Stop dwelling on the past

By Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal, October 2, 2014.

ALEIGH — As incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan and Republican challenger Thom Tillis have battled to represent North Carolina for the next six years in Washington, their messages have focused on the past — Hagan’s tenure in the Senate, and Tillis’ leadership of the state House.

But voters do not elect senators merely to rehash history. Ultimately, their representatives must address current and future concerns. Hagan and Tillis have (at press time) agreed to participate in one more televised debate. If any moderators out there are open to suggestion, here are some forward-looking questions for the candidates that might help voters make their decisions:

For Sen. Hagan:

• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has led what a number of Republican and conservative pundits have called a “do-nothing Senate.” The House of Representatives has passed more than 300 pieces of legislation (it’s 342 or 352, depending on the source) that have languished in the Senate. Either Reid has refused to bring the measures to the full chamber for a vote, or his handpicked committee chairs have not introduced them for committee debate.

Do you support these tactics? Have you urged Reid to bring any of these bills to the full Senate? If you win a second term, would you support keeping Reid as the Senate Democratic leader, and why? If not, name a Democratic senator you would rather see lead your party’s caucus.

• During your six years in Washington, Congress rarely has taken up any legislation you have sponsored. What are your legislative priorities for a second term in the Senate? What policies — national, regional, or state-specific — would you champion?

• You have touted your moderate record in the Senate. Name some specific instances in which you have worked with Republicans to pass legislation.

For Speaker Tillis:

• Every Republican Senate candidate says stalling or thwarting President Obama’s domestic legislative agenda is a top priority. Other than that, why are you running for the Senate? What areas of public policy do you find particularly energizing or exciting? How would that enthusiasm translate to the Senate?

• Even though you may be at odds with Obama on a number of issues, you would have to work with him for two years. Where do you see potential areas of agreement?

• You have said eliminating the U.S. Department of Education would be a top priority if you were elected. Are there other federal agencies that should be consolidated or abolished, and why?

For both:

• Over the past 40 years, spending on federal entitlements — health and welfare programs and benefits for retirees — has grown nearly twice as fast as gross domestic product. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that unless Congress makes structural changes in these programs, within a decade spending on entitlements and interest on the debt will consume every tax dollar the federal government collects, and spending on those programs will accelerate over time. The Concord Coalition projects that the federal government will run an additional $9.5 trillion in deficits over the next decade.

Are you troubled by this trend? If so, what changes would you make in tax policy and entitlements to restore fiscal solvency? How will you sell these reforms to voters — particularly those at or near retirement age — who may be fearful of any alterations to benefits that have been promised to them?

• What do you see as the role of Congress in encouraging domestic energy production, especially in areas controlled by the federal government, such as deep offshore oil and natural gas fields or coal and oil resources on federal lands?

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