Angie Craig (DFL): 2024 Election Guide
Welcome to WCCO.com's 2024 Election Guide!
We reached out to Minnesota major party candidates running in U.S. congressional races this fall. We reached out to all Minnesota candidates running in statewide congressional races. Candidates were asked to provide answers to a set of political questions of high importance to voters.
Minnesota 2nd Congressional District candidate and incumbent Angie Craig submitted her answers to the questionnaire below.
This is not a paid advertisement nor does WCCO endorse any candidate.
What do you believe are the most pressing issues facing constituents served by the office you are seeking?
While inflation is coming down, Minnesotans are still facing high costs at the grocery store and for everyday items - and I know that the government has a critical role to continue to bring down those costs.
Public safety is also an important issue for constituents. I've brought home federal funding for local law enforcement to make sure they can do their jobs safely.
Minnesotans are concerned about the fentanyl crisis and our southern border. My bipartisan bill aimed at stopping fentanyl from crossing the border was signed into law, and I successfully pushed the President to act to limit illegal border crossings.
And my constituents are worried about abortion rights. I hear from constituents often about the need to restore and protect reproductive freedoms nationwide.
What are the three big goals or policies you hope to accomplish or pass during your time in office?
I'm working with members of both parties to pass my bipartisan bill, the Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act – named for Hastings teen Devin Norring, who died when he was 19 after a drug dealer sold him a pill on Snapchat that turned out to be 100% fentanyl. My bill would make it easier for local and federal law enforcement to prosecute these drug dealers and keep our kids safe online.
I'm also the proud author of the Affordable Insulin Now Act, the bill that capped insulin copays at $35/month for seniors. Now I want to extend those savings to every American who needs them – because I believe every Minnesotan should have access to health care they can afford.
Finally, I want to see both parties come together to pass a strong bipartisan Farm Bill that supports Minnesota family farmers, strengthens the farm safety net and protects critical nutrition funding.
Do you think Congress should pass a federal law on abortion rights and what should it look like?
Yes – I am doing everything in my power to fully protect and restore reproductive freedom in this country. I've voted to codify abortion rights into law twice and I've supported legislation to protect Minnesotans' access to IVF and birth control – because I believe in every American's freedom to make their own personal, private health care decisions – without political interference. We value our freedoms in this district.
According to polls, illegal crossings at the southern border and immigration policy are consistently ranked as a top issue for Americans. What do you propose to address these concerns?
Like many Minnesotans, I am deeply concerned about ensuring order at the southern border. I called on the administration to act with the Executive Order that has slowed illegal border crossings. Now we need to debate the bipartisan Senate border bill to codify many of these changes into law.
The fentanyl crisis can also be traced to the Southern border. Earlier this year, my bipartisan END FENTANYL Act was signed into law, and I voted for historic funding at the border to install state-of-the-art fentanyl scanners and more border agents and immigration judges.
I've been to the border myself and I know there's a lot more to do, and it's going to take bipartisan compromise to get it done. That's what I'll keep pushing both parties toward in Congress.
What would you do to address violent crime and drug use?
I'm proud to be endorsed by Minnesota's rank-and-file police officers of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association. Keeping my constituents safe is the most important part of my job as an elected official - and that's why I've worked so hard, with members of both parties, to ensure law enforcement across the Second District has the support they need.
In Congress, I've helped secure targeted investments to hire more police officers, led legislation to recruit and retain police officers and built strong relationships with law enforcement leaders across the South Metro. I helped get a bipartisan bill signed into law to support officer mental health and expand resources for police families. And after the tragedy in Burnsville in February, I wrote a bill to ensure our police departments can purchase tactical vehicles - like the one used in the emergency response that day - with federal funds.
I'll continue to work hand-in-hand with local law enforcement as they work to keep us safe.
Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in the United States. What do you believe the federal government should do to reduce gun violence?
As a proud gun owner, I believe my support for the Second Amendment goes hand-in-hand with my efforts to do everything in my power to keep Minnesotans safe from gun violence. To me, this is a matter of freedom - we should all be free to go to school, the movies or our place of worship without fearing for our lives. I've supported legislation in Congress to implement universal background checks on gun sales and red flag laws in particular. I'll keep working to break through the gridlock on this issue and get results.
Do you believe there should be term limits for members of Congress?
Yes – I'm supportive of term limits for Congress: six terms in the House and two in the Senate.
What economic policies do you propose to address high prices and cost of living?
In Congress, I'm working to put together a task force that will investigate the price gouging and corporate behavior that has resulted in record profits and increased prices for American families. The task force will also require big corporations to be transparent about why they're raising prices on Minnesotans and identify concrete ways to lower costs.
In addition, health care still costs too much. I wrote the bill that capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors on Medicare and am now working to extend tax credits for health insurance and create more competition with more generic drugs on the market.
Finally, we need to make the year-round sale of E-15 – also called Unleaded 88 – permanent. E-15 is a biofuel made from corn grown right here in the Second District. It can cost up to 40 cents less per gallon than regular gas.
I wanted to make sure every Minnesotan could buy this cheaper gas option when they fill up their tanks – so I pushed the administration to allow its sale this summer. Now, I'm working to pass my bipartisan bill to make sure this cheaper gas option is always available.
There's still so much more to do to build an economy that makes things easier for middle-class Minnesotans – and I'll keep focused on finding ways to make that happen.
What is the government's responsibility when it comes to climate change? How would you address it?
We've got to take action on climate change. That action starts with farmers in the Second District who are already implementing sustainable ag practices on their land and goes all the way up to my work in Congress to advance an all-of-the-above energy approach – one that invests in a wide array of energy sources to help create American jobs and strengthen our energy grid.
As government, healthcare, and financial institutions face increasing threats to cybersecurity, what measures should policymakers and Americans alike take to protect people from these ongoing threats?
I've supported legislative efforts to crack down on bad actors and protect the American people and our businesses from cyber threats – it's an issue of national security. I'll keep working to ensure Congress allocates the resources we need to stay ahead of the curve and hold cyber criminals accountable.
Who won the 2020 Presidential election? How confident are you in the integrity of our elections?
Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, and I am confident in the integrity of American elections. I will respect the results of the 2024 election.