MN Senate Primary Debate: on Government Reform


Mark Kennedy: Introduced line item veto to control wasteful spending

We need to do a better job on cutting out the wasteful spending. Why should we pay for a rainforest in Iowa, or a bridge to nowhere in Alaska? That’s why I’ve introduced the line item veto. Give the president the ability to cut the waste out of there, to hold Congress accountable, and to get wasteful spending under control. I’ve voted for budgets that are tighter than the ones that pass every year.
Source: MN 2006 Senate debates - MPR interview Mar 2, 2006

Ford Bell: Supports public financing of all Congressional races

Ideally we would have public financing of all Congressional races. I don’t see anything else that would address the huge expense. That benefits the establishment candidates.
Source: MN 2006 Senate debates - MPR interview Jan 26, 2006

Ford Bell: Ban former members of Congress from lobbying

We need to reform the lax oversight of lobbyists. Former members of Congress should not be allowed to lobby. It demeans the dignity of our great institution.
Source: MN 2006 Senate debates - MPR interview Jan 26, 2006

  • The above quotations are from MN 2006 Senate debates - Minnesota Public Radio interviews.
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Candidates and political leaders on Government Reform:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 18, 2019