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| Rick Larsen, Democrat |
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| Candidate: U.S. Representative, District 2 |
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| Rick Larsen |
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| Age: 35 |
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| Residence: Lake Stevens |
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| Occupation: |
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Snohomish County councilman |
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| Education: |
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M.A. in public affairs, University of Minnesota |
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| Political history: |
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Snohomish County Council, 1998-present |
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| Endorsements: |
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National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, National Education Association, Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO |
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| Campaign Web site: www.larsenforcongress.org |
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| Campaign theme: |
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Independent leadership for working families. |
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| 1. |
Should Congress act to lower the cost of prescription drugs? If so, should Congress create a Medicare drug benefit? |
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Nearly one-third of the 39 million Medicare recipients have no supplemental drug coverage to help them pay for the ever-rising costs of prescriptions. I support making prescription drugs more affordable by modernizing Medicare with a fiscally responsible, voluntary prescription-drug benefit available to all seniors. |
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| 2. |
Should the Snake River dams be torn down and timber harvests limited to protect endangered species? |
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Given recent electricity shortages, I do not support removing the Snake River dams. I will work with farmers, businesses and other citizens to craft the best local solution to protect clean water for our communities and salmon. I support the timber-harvest limits in the Forest and Fish Agreement. |
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| 3. |
Should new laws be enacted to prevent businesses from sharing consumers' personal information? |
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Our private financial and medical records need to remain just that -- private. No one, not businesses and certainly not the government, should sell or trade your personal information without your permission. Congress should assure there are safeguards that protect consumers and their privacy. |
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| 4. |
Are the nation's gun laws too restrictive, too lenient or appropriate as they are? |
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We need to enforce gun laws that are on the books. We need to ensure that guns stay out of the hands of criminals by closing the gun-show loophole. I support child-safety trigger locks so families are safe in their own homes. |
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| 5. |
Should America be trading with China and/or Cuba? Why? |
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Yes. Washington state is the most trade-dependent state in the U.S. One in three jobs is dependent upon trade. I will work to open markets for goods and services produced by working men and women in the Second District. |
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| 6. |
Do you favor or oppose access to abortion? Should the president appoint justices who oppose abortion rights? |
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I support a woman's right to choose. It is a decision that should be between a woman and her health-care provider. No single issue should be a litmus test for appointments, but the intent to preserve a woman's right to choose should be taken under serious consideration when appointing justices. |
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| 7. |
Should the government pay to give school vouchers to parents who choose to send their children to private schools? |
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No. We must set high standards and demand accountability from our public schools to make sure our kids are getting the best possible education. I will fight to strengthen public education, not undermine it. |
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| 8. |
Is there any project in Washington that deserves more federal support? How would you secure that funding? |
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I support zero-tolerance policies that keep guns and drugs out of our schools and away from our children. I voted to increase the number of police in our neighborhoods by 17 percent. I will continue to work with educators and elected officials to ensure the safety of our schools. |
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| 9. |
What should Congress do to shore up Social Security? |
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Congress should pay down the debt and use the interest savings to shore up Social Security, keeping it solvent to the middle of the 21st century. In the meantime, I support a lockbox to protect Social Security from being raided by Congress for other uses. |
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| 10. |
How would you extend healthcare coverage to more Americans? |
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I support a Patients' Bill of Rights that ensures patients have access to needed specialists and emergency-room services. I will work for a patient's right to be compensated when a health plan's decision harms a patient and for the right to an independent and meaningful appeals process. |
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