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糖心vlog's General Election Guide: J.D. Scholten

糖心vlog's General Election Guide: J.D. Scholten
RACE, J.D. SCHOLTON. CYNTHIA: HE SAYS WE NEED A VISION TO INVEST IN RURAL AMERICA, FOCUSING ON AN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN. >> I GREW UP IN THIS HOME. ACTUALLY, I ENDED UP TAKING IT OVER FROM MY PARENTS. I GRADUATED FROM SIOUX CITY EAST, PLAYED BASEBALL IN COLLEGE AND PROFESSIONALLY, GOT TO PLAY BASEBALL IN SEVEN COUNTRIES AND I WAS A PARALEGAL FOR 10 YEARS. WE TALK ABOUT FIX, FIGHT, AND SECURE EVER YDAY, FIX HEALTHCARE, FIGHT FOR ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE AND SECURE OUR DEMOCRACY. A LOT OF THINGS GO UNDER THAT UMBRELLA. PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT -- ESPECIALLY THIS PANDEMIC HAS PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTHCARE. IF MY NEIGHBOR DOWN THE STREET DOESN鈥橳 HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE BECAUSE THEIR JOB DOESN鈥橳 OFFER IT OR THEY CAN鈥橳 AFFORD IT, IT AFFECTS THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC. I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HEALTHCARE AND RENT, I UNDERSTAND THE STRUGGLES OF HAVING TO DECIDE THAT. I DON鈥橳 COME FROM A FAMILY OF GREAT WEALTH BUT WE ARE A GREAT FAMILY. I COME FROM A LONG LINE OF FARMERS AND EDUCATORS, I UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE OF THIS DISTRICT. THAT鈥橲 WHY I CONSIDER MYSELF DIFFERENT. ELGIN: IS THAT WHAT -- CYNTHIA: IF THAT WOULD MAKE TO A DIFFERENT KIND OF CANDIDATE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? >> NO ONE ASKED ME TO RUN FOR OFFICE, I DON鈥橳 KNOW A LOBBYIST, SO MY PATHWAY TO GET HERE IS A LOT DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE. I DON鈥橳 FEEL THERE ARE ENOUGH WORKING-CLASS CANDIDATES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND YOU SEE WHY RURAL AMERICA IS STRUGGLING. THAT鈥橲 SO MUCH WHAT OUR CAMPAIGN IS ABOUT, CONNECTING AND BEING A VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WHO FEEL LIKE THEY鈥橵E BEEN LEFT BEHIND. CYNTHIA: SCHOLTEN SAYS HE ALSO REJECTED SUPPORT FROM THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE AND PAC MONEY BECAUSE HE SAYS HE IS RUNNING HIS RACE OUT OF SIOUX CITY, NOT D
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Updated: 6:41 PM CDT Oct 16, 2020
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糖心vlog's General Election Guide: J.D. Scholten
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Updated: 6:41 PM CDT Oct 16, 2020
Editorial Standards
Democratic nominee J.D. Scholten is taking on Republican nominee Randy Feenstra in the general election. Each Iowa candidate on November's ballot was given the same list of questions to answer. To view all of the candidates, click here. Here are Scholten's responses:What is your top priority if elected into office?Multinational corporations are acting like monopolies in agriculture, bullying our farmers on both the inputs and the market side. As a result, consumers are paying more at the grocery store, workers face stagnant wages and unsafe working conditions and farmers aren鈥檛 getting a fair price. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 fighting to enforce our antitrust laws and ensure our farmers have a level playing field. In my first year in Congress, my goal is to introduce legislation to modernize the Packers and Stockyards Act and create a modern GIPSA that helps farmers stand up to unfair practices. What previous experience has prepared you for this position?We believe that how you run a campaign shows how you鈥檒l hold political office. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e traveling to all 374 towns in Iowa鈥檚 4th district on the Every Town Tour and listening to folks across the political spectrum. Whether we鈥檙e touring a grain elevator, having a conversation on a farm, touring a small business, or holding a parking lot rally, we鈥檙e listening to everyone so we can get to work on Day 1 in Congress. We鈥檙e accessible and accountable to the people 鈥 and that鈥檚 also why we don鈥檛 take corporate PAC money and why we turned down help from the DCCC. My commitment to serving the people of Iowa first and foremost 鈥 before my political party, corporations, or special interests 鈥 makes me the most qualified and prepared to serve in Congress.What has been your favorite quarantine activity?Back in March, I bought a net and two dozen baseballs and set a goal to throw 87 mph by the time of the State Fair. I had been practicing almost daily, working on my mechanics, and trying to get back up to speed. At the end of August, I tried my luck at the Diamond Sports Academy and after almost 60 throws, I had only three balls left to throw, but I hit my goal of 87 mph (with the help of a grunt). Fingers crossed that next year, I鈥檒l play on the Congressional baseball team.What part of your response to the COVID-19 pandemic are you most proud of?Since March, our campaign has been reaching out to voters and connecting them with information and resources like available loans and grants, unemployment insurance information, housing information, farming and small business help, and more. We also stepped in and help fill the gap of a lack of information and resources in Spanish by having both English and Spanish COVID-19 resources on our website, hosting a Spanish-language COVID-19 town hall and sharing information on our social media pages in Spanish.What response to the COVID-19 pandemic would you change?In March, Congress passed a $500 billion slush fund for big corporations with no strings attached. These corporations weren鈥檛 forced to limit CEO pay, maintain job levels, or forgo stock buybacks or dividends. Meanwhile, today, 50 million Americans don鈥檛 have a job and 12 million have lost their health insurance. Everyday Americans need help 鈥 not those who already have multiple homes and a private jet to spare.What is your favorite Iowa tradition?Without a doubt, it鈥檚 the harvest. It鈥檚 a special time of year. I love seeing all of the combines in the golden fields and feeling that energy in the air.How do you define social inequity and how do you plan on addressing it in Iowa communities?In America, there is a tremendous gap between the haves and the have-nots, creating a wide distribution of income and quality of life. For example, since 1978, CEO pay has risen 940%, while typical worker pay has risen only 12%. Meanwhile, the costs of housing, education, transportation, child care, food and health care have all skyrocketed. As someone who has had to choose between health care and rent, I understand these struggles and I will fight for working-class people every day in Congress. Let鈥檚 start by making quality health care affordable, investing in affordable housing, and not only raising the minimum wage but creating the $50,000, $60,000, and $70,000 jobs in Iowa that generate more economic development and rural revitalization. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Iowa farmers and how do you plan to support them if elected?The biggest challenge facing Iowa farmers is finding their role to play in globalization. Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture, said 鈥淚n America, the big get bigger while the small get out.鈥 I disagree! No matter if you have a few hundred acres or a few thousand acres, you should have a chance to succeed. Right now, whether it鈥檚 grain or producing livestock, you can do everything right and still not make cost of production while most agriculture monopolies are making record profits. In order to be a secure nation, we need to be a food secure nation. That starts with empowering farmers and stabilizing our food supply chain.To learn more about Scholten, check out his website.

Democratic nominee J.D. Scholten is taking on Republican nominee Randy Feenstra in the general election.

Each Iowa candidate on November's ballot was given the same list of questions to answer. To view all of the candidates, click here. Here are Scholten's responses:

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What is your top priority if elected into office?

Multinational corporations are acting like monopolies in agriculture, bullying our farmers on both the inputs and the market side. As a result, consumers are paying more at the grocery store, workers face stagnant wages and unsafe working conditions and farmers aren鈥檛 getting a fair price. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 fighting to enforce our antitrust laws and ensure our farmers have a level playing field. In my first year in Congress, my goal is to introduce legislation to modernize the Packers and Stockyards Act and create a modern GIPSA that helps farmers stand up to unfair practices.

What previous experience has prepared you for this position?

We believe that how you run a campaign shows how you鈥檒l hold political office. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e traveling to all 374 towns in Iowa鈥檚 4th district on the Every Town Tour and listening to folks across the political spectrum. Whether we鈥檙e touring a grain elevator, having a conversation on a farm, touring a small business, or holding a parking lot rally, we鈥檙e listening to everyone so we can get to work on Day 1 in Congress. We鈥檙e accessible and accountable to the people 鈥 and that鈥檚 also why we don鈥檛 take corporate PAC money and why we turned down help from the DCCC. My commitment to serving the people of Iowa first and foremost 鈥 before my political party, corporations, or special interests 鈥 makes me the most qualified and prepared to serve in Congress.

What has been your favorite quarantine activity?

Back in March, I bought a net and two dozen baseballs and set a goal to throw 87 mph by the time of the State Fair. I had been practicing almost daily, working on my mechanics, and trying to get back up to speed. At the end of August, I tried my luck at the Diamond Sports Academy and after almost 60 throws, I had only three balls left to throw, but I hit my goal of 87 mph (with the help of a grunt). Fingers crossed that next year, I鈥檒l play on the Congressional baseball team.

What part of your response to the COVID-19 pandemic are you most proud of?

Since March, our campaign has been reaching out to voters and connecting them with information and resources like available loans and grants, unemployment insurance information, housing information, farming and small business help, and more. We also stepped in and help fill the gap of a lack of information and resources in Spanish by having both English and Spanish COVID-19 resources on our website, hosting a Spanish-language COVID-19 town hall and sharing information on our social media pages in Spanish.

What response to the COVID-19 pandemic would you change?

In March, Congress passed a $500 billion slush fund for big corporations with no strings attached. These corporations weren鈥檛 forced to limit CEO pay, maintain job levels, or forgo stock buybacks or dividends. Meanwhile, today, 50 million Americans don鈥檛 have a job and 12 million have lost their health insurance. Everyday Americans need help 鈥 not those who already have multiple homes and a private jet to spare.

What is your favorite Iowa tradition?

Without a doubt, it鈥檚 the harvest. It鈥檚 a special time of year. I love seeing all of the combines in the golden fields and feeling that energy in the air.

How do you define social inequity and how do you plan on addressing it in Iowa communities?

In America, there is a tremendous gap between the haves and the have-nots, creating a wide distribution of income and quality of life. For example, since 1978, CEO pay has risen 940%, while typical worker pay has risen only 12%. Meanwhile, the costs of housing, education, transportation, child care, food and health care have all skyrocketed. As someone who has had to choose between health care and rent, I understand these struggles and I will fight for working-class people every day in Congress. Let鈥檚 start by making quality health care affordable, investing in affordable housing, and not only raising the minimum wage but creating the $50,000, $60,000, and $70,000 jobs in Iowa that generate more economic development and rural revitalization.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Iowa farmers and how do you plan to support them if elected?

The biggest challenge facing Iowa farmers is finding their role to play in globalization. Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture, said 鈥淚n America, the big get bigger while the small get out.鈥 I disagree! No matter if you have a few hundred acres or a few thousand acres, you should have a chance to succeed. Right now, whether it鈥檚 grain or producing livestock, you can do everything right and still not make cost of production while most agriculture monopolies are making record profits. In order to be a secure nation, we need to be a food secure nation. That starts with empowering farmers and stabilizing our food supply chain.

To learn more about Scholten, .