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Naomi Andrews (New Hampshire)

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Naomi Andrews
Image of Naomi Andrews
Elections and appointments
Last election

October 8, 2019

Contact

Naomi Andrews (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the New Hampshire House of Representatives to represent Rockingham 9. She lost in the special general election on October 8, 2019.

Biography

Andrews served as either Rep. Carol Shea-Porter's chief of staff or campaign manager from 2007 to 2018. She has a B.A. in international studies and a J.D.[1]

Elections

2019

See also: New Hampshire state legislative special elections, 2019

General election

Special general election for New Hampshire House of Representatives Rockingham 9

Michael Vose defeated Naomi Andrews in the special general election for New Hampshire House of Representatives Rockingham 9 on October 8, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Michael Vose
Michael Vose (R)
 
52.2
 
880
Image of Naomi Andrews
Naomi Andrews (D)
 
47.8
 
806

Total votes: 1,686
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Rockingham 9

Naomi Andrews advanced from the special Democratic primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Rockingham 9 on August 20, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Naomi Andrews
Naomi Andrews
 
100.0
 
138

Total votes: 138
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Rockingham 9

Michael Vose defeated Cody Belanger in the special Republican primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Rockingham 9 on August 20, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Michael Vose
Michael Vose
 
79.8
 
312
Image of Cody Belanger
Cody Belanger
 
20.2
 
79

Total votes: 391
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1

Chris Pappas defeated Eddie Edwards and Dan Belforti in the general election for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Chris Pappas
Chris Pappas (D)
 
53.6
 
155,884
Image of Eddie Edwards
Eddie Edwards (R)
 
45.0
 
130,996
Image of Dan Belforti
Dan Belforti (L)
 
1.4
 
4,048

Total votes: 290,928
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1 on September 11, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Chris Pappas
Chris Pappas
 
42.2
 
26,875
Image of Maura Sullivan
Maura Sullivan
 
30.4
 
19,313
Image of Mindi Messmer
Mindi Messmer
 
9.7
 
6,142
Image of Naomi Andrews
Naomi Andrews
 
7.1
 
4,508
Image of Lincoln Soldati
Lincoln Soldati
 
3.1
 
1,982
Image of Deaglan McEachern
Deaglan McEachern
 
2.7
 
1,709
Image of Levi Sanders
Levi Sanders
 
1.8
 
1,141
Image of Mark S. Mackenzie
Mark S. Mackenzie
 
1.2
 
746
Terence O'Rourke
 
1.0
 
656
Image of Paul Cardinal
Paul Cardinal Candidate Connection
 
0.5
 
317
William Martin
 
0.4
 
230

Total votes: 63,619
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1 on September 11, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Eddie Edwards
Eddie Edwards
 
48.0
 
23,510
Image of Andy Sanborn
Andy Sanborn
 
41.6
 
20,364
Image of Andy Martin
Andy Martin Candidate Connection
 
4.2
 
2,072
Image of Michael Callis
Michael Callis
 
2.6
 
1,254
Image of Jeff Denaro
Jeff Denaro
 
2.0
 
963
Bruce Crochetiere
 
1.6
 
766

Total votes: 48,929
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1

Dan Belforti advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House New Hampshire District 1 on September 11, 2018.

Candidate
Image of Dan Belforti
Dan Belforti

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates


Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Naomi Andrews did not complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Candidate Connection

Naomi Andrews participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on September 8, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Naomi Andrews' responses follow below.[2]

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

1. Meaningful Oversight: Congress must reassert itself as a coequal branch of government, as defined under the Constitution, with responsibility for oversight of the Executive Branch. This means calling the Administration and its top officials to task when they, for example, gut the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or roll back protections for LGBTQ+ students. I worry about irrevocable damage to our institutions of government if Congress continues to fail to meet its oversight obligations.
2. Economic Security: It has been over a decade since Congress last acted to raise the federal minimum wage. Just last week, the Trump Administration announced it would unilaterally block a pay raise for our nation’s dedicated public servants, citing budgetary concerns. This comes on the heels of the $1.4 TRILLION looting of the treasury on the part of the Trump Administration and the Republican-controlled Congress in a massive giveaway to the wealthy. President Trump’s program of Welfare for the Wealthy needs to stop. We need to pass the Raise the Wage Act to raise the minimum wage, undo the tax giveaway to the wealthy and put that money to work through investments in education and infrastructure. I will pursue economic policies that invest in our middle class and those aspiring to it, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation or gender identity.
3. Health care: I believe that access to health care is a right, not a privilege, and we know that healthy people help our country's economy. The Affordable Care Act was a landmark reform that prompted a shift in the debate about access to health care in this country. However, the ACA did not fix everything. We know, for example, that for some families who aren't wealthy but earn too much to qualify for subsidies in the ACA’s exchanges, coverage is available, but it is way too expensive. To help these families, and address other gaps that still exist in our patchwork of health care programs, I have long advocated for a uniquely American solution: to build on a program that most Americans know and trust by allowing people to opt into Medicare. I will reintroduce "Medicare You Can Opt Into" as soon as I am sworn in.[3][4]

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?

I have always been passionate about protecting our environment and fighting climate change. I love being outdoors in our state! I camp, ski, swim, and run marathons, and I have climbed all 48 4,000-ft mountains in New Hampshire, always inspired by the beauty of nature. But I know that sea levels are rising, the planet is warming, pollinators are in trouble, and so are we. In Congress, I will push for sane environmental policies that will support renewable energy and provide greater oversight, so Americans have safe water, clean air, and fewer pesticides in our food and our environment. I will fight to protect endangered species and to punish polluters. For example, those who are responsible for contaminating New Hampshire’s drinking water in places such as Pease, need to pay for the cleanup and monitoring. I believe we must work together to produce clean, alternative and renewable energy to fight climate change. I am calling for an Apollo-type program for energy independence to hasten our progress toward that goal. I am also driven by the need for campaign finance reform, which has never been so great. I believe policy decisions should be based on who has the best idea, not the biggest checks. In my campaign, I do not accept corporate PAC or DC lobbyist money, so I am already practicing campaign finance reform myself. Dark money is flooding mailboxes and television and radio with ads that drown out candidates who are trying to defend themselves from it but have far fewer resources. Congress must take action to overturn Citizens United. I favor amending the Constitution so Congress and the states can once again have the authority to regulate the money in campaigns. We need to clarify the authority of Congress to regulate corporations—which are not “people”—, corporate contributions to candidates, and general spending and political advertising in elections. I also support legislation that would require disclosure of campaign donors. Finally, I favor public financing of elections, which will help to further remove the leverage that moneyed interests, domestic or foreign, use to corrupt our politics. I stand for clean, transparent campaign financing, and we need laws that ensure all races are funded in this way.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[4]

Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Naomi Andrews answered the following:

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I know that public office is a public trust, and I strongly believe in respect—respect for each other and respect for our institutions and the Constitutional principles underlying our republic—freedom of the press, the rule of law, the separation of powers, and protection of the right to vote. At the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin is said to have responded to a question about the form of our new government by answering: “A Republic, if you can keep it.” “Keeping the republic” relies on respect and civility and vigorous participation in our democracy. New Hampshire's Granny D, who marched across the country for campaign finance reform, often told us that, “Democracy isn’t something we have, it’s something we do.” I am running for Congress because I have always believed in those words, as I have always believed in Granny D’s cause.[4]
Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?
Yes, I do, particularly now, in what is widely regarded as a serious political, potentially constitutional, crisis. I think when a candidate knows congressional processes, and both national and state issues, from long experience, that will make the Representative-elect effective from the first day in office. There will be no learning curve. As Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter’s former Chief of Staff, I worked each and every day on all of the national and state issues and the challenges that impact our lives in NH—protecting healthcare, supporting small businesses, protecting the environment, honoring promises to our troops and veterans, addressing the opioid crisis—and I can hit the ground running on day one. I know every inch of this district through my work in the congressional office. Having served as Shea-Porter’s Chief of Staff and her campaign manager for her two winning comeback elections, I am the only candidate in the race with over a decade of experience working for the people of New Hampshire’s First Congressional District at the federal level. I’m proud to have earned Congresswoman Shea-Porter’s endorsement to continue working for “the rest of us,” the bottom 99%, in Washington, and I commit to do so with unparalleled enthusiasm, energy, and courage. I also know every corner of the First Congressional District because I grew up in New Hampshire. I attended Epping High School, and am proud to have hiked all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot mountains. My experience in the Congressional office means Granite Staters can be confident that I will be able to hit the ground running for them in Washington on day one. That work has also allowed me to form personal relationships with community leaders and stakeholders throughout the district. The fact that I am from New Hampshire means there is also no learning curve when it comes to getting to know our communities and the challenges we face—I grew up here, in Epping.[4]
If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
Yes. I would ask to serve on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee. Taken together, these committees have jurisdiction over all Armed Services policy (including issues relating to military personnel, readiness, military bases, funding, the size of the military, where the military operates), education, health care, and labor issues, with some overlap on veterans issues. Having been involved with those issues as Shea-Porter’s Chief of Staff, I would be knowledgeable and effective from the outset. If I can receive a waiver to do so, I would also like to serve on the House Natural Resources Committee, which covers the environmental issues and with which I was also involved during two of Shea-Porter’s terms.[4]

The following was found on the candidate's 2018 campaign website.

Economic Security and Dignity
Economic inequality in America has been growing since the 1970s, and 2017’s Tax Reform legislation will only contribute to the problem. An independent analysis found that the bottom 80 percent of taxpayers by income receive just 35% of the legislation’s benefits in 2018 and will receive none at all by 2027! It further estimates that nearly three quarters of all taxpayers will be adversely impacted starting next year.

Naomi supports an increase in the minimum wage to $15/hour, raised in stages. A higher minimum wage means a stronger economy, as 89% of those who would benefit from an increase are age 20 or older, and most are women. Raising the minimum wage helps working families make ends meet, and it drives economic growth for local businesses. No one who works full-time should have to live in poverty.

Naomi will always advocate for a robust social safety net, including through the Supplementation Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly referred to as “food stamps”), Social Security, fuel subsidies, and other benefits. She will never support the type of work requirements passed by the House’s version of the Farm Bill this year because we know that the overwhelming majority of beneficiaries who can work already do. Those who do not are young children, elderly, or disabled, and need help. With average benefits at just $1.40 per meal, SNAP support is already insufficient, and many beneficiaries run out of food purchased through the program in the second or third week of the month. This is unacceptable.

All Americans should have the opportunity to advance economically, to contribute their talents to our great country. Struggling members of our society and the homeless should always occupy a prominent place in our priorities and deserve a government that connects them with stable housing and employment opportunities, along with physical and mental health services.

As FDR said in 1939, “In our personal ambitions we are individualists. But in our seeking for economic and political progress as a nation, we all go up, or else all go down, as one people.” We can’t leave our fellow Americans behind.

Women’s Health Care and Economic Security
Naomi knows that the protection and improvement of women’s rights require women to be politically engaged. Women need to seek political office, work on women’s political campaigns, or work in public service to advance women’s equality. As the saying goes, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” Naomi is proud of her long record of advocacy for women as Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter’s Chief of Staff.

Naomi is a strong advocate of women’s health care and reproductive rights (“pro-choice”). These rights fall under the umbrella of the general right to privacy, along with other medical and end-of-life decisions. All people have the right to make their own decisions about their health care, without government intrusion or interference.

In the 111th Congress (2009-2010), Naomi and the office team worked on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with Congresswoman Shea-Porter. The ACA’s provisions to protect women’s rights include:

  • The ten Essential Health Benefits that all health plans must cover: ambulatory services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance abuse services, prescription drugs, rehabilitative services, laboratory services, preventive and wellness services, and pediatric care
  • Women’s preventive health services with no deductible or cost-sharing—including well-woman visits, mammograms, provision of contraceptives, HIV testing, and cancer screenings
  • Expanded access to Medicaid, for which 2/3 of beneficiaries are women, and eligibility of Medicaid recipients for 60 days of care after the birth of a baby
  • Elimination of insurance companies’ ability to define pregnancy as a preexisting condition, or to charge women more than men (gender rating of premiums)
  • Blocking efforts to restrict access to family planning services (Title X) and defund Planned Parenthood or to implement broad “conscience” exceptions that would allow health care providers to refuse otherwise legal services.

Naomi is committed to prioritizing women’s economic security as much as we prioritize our rights to health care. A woman earns only 78 cents for every $1 of a man’s wages. This is unacceptable. Passing legislation that mandates equal pay for equal work is a crucial step to treat women and the families they support fairly.

Cybersecurity
Criminals and foreign enemies understand that attacking us online is easier than attacking us in person. Because we increasingly store vital and valuable information digitally, these cyber attacks have grown in consequence, resulting in identity theft, intellectual property theft from US businesses (causing severe financial losses), and defrauding of individuals. We have already seen how Russia’s cyber information warfare was used to influence our 2016 federal election, and thus attack our democratic process.

Given the success of that influence operation, we should be hardening our election systems against hacking and going low-tech to paper ballots, which cannot be hacked. These cyber attacks also present a dangerous national security threat if state-level attackers get into systems that run our critical infrastructure (e.g., electric grid, energy sector, transportation), our space architecture (satellites controlling communication and GPS), or our military defense systems. We need to take steps to harden these systems by increasing resilience and redundancy, or by developing alternatives that have inherent resilience.

Improving the Economy
It is important to make sure that we have policies that allow large and small businesses to compete in the domestic and global economy. We need to renew our public infrastructure, which will provide millions of jobs and make our businesses more competitive and efficient, and we can establish an infrastructure bank to help finance it.

It's time to raise the minimum wage in increments to a livable wage, to give low-income workers more money to spend, which will then stimulate the local economy. The Democratic Congress raised the minimum wage in 2007, when they controlled the House, and it's time to act again. We can raise the minimum wage in increments, to help business adjust, and as always, exempt farmers and small family businesses. This is a responsible approach that provides businesses with the time to plan and adjust. We have to do this--it is simply impossible to live on $7.25/hour.

Also, higher education must be affordable so people are able to prepare themselves to work and earn in the new economy without drowning themselves and their families in debt. We need to strive for energy independence, and encourage the development of green energy, with all the new jobs the new technology will support. Finally, we have to fix our tax code. Our system punishes the middle class and small businesses, and gives unfair tax advantages to the wealthiest corporations and individuals.

Gun Violence Prevention
The students of Parkland, Florida have been a true inspiration. For too long, the NRA and its allies have dominated Washington politics - peddling their influence through threats of primary challengers for those who do not remain “pure” by opposing every single common-sense effort to reduce gun violence in America.

In the Granite State, we have a culture of responsible gun ownership. I grew up in Epping and for some of my friends’ families, venison was an important staple to get them through the winter.

But there are many steps Congress can take to help reduce the amount of gun violence in our country. No one law will stop all of the violence, but Congress has a moral obligation to take what steps it can in order to lessen the bloodshed. Inaction is unconscionable and the current lack of positive action must not be allowed to continue.

In Congress, I will fight to implement those common-sense proposals. I commit to joining the Gun Violence Taskforce on day one. All gun purchases, except for gifts between immediate family members, should require a background check. We must stop the gun show loophole. Additionally, the national background check system should be strengthened, and include all relevant information from those who report to it. Right now it’s like saying only 1 in 4 people need to go through TSA at an airport. Lastly, law enforcement most have the ability to take firearms away from those who have shown they might be a danger to themselves and others.

It is frightening and appalling that our schools have become targets. The best way to create safe schools is through prevention. In many cases, the children or teens who feel the need to bring guns to school are themselves the victims of bullying, harassment, and discrimination, or have mental health issues. If schools worked to shut down hateful behavior or gave students the mental health support they need, that could help prevent violence. There should also be an organized effort to get reports from teachers or students who notice students who threaten violence to others, or are obsessed by guns and shootings. This on-the-ground effort can actually be more effective than an FBI tipline. Students expelled from school for bringing guns to school or making threats should get the help they clearly need, and not just be left to plot revenge. Schools also need to make their exterior walls, doors, and windows more difficult for a shooter to break through.

As I stated above, we cannot fix this problem with legislation alone. But these proposals, along with the grit and determination showed by students around the country, will make a world of difference.

National Security
In Congress, Naomi will protect our country by making sure we always have the resources to defend our nation and honor our commitments. She will also support policies that seek to promote understanding and cooperation and conflict resolution. She believes foreign aid, diplomacy, and soft power are essential tools, and will support fully staffing and funding the State Department and its diplomatic efforts around the world. Defense Secretary James Mattis, while commander of US Central Command, was right when he remarked in 2013: “If you don't fully fund the State Department, then I need to buy more ammunition.”

Global Security

To make our way safely and effectively in the current challenging threat environment, Naomi believes that we have to acknowledge that, while terrorism remains a serious threat, we have re-entered a world with hostile peer competitors like Russia and China, and we must be vigilant and prepared. What does this threat environment look like?

International security experts say that the threat environment today is complex, interconnected, and volatile. Russia has become a malign international actor that invaded Ukraine, annexed part of its territory (Crimea), and is trying to destabilize Ukraine militarily. It is attacking all the western democracies, trying to incite instability and to break up the NATO alliance and the European Union. China is the greater long-term strategic threat, and it basically claims the entire South China Sea, an essential sea lane, as its own, despite neighboring countries’ counter-claims and the fact that the UN Commission on the Law of the Sea found China’s claims invalid. China has no use for the rule-based international order that has been keeping us from world war since 1945. China's ultimate objective is to replace us as the dominant power first in the Asia-Pacific region and then the world. North Korea continues to be a wild card, with its unstable, unpredictable leader, nuclear arsenal, and long-range missiles. Now that President Trump has pulled the US out of the Iran deal, Iran could restart its nuclear program at any time. According to the Defense Department, climate change is also a national security threat and “may act as an accelerant of instability or conflict, placing a burden to respond on civilian institutions and militaries around the world” (2010 Quadrennial Defense Review).

Naomi is committed to our system of alliances and other global organizations and treaties, and our continuing leadership role in world affairs. US withdrawal and isolationism in the 1920s did not protect us from WWII, and that devastating war taught us the lesson that we must stay globally engaged to prevent conflicts and use diplomacy to defuse crises. The international structure of the UN, NATO, and other alliances that the US established after WWII has prevented another world war. It is more important than ever to preserve this rule-based international order to keep the peace. Finally, we need to sign and adhere to the Paris agreement on climate change and become a leader on fighting climate change, which is a different kind of national security threat.

US/Russia Relations

Naomi favors tough sanctions against Russia, for deterrence. Our intelligence community found that Russia directed a cyber attack against the 2016 US election. When Russia interfered in our election, the basis of our republic, they crossed a line. It has taken time and many deliberate Russian provocations to get where we are—where US-Russia relations have degraded to the point that they are as bad as during the Cold War. Naomi believes we must hold Russia accountable for its malign actions and cyber/information warfare in Europe—e.g., its 2014 attack on Ukraine, which stole Crimea, and continuing support for violent insurgency in Ukraine, its threatening military maneuvers and posture, its support for a murderous dictator in Syria, which increases destabilizing refugee flows into Europe, and its efforts to promote fascist political parties in European nations and to sow dissension within NATO and the European Union. She supports the new, more far-reaching sanctions that will be imposed on Russia on Aug 22, triggered by treaty obligations in response to Russia’s use of chemical weapons in the attempted poisoning of a British resident and his daughter in the UK. She opposes President Trump's signing statement issued for the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act, in which he refuses to carry out the provision that bans him from recognizing Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea.

Opioid/Drug Crisis
Substance abuse has been a problem for a long time. New Hampshire has really come together to fight this scourge, but more must be done. Naomi believes that we need to approach it by: supporting prevention efforts in health care settings, schools and workplaces; increasing funding for both inpatient and outpatient long-term treatment and recovery programs for those who are suffering; properly funding and supporting law enforcement so they can catch drug dealers and disrupt their trafficking networks; improving monitoring of prescriptions for opioids and other drugs. She also supports suing pharmaceutical companies if they failed to inform and educate medical professionals and patients about the high risk of addiction, even if the drug was taken for a short period of time.

Environment Naomi has always been passionate about protecting our environment and fighting climate change. She loves the outdoors. She camps, skis, swims, runs marathons, and has climbed all 48 4,000-ft mountains in New Hampshire, always inspired by the beauty of nature.

But she knows that sea levels are rising, the planet is warming, pollinators are in trouble, and so are we. In Congress, Naomi will fight for sane environmental policies that will support renewable energy and provide greater oversight so Americans have safe water, clean air, and fewer pesticides in our food and our environment. She will fight to protect endangered species and to punish polluters. She believes we must work together to produce clean, alternative and renewable energy to fight climate change. She is calling for an Apollo-type program for energy independence to hasten our progress toward that goal.

Health Care, Medicare, Social Security
Health Care: Naomi believes that health care costs are out of control, and she supports allowing people of any age to buy into Medicare. The government is already heavily involved in health care—and has been for more than half a century. Government safety net programs insure seniors through Medicare, veterans through the VA and TRICARE, our military and their families though the Defense Health Program, low-income children through the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and low-income families through Medicaid. She supports robust investment in medical research and disease prevention. She also favors continuing to block private insurers from refusing to cover people with pre-existing conditions or imposing lifetime or annual caps on coverage.

She also knows that our seniors paid for and earned their Medicare and Social Security benefits, and she will fight to preserve and strengthen these successful programs.

Medicare: The first step would be to save money by efficiencies in Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit. If Medicare could negotiate the price of prescription drugs – as do other agencies such as the VA – it would save billions over the next ten years. But a Republican Congress actually passed a law prohibiting Medicare from negotiating the prices to save taxpayers money. Naomi will support legislation to change this. She also thinks it's necessary to step up oversight as well, and wants to increase the number of auditors and improve technology to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse. In addition, the long-term viability of the program depends on containing the rise in health care costs. The ACA significantly slowed that rise. Unfortunately, the actions taken by the Trump Administration and Congress have worsened the outlook for the trust fund.

Social Security: It is unfair for the wealthy to pay only on the first $128,400 of their income, while most Americans, who make far less, pay on their entire income. This also hurts the financial stability of Social Security. Therefore, the cap of $128,400 must be eliminated to secure this earned benefit for future generations. This is a simple and fair fix.

Education
Education has been the driver of progress in America. Families know that a good education is essential for most good jobs, but they are finding it harder than ever to pay the high costs of college or technical school. Naomi still has big school loans herself, so she understands the pressure working families are facing as they try to pay for education. Naomi supports debt-free education for college students. We have a responsibility to ensure that our students can attend school without being left with mountains of debt.

She wants to reduce the interest rates for school loans, allow families to deduct the interest, and provide more money for grants and loans, as well as protecting loan forgiveness for public service. These steps will help families earn higher wages, which will help grow our economy. She also supports reinvigorating work-study programs and encouraging states to fund public universities more generously. After all, we all have a stake in our nation's future.

These steps will help families earn higher wages, which will help grow our economy.

Veterans
Veterans certainly deserve to be thanked for their service. But we need to do more than that. We also owe them the benefits they have earned.

Veterans have spent significant time away from their families and friends. They have missed the everyday routine of their workplaces and their communities, and special events such as births and funerals, weddings and graduations. They have missed the comforts of home and the support of loved ones. Too often, veterans face further difficulties when they return home. Some battle Post-Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, or other challenges, such as exposure to toxic chemicals. They deserve their benefits and the best medical care.

New Hampshire’s veterans live in the only state without a full-service hospital or access to similar services at a military facility. That is why Naomi will re-introduce Carol Shea-Porter’s legislation, the Veterans Health Equity Act, to require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to restore the VA Medical Center in Manchester, New Hampshire to a full-service VA hospital, or provide our veterans with comparable in-state care through local health care providers. Naomi will continue to fight for equal care for New Hampshire’s veterans.

Democracy
At the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin is said to have responded to a question about the form of our new government by answering: “A Republic, if you can keep it.” What was true then, remains true today: the principles and institutions of our democratic republic must not be taken for granted, and we – the American people – are responsible for their preservation.

New Hampshire's Granny D, who marched across the country for campaign finance reform, often told us that, “Democracy isn’t something we have, it’s something we do.” And while this is a responsibility we all share, our elected officials have a special obligation to be good stewards of our democratic norms and institutions.

The freedom of the press, the rule of law, and the separation of powers are all fundamental to our democracy. These are not partisan principles, they are American values. Even in times of political polarization, we should be able to unite around these common values. Yet, we have seen increasing attempts by some in power to undermine our free press by deriding them as “fake news” or “enemies of the people”; to undermine the judiciary and disregard ethics and anti-corruption standards; and to disregard the oversight role of the Executive branch by the Legislative branch, such as Congress relinquishing its responsibility to authorize the war. These are in direct conflict with the very principles that underpin our democracy.

Naomi knows that public office is a public trust, and she strongly believes in respect; respect for each other and respect for our institutions. “Keeping the republic” relies on respect and civility and vigorous participation in our democracy. She will work to protect everyone's right to vote.[4]

—Naomi Andrews' campaign website (2018)[5]


See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Naomi Andrews, "About Naomi," accessed September 6, 2018
  2. Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
  3. Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Naomi Andrews' responses," September 8, 2018
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  5. Naomi Andrews' campaign website, “Issues,” accessed September 3, 2018


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