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DUTIES: U.S. Representatives make laws, oversee the operations of all federal government departments and investigate issues of national importance. Laws that impose taxes always begin in the House of Representatives. Through impeachment, the House of Representatives can recommend that the Senate remove from office a public official accused of a crime.TERM: Two years. No term limit.SALARY: $174,000.HOW ELECTED: Elected by voters in each congressional district. Maryland is represented by eight of the 435 Representatives, WEBSITE: www.house.govFORUM: Tuesday, October 13, 6:00 - 7:30 pm, Chesapeake Grove, Intergenerational Center, 108 Chesapeake St., Cambridge, MD

Voter Guide

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Dan Schwartz (Dem)

Biographical Information

Campaign Twitter https://x.com/schwartz4_MD1st
Campaign Phone 8608302786
Campaign Instagram https://instagram.com/schwartz4congress
Campaign Twitter Handle @schwartz4_MD1st
Campaign Mailing Address P.O. Box 44
Royal Oak, MD 21662-1401

ELECTIONS: What laws will you support to protect election integrity and secure accurate vote counts?

I would vote to restore the Voting Rights Act, which has been hollowed out by the Supreme Court and support legislation to ban partisan gerrymandering and put redistricting decisions in the hands of independent state commissions. Partisan gerrymandering kills people's faith in fair representation which undermines elections. I would also support the For the People Act which better funds equipment upgrades, provides security standards, broadens ways to register and expands early/mail voting.

IMMIGRATION: Do you support current approaches to enforcing federal immigration laws? Why or why not?

No. While we need immigration enforcement, the current approach is intentionally cruel. We need a complete overhaul in how ICE and CBP operate. ICE should not have a larger budget than the Marine Corps. Much of its budget must be reallocated and all types of law enforcement need to be held to high professional standards that protect people’s civil liberties. I am worried about the message being sent to my six year old who wants to be a police officer when he sees heavily armed men in masks.

AFFORDABILITY: Many Marylanders are struggling to afford basic expenses such as housing, groceries, childcare, and healthcare. What will you do to make living in the United States more affordable?

I will support legislation to reign in the President’s use of tariffs and require him to follow the ruling of his own Supreme Court. I will fight to roll back the President’s tax cuts for billionaires, and seek bipartisan support to overhaul the US Tax Code to ensure that corporations and billionaires are paying their fair share. We will seek permanent tax cuts for working class families instead of billionaires.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: What do you see as the United States' role on the world stage?

For decades, US foreign policy has been used not just to project military power, but to influence through diplomacy and aid. By feeding kids in war-stricken nations, fighting HIV/AIDS (PEPFAR program) etc. we build long term political and economic influence around the world. This administration has pulled back from these critical efforts while at the same time utilizing our military in the most interventionist fashion of any administration since WW1, increasing global instability.

SAFETY NET: How will you safeguard social safety net programs for the most vulnerable Marylanders?

Reversing the draconian cuts from the Big Beautiful Bill is step one. Another step is allowing people to choose to buy into Medicare if they want. That will expand the risk pool and expand people’s ability to get the healthcare they need without going bankrupt. Closing tax code loopholes for billionaires and corporations to make them pay their fair share will also shift the burden of supporting social safety nets off the backs of the middle class.

Voter Guide

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Andy Harris (Rep)

Biographical Information

Campaign Twitter @Harris4Congress
Campaign Website http://andyharris.com
Campaign Phone 4436937244
Campaign Email info@andyharris.com
Campaign Instagram instagram.com/harrisforcongress
Campaign Twitter Handle @@Harris4Congress
Campaign Mailing Address PO Box 6
Cambridge, MD 21613

ELECTIONS: What laws will you support to protect election integrity and secure accurate vote counts?

Only American citizens should be allowed to vote in federal elections, and states should be required to confirm this before registering a voter. Voter photo ID should be required, or a provisional ballot should be used. Signatures should be checked. All ballots should be paper ballots that are optically scanned and then able to be manually counted if any questions arise. Absentee balloting should only be with a good reason, such as illness or absence from the district.

IMMIGRATION: Do you support current approaches to enforcing federal immigration laws? Why or why not?

Congress determined immigration law. It should be enforced by the executive branch, as laid out in the Constitution. Temporary foreign workers are necessary for our district, and both the agricultural H2A and tourism/seafood processing H2B programs should be expanded, but strictly enforced - that's a win-win for the worker and district farmers and businesses. These workers pay payroll taxes, but wouldn't be eligible for Medicare or Social Security, which would add longevity to those programs.

AFFORDABILITY: Many Marylanders are struggling to afford basic expenses such as housing, groceries, childcare, and healthcare. What will you do to make living in the United States more affordable?

We have to roll back the tax and fee increases that the Moore administration has burdened Marylanders with - as well as the county piggyback income taxes he has allowed to be raised. As a physician, I realize that health care has become very expensive, and we need to put more control of health care in each family. Price transparency and expansion of Health Care Savings Accounts would allow you to shop for health care, and bring drug and providers prices down through much-needed competition.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: What do you see as the United States' role on the world stage?

Since World War II, we have been the leader of the free world. NATO is one element of that leadership, and NATO is much stronger now that countries besides the US are paying their fare share. We have to be leaders against antisemitism. Our military has to have the best technology, and many companies right here in the First District are contributing to that - from drone manufacturers to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, to Eastern Shore companies that make wiring, body armor, and tank bodies.

SAFETY NET: How will you safeguard social safety net programs for the most vulnerable Marylanders?

SNAP (food stamps) and Medicaid have to remain available, but not to those who don't or shouldn't qualify. Although the U.S. government pays for all SNAP and most of Medicaid, Maryland government administers them and has done a poor job at making sure people are qualified for those programs before they sign them up. That means fewer resources for those who qualify. Able-bodied people who choose not to work, and who aren't caretakers for young/elderly/disabled, should not receive benefits.

Voter Guide

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Edward Shlikas (UA, WRI)

Biographical Information

Campaign Twitter @shlikas4congres
Campaign Twitter Handle @@shlikas4congres

ELECTIONS: What laws will you support to protect election integrity and secure accurate vote counts?

Voter fraud is propaganda promoted by the U.S. oligarchs, who are passing laws to deny U.S. citizens the right to vote, so the oligarchs, also known as The Epstein Class, mostly satanic genocidal Jews and their treasonous AIPAC-paid Israeli foreign agents, can stay in power in the U.S. and steal trillions of our U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund the Jewish / Israeli genocides and wars against the Palestinians, Iranians, Lebanese, Syrians, Yemenis, and Americans. I think current laws are sufficient.

IMMIGRATION: Do you support current approaches to enforcing federal immigration laws? Why or why not?

I support removing all illegal immigrants from the U.S., who are being exploited by the U.S. oligarchs, the Epstein Class, to suppress the wages of U.S. citizens, so the Epstein Class can extract more profits from the value that U.S. citizens create. In order for U.S. citizens to earn real market wages for the true value they create through their labor, we must not allow the Epstein Class to flood the labor market with illegal immigrants to lower wages and keep most U.S. citizens in poverty.

AFFORDABILITY: Many Marylanders are struggling to afford basic expenses such as housing, groceries, childcare, and healthcare. What will you do to make living in the United States more affordable?

We must remove the genocidal Jews and their treasonous AIPAC-paid Israeli foreign agents in our U.S. government from power. We currently do not have a U.S. Congress, we have a Knesset 2.0, which is acting in the interests of the genocidal Jews and Israel, and against U.S. national interests, stealing trillions of our U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund the genocidal Jew wars, like in Iran, to steal more land, which is causing extremely high gas and food prices, lowering our U.S. standard of living.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: What do you see as the United States' role on the world stage?

We must bring all of our military men and women home from our 800+ military bases around the world and close the military bases. We must immediately stop funding Israel and the genocidal Jew wars, and committing war crimes for the genocidal Jews and Israel, which are destroying and bankrupting our U.S. Constitutional Republic. We must substantially cut the U.S. military budget and invest in everyday U.S. citizen entrepreneurs, so that we can rebuild U.S. manufacturing and compete in the world.

SAFETY NET: How will you safeguard social safety net programs for the most vulnerable Marylanders?

We must have universal healthcare and remove the current insurance business model, which incentivizes a focus on profit rather than the health of U.S. citizens, which causes many U.S. citizens to spend too much on healthcare, go into medical debt and medical bill bankruptcy. We must fully fund Social Security, as well as other programs, like the Scandinavians have, to lower the extreme financial stress on most U.S. citizens, which is causing the obesity, opioid, and suicide epidemics in the U.S.