Amanda Howland: 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: Lake ZurichWebsite: www.amandahowlandforcongress.comTwitter: @amandahowland06Facebook: AmandahowlandforcongressOffice sought: 6th Congressional District Age: 63Family: MarriedOccupation: AttorneyEducation: B.S.in Ed., M.A., M.S. in Ed. Administration, J.D.Civic involvement: I am currently serving my 2nd six year term as an elected Trustee for the College of Lake CountyIllinois Women's Institute for Leadership (one of 10 women in the State selected as a delegate for 2011)I spent 4 years as Marketing Chair for the Hawthorn Woods Women's Charity (501(c) (3))I spent 3 years as the Caravel Condominium Association Vice President 2004-2006I am a member of the Caring Women's Connection (501 (c)(3)) charity actively supporting women and children in need throughout Lake County.I have served on the Illinois State Bar Association's Judicial Evaluation Committee for the past 15 years.I am a member of the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce and serve on several committeesElected offices held: Recently reelected trustee of the College of Lake County. (Second six-year term.) Questions Answers How will you work to make Congress more productive and effective? What actions are needed to produce a healthy federal budget? Specifically, what changes do you advocate regarding how revenue is produced or what our spending priorities are? In particular, what effect does current policy have on your district and what changes, if any, are needed?How will you work to make Congress more productive and effective? What actions are needed to produce a healthy federal budget? Specifically, what changes do you advocate regarding how revenue is produced or what our spending priorities are? In particular, what effect does current policy have on your district and what changes, if any, are needed? Members of Congress, regardless of party, need to work together to come up with solutions that make life more prosperous for middle class families. While this seems like a simple idea it is not put into practice in our current Congress. We live in an era of hyper-partisanship. I am running because we need more legislators who are willing to work together for the common good.Another reason that I am running for Congress is that I truly believe that if we focus on what Americans need to make their lives better and how to help them get it, our budget priorities will fall into place. The only way we can remain competitive in a challenging global economy is by ensuring our spending is both responsible and effective. For too long the government spent with a shameful disregard for future generations #8211; maintaining outdated programs, funding wars #8220;off-budget#8221; with hundreds of billions in deficit spending. Whatever progress has been made, more needs to be done. Our economic strength is driven by a vibrant and prosperous middle class, and our federal budget priorities should reflect that.Similarly, our federal tax code must prioritize strengthening the middle class, while minimizing the types of loopholes, tax havens and accounting gimmicks that allow wealthy special interests to avoid taxes. For instance, one of the top priorities in my district is to solve the problem of excessive student debt. Students who graduate with massive debt cannot support the economy by making discretionary purchases like houses and cars. Instead, they must pay high interest rates on student loans, often for many years to come. Going forward, reforming the way students and parents pay for college could revolutionize the ability of U.S. workers to compete in the global economy. We also should make support for technical education at all levels a priority. We need a well trained workforce. Another essential element of long-term economic growth is infrastructure repair and improvement, including public transportation. Other countries are far ahead of us in these areas. We will need to cut some expenditures to pay for it, of course. One area could be to work to eliminate the military appropriations that our military did not request. The most recent Omnibus bill included $950 million for planes the military did not request. This is the type of spending that has been included in every budget approved by Congress in recent years. Our national security challenges have evolved significantly since the end of the Cold War, and certainly since 9/11. We need to calibrate our defense spending to ensure it reflects the threats we face and phase out Cold War-era spending that contributes to our debt without improving our security.What immigration policies do you support? Where, if at all, do you see room for compromise to produce an effective policy on immigration? How will these policies have an impact in your district?I support the premise of the DREAM Act which was intended to permit the children of undocumented immigrants, who were brought here as young children, to attend college. These young people did not choose to come to the United States illegally. Supporting the DREAM Act allows us to support young people who are, in every respect but one, Americans. They can be a force for economic growth and innovation for us if we help them now. For so many of the students, the U.S. is the only country they know, and it would be inhumane and impractical to deport all of them, most to countries that are entirely foreign to them. As a trustee at the College of Lake County I have personally met some of our DACA students. They are working hard to lead productive lives and to contribute to the economy.I also believe there can be a compromise on a path to citizenship for many. We cannot deport 11 million undocumented immigrants who already live here, many of whom have jobs and aspire only to support their families. I think there should be a reform of ICE, in which the priorities include a more compassionate process and stiff penalties for employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers in order to exploit them. Naturally, we must ensure we have a strong border, since we have every right and expectation that we will control who enters our country. At the same time, we need to be honest in this discussion and acknowledge that up to 40% of illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. arrived here legally and overstayed their visas.What should be the top priorities in Congress related to the Affordable Care Act? If you want changes, what specifically do you recommend? If you want the act entirely eliminated, please address these questions: Is that politically feasible? If it proves infeasible, where do you see the potential for compromise? If it is eliminated, what would you replace it with, if anything?Eliminating the ACA is not the answer. It has many excellent provisions and has provided health care for millions who were previously uninsured. We can't take away this vital safety net now that we have it. Too many families will suffer. Inability to pay medical bills accounted for 60% of bankruptcies before the ACA was enacted. In addition, 17% of our economy is related to healthcare, so getting it right is vital. However, the ACA also has caused some unintended problems that Congress needs to address. High costs, rising premiums and high deductibles for those who do not qualify for subsidies have occurred. We also need to find ways to get unrestrained prescription drug costs under control. The state of Massachusetts dealt with similar problems when it instituted its healthcare plan years ago. They were able to implement reforms and now have a model health care system. 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?The United States should lead diplomatic efforts to form a military coalition, comprised of soldiers from the region, to apply military pressure where needed to expel ISIS from its territory. The U.S. cannot continue to engage in military actions to police every part of the world, which burdens our nation and enflames anti-American sentiment (which in turn makes the effort even more difficult). At the same time, we should encourage our allies to work with us to economically isolate bad actors. The more we cut off their sources of funding, the less capable they will be of military and guerilla actionPlease list any elected office you have ever run for and what the result of that election was. Have you ever been appointed to fill an unexpired term?Twice elected to the Board of Trustees at the College of Lake County with the largest vote total of any candidates running in the same race.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The high cost of post-secondary education and student loans. Preserving Social Security and Medicare Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Vice-President Joe Biden inspires me. I have met and spoken with him several times. He and his wife support affordable secondary education for all. He is a tireless supporter of cancer research. He has always worked to ensure that the welfare of our middle class is not ignored.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Always listen before you speak.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have started public service much earlier in my life.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorites were art, music and languages. They all gave me an appreciation for how people express themselves and an ability to communicate with people from all walks of life.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Always give whatever you do your very best. Whether or not you ultimately succeed isn't as important as the fact that you did your best.