Sean Casten: 2022 candidate for 6th Congressional District

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office sought: 6th Congressional District

City: Downers Grove

Age: 50

Occupation: Congressman

Previous offices held: U.S. House of Representatives (Jan. 2019 - Present)

Q&A

Q: What is your reaction to the results so far presented by the committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol and what should Congress do next as a result of them?

A: I am still shocked and horrified that the former president incited a deadly insurrection in an effort to overturn the results of a fair and democratic election. I am equally horrified that 139 of my own colleagues attempted to finish the job by voting to decertify the election results.

We must pass laws to protect against a future January 6, from reforms to the electoral count act to enforcement of 14th Amendment prohibitions against those who have committed acts of insurrection against the United States. Our challenge in this moment is that it has become partisan to defend democracy. When the majority of my Republican colleagues voted to overturn the will of the majority, we

must acknowledge that defending democracy is a partisan exercise. That demands that we all redouble our efforts to stand up in this moment. Even when it is partisan. Even when it is uncomfortable. Our country is too valuable to let it perish.

Q: What is America's role in foreign affairs, particularly related to two separate crises: Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's conflict with the Palestinians.

A: The United States is the only country that can effectively advocate for the rule of law, democracy and the post-WWII order. When we step back from those responsibilities other countries step in. As it was put to me when I was in Madrid for COP-25 by a European parliamentarian: "bad things happen when the United States doesn't lead."

So far, I have been quite pleased with the measured, but forceful response of the Biden administration. By providing weapons and significant sanctions we have not only saved Ukrainian lives but reassured our European allies that the US is back in that leadership role.

With respect to Israel, I have traveled extensively to the region to understand the situation on the ground. I

support a two-state solution that ensures a democratic and Jewish state of Israel and full, equal protections of human rights for Palestinians in a fully coherent and self-sufficient state of their own.

Q: Mass shootings at schools and public gatherings are generally a uniquely American phenomenon. What should Congress do to address the problem?

A: Our country has too many guns, too many gun deaths. Both are the direct result of courts that have taken a wildly excessive and expansive interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. The so-called "originalist" members of the Supreme Court since the Heller decision have manufactured an entire view of the Second amendment that is at odds with our founders' intent. We need to go back to the 2nd Amendment our founders intended.

That means, among other things (a) banning assault weapons and (b) preventing anyone with a history of domestic violence from owning a firearm - since that demographic comprises two-thirds of all mass shooters in the United States. From Parkland to Highland Park we have seen the way that mass-shooting disrupt communities, but the majority of gun deaths in the United States are by suicide. And until we reduce access to guns in our society we are going to continue to lose too many Americans from needless gun violence.

Q: The Supreme Court has made it clear it considers abortion a states' rights issue and has suggested it may rule similarly on same-sex marriage and other social issues. What should the response be from Congress? How do you define whether such issues should be governed by federal authority or state authority?

A: Abortion is not a state's rights issue. It is a women's rights issue.

Congress can fix this by legislatively granting that right to individuals, and I was proud to co-sponsor the Women's Health Protection Act and the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act to do so. It is shameful that

the Senate has so far refused to even bring this bill to a vote. But so long as 50 Senators think it is important to protect the filibuster than to protect women's rights they will pace progress.

There is no evidence that reducing access to abortion reduces the incidence of abortion. Nearly 1 in 3 American women will have an abortion before they turn 45. This is true in red states and blue states, across all religions and races. However, women who do not have access to full maternal health services are forced to secure those abortions from providers that put their health and safety at risk.

Q: Are you concerned about the impact of all the recent federal spending on inflation, and what is the role of Congress in managing the economy? If you favor spending cuts, where specifically would you want to see spending reduced?

A: The current inflation has three distinct causes: Supply shortages, demand excesses and geopolitical factors.

The COVID downturn highlighted supply shortages. Congress has already begun addressing this by passing the CHIPs & Science Act which included more than $50 billion to boost critical semiconductor manufacturing in the US.

The second cause is an increase in demand caused - appropriately - by the American Recovery Plan & the actions we took to help folks during the pandemic. In March & April of 2020 we witnessed the largest ever collapse in US GDP and largest ever spike in US unemployment. Given the choice between a great depression and temporary inflation, we should always choose the latter.

Finally, we cannot ignore geopolitical pressures like the invasion of Ukraine. The work we are doing with our global partners to isolate Russia, diversify European energy supplies and coordinate with other central banks will help ease these pressures but are not within our unilateral control.

Q: Are you confident that elections and voting access are free and fair in America? If not, why not and what should be done?

A: The 2020 election was the freest, fairest election we have ever known. COVID protocols led many states to introduce long-overdue incentives to make it easier for every American to vote. Expanded mail-in voting, more drop boxes, longer early vote hours. All these contributed to record turn out. And while I am still amazed this needs to be said: Joe Biden won the majority of votes in a free and fair election.

Which is not to say we cannot improve.

In Congress, I'm proud to have led the fight to pass bills to expand voter access like the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. I believe we need to pass legislation to:

- Permit federal courts to halt questionable voting practice while they are reviewed. - Provide the Attorney General with the authority to request federal observers be present anywhere in the country where discriminatory voting practices pose a serious threat.

- Require reasonable public notice for voting changes.

Q: Whether your party is in the majority or the minority, what is the key to being a successful congressman and what are the characteristics about you that would make you successful?

A: I often think of the famous Edmund Burke quote - "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment, and he betrays you if he sacrifices it to your opinion."

On many of the votes that Congress takes, we can't find out what all of our constituents think. For many of the bills we consider, from late night foreign policy votes to complex amendments funding scientific research priorities, Members of Congress don't have the luxury of consulting the majority of their district. And so the obligation is on us to make it clear to voters where our moral and ethical red-lines are. To solicit our constituents input as often as we can, but also explain our thought processes when we can't, like for those late night votes.

This is why I have done over 60 townhalls since being elected and why I've never shied away from hard issues. Even if you don't agree with me, you deserve to know where I stand and what my values are.