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News: Primary Election 2008 Preview
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Primary 2008Return to the list of candidates. Walter B. JonesAge: 65 Residence: Farmville Occupation: U.S. Congressman Q: How can Congress help make health care for all Americans more affordable? A: Congress can help make health care for all Americans more affordable by passing legislation that 1) rewards those who plan for their own long term care, 2) allows small businesses to band together and provide health care for their employees at a reasonable cost, 3) emphasizes affordable home care as opposed to costly institutional care, and 4) preserves community pharmacies’ ability to provide prescription drugs at a low cost. Q: Will there be immigration reform and if so, how will it balance compassion with rule of law with business interests? A: America has a massive illegal immigration problem and this Congress needs to wake up and recognize that border security is national security, and until our borders are secure, this country will be at significant risk. Unfortunately, many of my House colleagues are pushing so-called immigration reform bills that give amnesty and citizenship to illegal aliens, which I vehemently oppose. Before Congress does anything else, it is critical that we fully fund and build the border fence, and I've introduced the Fence by Date Certain Act which would do just that. We also need to strengthen our immigration laws, enhance funding for border enforcement and support our border enforcement agents. Q: What is your suggestion for dealing with Iraq? A: Our men and women in uniform have done an incredible job in Iraq and Afghanistan and they deserve the support and thanks of a grateful nation. It's time for the Iraqi government to match that commitment by stepping up to the plate and making the tough decisions necessary for national reconciliation. They also need to accelerate the assumption of responsibility for their own security and to root out corruption and cronyism within the Iraqi Ministries of Interior and Defense. In addition, the positive contributions of our troops need to be reinforced by a diplomatic surge that pressures Iraq's neighbors — who are getting rich by gouging Americans at the gas pump — to finally live up to their financial and diplomatic commitments to rebuild and stabilize Iraq. Q: How can alternative energy/renewable energy be encouraged without competing with our food sources? A: Greater use of renewable motor fuels can be achieved with minimal impact on food and feed prices so long as there's rapid development of the technology to affordably manufacture ethanol from non-corn cellulosic materials such as switchgrass and fast-growing trees. Unfortunately, that technology is still a few years away. That's why I agree with President Bush that we need to accelerate the development of cellulosic ethanol, and his administration has coordinated a variety of competitive grant and loan initiatives to do that. Q: What role should Congress and the federal government be playing in helping stabilize the economy and in particularly, the housing market? A: Eastern North Carolina and the rest of the nation are facing incredible economic challenges. The U.S. public debt is $9.4 trillion and it grows $1 million every minute. The federal government is running annual budget deficits of over $300 billion. We're running annual trade deficits of roughly $800 billion, over $200 billion of which is with China alone. The value of the dollar is dropping rapidly and the price of gas, food and other commodities is skyrocketing. And the mortgage and credit crisis is stifling housing markets, and home values are dropping. Unfortunately, the new Democrat majority in the House of Representatives has responded to these issues by passing a budget that calls for the largest tax increase in American history. That's the last thing we need, and I strongly opposed it and voted against it. In Congress I've fought for, and will continue to fight for, a balanced budget that keeps taxes low and cuts wasteful spending like foreign aid. I'll keep fighting to level the playing field with trade cheats like China. And I'll continue to be an advocate for opening Alaska's Arctic Refuge and public lands in the west to responsible drilling in order to lower the price of oil and gas and decrease our reliance on the oil sheiks of the Middle East. Q: What message can you take to Washington D.C. about the needs of rural areas like Eastern North Carolina? A: For the past 13 years I have fought for conservative Eastern North Carolina values in Congress. But liberal forces are on the rise and their political representation in Washington is pushing a dangerous agenda of higher taxes, open borders, bigger government, expansion of the nanny state, and an assault on morality. As the Republican nominee, I will continue my fight to lower the tax burden on working families, to secure our borders, to reduce the size of government and to restore our government's respect for the Judeo-Christian values our great nation was founded on. |
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