League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
State of California November 2, 2010 Election
	Barbara Boxer Answers Questions Candidate for United States Senator

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of California and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. In this time of high unemployment, what are the most important steps that should be taken to improve our nation’s economy?

My first priority is to create good California jobs and to turn our economy around. We should end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, and instead support American manufacturing. I support cutting taxes for the middle class, creating jobs by rebuilding roads and bridges, and increasing loans to small businesses.

I also strongly believe that America must lead the new clean energy future.

2. How should federal budget priorities be changed, now and into the future? How will you balance the costs of military action overseas and national security with the costs of domestic needs?

We have to get the deficit and debt under control and balance the budget. I support President Obama's plan to cut the deficit in half by 2013. During the Clinton Administration, we not only balanced the budget, we also created a surplus and 23 million jobs. We can do it again, and we will. We can save $1.1 trillion over ten years by bringing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a close, and we can use those savings to reinvest in our economy and for deficit reduction. It is time to re-build our nation.

3. What, if anything, should be done by the federal government to address our dependence on fossil fuels or spur the use of clean energy?

We must end our dependence on foreign oil, cut carbon pollution, and give refunds to consumers. I support extending clean energy tax credits and making permanent the Research and Development tax credit. I believe the best way to create jobs now, and to build the foundation for long-term prosperity is to make California the hub of the new clean energy industry. We must defeat Proposition 23, which would overturn our clean energy law. If we keep pushing forward we will unleash billions of dollars of private investment, allowing clean energy technologies to thrive. I want to see the words "Made in America" on wind turbines, solar panels and other clean energy innovations of the future.

4. What, if any, changes should be made to current federal policies or programs that promote or provide health coverage for Americans?

I strongly supported health care reform, which will help ensure that all Americans can get access to quality and affordable health care. Already, health reform has prohibited insurance companies from dropping your coverage when you get sick or denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. The new law has also ended arbitrary lifetime caps on health benefits, required insurance companies to allow young adults to stay on their parents' plan until age 26, created tax credits to help small businesses provide their employees with insurance and lowered drug costs for seniors on Medicare.

5. What, if any, changes should be made to federal rules on campaign financing or disclosure of political expenditures?

I disagree with the flawed Citizens United decision, which gave corporations the right to spend unlimited amounts in federal elections. I support the Fair Elections Now Act, which would reduce the influence of special interests in elections. I am also a cosponsor of the DISCLOSE Act, which would provide critical transparency. We must not rest until corporate spending restrictions in elections are reinstated and confidence is restored that our elections are being decided by citizens, not corporations and possibly foreign entities.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. No candidate may refer to another candidate in the response.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 20, 2010 15:47
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