Brad Schneider: Candidate profile, U.S. House District 10
Incumbent Democrat Brad Schneider of Deerfield faces a challenge from Republican Valerie Ramirez Mukherjee of Northbrook in the race for the 10th Congressional District.
Q: What has Donald Trump's unconventional leadership taught us about politics in the United States? What is the best thing his presidency has done? What is the most significant criticism you have of it?
A: My criticisms of the Trump Administration are too many to list. Of most immediate consequence is his almost complete failure to lead the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic. His abdication of responsibility has resulted in a health crisis far worse than in other developed nations, and has brought a catastrophic economic crisis, with small businesses closing, families being evicted, and cities facing bankruptcy.
His administration refuses to provide Americans with guidance to safely reopen our schools and workplaces. We have no comprehensive testing plan, no contact tracing protocols, no mechanism to manage the nation's supply chain to deliver medicines, equipment and PPE.
His indifference is increasing the burden on doctors, nurses, teachers, firefighters, police or other front-line workers, while at the same time leaving them at risk of being furloughed or even fired.
The President's most significant accomplishment of his presidency has been signing the "First Step Act," which moved the ball forward on criminal justice reform. As the bill's name implies, we still have much work to do on the matter.
Q: Many critics of governmental process complain that both Barack Obama and Donald Trump governed too much through executive orders rather than in collaboration with Congress. Is our system in danger of veering toward authoritarianism? From a structural standpoint, does Congress need to place stronger limits on the power of the presidency? If so, be specific on what some of those limits might be. If not, please explain your view.
A: For now, more than a generation preceding Obama and Trump, Congress has ceded too much power to the executive branch and we need to take back our authority. We need to get back to a robust system of checks and balances as envisioned by our founders.
For example, we must update the War Powers Act and reauthorize existing AUMFs. Finally, we need to expand Congress's enforcement of its oversight duties. The American people deserve better from Washington in total. The most important governmental reform that the House has worked on this Congress is H.R. 1, the "For the People Act," to clean up corruption and restore public trust in our government.
I am thrilled that this legislation includes a bill I previously introduced to strengthen the firewall between public service and corporate lobbying. Coupled with other reforms, including restricting the influence of dark money in campaigns, bolstering voting rights protections, and limiting corporate influence, the For the People Act would make our government more responsive and effective in making progress for the American people, and less susceptible to authoritarianism.
Q: Protesters have massed in the streets throughout America calling for greater social justice. How significant a role does systemic racism play in limiting equal opportunity in America? To the degree that it exists, what should be done about it? Do you favor reparations? Should police be "defunded?"
A: Systemic racism has been with us since our founding. While we have made significant strides to address it, often at great sacrifice, the events of this summer show there is still much to do.
This summer, I attended many rallies, marches and vigils. I listened to people's stories, fears, and visions for a better America. I had many of my own assumptions challenged, and I saw first hand how important it is that we achieve real reform.
A step forward was passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. I was proud to help introduce and vote for this bill one month after George Floyd's murder. It ends racial profiling, bans chokeholds, and creates a national register of police misconduct so that a bad cop can't go from one jurisdiction to another. This sweeping bill would be the most significant police reform in a generation, with real change that will have a positive impact in our communities. The Senate must now act on the bill.
We must also pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. I also support the establishment of a Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation to finally have the hard, but necessary, discussion of race and racism in our nation.
Q: Does today's climate of polarization reflect a natural and necessary ebb and flow in the tone of civic debate? Or does it reflect a dangerous divide? What, if anything, should be done about it?
A: Little can get done if we don't address the partisanship in our governing and find ways to bridge the gap to find common ground and sustainable solutions to our challenges. I have made fostering bipartisanship a top priority, That's why I helped create the Problem Solvers Caucus and joined the Bipartisan Working Group - to find common ground on issues including health care, immigration, and infrastructure.
It is why 75 percent of my votes are with at least one Republican joining me. In fighting the Coronavirus, the Problem Solvers Caucus has become one of the few places in Congress where you can find evident bipartisan agreement. The 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats recently came together to endorse my COVID PREPARE Act to prepare for a potential resurgence of this virus.
Q: Is there a "cancel culture" in America?
A: We need to be better at listening to each other. We need to get back to a time when we could hear others. Reasonable people can have reasonable disagreements ... and still work constructively together.
The only "cancel culture" that I am interested in is canceling the gun lobby's stranglehold over many members that prevents even the most modest, widely-supported gun safety solutions from reaching the floor for a vote. The House passed H.R. 8 that would create a universal background check for all firearms transfers and sales. I was proud to be a champion for that bill.
Sadly, I expect that Mitch McConnell will continue to block it. It is incredibly frustrating that so many in Congress continue to bow in fear to the National Rifle Association. I will continue to take on the NRA by uncovering their fraudulent abuses of their nonprofit status, including supporting the lawsuit to dissolve the organization.
When the president of the NRA is spending millions on his own personal hobbies, homes, and yachts, it's clear that the organization is no longer a political organization, but rather a corrupt mechanism for enriching its leaders.
Q: What do you see as the most important issues to address regarding immigration reform? If you oppose funding for a wall, what steps do you support to try to control illegal immigration?
A: Any attempt to end DACA was always cruel, wrong, and un-American. DREAMers are part of the fabric of our society. More than 700,000 DREAMers have received temporary relief from deportation and the ability to legally work in what is, for many, the only country and home they know. They have been a part of and contributed to our community for years. Much work remains to be done. I always have and will continue to stand up to Republican attempts to defund President Obama's executive actions on immigration and fight to make DACA permanent.
I was proud to help pass the Dream and Promise Act, and I will work to pass comprehensive immigration reform and free people from living in the shadows of fear of deportation to be able to pursue higher education, buy homes, start businesses, expand our economy and fully live the American dream.
I was also one of the first members of Congress to cry foul when the Trump Administration announced in July - after its initial efforts were knocked down by the Supreme Court - that it would once again attempt to roll back DACA protections. I will continue to fight for DREAMers and against the Trump Administration's wall and egregious record on immigration.
Q: Please define your position on health care reform, especially as it relates to the Affordable Care Act.
A: A decade after passing the Affordable Care Act, so many of the problems that the law was designed to address stubbornly persist. We must recognize that rising premiums, higher deductibles, unpredictable bills, narrow networks, and lack of affordable options are all problems people still face every day.
All these issues have been exacerbated by the chaos and uncertainty created by Republican attempts to dismantle, defund and defeat the ACA - in Congress and in the courts - all without any plan to replace it. Health care is, and must be treated as, a right for all, not a privilege for the fortunate few. Simply tinkering around the edges of the ACA is not sufficient to achieve this goal.
One important step would be creating a "public option" - a government-sponsored health insurance plan that competes in the marketplace with private insurance. Not a forced plan, another choice for the American people. A new public plan would promote competition to drive down overall costs and return the focus more appropriately on patients and their needs. It would offer an essential alternative for the nearly 1 in 5 Americans, including my constituents living in Lake County.
Q: Should everyone wear a mask? Should our schools be open? What has the country done right about the pandemic? What has it done wrong? How optimistic are you that we'll ever get back to "normal?"
A: Before we can get our economy on the path to full recovery and safely reopen schools, we have to effectively beat back the virus. That will require everyone doing their part, including wearing a mask.
Meanwhile, to put the economy in the best position to fully recover and once again grow, we need to help our nation - American working families, small businesses, health care providers, state and local governments - navigate this period until we get either therapeutics or a cure. The HEROES Act the House passed in May had the solution to defeating the virus and safely reopening our economy.
In a new pandemic relief bill, I am fighting for a second round of $1,200 direct checks to individuals, expanded assistance for small businesses, more money for testing and contact tracing, and extended unemployment benefits to keep Illinois families above water. We also need significant funding for state and local governments to support schools, front-line medical professionals and first responders - many of which have been brought to the brink by this crisis.
Q: What do you consider America's role in world affairs? What are we doing correctly to fill that role? What else should we be doing?
A: As a former member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and still with keen interest in the area, I support policies that preserve the United States' positive influence and leadership in relations with our allies, in addressing challenges with our adversaries, and in helping set international policies in global forums.
Our goal in foreign policy must always be to keep America safe today, as well as work to craft a sustainable, forward-looking policy that can ensure our security and prosperity for years to come.
As the international system continues to evolve from the bipolar world of the last half-century to one of multiple influential powers, the U.S. must also continue to combine a strategic defense policy with diplomacy and development. At the same time, we must focus on sustaining and enhancing our economic strength, as stability at home will translate into continued influence and investment overseas.
Q: Do you believe climate change is caused by human activity? What steps should government be taking to address the issue?
A: I believe the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate-warming trends over the past century have been caused by human activity. In the long-term, climate change is among the most serious issues we face, and it poses a direct threat to our children's future.
First and foremost, I support reversing the damage caused by President Trump's policies weakening environmental protections and decision to abandon the Paris Climate Agreement. I also support restoring the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and allowing the EPA to regulate carbon emissions as it does other pollutants. More long-term, we must continue to support the transition to renewable sources of energy, including solar, wind, and geothermal, and lower our greenhouse gas emissions.
We must help the U.S. economy to become more energy efficient, support community investments in green infrastructure, and prepare federal and state programs to meet the challenge of climate-driven natural disasters - like the increased flooding we've seen in our own community.
There is no better example of the direct threat of climate change than the rising water levels we see in Lake Michigan.
Q: What role does Congress play with regards to the growth of conspiracy theory groups like QAnon?
A: Congress must lead with the facts. Whether regarding the reality of the pandemic or corruption of the Trump Administration, we cannot allow our work to be derailed by conspiracy theories. The most significant development in ending this conspiracy theory would be having a President who would come out and forcefully condemn it.
Another important role for Congress is passing legislation dealing with the threat of groups like QAnon. My bill, The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2020, would be a significant step. It aims to improve the government's prevention, reporting, response, and investigation of domestic terrorism, including incidences linked to white supremacy, by authorizing three offices, one each within the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the FBI, to monitor, investigate, and prosecute cases of domestic terrorism.
The offices will provide Congress joint biannual reports assessing the state of domestic terrorism threats. Based on the data collected, the bill requires these offices to focus their resources on the most significant threats, which will be described in detail in the joint biannual report.