About The Candidate

Education

BA, George Washington University; JD, Harvard University.

Offices and positions held

Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, 2002-06; founder, Virginia High Tech Partnership, Virginia Health Care Foundation; former chairman, National Governors Association, Virginia Math and Science Coalition; former board member, Virginia Union University, Virginia's Commonwealth Transportation Board, Metropolitan YMCA; former co-chair, Appalachian Regional Commission.

On the Issues

What is the most urgent problem facing your district?

America needs a long-term plan to compete and win in the global economy. As the financial uncertainty caused by the meltdown on Wall Street makes clear, we need a national competitiveness plan. We need to have the best educated, most innovative and most entrepreneurial workforce in the world. We must invest in alternative energy and increase domestic oil and gas production, and we cannot be competitive unless we bring down health care costs and extend access to everyone. We need to invest in infrastructure -- expand broadband deployment, improve rail and cut down on time wasted in traffic.

Why should voters elect you?

As Governor, my administration put aside partisan labels and worked with everyone. We focused on results. I will bring the same bipartisan approach to Washington.

For each of the below questions, select an answer and briefly explain your answer.

Would you support more funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport illegal immigrants?
a) No
b) Yes
c) Undecided

Yes.

We need a comprehensive solution to immigration policy: one that is tough on border security, is effective, is fair to taxpayers and continues to value legal immigration.

We need to secure our borders by increasing patrols to prevent undocumented people from entering. While legal immigration is a valuable asset in America, especially Northern Virginia, we must enforce our existing immigration laws. The federal government should hold business owners responsible for knowingly hiring undocumented workers. We should require that undocumented workers pay back taxes, pay a fine and learn English. For those in the country illegally -- blanket amnesty isn’t an option and anyone who has broken the law should be deported. Unfortunately, the failed federal immigration policies have led to tensions on both sides of this debate and a terrible burden for state and local governments. I won’t play politics with this issue and I’ll get to work on practical solutions.

Do you support the construction of a tunnel for the Tysons Corner portion of the metrorail extention to Dulles Airport?
a) No
b) Yes

I would have liked to see a tunnel through Tysons Corner, but the federal government made it clear that a design change at this stage could jeopardize the $900 million in federal funds we need for the rail to Dulles project. Preliminary work has begun on the Metrorail extension to Dulles and the Federal Transit Administration recently authorized construction to begin on the Metrorail extension. As a U.S. Senator, I will continue to support this vitally important regional project.

I remember discussing the Dulles rail as far back as 1992, when I served on the Commonwealth Transportation Board, and that was almost 20 years ago. We need to keep this project moving forward, and we now must stay on time, on budget, and deliver on our promises.

Should the next president push for a time table for troop withdrawal from Iraq?
a) No
b) Yes
c) Undecided

We need to work with our military leaders to develop a responsible plan -- without artificial timelines -- to begin to bring our brave military men and women home from Iraq. That will place real pressure on the Iraqis to step up and take more responsibility for their own country. Our troops have performed heroically in Iraq, and it’s time the Iraqi government does its part. A good start would be for the Iraqi government to start spending its $70 billion in surplus oil revenues. The recent talks between President Bush and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki are a step in the right direction.

We also need to properly support our returning troops by providing the money and resources to care for our veterans when they come home. Our soldiers and their families are making enormous sacrifices, and they deserve the best possible service we can provide them.

Would you support a bill that recognized civil unions and same-sex partnerships?
a) No
b) Yes
c) Should be decided at state level

Should be decided at state level.

I don’t support same-sex marriage. I supported and signed legislation to allow private employers to offer domestic partnership benefits to unmarried couples. I amended an executive order to provide protection from discrimination in the state workforce based on sexual orientation. I believe there are certain legal rights that should be afforded to people in partnerships and I would support commonsense legislation that recognized protections similar to those I approved as Governor.

Would you support a bill to lift the moratorium on offshore oil drilling?
a) No
b) Yes
c) Should be decided at state level

Yes, we should lift the moratorium. We need a comprehensive energy plan that allows states to drill offshore for oil and gas and invests in solar, wind, nuclear, cleaner coal and electric and hybrid vehicles. We should also permanently extend the energy research and development tax credit so we can create millions of new jobs here in America. If we do this right, American workers will be building plug-in electric vehicles within 24 months that get up to 100 miles per gallon.

By making these investments and allowing drilling offshore, we can make our country more secure by getting off of foreign oil. If we do all of this, we just might address the real threat of climate change -- something that both Senator McCain and Senator Obama support.

Who do you endorse to be the next president of the United States?
a) Republican John McCain
b) Democrat Barack Obama

Democrat Barack Obama.

I support Senator Barack Obama. Senator Obama understands that this crucial election is not about liberal versus conservative -- he knows it’s about our future and he will work with both parties to bring real results to Washington. On the crucial issues -- national competitiveness, energy, health care, education, protecting and caring for our troops, and infrastructure -- Senator Obama has the ability and leadership to get our country moving in the right direction. He has proven that he can reach across the aisle to get things done.

The government should guarantee a basic benefit package to all that includes preventive care.
a) Agree
b) Disagree

Agree.

We need to fix our nation’s health care system. It’s both a moral issue and a competitiveness issue -- we simply cannot afford to allow 47 million Americans to go without access to health care. Right now, we pay twice as much per person as our competitors around the world, and that’s just for those who are fortunate enough to have insurance. By focusing on preventative care and cutting costs through proven measures like switching to electronic medical records, we can expand coverage and increase quality of care. But I do not support a government run, single-payer system. This is not a Democratic or a Republican issue; it’s a national issue that requires immediate action by Congress. We need leaders in Washington who will put partisan politics aside and get to work on our most pressing health care challenges.

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