Q&A with Durbin

1. Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection 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?

Families and individuals are increasingly feeling the squeeze as they pay more for energy and other costs. I am working to reduce energy prices and promote jobs that provide energy alternatives; provide greater access to affordable health insurance, starting with small businesses; help families afford college and reduce their textbook costs; and address the abuses by credit card and loan companies that trap too many families in an endless cycle of debt. I am also working to make good on our nation's commitment to our veterans by helping them deal with the health issues they face when they return home, and to create a 21st century transportation system for our state, including a revitalized Amtrak, mass transit, highways, and air service. I know our state from top to bottom. I know the challenges facing the Loop in Chicago and Main Street in Cairo. I understand the parts of the Washington agenda which are important to the families of Illinois. I hope my years of service show that I take this job seriously and will work with business, labor, Democrats, and Republicans to solve the problems facing our state and nation.

2. 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.

These are some of the accomplishments I am particularly proud of:

• Led the fight in Congress for major consumer protection and public health advances, including the airline smoking ban, the dramatic expansion of funding to fight the global AIDS pandemic, expanded food safety authority for the Food and Drug Administration, new powers for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to make toys safer, and mandatory reporting of serious adverse events associated with dietary supplement use.

• Strengthened Illinois' transportation infrastructure, which is a critical factor supporting economic development in Illinois, through actions that: Secured federal funds for major highway, infrastructure, and transit improvements throughout the state, including a rebuilt Wacker Drive and an expansion of Metra and CTA transit lines; promoted access to air travel throughout Illinois, including the modernization and expansion of O'Hare Airport; fought to preserve and expand Amtrak's role in the state.

• Worked to create a better health care system for our veterans when they return home, including expanded VA funding and a recently enacted program to identify and treat those who have suffered from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

3. In which ways, if at all, would you alter U.S. policy In Iraq and Afghanistan? How would you characterize the effect of the U.S. "surge" in Iraq? What objectives, if any, must the U.S. still meet before it begins to withdraw troops?

I opposed the invasion of Iraq. The Bush Administration argued that the President's troop surge would create an opportunity for the Iraqis to make political progress, but they have not made the compromises necessary for reconciliation and an end to their civil war. It is time to bring our troops home - responsibly and based on circumstances on the ground and military input - leaving a tactical force to protect U.S. assets and personnel, engage terrorist groups, and train Iraqi security forces. We also must do more for our troops and veterans. I am working hard to improve the services we provide when they suffer traumatic brain injury or other injuries. The Iraq war has diverted our attention from the war in Afghanistan, which I supported and which targeted those who attacked us on 9/11. Osama bin Laden may still be living along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and the Taliban and al Qaeda are regrouping there.  Almost seven years after invading, we risk losing our hard fought gains. We must ensure that our forces receive the resources they need, including additional troops as requested by our military leaders and the development assistance that will foster longer term stability. 

4. What short-term steps, if any, would you advocate to keep gasoline prices in check?

We should consider every environmentally sound option to lower gas prices in the short-term while also developing long-term solutions. I support cracking down on crude oil speculators, increasing oil supplies now by releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and fast-tracking domestic production by requiring oil companies to move quickly on land already cleared for drilling. I support environmentally responsible development of our nation's oil and gas resources, both on and off shore. Of the 94 million federal acres already under lease by the oil and gas industry, only 26 million acres or 28 percent are currently under development. The industry should be drilling on the 68 million acres that are currently under lease but not yet in development, and we should open new areas for drilling only in areas that do not sacrifice our environmental future for the consumption of today.

5. Please list the key elements of your preferred long-term energy policy. Rank or rate the relative importance of domestic oil exploration, conservation and alternative-energy development. What part, if any, should ethanol play in U.S. energy policy?

A long-term, comprehensive energy policy must include higher automobile fuel standards, greater energy efficiency, and the expanded use of alternative energy, including biofuels in the transportation sector and wind and solar energy for electricity production. While responsible domestic oil production can provide some assistance, we cannot drill our way to energy independence. Alternative energy sources are an essential component of our long-term energy policy. They reduce air pollution and global warming, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, strengthen our national security, and create good jobs here at home. I support the expanded use of ethanol. Without it, gasoline prices would be even higher. I am working to promote the development of alternative feedstocks, such as corn stover and switchgrass, that can help propel our economy forward without straining corn supplies. I support tax credits for companies that develop alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar. The extension of these tax credits is vital to the survival of these industries. Illinois has a great role to play in the expanded production of wind energy. I also support Congress's recent increase in vehicle fuel economy standards and sponsored amendments to achieve that goal for several years.

6. What steps, if any, should Congress take to promote economic recovery? What steps by the federal government might make the nation's economy worse?

With the economy teetering on the edge of a recession, Congress should pass another stimulus package to build on the first stimulus package enacted last spring and help kick-start the economy. Items that should be considered include extended unemployment insurance, investments in our infrastructure, extra funding for low-income heating assistance, aid to state and local governments, and increased food stamps. All of these options have been identified by economists as helpful ways to stimulate the economy, and each is targeted to help those most in need or to create jobs quickly. In contrast, simply extending beyond 2010 the Bush tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy would not provide meaningful stimulus to the economy and would greatly increase a federal debt already at record highs. The economic slowdown stems from the boom and bust in the housing market. We can moderate the effects of that crisis by allowing homeowners to restructure their mortgages rather than forcing them into foreclosures that bring down housing values throughout their neighborhoods. This will bring greater stability to the market and boost the economy.

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

The federal government should work to guarantee access to affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans. We cannot ignore the 46 million Americans who are uninsured and the rising costs that burden so many families and businesses. I support efforts to expand health coverage by building on the employer-based system where most people receive their coverage today, letting people keep their current health plan if they like it, and expanding public programs for those of limited means. I support several important steps to bring down health care costs:

• Best Practices: Identify which treatments work best and encourage health care providers to follow best practices to reduce wasteful spending.

• I.T.: Expand the use of information technology, which could save as much as $80 billion a year and prevent medical errors.

• Small Businesses: Enact bipartisan legislation I introduced with business and labor support that would reduce health insurance costs for small businesses and the self-employed through pooling and tax credits.

Generic Drugs: Ensure that lower-priced generic drugs are made available to consumers quickly when brand-name patents expire.

• Wellness: Provide a greater emphasis on wellness and prevention.

• Medical Research: Expand research to prevent diseases and reduce costs.

8. Would you maintain or scale back federal tax cuts made during the past eight years? Either way, why? How, as specifically as possible, would you try to reduce federal budget deficits and the national debt?

The policies of the Bush Administration have led directly to a debt of nearly $10 trillion, the largest in the history of our nation. That amounts to more than $30,000 for every man, woman, and child in America. We owe much of it to foreign creditors. This has to change. It is clear that the Republican belief that reducing taxes would reduce the deficit is just plain wrong, so the next Administration will be required to consider a mix of tax and spending adjustments to reduce the deficit. One of the policies that would most dramatically expand future debt is the possible extension of the Bush tax cuts. We must address this head-on. I support a continuation of the tax cuts that primarily benefit middle-class families, but I do not support a permanent extension of the Bush tax cuts that largely benefit the wealthy. We also must address the mounting costs of federal health care spending, through initiatives that identify which treatments work best, encourage health care providers to follow best practices, and expand the use of information technology in the health care system, and by empowering the Medicare program to negotiation with pharmaceutical companies for lower prescription drug prices.

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

The failure to reform our immigration system is a threat to our national security because we do not know who is in our country. It is a threat to our economy because the wages and working conditions of hardworking Americans are undercut by unscrupulous employers who pay illegal immigrants substandard wages and force them to work in unsafe conditions. I believe Congress can forge a bipartisan consensus in support of legislation that is tough, realistic, and consistent with our moral values. That legislation should ensure that American workers have first priority for all available jobs, and I have authored bipartisan legislation that would reform the H-1B program to do so. It also must strengthen our border security by increasing manpower and technology, punish employers who hire illegal workers, and provide a path to legal status for those who work hard and demonstrate a long-term commitment to be law-abiding citizens. Those immigrants should be required to pass a background check, pay fines and back taxes, pass a medical exam, learn English and U.S. history, and go to the back of the line behind all applicants already waiting for green cards.

10. 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?

We have made some progress in implementing the recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission to improve our intelligence operations, allocate new risk-based funding to states and localities to prevent and respond to terrorism and natural disasters, and protect our transportation infrastructure. But our work is far from done. A report from a bipartisan panel of former U.S. officials released on September 11, 2008, gave our nation an overall "C" grade for its efforts in combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction abroad and protecting against attacks at home. Among the areas that have needed greater investments are port and border security; transportation; public health infrastructure; protection of the food supply from bioterrorism; safeguards for nuclear facilities; the infrastructure for sharing of information among federal agencies and between them and state and local governments; and increased support for our first responders. Globally, the threat of terrorism against the United States remains real. We must renew our emphasis on winning the war in Afghanistan and defeating al Qaeda and other international terrorist organizations, and pursue international efforts to uncover terrorist groups, disrupt their organizations and financing, and prevent them from obtaining weapons of mass destruction.