RELATED STORIES

• 2006 Voter Guide
• Patricia Madrid, Democrat

More Local Politics

• Red lights, cameras, action: Albuquerque program back on, but so is feud
• New Mexico hopefuls for U.S. Senate tout experience at debate
• Reports: Personal funds help some New Mexico congressional candidates

MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
  08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008
• Congressman is indicted
  08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Series of attacks target Green Zone
  08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Iran is defying U.N., agency says
  08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Waterboarding approval probed
  08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008

TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

• Albuquerque Old Town
• Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
• Is Rome Burning?
• Ominous Skies
• The Road to Invalidation

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

Candidate for 1st Congressional District

Name: Heather Wilson (i), Republican

Age: 45

Campaign Web site address: www.heatherforcongress.com

Family: Married to Jay Hone; one adult son and two school-age children

Education: Bachelor's, United States Air Force Academy, 1982; Rhodes Scholar, Oxford University: M.Phil. (1984), and D.Phil. (1985), international relations.

Have you ever been arrested or charged with a felony or misdemeanor?

No.

Do you believe the Patriot Act presents challenges to civil liberties? What amendments, if any, would you offer to it, if you are elected?

The Patriot Act updated wiretapping laws to take into account new technology. It eliminated the statute of limitations for most terrorist offenses and it made it easier for agencies to share information so that we can prevent terrorist attacks. Before the Patriot Act, law enforcement was primarily equipped for prosecution after the fact. The tools provided in the Patriot Act are simple and they are constitutional. We reauthorized the Patriot Act on March 9, 2006 by a vote of 280 to 138. I served on the conference committee that negotiated the Reauthorization of the Act with the Senate. Some of its provisions will sunset again in 2009. The Congress will consider further revisions to the act at that time after full oversight of the implementation of the law.

Before 9/11, the criminal law courts had developed tools like roving wire taps and business records searches - with simple relevance standards to target gangs, drug rings and organized crime. These tools were not available for terrorist cells. We shouldn't offer more protection for terrorists than we do drug dealers and the mob.

What is your stance on the Iraq War and how the U.S. should proceed?

The U.S. military has done an outstanding job defeating Saddam Hussein and helping the Iraqi people have the first free election in decades. All Americans, including me, want American troops to come home from Iraq. My opponent wanted to immediately withdraw all U.S. troops almost a year ago - before free elections, before the Iraqi Army was ready to provide security, before the establishment of a unity government, and before we killed the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq.

Even now, if we immediately retreat from Iraq, the terrorists will see it as a sign of weakness, and it will embolden them to commit more terrorist attacks.

I believe our troops should be reduced through an orderly transition to the Iraqi Army as Iraqis take more responsibility for governing and security in their own country. I also believe that decisions on troop withdrawal schedules should be driven by U.S. commanders on the ground in Iraq, not politicians in Washington. The Iraqi Army is starting to stand on its own. We can't cut and run. We need to finish the job.

The Bush Administration has taken heat over warrant-less wiretapping. Explain your stance.

After the NSA program was disclosed by the New York Times and acknowledged by the president, I demanded to be fully briefed as a member of the Intelligence Committee. When I made my demand public, the administration relented and, since February of this year, the House Senate and Intelligence Committees have been briefed on this program and have conducted oversight hearings on it.

Based on these hearings and oversight activities, I recently introduced the Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act of 2006. The act would modernize our electronic surveillance laws to take into account 21st century communications and the agility of the terrorist threat. It will set a standard and procedures to allow electronic surveillance of people in the United States when there is a reasonable belief that they are communicating with international terrorist organizations. The bill will also protect civil liberties.

The House Intelligence Committee and House Judiciary Committee recently held hearings on the Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act of 2006. We are working to pass legislation through the House this year.

Intelligence is the first line of defense in the war on terror. These are very powerful tools that we use to keep our country safe. Excesses are best prevented when intelligence activities are operated within a framework that controls government power by using checks and balances among the three branches of government.

Americans are seething about gas prices. What can or should be done to help ease the pain at the pump?

We need a balanced, long term energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, keep the lights on, and preserve the beauty of the land we love. The Energy Policy Act contains numerous provisions that will make energy more efficient, cleaner, and more widely available in the future. But the rising price of gasoline puts a crimp in everyone's wallet. We need to think bigger and bolder.

I supported the bi-partisan Energy Policy Act of 2005 which passed the House 275-156, the Senate 74-26, and was signed by the president in Albuquerque at Sandia National Labs on Aug. 8, 2005. The Energy Policy Act was unanimously supported by the entire New Mexico Congressional delegation.

Because of the Energy Policy Act, there are now 32 ethanol plants under construction. Twenty-seven new ethanol plants have broken ground. Over four hundred E-85 pumps have been installed. About 500 million gallons of new annual ethanol production is online. By the end of 2006, 1.4 billion gallons of ethanol is expected to be online.

We need to increase access to our current energy supplies. With my support, the House passed bills to expand refinery capacity, increase exploration in our coastal waters, and to expand infrastructure for alternative fuels.

There are other things in the works. America is sitting on the biggest coal reserves in the world and coal-to-liquid plants to fuel our cars are on the drawing board.

Hydrogen also holds the promise of helping to make us more energy independent Recently, I supported a House passed bill establishes a prize competition to develop hydrogen energy as a practical alternative to fossil fuel.

None of these ideas on its own is a magic answer. But, taken collectively, they will reduce demand for imported oil and increase domestic supplies of energy.

While motorists are finally getting a break at the pump and gasoline prices have dropped more than 30 cents in the past month, we need to continue to invest in solutions that make America more energy independent and keep prices down over the long term.

What, if anything, are you proposing to improve the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug program?

For years seniors had asked us to help them with the high cost of prescription drugs by adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. The new Medicare prescription drug benefit is voluntary, offers choices, and gives the most help to low-income seniors. Ninety-six percent of seniors in New Mexico now have drug coverage.

The average senior who did not have drug coverage before is saving 50 percent on the cost of their prescription drugs, or about $1,100 annually. No plan is perfect, but I am proud of our efforts to get meaningful relief to seniors on the cost of their prescription drugs. There were some early problems with the transition to the new benefit, which I both criticized and sought correction for. The fact that 96 percent of New Mexicans are now covered in a program that was the largest change in Medicare in a generation is a significant accomplishment.

I offered my office as a resource to help seniors understand the new program, and hundreds of seniors contacted my office and received assistance. I have also introduced legislation in Congress to help people with both Medicaid and Medicare transition to the new benefit and make other improvements in the program. This is to be expected in a program of this magnitude.

What should Congress do to curb deficit spending?

The way to get back to a balanced budget is to continue policies that promote a strong economy and to control the growth of government spending.

Even with accelerated tax relief, federal receipts are going up, and the deficit is going down. According to the Office of Management and Budget, the deficit projection for FY 2006 is $127 billion less than projected six months ago. Surging federal revenues - generated by our strong economy - have been the major factor in declining deficit projections.

The government must live within its means, just like the rest of us. That means controlling the growth of government and making sure we get $1.10 of value out of every dollar we spend. It means keeping taxes low and regulations fair so that the economy continues to grow and produce new jobs.

How we go about controlling the growth of government is important. I think people want government to work smarter and more efficiently; they don't want to just "cut government."

Do you support or oppose abortion?

I believe abortion is morally wrong almost all of the time. The exceptions are in the case of rape, incest and the life of the mother. I am opposed to public funding of abortion and late term or partial birth abortion. I do not believe this should be a constitutional issue and I would oppose a constitutional amendment banning abortion.

What changes, if any, would you support in the No Child Left Behind Act?

I support the No Child Left Behind Act. We need a good public school in every neighborhood so that every child can get a great education. I will continue to support increased funds for education, better teacher training, high standards and accountability for results. The No Child Left Behind Act promotes these aims.

Since I was elected in 1998, federal funding for education in New Mexico has nearly doubled from $288 million to around $520 million in 2006. While the state remains principally responsible for funding education, federal aid has gone from 16 percent of operating funds to 20 percent of the money spent in our classrooms.

We are also seeing improvements in achievement since the act was passed, particularly for minority students and students growing up in poverty.

Since the No Child Left Behind Act became law in 2001, I have supported a number of changes to give additional flexibility to state and local authorities. When we reauthorize the act, we may need to change the guidelines for determining whether teachers are highly qualified in their fields. I also want to look at measures of yearly progress to make sure improvement goals are realistic and achievable.

Under what conditions would you support an increase in the minimum wage?

I support increasing the federal minimum wage. I am more inclined to support proposals that include provisions to help small businesses where 7 out of 10 new jobs were created.

On July 29, 2006, I supported legislation including a federal minimum wage increase, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives 230 to 180. The legislation would increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour phased in over three years.

I also supported a federal minimum wage increase on March 9, 2000 - the only other vote on a minimum wage increase during my eight years in Congress. The provision in 2000 would have increased the minimum wage to $5.65 per hour and then to $6.15 per hour one year later. This bill did not pass the Senate.

What kind of campaign finance reform would you support?

I support campaign finance reform that bans soft money to political parties, strengthens restrictions on foreign campaign donations, requires faster disclosure of campaign contributions, while preserving our precious First Amendment right to political speech. But the first step is to enforce the laws we have.

I voted to ban corporate contributions to political parties - so-called "soft money." I support greater and more timely disclosure of campaign donations to let voters know who is paying for ads: sunshine is the best disinfectant. I support reform that allows people to decide who they want their money to go to - paycheck protection for union members. I oppose forcing taxpayers to fund the campaigns of politicians.