League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Lily Gilani Answers Questions Candidate for United States Representative; District 33

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. In this time of high unemployment and budget deficits, what are the most important steps that should be taken to improve our nation’s economy and sustain job creation?

In a global economy we not only have to compete with other countries, we have to compete with other States. If other States have lower taxes and less bureaucratic obstacles than in California, we will have a difficult time attracting new business to our district much less retaining good paying jobs.  Recent events clearly demonstrate this phenomenon.  Toyota, one of the largest employers in our district is leaving Torrance and moving to Texas. Toyota is taking with it 4000 jobs.  Others will follow, if California does not become more competitive with other States.  Our good weather alone is not enough to retain or attract businesses. When taxes are lowered, there is more money available for business investment as well as personal consumption.  Increased business investment and personal consumption, together with regulatory reforms can have a positive effect on job creation.  I am in favor of policies that allow entrepreneurs to spent more time developing their business and less time dealing with bureaucratic obstacles, so they can create jobs and help grow the economy.  As the economy grows, even with lower taxes, more money will come to the coffers of the State and Federal governments.  The solution is not higher taxes but more effective growth promoting policies that will result in job creation.

2. What, if any, changes should be made to federal health care policies or programs?

This is an issue that is dear to my heart. My husband is a physician and I have been intimately involved with assisting individuals and families through my own work to find better and more affordable healthcare.

I believe in order to maintain a world class health system there are several things we need to do. First of all, any governmental policy must ensure that they will not limit competition by restricting providers in a network or making the bureaucracy so convoluted and time consuming that doctors will opt-out of these networks. A policy that limits competition also limits consumer choice. In order to reduce cost we must expand consumer choice by expanding both providers within a network as well as the choice of networks. I will not support any legislation that gives government bureaucracies inordinate amount of power and undefined responsibilities. Healthcare legislation should not be so complicated that neither the legislators, physicians and patients understand the mandates or how to comply with it. It should try to reduce cost by streaming paperwork involved. I would fully support the upgrading of paper medical records to electronic records in order to reduce cost and medical mistakes as long as patient privacy can be maintained.

3. What are your priorities with respect to our nation’s energy policy?

Our energy policy should have the goal of energy independence as its number one priority and implementation of renewable energy. We should not be only concerned with the raw material needed for energy consumption but the development of front end technology that increases the efficiency and reduces carbon emissions. I also have great concerns about so called "State-Business partnerships," because the State and Federal government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers.  It is the responsibility of the government to make sure there is equal opportunity for all and not just for those with "influence and money".  It is not the job of the government to guarantee equality of outcome or results but only the equality of opportunity, otherwise it will inevitably favor some over others.  I am in this race to fight to make sure the same opportunities that have existed for myself will exist for my children and yours.

4. What, if any, changes should be made with respect to our nation’s security, including our national defense or anti-terrorism measures?

A politically strong and economically prosperous United States is absolutely essential to international peace and stability. As recent events have demonstrated, there are many bad actors on the global stage that have little regard for basic human rights or the rule of law. These dictatorial regimes are emboldened by their perception of United States in decline + a nation that's financially weak and politically ineffectual. I will work hard to turn this around by supporting policies that will promote "peace through strength." It is my firm conviction that any policy approach toward these non-democratic regimes must be aligned with our values of human rights. Our overall objective should be to pursue policies that encourage these regimes to take their proper and responsible place in the community of nations and live up to their obligations under international law as well as to their own citizens.

The kidnapping of around 300 girls in Nigeria by Boko Haram demonstrates that terrorist organizations that consider themselves offshoots of Al-Qaeda continue to pose threat to our interest and those of our allies. The Boko Haram organization should have been designated a terrorist organization by the State Department much earlier. Without the United States taking an active role, the threat of terrorism will not be diminished.

5. What is your position on the issue of immigration reform? What, if any, changes to legislation or policy would you support?

I would support an increase in the number of high skilled professionals if there was a great demand for highly skilled laborers in the US and those positions could not be filled by US workers. If there was an emerging pattern of businesses moving to other countries in search of human capital, than I would want to do everything within my power to retain those businesses and their good paying jobs. We ought to pursue policies that continue to keep our competitive advantage in the global economy and protect the middle class. I oppose policies that stifle the wages of the middle-class, because this will ultimately make us less competitive globally.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. References to opponents are not permitted.

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

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 26, 2014 11:05
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