2002 Questionnaire Results Give Snapshot of Views
Thursday August 15, 2002
This year has been a difficult one for our nation. For that reason, my annual Congressional Questionnaire was a good opportunity to get the views of my constituents about many of the issues that confront us. From the war on terrorism to welfare reform to the regulation of assisted living facilities, I was pleased by how many of you took the time to respond.
This year's Questionnaire contained 18 questions, and while not a scientific poll, I have found over the years that the results tend to be an extremely accurate reflection of how people feel. In fact, when I am out in the District, I often hear very similar opinions about issues.
There were several foreign policy questions and I found the responses to be very interesting. Those who responded were almost evenly divided on deploying troops in an effort to overthrow Saddam Hussein of Iraq. A significant number, 65%, support the United States playing a long-term role in nation building in Afghanistan. Another 77% want the United States actively involved in efforts to establish peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.
A majority of respondents -- 66% -- favor repealing the tax cut and using that money to strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and 63% support making a prescription drug benefit part of Medicare. In the highest response recorded, 85% want the establishment of national care standards to protect residents of assisted living facilities.
In a very strong response, 83% oppose granting medical researchers personal health information without written consent. Another 54% were against using vouchers to help students pay tuition at private schools.
As the leading Democrat on the subcommittee responsible for welfare reform, I was particularly interested to see that 80% want a greater emphasis on getting families out of poverty instead of just reducing the number of people on assistance.
A more equally divided number of respondents, 55% to 45% support increasing the federal gasoline tax if the revenues are used to reduce traffic congestion through highway and mass transit construction. In terms of helping the steel industry manage "legacy" costs, 45% support and 55% oppose federal assistance to steel companies for the health care costs of retirees.
The Enron question received a very mixed response. Forty-nine percent want the government to limit the amount of 401(k) contributions that can be invested in a worker's own company, while 51% oppose any restrictions on investments. On a controversial issue, 41% favor allowing young workers to invest a portion of their current Social Security taxes in individual, privately-invested accounts and reducing the guaranteed benefit levels under Social Security to retirees, the disabled and survivors.
The environment also elicited some strong responses. More than 80% favor increasing the average fuel economy for cars, light trucks and SUVS by 20% over a 10-years period, and 54% oppose opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil exploration and development. Another 80% support having the federal government contribute half of the funds needed to rebuild aging sewer systems and other major infrastructure projects across the nation.
A strong majority -- 75% -- support the United States entering into a "Free Trade in the Americas Agreement" throughout North, Central and South America. Another 82% want to see the INS dismantled and two new agencies created, one focused on border enforcement and the other on citizenship and immigration services.
Every year, I find the responses to the Congressional Questionnaire very interesting. It's obvious to me that many of you have strong opinions, and by responding to these questions you are helping me do a better job of representing you. I want to thank everyone who took the time to respond.
