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The candidates answer questions on Medicare, the national debt, uranium mining and the national platform. Page 5.
Q&A
What changes do you favor to make Medicare sustainable, or what alternative program would you support instead of the entitlement program?
Should the national deficit be reduced through a mix of tax increases and spending cuts or solely through spending cuts? What specific taxes and cuts do you favor?
I believe there is plenty of waste to cut out of all programs, including the Pentagon. In the Navy, I cut through the red tape to balance budgets for ship building and built more ships for less money. Lets start by bringing our troops home from Afghanistan. With the money we spend there in one day, we could set up apprenticeships and new worker training programs for our returning veterans and other Virginians looking for work. My opponents vote to keep troops in Afghanistan
and his pledge to oppose any federal revenue growth threatens to bankrupt our nations future. Even if we allow tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires to expire, I will push for tax simplification that rewards hard work and fair play. This will allow us to finance lasting investments in education, technology development and transit projects that ultimately boost incomes and federal revenues, helping America continue leading the world.
What, if anything, in your partys national platform do you disagree with? Why? Should Congress intervene in the decision over whether to permit uranium mining in Pittsylvania County?
There are a number of issues where I could find common ground with Republicans from defense to tax and regulatory relief for local companies and working families, especially our farmers. One of my top priorities will be moving toward a post-Afghanistan security strategy that focuses on keeping drugs, weapons and other illegal contraband from entering our shores and borders. From my time serving at the highest levels Ive urged my opponent to introduce a federal ban on uranium mining near residential communities because I believe public safety comes first. The Bi-State Roanoke River Basin Commission passed a resolution asking the Virginia legislature to keep the ban due to the harmful consequences of interstate radioactive contamination. Meanwhile, Robert Hurt maintains financial ties to uranium investors who stand to make millions from mining that puts families and farmers at risk, including his campaign funds and his familys ownership in the mining site itself. Even
of military leadership under Presidents Reagan and Clinton, I learned that one of the most important ways we can maintain our security is by nation-building here at home. And as a small family farmer now, I know that there is so much more we can do to improve access to lending and reward hiring. This way, we have more competition for economic growth, made here in Virginia. one natural disaster could disturb huge amounts of radioactive waste that could take decades to clean up, according to Virginia Commonwealth University professor Peter DeFur. The German government had to spend an estimated $15 billion to clean up the Wismut mining site. But with news that the Virginia legislature will soon consider lifting the ban, my opponent refuses to take action in Congress and even voted to block safeguards against what his campaign admits is radioactive matter produced from uranium (H.AMDT.905 to the Farm Dust bill).
No, this issue is wholly determined by the commonwealth of Virginia. The commonwealth continues to maintain a moratorium, and I never supported lifting that moratorium when I served in the General Assembly. While the people of the 5th District are concerned about their next paycheck and about their families future in this stalled economy, Douglass has made uranium mining the platform for his entire campaign. Getting our economy back on track is my No. 1 prior-
ity, and I believe the people of Virginias 5th District have a right to know what Douglass plan is to spur economic growth and to help our small businesses and farmers succeed and create the jobs that our local communities need. My record is clear on the issue of uranium mining: I have never supported lifting the current moratorium, and as Washington struggles to address our debt and jobs crises, I believe this issue is best addressed at the state level.