Glen Arbor Sun interview: U.S. Congressman Dan Benishek vs. Jerry Cannon
From staff reports
The Glen Arbor Sun conducted the following interviews (via email) with U.S. Congressman Dan Benishek (a Republican who was elected during the Tea Party wave of 2010) and his challenger this November, Democrat Jerry Cannon.
Sun: What are your key goals as U.S. Congressman? (To Benishek) How would you rate your performance during your four years representing Northern Michigan?
Benishek: As a former doctor who ran my own practice, as well as a lifelong resident of Northern Michigan my top priorities will be continuing to focus on making sure we work towards ensuring our children and grandchildren have the opportunities to thrive by strengthening the economy and increasing job creation, developing an affordable patient-centered health care system, and meeting our commitment to our veterans. I’m a doctor and in the operating room we had to work together — our patient’s life counted on it. Bureaucrats in Washington don’t act the same way. They are pushing regulations that are hurting our families, businesses and way of life. I have been concentrating on initiatives that will help families in Northern Michigan. We have accomplished some great things over the past few years such as getting (the Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness Act) passed, which will continue to support jobs and tourism dollars for the local community. As it relates to jobs, we have increased vocational education in the district, so our young people have the opportunity to receive technical training that many of the available jobs require. I have also, as a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and former VA doctor, continued to fight the bureaucracy at the VA to ensure our veterans are receiving the care they need and deserve. We have a lot of work yet to do to turn things around in this country, but I’m committed to doing it because I believe the American Dream is worth fighting for.
Cannon: I’m running to put the politics aside and deliver solutions for the middle class. I will focus like a laser on three things: doing what’s good for the economy, what’s good for this district and our veterans, and getting the middle class a fair shake. That will mean protecting the middle class by raising the minimum wage, defending Medicare, and helping find ways to hire veterans.
Sun: (To Cannon) How would you rate Congressman Benishek’s performance? Why?
Cannon: Congressman Benishek is part of the problem in Washington and we need a change of leadership. Congressman Benishek voted to slash Medicare so he can cut taxes for millionaires like himself. He wants to privatize and gamble our Social Security on Wall Street. And he’s voted against raising the minimum wage. Bottom line: Congressman Benishek is siding with special interests over the middle class.
Sun: Our area relies heavily on tourism to support the local economy and jobs. What have you done, and will you do, to support tourism and jobs here?
Benishek: Tourism and the outdoor economy is vital to our area. I recognize how important it is to ensure Northern Michigan remains a destination for those looking for world class beaches, hunting, snowmobiling and a range of other activities. This year we were able to pass my Sleeping Bear Dunes (Wilderness) legislation, which will protect the natural areas while also preserving access to recreation and enjoyment of the lake. It was a bipartisan bill that was the result of 12 years of hard work and input from local residents in Leelanau and Benzie counties. The dunes are not only an amazing part of our state they directly support over 2000 jobs and generate $120 million in spending each year. In addition, I have worked to ensure access to our national forests for hunting, snowmobiling and other activities that bring families to our area and support so many local businesses.
Cannon: We need to expand clean energy business and create jobs right here in Michigan that can’t be outsourced. Secondly, we need to protect our air and water, which are important to our economy and way of life. And finally, any energy legislation will always be judged by the standard of how they impact middle class families in northern MI, and I won’t support anything that hurts them.
Sun: (To Benishek) You’ve been critical of the President’s Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”). As a Congressman, and as a physician, did the healthcare system need to be changed or would you have left it alone? If you had your druthers, would you scrap Obamacare entirely, or change certain parts of it? What are your thoughts on single-payer, or universal healthcare?
Benishek: Having practiced for 30 years, I agree that our health care system needed to be changed, but the President’s health care law is not the answer as it continues to prove to be bad medicine for families, patients, doctors, hospitals, and small businesses. I have visited many of the hospitals in the district and from what I’m hearing they are having to lay people off and minimize access to care because of the new law. In our district alone, there will be over $2 billion cut from local health care providers. It’s going to really tough for our small local hospitals to stay open with that level of cuts and for any health care system to work, you need doctors and hospitals available to treat patients. I don’t want to see people who desperately need medical care being forced to travel for long distances just to find a hospital because their local facility was driven out of business by this unaffordable health care law.
I believe our country has some of the best doctors and hospitals in the world along with the finest care, but the problem is that it costs too much. Obamacare has not fixed this but instead is driving up costs and lowering patient’s choice. We can fix it but it should be done by incorporating common-sense, patient-centered reforms that put patients, rather than the federal government, in control of their care.
Sun: (to Cannon) Why do you identify as a Democrat? Explain your party affiliation?
Cannon: I am a lifelong Democrat. I have benefited from Democratic programs like the GI Bill that has helped further my career and secure a middle class life-style for my family and me.
Sun: (to Benishek) Polls show that the popularity of this Congress has reached historic lows. Is that a fair assessment? Why or why not?
Benishek: As a doctor, when you were presented with a problem in the operating room, you found a solution to fix it. Unfortunately that is not the attitude Washington bureaucrats have — their focus is on arguing and pointing fingers and I am just as fed up with it as the families in Northern Michigan are. I am focused working for Northern Michigan families and finding solutions, not excuses.
Sun: (to Cannon): What in your career, so far, has most prepared you to hold higher office?
Cannon: My entire life has been about service. Throughout my professional military and law enforcement careers, and even in my community involvement, I have lived the values of sacrifice and service every day. People have counted on me to step up, serve our community and protect our way of life in northern Michigan. These experiences have given me the background to tackle the tough issues and create more jobs in Northern Michigan.
Sun: (to Benishek) How has the rise of the Tea Party, and its impact within the Republican Party, impacted U.S. politics, and policy, since 2010?
Benishek: I will let Washington pundits focus on that question, I am focused on working on behalf of Northern Michigan families.
Sun: Do you support marriage equality (gay marriage rights) in Michigan or nationwide? Why or why not?
Benishek: I believe that marriage is a sacrament that is between a man and a woman. I am all for promoting equality among all people in the United States.
Cannon: I don’t discriminate against anyone. I’m not against civil unions and giving all the legal entitlements that married couples have.
Sun: Should the minimum wage be raised? If so, how high? Based on your understanding of household economics, what’s an appropriate living wage that allows a citizen to work, own a home and raise a family in your district?
Benishek: I’ve lived in Northern Michigan my whole life; I know how tough it can be for families to make ends meet around here. Right now, a lot of moms and dads are struggling to pay their bills and provide for their kids, and the cost of groceries, gasoline and utilities keeps going up. As a doctor, I ran my own practice up here, so I know how Washington mandates can harm small businesses. I believe jobs that pay the minimum wage should be a stepping stone for our young people so they get the experience they need to move on to a better paying jobs. I am worried that raising it would mean less opportunities for them to find those entry level jobs.
I’ve talked to small businesses up here who say this will increase their costs and prevent them from hiring. That will only make it tougher for younger people in Northern Michigan looking to find work. We need to be focused on improving the economy, so there are more jobs out there. That’s why I’m focused on things like vocational education. I want people up here to have the training and opportunities to get the skills they to secure good paying jobs that they can raise a family on.
Cannon: Income inequality is becoming a serious issue and it needs to be addressed at the state and federal level. Some immediate steps that can be taken would be to raise the minimum wage, ensure gender pay equity and extend unemployment benefits, and make sure that workers get paid overtime. The minimum wage needs to be raised to a level so that employees working 40 hours a week shouldn’t have to live in poverty.
Sun: What is your awareness of the politics of water quality and water rights as the state and country grapple with the growing awareness of these issues?
Benishek: Water issues are vitally important to our district given our access to and impact of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are part of our economy and way of life here in Northern Michigan and I will always work to protect them for future generations. I am a member of the bipartisan Great Lakes Task Force and co-founder of the Congressional Invasive Species Caucus.
Cannon: I support the Clean Water Act and other measures that keep our Great Lakes clean and free from environmental degradation. The Great Lakes is an important part of our tourist economy and we must do everything we can to keep them free from pollution.
Sun: (to Benishek) Have you met with Enbridge to address their oil pipeline that runs under the Straits of Mackinaw? Do you feel assured by, or suspicious of, their claims that the pipeline is safe?
Benishek: I have worked with Enbridge, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Department of Transportation on this issue. In July, I contacted the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration requesting information on all the mandatory safety tests that Enbridge is required to perform on the pipeline. I will continue to work with both Enbridge and the agencies in charge of safety to ensure that the pipeline is operated in a safe manner that protects the Straits of Mackinaw.
Sun: How about fracking and the expansion of natural resource extractions? What policies do you support? A laissez fair approach, state regulation, or an outright moratorium?
Benishek: We should be exploring all opportunities for domestic energy production to help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help protect families and businesses in Northern Michigan from even higher energy prices. Natural gas exploration is part of this equation and I believe it can and needs to be done in a safe manner.
Cannon: If we can extract energy from the ground in a safe manner that will not harm the environment or produce another situation like the Enbridge spill, then I will support those measures. Let me be clear, these methodologies and measures must be safe for the environment and not harm our way of life.
Sun: According to the Kalkaska Leader, Jerry Cannon, was reportedly a commander at the Joint Detention Operations Group in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Should “GITMO” remain open and house detainees in the “war on terrorism” or should it be closed?
Benishek: I have consistently voted to prevent the transfer of terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to United States prisons.
Cannon: Yes, it served its purpose and now it’s time to shut it down. It’s very expensive to run and has become a symbol of resistance against us.