Q & A: Republican Dave Reichert, 8th District

It's one of the most contested races in the country. The 8th Congressional District — east King and Pierce counties — has never put a Democrat in Congress, but Democrats this year are outspending the GOP on advertising.

Republican incumbent Dave Reichert answered your questions. Thanks to all who participated!

(Read the Oct. 11 live Q&A with Democratic candidate Darcy Burner.)

What will you do about the hundreds of thousands of American jobs being lost to overseas workers from India and China? Microsoft and other companies import these workers to do the work of their fired American counterparts at much lower wages.
— Erik, Issaquah

D.R.: We must be involved in the global economy, and we must be leaders. One out of three jobs in Washington state are related to trade. It's important that America's workforce remain competitive, and that means that our children must have access to strong science and math programs.

This year, I supported a substantial increase in Pell Grants and also the creation of additional student loans for students studying science and math. It is my preference that American workers hold American jobs, which is why a highly trained American workforce is crucial.

Microsoft and other companies currently do nationwide searches to find qualified American workers. When they are unable to fiind qualified American workers, they do look outside the country. The H1-B visa program allows around 60,000 highly skilled workers to work in the U.S. each year.

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Rep. Reichert, many people believe that the work that Congress does is so complex that it takes very smart people to do it well. How do you respond to people who say that your opponent's background (a National Merit Scholar who attended Harvard and worked at Microsoft) demonstrates far more ability to understand complex problems and new technologies than yours -- since you have only an AA degree from a not-particularly-competitive college?
— Annie Sumner, Sammamish

D.R.: I've been given skills and abilities that I've chosen to use to serve the public. I have 35 years of public service experience. I managed over 1,100 employees and a budget of over $110 million. I'm grateful that I've had the opportunities I've been given.

I grew up in this area, began in the King County Sheriff's Office and eventually rose to the position of Sheriff, and was elected twice to the position. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science and Technology, I tackled one of the largest communications challenges in this country. I held hearings and drafted legislation that was signed into law this month. As a result, the ability of first responders to communicate during emergencies will be greatly improved.

Some of the most succesful people in this nation don't have college degrees. Some of them live in my District. :-)

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Transportation is a huge issue in the Puget Sound Region. What can Congress do to help solve this problem?
— Roger Jones, North Bend

D.R.: I'm a member of the Committee on Transportation and the Subcommittee on Highways. Being a member of the Transportation Committee, I worked with the Chairman of the Committee, Don Young from Alaska, to acquire over $52 million in transportation dollars for projects important to our District. I was also able to bring Chairman Young to Seattle to inspect the viaduct and as a result, we were able to secure over $220 million for the viaduct's repair. You may visit my Web site at www.house.gov/reichert in order to see where all of the transportation funds were spent.

The criteria I used in determining which projects to request funds for is, will this reduce congestion? For example, $8 million was allocated to the Highway 18 project and just a month ago the last traffic light was removed from that highway, which alleviated a great deal of congestion and increases the flow of traffic onto I-90. This year, an additional $14.5 million from the transportation appropriations bill were also applied to projects that were brought to our attention by local governments. These projects will also alleviate congested areas.

Improving transportation in the District is crucial for trade and the smooth movement of goods, a strong economy and for our quality of life. It also addresses some of the difficulties identified last week in evacuating this area in case of an emergency.

P.S. If you are a commuter to Seattle, you may be happy to hear I was able to secure funds for I-90 HOV lanes.

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Dave, President Bush's ratings are low nationwide, and he's never had much of a base here. Are you afraid your strong support of him will hurt you in this race?
— Jonathan, Woodinville

D.R.: I'm a strong supporter of Eighth District interests. When the Eighth District's interests and President Bush's are the same, I support the President. When they are not, I stand up to the President and in some instances House leadership too, to fight for the best interests of our District. I was recognized by National Journal as one who "boldly defying Bush" and Republican leadership early this year, in fact.

I've successfully fought the President to prevent TRICARE co-pays for veterans, to prevent cuts in COPS funding (and actually obtained the first increase in 5 years) and to ensure terrorists are not tortured.

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Do you favor estate tax? Why (either way)?
— Evelyne Tsezana, Auburn

D.R.: I want to permanently eliminate the death tax. The assets people work hard to accumulate and that are already taxed during their lifetimes should be theirs to pass to whomever they wish when they die.

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Do you support a flat tax or a national sales tax to replace our exisitng federal income tax system?
— Tracey Smith, Redmond

D.R.: There has to be tax reform. Congress is working to reform the system and there are many ideas and solutions being debated. Both the flat tax and the national sales tax are two of the ideas being discussed. I believe each one needs to be examined thoroughly, both for their impacts on families and the national economy.

The key in tax reform is absolute fairness and that it is constructed in a way so that the economy continues to grow, jobs are created and businesses thrive. A strong national economy is important in the larger global economy.

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You have said you oppose raising the cap on taxable income for Social Security taxes. How do you propose to make Social Security solvent without benefit cuts or risky private accounts?
— Jamie Walters, Issaquah

D.R.: The debate on Social Security began prior to my arrival in Congress. As the debate intensified in 2004, it highlighted the problems with the Social Security system. It also highlighted that both Democrats and Republicans have used money from the Social Security Trust Fund to balance the budget, which is wrong.

I am open to discussing many different potential solutions for strengtheninng the system and ensuring it remains solvent into the future. However, I have said that I cannot support any solution that cuts benefits, raises the retirement age, increases taxes on Social Security or privatizes Social Security.

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You've said that you oppose abortion in all circumstances. Why should a rape victim be forced to give birth against her will?
— Ryan P., Bellevue

D.R.: I am pro-life. However, I do believe in exceptions for rape or incest.

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A followup question to an answer at last week's debate: You indicated that phamacists should be able to refuse to fill a prescription based on their personal religious beliefs. Your one-word answer screams for a more detailed explanation of your reasons. Please explain why a patient that is required to have a prescription filled at a pharmacy should be at the mercy of a pharmacist's personal issues, as opposed to the patient's doctor's orders?
— Daniel Kirkdorffer, Redmond

D.R.: Patients are able to visit a doctor or pharmacy of their choice. If a pharmacist chooses to not fill a prescription or a doctor declines to see a patient for a certain procedure, a patient may go elsewhere for service.

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Mr. Reichert, please explain your vote against drilling in ANWR when we need to establish energy independence in this country.
— Mark, Bellevue

D.R.: I represent the entire district. We received 1,600 pieces of correspondence against drilling in ANWR and only 5 that were in favor of it. First of all, the case must be made that we should drill in ANWR. By that I mean there needs to be definitive answers as to the exact amount of oil that may be available in ANWR before we proceed with any moves to drill in a pristine area such as ANWR.

Right now in the North Slope, there are domestic supplies that remain untapped. Before we open new areas, we must exhaust those that have already been opened for drilling. Recently a new supply of oil was discovered in the Gulf of Mexcio, in an area where offshore drilling already occurs.

Big picture, we must wean ourselves off of oil and become energy independent because it is a matter of national security. I support the development of alternative forms of energy. I supported over $12 billion in tax credits in the Energy Policy Act for the development of renewable forms of energy. Among those were hydrogren, solar, clean coal and nuclear. A local company, Ramgen, is on the forefront of clean coal technology, and I've been able to secure funding for their promising projects.

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Dave, your opponent paints the picture that you have conspired with President Bush trying to find ways to hurt those of us in the 8th District. Could you please list some of the things you have done to help 8th District citizens? 
— Scott Santos, Snoqualmie

D.R.: I successfully fought to keep supertankers off of Puget Sound. I stood up to Big Oil, demanding that oil companies pay to clean-up the harmful gas additive MTBE and also calling on Exxon to pay damages for the Valdez spill to local victims.

I've worked to bring back to the District more of the money you've paid in taxes, returning $53 million for transportation projects, which will improve the flow of goods (which is important to trade) ands ease congestion (which improves quality of life).

I've also fought for funds for local projects like the land acquisition at Mt. Rainier National Park that will increase park access.

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I am finding it harder and harder to support the war in Iraq. Can you please explain why should we be spending so much time and effort there and not in our own country or in places like Darfur where we would be welcomed?
— Wally Fitzgerald, Renton

D.R.: I was not in Congress when the vote was taken to initiate military force in Iraq. However, we are heavily engaged in Iraq now, and leaving prematurely would cause the country to further descend into violence, would likely cause oil prices to skyrocket and would embolden the terrorists in the region.

That is not to say we can turn a blind eye to problems like genocide in Darfur. I was recognized in August as a "Leader in Congress" for my advocacy on behalf of Darfur. I've pushed for the President to name a Special Envoy to the region, encouraged the U.N. to pressure the Sudanese Government to accept a peacekeeping force and consistently voted for an agenda that addresses this tragedy.

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What are your thoughts on building a 700-mile fence costing millions to deter illegal immigration?
— Jack Jovanovich, Kenmore

D.R.: Securing our borders has to be our No.1 priority considering homeland security concerns. The cost of illegal immigration is substantial to our health care and education systems. The cost of preventing a tragedy that occurs from porous borders is far less substantial than the cost of a terrorist attack, including the cost of lives.

You must remember that not only are we talking about a physical barrier, but also a virtual fence. UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and surveillance measures create a much more effective way to deter illegal immigration and protect our borders. We all recognize that the Northwest Region is high-risk, high-threat. The Millenium Bomber and the tunnel from Canada to Lynden, Wash., are just two examples.

We also know that 50 percent of illegal immigrants also come through the Canadian border. Just two months ago, I heard during a field hearing in Bellingham that officials are aware of an influx of Hezbollah militants but they are unable to track them inside our country.

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Do you think Congress has a responsibility to only pass laws which are constitutional? If so, how can you reconcile this with your vote in favor of the Military Commissions Act which includes blatantly unconstitutional provisions like the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus?
— C. Cahill, Seattle

D.R.: Terrorists are not afforded rights under the Constitution, because they are war criminals. The role of Congress is to establish laws to protect America and Americans. The Supreme Court suggested that Congress establish a system to try enemy combatants. Congress responded to that direction with this bill.

We need all of the tools necessary to fight the War on Terror. This bill allows us to try terrorists for the crimes they commit against America and its citizens. The bill contains Senator McCain's important anti-torture provision, which I co-sponsored in the House. Additionally, it grants prisoners the right to an attorney, the right to view evidence against them (minus classified information) and the same treatment during confinement as prisoners in U.S. domestic courts.

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Mr. Reichert, with the massive corruption that is clearly part of this Presidential administration and the shameful lack of oversight provided by the House leadership, why should we vote for a representative of that same party which would guarantee that this behavior will continue?
— Tim McGraw, Bellevue

D.R.: I went to Congress to reform government and to hold people accountable. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, I've changed the way my subcommittee functions (making Democrat and Republican staff work together so committee hearings are no longer partisan and are instead productive), and as a result, passed two major pieces of legislation to reform emergency communications and emergency response in this nation.

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I'm a disabled veteran. Sending a generation off to war and then not adequately funding the VA heathcare system is a disgrace. If you are re-ected, what are you going to do to help our nation's disabled veterans?
— Jim, Redmond

D.R.: I voted to increase veterans healthcare by 16 percent and total VA funding by 18 percent. There was also $3 billion allocted for veterans mental healthcare. Last year, when a $1.6 budget shortfall was identified, I went to the floor of the House and lobbied my colleagues, encouraging them to support a supplemental appropriations bill to make up for the shortfall. Additionally, I supported a bill that allowed veterans who served prior to 1956 the option to enroll in the Federal Health Employees Benefit Program, which rectifies inequities in the system for those vets. I also opposed President Bush and fought against the Administration's attempt to increase TRICARE co-pays for vets.

I'm also working with the Washington State Veterans Administration in getting an accurate count of all the veterans in the state. Then, we are going to hold, with the assistance of the VFW and the American Legion, sessions to educate veterans on the health care services available. Because the amount of veterans health care funds allocated for our state depend on how many veterans use the system. We want to increase the number of vets using the system, which will increase the amount of funds our state receives to open additional clinics.

I'd also like for veterans to have the opportunity to use local facilities so that they are not forced to travel to receive medical care. Additionally, I will be establishing a veterans healthcare advisory committee to hear from local veterans directly about their needs and concerns. I served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and I will always support our veterans and men and women in uniform.

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As a disgruntled Republican who wants to see changes out of the Bush administration, please explain why I shouldn't vote for the Democrat in this race.  How can I be assured you would work to change the course in Iraq and on the deficit?  Won't changing the course require that our party be taken to the woodshed for anything to happen?
— Darren, Kent

Dave Reichert: My voting record shows that I am an independent Representative for our District. National Journal looked at every single vote I took last year and determined I vote conservative 55% of the time and liberal 45% of the time, recognizing me as a Centrist. I make my votes based on what's right.

What's right is working to control spending in Congress. I voted to slow the growth of mandatory spending programs while making tough budget decisions so that vital children's healthcare and education funding is protected. In Iraq, it's crucial that we find new ways to address the changing enemy. That's why I support the Independent Iraq Study Group led by former Republican Secretary of State James Baker and former Democratic Congressman Lee Hamilton, which is looking for new solutions to the challenges in Iraq.

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