PDHblog
This is a place for members of Progressive Democrats of Hawai‘i to express their thoughts
and exasperations about political happenings. The opinions and views are not necessarily
those of PDH's steering committee or membership as a whole.

Click on “more” to read Senator Clayton Hee’s answers to our questions.

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF HAWAI‘I QUESTIONAIRE
U.S. HOUSE

Sen. Clayton Hee

1. REGARDING IRAQ AND IRAN

1a. The United States is now engaged in a very controversial war in Iraq. Please tell us your thoughts regarding the way in which this country entered the war.

US entered Iraq on the bases of faulty intelligence. There turned out to be no weapons
of mass destruction, as the Bush Administration claimed; and Iraq had no connection
with the 9/11 terrorist attacks

1b. How do you assess the current situation in Iraq?

Iraq is in the midst of a civil war stemming from long-standing ethnic and religious
grievances, and the continued US presence does nothing to resolve those grievances.

1c. What steps do you believe the United States should now take to resolve the situation in Iraq?

US should establish a timetable to withdraw our troops as soon as practicable.

1d. The Bush administration is making sounds like it may attack Iran over their nuclear
program. Please share your thoughts about this prospect.

Iran’s nuclear program is a cause for concern, but a pre-emptive US attack is the wrong
answer. US forces are already stretched too thin to make military operations against
Iran a realistic prospect. Multilateral diplomacy offers the best hope of resolving nuclear
issues with Iran.

2. REGARDING HEALTHCARE – The cost of healthcare in the United States continues toclimb. We currently spend more per capita on healthcare than any other industrialized nation, yet 45 million Americans have no health insurance at all, and life expectancy and infant mortality rates are worse than those in other countries with comparable wealth
.
The cost of healthcare puts a tremendous burden on both our people and our businesses.
Families are sometimes driven to bankruptcy by unanticipated medial emergencies and
healthcare costs for employers have become a growing business expense. More and more, we are seeing healthcare as the sticking point in labor disputes.

2a. What do you think can be done to control rising healthcare costs, while expanding
coverage for all Americans?

Regulating increases in malpractice insurance premiums is one option worth exploring.

2b. Please share your thoughts regarding proposals for a single-payer healthcare insurance plan, similar to that in Canada.

I would consider cosponsoring single payer legislation such as the American Health
Security Act (HR 1200)

3. REGARDING TRADE – The increased integration of the U.S. economy into the world economy has resulted in major disruptions to the lives of many American workers and businesses. Some people believe that the international agreements, like GATT, NAFTA, and CAFTA, have undermined U.S. labor and environmental standards, led to the loss of millions of high paying jobs, and driven many small and medium sized companies out of business.

3a. What is your position in the debate over “Free Trade” versus “Fair Trade?”

International trade is an inescapable reality. However, our free trade agreements should
include strong provisions for labor, environmental and human rights standards
comparable with our own.

3b. What do you think can be done to ensure high wages and good working conditions in an era of international trade?

High wages and good working conditions depend on our willingness to insist on
inclusion of these provisions and then enforcing them once they are agreed to.

4. REGARDING POVERTY – Poverty rates have been rising in the U.S. for several years. Currently, 37 million Americans are living in poverty, according to governmental standards, including 27 million children. Yet social programs providing relief to these people have seen major cuts to their funding.

4a. Please describe what role you think Congress can play in reducing the effects of poverty upon our people and in creating conditions that will increase economic equality, rather than continue the trend toward increased economic disparity?

Congress should establish a “living wage” benchmark that ensures a decent standard of
living for working families. The minimum wage is a joke, but raising it—as Democrats
are now trying to do—would be a start.

5. REGARDING VOTER’S RIGHTS – The federal elections in both 2000 and 2004 were marred by voting irregularities and by the widespread disenfranchisement of voters. Voters have not had equal access to reliable voting systems; voters have been purged from the voting rolls in ways that appear to have been designed to suppress turnout of poor and minority voters, and there is widespread concern that new, paperless voting systems are being forced upon voters that lack adequate safeguards against votes being lots due to system failures or even deliberate fraud
.
5a. What can be done to ensure that all voters have an equal chance of casting their votes, that the votes shall be counted on secure systems, and that the results can be verified in a manner that gives voters confidence?

Congress should pass pending legislation requiring a paper trail for electronic voting
systems in order to resolve disputed elections and instill voter confidence that their
ballots will be counted.

5b. Do you have concerns about the current method of funding election campaigns and the influence of special interests on elections?

I would consider supporting a Constitutional amendment (such as the one proposed by
HJRes 76) that would allow Congress to set limits on the amount of money a candidate
can spend on a political campaign.

5c. Do you support legislation for public funding of elections, such as were enacted in Maineand Arizona, and proposed locally by the “Voter Owned Elections” initiative?
I am open to the idea of publicly financed campaigns.

6. REGARDING EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY
6a. What are your views regarding claims that President Bush, pursuing the doctrine of the“unitary executive,” has over-stepped his Executive Authority, as granted in the U.S.
Constitution, by such actions as warrantless wiretapping, indefinitely holding detainees,
disregarding legislation, and presenting false information to Congress?

President Bush has pushed the concept of executive authority beyond the limits set by
historical precedent and the constitution. His claims of war powers in regard to
surveillance, detentions, and ignoring the will of Congress are prime examples.
6b. Rep. John Conyers has introduced HR 635 to create a Select Committee empowered to investigate various allegations against President Bush and Vice President Cheney and todetermine if the alleged abuses might constitute grounds for impeachment. What are your views on such a resolution? What actions, if any, do you think should be taken by
Congress?

I would support a Congressional inquiry with subpoena powers, such as the one
proposed by Rep. John Conyers, to examine the Bush Administration’s abuse of power.
Impeachment is one of the most serious actions that can be taken by Congress, and
should be undertaken only where there is irrefutable evidence of the gravest kind of
wrongdoing. I would base a decision on whether to impeach President Bush on the
findings of such an inquiry.

7. REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT – U.S. economic development is currently based upon the highest per capita consumption of resources in the world. The citizens of many other countries, such as those in Western
Europe or Japan, have managed to have comparable prosperity while consuming
substantially fewer resources. Countries such as China and India are industrializing at a rapid rate and their consumption of resources and production of pollutants is also rising at an alarming pace. This is having a destructive impact on the environment, both locally and globally and is clearly not sustainable.

The Bush administration and the Congressional Republicans, resist even the mildest
regulations designed to reduce pollution, increase recycling, and preserve wilderness areas.

7a. What role do you believe Congress can play in reducing the destruction of environment and moving us towards sustainable economic development?

Congress should enact legislation to protect land and marine ecosystems from further
degradation, establish a national energy policy that emphasizes conservation and
renewables, and decreases dependence on fossil fuels. Necessary steps include
protecting the integrity of the Endangered Species Act and the Magnuson-Stevens
Fisheries Act; expanding tax credits and direct funding for development and use of
alternative energy sources; strengthening Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ)
standards; and curbing the political power of the oil industry.

8. OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES

8a. In your opinion, what are other major important issues facing the country?

Ensuring Native Hawaiian control over Hawaiian lands and other assets
More funding for health and education programs -Revitalization of the nation’s
infrastructure
Full and meaningful equality for women and racial, sexual and cultural minorities
Decent standard of living for seniors, children and the disabled

8b. What are your personal legislative priorities and why should Hawai‘i voters choose to vote for you?

Over 25 years in public life in Hawaii, I’ve proven I have the courage to pursue my
convictions. You already know that I will be fighting for what is right as opposed to
fighting for something that is politically expedient.