2018 Primary Election guide: U.S. Representative in Congress, District 2

Democrats

Vance Alm, M.D.

Address: 18124 Wedge Parkway, Suite 2019, Reno, Nevada 89511

Occupation: Medical Doctor (Family Practice Physician)

Contact Information: AlmForCongress.com; almforcongess@gmail.com; 775-413-0440

Age: 60

Service: U.S. Air Force - Navigation Officer, 1981-1994; U.S. Army - Enlisted Infantryman, 1974-1978

Education: Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), University of North Dakota, 1998; Master of Arts (M.A.), Human Relations/Industrial Psychology, Webster University, 1983; Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Zoology, North Dakota State University, 1981

Platform: I grew up in a small town of 50,000 with strong community values. My parents were blue collar workers and my mother was a Union member. After retiring from the military, I earned me medical degree and became a Family Doctor. Owning and running my own solo-physician practice, I understand the nuances between management and administration of a business, and an understanding of the unique challenges and lessons each brought. Dealing with overhead, regulations, taxes, staffing, and all aspects of business are part of my daily experience. As a doctor, I see the problems confronting health care. On a daily basis, I problem solve with every patient; and everyday I identify problems, gather facts, and presenting solutions for each case. As part of this process I have seen the catastrophic rise in health care costs and decreased access to quality care. We must switch our focus to quality care for you, not simply how to pay for that care. My careers in the military, as a family practice physician, and a small business owner, define my life. My experiences, and the lessons they have taught me, are what make me an exceptional candidate and who you should choose to be to your U.S. Representative.

What is one issue affecting the lives of Northern Nevadans that you would work to fix?

Healthcare. Health insurance is not healthcare. We need to correct issues in healthcare, not only focus on the cost. We need to focus on access to quality care and reign in insurance companies that only care about their bottom line. I want to increase the numbers of physicians and specialties. Expand research and treatment evaluation. Reduce pharmaceutical costs. And increase allocations to underserved and rural areas. I believe we need to pass legislation that addresses the opioid crisis and expand mental health services. My overarching goal will to be expand federal healthcare programs, specifically programs that directly employ physicians and other medical staff, such as Veterans Affairs medical facilities. This will cut costs by at least 25 percent and ensure all Americans have the opportunity for affordable and quality healthcare. Every day I see the detrimental effects our present healthcare system is having on all walks of life. I’ve been to the rural areas of Nevada, such as Kingston and Elko, and I have seen how quality care has drastically declined, or completely unavailable. Type II diabetes has exponentially increased. Anxiety and depression are at all time highs; and heart disease is the number one killer in Nevada. I see the holes in our system. For more of my patients, insurance is either non-existent, not enough, or it hinders their care. I see patients that can’t access the medications they need or the specialists they need to survive. I want to change this. I want every individual and family to have the best healthcare possible. Having access to military and VA medicine, I’ve seen how a government provided system works — it works well. It’s time for universal healthcare that provides care to everyone, especially our small communities and rural areas that are losing services every day. We can do this, and we can do it without bankrupting the Nation. I care about Nevada and I care about your health. We need to continue the fight for affordable healthcare and access to quality care. Give me your vote by June 12th. Together we will make Nevada healthy, and Washington politics healthy.

Patrick Fogarty

Address: 561 Keystone Ave #212 Reno, NV 89503

Occupation: P/T Tax preparer-bookkeeper, semi-retired

Age: 51

Contact Information: www.pat4congress.com; info@pat4congress.com; www.facebook.com/patfogartynv

Record of Service: I worked at Immunex Corporation for 2 years as a researcher. I worked at Stanford University for 3 years as a scientist. I founded and ran Tosk, Inc, a biotech company that was developing better cancer drugs, for 5 years. I interacted with venture capitalists, investment bankers, scientists, pharmaceutical company executives, OSHA, and the FDA all to push our cancer drugs forward until I was bought out in 2003. P/T bookkeeper/tax preparer, financial investing, and semi-retired for 14 years.

Education: University of Washington, Seattle BS in Biology; University of California, Santa Cruz Ph.D. In Molecular Genetics

Platform: A Fair Shake for All. Everyone should be on a level playing field, regardless of zip code, wealth, or anything else — it’s an American founding principle and what our government should provide. That is why we as a nation have always rooted for the underdog and stood up to bullies. Except now, we have accepted a government that takes money from the less fortunate and gives it to big business while also burdening future generations to do so. We have a government that is destabilizing healthcare — making people without resources choose between paying for their rent and groceries or paying the bills for their ruptured appendix, broken arm, or cancer. Or worse, having no choice at all because they can’t afford treatment.

This is not conservative, moderate, or liberal thinking. A fair shake is in the American DNA and anything less is unacceptable. I want to use facts and data to create policy that delivers the best outcomes, so vote for me and let’s send a scientist to Washington.

What is one issue affecting the lives of Northern Nevadans that you would work to fix?

Healthcare. Healthcare is broken, but instead of fixing it the GOP-controlled government is making our situation worse every day. Healthcare is bad everywhere in America, but studies have shown that Northern Nevada is one of the worst places in the nation for healthcare, so we are getting the worst of this already bad healthcare situation. I will improve healthcare (and other problems) by using data and facts to guide optimal policy. For example, with healthcare, Expanding and Improving Medicare for All (EIMA) will improve access to doctors and lower costs while providing health care, not just health insurance as it is now.

Improve access.

1. EIMA means all doctors are available to everyone.

2. The American Medical Association sets the limit for the number of doctors trained each year. We need more doctors, so I would work with the AMA and medical schools to increase the number of medical professionals trained each year.

3. H1-B visas used to bring foreign-trained physicians here to finish their training and serve in rural communities. Changing our immigration stance back to a welcoming one would quickly add needed doctors to underserved areas by once again using the H1-B visa program.

4. College debt forgiveness, residency training programs in underserved locations, and even housing subsidies can increase the number of people who will train to be doctors and incentivizing them to practice in underserved locations.

5. Telemedicine can, in some cases, quickly improve medical access for people in underserved areas.

Reduced cost: Today, the cost of health insurance for individuals and businesses is high and unmanageable. Multiple studies have shown that a single-payer healthcare system, like EIMA, will reduce total healthcare costs by up to $300 billion per year. Reinvesting these savings in the system along with a tax increase that will be far less than most of today’s insurance premiums, will cover all the costs for EIMA to provide complete healthcare — medical, prescriptions, devices, vision, dental, and long term care. Simply stated, the goal of EIMA is to provide complete, cost-effective healthcare for everyone with no more premiums and deductibles.

Implementation: EIMA can be rolled out cost effectively because the base infrastructure already exists: Medicare. EIMA will empower physicians to provide healthcare, reducing bureaucracy while using data analysis to reduce fraud. The need for more healthcare professionals will be the limiting component for its rollout. Overcoming our currently inadequate number of healthcare professionals and expanding to appropriate levels for EIMA may take 15 years. I propose phasing EIMA in by slowly expanding the age of covered individuals and bolstering temporary insurance solutions for all during the EIMA phase-in period.

Clint Koble

Address: P.O. Box 11263, Reno, NV 89510

Occupation: Part-time Rural Business Advisor – Nevada Small Business Development Center, UNR College of Business.

Age: 67

Contact Information: 775-843-4081; clint@clintkoble.com; www.clintkoble.com

Record of Service: I have been an officer in various Chambers of Commerce and local boards. I served 7 1/2 years as a Presidential Appointee under President Obama as the State Executive Director of the NV Farm Service Agency of the USDA, from 2009 to 2017.

Education: B.A. in Political Science and in History from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Platform: Access to healthcare means having affordable healthcare. I will work hard to lower the costs of copays, prescription drugs, and other expenses Medicare and Medicaid must be funded to provide adequate coverage.

Social Security must be strengthened, not privatized. We should raise salary caps to make the system sustainable over time.

We must commit to stronger and better education along with workforce development training.

I will push for common sense gun safety legislation. We must limit the availability of assault weapons, silencers, and bump stocks. I also favor instant background checks for ALL gun sales.

We need reasonable and compassionate immigration reform and must honor DACA.

We must make a serious investment in infrastructure and in broadband for rural Nevada.

Our public lands must remain public and open for outdoor enthusiasts. I do not support large transfers of public lands to private ownership.

Government must work for Nevadans! I will work hard to reduce partisanship and improve governance by Congress. Representatives must listen to their constituents and then vote accordingly. I will work to restore respect and integrity in our government.

What is one issue affecting the lives of Northern Nevadans that you would work to fix?

Giving Nevadans access to quality healthcare. First of all, I support the Single Payer concept of Universal Healthcare and I will draft or support legislation to make that happen. Until that happens however, I want to help lower the current costs of healthcare. Unless healthcare is affordable, it is not accessible. The bottom line is that health care is not affordable to many Nevadans. Premiums are too high; copays are too high; prescription drugs are too high.

Here are several ways to lower costs:

Overhaul Medicare Part D and allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices like Congress allowed for the Veterans Administration. That is why the VA’s prescription drug costs are considerably lower than Medicare’s. We are losing billions until we make this change.

Revamp the pharmaceutical patent process and mandate more disclosure in order to prevent cost overruns.

Take a closer look at the profits that provider companies are making off the system. More oversight is needed to lower costs.

Install broadband in rural areas to enhance telemedicine, telehealth, and tele pharmacy. Many remote and small communities lack sufficient broadband to make this happen. Broadband would reduce costs and eliminate drive time for doctors to serve rural areas. Rural communities could have tele pharmacies if they had sufficient broadband.

Emphasize disease prevention. Physical education should be mandated in High school and college. Since America’s life expectancy is declining, we should promote healthy lifestyles.

Amend our immigration laws to facilitate foreign students practicing medicine in America after getting their degrees.

Make allowances for more medical practitioners to work off some of their medical debt by working in underserved areas.

Modernize the archaic system of physician reimbursement in all venues of healthcare.

Examine parts of the ACA that haven’t worked well and make the appropriate changes. For example, in some cases physicians have to seek payment from patients because of a lapse in coverage. This lapse must be fixed, or doctors may resist taking certain patients.

There needs to be some regulation on how much companies can charge on life-saving drugs in order to prevent exorbitant costs. Patients should not have to choose between their medications and food.

Eliminate the ‘gag rule’ that prevents a pharmacist from telling you paying for a drug may be cheaper than your copay.

There are undoubtedly more ways to reduce costs in our healthcare system. To begin to address the problem, implementing some or most of these suggestions would make an impact.

What must not happen is the continued dismantling of the ACA by the current administration. Republicans have not proposed improvements to the ACA as they promised to do. We should work across party lines to serve all Americans.

Rick Shepherd

Address: 335 Talus Drive, Reno, NV 89503

Occupation: Business Owner

Age: 46

Contact Information: Rick@RickShepherd.com; RickShepherd.com

Education: UNR, Bachelor of Science, Business Finance, Econ.

What is one issue affecting the lives of Northern Nevadans that you would work to fix?

Water. The Southern Nevada Water Authority is seeking permission to siphon billions of gallons of ground water from rural cities, north and south. I believe the best path forward is desalinization. We don’t need to take water from each other when we have water in the ocean and the technology to make that water potable and safe. Coupled with clean nuclear power, water desalinization provides an answer to drought-ravaged areas. The wildlife and the indigenous peoples of Nevada have relied upon natural springs as part of their way of life for centuries and with a pipeline of desalinated water coming into Nevada we can cease extracting underground water which will restore natural and man-made springs as the water-table recovers.

Editor’s Note: Jesse Douglas Hurley and Jack L. Schofield Jr. didn’t respond to the questionnaire.

Republicans

Name: Mark E. Amodei

Address: Amodei for Nevada, PO Box 17116, Reno, Nevada 89511

Occupation: Member of Congress and Lawyer

Age: 60

Contact Information:

775-882-6500

Amodei4Nevada02@gmail.com

www.amodeifornevada.com

Record of Service: Congressman Amodei served with the United States Army Judge Advocate General Corps, from 1983 to 1987. Awards and honors: Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal. Upon receiving an honorable discharge, Congressman Amodei returned home to become an attorney with the law firms Allison MacKenzie in Carson City from 1987 to 2004 and Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw and Ferrario (now Kaempfer Crowell) in Reno, Nevada from 2004 to 2007; Nevada Assembly from 1996-1998 and in the Nevada State Senate from 1998-2010; Served as the President of the Nevada Mining Association 2007 -2008

As a lawyer, Congressman Amodei has been a sole practitioner 2009 – present.

Served as chairman of the Nevada Republican Party until May 2011, when he stepped down in order to pursue the Republican nomination for Congress.

Elected to Congress on Sept. 13, 2011. 115th Congress Committee Assignments: House Appropriations Committee

Subcommittees: Interior, Environment and Related Agencies; Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government; and the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch.

Caucuses: Congressional Western Caucus (Vice Chair of Policy), Army Caucus, Congressional Joint Strike Fighter Caucus, USO Caucus, Italian-American Congressional Delegation, Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus.

Education: Carson High School – Class of 1976; University of Nevada, Reno – Class of 1980; McGeorge Law School, University of the Pacific – Class of 1983.

Platform: As a lifelong Nevadan, former Army officer, and former state legislator who has dedicated more than 20 years to public service, I am proud to represent Nevada’s Second Congressional District. While CD-2 includes: most of Lyon County, all of Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Pershing, Storey and Washoe counties, as well as the state capital, Carson City, I vote in the best interest of all Nevadans — because that’s my job. During my time in Congress, I have sponsored over a dozen bills and amendments that were successfully passed in the House. I’ve also delivered for Nevada by working hard to pass seven individual bills into law, including legislation that resulted in the largest Nevada land transfer since 2002, and another bill to place more than 70,000 acres of Nevada public lands back into local control. I understand the unique needs of the Second District of Nevada, and will always do right by our state and for the hardworking folks I’ve been fortunate enough to serve for the last 79 months. I will continue to fight for policies that will: lower taxes, cut job-crippling regulations, increase funding for our veterans, keep the promises we’ve made to our nation’s seniors, and offer meaningful solutions to the challenges facing the West.

What is one issue affecting the lives of Northern Nevadans that you would work to fix?

Some of my key work for Northern Nevada includes:

Advocating for Nevada’s self-determination, the protection of our resources, and the ability for all Nevadans to earn a living;

Supporting landmark legislation that made recent reforms to our nation’s tax code by delivering widespread relief to Nevadans, simplifying our filing system, and giving job creators increased potential for reinvestment and growth;

Fighting for responsible solutions that offer comprehensive fixes to our broken immigration system and help to secure our border; and

Upholding my commitment to our veterans by voting to increase funding for veterans’ services every year since I’ve been elected.

I’m proud to call Nevada my home, and I am committed to improving the lives of my constituents by solving issues the old-fashioned way — listening to the concerns of the Nevadans I serve, keeping an open dialogue, and always explaining why I voted the way I did. We’ve accomplished so much in these last seven years, and together, we can continue making a difference for the Silver State. I would be honored if you choose to send me back to Washington for another two years, and I’m ready to keep this momentum going for us.

Sharron Angle

Address: Sharron Angle For Congress, PO Box 33154 Reno, NV 89533

Occupation: Small Business Owner, Nevada Women’s Expo; Author “Right Angle: One Woman’s Journey To Reclaim The Constitution;” “A New Angle For America;” and “Defying Diagnosis: Choosing Faith Over Facts”

Age: 68

Contact Information: Sharron@SharronAngle.com; www.SharronAngle.com; 775-787-2855

Record of Service: 1 term Nye County School Board of Trustees, 4 Terms Nevada State Assembly

Education: Earl Wooster High School, Reno, NV - High School Diploma; University of Nevada, Reno - Bachelor of Arts degree.

Platform: I will not raise the age to own a self-defense firearm and I disagree with Congressman Amodei’s vote to enact Fix NICS’ back-door gun control legislation. Gun Owners of America gave him a “C” rating. We have a violence problem, not a gun problem. We don’t have an immigration crisis. We have a border crisis. We must secure our border and enforce the laws that allow everyone to live legally in the US. Amnesty didn’t work for Reagan in the 1980s and will not work today. Sanctuary cities encourage lawlessness.

I will keep the GOP promise to repeal Obamacare. These Socialized Corporate medicine mandates remove choice and increase insurance costs so politicians can give free healthcare to secure votes while we pay the bills.

I will not increase debt and will vote to cut unconstitutional departments and programs. I received the Reagan Freedom Medallion for defending the Nevada Constitution against an unconstitutional tax. I voted “no” on the tax. Amodei voted “yes.”

I will introduce legislation protecting our browsing history and biometric data from corporate and government abuse.

I can’t vote to fund organizations like Planned Parenthood who don’t value life. Amodei voted to fund Planned Parenthood by $1.5 billion.

What is one issue affecting the lives of Northern Nevadans that you would work to fix?

No issue threatens our unalienable rights in Nevada and the U.S. more than porous borders. The liberals in both parties exploit illegal immigrants to distract and defer action on Trump’s efforts to secure the borders.

The consequences as a result of unsecured borders are crimes committed against innocent citizens. There is an underground economy that avoids taxation and undermines jobs and wages. Millions of vulnerable people live in the shadows. Our healthcare, education, social security, law enforcement, and indigent care systems are strained, increasing national debt to cover additional expenses. Human trafficking, drugs, gang violence, and criminals profiting from immigrants seeking citizenship are escalating. Amnesty is not the solution and has not worked for Republican or Democrat administrations. In 1986 Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act that granted legal status for illegal immigrants. George H.W. Bush deferred deportation of spouses and children of people with legal status in 1990. Obama implemented DACA. Any policy in such broad terms is inappropriate, unrealistic and largely ineffective. “Sanctuary States” encourage lawlessness. Securing our borders is possible through a combination of Israeli type fencing, technology, and military presence. Eliminating catch and release, chain migration and the visa lottery, closing asylum loopholes, requiring employers to use e-verify, utilizing existing law, and education of those illegally present would chart a different course for our nation. The Immigration and Nationality Act, case law at the Immigration Court level, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and nine US Circuit Courts resolve issues on a case by case basis now. Illegal immigrants are subject to US immigration law. Illegal immigrants have Due Process in a foreign court of law, a human right recognized by the United States and the United Nations, in Deportation or Removal Proceedings. Teaching illegal immigrants the requirements of US Immigration Law, Defenses to Removal or Deportation, how to legalize their status under existing law, or developing a plan for repatriation and application to reenter the US legally, is giving true help to illegal immigrants. The Federal Government certainly could provide assistance with immigrant education. For example, Cancellation of Removal already exists for illegal immigrants who are more than 10 years continuously physically present in the United States and have a qualifying relative who would suffer extreme and unusual hardship if they were deported. In the past this was permitted. Today this is only considered after ICE has placed them in Removal Proceedings for crimes. A large population of illegal immigrants can’t make application unless they are detained by ICE. The Department of Homeland Security should permit and expedite processing of affirmative applications. The length of time between hearings at the Immigration Court should be addressed by regulations, departmental memorandi, and appropriate directives from the Executive Branch. I will work tirelessly to help President Trump secure the borders and enforce the law on a case- by-case basis. Dividing our nation over this issue is destructive to American values and the American way of life.

Editor’s Note: Ian Luetkehans didn’t respond to the questionnaire.