Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04)
Minnesota Newspaper Association Questionnaire
U.S. HOUSE QUESTIONS 2014
Top priority: If elected, what is your top priority for the 2015 Congress? Why are you running
for office?
My top priority is to continue to work to make sure Congress is governing responsibly and
making smart investments that keep our country strong and our families secure. Balancing
the needs of national security and economic security for our families is critical. The threat
of ISIL in the Middle East is very concerning and requires a coordinated military response
from the U.S. and our allies, but Congress also must continue to invest here at home in
rebuild our infrastructure, strengthen our workforce, and keep the economy growing for
middle class families.
Foreign affairs: More than half of Americans say President Obama is not tough enough in his
foreign policy and they believe the world is getting more dangerous with the Islamic State posing
one of the greatest security issues, according to the latest Pew Research poll. Should the United
States be more aggressive in its foreign policy? Be specific.
I support the use of U.S. military airpower to deter, degrade, and destroy the Islamic State
or ISIL. But airpower will not be enough to eliminate the ISIL threat. Iraqi forces must be
strengthened to take the fight to ISIL on the ground. Defeating ISIL will require a
coordinated multi-nation response that includes the commitment of military forces from
Arab nations in the region. The U.S. should not and must not place forces on the ground.
The idea of a “tougher” U.S. foreign policy is often advanced by critics of President
Obama. This seems to translate into a dangerous expansion of the use of U.S. military
power around the globe similar to the approach applied by the Bush administration. I am
strongly opposed to direct U.S. military involvement in Ukraine, on the ground in Syria’s
civil war, or the prospect of military action against Iran rather than continuing with
diplomatic negotiations to prevent them from developing nuclear weapons. The U.S. needs
to remain committed to diplomacy while building international consensus for multilateral
action in the world’s trouble spots. At the same time the U.S. must maintain global
military superiority and a posture of readiness that allows military action to be taken when
civilian leaders determine it is necessary to respond to a threat to our national security.
Health care: Cost and quality of health care is an ongoing concern. What can be done at the
federal level to ensure Americans have access to quality and affordable health care? Do you
support changes in the Affordable Care Act?
I support the Affordable Care Act which has resulted in millions of Americans having
access to affordable, quality health care while at the same time preventing people with pre-
existing health conditions from being denied coverage from their insurance companies.
There are reforms to the ACA that would I would support, like repeal of the medical devise
tax, but Republicans in Congress cannot be trusted to make meaningful reforms to a law
they have vowed to repeal or defund.
Education: What role should the federal government play in ensuring that U.S. graduates can
compete in the global economy? Are there specific reforms that you advocate?
Graduation standards are not set by the federal government and I do not support Congress
imposing graduation standards on local school districts. The federal government can
support expansion of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) education to
ensure all students from grade school on are learning the essential skills required to
compete in the 21st Century economy. This will require an investment of resources that
should be matched by state governments.
Energy: Do you support removing barriers to increased domestic oil and natural gas production?
I support on-going domestic oil and gas production that fully complies with existing federal
laws and regulations to prevent polluters from harming public health by contaminating
our air, water, and land. These are not “barriers” to production but essential safeguards.
Only four years the Deep Water Horizon disaster inflicted terrible economic and
environmental costs on the Gulf Coast. It would be remarkably foolish to remove
environmental protections to empower polluters to exploit more oil and gas production and
put at risk our critical natural resources and public health.
Social Security/Medicare: What role should these entitlement programs play in Americans’
retirement plans? Be specific in any changes you may support in the existing programs to ensure
they remain solvent.
Social Security and Medicare are essential safety net programs that ensure seniors and
people with disabilities can live lives of dignity. Without Social Security, more than 40% of
people over age 65 would be living in poverty. Clearly all working Americans need to be
planning for their retirement years and Social Security is the foundation upon which they
can achieve retirement security. But the fact is that two-thirds of retired seniors rely on
Social Security for a majority of their income. I support lifting the cap on contributions to
fund Social Security. The long-term solvency of Social Security requires all income from all
Americans be treated equally. Finally, I strongly oppose any effort to privatize Social
Security or block grant Medicare.
Economy: What steps do you support to stimulate the growth of jobs?
Congress needs to reinvest in American infrastructure, especially our transportation
system, the electrical grid, rural broadband, and school construction, while also
establishing a fertile environment for innovation. We need to invest in a highly skilled
workforce that will create the innovations that will create the jobs. That means investing in
STEAM education and demanding all high school graduates have the reading, math, and
other skills to continue their education or enter the workforce. Congress needs to provide
greater certainty to industries that are driving innovation, like the renewable energy sector,
by extending tax credits and incentives to expand both production and research and
development.
Agriculture: The proposed definition of the Waters of the U.S. would subject nearly any
property owner, including farmers, to new layers of reviews and permitting. Do you support this
proposal?
Minnesota law already exceeds the proposed “Water of the U.S.” proposal and I support
Minnesota law as well as the proposed definition.
Immigration: Do America’s immigration laws need to be changed? What should be the tenets of
any immigration reform legislation?
I support comprehensive immigration reform. The U.S. Senate passed bipartisan
legislation that established a pathway to citizenship for undocumented persons, focused on
border security, and establishes a guest worker program. The Republican leaders in the
U.S. House have refused to allow a vote on the Senate’s bipartisan bill. Before the end of
the year the House should be allowed and up or down vote to reform our broken
immigration system.
Open records: The federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is widely regarded by citizens
and the news media as being deeply flawed and often completely ineffective in achieving the
purposes that it was enacted to serve. Would you support a federal study aimed at identifying
reforms that could be made to the FOIA, so that it in the future it will function more effectively
on behalf of citizens?
If for-profit and non-profit media corporations, along with civil liberty groups and other
groups, feel that FOIA is ineffective in meeting its needs then they should provide Congress
with recommendations for reforms and work to make legislative changes just like any
other special interest group. A federal study will result in taxpayer dollars being spent on a
report that will that will sit on a shelf and result in no real reform.
Other issues: Are there other issues you want to address?
The Ebola crisis in West Africa that has now reached the U.S. is a clear demonstration of
the need to prioritize global health investments and a much stronger public health
infrastructure here at home. I strongly support increased funding for the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID). Our interconnected 21st Century global economy
has yielded remarkable gains for mankind, but it also puts deadly infectious diseases only a
plane trip away from spreading to distant countries. We must invest in the surveillance,
rapid response, and sustained interventions, with the international community, to protect
the American people today and into the future.
Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications.
I have served in Congress since 2001. Prior to being elected to Congress I was in the Minnesota
House of Representatives for eight years and on the North St. Paul City Council for six year.