No one in Utah’s federal delegation has directly answered this Trump resistance group’s questions. It’s been seven weeks.
Four of the six politicians have not spoken to the inquiries at all
Time’s up.
That’s what a resistance group to President Donald Trump is saying of the 15 topics of questions it put to Utah’s six federal representatives.
On March 10, volunteers from Utahns Speak Out delivered letters to the all-Republican delegation, “with a response — any response — requested by (March 17),” USO founder Madalena McNeil said.
As of April 26 — 47 days after USO’s one-week period passed — Utah’s senior federal senator, Sen. Orrin Hatch, and three of the state’s representatives, Reps. Rob Bishop, Jason Chaffetz and Mia Love, hadn’t spoken or made comments available to any of the inquiries since they were posed. None of the six have directly.
“We’re still waiting,” McNeil wrote. “Take a look at the questions. Why are our reps unwilling to acknowledge them?”
On March 15, Mike Lee answered questions during his “tele town hall,” an online function, that spoke to four of the 15 inquiries. And the afternoon of April 3, Rep. Chris Stewart gave answers in a 21-minute, 45-second Facebook video that spoke to seven of USO’s questions.
Three days prior, Stewart held an in-person town hall at West High School in Salt Lake City and perhaps could have further spoke to the questions. But he was cut off in each response to audience inquiries by a relatively raucous crowd, who routinely booed or yelled at the congressman.
The questions were designed to bring attention to USO’s advocacy that the elected officials hold meetings common in American political history. There, the representatives could gain insight as to how their constituents felt on several issues and policies resulting from the three-month-old Trump administration that many find abhorrent, volunteers of USO, Utah Indivisible and Salt Lake Indivisible have said.
Below are the questions, with any related remarks from Lee and Stewart.
1. Do you acknowledge human-caused climate change? Polluted air can cause health issues, including unsafe pregnancies, dementia, heart disease and lung cancer. Utahns need clean water and air — will you commit to keeping Utahns and Americans safe by resisting efforts to dismantle the EPA? What environmental protections will you help put in place for our future generations?
Stewart: “We have … mountains and cold air which hold the inversion in. … we have those mountains that make it very difficult for us. I myself have a personal commitment to reduce our influence on the environment. I don’t have a car in Washington; I walk wherever I go. There in Salt Lake, the vast majority of pollutants come from people who drive cars; the second, from homeowners; the third, from small businesses; and the fourth, from industry. It will take people driving less or driving more efficient cars. … this is something I personally understand; I have children who have had serious respiratory illnesses. … it’s something we would all like to fix.”
2. Efforts made by the Utah federal delegation to rescind the Bears Ears National Monument have cost our state the Utah Outdoor Retailers Convention. What will you do to replace the $45 million dollars we will lose every year and the potential $500 million we could have made with the expansion to five conventions a year?
Stewart: “When I got out of the Air Force, I was writing books. Turns out, as a writer, I could have lived anywhere in the world, but I chose Utah because I love to ski, I love to rock climb and I love to sit in my backyard and look at the mountains. I don’t know anymore… who has suggested that we take these public lands and we sell them. Maybe some lease arrangements for extractment. We want to preserve them; I want to preserve them for my children, like you do. What is the right mix in terms of allowing access? I know ranchers who have been terribly impacted by the federal restrictions… they, too, love the land and have been helped to preserve the land. … it was still pristine enough… let’s allow some of these activities to continue while preserving the lands.”
3. Do you approve of Steve Bannon’s role on the National Security Council? Why or why not? What will you do about it if you oppose the presence of a civilian on the NSC?
4. Do you support a thorough investigation into the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election? Do you support an investigation into President Trump’s potential conflicts of interest, including financial ties between President Trump and Russia, which would include a release of Trump’s tax returns? Why or why not?
Stewart: “I said before the election that Russia (was) going to try to interfere with our elections… our first hearing was last September… (intelligence committees investigating the issue) are generally bipartisan; the intel hearings are almost classified and we could do more of a bipartisan work. … we are going to continue those investigations.”
Lee: “The committees investigating (Russia’s election interference) are many.” (He then remarked that the Senate and House has “two or three committees” looking into it. The intelligence committee in each chamber is.)
5. Do you feel it is right that American taxpayers have to pay the additional Secret Service expenses to protect President Trump’s children while they are traveling on business? Why isn’t that something The Trump Organization pays for and claim as a business expense when they file their corporate tax return? Additionally, why should taxpayers pay approximately $1 million per day for the Secret Service while Melania and Barron Trump live in the Trump Tower in New York City?
6. The president has made numerous statements accusing various reputable news agencies of being “fake news” and has gone so far as to ban certain entities such as The New York Times and CNN from press conferences. In light of this, former President George W. Bush recently stated that a free press is “indispensable to democracy.” Do you agree with Bush and what are you doing to oppose the president’s mis-characterization of reputable news agencies and ensure we maintain a free press?
Stewart: “Of course, I support freedom of the press. I hope the press is honest; I hope they are fair, but I don’t know anyone who wants to take away freedom of the press… it is essential to democracy. But when they do lazy or dishonest reporting, they should be held accountable for that.”
7. A study from the Guttmacher Institute showed that the abortion rate in 2016 was the lowest since Roe v. Wade. The study attributes this decrease in abortion to increased availability of birth control, particularly for lower income women. Both the ACA and Planned Parenthood have helped provide affordable birth control to women. What will you do to make sure these programs will continue to receive funding to help provide vital health care to those in need?
8. What do you plan to do to ensure that members of our community are treated with respect and dignity in light of President Trump’s latest adaptation of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regulations and executive orders on immigration?
Stewart: “It’s interesting that President Obama actually expanded deportations more than any other president. And by the way, this was almost a controversial view… because immigration was a very emotional issue at the time. And I said, ‘look, if you have entered illegally, there should be a price for that,’ but never supported… rounding up 11 million people — that’s every man, woman, child in Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and probably a couple of other states. So in my view, (immigrants) are probably unable to achieve citizenship, but a green card and can come out of the shadows and live without fear. And when I met with immigration (reform) advocates, they said ‘we could live with that,’ and those more aggressive… said that. (The green card policy) would satisfy most people and allow us to put this behind us. The first thing we do have to do is secure our border.”
(A constituent asked about Trump’s proposed border wall.) “I think most Americans agree it is essential to secure our borders. I don’t know (if) it is a physical wall (to accomplish that); I think it won’t be,” Stewart said. Look at Israel building around Gaza… they were able to protect themselves from almost continuous terrorist attacks… I will leave that up to the administration and homeland security, but as far as we pay for that… I don’t know if the administration has said ‘this is how we intend to pay for that; we will see, just like we will have to pay for all essential government services, including paying for our borders.”
(The Trump administration requested $1.5 billion in a supplemental spending bill and $2.6 billion in his fiscal year 2018 budget, according to reports.)
Lee: “Are you in agreement… where (the Department of Homeland Security) can detain anyone for suspecting them of criminals?” a Janet asked. “I’m not sure what you are describing,” Lee replied before claiming that there are constitutional limitations on holding even illegal immigrants indefinitely. (He said nothing about DHS deportation authority.)
9. Utah is currently ranked last in funding for students and 38th overall for education. How will dismantling the Department of Education help Utah when we can’t even seem to help ourselves? How will it help the nation as a whole?
10. A recent study by education professor Martin Carnoy of Stanford University examined 25 years of research and found that voucher programs do not significantly improve test scores. Carnoy says vouchers distract from proven policies and programs with proven impact on test scores and graduation rates and contribute to teacher shortages due to lack of funding for public, tenured positions. If you support moving towards a nationwide voucher program, please explain in detail how you feel that will be best for students and teachers in Utah.
11. According to SAMHSA’s 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 43.6 million (18.1 percent) Americans ages 18 and up experience some form of mental illness. In the past year, 20.2 million adults (8.4 percent) had a substance use disorder. Of this population, 7.9 million people had both a mental disorder and substance use disorder, also known as co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, mental health and substance abuse coverage was not required on all plans. The 10 essential health benefits mandated by the ACA requires all non-grandfathered plans to cover mental health and substance abuse treatment. What will you do to make sure that mental health and substance abuse treatment coverage is extended to every insurance plan in America if the ACA is ultimately repealed?
Stewart: (A constituent asked specifically about health care.) “Although the term health care or health care coverage is not included in the Declaration of Independence or Constitution, I believe that we should have all access to health care. The reality is that some have more money than others and others (find) it more difficult to afford health care. And that’s where the Republicans are trying to help… we can actually drive down the cost and… not hurt them in employment or force them to buy coverage…”
(The U.S. Congressional Budget Office projected that 24 million less individuals would be insured by the GOP-supported American Health Care Act, which would have replaced the ACA.)
Lee: A Marcell in Ogden pointed out that Lee, in an email, called a repeal of Obamacare a “laudable pursuit” but asked Lee if doing so was possible since it takes 60 votes in the Senate for a bill to pass, there is only 52 Republicans in the chamber and no Democrats were expected to vote for repeal. Lee then brought up the budget reconciliation process in the Senate, which is meant to permit deliberation of a budget bill with debate kept to 20 hours.
12. Will you commit to preserving Medicare and Social Security?
13. What will you do to ensure low-income people get the same level of health care they have with the ACA if it is repealed? Including the 10 essential health benefits of the ACA, coverage for those with pre-existing conditions and no lifetime caps?
Stewart: (A constituent asked specially about health care.) “Although the term health care or health care coverage is not included in the Declaration of Independence or Constitution, I believe that we should have all access to health care. The reality is that some have more money than others and others (find) it more difficult to afford health care. And that’s where the Republicans are trying to help… we can actually drive down the cost and… not hurt them in employment or force them to buy coverage…”
(The U.S. Congressional Budget Office projected that 24 million less individuals would be insured by the GOP-supported American Health Care Act, which would have replaced the ACA.)
Lee: Lee started his town hall not by answering a question but by suggesting that it was OK that folks would lose their insurance if the existing federal health care law, Obamacare, went away.
“Even the most aggressive plans out there dealing with Obamacare wouldn’t immediately pull the rug out from anyone,” Lee said. “Even the most aggressive plans out there would at most contain a delayed implementation clause and delay for a couple of years the cancellation of any government program with the idea that a combination of Congress and the states would decide what comes next.”
(“The practical effect” of the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision to uphold the constitutionality of Obamacare’s individual mandate “(made) the Medicaid expansion optional for states,” according to The Kaiser Foundation. Utah has had five legislative sessions since then and hasn’t expanded Medicaid.)
A Marcell in Ogden pointed out that Lee, in an email, called a repeal of Obamacare a “laudable pursuit” but asked Lee if doing so was possible since it takes 60 votes in the Senate for a bill to pass, there is only 52 Republicans in the chamber and no Democrats were expected to vote for repeal. Lee then brought up the budget reconciliation process in the Senate, which is meant to permit deliberation of a budget bill with debate kept to 20 hours.
14. Do you recognize the tribal sovereignty of Utah’s indigenous populations? Why or why not?
15. When will you hold your next in-person town hall in Utah? (This question is the same for every rep except Chris Stewart.)
(Stewart held the March 31 town hall.)
