Amy Klobuchar: 2018 Election Guide
Welcome to WCCO.com's 2018 political guide!
We reached out to all Minnesota candidates running for U.S Senate, Governor, U.S Congress, Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Auditor this fall. Candidates were asked to provide a two-minute video discussing their platform as well as answer a set of our viewer's questions.
Above is the video and below the answers Amy Klobuchar provided. This is not a paid advertisement nor does WCCO endorse any candidate.
Responses from Amy Klobuchar, DFL candidate for U.S Senate:
Should Immigration Customs Enforcement -- ICE -- be abolished, and replaced with a different agency to control immigration crimes?
As a country with major borders, we're always going to need immigration enforcement. We need comprehensive immigration reform, but ICE must also be reformed. What must change immediately are the policies like separating kids from their parents. America's doctors expressed their opposition to these practices – warning that separation can cause "irreparable harm" for a child. This is unacceptable and needs to be fixed.
When politicians refer to negative stories as "fake news", do you believe it?
You're entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts. The free press is one of the cornerstones of our democracy and its role has never been more important than right now. This is personal to me. My dad, Jim Klobuchar, is 90-years-old now but he was a journalist for 43 years. Digging for the truth was his job. Finding the truth made it all worth it. It's up to all three branches of government to protect the First Amendment and respect the role of the press in our democracy.
Should the President be permitted to unilaterally raise tariffs on US imports, or should Congress be required to vote before tariffs are imposed?
I supported Senator Corker's resolution on the need for consultation with Congress on tariffs, and it was adopted by the Senate by an 88-11 vote on July 11th, 2018.
Should able-bodied Medicaid recipients be required to work?
While work standards are important for many programs, we need to make sure that people with Medicaid coverage -- the majority of whom are children, the disabled, and seniors -- get health care. We've worked hard to expand Medicaid coverage to the people who need it most and we should continue those efforts, not kick people off of their health insurance.
Do you believe North Korea will "denuclearize," as President Trump says it will?
I support diplomatic efforts with North Korea. But Kim Jong-un has yet to make any firm commitments about stopping nuclear research and development. News reports – including a recent report from the Wall Street Journal – have suggested that North Korea may even be upgrading its nuclear infrastructure. We have a long way to go to get to denuclearization.
Do you believe in climate change, and should the U.S. rejoin the Paris climate accords?
There is clear scientific consensus that climate change is having a harmful impact on our world, and we need to take responsible steps to respond to these challenges. I support the Paris Climate Agreement and have pushed the Administration to rejoin the Agreement.
