DavidNYC – I read your diary yesterday about turning seats from "Orange to Blue" and the interest of the netroots community to become engaged in a few of the primary elections taking place this cycle. I also noticed there were some responses from the community in my favor but I wanted to take a moment to directly reply to you with my personal answers to your questionnaire.
If you would like to discuss my answers more thoroughly, please call my office at 610-458-8605. I’d be more than happy to have that conversation.
- Do you support:
a) A public health insurance option, offered by the federal government and tied to Medicare reimbursement rates plus 5% (H.R. 3200 § 223, as introduced in the House)?
Yes. As a primary care physician and a health policy researcher, improving healthcare has been one of my passions during my career. I strongly support a robust, Medicare-like public option because it is the only way we can bring down health care costs in the short-term, hold the insurance companies feet to the fire and truly provide individuals with a viable alternative to private insurance.
b) The Public Option Act (H.R. 4789), which would allow all citizens to buy into Medicare?
Yes. A Medicare buy-in is the simplest way we can have a public option. Medicare is well-established, well-like program that works and so allowing those under 65 to buy-in to Medicare is the most cost-effective way at providing an alternative to private insurance.
- Do you support the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 1409/S. 560), including the provision known as "card check"?
Yes. I support the Employee Free Choice Act and the card-check provision.
- Do you support a repeal of the policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (10 U.S.C. § 654)?
Yes. As a combat veteran of the Iraq War I recognize that your sexual orientation has nothing to do with whether or not you are fit to serve. We are embroiled in two wars and we need good men and women who are willing to serve.
- Do you agree that any immigration reform bill should:
a) Contain a meaningful path to citizenship - one that does not include overly-punitive fines or a touchback requirement - for law-abiding undocumented immigrants currently in the United States;
b) Ensure that expanded legal permanent immigration, rather than expansion of temporary worker programs, serves as the United States' primary external answer to workforce shortages; and
c) Ensure that any non-agricultural temporary worker programs maintain current caps on the total number of non-agricultural temporary worker visas issued, and also include a meaningful prevailing wage requirement keyed to the Service Contract Act and Davis-Bacon Act?
I support all the measures above in a comprehensive immigration reform bill. I am the son of immigrants and we are a nation that continues to prosper because of the contributions of immigrants. We need to pursue comprehensive immigration reform that assures that America continues to attract and retain the best and brightest from around the world.
- Do you think Congress should act to suspend regulation of greenhouse gas emissions by the Environmental Protection Agency?
No. Greenhouse gas emissions are a threat to our environment, our climate, and our health. We need strong regulation to assure that these emissions are monitored and controlled.
- If elected to the House, do you pledge not to join the Blue Dog Coalition?
Yes.
- If elected to the Senate, do you pledge to restore majority rule to the Senate and work/vote to end the filibuster?
I’m not running for the Senate, but I do think we need to amend the filibuster rule. I support Tom Harkin’s idea of increasing the number required to filibuster after every vote so it becomes harder to block needed legislation.
Manan Trivedi is a candidate for congress in the PA-06, a primary care physician and an Iraq War veteran.
