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US House of Representatives 6th Congressional District candidate Scott Kaspar answered Shaw Local’s election questionnaire for the US House primary election.
Voting ends for the primary election on the evening of June 28.
Full Name: Scott Kaspar
What office are you seeking? Representative in Congress, Illinois’ 6th Congressional District
What offices, if any, have you previously held? None
City: Orland Park, IL
Occupation: Lawyer
Education: B.S., Mechanical Engineer, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (1998)
J.D., Law, Drake University (2003)
Campaign Website: https://kasparforcongress.com/
What is your position re-establishing the Child Tax Credit at $3,500 per child as set in the American Rescue Plan?
Although I am generally in favor of child tax credits, the Child Tax Allowance included in the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan is not a tax credit but an allowance that would offer no long-term tax relief to families with children. Even in the short term, some 74 percent of aid would go for cash grants to families who owe no income tax; only 26 percent would go for tax relief. As such the Child Tax Allowance becomes, in essence, a welfare benefit. I would vote against this proposal.
Do you believe that corporations pay enough in taxes?
Yes, in fact, the corporate tax rate in America is considerably higher than much of our global competition, including China.
Would you support increases or decreases in the amount of taxes corporations pay? Why?
The corporate tax rate should be decreased to be competitive in the global economy. China’s corporate tax rate remains lower, and for the United States to attract manufacturing back into our country, we need to be at least on par with China.
Do the rich, defined as the wealthiest 1%, pay enough in taxes?
Yes, the “top 1%” pay enough in taxes. The top 1% in 2021 earned about 21% of the adjusted gross income in our country, but paid about 40% of the income tax. That suggests that the top 1% are paying enough. Personal income tax rates across the board should be decreased in our country.
Would support changes in the tax code that would increase or decrease their tax burden? Why?
I support changes in the tax code that decrease the tax burden of every U.S. taxpayer. Returning money to the taxpayers is the best way to grow our economy.
Do you support raising taxes on capital gains and dividends? Why?
I am open to consideration of competing tax policies with respect to capital gains and dividends as part of a comprehensive reform of our tax code.
The COVID-19 pandemic saw a breakdown in this country’s supply chain. What would you propose to fix it?
We need to increase domestic manufacturing and production of the goods we consume, including food, medicine, and fuel. We are entirely too dependent on countries like China for some of our most important goods, particularly medicines, and we are entirely too dependent on the Middle East for our fuel needs. To incentivize growth of domestic manufacturing and production, we need to make our corporate tax environment more competitive on the global stage. And we need to cut regulations to allow U.S. energy production to return to pre-pandemic levels.
How would you bring back manufacturing jobs?
The first step is to cut taxes and regulations to make America a competitive place to do business. Companies have off-shored manufacturing and production because it is too expensive to do so in our country, and we need to address that.
What plans do you have to help the lower and middle class?
Tax relief across the board is vital to helping every American. Every tax payer should pay less in tax to the federal government. Cutting regulations will result in more domestic jobs and more and better job opportunities for lower and middle class Americans. Better training and educational opportunities also will help lower and middle class Americans, and we can do so by prioritizing federal grant money for STEM disciplines and for vocational programs.
Do you support the idea that government can require immunizations against COVID-19 or other communicable diseases?
No, I do not support any governmental mandate of health care.
How do you feel about mask mandates?
I do not support any governmental mandates.
Is America prepared for either another round of the current pandemic, or the next one?
Yes, we are prepared, because we have learned that much of the government’s response to COVID-19 was of little or no benefit, but rather destroyed businesses and livelihoods and contributed to considerable mental health issues. We are learning now to live with the COVID-19 virus, and that is the best approach to any future pandemic.
Do you support new laws or regulations to safeguard people in the event of another pandemic?
No, I do not support any new laws, regulations, and any other governmental mandate relating to public health.
Should Medicare be expanded to include dental coverage for older Americans?
States have the ability to provide coverage for older Americans for dental, vision, or other aspects of healthcare, and we should turn to our States to provide that coverage or at least have that debate. The role of the federal government is not to provide dental care.
What are the top two threats to our national security?
China and our national debt are our top two threats to our national security. In many ways, the two go hand-in-hand, as China continues to hold more and more of our national debt. We need to get a handle on our national debt and stop adding to it, and a big key to that will be growing manufacturing and production domestically and decreasing our reliance on China. What should be done to eliminate them? We need to get a handle on our spending problem and stop adding more debt to our national debt. A key to that is increasing domestic manufacturing and production, and in doing so, we will become less reliant on China.
What is your position on climate change and what should be done about it?
The climate has been changing since the dawn of time. The Green New Deal is a complete overreaction to climate change and would bankrupt every American for appreciably little to no change in the climate. We need to look to how emerging technologies can benefit society and our country as a whole and allow the market to drive that innovation.
What is your position on nuclear energy expansion?
Nuclear energy is one of our safest energies and should be at the forefront of consideration for American energy independence. Next-generation nuclear energies are proving to be part of the solution for long-term viability of our country and way of life.
Should America invest in other forms of renewable energy? Please explain.
American private interests should invest in any and all forms of energy that make sense. A diversified energy production base is in America’s best future interests.
Should pregnant women have the right to get an abortion?
There is no absolute right to get an abortion. This is a matter that should be handled by the States.
Is the immigration system a problem in this country? If so, what is your plan to fix it?
Yes, the immigration system is an unmitigated disaster. We must secure our borders at once, and in particular, our southern border must be closed. We have the laws on our books, we must enforce them.
Do American cities have a crime problem?
Yes, American cities have a crime problem. In Chicago and throughout Chicagoland, there is runaway crime, including out to the suburbs and places as far as 40 minutes away, where I live in Orland Park. The biggest contributor to crime is that we have a cadre of liberal prosecutors, largely funded by liberal billionaire George Soros, who refuse to prosecute all perpetrators of violent crime. That is why I formed a Public Safety Task Force, chaired by Bernard Kerik, 40th Police Commissioner of New York City, to propose real solutions to crime and to help formulate the steps I will take in Congress to force governors to get a handle on their crime problems.
If so, what is your suggestion to solve it?
I formed a Public Safety Task Force, chaired by Bernard Kerik, 40th Police Commissioner of New York City, to propose real solutions to crime and to help formulate the steps I will take in Congress to force governors to get a handle on their crime problems and to support local law enforcement. Part of the solution also lies in securing our borders and getting control of the drug, money, and gun trafficking that fuels gangs that are largely responsible for the vast majority of crimes in American cities.
Should police officers have qualified immunity in cases involving alleged excessive force or other misconduct?
Police officers must be afforded qualified immunity to do their jobs. But note that the immunity is not absolute, it is qualified. That is, in instances where excessive force is used, the officers can and should be held accountable.
Are there any limits to the Second Amendment?
No.
Do you support any restrictions on gun purchases or other stricter gun control measures including citizens’ access to military style weaponry?
No.
Illinois, along with many states across the country, have legalized marijuana making it legal for people to buy and use it. Marijuana, however, is still illegal at the federal level. Do you support legalizing marijuana nationally? Why or why not?
No. While I support States’ abilities to weigh in on this issue and pass their own legislation, there is no reason to change the federal laws. America has a crime problem that is largely carried out by gangs that are fueled by trafficking of drugs, money, and guns, and we should not be lessening our federal drug laws in the face of rising crime.
Did Joe Biden win the 2020 election?
The electoral votes were certified in favor of Joe Biden, who took the oath of office and serves as the current President of the United States.
Would you have voted to ratify his presidency?
No.
What is your position on the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol?
What we know about the events that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 is that the vast majority of people conducted a peaceful protest. Some people may have broken laws that day and should be held accountable and afforded their constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial.
Was it an insurrection?
No.
Should people convicted of a crime related to their participation in the riot ever be pardoned?
The President alone has the power to pardon, and this is a fantastic question to ask 2024 presidential candidates.
Should voters be required to show an ID to vote?
The right to vote is one of the most sacred rights that Americans enjoy. To safeguard that right, and to make sure that every eligible American has the right to vote and vote only once, we should insist that our States pass voter laws requiring an ID to vote.
Would you, as a member of Congress, ever vote against certifying presidential electoral votes submitted by states’ official voting authorities?
Members of Congress have the right to object to electoral votes, and this has been done countless times in presidential elections going back to Jefferson. Whether I would vote to object or not depends on the facts of that future election, and as that is a hypothetical, my answer here is premature.