I agree with President Obama and his Administration on the importance of international diplomacy, to the extent practicable, and fully implementing an aggressive, stepped up international sanctions regime that began on July 1. The prospect of Iran developing a nuclear weapon poses a grave threat to the United States, to Israel, the Middle East, and to the global community. We must employ every tool at our disposal to dissuade if possible — and prevent if necessary — the Iranian regime from developing a nuclear weapon. A nuclear armed Iran would surely end anti-proliferation efforts in an already volatile region — making our Middle East policy much more difficult due to the increased pressure on other nations in the region to obtain nuclear weapons.
Congressional candidate profiles
Iran must understand that the global community stands united in opposition to its obtaining nuclear weapons. Despite recent actions by the Iranian regime to rebuff diplomatic efforts, I agree with the Obama administration's continued diplomatic outreach and full pursuit of the latest economic sanctions. As a member of Congress, I have voted four times to support increased sanctions to prevent Iran from acquiring or developing nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and advanced conventional weapons. The sanctions by the United States, members of the European community, and others have demonstrated that such measures can and do elicit a response from the Iranian regime and contribute to a clearer framework for future multilateral talks. With harsher sanctions in effect as of July 1, the P5+1 nations may be in a stronger position to obtain positive results in the coming weeks and months.
// Describe a specific policy you would pursue in Congress that would have support from members of the opposite party. //
Over the last decade, we have lost approximately five million manufacturing jobs, including a 4 percent decrease in Maryland since 2008. We must take bold action to rebuild the manufacturing base to help American workers. That is why I sponsored H.R. 689, the 21st Century Investment Act of 2011, to increase and make permanent the research and development (R&D) tax credit and increase the domestic manufacturing tax credit to spur innovation. The policies in this legislation are supported by both parties, and would enable us to link our innovation to our production lines, creating good-paying jobs here in America in the short-term, helping to lay a foundation for prosperity for generations to come.
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Faith Loudon, Republican
- Party: Republican
- Age: 73
- City of residence: Pasadena
- Occupation: Activist
- Family: Married with three children and seven grandchildren
- Campaign website: www.faithloudon.com
- Public campaign contact: 443-422-4678
- Experience: I have been involved with campaigns and politics for the last 30 years. I have volunteered in my community including serving as president of two PTAs and tutoring students with difficulties in public schools. I am active in my local church and held a statewide position. I was elected to the Anne Arundel County Republican State Central Committee, 1998-2002. I was appointed to the Anne Arundel County Children's Council.
- Education: Attended University of Maryland, College Park
- Have you ever been convicted of a crime (not including minor traffic violations)? No.
// As you know, the Bush-era income tax cuts will expire at the end of this year. Do you support extending the cuts for all income levels, only on individual income under $200,000 (under $250,000 for families), or not at all? If you support an extension of some kind, should it be paid for? //
I support extending them for all income levels. I also support an all-around simpler tax code that would allow Americans to save money on external tax services. Contrary to popular belief, lower tax rates have resulted in higher government revenue in the past as it creates private sector jobs. This is because more people are paying taxes and less people are collecting unemployment checks. I also would like to eliminate waste and redundancy to save the taxpayers money.
// Is there any circumstance in which you would support extending a pay freeze on federal employees and/or requiring current federal employees to contribute more to their retirement plans? Please explain. //
One solution to cut spending would be to allow current employees to keep their retirement plans while reforming the plans for new hires. I also believe it is unfair for Congress to cut or freeze the pay of other federal employees without taking a pay cut themselves.
// The Congressional Budget Office projects spending on Medicare, Medicaid and other government health programs will more than double as a share of the nation's economy by 2037. What specific changes would you propose to reduce Medicare costs? //
