Donald Manzullo

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See recent video below of Donald Manzullo talking about the issues.

• Manzullo makes his case

On the Record

What should the U.S. do about Iran and its nuclear program?

We should continue to enforce our trade sanctions and engage in vigorous diplomacy -- such as measures to close down Iran’s Central Bank -- so as to persuade more nations to join our efforts to stop Iran from having a deliverable nuclear weapon. While no option should be removed from the table, the U.S. should strive to work primarily through peaceful means, such as through Farsi (Persian)-speaking media outlets, to encourage regime change and the spread of the “Arab Spring” to Iran.

Americans are fed up with gridlock in Washington. Will you be willing to reach across the aisle and work on compromise with members of the opposite party to resolve this country's many issues?

Yes. Manufacturer magazine calls me Washington’s “Mr. Fix It’ because I’m known to focus primarily on manufacturing issues and forge bi-partisan solutions. I work closely with my Democratic co-chair of the Manufacturing Caucus, Rep. Tim Ryan, on issues such as decreasing our dependency on China for “rare earth” minerals used in myriads of products, including our guided missile system. I also work with the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Howard Berman, to reform our outdated export control laws that hinder sales of US made manufactured goods. I’m in a bi-partisan coalition to force China and others from manipulating its currency, stealing IP, and dumping goods at predatory prices. I also worked with Reps. Rohrabacher (R), Kaptur (D), Sensenbrenner (R), and Conyers (D) in fighting the patent bill that undid 220 years of protection for small inventors.

Should the federal government continue to give subsidies and/or tax breaks to the farming, oil and gas and other major industries? Why or why not?

In an ideal world, no. But in moving to this ideal world, eliminating these incentives must be done in a comprehensive way (not piecemeal) in order not to give one industry a temporary economic advantage over the other. That’s why on July 11, 2011 (Roll Call #538), I voted to eliminate all direct taxpayer-funded subsidies to all facets of the energy industry, in the effort to save $3.25 billion, and not discriminate based on the type of energy producer. I also favor the idea of eliminating some business tax breaks in return for a simpler, lower corporate tax rate.

Outside of jobs and the federal deficit, what are the one or two most important issues in the 16th Congressional District, and how do you plan to address them?

Improving our manufacturing and agricultural sectors are two key important issues that will also help create jobs and lower the federal deficit as people are put back to work and pay their requisite share of taxes. This is because both sectors have large spill-over or multiplier effects into other aspects of the economy. Also, a nation cannot be great if it no longer makes any products or cannot feed its own people. I have developed a comprehensive 10-point agenda that lists many of the detailed specifics on how I address these issues (www.manzullo.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Jobs-Agenda-120211-final.pdf).

There have been a lot of ideas floating around Washington, D.C., to save Social Security. Raising the eligibility age. Increasing the Social Security tax on employers and employees. Privatization. What do you think should be done to make Social Security solvent decades into the future? Or are you of the opinion that Social Security should be phased out?

The problem facing Social Security and Medicare is that according to the Urban Institute, the average wage-earner will reap more in lifetime benefits than they paid into the system during their working years. In addition, Social Security was created when life expectancy was 62 years, and now people are expected to live until 78, with the majority of the Baby Boomers still yet to retire. Plus, Social Security and Medicare are on track to be the majority of all federal spending within the coming decade. All these factors should spur Congress to act, sooner rather than later, in order to ease any transitional changes. For Social Security, I support a slow phase-in of an increase in the full retirement age, which does not impact those near present retirement age.

What are you committed to doing, if elected, to reduce the federal deficit and force Congress to pass only balanced budgets each year?

I will continue to oppose unnecessary and wasteful federal spending. Since 2007, I have voted over 700 times to cut $2.6 trillion in spending. On April 15, 2011 (Roll Call #275), I also voted for the most fiscally-conservative budget alternative that would have reduced the deficit by $9.1 trillion over 10 years and produced a balanced budget by 2020. If the rest of Congress had followed my voting record, we would not be in the budget mess that we are in today. That is why I have been consistently rated by various taxpayer watchdog groups as one of the most fiscally-conservative Members of the Illinois delegation throughout my time in Congress. I will also work to reform entitlement programs, which are the main drivers of our long-term deficits. I will also press for the adoption of a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution so we will never again be in this situation.

Most everyone agrees that job growth, particularly in the private sector, is critical to turning the American economy around. What should Congress do to help spur job growth?

Washington needs to end the uncertainty to give employers confidence to expand and create jobs. President Obama should stop threatening tax increases, he must pull back on the massive regulatory burdens proposed this past year, and he must focus on real spending cuts. I have developed a comprehensive 10-point agenda that lists many of the detailed specifics on what policies I would press Congress to adopt in the effort to help spur job creation and growth (www.manzullo.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Jobs-Agenda-120211-final.pdf).

Why are you running for Congress?

There is still more work that needs to be done on behalf of the citizens of north-central Illinois. Because of my seniority, I am in consideration to become the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. I plan to use this chairmanship to continue to focus on issues that affect jobs in America, such as rewriting our nation’s outdated export control laws that hinder our ability to sell manufactured goods; combating currency manipulation by China and other nations; fighting efforts to impose a “cap and trade” or tax system on America; and improving our export promotion programs to help manufacturers and agricultural producers to find new customers to sell their products overseas.

Will you be willing to reach across the aisle to and work on compromise with members of the opposite party to address this country’s many issues?

Yes. I am blessed to work primarily on manufacturing issues where there isn’t the gridlock that you find on other issues. I work closely with my Democratic co-chair of the Manufacturing Caucus, Rep. Tim Ryan, on issues such as decreasing our dependency on China for critical “rare earth” minerals. I also work with the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Howard Berman, to reform our outdated export control laws. Thus, working with members of the opposite political party is nothing new to me. But if it is an issue of principle, that is altogether different.

How can you guarantee you will equally represent all portions of the 16th District?

I currently represent a large geographical area and I live on a small farm in Ogle County so I have experience of equally representing rural Illinois. Also, approximately 44 percent of the people that I am privileged to currently represent are also part of the new 16th District so the transition should not be too difficult. I plan to have two district offices, one located in the northern part of the new district and anther office located in the southern part to equally serve the needs of all the constituents of the new 16th District.