Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board questionnaire responses
Legislative priorities:
Q) What are your three top national legislative priorities for the country?
A) 1. Rebuilding this nation’s crumbling infrastructures throughout the country thus putting 13 million Americans to work which would bring needed resources to communities thus infusing needed income to sustain families restoring a sense of pride for their community and our country. We must rebuild now and put Americans back to work similar to FDR’s WPA (Work Administration Program) his famed , “New Deal”, that put 8 million people to work from 1936 to 1944 rebuilding our infrastructure roads, bridges, sewer and water systems nationwide.
2. Public Colleges & Public Universities be made free and student debt be forgiven/and or drastically reduced. This action will take the unnecessary burden off of students who are saddled with exorbitant amount of student loans that cannot be reasonably paid back. It thus becomes a lifelong millstone around the neck of each student who is our future but will struggle throughout life simply because these students wanted to get an education to better ones self. This is not the America I grew up in. We had grants not loans. This was extremely helpful as the nation’s priority in 1977 thru 1980 was to educate the next generation to bring forth quality types of people in all areas of life ready to go in to the workforce and excel.
3. Empowering victims of Child Molestation. I will file a bill in Congress, “The Innocence Lost Act of 2017”. To remove statutorily, all time limitations from which to seek justice in the courts against their abusers. These adults, who as children were victimized and most if not all, are too ashamed to come forth to expose the life-altering damage that has stolen away their innocence with many receiving no help are too often forced to remain silent well into their adult lives and when these victims finally gain the courage to come forward to expose the horrors they have endured, the time to seek justice has run out. I believe we are a better nation than to relegate our children to have to a life-sentence of shame to silence & fear and their abusers continue their lives knowing they will never face justice. My bill will thus raise this type of crime to be the same as murder, which has no statute of limitations anywhere in this country.
Q: What are the three most important issues in your district on which you believe the federal government needs to act?
Rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure thus employing thousands of 2nd District residents & the federal contracts that will be partnered with these massive rebuilding projects to be equitably awarded to all diversity groups of the 2nd District following the 1964 & 1991 Civil Rights Acts.
Gun Violence.
Job Creation.
Q) What is your biggest fundamental difference with your opponent(s)?
A) I will be a “Citizen Legislator” independent to freely address the concerns, needs & grievances of my constituents without the traditional party ‘go along to get along mindset’. I cannot be bought by the billionaire class that believe they must control each and every seat in Congress so their agenda is first and the only agenda.
The constituents want their concerns heard, addressed & solved.
Therefore, I am unbought, unbossed & unapologetic to remedying the issues that the majority of the 2nd District Residents are facing and I will address those concerns freely without a second thought to party loyalty.
Transparency:
Q) Will you pledge to make public: a) your campaign schedule; b) your fundraiser schedule and the names of all fundraiser hosts ; c) if elected, your daily schedule of meetings? If not, why not?
Yes to all.
Q) Please list all relatives on public or campaign payrolls and their jobs on those payrolls.
None.
National security:
Q) What are the most important actions Congress can take to reduce the threat of ISIS abroad and at home?
I am not privy to intelligence briefings thus I cannot answer this question at this time.
Q) What bans, if any, do you support on Muslim admissions to the United States? Please explain your position.
I do not believe in this type of selective discrimination similar to the Japanese interment in the 1940’s & targeting of Muslims by the Federal Government. An individual(s) must to be found to be a threat to this nation with proof thusly they can be barred entry to the United States.
Q) Specifically, how would you have, or how did you, vote on the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act of 2015 and its efforts to make it harder for Syrian and Iraqi refugees to enter the U.S.? Please explain your position.
I would vote No (NAY). This group of people through no fault of their own are fleeing a war torn country with just the clothes on their back. The President has extended this govenments’ help to these people and we should assist and give those that we can refuge in this country till the situation is peaceful and returning to Syria and Iraq is without danger to their lives.
Q) Do you support a Syrian no-fly zone or the U.S. enforcement of Syrian humanitarian safe zones? Why or why not?
I want the Arab neighbors around Syria to step up and take an front line role to quell this violence coming from Syria. U.S. enforcement must be limited as to not become the sole and always only country that is called upon. Therefore I do not support a U.S. enforced no-fly zone as this will become a “trigger” to war if some terrorist act is committed against our enforce safe zones.
Q) Regarding the House Benghazi Select Committee, should its investigation remain open-ended, or should the panel be given a deadline to complete its work? Please explain.
This investigation should be given a strict deadline to complete its work. By now all the evidence should be on the table for scrutiny.
Q) What measures, if any, do you support to give U.S. authorities access to encrypted or “dark web” communications about potential terrorist plots? Please explain.
I believe in the 1st Amendment. Probable Cause must exist and a warrant must be sought and issued by a federal judge before giving the U.S. Government access to this type of communications.
Q) Do you support transferring the detention of terrorism suspects from Guantanamo Bay to the United States? Why or why not?
Yes. This facility must be closed as it is a beacon of injustice throughout the world. If this government is detaining these individuals who are described as enemy combatants then this government must either bring them here and try them as such or return them to their country.
Gun violence:
Q) What is the single most important action Congress can take to reduce U.S. gun violence?
Get this country focused on serious job creation and gun control. This problem is festering like untreated Malaria.
Q) Do you support or oppose the ‘‘Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act?” Please explain your position.
There is a Constitutional Authority question I have with whether at the discretion of the Attorney General to determine an individual to be engaged in terrorist activities only. I have a problem with this bill without proof.
Climate change:
Q) Do you believe there is scientific evidence of climate change, and is it caused by human activity? What is your position on the Paris climate change agreement?
Yes. I support it. It is a good first step.
Economy:
Q) What changes, if any, to the U.S. tax code do you support and why?
The taxes of the Top 1% need to be increased. Corporations are simply gaming the system and are paying no federal taxes at all and getting refunds on a massive scale. All while sheltering profits in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and other tax havens. The U.S. Government must have access to these untaxed profits and tax them appropriately. It is only fair they pay their fair share in taxes to their country the United States of America of which are headquartered here.
Q) What are the most important actions Congress can take to ensure the solvency of Social Security?
FULLY FUND IT, PROTECT IT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME!
Q) Do you support a “risk fee” on big banks? Why or why not?
Big Banks as you call them must be broken up. Period!
Health care:
Q) Should Obamacare be overturned, left intact, or changed — and if so how?
I support Single-Payer System, Medicare for All. Therefore I will support the transformation of Obamacare to Single-Payer, Medicare for All.
Q) Do you favor stripping federal funds from Planned Parenthood? Why or why not?
No. This organization is needed for women’s health and I support their continuing their vital service to women.
Immigration:
Q) President Obama used his executive powers to prevent the deportation of "DREAMers—youths who came to the U.S. illegally as children with their parents. Would you support legislation to prevent DREAMer deportations? Do you support putting DREAMers on a path to citizenship?
Congress has become ridiculous in not passing the Dream Act for the modest way of addressing our current immigration problem to citizenship.
Education:
Q) What congressional reforms do you favor to address America’s student loan crisis?
Loan forgiveness and Free Tuition for Public Universities and Public Colleges.
Marcus Lewis
District running for: U.S. Representative, 2nd District
Political party: Democrat
Political/civic background: n/a
Occupation: Former USPS Mailhandler-16 Years / 1997-2014
Education: Loop College 1977, De Paul University, 1978-1980 – Business Management & Banking.
Campaign website:www.marcuslewisforcongress.org