Name as it appears on the ballot: David E. Price
Age: 79
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: priceforcongress.com
Occupation & employer: Congressman, Educator
Years lived in North Carolina: 47
1) What are the three biggest issues facing the country right now? If elected, what would be your three top legislative priorities? Please explain why.
One look at the news underscores what’s at stake in the 2020 elections — our democracy. The progress we’ve made to expand health care access and protect our planet is also under daily threat by a reckless President who puts his own personal interests ahead of our country, both at home and on the world stage.
I filed for re-election in the newly drawn Fourth Congressional District to continue the fight for our democracy, affordable housing, improving our transportation infrastructure, expanded access to health care, combating gun violence, and a clean energy future. While there are many continuing challenges facing our nation, my top three issues are creating an economy that works for everyone, improved affordable housing and accessible, efficient transportation, and democratic reforms that give a voice to everyone.
2) Given how polarized—and paralyzed—Congress seems to be, why do you believe you would be effective at advancing those priorities? What in your background as a public official or private citizen should give us faith that you can help break through the gridlock?
Polarization is deep seeded and seemingly baked into our politics today. That’s manifested into a polarized and divided Congress. More often than not in our history we’ve had divided control of government, but the polarization only seems to be increasing. Today, there are not many places in the halls of Congress where Members of Congress from different sides of the aisle work closely together on big pieces of legislations — but there are a few exceptions.
One is the House Appropriations Committee, on which I serve. The Appropriations Committee has always encouraged cooperation and consultation between members of both parties–a large part of our job is oversight of agencies and programs, the “nuts and bolts” of government operations. Efficient and effective government is usually a bipartisan priority on this committee. Also, enacting funding bills into law almost always requires bipartisan support, and it’s tougher to “play politics” when you know you’ll need some amount of cooperation from members of the opposing party each year.
In my Chairmanship of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, I’ve been able to find common ground with Ranking Republican Member Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida on a wide range of priorities, including significant increased investment in transit and intercity rail, extra funding for states to repair structurally deficient bridges, new housing vouchers for vulnerable populations, and additional funding to create new housing for the elderly and disabled.
Outside of the appropriations process, I’ve recently worked with Democratic and Republican members to enact into law my World Languages Advancement and Readiness Act (WLARA), which authorizes the Secretary of Defense to administer grants to school systems to establish and expand programs that bolster our nation’s understanding of critical foreign languages. This has been a longstanding priority for me, and I’m grateful that even in a divided Washington there are ways to find common ground and advance legislation like WLARA that invests in our students and our nation’s long-term economic competitiveness and security.
3) Republicans have attacked the way Democrats conducted impeachment proceedings, complaining that it denied the president due process. Do you believe Democrats managed impeachment properly? Do you believe that Speaker Pelosi made the right decision in waiting a month to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate?
By first attempting to extort a vulnerable foreign leader in order to achieve personal political gain, and then by obstructing legitimate congressional investigations once his behavior was exposed, President Trump grossly abused his power. His actions threatened the integrity of our elections, corrupted our diplomacy, and undermined national security. We had no choice but to apply the constitutional remedy for such abuses. Yes, I believe Speaker Pelosi made the right decision — I trust her judgement and leadership.
4) Would you have voted to impeach the president on the two counts that passed the House in December? Do you believe additional charges should have been pursued, or that, as the president alleges, this was the continuation of a years-long witch-hunt? In particular, do you believe the House should have acted after the Mueller report identified numerous instances in which the president appeared to have obstructed the Russia investigation? Why or why not?
Yes, I voted for both counts of impeachment passed by the House in December.
In framing our constitution, the founders envisioned a system where no individual or branch of government could wield absolute, unchecked power. A critical check, to be exercised carefully and judiciously, is the House’s power of impeachment in the event of presidential behavior that grossly abuses power or threatens the foundations of our republic. For the past two and a half years we have watched with growing alarm as President Trump has attacked and defied our democratic institutions, shown cynical contempt for the truth, repeatedly assailed the free press and those charged with upholding the rule of law, and asserted a constitutional right “to do whatever I want as president”.
In particular, investigations launched by House committees since January — in addition to the report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller— have revealed a presidential campaign that welcomed and encouraged foreign interference in the 2016 election, a president who has repeatedly attempted to obstruct or discredit investigations of that interference, and a president who, with his family, has shown utter disregard for the emoluments clause, leading to pervasive conflicts of interest. Special Counsel Mueller’s testimony added weight to many of these findings, but we still have facts to unearth. With President Trump blocking access to critical documents and the testimony of key executive branch officials, we have reached a critical juncture. I believe the House must continue seeking the underlying grand jury documents from the Mueller investigation, as well as pursue the testimony of former Trump official Don McGahn, and other Trump administration officials pertinent to the investigation.
5) The president recently claimed that Republicans will protect pre-existing conditions, yet his Department of Justice is right now pursuing a case to wipe out the Affordable Care Act, including the pre-existing-conditions protections. Some Democratic presidential hopefuls, meanwhile, are campaigning on a pledge to end private insurance and enact a single-payer, Medicare-for-all-type system, while others want to keep the ACA and add to it a public option. Given political realities, what do you believe is the best path forward on health care?
No American should have to choose between putting food on the table and affording basic medical coverage. The Affordable Care Act was a major step forward in providing better coverage for every American, but too many people continue to be un- or under-insured. Without further delay, North Carolina must expand Medicaid to provide health care to hundreds of thousands of families stuck in the middle of a bitter Republican effort to block this coverage. Once a Democratic president and Senate join the House majority in 2021, we must work together to end the sabotage of the Affordable Care Act and enact policies that put us firmly on the path to universal coverage.
I have cosponsored several pieces of health care reform legislation which propose paths to universal coverage all deserve debate: Medicare for All (H.R. 1384), Medicare for America (H.R. 2452), Medicare Buy-In and Health Care Stabilization Act (H.R. 1346), and the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act (H.R. 1884).
6) The administration has rolled back a number of regulations aimed at mitigating climate pollution and pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Several leading Democrats have embraced (as a framework) a Green New Deal that would reorient the economy around sustainable energy. Given that climate scientists believe the world has a short window to avert global catastrophe, what steps do you believe the next Congress should take to address the climate crisis?
When we generations look back at this time, I’m certain climate will be the one issue where our ancestors say, “what were they thinking, and why didn’t they act?” The disastrous impacts of climate change influence my policy decisions, from my Transportation and Housing (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee Chairmanship to how we should rebuild in the face of storms. By now, we know all too well the threats of climate change right here in North Carolina. It’s meant harsher weather, shrinking coastlines, and more powerful storms.
Throughout my career, I have championed clean air and water protections, conservation of natural habitat, investments in clean energy, and U.S. leadership in combating climate change. I was a strong supporter of President Obama’s landmark Clean Power Plan, his raising of automobile fuel efficiency standards, and his leadership in negotiating the Paris Climate Accords, and I have been an outspoken critic of President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Accords.
A major focus of mine as THUD Chair is incorporating principles of resiliency into existing federal programs. For example, I’ve secured HUD recovery funding that allows states–including North Carolina–to invest in a broad range of recovery projects that mitigate threats from future storms so we can rebuild smarter. I’ve also included provisions in annual funding bills to require localities that receive certain HUD block grants to incorporate resiliency in their planning process, and prioritized robust funding for transit, rail, and other transportation alternatives that reduce emissions and give Americans more choices when they need to commute or travel.
In the current Congress, I am a cosponsor of both the Green New Deal and legislation that would require federal agencies to develop realistic plans to ensure our nation moves to 100% renewable energy over the next three decades. I’m also leading the fight against President Trump’s efforts to allow drilling and seismic testing off the North Carolina coast and have sponsored legislation to reinstate the Obama Administration’s drilling safety regulations. I am proud to have received a 100% rating from the League of Conservation Voters.
As we look to the future, we need big, bold solutions to tackle climate, and I’m working in the House to make that happen.
7) As of 2019, nearly 45 million Americans owe more than $1.5 trillion in student-loan debt, which experts say is preventing young people from buying homes, starting businesses, or starting families. Some Democrats have proposed forgiving all or some student loan debt and/or making some or all college free. What steps do you believe Congress should take, if any, to address student-loan debt and the cost of a college education?
Education has always been my highest priority in Congress, and I have worked over the years to make higher education more affordable and accessible for North Carolina families.
Student loan debt is saddling millions of Americans with bills, preventing some from making major life changes like starting a family, opening a business, or buying a home. College is simply too expensive, and many student loans are too large, with too high interest rates. I have fought against the Trump administration’s attempts to roll back protections for students, including the gainful employment rule and the borrower defense to repayment rule, and their work to undermine loan forgiveness programs such as the Public Student Loan Forgiveness. I am a cosponsor of the College Affordability Act (H.R. 4674), which would streamline the burdensome process for taking out and paying off student loans, and give existing borrowers access to more generous repayment plans and lower interest rates.
Now more than ever, Americans need access to a quality education to keep our nation competitive in the global economy and create a better quality of life for future generations. I have secured increased federal funding for Pell Grants and other programs designed to reduce the cost of college as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, as well as provided more funding to allow institutions to provide high-quality education to their students at a lower cost.
8) President Trump’s signature legislative achievement is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a regressive, deficit-funded tax overhaul that largely benefited the wealthy while, experts say, producing a positive but small effect on GDP. Given the rising deficit (see no. 9), do you believe the TCJA should be repealed? Do you believe Congress pass more tax cuts? If so, how should they be targeted? Or do you think Congress should raise taxes? What form of tax hikes would you prefer: Capital gains? A wealth tax? Income tax? Something else? Please explain.
The federal taxation system is not fair; it’s skewed to benefit the wealthy and corporations. This problem was exacerbated in 2017 with the Republican tax scam legislation that was rammed through the Congress, benefitting the wealthiest in our society and helping to increase inequality. Our first order of business must be repealing this reckless 2017 law, and beginning to create an equal playing field for everyone. By every measure, the Republican tax plan borrows from working families and future generations to benefit special interests and the well-connected.
I believe in a progressive tax system where the wealthy and corporations are required to pay their fair share. Since its last comprehensive update in 1986, the tax code has become riddled with loopholes and complexities that have allowed many wealthy Americans and large corporations to pay a far lower effective tax rate than they should. This has produced an uneven playing field that contributes to the growing wealth disparity in our country, a tangle of inefficiencies that has hampered economic growth, and a system that fails to generate the revenue needed to achieve fiscal balance. For example, investment income (such as capital gains and “carried interest”) is usually taxed more favorably than income earned from labor. This should be corrected. Also, we must ensure companies begin repatriating the more than $2.5 trillion in corporate earnings currently shielded from taxation overseas.
9) The Congressional Budget Office says that the deficit will exceed $1 trillion in 2020, though the economy has been growing for a decade. To what degree does the deficit concern you? What steps do you believe Congress should take to reduce the deficit, if any? Would you be willing to cut Medicare or Social Security? If you believe Congress should spend more on climate change or health care, do you worry about expanding the deficit further? If you believe Congress should cut taxes, how would you pay for it?
There is no more fundamental statement of our nation’s priorities and values than the federal budget. As North Carolina’s only representative on the House Appropriations Committee, I have fought throughout my career for budgets that invest in the American people, protect the most vulnerable among us, and set us on a path toward fiscal responsibility.
Unfortunately, President Trump’s budget proposals have been a stark departure from these goals. It would slash investments in education, scientific research, transportation, affordable housing, and other critical domestic programs. It would endanger our long-term economic competitiveness and harm workers and middle-class families in order to provide a massive increase in defense spending. And, as the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has concluded, it would not even eliminate the deficit, despite the President’s claims to the contrary. It truly represents the worst of both worlds: It fails the test of fiscal responsibility, yet it would do untold damage to our country in the process.
Instead of adopting a blueprint for national decline, I believe Congress must return to the bargaining table to negotiate a long-term solution to our fiscal challenges, one that balances targeted spending reductions with a reduction in tax expenditures and sustainable reforms to entitlement programs. Such a “grand bargain” may be politically difficult, but it is not unattainable: Congress enacted three balanced budget agreements during the 1990s that resulted in several years of budget surpluses and a significant reduction in our accumulated national debt—and was a key factor behind the booming economy. As a veteran of this successful effort, I know it is possible, but it will require both parties to be willing to compromise and take political risks. We cannot simply cut our way to a balanced budget.
Under a Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Senate, I am concerned about proposals to privatize Social Security or convert Medicare into a voucher program under the guise of deficit reduction. As you may know, Trump’s FY2020 budget proposed cutting $845 billion from Medicare and $25 billion from Social Security over the next ten years. While balancing the federal budget is important to our nation’s economic future, spending reductions should not be made at the expense of economically disadvantaged individuals and our seniors. That’s why I strongly oppose these efforts and any proposals that undermine Social Security and Medicare or otherwise threaten their long-term solvency.
We cannot allow President Trump and Congressional Republicans to pull the rug out from Americans for whom Social Security and Medicare are literally a matter of life and death. We must work together to preserve these critically important laws.
10) In January, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, though its status is in legal limbo. Supporters argue that the five states that have rescinded their previous ratification of the amendment had no right to do so, and that a ratification-deadline provision is unconstitutional. The first question is likely headed to federal courts, but ERA supporters say they’ll ask Congress to rescind the deadline. Do you support the ERA? If elected, would you vote to rescind the deadline Congress set almost 50 years ago?
Yes, I’m a strong supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). I believe that passage of the ERA would be a tremendous step toward helping women achieve the equal social, economic, and legal treatment they deserve. I am a cosponsor of H.J. Res 35, which proposes a constitutional amendment declaring that women shall have equal rights in the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. The amendment prohibits the United States or any state from denying or abridging equal rights under the law based on sex.
I am also a long-time cosponsor of legislation that would eliminate the deadline for ratification of the ERA, allowing the amendment to become part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states, regardless of any original deadline.
11) In the last year, several states have passed laws challenging Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood, including some that would effectively ban abortion. What do you believe Congress can or should do to protect abortion rights?
I’m deeply concerned by attacks on a women’s right to a safe and legal abortion — both at the state and federal level, and through the courts. Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood set clear precedent that abortions are legal in the United States, but unfortunatley, decades later, we are still fighting to protect this right.
As a Member of the Appropriations Committee, I’ve fought to protect funding for Planned Parenthood, Title X, and other family planning programs critical to women’s reproductive health. In addition, I’ve cosponsored the EACH Woman Act, which would permanently repeal the Hyde Amendment, ensuring women enrolled in government-run health insurance have access to abortion services. In addition, the bill would prevent federal, state, and local legislators from interfering with abortion coverage offered by private health insurance plans, including those participating in health insurance exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act.
12) Last year, after Congress refused to grant President Trump funds to build a border wall, the president declared a national emergency and diverted funding from the military toward that purpose. Do you believe such a declaration was justified and a wall is necessary? More broadly, do you believe the president’s immigration policies have been beneficial?
I voted for a resolution to overturn President Trump’s improper emergency declaration, and I voted to overturn the President’s veto of our resolution. Unfortunately, despite the resolution receiving majority votes in both the House and Senate, we were unable to overturn the President’s veto and the emergency declaration remains in place.
I understand that our nation’s immigration system is broken. However, for it to be truly effective, we need comprehensive immigration reform. We can’t simply focus on building a wall along the southern border and returning to detention and removal policies that we know from experience do not work. Rather than focusing limited enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to our communities, the President’s national emergency will result in the construction of an ineffective and inhumane wall on our southern border. Additionally, the President’s absurd southern border wall is projected to cost at least twenty billion dollars — money that would be much better spent on education, healthcare, housing, transportation, and a number of other domestic priorities.
I support fact-based proposals to secure the border, including increased screening technology and well-staffed ports of entry, but I do not support dumping federal funds into an ineffective border wall. President Trump’s wall has become a symbol of a broader set of Trump immigration policies that are unconscionable, and making it nearly impossible to reach consensus on meaningful reforms.
For decades now, Congress has promised, yet failed, to reform our broken immigration laws to meet the needs of our economy and allow millions of otherwise law-abiding undocumented residents to come out of the shadows and become full members of society. During each of these attempts, there was an understanding from presidents of both parties that as a nation of immigrants, our enforcement priorities should be geared toward those who pose a threat to our communities.
I believe that an enforcement-only approach to immigration is simply untenable. I support comprehensive immigration reform that would put an end to the exploitation of undocumented workers, provide children a chance at the American dream, and give us a practical way to match the economy’s labor needs with our visa allowances and the supply of legitimate immigrant workers. Despite continued Republican opposition, I will keep working with like-minded colleagues to ensure that we take a practical, comprehensive, and humane approach to addressing this issue.
13) In January, the president ordered a military strike that killed an Iranian commander inside of Iraq, leading to the Iraqi Parliament calling for the expulsion of American troops from Iraq, ratcheting up tensions with Iran, and straining U.S. alliances with some European allies. Do you believe the president had an obligation to inform Congress before such a strike? Do you believe the decision to launch an attack on the Iranian general was wise?
We can have no illusions as to the threats posed by the Iranian Quds Force or the atrocities perpetrated by Qasem Soleimani. However, President Trump’s ordering of Soleimani’s assassination is an escalation that threatens the lives of thousands of Americans, including our servicemembers and diplomats, and increases the prospects of a full-scale regional military conflict. The US action will be interpreted as an act of war against the Iranian state.
President Trump must not undertake reckless provocations that may spark a war – intended or not – without Congressional approval. The President’s refusal to consult Congressional leadership prior to ordering the strike is yet another example of his disregard for Congress’s role as a co-equal branch of government. It is long past time that we rein in the President by repealing the outdated AUMF, and work across party lines to clearly delineate the appropriate use of military force.
Over the last two years, we have watched the Trump administration engage in a series of escalations with Iran, with no comprehensive strategy communicated or implemented. From unilaterally pulling out of the multilateral agreement that verifiably rolled back Iran’s nuclear weapons program, to exchanges of inflammatory rhetoric, to reimposing sanctions squeezing Iran’s economy, to increased hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, it is clear that President Trump’s actions have emboldened Iranian hardliners and threatened the lives of Americans in the region. In February, I voted on legislation to repeal the 2002 AUMF and to prevent the President from starting a war with Iran.
14) In general, what are your views on American foreign policy under the Trump administration? Do you believe it has been beneficial, or have Trump’s decisions—including exiting the Iran and Paris agreements and enacting tariffs on China and other countries—harmed America’s national interests?
Even in these turbulent times, the world still looks to the United States to be a leader in global efforts to promote democracy and the rule of law, combat poverty and disease, and protect people displaced by conflict and climate change. By upending our alliances and eviscerating our diplomatic capabilities, President Trump has done grave damage to our nation’s ability to address these and other challenges.
As initiator and current chair of the House Democracy Partnership, a bipartisan commission that engages with parliaments in some 20 emerging democracies to increase capacity and share best practices, I have played a leading role in Congress’s efforts to strengthen democracy and the rule of law abroad. I have also helped lead efforts to promote U.S. leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, and invest in diplomacy and development.
As a member of the State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, I am fighting to protect our nation’s diplomacy and development budgets against severe cuts and to hold the Trump administration accountable for its reckless disregard for diplomatic norms. I have also introduced legislation reaffirming support for Israeli-Palestinian peace and led the effort to defend the Iran nuclear agreement against the President’s attacks.
Finally, President Trump’s failure to recognize or respond to Russian interference in the 2016 election represents a grave and disconcerting threat. The President must enforce the sanctions on Russia that were enacted with a nearly unanimous bipartisan majority, and Congress must use its oversight powers to hold the President accountable and protect against future foreign interference in our elections.
15) Polls indicate that a narrow majority of Americans approve of President Trump’s handling of the economy, though a broad majority also disapproves of his performance generally. This is often attributed to the president’s crass language, mendaciousness, and erratic behavior, both on Twitter and in rallies. Regardless of whether you support the president’s policies, do you believe he is a good role model or an honorable person?
We’re in a fight for the soul of America — for the values that have shaped us. Since taking office, this President’s self-serving lies and vindictiveness demean the office he holds, diminish our nation’s standing in the world, and threatened the values we hold dear. In my three decades in office, I have never witnessed such an erratic and mean-spirited leader with so little regard for democratic norms, and I am committed to doing everything within my power to restrain and replace him.
The America I know and believe in is filled with people of strong moral character and strength — a far departure than the current occupant of the White House. President Trump is not a role model for anyone, let alone children. He has shown contempt for the rule of law, for freedom of the press, and for America’s role on the world stage.
This election is about fighting the America we believe in: an America where we welcome the strength our diversity brings; an America where we offer our neighbors a helping hand with kindness and love; an America where elected officials put the needs of the country ahead of their own; and an America where we all belong — where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. The America I believe in cannot co-exist with the President’s character and actions, and it’s why he must be removed from office.
