In one of the most competitive congressional races in the country, there are stark differences on the issues between Republican U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams and Democratic challenger John Mannion.聽
新加坡多多开奖记录 asked Mannion, D-Geddes, and Williams, R-Sennett, 10 issue-based questions. The first three covered abortion, health care, Medicare and Social Security.聽
The candidates' responses, which were lightly edited, are published below. For this story and future articles, Williams' name will appear first because he is the incumbent.聽
What is your position on abortion and whether there should be federal protections for abortion rights?聽
Williams: I am personally pro-life, with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. I do not support a national abortion ban, and I think we can be doing more to help women and working families. In that spirit, I voted to expand the child tax credit during my time in Congress. Women do not like being lied to and unfortunately that is the tactic of my opponent in this race.
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Mannion: I鈥檓 committed to protecting reproductive rights, just like I did in the New York State Senate. My record includes a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood. I strongly support codifying reproductive health rights nationwide, oppose any anti-choice legislation, and am dedicated to protecting healthcare providers and ensuring equitable maternal care.
How should Congress preserve and protect Medicare and Social Security for future generations?
Williams: We鈥檙e facing a complex and unprecedented situation, and we have limited time to ensure that benefits are protected for everyone who paid into the system. We cannot, under any circumstances, abandon the men and women who did the right thing their entire working lives.
Exploration of policy solutions is ongoing. It will require careful and diligent planning, informed by experts, to navigate properly and be bipartisan. I would support an agreement to raise the annual cap for Social Security tax, allowing recipients to keep more of what they receive.
It is crucial that Congress not forget the human aspect of the policy they craft surrounding Social Security. To recklessly raise the retirement age, or to cut benefits, is to come in between a person and the life they鈥檝e earned through hard work. No matter what, Congress shouldn鈥檛 do that.
Mannion: I reject any cuts to Social Security and Medicare. As a State Senator, I ensured that public retirement benefits were strengthened and drug costs were lowered, providing more retirees and seniors with the assistance they needed.
We have to support both systems to safeguard seniors who have earned these benefits and provide dignity in aging. My priorities are expanding Medicare to cover hearing, dental, and vision services. I want to lower and cap the cost of prescription drugs and expand the list of prescriptions that can be negotiated by Medicare. We need to limit out of pocket expenses and eliminate punitive programs like the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision from the Social Security program.
Should the Affordable Care Act be strengthened, or do you support an alternative plan to expand health care access?
Williams: It is important that we act legislatively to improve the Affordable Care Act. In particular, I support permitting Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs with pharmaceutical companies, and I have advocated for legislative solutions which would allow health insurance to be sold across state lines and prohibit surprise billing.
Mannion: As Chair of the New York State Senate Disabilities Committee and member of the Senate Health Committee, I鈥檝e helped improve access to healthcare and expand services for our most vulnerable. I support safeguarding and expanding the Affordable Care Act, lowering prescription drug prices, and improving access to mental health services, including in schools. I believe that individuals with private health insurance should be able to keep their existing plans.
Government reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.