Democrat

Candidate name: Christopher Van Hollen Jr.

Place of residence: Kensington

Date of birth: Jan. 10, 1959

Place of birth: Karachi, Pakistan

Current occupation: Member of Congress

Education: JD, Georgetown University Law Center; 1990; MPP, Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 1985; BA, Philosophy, Swarthmore College, 1982

Community associations, involvement: Board of Directors, American Red Cross of the National Capital Area; Board of Directors, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington; Board of Governors, Partnership for Public Service

Family: Wife: Katherine; children Anna, Nicholas, and Alexander

Campaign office address and telephone: 10605 Concord St., Suite 202, Kensington MD 20895, 301-942-3768

Web site: www.vanhollen.org

Link to state Board of Elections campaign finance database

*Education

I believe the key to our future success as a nation is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. Both the health of our democracy and the success of our economy in this increasingly competitive global era require that we provide that opportunity. In order to achieve that goal, each child must have the opportunity to receive a top notch education. As a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I have worked to improve education at all levels, from early education through higher education. In my first term in Congress, I received the ‘‘Outstanding New Member of the Year” award from the Committee for Education Funding, which is the nation’s oldest and largest non-partisan education coalition.

In the area of early education, I offered the amendment to require full funding of the Head Start program. I also offered the successful amendment to allow Head Start programs greater flexibility to use unexpended funds on the early head start program. In the area of K-12 education, I introduced the Keep Our Promises to America’s Children and Teachers (Keep Our PACT) Act, legislation that would require the federal government to fully fund No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA). With respect to higher education, I have co-sponsored numerous bill to make college more affordable and accessible, including the College Opportunity for All Act (H.R. 2960), the Student Fairness Act (H.R. 2927) and the Student Aid Reward Act (H.R. 1425). In addition, I offered the successful amendment in the Congress to close a loophole in the student loan program that had provided windfall profits to certain banks and other lenders at the expense of students. I was also pleased to be the co-author of a successful amendment that would allow our service men and women in Iraand Afghanistan to defer payments on student loans until they return.

During the next Congress, I will continue my efforts to ensure that every child has the opportunity to receive a quality education.

*Energy⁄Environment

As Vice-Chairman of the bipartisan House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, I have worked to develop a new national energy policy. We must reduce our dependence fossil fuels for both national security and environmental reasons. During the next Congress, I will continue my work to promote renewable energy and energy efficient technology. I am a co-author of the proposed New Apollo Energy Act. That legislation establishes a comprehensive energy policy that will dramatically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by eliminating subsidies for the oil and gas industry, mandating reductions in certain emissions and increasing our investment in renewable energy and energy efficient technologies. I am also a sponsor of legislation to increase the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards and close the SUV loophole.

Our reliance on fossil fuels is driving the problem of global climate change. I am a lead sponsor of two bills to address this urgent issue. One of these, the Safe Climate Act (H.R. 5642), requires that at least 20% of all electricity must be generated from clean, renewable sources by 2020. It also sets new standards to limit automobile pollution. The other bill, entitled the Climate Stewardship Act, is the House version of the McCain-Lieberman bill on global warming. It would cap the total amount greenhouse gas emissions and allocate those caps among the different entities that have carbon dioxide emissions.

As Co-Chair of the Task for on the Chesapeake Bay, I will work to continue to increase the federal commitment to and investment in the Chesapeake Bay clean-up effort. I am also spearheading various efforts to clean up the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.

*National Security

I believe that a strong foreign policy must be based not only on the might of our military, but the power of our example. In order to strengthen our national security, we must restore our credibility and moral standing abroad. I have been a vocal critic of the Bush Administration’s decision to go to war in Iraq. During the next Congress, I will work to strengthen our national security by holding the Bush Administration accountable for its incompetence, working to strengthen our international development efforts and finally enacting the reforms recommended by the bi-partisan 9⁄11 Commission (the Kean-Hamilton Commssion).

How would you rate the performance of the House of Representatives: excellent, good, fair or poor? Why?

The Republican-led Congress has failed the American people on many levels. It has ignored issues that American families care about most — affordable health care, a sensible energy policy, quality education for our children, retirment security, and a sound and fair fiscal policy. Instead, the Republican-controlled Congress has been a rubber-stamp for the President by refusing to hold the Bush Administration accountable for incompetence at home and abroad.Do you have a timeline on when the U.S. should pull out of Iraq?

I have been an outspoken opponent of the Bush Administration’s decision to go to war in Iraq. I argued strongly that the United States should honor the request of the United Nations’ weapons inspectors for additional time to complete their mission. We went to war in Irain an irresponsible manner; we should leave Irain a responsible way. Having invaded Iraq, we have both a moral and national security obligation to do everything possible to prevent the sectarian conflict from spiraling even farther out of control. We must devise a plan to leave Irain a way that maximizes the chances for stability and minimizes the possibility for the eruption of a full-scale civil war with even more bloodletting than there is today. We must leave Irain a way that does not allow al Qaeda – which did not have a base in Irabefore the war – to develop a stronghold there. We must not compound the blunders of the Bush Administration by creating the conditions for even more bloodshed in Iraand allowing it to become a launching pad for terrorist activities. At the same time, President’s Bush’s ‘‘stay the course” mantra is simply more of the same – a failed policy. We must make it clear to the Iraqis that we are not there indefinitely, that we do not intend to have any bases in Iraq, and that we don’t have designs on Iraqi oil. I support the amendment proposed recently by Senator Carl Levin and the Senate Democrats that calls for the beginning of a draw down of troops this year without establishing any artificial final deadlines. This approach is consistent with that reportedly recommended by General Casey.

How should the government pay for the War on Terror?

We must adopt the principle of shared sacrifice. While President Bush has called upon our troops and their families to make the ultimate sacrifice, he has given the wealthiest 1% of Americans a huge tax cut. As a result, every penny requested by the President in the ‘‘war on terror” is borrowed money that will have to be paid by future generations. It is wrong to ask the younger generation, including our troops and their children, to bear the burden alone. We should not be waging war and peace by national credit card in order to shield the wealthiest among us from paying their fair share. Therefore, I have supported rolling back those provisions of the Bush tax cuts that go disproportionately to the very wealthiest.

Would you make any changes to the way the Department of Homeland Security is run?

I am a cosponsor of the ‘‘RESPOND Act: Restoring Emergency Services to Protect Our Nation from Disasters Act,” legislation that would remove the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and restore it as an independent agency. The ineffective response by the federal government to Hurricanes Rita and Katrina demonstrated organizational failures within DHS.

What should be done to save Social Security?

As a member of the House Democratic Social Security Work Group, I helped lead the fight against President Bush’s risky plan to privatize parts of the Social Security program. The President’s proposal would not have solved the problems with the system, but would have increased the risk to individual social security recipients. I believe that we must make adjustments to ensure that the Trust Fund can pay full benefits beyond 2052, but there is no need for a radical restructuring of the program. One significant action we can take immediately is to dedicate the revenues from the estate tax to the Social Security Trust Fund. If you maintain the estate tax at the projected 2009 levels (i.e. a $3.5 million exemption for an individual and $7 million for married couples) the remaining estate tax revenues would still address approximately 25% of the unfunded liability. We should also consider the idea floated by the Clinton Administration to have the Social Security System invest a portion of its funds in certain low-risk securities. In addition, we must encourage more individuals to save for their retirement. I am a co-sponsor of legislation to provide greater incentives for individuals to establish and invest in retirement savings accounts. However, these accounts should be a supplement to, not a substitute for, Social Security.

Q. What should be done to save Medicare?

We must continue to provide funding to ensure a strong and viable Medicare system. The savings should not come at the expense of physician and other reimbursement rates. We cannot have a quality system without quality providers. In order to make the necessary savings we must address a number of areas. First, we must make more effective use of technology in the health care system. Second, we must be more careful about what future health care services are covered by Medicare to ensure they are cost effective and necessary for health purposes. Third, we must revise the Medicare prescription drug program to allow the government to bargain for the best price with the pharmaceutical industry. We do that for the Veterans’ Administration, why not for the Medicare program? HMOs bargain to save money for their members, why shouldn’t the federal government bargain to save money for the taxpayers?

What is your position on the death penalty?

I am not a proponent of the death penalty; however, like Governor Kaine of Virginia, I believe that where it exists it must applied impartially and fairly. Innovations in DNA testing have changed the legal landscape of the death penalty. They have demonstrated a number of instances where innocent individuals were wrongly convicted. I have supported, as an alternative to the death penalty, life sentences without any possibility of parole.

What is your position on abortion?

I am a member of the House’s Pro-Choice Caucus and support the right of women to make their own reproductive choices in accordance with the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v Wade. I am also a co-sponsor of legislation aimed at preventing unwanted pregnancies and reducing the number of abortions.

Do you support same-sex marriages? Why?

I am opposed to a federal Constitutional Amendment to ban same sex marriages. The issue of marriage has always been in the domain of the states and I believe this issue should be left to state legislatures to decide.

Do you support the federal No Child Left Behind law? Why or Why not?

Yes, I support this law, although I believe some changes should be made as part of the upcoming reauthorization process. The No Child Left Behind law was a bipartisan achievement that called for improving school accountability and raising the achievement levels of all students. It is designed to measure not only the average overall performance of students in a school, but the performance of individual students and sub-groups of students. However, the Bush Administration has consistently under-funded this important legislation and failed to meet the commitments it made. To that end, the first piece of legislation that I introduced as a Member of Congress, and the first bill I re-introduced during this Congress, was the Keep Our Promises to America’s Children and Teachers (PACT) Act. I also offered the amendments in the Education Committee to fully fund No Child Left Behind. Unfortunately, those amendments failed on a party line vote, with Democrats supporting the amendment and Republicans voting against it.

What state transportation projects are a priority for you and how should we pay for them?

As a Member of Congress, I have worked with my colleagues to secure tens of millions of dollars for important transportation initiatives in our community that are essential to relieving traffic congestion, reducing air pollution, and improving the quality of life in our area. In that regard, we obtained over $40 million for new Silver Spring Transit Center, millions of dollars for bus and garage facilities at the Glenmont Metro station and for the City of Rockville, millions for road improvements in Gaithersburg and significan funding various pedestrian access improvements throughout the community. In addition, I am an original sponsor of legislation to significantly expand the federal contribution to the Washington metro system (WMATA). I am also pleased to have had the Corridor Cities Transitway from Shady Grove to Clarksburg and Frederick designated as a ‘‘New Start” project, making it eligible for federal funding. In addition, I am pleased that we had the Bi-County Transitway (‘‘Purple Line”) from Bethesda to Silver Spring to New Carrolton designated as a ‘‘New Start” program subject to the condition that the transitway should be designed and built in a fashion that protects the hiker-biker trail along Georgetown Branch right-of –way and neighborhoods that abut the proposed transitway. The Conference Report specifically requires that planners consider using ‘‘cut and cover” techniques to protect these areas. I am also pleased that over the last three years we were able to obtain significant federal funds for the Inter-County Connector subject to the condition that it meets federal and state environmental laws and requirements.

Has Sarbanes-Oxley worked? Is there more the government can do to prevent corporate corruption?

I believe that Sarbarnes-Oxley has helped improve corporate governance and restore investor confidence in the aftermath of the Enron, Worldcom, and other scandals. There have been questions raised about whether its ‘‘one size fits all” approach places too onerous a burden on smaller companies. That and other issues should be reviewed periodically to ensure that the law meets its objectives.