Name as it appears on the ballot: Cal Cunningham
Photo by Jade Wilson
Cal Cunningham running for US Senate. Photos by Jade Wilson.
Age: 47
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: calfornc.com/
Occupation & employer: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve
Years lived in North Carolina: I have been a resident of North Carolina my whole life.
What in your background qualifies you to represent the people of North Carolina effectively?
North Carolina is the state that I love. I grew up in Lexington where I learned what it meant to serve from the youth group leaders who took me on service projects in Appalachia. On my family’s brickyard, I learned the value of hard work and the dignity that comes with a job. At the foot of my father, a small town lawyer, I learned justice requires a fight. And at Fort Bragg and abroad, I learned a deeper form of patriotism from the paratroopers, Reservists and special operators I served with.
When I joined the Army Reserve, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Overseas, I took on corrupt government contractors, and as Senator, I'll bring that same zeal to reforming our democracy. We’ve seen political corruption work as a fundamental barrier to progress in this country. In the Senate, I’ll take on the corruption that has been blocking progress on the greatest issues of our time, like expanding health care, recovering from this pandemic, building an economy that works for everyone, and investing in public education.
What would you cite as your three biggest career accomplishments?
In the Army, I was proud to have been awarded the Bronze Star and the prestigious General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, in part for groundbreaking work prosecuting corrupt government contractors for criminal misconduct.
In the State Senate, I was proud to have helped pass landmark clean air legislation that reduced harmful pollutants from coal-fired power plants by over 80 percent.
I was proud to lead efforts to address school gun violence, curb the opioid addiction crisis, and fund services for women and families affected by domestic violence and sexual assault as the Vice Chairman of Governor Roy Cooper’s Crime Commission.
If elected, what three policies would you prioritize that you believe will have the most impact? How would you work across the aisle to enact those policies?
Healthcare
One of the most frequent issues I hear about is the urgent need to improve access and bring down the cost of health care for families. I will fight to strengthen the ACA, expand Medicaid, create a public option and fight to ensure no one loses their employer-sponsored coverage who wants to keep it.
Jobs
The only economy that truly works is an economy that generates opportunities for everyone. I will fight for a more equitable economy and living wage in every community by standing with workers to support efforts to promote good-paying full-time jobs with benefits, rein in the cost of higher education and health care, defend workplace protections, and finally raise the minimum wage.
Education
The quality of our children’s education shouldn’t depend on where they grow up, their family circumstances, their race, their wealth, or a disability, and I believe that public education—and the investments we make in our children through schools—should be an engine of opportunity for all North Carolinians. I will invest in public education, fight to pay teachers what they deserve, support early childhood education and work to lower the cost of college and expand access to community college and technical training.
Do you believe President Donald Trump is of good moral character and is mentally fit to hold office? Do you believe he has governed responsibly during the pandemic? Do you believe he should have been impeached rather than acquitted?
The federal government has fumbled the response to the COVID-19 crisis. From the onset of the virus, it was clear that the administration had not adequately prepared for a pandemic, and continued to delay action, ignore science, and undermine experts. That led to over 200,000 deaths, historic unemployment, and a battered economy. It amounts to a complete failure of leadership.
As I said at the time, after considering the evidence and the constitutional arguments on both sides, if I were a member of the U.S. Senate I would have voted to remove Donald Trump from the Presidency.
Millions of Americans are out of work and struggling to pay bills amid the pandemic. What immediate steps should be taken to offer relief to families and businesses? If in the form of a stimulus package, what would that look like and how would you fund it?
I’ve continually called on Congress and my opponent to do their jobs and pass another round of COVID relief to continue enhanced unemployment benefits, relieve state and local government budget shortfalls, provide resources for schools, small businesses and the postal service and pass a Medicaid expansion incentive.
In my COVID-19 plan, I’ve also outlined ways to create jobs and get North Carolinians back to work. My priorities include: expanding national service programs to help communities recover and get more Americans involved in the solution, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs by putting people to work rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure and ensuring displaced workers can access education and training through North Carolina community colleges.
We also need to work to build a stronger safety net for those who have been hurt economically by the pandemic that includes building on the Affordable Care Act, expanding Medicaid, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, extending and expanding unemployment benefits and supporting families by providing workers with paid sick and family leave, and making childcare widely available and affordable.
In May, I released my priorities for next steps in COVID-19 relief. Read them in detail here: http://www.calfornc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Reopening-Plan-2.pdf
Nearly 200,000 Americans have died due to COVID-19 and millions more are struggling with astronomical medical bills. Do you believe the American health system is working? What is your plan for making sure health care is affordable and accessible to all American citizens? Are you in favor of a single-payer option?
North Carolinians continue to struggle with the rising cost of premiums, co-pays, and prescription drugs, and there are still more than 1 million people in our state without any coverage at all. I know our health care system isn’t perfect and there are real issues Congress needs to work together to fix. In the Senate, I will fight to strengthen and extend coverage under the Affordable Care Act, expand Medicaid in North Carolina, create a public health insurance option, support rural hospitals, address doctor shortages, support life-saving research to prevent and treat diseases like cancer and HIV/AIDS, and ensure no one loses their employer-sponsored coverage who wants to keep it. I will oppose any effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, gut protections for people who have a pre-existing medical condition, and allow big insurance companies to impose what the AARP calls an “age tax” on older North Carolinians that could cost them thousands of dollars more. In the Senate, I will also do everything I can to stop the dangerous lawsuit pushed forward by Washington Republicans that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act and its protections.
Do you believe abortion should be a fundamental human right and would you back a supreme court nominee with a history of ruling against women’s right to choose? What, if anything, do you think congress must do to protect abortion rights?
It’s simple -- a woman’s choice is a woman’s right and there is no place for a politician in a conversation between a woman and her doctor. In the Senate, I will always defend Roe v. Wade against partisan attacks, and will look to confirm judges who will uphold Roe as law.
Do you believe the federal minimum wage should be increased? If, by how much? If not, why?
Yes, I believe in making sure that the minimum wage is a living wage. That starts with increasing it to $15 an hour. We need an economy that puts more money in the pockets of people that work for a living -- not big corporations.
Please state three specific policies you support to address climate change.
North Carolina has seen the effects of climate change firsthand through the historic storms and flooding that have ravaged our state — this is one of the most urgent issues facing us. We need to invest in a clean energy economy that will create good-paying jobs, reduce carbon pollution, and make North Carolina a leader. Solar energy is already spreading across this state, providing good-paying jobs for our workers and economic investment in rural areas. North Carolina has the research facilities to design the next generation solar panels and the manufacturing base to lead on solar energy and I intend to help that happen.
Do you support the Black Lives Matter movement? Why or why not?
Yes, Black lives matter. We know the excessive use of force, carried out by those whose job it is to keep communities safe, is all too familiar to Black Americans. These violations of civil and Constitutional rights, and the racial injustices that have led us to this moment, demand our attention now more than ever.
This is why I have laid out a thoughtful plan for constructive changes in policing, including:
Building a 21st century law enforcement profession that is held to the highest standards of training and professionalism through a new 21st century grant program, or update current programs, contingent on best practices.
Embracing community policing and taking steps to give communities a meaningful role in accountability.
Limiting qualified immunity and making it easier for those whose rights have been violated to hold bad actors accountable.
Investing in our communities. Twenty-first century policing reform will require increased investment in law enforcement, not defunding it. The increased calls on law enforcement to respond to substance abuse and mental health issues in their communities have added pressure on law enforcement and highlight the need to also invest in our health system and social services.
But we know racial inequities extend beyond law enforcement and the criminal justice system. We must also work to address the race-based, systemic barriers to health care, equal housing, and education with intentional policy and investment.
Are there any issues this questionnaire has not addressed that you would like to address?
No.
Comment on this questionnaire at backtalk@indyweek.com.
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