Meuser, Wolff talk about issues

Dan Meuser, a former Republican state revenue secretary, faces Democrat Denny Wolff, former state agriculture secretary, in the race to represent the 9th Congressional District.

The Times News asked both candidates the same set of questions on some of the biggest issues headed into Election Day on Tuesday.

What changes would you support to the current health care system to make it more affordable for Americans?

Meuser: I believe that Obamacare should be repealed and replaced. It is too costly, it is a burden to families and job creators and it’s not working. We need to look to the private sector to help create competition and give consumers real options to purchase health insurance. We must allow people to choose the type of coverage they want and allow insurance companies to compete nationally. Any compromise plan I would support would have to ensure coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and must decrease costs for seniors.

Wolff: We need to resolve that problem. It’s a big issue. We know there are some parts of the current Affordable Care Act that people like. They like the pre-existing condition clause. They like the clause where your child can stay on your policy until they are 26 years old. But, they do not like the cost and the out-of-pocket expenses that are affiliated with it. One of the things that has to be addressed is that our health care delivery system does do a good job, but it is very expensive. Our health care costs are twice as high as any other developed country.

Do you support cutting Social Security? Why or why not?

Wolff: If we make no changes to the social security system today, by the year 2034, social security payments will decrease 20 percent.

That is because the reserve fund will be depleted. It is time we deal with that and make sure that funds remain healthy so that nobody has to be concerned about losing their social security payments or that kind of reduction. My suggestion is you simply raise the cap on the deduction. Right now it is around $127,000. Any income over that, there is no social security withholding. It needs to be increased to $350,000.

Meuser: No. I believe that Social Security and Medicare must be protected. Taxpayers have paid into it and they earned those benefits. The best way to ensure these programs are stable is to keep the economy flourishing. A strong and robust economy will help us sustain these programs.

Do you support the recent tariffs such as those placed on imported steel and aluminum? Why or why not?

Meuser: Generally I am not for tariffs, but I agree with President Trump’s efforts to renegotiate bad trade deals where America, our workers and our businesses have and are being taken advantage of. The President has already successfully renegotiated new trade deals with Mexico, Canada and the EU. I support the pro-growth initiatives within the America First Agenda. My goal is for zero tariffs and then our economy will really take off.

Wolff: Tariffs are not a good idea. All you have to do is take a look at history. Tariffs have never solved the problem. If we need to renegotiate trade agreements, we need to do that. We do not need to put steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union, Canada, Mexico and China. We are where we are. We need to resolve these issues as quickly as we can and get them behind us. A lot of farmers have gone out of business in the last 90 days for one reason only and that is a drop in prices directly related to these tariffs.

Immigration remains a divisive issue. What do you believe is the best way to address immigration reform?

Wolff: We need comprehensive immigration reform. You can even tie border security into that. We need to make sure our borders are secure. We need to overhaul the visa system, specifically the guest worker program, we have in place. I know some people in agriculture are reluctant to rely on them anymore. There are 11 million undocumented residents in this country. Many of whom have overstayed their visas. We need to bring them into the system, whatever it takes. Anyone who has a criminal record, of course they need to be deported.

Meuser: I strongly support wide gates and high fences as it relates to immigration. I believe we must secure our southern border by building a wall and using all available technologies to ensure our national security. This will protect both illegal immigrants from flooding our borders and dangerous products such as drugs from entering our country. We must also ensure we stop the flow of illegal immigrants at ports of entry, inclusive of seaports and airports. We also need to ensure those who enter our country are paying their fair share in taxes, in order to keep our economy secure. We are a compassionate nation, but a nation of laws. That is why I do not support sanctuary cities and believe they should be defunded.

How would you summarize the state of the economy right now and what policies would you like to see in place to ensure its future growth?

Meuser: Nothing is more important than jobs that sustain families. That’s why I will continue to push for America to be the leader in the global economy and make sure that goods and services made here in America are accessible to the world marketplace. I fully support making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent. At the same time, I will be a loud voice for enforcing the trade laws that exist and making sure America only enters into trade agreements that are fair and good for the American people. We can be free traders and fair traders, and that is the standard I will have for trade agreements.

Wolff: Until recently, the stock market was the barometer people use. However, the vast majority of people in the 9th Congressional District do not own stock. They are happy at the end of the month to make sure they pay all of their bills. I’m concerned the economic recovery hasn’t found its way to rural Pennsylvania or to farmers. Farmers’ net income has dropped 50 percent over the last five years. I think we need to keep that in the back of our mind.