IOWA ELECTIONS 2014-INCUMBENTS AND CHALLENGERS AND WHERE THEY STAND
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/detail/iowa-2014-candidates-for-congress-where-they-stand
To see the actual voting records of all incumbents on other issues such as Foreign Policy, Second Amendment Issues, Homeland Security, and other issues as well as their rankings by special interest groups please use the links followed by two stars (**).
U.S. Senate
Chuck Grassley (R) Next Election in 2016.
Tom Harkin (D) Retiring in 2014.
Bruce Braley (D) Challenger
Is the Congressman in Iowa District 1 http://www.brucebraley.com/ http://braley.house.gov/ http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Bruce_Braley.htm **
•Rated +2 by AAI, indicating pro-Arab pro-Palestine voting record. (May 2012)
HOT BUTTON ISSUES
ENERGY Ending our dependence on foreign oil and promoting Iowa renewable energy is critical to our national security and economic growth. I’m working on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to shift the United States’ energy focus from the Middle East to the Midwest — so we can invest more in renewable energy like wind and biofuels and create the good-paying jobs of the future.
“Keystone XL has attracted rare bipartisan support because of the enormous economic benefits it will provide. It should move forward quickly once it’s approved.” – Bruce Braley – Braley reinforced his strong support during the House Energy and Commerce Committee markup, voting for the Keystone Pipeline bill. (H.R. 3, Ordered reported favorably to the full House 30-18: R 26-0; D 4-18, 4/17/13, Braley Voted Yea)
One month later, Braley voted against approval for the Keystone Pipeline – the exact same bill he voted for just a month earlier. (H.R. 3, CQ Vote #179: Passed 241-175: R 222-0; D 19-175, 5/22/13, Braley Voted Nay)
HEALTHCARE Providing affordable, accessible and quality health care to all Americans is one of my top priorities. I was proud to help pass the Affordable Care Act, which will decrease health insurance costs, expand access to quality, affordable health care, improve reimbursements for Iowa medical providers and allow Americans to maintain their choice of health insurance. This bill will provide much-needed relief for thousands of businesses in Iowa’s First District and will reduce our deficit by more than $100 billion over the next 10 years and over $1 trillion in the 10 years after that.
We are already seeing the positive impact of the Affordable Care Act. Medicare reimbursements to Iowa providers increased by 5% in 2010 and 10% in 2011, as a result of my work on this bill. This means more Iowa providers will accept Medicare patients, providing greater access to care for Iowa seniors. In Iowa, the Affordable Care Act is already working.
DEFENSE Feb 24, 2014 Braley to Defense Secretary: ‘Don’t Gut Iowa’s National Guard’ – Washington, D.C. – Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today sent a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel outlining his opposition to possible cuts to Iowa’s National Guard forces after reports that the Pentagon could seek to significantly reduce spending on the National Guard.
“With weapons systems that are tens of billions of dollars over budget and additional billions being spent on projects halfway around the world in Afghanistan, there are far better areas to look for savings at the Pentagon than in gutting Iowa’s National Guard,” Braley said. “The last thirteen years have illustrated the National Guard’s critical value to our national security-as hundreds of thousands of these soldiers have bravely served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world.
Joni Ernst (R) Challenger
HOT BUTTON ISSUES
HEALTHCARE Repeal and Replace Obamacare Joni is staunchly opposed to the Obamacare law. Joni supports immediate action to defund Obamacare, repeal it, and replace it with free-market alternatives that put patients first, and healthcare decisions back in the hands of doctors rather than bureaucrats.
SCRAP THE TAX CODE The IRS is a disaster. The greatest nation on earth should not have one of the most predatory, bureaucratic, out of control tax agencies on the planet. Our system is backwards. Joni believes real, fundamental tax reform will require more than tweaks to the tax code. It’s time to scrap it and start over, to make our tax system fairer, flatter, simpler and more certain.
UNITED STATES/ISRAEL PARTNERSHIP http://www.joniforiowa.com/u-s-israeli-partnership/ Since recognizing Israel’s official founding on May 14, 1948, the bond between the United States and the Jewish State has steadily grown stronger through many historic and turbulent moments, to include the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Six-Day War, and Gulf War to presently underway efforts to downgrade, and ultimately eliminate, the offensive capabilities of terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and Hezbollah and to eliminate the regional threat posed by a potentially nuclear Iran. As history has proven time and time again, America has no better friend or more loyal ally than she does with Israel.
Today this strategic alliance has grown well beyond these essential military and intelligence ties to other vital areas such as rapid expansion of trade, cultural exchanges and shared interest in the sciences. What has nourished this growth is the fact that these two powerful nations share the values of democracy, appreciation of free market principles, strict adherence to the rule of law, and culture of innovation.
While over the last few years there has been an unfortunate slight uptick in misguided rhetoric coming from Washington concerning matters related to Israel and her self-interest and security, Joni Ernst believes the United States must remain committed to growing and nurturing this relationship in a host of ways, including the continuation of aid programs, sharing of intelligence, close coordination on foreign policy relating to strategic international and regional importance, and extension of a mutually-beneficial and growing trade relationship.
As a soldier who has commanded an Army unit in the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and current Lt. Colonel in the Iowa National Guard, Joni Ernst looks at the U.S.-Israeli relationship not only through the standard foreign policy and national security prism, but also from an on-the-ground, military readiness and capabilities standpoint. And as the next United States Senator from Iowa, she will enthusiastically fight to expand the bond that exists between these two partners while prioritizing efforts aimed at strengthening the only democracy in the Middle East with a recognition that doing so will preserve the safety and security of both America and Israel for generations to come.
District 1
Bruce Braley (D)
Please note: Braley is a now a candidate for Senate to replace Senator Tom Harkin who is retiring.
Pat Murphy (D) Challenger
http://patmurphyforiowa.com/ http://patmurphyforiowa.com/issues/
HOT BUTTON ISSUES
ENVIRONMENT Pat understands the connection Iowa’s environment has to its economy. In Congress, he’ll work to enforce current federal environmental standards and regulations protecting air and water quality, and responsible economic development that measures all costs involved, including public health and global warming considerations. Pat is opposed to the Keystone XL project because it won’t create long-term jobs and endangers our largest aquifer, and he supports a moratorium on sand fracking in Northeast Iowa.
HEALTHCARE Protecting Affordable Health Care While Speaker of the Iowa House, Pat expanded access to health care to 40,000 Iowa children by raising the cigarette tax. In Congress, he’ll continue to fight for affordable health care by standing up to right-wing efforts to repeal Obamacare, which would put big insurance companies back in charge of health care decisions, and he’ll help families and businesses take full advantage of the benefits of the law.
Rod Blum (R) Challenger
District 2
Dave Loebsack (D) Incumbent
https://loebsack.house.gov/ http://www.loebsackforcongress.org/
http://www.ontheissues.org/house/david_loebsack.htm **
•Rated +1 by AAI, indicating a mixed Arab/Palestine voting record. (May 2012)
HEALTHCARE Voted for Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and against repeal.
ENERGY Voted against Keystone XL Pipeline without limiting amendments.
Washington, Feb 12 – Congressman Dave Loebsack announced today that he introduced legislation that would establish a grant program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to invest in renewable and alternative fuel infrastructure. The Renewable Fuel Utilization, Expansion and Leadership (Re-FUEL) Act (HR 4051) will help create new and retrofit existing infrastructure, including pumps for biofuels and hydrogen, tanks, piping and electric vehicle chargers. The legislation is paid for and does not add to the deficit.
“I believe in making things in America and there is no reason our fuel sources shouldn’t be made here as well. It’s also important that consumers are able to choose where their fuel source comes from when they go to fill up. Too often, infrastructure constraints are cited as the reason for not giving consumers the choices they deserve. This holds back the development of our renewable and alternative energy sources that create jobs in Iowa and across the country. – “The Re-FUEL Act will help bridge that divide by making important investments in the infrastructure needed to provide consumers with choices at the pump. We must do more to decrease our dependence on foreign oil, expand our use of renewable energy sources that boost economic development in our rural areas, and promote homegrown fuel sources such as biofuels and wind power.”
Mariannette Miller-Meeks M.D.(R) Challenger
https://www.millermeeks.com/ Mariannette Miller-Meeks M.D.(R) – Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks is an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) who most recently served for three years as the Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health. Mariannette enlisted in the United States Army at age 18 and retired honorably from the reserves as a Lt. Colonel. During those 24 years, active duty and reserve, she served as a private, nurse, and physician.
Why I’m Running – “I’m running because as a doctor I couldn’t sit on the sidelines as the Affordable Care Act jeopardizes the healthcare of Iowans. We were promised that premiums would go down and quality and access would go up, but we’re seeing the opposite as the law is being implemented.
“Washington is a dysfunctional mess and it’s time to send someone there who has real world experience bringing people together to solve problems – like implementing better patient-centered healthcare reforms and restoring accountability in government.
“As the Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, I’ve seen firsthand what can be done when you put partisanship aside and work for the greater good. I want to bring that problem-solving, common-sense Iowa attitude to Congress. Washington needs more of this Iowa approach.”
District 3
Tom Latham (R) Retiring in 2014
Robert Cramer (R) Challenger
http://www.cramerforcongress.com/
HOT BUTTON ISSUES
HEALTHCARE The decisions about your personal health care should be made between you and your doctor, not the federal government or some unelected bureaucrat. While I recognize that the health care system needs to be reformed, a government-run system is not the answer. I oppose Obamacare and support its full repeal-and this will be one of my top priorities in Congress. I will not move, I will not sway, and I will not give in on the fight to repeal Obamacare.
ECONOMY AND TAXES The waste in Washington is unacceptable. The federal government is spending money at an alarming rate-almost a trillion dollars more than we bring in, eroding the foundation for future generations. If we continue down this path we are going to leave our kids and grandkids an economic disaster.
Congress must pay down our debt and balance the budget. We need a balanced budget not only to ensure a viable future, but because when the budget is balanced you have a stronger economy, more opportunity, and higher paying jobs.
Tax: History has proven that we cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity. We must stop and dial back needless government regulation and taxation to allow small businesses to grow. The issues our country faces are deep and complex, and require a complex solution. I’ve spent my entire adult life fighting against big, intrusive, confiscatory government, and I want to continue that fight as your Congressman.
Matt Schultz (R) Challenger
http://www.votemattschultz.com/
Monte Shaw (R) Challenger
HOT BUTTON ISSUES
ENERGY Fossil fuels will continue to play a vital role in our economy and national security for years to come and they should be responsibly developed. The federal government should neither unnecessarily impede fossil fuel development nor offer sweetheart deals to energy companies. However, we cannot achieve energy independence unless the extreme favoritism the government grants to fossil fuels is ended. All fuels deserve a truly level playing field on which to compete.
A responsible, broad based energy policy should include increased domestic oil and gas exploration and production; improved distribution with completion of the Keystone pipeline, and continued development of alternative energy, such as biofuels, wind, solar, geothermal, and nuclear.
Ethanol has been the single most successful new energy source in the last 100 years. Even a generation ago the idea that fuel made from corn could supply a significant portion of our transportation fuel needs seemed like an unreachable pipedream. Yet today, Americans use more ethanol from corn than gasoline produced from Saudi Arabian crude oil. In fact, since I began advocating for ethanol, its production and use has grown from less than 2 billion gallons per year to over 13 billion gallons.
HEALTHCARE Then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of Obamacare: “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” It was passed in a harshly partisan fashion and Iowans are now finding out what was in it – and it’s bad. Recent non-partisan projections have shown that the healthcare policy will cost American citizens over two million jobs and add one trillion dollars to the already bloated federal debt. Obamacare has resulted in lost full-time jobs, lost work hours, increased taxes, employers dropping their sponsorship of health plans, simple and affordable plans for younger workers disappearing, while others are forced to buy mandated coverage they can’t use. Meanwhile, you’re left with less choice of physician and fewer health plans to choose from. We know that President Obama misled voters when he promised that if you like your plan you could keep your plan.
Despite paying this horrible price, the stated goal of eliminating uninsured Americans will not be achieved. The Congressional Budget Office projects that by 2022 there will still be 30-million nonelderly uninsured Americans.
I will fight to repeal Obamacare and replace it with real reform, directed at actually controlling costs. We should enhance competition by allowing the purchase of insurance over state lines. Tort reform is a must and price transparency and consumer empowerment is the key – not turning over decisions to unelected bureaucrats in Washington.
David Young (R) Challenger
Ex-Chief of Staff to US Sen. Grassley http://www.youngforiowa.com/
Brad Zaun (R) Challenger
Staci Appel (D) Challenger
HOT BUTTON ISSUES
ENERGY
Climate Change Reversing the damage created by climate change will take generations, and elected officials have a moral responsibility to do everything within their power to not only reduce carbon emissions, but to leave for our children, a world safer from extreme weather conditions than we found it. That’s why Staci will fight for an “all of the above”, bipartisan approach to combating climate change that includes revenue neutral, market-based solutions to reduce carbon pollution.
Alternative Energy Iowa is a leader for the nation and the world in the production and use of wind turbines as well as bio fuels like ethanol. Our colleges and universities are the home of some excellent research institutions that continue to develop new technologies and methods to use crops and plant waste to create fuel. But Washington is making it harder by reducing the amount of teaching staff in public schools and universities as well as reducing research grants. Staci Appel believes in making investments that harness our wind, solar and other resources to continue supporting the local alternative energy economy that can’t be outsourced.
District 4
Steve King (R) Incumbent
http://www.steveking.com/ http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Steve_King.htm **
•Rated -4 by AAI, indicating a anti-Arab anti-Palestine voting record. (May 2012)
HOT BUTTON ISSUES
HEALTHCARE ObamaCare was signed into law on March 23, 2010, after a long and drawn out process which saw Congressional rules bended and the will of the American people ignored. Since its passage, public opposition to ObamaCare has continued to grow, and the more that people learn about what was in it, the more they demand repeal.
As a fiscal matter, ObamaCare is a disaster. With all budget gimmicks taken into account, ObamaCare will cost taxpayers $2.6 trillion in its first ten full years of enactment, and it will add over $700 billion to our nation’s debt. For these reasons alone, the bill should be repealed. But even if the fiscal math of ObamaCare added up, the policies it imposes should be repealed because they are detrimental to our nation’s health care system. ObamaCare and its mandates have already resulted in skyrocketing health care premiums throughout the country and millions of Americans not being able to keep their health insurance.
Once we repeal ObamaCare, we can get to work on making the kinds of commonsense reforms that will lower health care costs, increase access, and improve the quality of our nation’s health care system. We should allow small businesses to form pools with other small businesses to spread out the risk and lower the costs of health care. We should allow individuals to purchase their insurance across state lines, bringing more competition to the industry while reducing costs and increasing quality. We should provide for meaningful reform of our medical liability system, which would address one of the major reasons for the rise in health care costs in recent years: frivolous lawsuits and the practice of defense medicine that results from them.
ENERGY Supports building the KeystoneXL Pipeline without limiting amendments
IMMIGRATION In addition to border security and workplace enforcement, our nation must eliminate needless incentives that encourage illegal immigration and cost taxpayers significant amounts of money each year. I do not believe it is in the best interest of our nation to continue tolerating the practice of illegal aliens giving birth to children in the U.S. in order to obtain citizenship for the child, then moving back to their country of origin with the hopes of achieving uninhibited access to our country for as many family members as possible. This is why I have introduced H.R. 140, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011, to limit birthright citizenship to a child born in the United States to at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or national, a legal permanent resident living in the United States, or an individual who is serving on active duty status in the U.S. Armed Forces.
As the Vice-Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Immigration, I will continue to support an immigration policy designed to enhance the economic, social and cultural well-being of the United States. Immigrants have made, and will continue to make, a valuable contribution to our nation. Through assimilation, immigrants will benefit from our shared American culture of individual freedom, personal responsibility, and patriotism. A major component of assimilation is being proficient in English. For centuries, the English language has been the uniting force in this great nation. Studies continue to show that those who know English get better jobs, earn higher wages and are less dependent on the government. For these reasons, I have authored the English Language Unity Act to make English the official language of the United States government.
Jim Mowrer (D) Challenger
Iraq War Veteran and Ex-Defense Dept. Official
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