League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Sacramento County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues United States Representative; District 5

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Climate Change, Health Coverage, Immigration Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What, if anything, do you believe the federal government should do to control global climate change? Answer from Doris Matsui: We need a responsible cap and trade system and we must promote investing in clean technologies. By making preservation of the environment a priority at the Federal level, we will be able to hand a cleaner and safer plant to our future generations. 2. What should the federal government do, if anything, to ensure that every American has health coverage? Answer from Doris Matsui: Affordable healthcare starts with expanded access. Ensuring that all Americans have health coverage is the best action we can take to guarantee affordability, because people who have good health insurance see the doctor more regularly. This helps avoid unnecessary (and expensive) trips to the emergency room, which drives up costs for all who use the healthcare system. As a result, my top health policy goal is to increase dramatically the number of Americans ho have health insurance, particularly coverage which encourages cost-saving preventative care. As we reduce the number of uninsured Americans, we must also ensure that the healthcare they are receiving is the most effective in the world. Incorporating information technology into our healthcare system is one of the best ways to do this, and I support providing funds for patients and doctors to use eletronic health records. Not only will this make caring for people more efficient, but it will also help eliminate human error and encourage doctors and patients to interact on a more regular basis. The result of these steps will be more Americans receiving higher-quality, affordable healthcare than ever before. 3. What, if anything, should the federal government do about immigration? Answer from Doris Matsui: Undocumented workers need a path to citizenship that is fair and legal. Right now we have a system that is inhumane. A comprehensive overhaul of the immigration system is needed. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.