2020 Iowa Senatorial race: debates and news coverage


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OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Joni Ernst: Opposes all federal funding of Planned Parenthood.     Theresa Greenfield: Opposes shutting down Planned Parenthood.     Joni Ernst: Don't think Roe will be overturned.     Theresa Greenfield: Always defend woman's right to make own health decisions.     Theresa Greenfield: Women should have access to safe affordable health care.     Michael Franken: Codify Roe v. Wade; fully fund Planned Parenthood.     Eddie Mauro: Fundamental right to make one's own health care decisions.     Kimberly Graham: Defend Roe v. Wade.     Theresa Greenfield: Fight to protect reproductive freedom.     Theresa Greenfield: EMILY's List endorses Greenfield for abortion rights.

Budget & Economy     Michael Franken: Invest in infrastructure on scale of building of interstates.

Civil Rights     Theresa Greenfield: Supports Equality Act.     Theresa Greenfield: Seeing systemic racism is not saying all cops are racists.     Theresa Greenfield: Supports Equality Act prohibiting discrimination.     Michael Franken: Ignored "Don't Ask Don't Tell" as admiral; protected sailors.     Eddie Mauro: Pass a 21st century Equal Rights Amendment.     Kimberly Graham: End the sub-minimum wage for individuals with disabilities.     Kimberly Graham: Expand tribal jurisdiction over sexual assault cases.     Kimberly Graham: Support federal anti-discrimination law for LGBTQ.

Corporations     Joni Ernst: Prevent financial consumers from joining class action suits.     Theresa Greenfield: Tax cut benefitted wealthiest, biggest corporations.     Michael Franken: S&L "debacle" cost his parents much of their life savings.

Crime     Joni Ernst: Supported Republican police reform; Democrats walked out.     Theresa Greenfield: Address racism, but family cops are about serving.     Kimberly Graham: Ban private prisons; eliminate mandatory minimums.

Drugs     Eddie Mauro: Legalize marijuana and release those locked up immediately.     Kimberly Graham: Legalize medical marijuana.

Education     Joni Ernst: Co-sponsored act for tax credits for private school tuition.     Joni Ernst: Voted against limiting debt relief for defrauded students.     Joni Ernst: Proposed "know before you owe"; employers assuming debt.     Theresa Greenfield: Refinance student debt; find ways to work off the debt.     Theresa Greenfield: Debt free community college and trade schools.     Theresa Greenfield: Expand pre-K, invest in higher education, apprenticeships.     Michael Franken: Free community college; decrease interest on student loans.     Michael Franken: Increase teacher pay; improve rural education; expand pre-K.     Kimberly Graham: Raise teacher pay; end unequal school funding.     Kimberly Graham: Should be illegal for college loans to triple from interest.     Kimberly Graham: Opposes Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary.

Energy & Oil     Theresa Greenfield: Take urgent action to address man-made climate change.     Joni Ernst: Voted to repeal 2015 Clean Power Plan.     Theresa Greenfield: Climate change is getting worse; urgent action needed.     Theresa Greenfield: Supports expanded renewable fuel market.     Joni Ernst: Fight for ethanol and biodiesel, not electric vehicles.     Theresa Greenfield: Bio fuels can be part of solution to climate change.     Theresa Greenfield: Fight for clean energy jobs; strengthen environmental laws.     Michael Franken: Addressing climate change is a national security imperative.     Michael Franken: Expand public transportation & electric charging stations.     Eddie Mauro: Net-zero US CO2 emissions by 2045.     Kimberly Graham: Supports Green New Deal.     Theresa Greenfield: Fight for strong clean energy solutions.

Environment     Theresa Greenfield: Encourage regenerative agriculture practices.     Joni Ernst: Supported rollback of Clean Water Act.     Theresa Greenfield: Strengthen laws under attack from corporate interests.     Kimberly Graham: Incentivize farmers with clean water initiatives.     Eddie Mauro: Works on Purify Project: water sanitation in Tanzania.

Families & Children     Joni Ernst: COVID: opposed paid sick leave.

Foreign Policy     Joni Ernst: Voted against blocking arms sales to Saudi Arabia.     Eddie Mauro: Rejoin Paris Climate Accord.

Free Trade     Theresa Greenfield: Supports USMCA, expanding export opportunities.     Theresa Greenfield: Reckless trade policies have kept markets closed to farmers.     Michael Franken: Farmers want markets not bailouts; end foolish trade war.     Theresa Greenfield: Number one issue for farmers is regaining foreign markets.     Joni Ernst: Supports USMCA trade agreement to replace NAFTA.

Government Reform     Joni Ernst: Against bill requiring more disclosure of political funders.     Joni Ernst: Go back to drawing board to keep Post Office going.     Theresa Greenfield: Don't support packing the Supreme Court.     Theresa Greenfield: Get dark money out of politics; no corporate PAC money.     Theresa Greenfield: Don't privatize Post Office but examine their finances.     Theresa Greenfield: Ban corporate PAC money, overturn Citizens United.     Michael Franken: Post office must be fully funded & protected from politics.     Eddie Mauro: Campaign finance reform to rein in Big Pharma.     Eddie Mauro: Protect the right to vote for everyone.     Eddie Mauro: Overturn Citizens United; stop leadership PACs.     Kimberly Graham: Undo Citizens United; end Electoral College.     Kimberly Graham: End voter ID laws & voter suppression.

Gun Control     Theresa Greenfield: Supports background checks & gun violence research.     Michael Franken: Background check; assault weapon ban; restrict magazine size.     Eddie Mauro: Close gun show loophole; require gun owner insurance.     Eddie Mauro: Refuses donations from NRA & gun manufacturers.     Kimberly Graham: Repeal Dickey Amendment barring CDC from gun research.     Theresa Greenfield: Like many Iowans who have guns, supports bipartisan laws.     Theresa Greenfield: Would allow CDC to do research on gun violence.     Eddie Mauro: Allow CDC & NIH to research data on gun violence.     Joni Ernst: Purpose of Second Amendment is protection against tyranny.

Health Care     Theresa Greenfield: Expand ACA, include public option.     Joni Ernst: Medicare-for-All would bankrupt rural health care systems.     Joni Ernst: Replace ACA but provide "backstop" for expensive cases.     Joni Ernst: COVID: I wear a mask in public, but mandate is unenforceable.     Theresa Greenfield: Medicaid expansion, but not Medicare-for-All.     Theresa Greenfield: Health care is a right; build in a public option.     Theresa Greenfield: COVID: I do support a statewide mask mandate.     Theresa Greenfield: Strengthen ObamaCare; create public option.     Michael Franken: Improve ObamaCare; add Medicare public option.     Eddie Mauro: Medicare for all (under age 55) who want it.     Kimberly Graham: Advocates universal, single-payer government coverage.     Theresa Greenfield: Expand access to affordable health care.     Eddie Mauro: Everybody needs to have health care in this country.

Homeland Security     Theresa Greenfield: Take care of veterans with healthcare & jobs.

Immigration     Joni Ernst: Path for DACA participants, against overall amnesty.     Theresa Greenfield: Wants plan that tough on workplace enforcement.     Joni Ernst: Legal residency for DREAMers; need bipartisan solution.     Theresa Greenfield: Pathway for illegal immigrants; legal status for DREAMers.     Theresa Greenfield: Fix immigration system; support DREAMers and border security.     Michael Franken: Pathway to citizenship; expand worker visa program.     Kimberly Graham: Citizenship for DACA & families.     Eddie Mauro: Fighting for immigrant rights near and dear to me.

Jobs     Theresa Greenfield: Investment in ag research will improve crops and soils.     Joni Ernst: Co-sponsored National Right to Work Act.     Theresa Greenfield: COVID: Expand benefits for laid-off workers.     Joni Ernst: Maybe index minimum wage to GDP, but not same for all states.     Theresa Greenfield: Raise minimum wage to $15 over time.     Theresa Greenfield: Strengthen unions, they built the middle class.     Theresa Greenfield: Supports a living wage; equal pay for equal work.     Michael Franken: Endorses a federal ban on right to work laws.     Eddie Mauro: Workers have right to unionize; update Labor Relations Act.     Kimberly Graham: Equal pay for equal work.

Principles & Values     Michael Franken: Probity of character transcends all.     Theresa Greenfield: Shaped by growing up on family farm.

Social Security     Joni Ernst: Consider all options for solvency; must be bipartisan.     Theresa Greenfield: Don't raise retirement age; make wealthy pay fair share.     Theresa Greenfield: Opposes privatization of Social Security & Medicare.     Michael Franken: Reform tax cap; raise benefits; no privatization.     Theresa Greenfield: Social Security personal, helped when husband died on job.     Eddie Mauro: Protect Social Security & Medicare.     Theresa Greenfield: Credits Social Security with support after death of husband.

Tax Reform     Joni Ernst: 2017 tax cuts gave relief to 1 million Iowans.     Michael Franken: Eliminate loopholes used by wealthy & corporations.     Eddie Mauro: Those benefiting the most have an obligation to pay.     Theresa Greenfield: Wealthy & corporations need to pay their fair share.

Technology     Theresa Greenfield: Expand broadband; public/private partnership to get there.     Michael Franken: High speed internet access for rural and depressed areas.     Theresa Greenfield: Invest in infrastructure for broadband and bridges.

War & Peace     Michael Franken: Foreign aid to one country can impact entire region.     Kimberly Graham: Increase service member pay & veteran's benefits.     Eddie Mauro: We need to revisit war powers role of president & Congress.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Eddie Mauro Democratic 2020 Senate Challenger Iowa Joni Ernst Republican Jr Senator Iowa Kimberly Graham Democratic 2020 Senate Challenger Iowa Michael Franken Democratic Senate Challenger Iowa Theresa Greenfield Democratic 2020 Senate Challenger Iowa