Progressive Mass US Senate Questionnaire 2012

Date : Candidate: Elizabeth Warren Party: Democrat Campaign mailing address: 5 Middlesex Ave, Somerville MA 02145 Best Contact: Roger Lau Web Site: www.elizabethwarren.com Campaign Manager: Mindy Myers Phone Number: 617-286-6715 Email: roger@elizabethwarren.com Phone: 617-286-6715

Please return your completed questionnaire by: January 26, 2012 We only accept questionnaires via email. Please email the completed version to tony@progressivemass.com by January 26. Please feel free to be in touch with Tony Mack if you have any questions, by email or by phone, at 617-905-7706.
Please respond to each question. If your answer is conditional, please explain your conditions. 1.

Revenue, Tax Policy and the Deficit

As a US Senator, you will be asked to make difficult choices about how to preserve our quality of life during hard times and maintain investments in programs that strengthen our country for the future. We expect that our next U.S. Senator will fight for new revenue opportunities, fair tax policy, and budget decisions that support these priorities. a. To raise revenue, make the tax code more progressive, and reduce the federal deficit, please check which, if any, of the following policy options you support: ___ taxing inherited wealth at 45% for estates worth more than $3.5million per person ___ cutting military spending and $7million per couple. ___ eliminating the home mortgage interest ___ allowing the Bush tax breaks for incomes deduction over $250,000 expire ___ ending tax breaks for corporations that ___ extending the payroll tax deduction ship jobs overseas ___ making the expansions of the EITC and ___ ending subsidies for agribusiness the child tax credit permanent ___ raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans (if yes, please indicate the level above which you would impose additional taxes $_______________) ___ other __________________________________________________________________
A budget is about finance and economics, but it is also about values. At a time when the federal debt is more than $15 trillion, we need to be smart about the budget and about where and how to cut. Our budget should reflect our values and our commitment to creating a better future for our children and grandchildren. At a time when some big companies are paying nothing in taxes and when profitable industries like 1

oil and gas are getting special breaks, it is shameful that Washington would ask seniors to live on less or tell young people they have to take on more debt for school. Those are not decisions that reflect our values. Budgeting for our future means making smart cuts and smart investments. We need to cut the tax breaks to the oil and gas industry and the loopholes for hedge fund managers. We need to go back to Clinton-era tax rates for the wealthiest Americans. As we wind down two wars, we can make cuts in our defense budget smart, targeted cuts that preserve our national security. We should get rid of the giveaways in Medicare that prevent negotiating lower drug prices. And we should improve efficiency throughout government by getting tough on fraudulent and abusive practices and by cutting wasteful spending.

b. Do you support adding tougher enforcement of corporate tax breaks, for instance, by fighting for clawback provisions that allow the government to take back corporate subsidies if jobs are not created as promised by the companies? Yes No
We all know the tax code is unfair and far too complicated. The statutory corporate tax rate is 35%, but it seems like every few months theres a new report on big corporations working the system. One recent report showed that, of the big corporations in the S&P 500, 115 paid less than 20% in taxes. Another report claimed that, of 280 of the biggest corporations in the country, 78 paid nothing in taxes during one of the last three years. How is this possible? An army of lobbyists helps create tax loopholes, and an army of lawyers helps these companies take advantage of them and its all perfectly legal. What does that mean for the rest of us? Small businesses are at a competitive disadvantage. We need serious tax reform to make the tax code fairer and simpler. The most profitable corporations should have to pay their fair share. The tax code should not be designed to encourage companies and jobs to go overseas. And those who already have made it big have a responsibility to pay a little bit forward so the next kid coming along has a chance to make it too. 2.

Health Care
Over 83 million Americans are either uninsured or under-insured. That means that one out of every two adults is one catastrophic injury or illness away from bankruptcy. a. Do you support protecting and implementing the Affordable Care Act and building on this important national health care reform by adding a public option? Yes No
I think the urgent question now is whether were going to be able to hold on to the health care reforms that just passed parents can keep their kids on their health insurance longer, insurance companies cant discriminate because of pre-existing conditions, seniors get free health care check-ups. Those are the basic rights of our new health care system and there are a lot of people who want to repeal them. I think we need to focus on protecting them and finding new ways to lower costs, which are still too high.

b. Do you support programs to aggressively eliminate health care disparities based on racial and ethnic background and gender? Yes c. What ideas, policies or legislation do you have in mind to support, or file in order either to make good quality health care accessible to all Americans, to reduce health care costs or both?
We must take action to reduce the cost of health care. About half of all families in bankruptcy are there in the aftermath of a serious medical problem, and millions more are under enormous financial pressure when a loved one is ill. Massachusetts has been a leader in developing innovative ways to improve quality while reducing costs, and we are a leader in medical research that can lead to breakthroughs that save both lives and costs. We must do more to lead the way to a more affordable and higher quality system. 2

3. Social Safety Net

In these tight fiscal times, there have been proposals to reduce federal programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other forms of assistance for low-income families and individuals to help reduce the national deficit. a. Do you support raising the current Social Security withholding limit? if yes, please indicate what limit, if any, you would set _______________ Yes No

There are a number of options for changing the wage cap, and I would consider these options as a way to secure Social Security in the long run.

b. Would you support restoring or increasing federal funding to repair existing public housing, to increase the number of rental housing vouchers, and to create new units of affordable housing, including lowincome housing? Yes No
We are in the midst of one of the greatest economic crises in our countrys history a crisis that began one lousy mortgage at a time. But in spite of the almost quarter of a million families here in the Commonwealth who are underwater in their mortgages and the over 40,000 families who have lost their homes through foreclosures, we still havent seen swift and serious action to get the housing market working again. We cant restart our economy unless we do more to address our housing challenges. As people see foreclosure on the horizon or find themselves underwater, they are less likely to spend and that is bad for businesses and for the economy as a whole. People cant move, whether it is to get to a new job or to trade up or trade down for a house that fits their changing circumstances. We need a housing policy that fires on all cylinders: principal write downs, refinancing options for homes that are underwater, cash for keys, short sales. We have to take serious and hard steps to get this housing market to level out so that we can start rebuilding our economy. Thats true here in Massachusetts and around the country.

d. Do you support continued funding for food stamps, extensions of unemployment insurance, transitional assistance to needy families, WIC, etc.? Yes

4. Jobs, Economic Development, and Banking Regulation

Today more than ever, our leaders are judged on how they intend to increase jobs. Too many appear to believe that the best way to create jobs is to cut taxes on the wealthy. a. If put to a vote, would you support the jobs plan as proposed by President Obama in September 2011, which includes, among other things, regulatory reform to help small businesses access capital, immediate investments in infrastructure, and allowing work-based reforms to the unemployment system to prevent layoffs? Yes No
We have both a short-term jobs problem and a long-term jobs problem. Right now, we need to put people to work. Without a job and a paycheck, people cant spend money, and that hurts businesses and depresses the economy. Theres also plenty of work to do rebuilding our roads, bridges, and water systems, work as teachers aides, work weatherizing our homes and offices. The Senate has considered jobs bills that would have supported thousands of jobs here in the Commonwealth, paid for entirely by a small increase in taxes on those making more than $1 million dollars per year. Every Republican voted against these jobs bills. Thats just wrong. The people of Massachusetts need jobs and need them now.

b. Do you support allowing working people to bargain for better benefits, wages and working conditions by eliminating some of the barriers that employers use to discourage workers from forming unions? Yes c. Do you support efforts to invest federal dollars in infrastructure, education, and safety, as a means to bolster employment? Yes d. Do you support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (HR 1397/S811) Yes

e. Do you support strengthening federal anti-predatory lending laws while at the same time allowing strong state or local anti-predatory lending laws to remain intact? Yes f. Do you support reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act? Yes No

Banking should be boring. But to treat risky activities differently from ordinary banking, we will need a new Glass-Steagall that is designed to address the realities of todays economic system.

5. Choice, Civil Rights and Immigration

a. Do you support a womans right to choose to have an abortion, as set out in Roe v. Wade? Yes b. Do you support the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal money to be used for abortion procedures, therefore limiting family planning options for low-income women? No c. Do you support overturning the Defense of Marriage Act? Yes

d. Do you oppose the federal "Secure Communities" policy which calls for local and state law enforcement personnel to enforce federal immigration law, leading to the deportation of immigrants who have not been convicted of any crime? Yes
We all want dangerous criminals off the street, and we want safer communities. I understand from the police chief of Chelsea and the mayor of Boston that the current version of the secure-communities law doesnt do that. Instead of making us safer, it erects barriers between police and communities and makes it harder for them to work together. Thats a bad idea.

e. Do you oppose legislation to require voters to show government-issue photo IDs in order to vote? Yes f. Do you oppose the Indefinite Detention provisions within the National Defense Authorization Bill? Yes
Our security is essential. Our intelligence, law enforcement, and defense officials have opposed these provisions because they would tie their hands. I was surprised Congress went forward, given their opposition.

g. Do you support a federal prohibition on racial profiling by all law enforcement officials? Yes h. Do you support a comprehensive plan to assist felons who want to reintegrate themselves into society that includes housing assistance, substance abuse treatment, and job training? Yes No

There is nothing so important as the safety of our families and our neighborhoods. Trust and cooperation among neighbors, police, and government are essential for creating a welcoming community for everyone. Businesses can prosper and our families can thrive when communities are safe. The first step toward making us safer is continuing to support our first responders. They work hard every day to keep us safe. Many of them put their lives on the line each and every day. We owe them our thanks and our strong support. It is critical that we listen to them to learn what they need to do their work and that we provide them the resources they need to do their jobs. We must enforce and toughen our gun laws, but we also need to develop new strategies to tackle the problems that so many communities across the Commonwealth are facing. Massachusetts has been a leader in community policing and other innovative strategies to reduce crime. All of us must work together to make our communities safer. In the Senate, Ill fight for the resources we need to improve safety in our cities and towns. Ill work with local first responders, as well as with the FBI, DEA, and other agencies to ensure the safety and security of Massachusettss families and communities.

6. Energy and Environment

If we fail to reduce global warming pollution significantly, many scientists predict that our climate in Massachusetts will resemble that of South Carolinas by the years 2070-2099 along with a sea level rise in 10-24 inches. Coastal areas, including parts of Boston, will experience significant shoreline changes and permanent flooding. a. Do you oppose all new or expanded public subsidies for fossil fuels? Yes

b. Do you oppose mining our national parks and the surrounding areas for uranium or other rare-earth elements? Yes c. Do you support restoration of the Clean Water Act to its original intent, protecting all of the waterways of the United States. Yes
I strongly support ensuring that our communities have clean water to drink, and I will work to protect rivers and streams. I will defend the Clean Water Act against attack, and I support the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers historic authority to protect wetlands and other bodies of water.

7. Education
a. Please pick your top three federal policy solutions to address the school achievement gap. ___ reducing collective bargaining rights of ___ charter schools teachers ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ race to the top smaller classrooms school voucher programs pilot schools bilingual education increased technology in classrooms ___ ___ ___ ___ increasing teacher pay maintaining standardized testing as a ___ graduation requirement ___ measure of teacher performance eliminating standardized testing repeal No Child Left Behind

other __________________________________________________________________
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My very first job after college was as a teacher in a public elementary school, working with special needs kids. I saw first-hand how important it is for a child to have great teachers and get a first-rate education. Its why my first love is teaching, and it is why I am appalled at the frequent attacks on public school teachers around this country. A great teacher can make a huge difference in a childs life, and we need to invest in getting great teachers in classrooms everywhere. We need to go back to seeing education as an investment in our future. We need to support early childhood education, to give kids a fair shot at success from their earliest days. We need to continue support for school lunch programs so that no child needs to worry more about a growling stomach than about an education. We need to experiment with new ways to close the achievement gap. Here in Massachusetts, schools and nonprofits have taken leadership in expanding the school day and supporting after school and summer programs. We need to work collaboratively with teachers not against them to improve the performance of students, teachers, and schools.

d. Do you support increased federal funding on grants and loans to make higher education more affordable to working families and their children? Yes

8. Foreign Policy
a. Do you support the closing of Guantanamo Bay prison? b. Do you support detainee trials in US Federal Courts rather than in military tribunals? Yes Yes No

I agree with Attorney General Holder that prosecutions in civilian trials are both consistent with national security and with our nations tradition, values, and commitment to the rule of law. But I also recognize that Congress is unlikely to remove its restrictions on civilian trials. In light of that reality, I think we need to ensure that as the military commissions process goes forward, it does so in a way that is in line with both our national security and our values as a nation.

c. Do you support the immediate withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan?

Yes

No

Our brave servicemembers have done all that we could have asked them for and more in Afghanistan, but it is time for them to come home. We need to get out as quickly as possible, consistent with the safety of our troops and with a transition to Afghan control. I believe that this can be done faster than the current timeline.

d. Do you believe the President has the obligation to get Congressional authorization for military action, including providing air support, such as in Libya this past year? Yes No
I think the President made a tough call in Libya but that so far it appears to have turned out well. He acted to stop an imminent humanitarian disaster, and did so in way that involved sharing the burden with our European allies and NATO. Our goal now is to encourage a transition to a post-Qaddafi Libya that is democratic, rights respecting, and that can play a productive role in the region.