6th District U.S. House Democrats

Stan Jagla and Jill Morgenthaler are vying for the Democratic nomination for the 6th Congressional District in the Feb. 5 primary. The winner will ace Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam in the general election.

The district includes all or parts of Addison, Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Bensenville, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Elgin, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Itasca, Keeneyville, Lisle, Lombard, Medinah, Mount Prospect, Naperville, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Rosemont, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Streamwood, Villa Park, Wayne, West Chicago, Westmont, Wheaton, Winfield, Wood Dale.

The Daily Herald asks candidates questions. These are their responses. Some have been edited to comply with the requested maximum of 200 words.

Q. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is that? What will be your main priority in office?

Jagla. To represent people who are not currently represented in Washington. The current government does not represent over 270 million people; we need government by the people for the people. We need government that will be loyal to all our citizens and not only some. In office main priority to end the war in Iraq, stabilize U.S. economy, end health-care crisis and rebuilt economic stability for all citizens and not only some. Eliminating barriers for the U.S. exports and ending financial incentives for exporting U.S. jobs overseas.

Morgenthaler. I'm running for Congress because I believe in my neighbors, the people I raised my family with, see at church and at the grocery store. I believe in their hard work and common sense, in their dreams for their kids and their hopes for the future. I don't think they're being served very well by Washington. I know that our current representative doesn't seem to understand who we are and where we are coming from.

My husband and I came to Des Plaines 16 years ago for the same reason so many people do: to make a home, get a good job, raise a family, live in a strong community. Washington should be trying to help us, but most of the time they're either trying to one up each other and getting nothing done, or standing in our way.

One thing I learned in the Army is that if you are willing to set aside personal ambitions and work together, you can get things done that you would have never dreamed possible. I believe we can have more secure borders. I believe America can restore its position in the world and can have a foreign policy that's smart and tough.

Q. For incumbents and non-incumbents: If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you've led. If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.

Jagla. Involved in civil rights movement to protect citizens' rights to livable wage, prosperity for everyone and not only some. Ending Iraq war, promotion of the U.S. exports, expanding health-care coverage for everyone, right to livable wage for everyone, equal rights for all citizens not only some.

Morgenthaler. With all the special interest money and media attention and seemingly endless negative attacks that go back and forth in politics these days, I think people running for office sometimes lose sight of the fact that if they are elected, they have a job to do. "Congressman" is a job title not an entitlement.

I think that when people say someone has "gone Washington" they mean that they have gotten caught up in all of that other nonsense. They've forgotten that they have a job to do just like everybody else. That doesn't work in the real world, and it shouldn't work in Congress. If you don't do your job, you should find some other job to do.

Congressman Roskam and his friends in Congress seem to have forgotten us. 350,000 Illinois children could go without health care because they played politics with the SCHIP bill. They've gone on a spending spree with taxpayer dollars, and it's children who are going to end up paying the bill. They criticize teachers but haven't done one thing to fix our schools. They let oil companies take record profits straight out of our pockets but have done nothing to make us energy independent.

Q. In which ways, if at all, would you alter the U.S. course in Iraq? What objectives, if any, must the U.S. still meet before it begins to withdraw troops?

Jagla. We need to end Iraq war and bring our troops home safely with fully funded withdrawal. We need to replace our troops with the U.N. peacekeepers. Due to cultural and religious differences, we must involve the Arab League (League of Arab States) in peace making process in Iraq as well in the entire region.

Morgenthaler. I served in Iraq along side some of the bravest men and women this country has to offer. What's missing in most of the news accounts about Iraq is how hard they are working, how much they believe in the good our country can do, how much they want to succeed. They deserve a game plan that sets aside politics in favor of a clear eyed analysis of conditions on the ground.

I believe that it is time to find the responsible way to bring our troops home. I believe in bench marks. The warring factions in Iraq need to summon the political will to forge a settlement. That's not something we can do. It's time for Congress to come together, not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Americans, to find the responsible way to bring our troops home, turn Iraq over to the Iraqis and stabilize the region.

Q. With baby boomers starting to retire, do you favor changes to ensure long-term Social Security solvency? If so, what changes? If not, why?

Jagla. We need to ensure long-term solvency of the Social Security system by ending tax caps and exclusions that enrich the richest part of our society. Everybody has to pay taxes on the entire income and not only some workers. By fully funding the system, we will avert the financial crisis that we will face once baby-boomers retire in great numbers.

Morgenthaler. Social Security is a promise we've made to seniors, and America keeps its promises. In doing so, we need to take a serious, comprehensive, bipartisan look at Social Security to shore up its financial stability for the long term, and I expect there won't be one single painless solution. I think it's best to not lock into a position on any one specific aspect until we see what a total package might look like. But I generally don't support raising the retirement age because I don't think it's fair to try to fix the system on the backs of our seniors or change the rules for people who expect to retire at a certain age. Also, I generally believe we need to maintain the guaranteed defined benefit - seniors count on it.

Every day this Congress fails to do its job is another day the problem gets that much bigger and that much more painful to solve.

Q. Do you favor or oppose a larger federal role in health-care coverage? Either way, why? And either way, what, if anything, should be done about rising health-care costs and Americans who do not have health coverage?

Jagla. We need to expand public health-care coverage such as Medicare to the people who do not have any. We need a price competition in the health-care industry; therefore, the government must provide affordable health-care (Universal Healthcare) to those who cannot afford a private coverage, and those who have a private health-care will be able to keep it. That way we can force a price competition among the health-care providers. We must allow the government to negotiate medication prices directly with the pharmaceutical companies. Moreover, doctors overpay liability insurance due to lack of price competition between the insurance companies. In addition, we must outlaw preexisting condition exclusion clause again (it was illegal prior to 1980 election).

Morgenthaler. I am going to spend some time on the larger question of health care because this issue is so important to our families and our long-term economic competitiveness.

Our health-care system is disintegrating before our eyes. We need to approach reform in a new, fresh and comprehensive way in the next Congress, putting a lot of ideas on the table. The problem with Washington is special interest groups get focused on their little piece of the puzzle and try to force candidates into lock-step formation, and then nothing gets done.

The federal government has and will continue to have a significant role in health coverage. Through Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, the Veteran's Administration, the Federal Employee Health Benefits program and other programs, the federal government delivers health coverage to millions. As the population ages and war heroes come home, those programs will need to grow to deliver on the promises we've made.

The bottom line is this: there is no one perfect solution to reform our health care system. For health reform to succeed, we need to build on the current system, make many changes and offer different solutions that work for different populations. We have to get every American covered.

Q. Do you favor maintaining or scaling back federal tax cuts made during the past eight years? Either way, why? What specific strategy, if any, would you apply toward reducing federal budget deficits and the national debt?

Jagla. We need to freeze taxes on the middle class and small businesses and reinstate fair taxes on corporate America. Giving more incentives to big corporation will provide them with additional money to transfer even more jobs overseas.

Morgenthaler. The federal budget is a mess, but we aren't going to solve it by raising taxes. The problem isn't that government needs more money to spend. The problem is that government spends too much to begin with. We've got to go the other way: less federal spending to cut taxes. It's really that simple.

The government should do what every family and every business does--plan for the future, save a little when you can, cut spending when times are tight. Folks in Washington spend a lot of time trying to convince you that it's more complicated than that. It's not. Reigning in government spending so that we can cut taxes is one of the main reasons I am running for Congress.

One place to start would be to hold members of Congress accountable for the spending projects they request. We all know earmarks are out of control. I would rather have legislators decide where money is most needed in their own districts than bureaucrats in Washington, but all requests should be disclosed and get an up or down vote. They should not be hidden or buried in bills that they have nothing to do with.

Q. The current Congress could not agree on immigration reform. What would you do to advance reform in a divided Congress, and, briefly, what would the key elements be in your own immigration policy?

Jagla. We need to plug the leaky borders as well analyze why we are swamped with so much illegal immigration that took place after free trade agreements went into effect. Once we know the causes, we can find the best solutions. Rushing to a solution without proper analysis will again fail, waist precious time, and financial resources.

Morgenthaler. The failure of the current Congress to pass immigration reform threatens our national security. Our congressman promised he'd secure our borders but over 2,000 illegal immigrants cross into our country every day. The fact that Congress is closely divided between the two parties is not an excuse for inaction. We need to send people to Congress who will set aside the petty partisan bickering and get the job done. I was Illinois' homeland security chief for two years. I know our borders are porous - both north and south - and that means there are real threats to our safety. We don't know who's coming in or where they are going. That's got to stop.

There is no one silver bullet, but amnesty isn't the answer. Everything starts with tougher border security. We need to look at all our options - hiring more border patrol agents, and giving them the tools they need like high tech surveillance equipment and electronic fencing. And we need to reduce the incentives for illegal immigrants to come to this country by cracking down on employers who knowingly hire illegal labor or engage in employment fraud.

Q. Given rising oil prices and Middle East turmoil, what specific steps, if any, do you favor to accelerate research into and application of alternative energy sources? Which alternative sources do you think hold the most potential for producing large amounts of affordable energy?

Jagla. We need provide funds for research and development for renewable energy sources and provide financial incentives in order to lower the cost of those technologies. By promoting higher efficiency levels for cars and new equipment (heating, a/c, industrial equipment etc.) will lead to lower consumption of energy that will make us less dependent on fossil fuels.

Morgenthaler. Let me question, a little, the premise of your question. If we limit ourselves to trying to find the next "big oil" we do America a disservice. The new energy economy must consist of many different types of energy sources, not one or two. Having a diverse and decentralized and independent energy market will be a great strength for America. So we need to invest in many promising approaches.

Since my days at Argonne National Laboratory, I've been a big believer in investment in research and development, especially as it relates to developing alternative energy sources. It's important for our long term economic stability, and for our environment. There are a lot of good ideas out there, and I believe there is still a lot just waiting to be discovered. We should have an Apollo like program to invest in, research and develop alternative energy sources. It's that important. If we do it, and I believe it should be one of our nation's top priorities, there is no question that it will yield results. This is America, and in America we set those kinds of goals and we meet them head on.

Q. In what ways is the U.S. government successfully defending citizens against terrorism, and in what ways is the U.S. failing in that regard?

Jagla. Current government is a complete failure when it comes to protect us from terrorism (9/11 is best example). War on terror is simply a smoke screen to cover up massive violation of the civil rights and spying on the critics of the current government. Scare tactics used by the current administration do not make us safer.

Morgenthaler. (Provided the same response provided under the question about the Iraq war.)

Q. Are you concerned, or not, about the number of former U.S. jobs being outsourced? Either way, what policy changes, if any, would you favor in that regard?

Jagla. We loose over 2 million jobs every year due to free trade agreements and financial incentives that come with them to transfer U.S. jobs abroad, which is causing a permanent recession as exhibited by the U.S. stock market. We need to replace the free trade agreements with fair trade agreements to end the permanent recession in the U.S. and eliminate financial incentives to transfer our jobs overseas.

Morgenthaler. Yes. We need to scour the entire federal government to eliminate any subsidies that go to companies that outsource their jobs overseas or move offshore to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.