Doug Bennett: Candidate profile

Bio:

Name: Doug Bennett

City: Deerfield

Website: IL10.org

Twitter: @DougRBennett

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DougBennettForCongress/

Party: Republican

Office sought: Congress IL-10

Age: 54

Family: Wife Jennie and children Allison, Elizabeth, and Thomas

Occupation: Business consultant

Education: Northwestern University in B.S. Applied Mathematics

Civic involvement: West Deerfield Township Republican Organization Vice Chairman, Lake County Committeeman, local Cub Scout volunteer.

Elected offices held:

Questions & Answers

Did you support or oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017? Why or why not? Please outline your basic view of what the national economic policy should be?

Illinois' increasingly high property taxes are driving residents out of our state. While I fully support the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, for state's like Illinois it needs some tweaking. Specially, I will work to restore the full state and local tax deduction (SALT) to help Illinoisans to offset the outrageous property taxes they pay to local units of government throughout the state.

I also believe we should expand tuition deductions to help families with the ever-growing cost of college education, as well as other provisions designed to help people reduce their tax burden.

As a Member of Congress, I will be a strong voice with my state leaders for reigning in all taxes that are crushing homeowners and businesses and fight against any plans to raise Illinois' income taxes.

How strong is the threat of so-called cyberwarfare? What should the U.S. be doing in response to that threat in addition to what is now being done?

We should take the threat of cyber warfare very serious. So much of what we do relies on technology and the infrastructure that supports these systems. Any potential enemy could exploit these systems which would leave our nation vulnerable. We must continue to adapt to these existential threats and pursue all avenues to defend our nation from attack.

Please outline your position on immigration. What should the nation's philosophy be on the issue? Should there be a wall along most of the country's southern border? What should the nation's philosophy be on how the government treats and responds to undocumented immigrants?

Our immigration debate centers now around illegal immigration, though there is also widespread understanding that some of our legal immigration policies are also broken, particularly the H1-B program where people have waited over a decade for their responses.

The main immigration points that need to be addressed about illegal immigration are:

a) We need a serious post 9/11 enforcement of US borders to know who is entering the country to protect American citizens from harm.

b) Our visa system must be modernized to improve legal immigration. We must have a system in place to efficiently support those who enter the county legally, ending lengthy waits.

c) A permanent solution needs to be agreed upon for undocumented familie while prioritizing those who entered legally.

What is your evaluation of President Trump's job performance? Please specify what you view as its highs and lows.

While I am not a supporter of the tariffs put into place by the president, I believe the tax cuts are a stimulus to our economy, especially when they are hopefully soon improved by restoring the full state and local tax deduction (SALT) to help Illinoisans to offset the outrageous property taxes they pay to local units of government throughout the state.

I do not support the zero-tolerance policy that was put in place by the Administration that separated children from their parents at the border. I am pleased this policy has ended.

The failure of the President and the Congress to reform the healthcare system during the first year was a great disappointment. Every day 10th District families are being crushed under the weight of our healthcare system. Reforming healthcare must remain a priority of the administration.

How important is Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation? What's your assessment of its fairness and professionalism?

Any outside influence in our electoral process is unacceptable and I fully support the investigation.

Do you support Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court? Please explain.

Brett Kavanaugh is an excellent choice for the Supreme Court. He has extensive experience to the Court, has a distinguished career in public service, and a dedication to liberty. Judge Kavanaugh has also shown remarkable judicial restraint during his years on the bench. It is my hope that he is quickly confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Would you vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act? Should there be a penalty for those who do not comply with the individual mandate?

We have two critical problems in healthcare today. Our insurance marketplaces are collapsing, and out of pocket medical expenses are skyrocketing. We need to reform our health insurance system. Obamacare was poorly thought out and badly implemented and has not met its promises. Millions have already lost their insurance, cannot see their own doctors, and are paying more while getting less. Obamacare cut Medicare by more than $700 billion in order to pay for new federal health programs.

Health care costs for individuals, businesses, and the government are spiraling out of control and must be brought in line through equitable tax treatment and the introduction of competition in all levels of the healthcare marketplace.

That can be done by allowing small businesses and individuals to join together to negotiate for cheaper health care premiums and allowing insurance companies to cross state lines to give individuals more options and provide more competition.

At the same time we need to address the soaring out of pocket costs, particularly for seniors on Medicare. We need to find ways to truly bring down the cost of prescription drugs and medical procedures. Tort reform, more competition, and changing the drug patent system to more equitably share drug research costs are ways to help deliver quality affordable care for everyone.

I am committed to true health care reform that lowers costs and increases access to quality health care.

What other issues are important to you as a candidate for this office?

Immigration

America has always been the destination of choice for those willing to give up their country and start anew. I am proud of our country's rich ethnic diversity. In fact, my wife's family came to America from China for the freedom and opportunities our nation provides for those willing and able to work for it.

There are over 4 million people who have filled out the proper documentation, paid their fees, and have patiently waited to be granted access to America. Meanwhile, there are a large number of illegal immigrants in the country to whom we have turned a blind eye for many years.

I strongly believe that Congress should tackle this issue through legislation focused on securing our borders, modernizing our visa system, and finding a permanent solution for undocumented families.

Education Reform

The need to have a well-educated workforce goes hand in hand with growing a strong economy with good paying jobs.

To ensure Americans have access to high quality education Congress must address the ever-rising cost of college tuition. Students today are graduating with an average student loan debt of $37,000 and increases in tuition and fees have shown little sign of slowing down.

I support encouraging businesses to offer student loan debt payment as a benefit and am open to other creative options to address this problem.

In addition, here a few questions meant to provide more personal insight into you as a person:

What's the hardest decision you ever had to make?

The hardest decision I had to be part of was deciding when to begin hospice care for my mom. Our family got together and talked through where she was and what we could do. Even though we all knew that she was terminally ill, and there was no medical treatment available, it was still the most difficult decision a child can make for their parent.

Who is your hero?

Plainspoken Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency by an act of fate, Truman navigated the end of the war and created a just peace for most of Western Europe. He stood up to Russian aggression without triggering a world war. The Marshall plan stands as a testament to American compassion and vision.

Each amendment in the Bill of Rights is important, but which one of those 10 is most precious to you?

The first amendment is the cornerstone of our freedoms. The right to say what we, to worship how we want, and to associate with whom we want are the most basic freedoms imaginable. This is the very core of what we believe as a people.

What lesson of youth has been most important to you as an adult?

I learned from my father to always think about what you were doing and weigh the long term consequences as much as the short term ones. He was always thinking about what affect his decisions would have in the future as well as the present. I try and follow his example, particularly with my own children.

Think back to a time you failed at something? What did you learn from it?

I tried to start my first company when I was in my early twenties. It failed, but I learned a lot about how businesses run, what they need to do to survive and thrive. Later, I was able to look back on what I had tried and really understand why the business had not succeeded, and I used those lessons at many of the companies I worked at later on.