Name as it appears on the ballot: David E. Price
Campaign website: www.priceforcongress.com
Phone number: (919) 854-4155
Email: david@pricecampaign.com
Years lived in the district: 45
1. In your view, what are the three most pressing issues facing the United States? If elected, what will you do to address these issues, given the gridlock that seems to define Congress these days?
First, we must ensure that every American worker who wants a job can find one, and that the benefits of economic growth are broadly shared. This means investing in education and worker training, mitigating the harmful effects of globalization and automation, and ensuring that all American workers earn a living wage. It also means a progressive tax code that puts working families ahead of corporations and the wealthy, and it means bold new investments in job-creating programs such as infrastructure and scientific research.
Second, affordable housing and a multi-modal transportation system that works for all are essential foundations for economic opportunity and our quality of life—especially in areas like the Research Triangle region that are experiencing rapid growth. As the senior Democratic member of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, I am leading the fight in Congress for investments in affordable housing, community development, and transportation, including the federal funding necessary to implement light rail and expanded bus service in the Triangle.
Third, we must reform our democracy to empower citizens, rein in the influence of special interests, and hold elected officials accountable for their corruption. As a Vice Chair of the House Democracy Reform Task Force, I have helped lead the effort to restore integrity, transparency, and accountability in our politics. My “We the People” Act would end partisan gerrymandering, establish public financing for all federal elections, expand voter registration, and require all presidents to release their tax returns, among other reforms.
2. If you are challenging an incumbent, what decisions has the incumbent made that you most disagree with? If you are an incumbent, what in your voting record and experience do you believe merits another term?
Over the course of my service in Congress, I have fought to improve the lives of North Carolina families and to advance values of fairness and equality for all Americans. I have fought for accessible health care, supporting the Affordable Care Act and defending it from Republican attacks. I have fought for education, authoring legislation to make student loan interest tax-deductible and to train and support public school teachers. I have fought for clean air and water, for equal rights for all Americans, and for a foreign policy based on principles of multilateralism and engagement. And, as North Carolina’s only member of the Appropriations Committee, I have secured investments in infrastructure, housing, scientific research, and other priorities that enrich our quality of life and protect the most vulnerable among us.
3. From books by Bob Woodward and former Trump adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman to the anonymous op-ed recently published in The New York Times, accounts emerging from the White House describe chaos and surreptitious efforts by staffers to keep mitigate the damage the president can do to the country. Do you have confidence in the president’s ability to lead? Why or why not? If not, what should members of Congress do about it?
Donald Trump has demeaned the office he holds, diminished our nation’s standing in the world, and pursued a divisive and discriminatory agenda at home—attacking immigrants, refugees, people of color, and anyone who has an opinion other than his. He is unfit to lead this nation, and the need to hold him accountable is one of the primary reasons I am running for re-election.
I take little comfort in unelected cabinet members or White House staff attempting to restrain Trump’s worst impulses or speaking out after they have left his Administration. And I take even less comfort in Congressional Republicans agonizing publicly over his behavior and then voting in lockstep with him, or tolerating him in order to enact their own extreme policies. In the absence of concrete action to conduct oversight of the President or block his agenda, such hand-wringing is cynical at best and complicit at worst.
In a Democratic Congress, we can put a stop to some of his most reckless and harmful policies, we can begin the wok of undoing the grave damage his administration has done over the past two years, and we can once again make the key investments in national priorities like education, health care, and affordable housing. We can also use our oversight authority to investigate President Trump and his Administration aggressively and thoroughly--including uncovering the full truth behind his election. Should the facts warrant it, Congress must be prepared to hold the President himself accountable for violating the law.
4. Similarly, given what we know, do you have any concerns about the president’s mental stability?
As a co-chair of the Mental Health Caucus, I believe we shouldn’t be quick to characterize the state of any individual’s mental health without a proper assessment by professionals. That being said, credible reports of the President’s declining mental faculties and increasingly erratic outbursts are extremely concerning, as is the fact that he has been reluctant to release his full medical records. These reports should be taken seriously and examined judiciously and dispassionately by professionals.
5. In your opinion, what are the three best and three worst policy actions taken by the president this year? Please explain your answers.
I was pleased the President signed the spending agreement passed by Congress in March (after initially threatening to veto it), averting a government shutdown and allowing us to make significant investments in priorities such as affordable housing and scientific research.
I was pleased the President signed bipartisan opioids legislation into law to deal with the worsening opioid epidemic in America. This bill would expand access to addiction treatment and gives government agencies to combat the crisis head-on.
More recently, I have been pleased that President Trump and Administration officials have worked so closely with Governor Cooper to respond to Hurricanes Florence and Michael, including his issuance of a disaster declaration for large parts of the state and his support for the disaster assistance appropriated by Congress in October.
It is difficult to narrow down the Trump administration's worst policy decisions, but separating immigrant children from their parents at our nation's border tops the list. This cruel and shameful policy resulted in more than 2,000 children being torn from their parents, and many remain separated with no discernible timeline for their reunification. While the family separation policy may have been among the most vivid examples, however, it is one of many racist, anti-immigrant actions Trump has taken to tear apart families and sowed fear and uncertainty in communities across the country.
President Trump’s decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal not only risks a renewed conflict with a nuclear-armed Iran in the short run; it will also do as much as any action he has taken to undermine our global leadership in the long run. The Iran agreement implemented the most stringent verification and monitoring standards ever placed on a nation, successfully preventing Iran from developing or obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump’s reckless decision to abandon it serves only to isolate us from our allies, to encourage Iran and other countries to obtain nuclear weapons, and to dissuade other adversaries such as North Korea from negotiating agreements with the United States.
Climate change is one of the greatest threats that our nation faces in the 21st century, and only through bold, comprehensive global efforts can we seek to mitigate its impacts. Like his decision to abandon the Paris Climate Agreement last year, Trump’s decision to overturn the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan and its fuel efficiency standards for vehicles will undermine our economic competitiveness and threaten catastrophic harm to future generations. As long as the President continues to employ a scorched-earth approach to environmental policy, greenhouse gas emissions will rise, natural disasters will become more frequent and intense, and health outcomes around the world will suffer.
6. As of this writing, the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller has resulted in indictments or guilty pleas for at least thirty-two people, including former associates of President Trump, and three companies. Based on the evidence made available so far, do you believe the president has committed high crimes and misdemeanors, or what the Constitution sets as the threshold for impeachment? If not, what evidence would you need to see to believe he has? Do you believe that the next Congress should take up articles of impeachment?
That Russia waged an aggressive and unprecedented campaign to interfere in the election in Trump’s favor is not a matter of doubt: it is the consensus view of the entire U.S. intelligence community. We must now ascertain whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government—and whether the President and his associates obstructed justice in attempting to cover it up, or committed other serious crimes that could be grounds for criminal charges or impeachment.
Instead of conducting their own bipartisan investigations to complement the work of the Special Counsel, Congressional Republicans have failed to conduct any meaningful oversight of the President’s actions, and in some instances have actively abetted them. I have called publicly for the removal of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, who has blatantly abused his power by coordinating with the White House’s effort to discredit the FBI and prematurely ending his committee’s own investigation. But ultimately the blame lies with Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who have done nothing to hold the President accountable or to protect the integrity of the FBI’s investigation.
These developments have brought our nation to the brink of a constitutional crisis. It is vital that the Special Counsel be allowed to conduct a thorough investigation, free of political interference and for as long as is necessary to uncover the truth. I have cosponsored numerous bills to ensure this, including the Special Counsel Independence Protection Act (H.R. 3654) and the Special Counsel Integrity Act (H.R. 3771). Ultimately, Congress must be prepared to follow the facts wherever they lead--including holding the President himself accountable for violations of the law.
7. As this questionnaire is being written, the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to hold a hearing regarding an allegation of sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, followed by a confirmation vote later in the week. Do you believe such a vote should take place in the absence of an investigation by the FBI, as was done with the allegations leveled by Anita Hill against Clarence Thomas? Or do you believe these allegations are simply an effort by Democrats to delay Kavanaugh’s confirmation?
I’m deeply disappointed by the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. From the start, we’ve known Brett Kavanaugh was an extremely partisan judge, handpicked by ideological interest groups hellbent on undermining voting rights, unions, environmental protection, and reproductive freedom. In addition, Judge Kavanaugh’s views on executive authority underscore the urgent need for Congress to protect the special counsel investigation.
The examination of Judge Kavanaugh was hampered from the start by the White House’s refusal to release highly relevant records from his political service. Senators Leahy and Durbin in particular cited instances where he had been less than truthful. And then came several credible claims of sexual misconduct. Asked to respond to these charges, he displayed a remarkable lack of judicial temperament, attacking Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee and alleging political conspiracies against him.
Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation is a tremendous step backward for an independent judiciary, an impartial confirmation process, and a thorough examination of the background of nominees. Furthermore, President Trump and Senate Republicans have sent a message to would-be sexual aggressors that their misconduct may well go unpunished, and to victims that they may not only be ignored, but actually publicly ridiculed.
8. Based on Kavanaugh’s testimony and the portion of records from his career that have been made available, do you think he should be confirmed to the Supreme Court? Why or why not?
See above.
9. Trump administration policies have resulted in thousands of families being separated at the southern border, asylum seekers being detained, and a record low number of refugees being admitted into the country. What do you think of these policies? Are these policies necessary steps to reduce illegal immigration, as the president contends, or simply an appeal to nativist resentment, as some liberals say? In your own words, what would an ideal immigration reform package look like? Would you accept a border wall as part of it under any circumstances?
From top to bottom, President Trump’s immigration agenda has been heartless, barbaric, and counterproductive. He has abandoned more than 700,000 young Dreamers, attempted to build an absurd southern border wall, banned refugees and immigrants from Muslim-majority nations, revoked Temporary Protected Status for millions of individuals facing dangerous situations in their home countries, and separated thousands of families at the border.
As the former Chairman and current member of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I have been a longstanding champion of immigration reform that meets the needs of our economy, updates our legal immigration processes, and creates a pathway to citizenship for individuals who are already part of the fabric of our communities. I have been a cosponsor of the DREAM Act since it was first introduced, cosponsored legislation to fix the DACA program, signed multiple letters and legal briefs opposing President Trump’s “Muslim ban,” protested the revocation of TPS for individuals from El Salvador, Honduras, Syria, and other countries, and visited our southern border to witness firsthand the destructive policies of Trump’s administration. As a result of this visit, I authored an amendment rolling back the administration’s asylum restrictions, which passed the Appropriations Committee on a bipartisan vote.
Fortunately, some of the President’s most egregious policies—including his DACA decision—have been delayed at least temporarily by the courts. But as long as Congress fails to enact comprehensive reform, immigrants will continue to live in uncertainty as the Trump administration continues to pursue its mass deportation agenda.
10. Right now, unemployment is hovering around 4 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is nearing record highs, and the second quarter GDP reached 4.2 percent. The economy, at least according to the usual metrics, is performing well. How much of this do you attribute to President Trump’s policies—namely the tax reform package and deregulation—and how much of it do you believe was a continuation of the recovery that began under President Obama?
Thanks to the leadership of President Obama, the economy has recovered significantly and is now growing at a steady pace again, but too many Americans are being left behind by rising inequality, stagnant wages, and economic dislocation. Now, instead of upholding his promises to working families, President Trump has enacted a tax plan that spends $1.5 trillion on tax cuts for large corporations and the wealthiest Americans, while most Americans will only receive temporary minor cuts.
I have fought to give American workers the education and training they need to compete in the global economy and to mitigate the harmful effects of globalization. I created a program that gives grants to community colleges to train local workers, have worked to expand access to affordable higher education, and I have championed worker protections and collective bargaining rights. I will also continue to fight to ensure the protections and expansions of the Affordable Care Act remain intact to prevent skyrocketing costs and barebones coverage that too many families experienced before its enactment.
In the current Congress, I am a cosponsor of bills to raise the minimum wage for working families, to protect the pensions workers have earned, and to establish paid family and medical leave for all Americans. I am also a leading advocate for bold new investments in infrastructure and other job-creating programs.
11. There are those who argue that these topline numbers do not tell the “real” story of the economy—that while the wealthy are prospering, middle-class wages are struggling to keep pace with inflation. What do you believe is the real state of the economy? Are policymakers doing enough to help the middle- and working-class thrive? If not, what would you do differently?
See above.
12. Whatever benefits the tax cuts may have had for the economy, they also produced considerable red ink—almost $900 billion this year alone, a 32 percent increase over last year, at a time of relative economic prosperity. Do you believe these deficits pose a long-term threat to the country’s economic health? If so, what do you propose to do about it?
For years, conservatives have stressed the need for fiscal discipline and for responsible congressional procedures. They have promised tax reform that simplifies the tax code and benefits working families. They have refused to fund infrastructure, health care, and other vital priorities without offsetting the cost.
We can now clearly see their self-professed concern for fiscal discipline was a hypocritical sham. House Republicans fast-tracked a vote on a sloppily drafted bill that raises taxes on tens of millions of middle class families, adds $1.5 trillion to the national debt, and explodes healthcare premiums and the ranks of the uninsured. Plain and simple, the GOP tax scam asks hard-working families and future generations of Americans to foot the bill for huge tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. An astounding 83 percent of the bill’s tax cuts go to the wealthiest one percent of the population. And the tax code is more complicated than ever!
In enacting this tax scam, the GOP has jeopardized our economic future to give tax cuts to corporate lobbyists and their campaign benefactors. Companies that promised investments or wage increases have used the windfall to buy back stock instead. And the additional red ink leaves us ill-prepared to deal with economic downturns in the future. In a Democratic Congress, I will work with my colleagues to replace the Republican law with a tax plan that grows the economy, simplifies our tax code, and invests in working families.
13. It seems hardly a day goes by without news of another mass shooting. What changes to gun laws, if any, do you support? For example, would you support an assault weapons ban? Do you believe there is a way to improve the background check system or prevent disturbed individuals from accessing guns? If you do not support any changes, please explain why you think the current laws are successful.
With each deadly shooting that occurs, the need for common-sense reforms to our nation’s gun laws grows more urgent—and Congress’s failure to reform them grows more shameful. As a Vice Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force of the House Democratic Caucus, I have helped lead the fight in Congress to respond to the gun violence epidemic facing our country. I consider my “F” rating from the NRA to be a badge of honor.
It’s past time for the safety of our communities to be a higher priority to lawmakers than their donors in the firearm lobby. I am a cosponsor of legislation to reinstate the ban on military-style assault weapons (H.R. 5087), to establish truly universal background checks (H.R. 4240), to ban the use of so-called “bump stocks” (H.R. 3947), to expand the use of gun violence restraining orders (H.R. 2598), and to establish a Select Committee on Gun Violence Prevention (H. Res. 367), among other initiatives.
I have also used my position as North Carolina’s only member of the Appropriations Committee to advance gun violence reforms through the annual appropriations process. For years, the spending bill that funds the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has prevented the agency from conducting research into the causes and consequences of gun violence, and for years I have led an annual effort to advocate for the repeal of this prohibition, which is known as the “Dickey Amendment.” I’m pleased to report that the fiscal year (FY) 2018 spending legislation finally allows CDC to conduct this potentially life-saving research.
Additionally, the House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment I offered to clarify that states and localities may use federal funds to implement and administer Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws, which create a mechanism for law enforcement officials to temporarily remove an individual’s firearms in the face of credible concerns that they could use them to do harm.
I am hopeful that these modest breakthroughs are a sign of the tide finally turning on the issue of gun violence. In the next Congress, I will continue to fight as hard as I know how to demand action, in solidarity with the many victims and families who have been touched by this issue over the years, and with the thousands of young Americans who have raised their voices to proclaim, “never again!”
14. Identify and explain one principled stand you would be willing to take if elected that you suspect might cost you some points with voters.
Addressing our nation’s long-term fiscal challenges and improving our economic competitiveness will require a simpler, fairer tax code that invests in working families. A truly comprehensive tax reform would inevitably require raising revenues on some, which is rarely a politically popular proposition. I believe that tax increases should be concentrated in the highest brackets and that we can also generate significant new revenues by eliminating tax expenditures (such as tax breaks for oil and gas development) and by considering proposals to tax things other than income (such as a financial transactions tax). Unfortunately, the Republican tax scam has made the consideration of any of these proposals more difficult.
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