 |
|
|
|
| Slade Gorton, Republican (Incumbent) |
| |
| Candidate: U.S. Senator |
 |
| Slade Gorton |
|
| |
| Age: 72 |
| |
| Residence: Bellevue |
| |
| Occupation: |
| |
U.S. senator |
| |
| Education: |
| |
B.A. in international relations, Dartmouth College; LL.B., Columbia University |
| |
| Political history: |
| |
Former state representative, state attorney general |
| |
| Endorsements: |
| |
Washington State Farm Bureau, International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, Washington State Council of Police and Sheriffs |
| |
| Campaign Web site: www.slade2000.com |
| |
| Campaign theme: |
| |
Slade Gorton works for you. |
| |
|
| |
| 1. |
Should prescription- drug coverage be guaranteed? Should it be given to all Medicare patients? |
|
| |
Many Medicare patients have prescription-drug coverage. I believe all medical patients ought to have a choice of prescription drug plans. No one should be deprived of necessary prescription drugs because of low income. |
| |
| 2. |
How would you change the current system of campaign finance, if at all? |
|
| |
By requiring instant disclosure, by raising the contribution limit to individual candidates, and lowering and limiting the amounts for contributions of soft money. I am the sponsor of a bill on that in the Senate. |
| |
| 3. |
Should Americans be guaranteed more Internet privacy? How? |
|
| |
The privacy of personal information on the Internet and elsewhere should be guaranteed on a nationwide basis by Congress. |
| |
| 4. |
What restrictions, if any, should be placed on access to abortion? |
|
| |
I have consistently voted in favor of a federal ban on partial-birth abortion. I don't believe, on the other hand, that Congress should interfere with the general woman's right to choose, but I also do not think that the federal government should encourage abortion by paying for it. |
| |
| 5. |
What political acts do you regret? |
|
| |
I have cast probably a fairly significant number of votes over an 18-year period which I might, on reflection, have cast the other way. Beyond that, I can't answer that question off the top of my head. |
| |
| 6. |
What achievement are you proudest of? |
|
| |
One, the passage of a bill several years ago that allowed all Chinese students that were in the United States at the time of the massacre at Tiananmen Square to stay in the United States. That ranks very high on my list. My participation in welfare reform is the second. (He also cites his work balancing the budget.) |
| |
| 7. |
What changes do you advocate in education? |
|
| |
We ought to restore the right to make decisions about our kids' educations to parents and teachers and elected school-board members, and stop the constant shift of authority to the Department of Education 3,000 miles away. At the same time, I think federal funding should continue to get more generous every year. |
| |
| 8. |
What changes do you advocate in the Social Security program? |
|
| |
I am convinced that we can guarantee that no person drawing Social Security, no person retiring in the next 10 years, needs to suffer any diminution of their guaranteed benefits. But … we ought to offer younger people the option of investing a portion of their Social Security taxes outside the government. |
| |
| 9. |
What changes do you advocate in the current tax system? |
|
| |
My ultimate goal is to repeal the Internal Revenue Code and substitute something much simpler and fairer. In the meantime, we should use a significant portion of the non-Social Security surplus to provide tax relief across the board. My first priority would be marriage-penalty relief. … The president wants a pipsqueak one that hardly applies to anyone. |
| |
| 10. |
What is your view on breaching or removing dams in the Columbia and Snake rivers? |
|
| |
I am firmly and unalterably opposed. We're in a time of increasing shortages, and we need every bit of renewable energy we can possibly generate. Removal of the dams is far from the most effective way of restoring salmon and not necessary. |
| |
| 11. |
What is your view of the Microsoft case? |
|
| |
I think the Microsoft case is a tragic prosecution of our most successful corporation by the Department of Justice and an outrageous misuse of the taxpayers' money. It is also one that I am convinced Microsoft will ultimately win. |
| |
| 12. |
Do you believe the legal rights of medical patients should be expanded? How? |
|
| |
Yes. I have in fact voted for a patients' bill of rights, the primary thrust of which is to guarantee any patient with a treatment complaint against an insurance company the right to a prompt outside, objective review and an enforceable decision that will allow treatment in a timely fashion. |
| |
| 13. |
What are your views on expanding U.S. trade to China and Cuba? |
|
| |
I intend to vote in favor of normal trade relationship with China, and I am the sponsor of the bill that will end all unilateral U.S. boycotts prohibiting the sale of food and medicine to any and all countries, including Cuba. |
|
