Craig Robbins: Candidate Profile

Editor's note: Robbins has dropped out of the race, but his name will still appear on the ballot.

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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: LisleWebsite: www.robbinsforcongress.comOffice sought: 11th District U.S. Representative Age: 30Family: I'm married to my wife, Jackie Robbins. I have a large family that lives primarily in the greater Chicago area.Occupation: Human Resources Consultant; Captain, Army National GuardEducation: I hold a Master of Science degree in Professional Communication from Northwestern University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa, a Graduate Certificate in Strategic Technology Management from the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Studies from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where I graduated from the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities Program.Civic involvement: I currently serve our community, state, and country as a Captain in the IL Army National Guard. I'm an active member of InfraGard, a public-private partnership with the FBI that focuses on protecting critical infrastructure. I actively support efforts to serve our veteran community and am a member of the American Legion and VFW.Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: I have never been arrested for or convicted of a crime. I was charged with a misdemeanor during my high school years, but the charge was dropped after the court received information that I wasn't involved in an altercation that took place between other high school students. As a Military Intelligence Officer, my background has been thoroughly investigated and I have always disclosed this fact.Questions Answers Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is that?I'm running for the U.S. House of Representatives because I recognize that our country desperately needs better leadership in Washington, and I have always been proud to volunteer my service to our nation in challenging times. In 2003, with our country engaged in two complex wars, I made the decision to withdraw from Arizona State University to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. I set aside my dreams of going into business, and was instead driven to serve our nation at war.Today, I recognize that I can volunteer my service in a new way. My experience in the Armed Forces, starting and growing small businesses, and passion for serving our country provides a unique balance that I feel is missing in an era of career politicians. As a veteran and entrepreneur, I have firsthand experience that can positively impact the direction of our country in the 21st century.We also currently have the fewest number of veterans serving in Congress since WWII. I believe the veteran's perspective is critically important at the highest levels of decision making in our country. We need leaders who understand how our military and foreign policy can best influence the world while maintaining America's role as a true leader on the global stage. We also need leaders who understand what it means to serve and defend our nation, and I will ensure that taking care of our veterans is a top priority for decades to come.Most importantly, I'm running for Congress because I have been asked by my neighbors - veterans, business owners, teachers and professors, and many others - to please, go to Washington and fix this broken system that's destroying our country.What differentiates you most from your opponents in the race?First, our motivations for running are going to be different. For me, there was never a specific moment when I thought, "I want to be a politician." I'm always going through a continuous process of trying to determine how I can best serve our country in areas that I deeply care about, including economic prosperity, defense and foreign policy, and defining American leadership in the 21st century; I've come to realize over time that serving in the House of Representatives is the best way that I can continue serving our country while making a positive contribution to our society in these areas. Our qualifications for this specific office will vary as well. As an entrepreneur and Captain in the Army National Guard with experience in combat and the intelligence field, I'm uniquely qualified to address a variety of our nation's most pressing issues. I have the ability to leverage personal experience to create real solutions that will encourage economic growth, strengthen America's reputation abroad, cut federal spending, balance security and individual freedom, and work to solve a range of other complex problems.My leadership experience will stand out as well. While I'm probably the youngest candidate in the race, I've been responsible for forming and managing businesses and for making decisions as a leader in combat that directly impact the lives of other people. This has caused me to develop a very pragmatic approach to leadership and I'm always willing to accept ultimate responsibility for what I say and do. I've led people through many challenging situations and have developed the courage to take ownership of my actions. I think we need more of that among our elected officials who serve in office.Do you support moving ahead with the Affordable Care Act? Why or why not? Which parts of the law, if any, would you change?There are several reasons why I don't support moving ahead with the Affordable Care Act as it's currently written. While I do believe it contains certain components that many Americans favor, the law has severe flaws and it lacks majority support from the American people.The "basic coverage" insurance companies are required to provide isn't very basic, which forces every American to pay more for services they don't need or want. I've heard people make the argument that it's "better insurance," but the American people weren't sold on healthcare reform that was "better" for us. We were told it'd be more affordable, and for most people that simply hasn't been the case. I also philosophically disagree with the idea that the federal government should be responsible for deciding what's best for the American consumer. In a democracy, we enjoy the liberty to tell the federal government what's best for us, not the other way around. I would work to reform these requirements to create more options for the American people.The law's success also depends on placing significant financial burdens on a young generation already struggling with a tough job market. College graduates who are fortunate enough to land a decent salary in the workforce are going to realize that their healthcare costs will require them to make monthly payments that can be just as much as their student loan repayments. Rather than saving money to make a down payment on a car or house, our younger generations will have to pay for healthcare plans that are designed to support the costs of other segments of the population.I do believe that we should adopt certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act, while we continuously work to improve our healthcare system in America.What specifically would you do to end gridlock and partisan infighting in the U.S. House and promote cooperative problem-solving?In order to end the gridlock and partisan infighting in the U.S. House, we first have to acknowledge why it's become such an overwhelming problem. It's clear that when our representatives lack real solutions, they depend on attacking the other party to score political points. And when our representatives lack the courage to reach across the aisle and offer credit where it's due, we end up with a political system that's uncooperative and unproductive. I've been following politics in America for over a decade, and it's been amazing to see how often some of our politicians change their position on certain issues for political reasons and not because their principles have actually changed. I possess the courage to rise above partisan politics to do what's right for our country and our communities, regardless of which party gains the credit for a good idea.Ultimately, this problem comes down to leadership. When I was serving in Afghanistan, I worked with people from other countries who didn't always agree with our way of doing things, but at the end of the day we came together as a team to get the job done while maintaining respect for each other. I completely reject the idea that we should be "at war" with the other party. I've experienced war, and it's not something that I'll promote among our leaders here at home.Finally, I'm running for Congress because I have ideas that can help solve some of our country's greatest challenges. We need all of our leaders to be focused on creating solutions rather than pointing out problems that we all know exist. I've had Commanders in the military say, "Don't come to me with problems unless you have a proposed solution." This mentality would serve our Congress well.What should the U.S. House do, and what specifically will you do, to avoid another government shutdown?Both parties need to understand that they're not always going to get everything they want, and that's a natural part of our democratic process. I was truly disappointed in both parties during the shutdown. Democrats were trying to inflict maximum damage to blame Republicans, while Republicans downplayed the shutdown's impact and ignored the fact that it completely failed to achieve any meaningful results.When the government reaches this level of instability, it has negative consequences to our business and military communities, among others. If elected to office, I would inform other members of Congress about the impact the shutdown had on our Armed Forces, particularly the National Guard and Reserve forces. During the shutdown, drill weekends and training events were canceled throughout the country and many of our men and women serving in uniform lost a paycheck in the process. I would do my best to ensure we avoid another situation like the one we experienced this past October.If a party fails to win in the arena of ideas, shutting down the government is no way to win over the American people. With that in mind, I would work even harder to engage my community during the early stages of legislation. If bills that I don't agree with make their way through our democratic process and become law, then I will do what I can to change or improve the law, but I wouldn't shut down the government just to spite the other party. The American people deserve better leadership than that.Do you favor measures included in Senate Bill 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013? Specifically, which segments do you support, if any, and which segments do you oppose, if any? Are there other proposals related to immigration that you support or oppose?This bill exceeds 1,000 pages in length and naturally contains measures that I support and others that I oppose. For example, I support Sec. 1103. which authorizes the Governors of States in the Southwest Border region to order National Guard units and personnel to provide support to Border Patrol Agents and other members of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. I also support the bill's recognition of the need to improve information sharing between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies on human trafficking incidents. We must do everything we can to combat human trafficking, and improving data collection is certainly one way we can improve our efforts to curtail this type of activity. I also support several measures in the bill that encourage foreign investments here at home through a number of entrepreneurial initiatives. There are also measures in this bill that I oppose, and I believe others need further examination. Overall, many of the additional security measures the bill calls for should be required to take effect immediately. The bill currently would require certain border security measures to take effect years after its passing, but I believe the need for security reforms is more far more urgent. The bill also calls for a "mandatory biometric exit data system at the 10 United States airports that support the highest volume of international air travelâ#8364;brvbar;" It then calls for a report to be delivered to Congress detailing the impact that these systems have on wait times for travelers. I have personal experience managing biometric programs, and I will work to ensure that Americans are not unnecessarily inconvenienced during routine travel. We have to be very careful in how we implement these concepts, and this again demonstrates where my personal experience can provide great insights into the issues of our time.On what issues would you break with your party, or have you broken with your party, and why?First, I believe that what's best for our community won't always be what's best for the national platform, and we need our elected officials in both parties to respect that. Personally, I break from the Republican Party on the issue of marriage equality. I believe that a federal government that dictates who can and can't get married conflicts with the conservative principle of promoting a limited federal government that champions individual freedoms. We also have same-sex couples serving honorably in the Armed Forces, and it's unfortunate that some people who fight for our freedoms can marry, while others who live in different states cannot. Younger generations overwhelmingly support same-sex marriage, and the Republican Party will naturally evolve on this issue. But I think that supporting marriage equality is the right thing to do regardless of how popular or unpopular it may be.Should federal spending cuts known as the sequester be continued in their current form? Why or why not? Where specifically would you cut the federal budget, if any? What areas, if any, would you exempt from cuts?Sequester-driven cuts should not continue in their current form because they don't allow for prioritizing what gets cut, when, and to what degree. I'm particularly concerned with the impact that sequestration is having on our national security and defense capabilities. I would call for exemptions to programs that enhance our cyber security capabilities. I've spoken with some of our country's top officials in this field, and many have expressed their concerns about proper funding during the sequester. Furthermore, the sequester doesn't address our real deficit problem. Making large cuts to our overall debt doesn't solve our government's problem of spending more money than it brings in. Our leaders must work together to bring about long-term sustainable solutions in order to truly solve this financial crisis.How would you vote on cutting Social Security and/or Medicare?There are many ideas circulating on how to best save Social Security and Medicare. Passing the recent budget deal without these provisions in order to avoid another government shutdown was the right thing to do, but we need focus on reforming these programs in the future. President Obama has proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits, as have a number of Republicans, but we need to be sure to honor our commitments to seniors while we proceed to reform these programs. I would not support cuts to seniors who currently receive and depend on these payments.Finally, is there anything we haven't asked about that you feel we should know?I'm a very strong advocate for the commercial use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and would promote policies that encourage this industry's growth as soon as possible. While UAVs or "drones" are currently seen in our society through images of war, I see the potential these systems have in the commercial sector, from providing aerial photography at weddings to filming sporting events and assisting in life-saving search and rescue operations. Our economy needs a major jumpstart, and this industry is poised for explosive growth. This is a great example of how our slow bureaucratic and legislative process is killing jobs, and it's unfortunate because it has support from both parties.I should also clarify a bit of my military history because it can become somewhat confusing, and also complicates my timeline of work and college. In 2003, when I withdrew from ASU to enlist in the Marine Corps, I was medically separated a few months later for having torn ligaments in my knee. In 2005, I withdrew from the University of Iowa to enlist in the Marine Corps for a second time, but I was discharged again after re-tearing the ligament in my knee. I then completed one year of physical rehabilitation and entered the Army ROTC Program at the University of Iowa in 2006. I finally deployed to Afghanistan in 2010, seven years after I initially set out to serve in the military. I'm currently serving today as a Captain in the IL Army National Guard.