With stints in the Peace Corps, National Guard, Army Reserve, the House and now Senate, Chris Dodd is ready for his next challenge -- the 2008 presidency.
The U.S. Senator from Connecticut, who is currently chasing the Democratic nomination along with seven others in what is shaping up to be the most expensive (and longest) presidential campaign ever, recently took some time out for an interview with us.
In yesterday's first five questions, Sen. Dodd discussed Iraq as well as leadership and the Patriot Act. Today we look to a variety of domestic issues.
6) Immigration once again became, or at least tried to be, an issue in 2006. The debate seemed to fall into three camps -- "amnesty", "guest worker program" or "deportation." Do you support any current plan or do you have one of your own?
For the last 400 years, people around the world looking for opportunity, hope and a new life have dreamed about one country – America.
I saw that with my own eyes when I served for two years in the Peace Corps in Latin America, became fluent in Spanish and helped build a school and a maternity clinic.
America should continue to be a welcoming country.
But today, the system is broken. We need comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders and strengthen the path toward legal immigration for the millions of workers already here, while requiring of them that they pay taxes, obey the laws and learn English. We need to also put tough penalties in place for businesses that break the law.
By eliminating the main reason for illegal immigration — access to jobs — the number of illegal immigrants will go down. As president, I will go to the source of the problem – poverty and instability in nations south of our border. I will speak to leaders in their native tongues to carve out a solution that strengthens all of us. That is what a president does.
7) With demographics shifting (people living longer and a lower birthrate) and surpluses being used for other expenditures, the math seems stacked for disaster down the road for social security. Yet the choices available (increasing the payroll tax, removing the maximum contribution level, changing retirement ages, privatization or limiting benefits) are all seen as political poison. Is there a solution that can pass both political and public muster?
Fixing Social Security is a big job. To begin, we have to cut government waste where it exists in order to free up much-needed capital. By rolling back tax cuts for the wealthy, curtailing practices of giving billions of dollars in tax giveaways to big oil companies and prosecuting contractors who fraudulently billed the United States government for hundreds of millions of dollars for services they did not perform in Iraq, finding the billions of dollars, some of it in cash, that was pledged for Iraqi reconstruction and is now unaccounted for, we might have far less to worry about in terms of fully funding Social Security, not to mention our nation’s schools and broken health care system.
8) In the 80s the budget deficit was considered a big problem and garnered a lot of press. The deficit is once again growing, yet nobody seems to be especially worried this time. What would a Dodd budget look like and, if balanced, how would you accomplish it? Taxes? Cuts? Or both? And where?
I agree that the deficit is a massive problem facing the country. This administration cut taxes for the rich, who did not need a tax cut, while increasing spending for this misguided war. When I am President, I will repeal the Bush tax cuts for the rich and direct resources for the best programs for the American people. In a Dodd Administration, the tax and budget policy will be fair, fiscally responsible, and promote long-term economic growth. That is the best approach possible for beginning to reduce the budget deficit.
9) Every election cycle tends to bring forth plans to help reign in the costs of health care and/or provide coverage for those currently uninsured, yet most never come to fruition. John Edwards has announced his plans for health care, do you have a similar one or would you try a different tack?
The nation’s health care system is in crisis and the stakes could not be higher for our families, our businesses and American economic competitiveness. Middle class families are struggling to afford health insurance, with many more just one serious illness away from financial ruin.
As President, I want to build a health care system that lowers costs and ensures every man, woman and child in America receives the affordable, quality medical care they deserve.
My plan starts with a few important principles: The first is universal responsibility. We need a system in which every stakeholder—individuals, employers, government—would bear a share of the financial responsibility. Everyone contributes, everyone benefits.
Second, we need to focus on prevention. Right now, too many Americans visit the emergency room instead of a primary care doctor because they have waited too long to treat diseases like asthma and diabetes, driving up costs for all of us. We need a system that encourages screenings, timely visits to the doctor and early treatments that keep chronic diseases under control.
Third, we need to build on what works. For 40 years, Medicare and Medicaid have reliably provided millions of low-income, disabled and elderly Americans with quality, cost-effective health care. Expanding health care coverage begins with expanding on these successes.
Finally, we can use technology to drive costs down. We all want universal health care as quickly as possible. But it will all be empty promises if we fail to do something about rising costs. We all know technology has increased the quality of health care – that once-fatal diseases are now treatable, even curable. It’s time we harness that ingenuity to create a recordkeeping system that better tracks care and cost.
The biggest hurdle to fixing the health care crisis in America is the varied stakeholders. What is missing most is leadership – someone in the White House who can bring all the stakeholders to the table – labor, business, government, the AARP and others – and find a solution. That kind of leadership is the kind I exhibited getting the Family and Medical Leave Act passed, which has since allowed 50 million Americans to care for themselves or a family member in a time of need without having to worry about losing their jobs.
Fixing the problem starts with leadership – experience bringing people together to get things done.
10) What would be the one message you would hope Americans learn from your campaign?
At a time when the stakes could not be greater, I offer proven leadership that all Americans can trust. From my service in the Peace Corps to my service in leadership on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as Chair of the Senate Banking Committee, I am a proven leader in strengthening our families and our country.
My proven leadership gives me the ability to bring people together to get things done, which I did when I authored and helped pass the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the FIRE and SAFER Acts, which have provided more than $3 billion in essential training, equipment and staffing resources to our nation’s fire departments.
After six years of on-the-job training that has weakened the middle class at home and diminished our standing in the world, we need proven leadership that we can trust to do the right thing and get things done.
--------------------------
Read part one of our interview with Senator Dodd.
For more information on the Dodd campaign, visit ChrisDodd.com.
The U.S. Senator from Connecticut, who is currently chasing the Democratic nomination along with seven others in what is shaping up to be the most expensive (and longest) presidential campaign ever, recently took some time out for an interview with us.
In yesterday's first five questions, Sen. Dodd discussed Iraq as well as leadership and the Patriot Act. Today we look to a variety of domestic issues.
6) Immigration once again became, or at least tried to be, an issue in 2006. The debate seemed to fall into three camps -- "amnesty", "guest worker program" or "deportation." Do you support any current plan or do you have one of your own?
For the last 400 years, people around the world looking for opportunity, hope and a new life have dreamed about one country – America.
I saw that with my own eyes when I served for two years in the Peace Corps in Latin America, became fluent in Spanish and helped build a school and a maternity clinic.
America should continue to be a welcoming country.
But today, the system is broken. We need comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders and strengthen the path toward legal immigration for the millions of workers already here, while requiring of them that they pay taxes, obey the laws and learn English. We need to also put tough penalties in place for businesses that break the law.
By eliminating the main reason for illegal immigration — access to jobs — the number of illegal immigrants will go down. As president, I will go to the source of the problem – poverty and instability in nations south of our border. I will speak to leaders in their native tongues to carve out a solution that strengthens all of us. That is what a president does.
7) With demographics shifting (people living longer and a lower birthrate) and surpluses being used for other expenditures, the math seems stacked for disaster down the road for social security. Yet the choices available (increasing the payroll tax, removing the maximum contribution level, changing retirement ages, privatization or limiting benefits) are all seen as political poison. Is there a solution that can pass both political and public muster?
Fixing Social Security is a big job. To begin, we have to cut government waste where it exists in order to free up much-needed capital. By rolling back tax cuts for the wealthy, curtailing practices of giving billions of dollars in tax giveaways to big oil companies and prosecuting contractors who fraudulently billed the United States government for hundreds of millions of dollars for services they did not perform in Iraq, finding the billions of dollars, some of it in cash, that was pledged for Iraqi reconstruction and is now unaccounted for, we might have far less to worry about in terms of fully funding Social Security, not to mention our nation’s schools and broken health care system.
8) In the 80s the budget deficit was considered a big problem and garnered a lot of press. The deficit is once again growing, yet nobody seems to be especially worried this time. What would a Dodd budget look like and, if balanced, how would you accomplish it? Taxes? Cuts? Or both? And where?
I agree that the deficit is a massive problem facing the country. This administration cut taxes for the rich, who did not need a tax cut, while increasing spending for this misguided war. When I am President, I will repeal the Bush tax cuts for the rich and direct resources for the best programs for the American people. In a Dodd Administration, the tax and budget policy will be fair, fiscally responsible, and promote long-term economic growth. That is the best approach possible for beginning to reduce the budget deficit.
9) Every election cycle tends to bring forth plans to help reign in the costs of health care and/or provide coverage for those currently uninsured, yet most never come to fruition. John Edwards has announced his plans for health care, do you have a similar one or would you try a different tack?
The nation’s health care system is in crisis and the stakes could not be higher for our families, our businesses and American economic competitiveness. Middle class families are struggling to afford health insurance, with many more just one serious illness away from financial ruin.
As President, I want to build a health care system that lowers costs and ensures every man, woman and child in America receives the affordable, quality medical care they deserve.
My plan starts with a few important principles: The first is universal responsibility. We need a system in which every stakeholder—individuals, employers, government—would bear a share of the financial responsibility. Everyone contributes, everyone benefits.
Second, we need to focus on prevention. Right now, too many Americans visit the emergency room instead of a primary care doctor because they have waited too long to treat diseases like asthma and diabetes, driving up costs for all of us. We need a system that encourages screenings, timely visits to the doctor and early treatments that keep chronic diseases under control.
Third, we need to build on what works. For 40 years, Medicare and Medicaid have reliably provided millions of low-income, disabled and elderly Americans with quality, cost-effective health care. Expanding health care coverage begins with expanding on these successes.
Finally, we can use technology to drive costs down. We all want universal health care as quickly as possible. But it will all be empty promises if we fail to do something about rising costs. We all know technology has increased the quality of health care – that once-fatal diseases are now treatable, even curable. It’s time we harness that ingenuity to create a recordkeeping system that better tracks care and cost.
The biggest hurdle to fixing the health care crisis in America is the varied stakeholders. What is missing most is leadership – someone in the White House who can bring all the stakeholders to the table – labor, business, government, the AARP and others – and find a solution. That kind of leadership is the kind I exhibited getting the Family and Medical Leave Act passed, which has since allowed 50 million Americans to care for themselves or a family member in a time of need without having to worry about losing their jobs.
Fixing the problem starts with leadership – experience bringing people together to get things done.
10) What would be the one message you would hope Americans learn from your campaign?
At a time when the stakes could not be greater, I offer proven leadership that all Americans can trust. From my service in the Peace Corps to my service in leadership on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as Chair of the Senate Banking Committee, I am a proven leader in strengthening our families and our country.
My proven leadership gives me the ability to bring people together to get things done, which I did when I authored and helped pass the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the FIRE and SAFER Acts, which have provided more than $3 billion in essential training, equipment and staffing resources to our nation’s fire departments.
After six years of on-the-job training that has weakened the middle class at home and diminished our standing in the world, we need proven leadership that we can trust to do the right thing and get things done.
--------------------------
Read part one of our interview with Senator Dodd.
For more information on the Dodd campaign, visit ChrisDodd.com.
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