Stewart: Thanks to tax reforms, economy ‘is now roaring back to life’

Corey A. Stewart, Republican faces steep competition on November 6 race. According to a September press release, Sen. Tim Kaine held “double-digit leads over Republican nominee Corey Stewart (R) among both registered and likely voters.” In a recent letter, one resident cited local land use issues that could also affect Stewart’s outcomes. But it’s not over  until it’s over. Stewart still has a loyal base of followers and voters.

We sent survey questions to Stewart and all local candidates running in the upcoming election. Below are Stewart’s responses.

PL: What role can you play in helping to improve traffic conditions in Northern Virginia? What can Congress do when it comes to improving traffic or public transportation in the region?

Stewart: As governor, Tim Kaine gave away the Dulles Toll Road, to an unelected, unaccountable governing body. In the U.S. Senate, he failed to get the federal highway aid that Northern Virginia urgently needs. As a result, commuters today are facing insanely high tolls on I-66 as well as rising Metro costs.

During my chairmanship in Prince William County, we built more than a billion dollars worth of roads. As your new Senator, I will focus on securing federal funding to relieve traffic congestion and ease access to our region’s vital economic hubs.

PL: How would you characterize President Trump’s first  year and a half in office, in terms of his administration’s impact locally, nationally and internationally?

Stewart: President Trump has succeeded in revitalizing our national economy – through lower taxes, streamlined regulations, and renegotiating unfair trade deals. In addition, we are now rebuilding our military and restoring our nation’s credibility on the international stage. The current administration has made tremendous strides in the right direction, but more still needs to be done. And that’s why Virginians need a results-oriented U.S. Senator – not someone who mindlessly “resists” whatever President Trump is for.  

PL: What’s your view on the recently enacted tax reform bill — and on the potential for a second round of tax cuts?

Stewart: Thanks mostly to recently-enacted tax reforms, our nation’s economy is now roaring back to life. Wages are rising. Overall unemployment has fallen to a 49-year low – and unemployment rates for African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans and youth are at their lowest ever in our nation’s history. In the Senate, I would vote to make President Trump’s tax cuts permanent – and I would like to cut taxes even more, to ensure continued prosperity for all.

PL: Where do you stand on immigration reform? What should happen with DACA and TPS recipients, particularly those in the Northern Virginia area? Do you support using taxpayer funding for a border wall?

Stewart: There is a big difference between illegal aliens and legal immigrants. Legal immigration has benefited our nation enormously. Illegal immigration, by contrast, carries with it significant costs – in both financial and human terms. Nationwide, we need to remove criminal aliens from our streets, as I have successfully done in Prince William County, where violent crime fell by nearly half. I do not favor any form of amnesty – nor do I favor a “path to citizenship,” until we truly control our borders first. In the Senate, I would vote to fund construction of the southern border wall. A true wall on the border would not only block illegal aliens – it would also thwart human trafficking and stem the flow of illegal drugs.

PL: What’s your view on salaries and retirement benefits for federal workers, particularly those in this area?

Stewart: I rarely disagree with the current administration, but on this I did.

Federal employees in Virginia wake up early, face punishing traffic, and work hard to serve their nation and support their families. These workers need and deserve a pay raise.

When President Trump proposed a federal worker pay freeze, I respectfully criticized his stated position – and he retweeted my criticism, after which the President reconsidered his view on the matter.

As this example illustrates, I will successfully advocate for the interests of Virginians, in a way that Kaine simply cannot.   

PL: What’s your position on how to improve the nation’s health care system and the status of the Affordable Care Act?

Stewart: The Affordable Care Act has failed to deliver on its promises, as too many individuals and families have learned the hard way. I strongly favor health savings accounts, as well as the restoration of short-term and low-cost “no-frills” plans. We should allow insurance plans to be sold across state lines (more competition is healthy). Ultimately, we need a free-market, consumer-driven health care system that puts the needs of patients first.