing the private insurance companies to help right the bill. We believe that healthcare is a right and should be guaranteed through a single-payer system.
A plan to replace Obamacare, presented by House Speaker Paul Ryan in June, would gradually increase the eligibility age for Medicare, which is now 65. Starting in 2020, the Medicare age would rise along with the eligibility age for full Social Security benefits, eventually reaching 67. Do you support this change in the eligibility age for Medicare?
We do not. This proposal would impact people who have been paying into Medicare for decades with the promise that they would be eligible at the age of 65. We believe that promise should be kept.
The GOP platform opposes the use of public funds for Planned Parenthood and other groups that “perform or advocate” abortion. It also opposes funding health care that includes abortion coverage. In contrast, the Democratic Party’s platform called for continued funding of Planned Parenthood and repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which bars the direct use of federal funds to pay for abortion. Where do you stand?
We support the continued funding of Planned Parenthood, which provides many services to low-income women accross the country.
President Obama has proposed making two years of community college free nationally. Do you support or oppose this proposal? If you support it, how would you have the nation pay for it?
We believe that this is a good first step toward providing greater access to education in this country. We support making public colleges and universities tuition free through a tax on Wall Street speculation, much like Senator Bernie Sanders.
College costs have risen at twice the rate of inflation for about 30 years. What is driving this increase and what should be done about it?
College costs have risen because States are cutting he amount of funding toward public universities. For an example of this, look no further than our own state of Illinois. Our solution to this is a tax on Wall Street speculation that would fund free public tuition for all public colleges and universities.
