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| Chris Vance, Republican |
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| Candidate: U.S. Representative, District 9 |
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| Chris Vance |
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| Age: 38 |
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| Residence: Auburn |
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| Occupation: |
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King County councilman |
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| Education: |
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B.A. in political science, Western Washington University |
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| Political history: |
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State representative, 1990-93; King County Council, 1993-present |
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| Endorsements: |
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National Federation of Independent Businesses, Washington Association of Realtors, American Forest and Paper Association |
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| Campaign Web site: www.chrisvance.com |
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| Campaign theme: No response. |
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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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I will support legislation that provides Medicare recipients with a prescription-drug benefit to help pay for the cost of prescription drugs, with financial help for moderate- and low-income people -- as long as such a program doesn't force people to give up private insurance coverage to enroll. |
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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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Tearing down the Snake River dams would be extremely expensive and only marginally effective in improving salmon runs. I believe overly severe timber-harvest restrictions have contributed to the increased fire danger throughout the West. We must now find other common-sense solutions to the depletion of our salmon runs. |
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| 3. |
Should new laws be enacted to prevent businesses from sharing consumers' personal information? |
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Businesses have used customer data to contact potential new customers for decades. However, the Internet has created new challenges for regulators as personal information becomes easier to acquire and trade. I am willing to consider new laws to address this emergent issue. |
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| 4. |
Are the nation's gun laws too restrictive, too lenient or appropriate as they are? |
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I support requiring an instant background check of anyone seeking to purchase handguns from federally licensed dealers. In addition, I will also support using more federal resources to strengthen the enforcement of existing laws regulating firearms. |
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| 5. |
Should America be trading with China and/or Cuba? Why? |
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I fully support free trade with China. I believe that increased free trade not only directly improves the quality of life of Washington state citizens, but also improves the standard of living in other countries. In addition, state farmers have much to gain from opening trade with Cuba. |
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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 do not support abortion except when the life or health of the mother is threatened. However, I believe the states instead of the federal government should control regulation of abortion, and I believe presidents should appoint Supreme Court justices who support returning jurisdiction to the states. |
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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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I believe that school vouchers should be issued to parents whose children attend public schools that consistently rank among the worst in the nation and are unable to improve. Students should not be forced to attend failing public schools simply because their parents can't afford alternatives. |
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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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Washington's transportation system desperately needs much greater federal funding. I will fight to dedicate 100 percent of all federal gas-tax revenue to transportation needs. I will seek a seat on the House Transportation Committee where I will fight to fully fund Washington state's top transportation priorities. |
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| 9. |
What should Congress do to shore up Social Security? |
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I will work for legislation to lock up 100 percent of Social Security funds so they are used only for Social Security. I also support the creation of voluntary individual savings accounts within the current Social Security program to augment current returns. I will not support raising payroll taxes. |
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| 10. |
How would you extend healthcare coverage to more Americans? |
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People enrolled in managed-care health plans must have the right to a quick, independent review when they are denied immediate and critical care by their health plan, with lawsuits used only as a last resort. I support allowing the self-employed to deduct the cost of insurance from their income taxes. |
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