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Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues
The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Health Care,
Campaign finance,
UN
Click on a name for other candidate information.
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1. What specific measures would you support to increase equal access to health care?
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Answer from Robert E. Bidwell:
None. I will demand the House to censure members who violate their Constitutional Oath by supporting an activity our founding fathers refused to allow the federal government to be involved in. To the extent that government has any right to involve itself in health care, the constitution clearly reserves that right to the States. Congress has exceeded its Constitutional authority in a number of venues at an enormous cost to the sovereign citizens of this ....
Answer from Charles W. Sanders:
The First operation will be to rain in the HMO's and return the medical decisions to the Doctors and nurses and out of the hands of accountants. Second will be to strength Medicare's Account standing and a drug prescription coverage to assist seniors and fixed incomes from having to decide between filling prescriptions and buying food.
Answer from Rob Portman:
Congress must do more to see that the roughly 44 million Americans without health coverage have access to affordable insurance. Along with a good Patient's Bill of Rights, I support a 100% tax deduction for health insurance premiums for those paying over 50% of their premiums; an additional exemption to care for elderly family at home; 100% deduction for the self-employed; and allowing small businesses/self-employed to pool together for insurance purchasing clout like large companies.
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2. What measures would you support to reform our campaign finance system?
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Answer from Robert E. Bidwell:
Our campaign finance system is a monster for one reason - Congress has stepped outside its Constitutional authority by creating programs in Health, Education, old age assistance, housing, insurance etc which has spawned a litter of nondescripts fighting to feed at the public trough, and willing to pay for the privilege of parceling out the pork. As is true of the tax code, all of this pandering is full of legal loopholes.
Answer from Rob Portman:
I support reform of the system and have introduced my own legislation to ban contributions by non-citizens; require 60% of contributions to be raised in House candidate's district or a Senate candidate's state; ban PACs; and greatly increase disclosure of soft money and other contributions. To break the current deadlock, I also support an independent commission - a majority of the members coming from outside government - to make specific recommendations to Congress for reform.
Answer from Charles W. Sanders:
Get Rid of the special interest influence - publicly finance all Federal Elections to include the last 60 to 90 days of campaigning. Level the playing field so that ordinary citizens can afford to run.
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3. Should the US pay its dues to the UN in full?
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Answer from Robert E. Bidwell:
The UN charter contains language which undermines the individual sovereignty of U.S. citizens. The U.N. has been given title to over 20 national parks, part of every nation's agreement with the UN. Until the UN models its charter on the most dynamic. successful document in the history of man's governance, the Constitution, which places power in the hands of the governed, I shall work to shut down the UN as presently structured.
Answer from Rob Portman:
Yes, but it should be conditioned on needed reforms, most of which the UN Secretary General says he supports. I supported this year's appropriations bill for the State Department which contained full payment of our share of UN dues with the release of funds conditioned on compliance of several reforms, including reducing our unfair share of the UN general operating and peacekeeping budgets, and semi-annual certification that the budget of the UN is not increasing.
Answer from Charles W. Sanders:
Yes. Every nation must show responsibility and accountability among the world community. We can't hold the world hostage to achieve our goals, but we can show leadership by example.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League, but formatted for Web display.
Candidates' statements are presented as
submitted. Word limits for answers are 75 words for each question.
Direct references to opponents are not permitted
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
