Fast 5: Candidates split on health care, abortion

Candidates split on health care, abortion; but all oppose separating migrant families

By Jill Palermo, Times Staff Writer

Virginia’s two candidates for U.S. Senate and the four candidates vying to represent parts of Fauquier County in the House of Representatives appear most deeply divided about the Affordable Care Act and whether women should retain the right to have an abortion.

But despite their disagreements, all say migrant families should not be separated at the border and most see possible legislative fixes for climate change — even if they disagree on which policies will help.

On gun violence, the Democratic candidates and Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, see room for improvement in the nation’s gun laws. While Republicans Denver Riggleman, who is vying for the 5th District congressional seat, and Corey Stewart, the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate, said no more laws are needed.

“We don’t need more regulations on lawful gun ownership; we just need to enforce the laws we already have,” Stewart said. “More can be done, however, to allow individual citizens to defend themselves. Additionally, we must take action to secure our nation’s churches, schools and other currently-soft targets.”

What about health care?

National polls suggest health care is top-of-mind for voters, and the candidates are divided along party lines about what to do about the Affordable Care Act, parts of which were scaled back by the federal tax-reform law approved last year.

There’s no longer a tax penalty for not having health-care insurance, sometimes called the “individual mandate,” and federal subsidies to insurance companies have been scaled back since the law first took effect.

Democratic candidates say the changes have amounted to undermining the health-care law. They are calling for the ACA to be restored and improved by adding a public option, such as Medicare, to the healthcare insurance exchange so people under the age of 65 can buy into the federal health-care insurance program if they want to.

Sen. Tim Kaine, the Democratic incumbent, and both Leslie Cockburn and Vangie Williams, Democrats vying for the 5th and 1st District congressional seats, say they would favor such a change.

“I … believe we should do more to expand access and improve quality, which is why I’ve proposed a plan called Medicare-X, which would allow all Virginians to have access to a plan similar to Medicare,” Kaine said.

Cockburn has said she supports Virginia’s move to expand Medicaid. The ACA must be stabilized, she said.

“You need to put back the individual mandate. You need to bring back the subsidies for insurance companies so you have a healthy exchange,” Cockburn said in an earlier interview. “Then, I support, first, putting Medicare on that exchange so people can buy into it. ”

Riggleman opposed Medicaid expansion in Virginia and doesn’t think a government-run health care system is the answer.

“The thing that scares me the most, when talking about Medicare for all, is a big government takeover of any type of health care,” Riggleman said in an interview.

Stewart said he favors a return to a time when government played a smaller role in health care.

“I strongly favor health savings accounts, as well as the restoration of short-term and low-cost ‘no-frills’ plans,” Stewart said. “We should allow insurance plans to be sold across state lines (more competition is healthy).”

Wittman, a five-term Republican incumbent, voted in favor of the House replacement for the ACA in May 2017, which critics said would have made health insurance more expensive for those with pre-existing conditions. The measure failed in the Senate.

“I support a path forward for repealing and replacing the ACA with patient-provider centered reforms that expand choices for consumers, increase access to care and reduce healthcare costs, all while preserving coverage for folks with pre-existing conditions,” he said.

Immigration

On immigration, all six candidates said they oppose the Trump Administration’s temporary move last spring to separate migrant children from their parents under the president’s “zero tolerance policy” for border-crossers.

Kaine, who earlier this year backed a bill to provide $25 billion for border security while creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants without a criminal records, said he would continue to “fight for comprehensive immigration reform that secures our border and treats immigrants humanely and fairly.”

Stewart’s campaign spokesman Nathan Brinkman said Stewart supports the presidents’ zero-tolerance policy on border-crossers but also agrees with the administration’s move to stop separating families.

“Nobody wants to see families divided,” Stewart said. “We must discourage illegal migration to begin with — that’s why I favor building a real border wall and enforcing our nation’s immigration laws.”

Cockburn called the separation of families “barbaric,” while Riggleman said simply: “Protect the borders but don’t separate families.”

Reach Jill Palermo at jpalermo@ fauquier.com

Sen. Tim Kaine (D)

Corey Stewart (R)

Vangie Williams (D)

Rep. Rob Wittman (R)

Leslie Cockburn (D)

Denver Riggleman (R)

Fast 5

Do you agree with the Trump Administration’s zero-tolerance policy on border crossers that has led to family separations?

Kaine: No

Stewart: Yes*

Williams: No

Wittman: No

Cockburn: No

Riggleman: No

On the Affordable Care Act, would you: fix it, repeal and replace it, or just repeal it?

Kaine: Fix

Stewart: Repeal and Replace

Williams: Fix

Wittman: Repeal and Replace

Cockburn: Fix

Riggleman: Repeal and Replace

Are more laws needed to prevent gun violence?

Kaine: Yes

Stewart: No

Williams: Yes

Whitman: Yes

Cockburn: Yes

Riggleman: No

Is it possible to combat climate change with new legislation?

Kaine: Yes

Stewart: No

Williams: Yes

Wittman: Yes

Cockburn: Yes

Riggleman: Yes

Where do you stand on abortion rights?

Kaine: Pro-abortion rights

Stewart: Anti-abortion

Williams: Pro-abortion rights

Wittman: Anti-abortion

Cockburn: Pro-abortion rights

Riggleman: Anti-abortion

**Stewart supports Trump’s immigration policies but does not support separating families.