Part I: Instructions and Candidate Details Instructions: From within your Word processor, please answer all questions in Part I (Instructions and Candidate Details) and Part II (Issue Questionnaire). Part II includes yes/no and short answer questions. Please mark the appropriate bo for each yes/no question. If you wish to add comments to a yes/no question, or if elaboration is requested, you may type directly below the question by adding a paragraph return at the end of the question and typing your comments in the same cell as the question. In the Essay sections, please answer the questions at the length you deem sufficient. It is OK if your comments cause tables, etc., to shift pages. Thank you for your participation. Candidate Details DATE: January 7, 2016 DISTRICT: 1 st District PARTY: Democratic NAME: BOBBY L. RUSH VOTING ADDRESS: HOME PHONE: BUSINESS PHONE: CAMPAIGN ADDRESS: CAMPAIGN PHONE: EMAIL: CAMPAIGN FA: WEBSITE: CAMPAIGN MANAGER: NUMBER OF PETITION SIGNATURES FILED: 3100 NUMBER OF PETITION SIGNATURES REQUIRED: 1314 Candidate Details A) Elective or appointive, public or party, offices previously held (including dates). Member of Congress: 1993- Present; Chicago Alderman: 1983-1993; Ward Committeeman: 1984-2008; State Committeeman: 1990-Present B) Other elective offices for which you have been a candidate. C) What is your primary occupation? Member of Congress D) Briefly list your civic activities of the past ten years. Pastor-Beloved Community Christian COGIC E) What eperience have you had which will be most helpful to you in the office you seek? F) Please list any candidates have you supported in past elections and specify your role in each campaign. G) Please list all endorsements you have received. H) Please concisely state (a) why you feel you should be endorsed over the other candidate(s) and (b) what goals for the office you seek are most important to you personally? I) (a) What is your campaign budget and (b) how much have you raised to date? J) (a) How many paid staffers and (b) how many volunteers do you have on your campaign? Page 1 of 9
Do you support the: A. Foreign and Military 1 use of drones in military operations? See additional comments. 2 use of drones in targeted assassinations? 3 use of drones in domestic law enforcement? See additional comments. 4 epansion of NATO? See additional comments. 5 closing Guantanamo? 6 normalization of relations with Cuba? See additional comments. 7 Helms-Burton Act? The Act passed the House in 1996. I voted against it. 8 Iran Nuclear Deal? The Nuclear Deal passed the House Sept. 11, 2015. I voted AYE. 9 Trans-Pacific Partnership? A. Foreign and Military: Essay Questions 10. What should be Congress s role in formulating foreign policy? See attachment 11. Under what circumstances would you vote to authorize the President to commit US troops in foreign conflicts? See attachment 12 oil drilling in protected wilderness? 13 B. Energy and Environment cap and trade? HR 2454, the American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009 containing cap and trade requirement passed the House in 2009. I voted AYE. 14 further reductions in carbon emissions? 15 Clean Diesel Program? 16 National Energy Efficiency goals? 17 coal liquefaction? Not if it increases Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions during the process. 18 increasing use of nuclear power for electric generation? 19 mountaintop coal strip mining? Page 2 of 9
B. Energy and Environment 20 increasing user fees for grazing, mining, and lumbering on Federal lands? 21 opening more Federal land for lumber eploitation? 22 the Keystone pipeline? 23 incentives for business to develop alternative energy systems? 24 ta credits for individuals to implement sustainable and renewable systems in their homes? 25 a moratorium on fracking until the environmental impacts are known? 26 27 28 creation of a superfund to compensate losses from industrial accidents which harm the environment? allowing states to adopt more stringent environmental standards than provided for in Federal law? C. Transportation: Essay Question 29. Please eplain the role the Federal government should play in maintaining and improving national infrastructure. Please specifically include your policy positions regarding highways, mass transit, high-speed rail, Amtrak, and the air transportation system. See attachment. 30 a more progressive income ta? 31 a flat ta? 32 a national sales ta? 33 D. Taes and Economic Policy taing capital gains at the same rate as earned income? I believe the U.S. ta code must be overhauled to begin to address the staggering income inequality in our nation and taing capital gains at or near the level of personal income, consistent with where many states are, would help achieve this goal. 34 taing dividends at the same rate as earned income? Page 3 of 9
35 D. Taes and Economic Policy reduction/elimination of the estate ta? Again, this must be addressed as a part of the overall reform of the U. S. ta code. 36 ending ta incentives for companies to shift profits offshore? 37 elimination of the mortgage interest deduction? 38 elimination of the income ta credit for dependent children? 39 repeal of the Commodity Futures Modernization Act? 40 revival of Glass-Steagall? 41 Fast Track legislation for trade treaties? D. Taes and Economic Policy: Essay Questions 42. Elaborating the answers you gave to the yes/no questions on Taes and Economic policy above, please outline your ta and economic policy positions, providing specific eamples of changes you seek. 43. What changes would you propose for the Social Security System? 44. What would you do to create jobs? Specifically address communities with historically high and lingering unemployment rates. See attachment. E. Consumer Rights 45 federal legislation to cap interest rates on credit cards and other consumer loans? 46 47 federal legislation to regulate ATM fees and service charges on credit cards and other consumer loans? allowing states to enact consumer laws which go beyond the protection of federal legislation? F. Government and Ethics Page 4 of 9
48 Constitutional amendment to regulate campaign financing? 49 Constitutional amendment to reverse the Citizens United case? 50 accountability in privatization legislation that would require that government services could not be outsourced unless the contractor could provide the same quality and quantity of services to the consumer, and pay and benefits to the employees, at a reduced cost to the tapayers? 51 increased Congressional oversight of federal contracting? Please elaborate below. 52 repeal of the Affordable Care Act? G. Health & Human Services 53 Do you support Single Payer or Medicare for All? 54 55 authorizing Medicare and other government insurance programs to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs? importation of drugs from countries whose manufacturing and safety standards are equal or superior to those in the US? 56 funding of medically accurate, age appropriate, se education programs? 57 increased funding for HIV/AIDS research, education, prevention, and services? 58 the Human Life Amendment? 59 the Freedom of Choice Act? 60 parental notification to obtain an abortion? 61 repealing the federal ban on so-called partial birth abortions? 62 repealing the Hyde Amendment? 63 amending the Affordable Care Act to etend coverage to people with incomes under 133% of the poverty level who are not covered by Medicaid or Medicare? 64 increased funding for supplemental food programs for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)? 65 increased funding for supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP)? 66 increased funding for Head Start? 67 increased funding for school lunch programs? 68 long-term reauthorization of TANF? Page 5 of 9
G. Health & Human Services 69 raising TANF benefits to at least equal the poverty level? 70 reestablishing federal regulation of statewide programs? 71 72 73 TANF work requirements? Provided that such requirements lead to permanent livable wage employment. increased funding to develop affordable housing for households with incomes below the poverty level? restrictions to ensure development of low-income rather than market rate housing? I would support restrictions to ensure development of low-income in addition to market rate housing. 74 increased funding for the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund? 75 protection against housing discrimination for holders of Section 8 housing vouchers? 76 protection against housing discrimination for LGBT individuals? 77 vouchers, tuition ta-credits or other any direct public support for parochial or private schools? 78 increased funding for STEM education? 79 mandatory implementation of Common Core standards as a requirement to receive Federal funds? G. Health & Human Services: Essay Questions 80. Are there any other changes you would support to the Affordable Care Act? See attachment 81. Are there any other changes you would support in the area of reproductive health? Not at this time. 82. Please discuss proposals to help people who do not qualify for TANF or for unemployment benefits? H. Law, Justice, and Correctional System 83 admissibility of illegally obtained evidence? 84 electronic surveillance of phones and internet There can be limited use of this surveillance if necessary for law enforcement purposes with adequate court supervision. Page 6 of 9
H. Law, Justice, and Correctional System 85 capital punishment? 86 criminal prosecution of juveniles as adults? 87 mandatory sentencing? 88 enactment and enforcement of hate crime laws? 89 detention of suspects and material witnesses without charges and/or probable cause? 90 NSA data mining of US residents not suspected of any crime 91 review of administrative warrants? 92 repeal of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008? 93 publication of FISA opinions? 94 a statutory ban on the use of etraordinary rendition and secret prisons? 95 legislation prohibiting racial profiling in law enforcement? 96 legislation restricting the sale and possession of assault weapons? 97 legislation mandating background checks of purchasers of weapons at gun shows, through the internet and through print advertisements? 98 legislation prohibiting gun purchases by individuals on the do not fly list. 99 legislation increasing penalties for illegal resale of weapons? 100 prosecution of marijuana cultivation, possession, sale, or use in states which have legalized it? H. Law, Justice, and Correctional System: Essay 101. What restrictions, if any, should Congress enact or repeal regarding the scope of federally funded legal services for the poor? I. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 102 restoration of the Voting Rights Act? Page 7 of 9
I. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 103 legislation to ban states from requiring voters to show an ID to vote in Federal elections? 104 DC statehood? 105 the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution? 106 federal legislation to prohibit discrimination based on seual orientation in housing, employment and education? 107 separation of church and state? 108 109 moment of silence? 110 prayer in public schools? I believe individuals should have the right to pray so long as it is not an organized effort by the school, consistent with the separation of church and state. amending the NSL provisions to epand court oversight, require a mandatory showing of a connection to terrorist activity, and rescind unconstitutional gag restrictions? 111 mandatory AIDS testing for insurance or employment? 112 mandatory drug testing in private employment? 113 mandatory drug testing for recipients of federal benefits? 114 115 116 prioritizing family reunification as criteria in granting visas and processing citizenship and permanent resident applications? halting deportations of immigrants until final determination of residency status has been made and appeals have been ehausted? prohibiting deportation of undocumented immigrants arrested for misdemeanors or traffic violations? 117 a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently in the country? 118 the DREAM Act? 119 120 etending the time limits for young people registered under the deferred deportation program? admitting Syrian refugees via the standard procedures used by the U.S. for foreign refugee settlement? Page 8 of 9
I. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights: Essay 121. What other immigration reforms do you support? I support the increase in H1-B visas and the increase in more visas for the purpose of permitting more immigrants into the US from African and West Caribbean nations. 122. Should Patriot Act II be repealed or changed in any way? Please eplain your position. See attachment 123 124 J. Labor Affirmative Action with specific goals, targets, and timetables for federal employment, grants and contracts? legislation to restructure the wage scale of federal employees to correct disparities based on gender by instituting equal pay for jobs of comparable worth? 125 repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act? 126 a prohibition on permanent replacement of strikers? 127 granting federal employees the right to strike? 128 the Employee Freedom of Choice Act? The House passed this bill in 2007. I voted AYE. 129 a federal living wage law to guarantee that a person working forty hours a week would be able to afford housing, food, utilities, transportation, and health care? Page 9 of 9
Rep. Bobby L. Rush IVI-IPO Essay responses and additional comments 1. Drones in military operations: Drones are not simply weapons systems. They also play an important role in allowing American forces to gather intelligence and perform surveillance and reconnaissance without risking lives. 3. Drone in domestic law enforcement: The use of drones in domestic law enforcement is only acceptable in a limited capacity. Specifically, drones should only be used to monitor the border or to gather intelligence and perform surveillance, within the confines of the Fourth Amendment. 4. Epansion of NATO: While NATO was designed originally to be a military alliance it has, and continues to, provide and important framework for international diplomatic cooperation. Additionally, NATO has played an important peacekeeping role in countries like Kosovo which was undergoing genocide before its independence. 6. Cuba: I am a strong advocate of normalized relations with Cuba. So much so that, since 2009, I have introduced legislation calling for a full and normalized relationship between the United States and Cuba. Additionally, in 2015 I introduced a bill to authorize energy eports to Cuba. The goals of this bill were incorporated into the Omnibus Appropriations bill that was passed in December 2015. 10. Congress Role in Foreign Policy: While the President is the Nation s chief diplomat, the Constitution vests Congress with a significant role in foreign policy. Chiefly, the Congress holds the power of the purse and thereby has the ability to directly the President s foreign policy objectives. Additionally, the Constitution vests the Senate with the sole power to ratify treaties. Lastly, the Congress, through its legislative powers, has the ability to issue mandates to the President, communicate directly with foreign nations, and determine when and if specific nations should receive aid or be subject to sanctions. Accordingly, while the President is responsible for eecuting American foreign policy it is only through the framework laid out by Congress that this is so. 11. Committing US troops in foreign conflicts: In my opinion there are only two situations which would warrant the justified use of US troops abroad: 1) To protect and defend the United States and American interests; and 2) To prevent mass atrocities from being committed against a defenseless peoples.
29. Transportation The Federal government must play a strong role in maintaining our national infrastructure. Such a role in ensuring a safe, efficient, and reliable infrastructure is importance to the overall U.S. economy and its citizenry. I have been a consistent supporter of long-term investments in our surface transportation systems, including our highways, bridges and mass transit systems. I have been a consistent supporter of a strong and vibrant Amtrak and have fought against efforts to dismantle Amtrak through privatization and other means. I am a staunch supporter of improving the nation s freight system including our railroads and ports and have worked to bring federal dollars to Chicago through the CREATE program to improve an aging rail infrastructure. Congress has work to do in 2016 to reauthorize programs impacting our air transportation system through Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization which epires March 31, 2016. I intend to work closely with my colleagues on the committees of jurisdiction to ensure that our aviation system continues to modernize to meet the travel needs of the nation. 80. Health and Human Services I supported the two-year delay in the implementation of the Cadillac ta, which would impose a 40% ecise ta on the portion of group health plan premiums that eceed $10,200 for single coverage and $27,500 for family coverage contained in the Affordable Care Act, that was included in the Omnibus Appropriations bill passed by Congress last December. 122. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights The Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, commonly referred to as PATRIOT ACT II, was draft legislation written by the U. S. Department of Justice during President George W. Bush s administration. It was never introduced to the United States Congress and, therefore, never enacted into law. I did, however, vote against approval of the PATRIOT Act in 2001 and again, against its renewal in the USA Freedom Act in 2015.