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The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of New York State and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Iraq,
Medicare Drug,
Civil Rights
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. The American occupation in Iraq continues to be enormously costly in dollars and in lives. What is your position on how our government should proceed?*
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Answer from Steve J. Israel:
I support a "1 for 1" plan that would require the administration to certify to Congress the operational capability of Iraqi forces and to re-deploy US forces on a 1:1 basis as Iraqi forces reach full combat capability. This would give the American people a good yardstick to measure the readiness of Iraqi forces and would be an effective tool to hold the administration accountable on a regular basis.
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2. What is your impression of the roll-out of the Medicare Prescription Drug program so far, and what changes would you propose to make it better?*
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Answer from Steve J. Israel:
The roll-out of the Medicare Prescription Drug program has been disappointing. The enrollment process was unbelievably confusing for seniors. The enrollment deadline was unrealistic. And the "doughnut hole" will leave many seniors without prescription drug coverage for a period of time. In Congress, I've been fighting to allow HHS to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies, just like the Department of Veterans Affairs, to reduce prices for both seniors and Uncle Sam.
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3. Where do you stand on the current balance between security and civil rights?*
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Answer from Steve J. Israel:
It is incredibly important to strike the right balance between national security and civil rights. Unfortunately, Congress recently reauthorized the USA PATRIOT Act without adding key protections for civil liberties. Specifically, Sections 215 and 206, which deal with electronic records and roving wiretaps, are still in need of improvement. I voted against the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act because I did not think it struck the appropriate balance between security and civil liberties.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
- Original answers for a published Voters Guide
were limited to 50 words and are presented as submitted. Candidates have
since been invited to supply answers of any length for the Web.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of New York Education Foundation
