Birthdate and place: August 30, 1964; Los Angeles, CA Residence: GaithersburgFamily: Married, three children.Education: Boston University School of Law, J.D. 1990; University of California, Los Angeles (‘‘UCLA”), B.A. 1987 Professional experience: Principal, Stern & Associates, General Practice Law Firm, Bethesda and Gaithersburg. 2002–Present; Principal, Peninsula Settlements, LLC. 2002–Present; Senior Manager, KPMG, Washington, D.C. 2000- 2002; 1990 – 2000, Attorney with law firms in Los Angeles, California and Washington, D.C. Community experience: Volunteer Attorney providing legal services to low income residents. 2002 to present; MSI Volunteer Soccer Coach, 2006 to present; Volunteer Instructor, Junior Achievement, 2000– 2002 Key issues: Restoring Fiscal Responsibility to Washington Ending Government Waste Ensuring a Sound Economy Web site: www.sternforcongress.com E-mail address: info@sternforcongress.com Telephone: 301-740-7787 Campaign headquarters: 438 North Frederick Avenue, Suite 316, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Link to state Board of Elections campaign finance database

Congress, Dist. 8

Bruce L. Stern (R)

My number one priority is to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington. Our national debt is $9.1 trillion and the budget deficit exceeds $200 billion. Unless we cut spending and eliminate government waste we risk bankrupting future generations and undermining the future viability of social security.

To help achieve fiscal reform, my second priority is earmark reform. We cannot continue to allow politicians to use the public treasury as their own personal bank account to fund their political pet projects in their Congressional districts. Billions of dollars are wasted annually because of earmark spending.

My third priority, which also dovetails into the concept of returning fiscal responsibility to Washington, is ending government waste. The Federal government wastes tens of billions of dollars annually on unnecessary projects with no Federal purpose and this wasteful spending must end.

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

Poor. The House of Representatives has failed to adequately address the serious issues facing this country and has been wracked by partisan politics and infighting which have thwarted its ability to address these issues. The partisanship must end and we must elect representatives to Congress who will work with members on both sides of the aisle to address and solve the myriad issues this country now faces.

Q. Do you have a timeline on when the U.S. should pull out of Iraq?

No. I do not believe in a specific timeline, however, I hope that by the time the next Congress is seated in January 2009, a large percentage of our troops will have already left Iraq. I believe we need to continue the drawdown of our forces in Iraq in as expeditious a manner as possible, without sacrificing the gains we have made there or jeopardizing the democratic Iraq government. In withdrawing, we need to be careful not to create a power vacuum or environment that would jeopardize our national security or the security of Israel or our other allies in the region.

Q. How should the government pay for the War on Terror and is it working?

The defense of our country and its people should be priority one for the Federal government. The war on terror is tremendously expensive and we must manage that expense against available resources and other budgetary commitments. I believe our fight against terrorists and persons that would do us harm has been successful and is working as we have seen no terrorist attacks on our nation’s soil since the tragedy of September 11, 2001. In this mobile nuclear age and when the security of global nuclear materials may be at risk, we must forever be vigilant and prepared for an attack on our country.

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

As with all Federal agencies, we must continually monitor the effectiveness of the Department of Homeland Security and ensure that the Department is meeting its objectives and operating effectively and efficiently.

Q. What should be done to reform Social Security, Medicare?

We need to ensure the long term viability of social security and that the system will be able to provide all generations of workers with the retirement benefits that they have been promised. There is little question that reform is needed and that Congress must take immediate action to address the problems facing the system. The longer we defer, the greater the problem becomes. We must look at a wholesale reform of the social security system, including establishing personal retirement accounts. With respect to Medicare, Congress should adopt reforms that introduce market forces, including consumer choice, competition and transparency into the Medicare system.

Q. Should SCHIP be expanded? If yes, how would you pay for an expansion? If no, how would you ensure that people who need health and dental care get it?

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (‘‘SCHIP”) provides health insurance for low-income children and, of course, is a laudable and worthwhile government program. The income ceiling for SCHIP is 200 percent above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and proponents for expansion of the program want the income ceiling to be increased to 300 percent above the FPL. Unfortunately, I do not think that is possible within current budget constraints. I believe that SCHIP should be re-authorized at the current levels and efforts made by the states to increase participation in the program by qualifying low-income children. I also believe that Congress must look at creative ways to make health care more affordable – including the use of tax credits – to help ensure that all children in this country have access to affordable health care.

Q. What is your position on the death penalty?

I am a proponent of the death penalty under appropriate circumstances.

Q. What is your position on abortion?

I am pro-choice and believe that the government should not put unreasonable restrictions on a woman’s right to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy.

Q. Do you support same-sex marriage?

I support civil unions between same-sex partners.

Q. Do you support the Federal No Child Left Behind law?

I support the objectives of the Act – high standards and accountability for our nation’s schools - but I have concerns about continued Federal expansion into the field of education, which has traditionally been the responsibility of state and local governments. I feel the law takes control of education away from the state and local governments where it belongs and limits the flexibility these governments have to address and remedy problems with their own school systems.

Q. What, if anything, should be done to assist homeowners at risk of losing their homes because of adjustable rate loans?

I do not support a government ‘‘bail-out” of lenders or homeowners. I believe the Treasury Department’s actions in working with lenders to develop a program to freeze interest rates or allow at-risk borrowers to refinance their adjustable rate mortgages is an appropriate government response. I also believe that the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut interest rates may help alleviate the problems facing the housing and mortgage industries. Further, I believe the threshold for ‘‘conforming” rate mortgages should be increased above the current $417,000 level. This would allow more homeowners to refinance their mortgages at the lower ‘‘conforming” interest rate rather than the higher rate offered for ‘‘jumbo” mortgages.

Q. Should slots be allowed in Prince George’s County? Should there be any form of gambling at National Harbor?

I am a proponent of legalizing slots in Maryland due to the significant economic impact this would have on the state. The economic benefits of slot machines are flowing to neighboring states as Maryland residents are now simply traveling out of state to play. If legalized, I think the benefits of slots must flow back to the people and would support the earmarking of funds received from slots for educational purposes.

Q. Who should bear the costs of the changes wrought by BRAC?

Infrastructure expenses required by base relocations is an issue that needs to be addressed by the Federal, state and local governments and the payment of such expenses may require contribution from all three levels of government. The specifics, of course, would depend upon the base and expenses at issue.

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

The most important project in the Eighth District is the Intercounty Connector. Construction and funding of this project is underway. When undertaking projects like the ICC in the future we must always ensure that we understand and minimize the impact of the project on our environment.