Sample Questions for Congressional Candidates

In the six months between Ecumenical Advocacy Days and the general election on November 4, 2008 there will be many opportunities for persons from the faith community to be in touch with congressional candidates on issues of concern. They are members seeking reelection, their challengers, and persons running for open seats. You can send them questionnaires, undertake delegation visits, ask questions at public events, and write letters to the editor that they will read. A separate flyer offers practical advice on how to do these things. Here we provide sample questions to ask candidates. You can choose the ones of most interest to you, become knowledgeable on them, and engage candidates in discussion.

Domestic Issues

Federal Budget. (1) President Bush’s fiscal year 2009 federal budget continues tax breaks for the most affluent, cuts health, education, child welfare and other services, seeks the highest Pentagon base budget ever, and asks for another $70 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you support these priorities? If not, how would you change them?
(2) Do you favor withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq and, if not, how would you pay for our long-term military presence there?
Education. What should be the federal government’s role in funding the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)? What do you think of requiring the federal government to undertake a cost study as part of the NCLB reauthorization?
Hunger / Food Insecurity. Despite our vast wealth as a nation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that in 2005, 35.1 million people lived in households considered to be food insecure, including 12.4 million children. What are your specific plans to address these hunger needs in our nation?
Housing. (1) Do you support the creation of a National Housing Trust Fund that will help subsidize the construction, rehabilitation and preservation of 1.5 million units of affordable housing over the next 10 years -- a project that would also create thousands of jobs?
(2) Rising costs, gentrification of communities, and drastically reduced government subsidies and incentives have created a dire shortage of decent housing affordable for low-income people. What are your plans to deal with this crisis? What would you do to assist the development of affordable housing for low-income households?
Predatory Lending. The sub-prime mortgage industry has engaged in shady practices that have resulted in people being approved for mortgages that they clearly cannot afford as their interest rates increase. Foreclosure rates are at record highs. A recent report by RealtyTrac announced that foreclosures for May 2007 were up nearly 90 percent from May 2006. What can be done to help families who are squeezed between inflation, static wages and ballooning mortgage interest rates?
Health Care. The rising cost of health care in the United States manifests a gap between the haves and the have-nots. According to the Census Bureau, nearly 50 million Americans do not have health insurance, a majority of whom are poor but also working. What would you do to ensure that all Americans have access to adequate health care at an affordable cost?

International Issues

Eco-Justice

Global Climate Change. As Christians, we're called to not only care for God’s creation but also to speak out for the vulnerable and powerless. The scientific community recommends that in order to prevent the worst case scenarios, we must reduce emissions by 80 percent of the 2000 levels by 2050. Are you committed to doing this, and if so, how will you carry this out? How will you ensure that U.S. policy works to adapt to and alter the impacts of global climate change?
Vulnerable Populations. Persons living in poverty and citizens of small island nations will feel the effects global climate change the most. What will you do to adequately fund adaptation measures that will financially and materially assist the vulnerable populations around the world?

Global Economic Justice

Corporate Influence. What specific proposals do you have to reduce the excessive influence of powerful corporations on our public policies?
Unjust Debts. Would you support the audits of unjust debts of impoverished and middle-income countries to the United States, the World Bank, IMF and regional development banks?
Oil Dependence. How would you change U.S. trade policy to strengthen local economies and adapt to a future without cheap oil?
Debt Cancellation. Would you support expanded debt cancellation for impoverished countries so that this money can be used to address extreme poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals?
Iraq Development. How would you address the failure of economic development in Iraq?
Iraqi Refugees. Where do you think the United States’ responsibility lies in the Iraqi refugee crisis?
U.S. Trade Policy. Since trade is touted as a tool for development, how would you change US trade policy so that it benefits rather than harms poor communities in the US and around the world?

Peace and Global Security

Budget Priorities. About 95 percent of what the U.S. spends to engage with the rest of the world is allocated to the military budget and only five percent is devoted to diplomacy, development, and supporting international institutions that can help to solve problems before they turn into deadly conflict. The State Department has only 7,000 foreign service officers and has 1,000 oversea positions unfilled. Do you support the expansion of the diplomatic corps from its current size? Will you support increasing the operating and expense budget of USAID so that our development programs can be more effective?
United Nations. The US is $2.8 billion in arrears to the United Nations. Do you support fully funding the U.S. contributions to UN dues and paying down our outstanding debt we owe?
Nuclear Weapons. (1) Do you favor or oppose developing new nuclear weapons, such as the reliable replacement warhead?
(2) (for Senate candidates) Do you support ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty?
(3) Last year George Shultz, Henry Kissinger, William Perry, and Sam Nunn laid out a bold new vision for the elimination of nuclear weapons in their Wall Street Journal op-ed piece, “A World Free of Nuclear Weapons.” Do you endorse their vision and the concrete steps for achieving that goal?
Torture. (1) Right now the U.S. Army Field Manual prohibits torture, but the CIA is not covered by it. Would you require the CIA to comply with the Army Field Manual on Interrogations?
(2) Is waterboarding torture and would you allow it?
(3) Would you stop the CIA program of “enhanced interrogation techniques,” secret prisons, and sending detainees to countries for interrogation that are know to torture?

Africa

Demilitarization. Will you oppose the growing militarization of aid to Africa as illustrated by the launch of the Africa Command (AFRICOM)? Instead of this funding, will you work to bring peace, development, and security to the African continent by supporting just security initiatives, including $59 billion for the Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act?
Debt Burden. Africa’s$200 billion plus debt burden continues asthe single biggest obstacle to development. How will you work to combat this drain on poor peoples’ resources? Do you support the Jubilee Act (HR 2634 / S 2166) which calls for expanded debt cancellation to all countries that need it to reach the UN Millennium Development Goals to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015?
Poverty Reduction. When the U.S. joined the nations of the world in pledging to support the Millennium Development Goals, it committed to cutting absolute world poverty in half by 2015 and increasing our foreign aid budget from 0.22% of GDP to 0.7% of GDP. What will you do to see that the U.S. lives up to its commitments?

Asia-Pacific

Sri Lanka. Will you call upon the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate with the UN Commission on Human Rights to establish a field office in Sri Lanka and to invite international human rights monitors to report on human rights abuses, provide protection to civilians, and strengthen the capacity of domestic human rights institutions?

Latin America

Shift in Funding Priorities. U.S. aid towards Latin America has grown increasingly focused on military and counternarcotics assistance, while social and economic aid has stagnated or decreased. Will you take a new direction in U.S. policy towards Latin America by supporting programs that reduce poverty, improve health care, strengthen the rule of law, assist the victims of war and natural disaster, and promote good will with our Latin American neighbors?
Immigration. Our current immigration system is broken. Efforts to “secure” the border have taken a real toll on families, many of whom risk their lives crossing the border to be reunited in the United States. If elected, how would you vote on “enforcement only” legislation? Would you be a leader in Congress by supporting immigration reform that is both comprehensive and consistent with America’s humanitarian values?
Cuba. Cuba’s first constitutional presidential succession in nearly 50 years has just occurred, a demonstration of the failure of the U.S.-Cuba policy of “regime change.” As Cuba begins a transition to new leadership, this is an opportunity for us to increase contacts, both governmental and citizen-to-citizen. Will you vote to end restrictions on U.S. citizen travel to Cuba?
Colombia. Colombia remains the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist, and the Colombian army has killed an alarming number of civilians in recent years. Yet these human rights abuses are rarely investigated by the Colombian government. Will you be strong on human rights by opposing the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement until those responsible for these abuses are brought to justice? Will you demand progress in stopping the killings of civilians and insist that more U.S. aid goes to Colombia’s victims?

Middle East

Iraq. The bipartisan Iraq Study Group chaired by former Rep. Lee Hamilton and former Secretary of State James Baker said the U.S. should make clear it does not seek permanent bases in Iraq and is prepared to withdraw all U.S. forces. It recommended a new policy based on negotiations with all of Iraq’s neighbors and talks with all Iraqi political factions. Will you support legislation to make these recommendations U.S. policy?
Iran. The November 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran said that a combination of “intensified international scrutiny and pressures, along with opportunities for Iran to achieve its security, prestige, and goals for regional influence” might lead to a resolution of the nuclear issue and other differences with the U.S. Will you support direct, comprehensive, and unconditional U.S. negotiations with Iran? And will you support U.S. incentives to Iran in addition to the existing disincentives of action to reach an agreement?
Arab-Israeli Conflict. More than sixty foreign policy specialists, including Brent Scowcroft, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami, have said that for the Arab-Israeli Annapolis peace process to succeed it will be necessary to end violence, halt Israeli settlements and improve Palestinian living conditions. The group also said in a letter to the Bush Administration that a dialogue with Hamas, conducted by Europe or the UN if not by the U.S., is far preferable to isolating the Islamist organization that won a majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament. Will you support a U.S. policy that reflects this approach to achieving Arab-Israeli peace?