Ryan Huffman: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: PalatineWebsite: www.huffmanforcongress.comTwitter: @HuffmanForIL6Facebook: www.facebook.com/HuffmanForIL6Office sought: 6th District U.S. Representative Age: 31Family: Unmarried, no childrenOccupation: Data AnalystEducation: Bachelor of Science in Journalism Ãcirc;#144; Northwestern University (2008) Master of Public Policy Ãcirc;#144; University of Chicago (2015) Graduated with Honors and a Certificate in Political CampaignsCivic involvement: I interned on the Online Organizing team in Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008, and was a White House intern at the Council on Environmental Quality in 2009. I worked at a political direct mail firm in 2010 that consulted for Democratic candidates across the country. I also researched the alternative-fuel vehicle market with the Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratories from 2014 to 2016. I earned my master's degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago in 2015, graduating with Honors and a Certificate in Political Campaigns.Elected offices held: NoneQuestions Answers What do you think is the government's responsibility in assuring that citizens have health care? To what extent does the Affordable Care Act address this responsibility? What, if any, changes are needed in the act.Health care is a human right, and therefore the federal government should guarantee that all Americans have health coverage. I favor transitioning to a single-payer system similar to those employed by almost every other industrialized nation around the world. This system will not only guarantee universal health coverage, it will be much simpler to navigate - greatly reducing the administrative costs that are spiking premiums under our current system. When most of the developed world has implemented an objectively superior health care system, it's time for the U.S. to stop clinging to our outdated system and finally deliver the affordable, universal care our citizens deserve. That being said, I believe the ACA has done a lot of good for our country, and would work to strengthen it while we continue to work towards a single-payer system. Adding a national "public option" plan, lowering the Medicare opt-in age to 55, and allowing the government to negotiate prescription drug prices are three key moves that would strengthen the ACA. I also support re-instating the individual mandate and fully funding reinsurance programs.What immigration policies do you support? Where, if at all, do you see room for compromise to produce an effective policy on immigration? What, if any, responsibility does the government have toward immigrants referred to as Dreamers who were brought to the United States illegally as children and are now adults? How will these policies affect your district?I am in favor of comprehensive immigration reform. The first thing we have to do is pass a DREAM Act to address the 800,000 early childhood arrivals who are currently living in fear of being deported to a country they've never known, thanks to Trump's cruel decision to end DACA. Beyond that, I believe that all undocumented immigrants should be provided a path to citizenship. I am proud that we live in a nation that so many travel so far to make their new home. We should continue to be welcoming, both because of our shared humanity, but also because the majority of immigrants become productive members of our economy within 10 years of arrival. If we make the legal immigration process easier and more fair, and implement stronger crackdowns on businesses that circumvent minimum wage laws by employing undocumented workers, then suddenly there is no incentive to immigrate here illegally. That will put a much more effective and humane damper on illegal immigration than the absurd border wall beloved by Trump and his supporters.What military or diplomatic roles should the United States play to promote peace and stability in the Mideast? Under what circumstances should we have military forces actively operating?I was strongly opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but I do believe that America's soft power and diplomatic efforts are critical to maintaining peace around the globe. Military action should only be undertaken when diplomacy has failed and the objective is to promote America's safety, not our corporations' profits. We need to reverse the current administration's trend of gutting the State department's diplomatic capabilities, and even more importantly, we need to restore our standing as a global moral leader. Unless there is an immediate threat and asking Congress for authorization would be prohibitively time-consuming, I believe all military action should be approved by Congress. Unfortunately, Congress has abdicated its responsibility to sign off on the use of military force in recent years. That leaves the President with an open-ended Authorization for Use of Military Force that allows him to take whatever actions he likes without any Congressional oversight. Congress needs to be willing to stand up and make some tough choices on foreign policy, and not leave that power solely in the hands of a very unstable man.What should the United States be doing to reduce the threat of potential nuclear conflict from North Korea?North Korea is an incredibly tricky problem, but I remain hopeful that we can persuade them to turn away from their nuclear program by applying strong international diplomatic pressure. If those efforts ultimately fail, we may have no choice but to choose a military option. I would not choose that option unless it becomes clear that it is the only way to stop North Korea from achieving full nuclear armament. If they are permitted to complete their nuclear program, not only does it put us and our allies in immediate danger, it also sends the message to other bad actors that they can build a nuclear program without facing repercussions. We cannot allow that to happen. Certainly any military solution must only be undertaken with the support of the international community, particularly North Korea's neighbors in the Pacific. Beyond that, we need our leadership to stop provoking North Korea. President Trump's tweets are endangering American lives. The surest way to dial back the threat of nuclear war is to remove Donald Trump from office, and that is what I will fight to do when I am in Congress.How would you describe the effectiveness of Congress today? If you think Congress needs to be more effective, what would you do to promote that?Congress has been woefully ineffective for many years. Both parties are engaged in an ideological tug-of-war that ultimately achieves nothing. The problem is that both sides are trying to advocate for the interests of their respective donors, rather than solve problems for the American people. This past year, Congress spent much of the year debating whether to take healthcare away from more people, and whether to give more money to billionaires. Those exhausting battles did nothing to solve the very real problems faced by the middle class in this district. The number-one way to make Congress more effective is to ban the practice of partisan gerrymandering. Incumbents have become so entrenched that they no longer have to be responsive to the concerns of their constituents. It is also critical that we overturn Citizens United and get big money out of politics. We need to return to a system where everyone's voice is equally powerful in our democracy, no matter how much money they may have. These two moves will put pressure on Congress once again to actually get things done in service of their constituents.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?As the 6th District's representative, I will work every day to not just solve the immediate problems of my constituents, but also to address the underlying causes of those problems. I will champion a bold, progressive agenda that will reform the broken systems creating widespread injustice in so many facets of our society. I want to reform our broken campaign finance system, so that those of us in the middle class have just as much say in our democracy as billionaires and corporations. I want to create a single-payer health system, so that every single American has access to the healthcare they need, no matter how much money they have. I want to change the way we regulate guns, because we can save tens of thousands of lives if we make it harder for dangerous people to get their hands on dangerous weapons. I want to reform our student loan system and make public universities free, so that kids who invest in their education are rewarded for that decision, not condemned to a lifetime of debt. I want to put a price on carbon, outlaw for-profit prisons, strengthen our unions, raise the minimum wage, and much, much more. These are the battles I want to fight on behalf of the 6th District.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Elizabeth WarrenWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I learned how important it was to be kind and compassionate, and that every human being deserves to be loved and treated with respect.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have spent more time networking before graduating Northwestern in 2008. I was overly confident that a good degree would guarantee a good job.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math. I use my math skills every day, and they are essential to the policy analysis expertise I developed at the University of Chicago.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Your life is only as important as the impact it has on others.