League of Women Voters of New York State Education Foundation, Inc.
State of New York (Columbia, Greene, Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Delaware, Otsego, Rensselaer, Dutchess, Essex Counties) November 2, 2010 Election
	Scott Murphy Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 20

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of New York State and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What changes to our current immigration policy do you support?

I am committed to working toward tough, fair, and practical immigration reform that puts taxpayer interests first and meets the needs of our economy. To accomplish these goals, we must secure our borders, crack down on employers who knowingly hire illegal workers, and develop a set of rules that allows undocumented immigrants who are contributing to our society to earn legal status. This system must require individuals who broke the law to pay back taxes, learn English, and go to the end of the line. Finally, Congress should work toward establishing a guest worker program that will allow foreign workers to meet the economic needs of our nation, while also protecting and prioritizing the existing American workforce.

2. What legislation do you support to reduce CO2 emissions?

I voted to pass landmark energy independence and clean energy jobs legislation, The American Clean Energy and Security Act. Not only would the legislation put us on the path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent in 2050, but it would also fundamentally increase Upstate New York’s competitiveness and create clean energy jobs right here at home. In fact, even the conservative Heritage Foundation reports that this legislation will save New York consumers $59.5 million in 2012. It is also estimated that this legislation would help to cut the United States’ use of oil by more than 5 million barrels a day in the next 20 years – roughly the equivalent to all the oil we currently import daily from the Middle East and Venezuela combined. By investing in clean energy technology and energy efficiency we will not only make our country more secure, but we will also be more competitive in the global marketplace.

3. What timetable would you support for the removal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan?

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, it is my responsibility to talk to the troops on the ground and to do everything I can to make informed decisions. Earlier this year, I traveled to Afghanistan to meet with our troops and generals on the front lines and to assess the current situation on the ground. In Afghanistan, I am committed to working to achieve the president’s goal of transferring security responsibility to the Afghans and beginning the drawdown of US troops in July 2011. However, success in Afghanistan will require a stronger Afghan government that is able to deny al Qaeda safe haven and crack down on wide-spread corruption. It is important to recognize that our involvement in Afghanistan will likely extend beyond next summer. In Iraq, we have seen recent success with the end of the American combat mission. However, our military involvement in Iraq is not over, and I remain committed to providing the necessary resources and support to our troops.

4. Do you support substantial additional federal funding for economic recovery?

The engine of job creation and economic recovery will always be America's businesses. While I do not believe that we can simply spend our way to a strong economy, I do believe that government can help create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and grow our economy. That is why I support targeted investments in infrastructure, education, energy development, and small business. For example, investments in high speed internet are essential to educating our youth, helping our economy grow, and creating jobs. However, we cannot lose focus on our responsibility to restrain out of control spending. That is why I led the fight to implement Pay-As-You-Go rules, which require Congress to offset the cost of any tax cut or increase in entitlement spending with savings from elsewhere in the budget. In addition, I voted to eliminate nearly $40 billion in wasteful government spending, and have supported efforts to cut and eliminate funding for federal programs.

---

Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
SmartVoter Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter

---

Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 29, 2010 13:26
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.