Know Your Candidates: Connolly vs Fimian

For the second time in as many election cycles Gerry Connolly and Keith Fimian are squaring off for a congressional seat.

Vienna Patch invites you to compare the candidates on the issues (which are listed below). You can also watch them discuss these views in the videos that appear in the right-hand column.

The following positions on key issues are taken directly from the respective candidates' official websites.

Note: Where no information was available about a particular issue on Gerry Connolly's website, his positions are taken from his voting record as per ontheissues.org. Those positions are noted accordingly.

Abortion

Connolly (according to ontheissues.org.)

Connolly is listed as pro-choice. His voting record indicates a "focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception."

Fimian:

I am pro-life and will vote pro-life. I believe we must continue to foster a culture of life for the unborn, aging and sick. Taxpayer dollars should never fund abortions. We should have a ban on human cloning.

Health Care

Connolly:

Gerry Connolly voted for health insurance reform because he believes the current system is too expensive and gives too much power to the insurance companies.  Northern Virginia families and small businesses will see lower costs, better quality of care, and meaningful insurance reforms from this legislation. 

Under this reform, it will be illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions or rescind coverage when people get sick. The dependent eligibility age will rise from 22 to 26, allowing thousands of Northern Virginia families to keep young adults on their parents' policy. Co-payments and deductibles for preventive care will be eliminated under private plans and Medicare, saving families and seniors hundreds of dollars a year. Additionally, the Medicare Prescription Drug donut hole will be closed over time, saving seniors thousands. In addition, starting next year, seniors will receive a 50% discount on all brand name drugs.

Thousands of small businesses in our community are already receiving tax credits to make providing health coverage more affordable and helping them compete with foreign companies. Health insurance reform is good for families, seniors, and small businesses, and will reduce the federal deficit by $138 billion over ten years and $1.3 trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Fimian:

Our healthcare system is the best in the world because it fosters innovation and excellence, and consumers have real choices regarding their medical care. Most Americans like the coverage they have. I oppose the Pelosi-Connolly government run healthcare system.

Education

Connolly:

Gerry Connolly puts children and schools first. As a local government official, he helped make Fairfax County schools among the best in the nation by making smart investments in our teachers and kids. In his first term in Congress, he secured new funding to help lower class sizes and save 877 Fairfax and Prince William teachers from being laid off. He voted to secure bonds to upgrade and renovate schools in Northern Virginia.  

He also voted to reform college student loan programs, reducing interest fees, and making college more affordable. He voted to increase Pell Grant scholarships in Virginia by more than $741 million over the next 10 years. He supported investments to help with local classroom renovation and construction.

Gerry Connolly understands the need to invest in the innovators and community leaders of tomorrow and continues to lead the effort to better coordinate and provide more federal resources for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs in local schools like Thomas Jefferson High School. In addition, he won bipartisan support for legislation to protect children and young adults from online predators.

Fimian:

Fimian does not have a position on educational issues listed on his official website.

Energy

Connolly: (according to ontheissues.org)

Connolly voted to enforce limits on CO2 global warming pollution. He is also in favor of requiring utilities to supply an increasing percentage of their demand from a combination of energy efficiency savings and renewable energy (6% in 2012, 9.5% in 2014, 13% in 2016, 16.5% in 2018, and 20% in 2021). He is also in favor of

1. issuing, trading, and verifying renewable electricity credits; and
2. prescribing standards to define and measure electricity savings from energy efficiency and energy conservation measures.

Connolly is also in favor of amending the Clean Air Act (CAA) to set forth a national strategy to address barriers to the commercial-scale deployment of carbon capture and sequestration.

Fimian:

When gas prices soared over three dollars a gallon, I proposed a comprehensive plan to lower gas and energy prices. We must end our dependence on foreign oil and put more money in your pocket for your family.

My plan includes: drilling for more oil and natural gas, expanding nuclear power and develop wind and solar alternative energy.

I oppose the Pelosi-Connolly Cap and Trade plan. It will destroy jobs, increase gas prices by over 60 cents and drive up the electric bill of families and businesses across our nation. And according to EPA staff it won't have any impact on the climate. Instead it will set up an Enron-style system of energy speculation that special interests will use to gouge families.

Taxes

Connolly:

As a local government leader, Gerry Connolly lowered the tax rate by 21% and eliminated the auto decal fee. He understands that a low tax burden is key to Northern Virginia's economic success. 

In his first term in Congress, he has voted for more than $800 billion in tax cuts for families and small businesses, and opposed efforts to raise taxes on Northern Virginians. He supported the Recovery Act because it created 25 separate tax cuts, totaling nearly $300 billion and benefiting 95% of all Americans. More than 241,000 families in the 11th District have received the Making Work Pay tax cut, and 79,000 seniors received a $250 Social Security tax credit. He has also been a strong supporter of the Homebuyer Tax Credit to encourage demand and stabilize the housing market.

For small businesses, he supported $40 billion in tax cuts to make providing health care coverage for their employees more affordable. He supported the HIRE Act, which provides small businesses with tax incentives to hire new employees, and is a cosponsor of legislation to make permanent the R&D tax credit for Northern Virginia technology companies. He cosponsored legislation that would put more money into the hands of small businesses by providing a payroll tax holiday and introduced legislation to eliminate the antiquated federal tax on landline telephones.

Gerry Connolly broke with his Party and the Administration to oppose proposals to cap deductions for mortgage interest and charitable contributions. He is also one of a handful of Democrats who support extending the Bush tax cuts while the economy continues to recover, a position the Wall Street Journal calls "reasonable."

Fimian:

I believe your money is your money, and it is far better in your hands than it is in the hands of the government. That's why I have taken the No New Tax Pledge. 

Taxes should be low and broad based. Our tax code shouldn't pick winners and losers, and it shouldn't punish success. 

The current IRS Code is thousands of pages. Americans spend at least 7 billion hours and more than $200 billion complying with the current tax code.  The waste and lost productivity is immense. In Congress, I'll support rewriting the current federal tax code to make it simpler, fairer, and supportive of making America the best place in the world to do business.

We must be careful reworking it because we don't want career politicians and special interests rewriting the tax code to their benefit while American families are forced to pay more.

Financial Reform

Connolly:

Gerry Connolly has a record of standing up for consumers against big banks and the credit card companies. In Congress, he voted to stop the release of TARP bank bailout funds, instead fighting to use the money to pay down the deficit. He voted to crack down on credit card companies for their exorbitant fees, rate hikes, and deceptive practices hidden in the fine print.  

He believes we need to rein in the reckless behavior of the big banks on Wall Street. That's why he stood up to his own Party to vote against the bank bailout and fought to make sure taxpayer money cannot be used for CEO bonuses.

Gerry Connolly voted for greater accountability on big banks receiving TARP bailout funds and to curb abusive and predatory mortgage lending practices. Finally, he voted for Wall Street Reform legislation to end taxpayer funded bailouts and provide sensible regulation for the previously unregulated derivatives market.

Fimian:

Fimian does not have a position on financial reform listed on his official website.

Budget and Spending

Connolly:

As a local government leader, Gerry Connolly balanced the budget every year.  In his first term in Congress, he has voted against more than $500 billion in wasteful overspending and become a leader in the fight against budget deficits.

As a deficit hawk, Gerry Connolly has worked to reduce the deficit and limit the burden we leave to our children. He cosponsored pay-as-you-go legislation and has repeatedly voted against reckless Washington spending, opposing the release of $350 billion in TARP bank bailout funds and a $154 billion spending bill that would have further increased the deficit. He broke with his own Party to make sure bailout money is used to pay down the deficit. He voted against a $115 billion spending package because it would have increased the deficit, and he opposes President Obama's latest budget because it includes a $1.6 trillion deficit.

Gerry Connolly supports a 3% cap on discretionary spending increases so we can bring wasteful spending under control and twice voted to stop automatic pay raises for members of Congress.  Congress should be finding ways to reduce unnecessary spending in these difficult times, rather than trying to give itself a pay raise.

Fimian:

The Federal Government spends too much money. We cannot continue to run up trillion dollar deficits and multi-trillion dollar national debt. Continuing down this path will debase our currency and turn us into a debtor nation.

We need to immediately freeze government spending and return all unspent TARP funds to the Treasury.

I support a Federal Balanced Budget Amendment as well as a constitutional amendment to give the President the line item veto. Career politicians in Washington are spending addicts.  They are incapable of controlling spending.

Veterans Affairs

Connolly:

Gerry Connolly is proud to represent tens of thousands of active and retired military families. He believes there is no duty more sacred than providing for their well-being. To fulfill our obligation and honor our troops and veterans Connolly has fought to ensure they have full health coverage, better pay, and access to veteran's services throughout their lives.

He introduced and passed the Helping Active Duty Deployed (HADD) Act to protect service members from cell phone and housing lease early termination charges when they are deployed. He cosponsored legislation to limit increases on TRICARE premiums, provide free postal benefits for troops in combat zones, provide disability compensations for PTSD, allow military retirees to pay their health care premiums with pre-tax dollars, require mental health and traumatic brain injury screenings, and provide education and support services for family caregivers.  

He also cosponsored legislation to ensure that the health care reform bill will not harm TRICARE or TRICARE for Life. In addition, he cosponsored legislation to take the Veterans Administration, which operates the largest integrated health care system in the world, out of the annual appropriations process and provide more consistent, reliable funding. Our Military Kids, an organization dedicated to helping military children, recently awarded him the "Friend of Military Kids" award for his work on behalf of military families.

Fimian:

America owes a debt of gratitude to the veterans who have sacrificed much to protect our country during the current Global War on Terror and for past wars.  We must provide for our service men and women and their families while they serve, and we must provide a seamless transition to them as they return to civilian life.  Lastly, we must also honor and never forget the service of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and do not return.

Our countries reservists and guardsmen have been an invaluable and critical part of the Global War on Terror as they have served and fought side-by-side with active duty members in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Since the role of reservists and the guardsmen has changed, we must also update and improve their benefits to reflect the critical role they play in protecting our country and for their sacrifices.

Immigration

Connolly:

Connolly has not voted on an immigration bill nor has he declared a position on his website.

Fimian:

I am 100 percent opposed to illegal immigration. We need to secure our borders for security and economic reasons. We need to build a wall, both physical and virtual. People who want to come here must follow the rules. I oppose amnesty for those who have broken the law and entered our country illegally. When someone is arrested for the committing a crime, the police should check their immigration status and turn them over to Federal authorities. We must be tough on those who break our laws.

But we must remember that we are a nation of immigrants and people who come here legally to work and contribute to our nation should be welcomed, particularly highly educated, highly skilled individuals who can make valuable contributions to our economy. We need to encourage the young, highly educated people that come here to study to stay here and contribute to our economy. 

Defense

Connolly: (according to ontheissues.org)

Connolly voted to:

• End the war in Iraq and restore American credibility.  
• Order sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program.  
• Support democratic institutions in Pakistan.
• Condemn Iran for state-sponsored persecution of Baha'i.
• Affirm the commitment to unbreakable U.S.-Israel bond.

Fimian:

Like Ronald Reagan, I believe in peace through strength. We want peace on our terms, not on the terms of our enemies. We must maintain the strongest military in the world. Our military has been the greatest force for good the world has known. 

We face a dangerous world. From terrorism to rogue regimes like Iran and North Korea to the potential for chemical, biological, or even nuclear terrorism, the greatest deterrent we can provide is a strong United States military. Now is not the time for nuclear disarmament, as the administration is attempting to do.   

That includes giving our men and women deployed overseas the tools they need to complete their missions, and preparing for the battlefields of the future with the most advanced weapons systems possible.

Seniors Issues

Neither candidate is in favor of privatizing Social Security nor changing the retirement age.

Endorsements

State Senator Toddy Puller endorsed Connolly with the following statement:

"Congressman Connolly has done an excellent job in his two years in office."

Connolly has been endorsed by: The The Fairfax Times, The News & Messenger, The Connection Newspapers, The Chronicle Newspapers and The Falls Church News Press.

Patch.com does not endorse political candidates.