If you're able to go above and beyond to help us during this important time, please consider making an additional financial contribution. Gabrielle Giffords (Incumbent)
1. Do you support next summer's planned reduction of U.S. forces in Afghanistan?
Since I was first elected, I have served proudly on the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees the operations of the Department of Defense. Having spent time with General Petraeus in theatre on several occasions, I was impressed by his analytical skills and have confidence in his leadership. General Petraeus called for a gradual reduction of forces by next summer and I agree. It has been almost nine years since the September 11th attack and start of the war in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. The Afghan people - not U.S. taxpayers - need to take responsibility for their country.
2. Assess the U.S. government's handling of the BP oil spill.
The BP oil disaster has shown us that the damage from oil spills can be catastrophic. Along with the rest of America, I was extremely frustrated with the time that it took to deal with the crisis and cap the well. The appointment of Admiral Thad Allen, former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant (and Tucsonan), as National Incident Commander was a smart decision. He was previously responsible for Hurricane Katrina search-and-rescue and recovery efforts. On July 21, I voted with a majority of my colleagues to pass two bills that will improve our ability to prevent and respond to oil spills.
As a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, I am deeply concerned that the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent of income earners will disastrously increase our deficit. If extended, they would add $700 billion to the debt over the next decade. I am not inclined to deepen our debt or increase our deficit and our troubling reliance on foreign lenders. I have voted for many middle-class tax cuts since I was elected to Congress; I am inclined to extend the Bush tax cuts for the majority of Americans, provided they are paid for.
4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Wall Street financial reform legislation.
Like most Arizonans, I was outraged at the excesses that fueled the financial meltdown that brought us to the brink of economic collapse in 2008. With this bill, many of the rules that govern relationships between financial institutions and consumers are overhauled in ways that dramatically benefit consumers. Credit card and mortgage companies will have to provide Americans with easy-to-understand forms, Americans will no longer be subjected to hidden fees and penalties, and no longer will Americans be waylaid by the predatory practices of unscrupulous lenders. The legislation unfortunately didn’t address the serious weaknesses in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
5. What's it going to take to get Americans back to work? Be specific.
2009 was the height of the worst downturn since the Great Depression. With monthly job losses of over 500,000, the first step was to stop the freefall and stabilize markets. I have worked on many measures to jump start our economy (www.giffords.house.gov); getting all Americans back to work quickly is an enormous challenge. In fast-growing Arizona, we need to focus on developing clean energy. With more than 300 days of sun annually, the solar industry can create thousands of high-paying jobs. I extended the solar investment tax credits and partnered with local businesses and military installations to promote solar investment.
6. On which House committees would you want to serve (or, which are you already on).
I serve on the following House committees and subcommittees:
• House Armed Services Committee
• Readiness Subcommittee
• Air and Land Subcommittee
• House Science and Technology Committee
• Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, Chair
• Energy and Environment Subcommittee
• House Foreign Affairs Committee
• Western Hemisphere Subcommittee
• United States Holocaust Memorial Council
7. Do you support the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell”?
As the only person in Congress with a spouse serving in the military on active-duty, I have a deep respect and appreciation for our military. After four years of working closely with local military personnel, I appreciate the stresses on our all-volunteer force and their families. I voted to allow Pentagon leaders to repeal this law 60 days after the military study group completes its report and certifies that it would not hamper military readiness and effectiveness or unit cohesion. No American who wants to serve his country should be prohibited from doing so due to a discriminatory law.
Most important is to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. Until the federal government can demonstrate that it is serious about border security, we will see no progress in fixing our other broken immigration laws. Some future measures for an overall reform include tough employer sanctions and a national employee verification system such as the New Employee Verification Act that I introduced along with Republican Rep. Sam Johnson. Amnesty cannot be granted to those who have entered illegally. They must be brought out from the shadows and overcome very strict requirements if they are to apply for legalization.
Southern Arizonans are fed up with the large number of illegal immigrants, drug smugglers and human traffickers entering through our state border. In 2005, the Tucson Sector of the Border Patrol apprehended over 500,000 illegal immigrants. Last year it was 240,000 with over 1.2 million lbs. of marijuana seized (over 50% of all other sectors combined). This problem has been going on for many, many years with California and Texas building up resources which led to funneling crossers through our state. This is by far the greatest area of concern when I am talking to my constituents.
I believe abortion should be safe, legal and rare. Studies have demonstrated that the health of a woman directly impacts the health of her relatives. We need to focus on prevention and outreach to improve health care for women in order to have healthier families in Arizona. I have worked hard to ensure access to reproductive health services and affordable family planning services. As a nation we must work together to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies by providing science-based education about abstinence, contraceptive options, HIV/AIDS prevention and reproductive health.
11. Give your thoughts on the proposed Rosemont Mine in the Santa Rita Mountains.
Copper mining is one of the Five C’s on which Arizona’s economy was built, and hard rock mining provides essential minerals for the goods we rely on in modern life. While I am supportive of many Arizona mines, I have concerns about Rosemont. As a native Arizonan, I know that mines can leave a troubled legacy. The proposed open-pit mine at Rosemont raises serious air and water quality concerns. It also has the potential to negatively impact area property values and undermine the existing local businesses in the vicinity. Additional information on Gabrielle’s work standing up for Southern Arizona is available at www.giffordsforcongress.com or by calling (520) 512-0012.
