We surveyed Republican Mike Kelly and Democrat Dan Pastore, the candidates for Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, on top issues for the 2022 election.
We followed up with candidates multiple times via both phone and email. If a candidate did not respond, we have noted that below. (If you're a candidate and would like to complete the survey now, please email Patrick Doyle, pdoyle@wesa.fm).
We have fixed basic capitalization and punctuation issues, but have not otherwise edited candidates' answers.
In the wake of the Dobbs decision, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly has proposed a federal ban on abortion after 6 weeks, with exceptions for life or health of the mother, but not for rape or incest. Would you support such a proposal — yes/no?
- Please explain your stance and identify other changes, if any, you would support at the federal level.
Kelly: Yes, our current bill would prohibit abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. However, I will not let the enemy of good be perfect, and I will consider any legislation that protects the unborn and defends the right to life. I believe my legislation, the Heartbeat Protection Act — which has overwhelming support with nearly 125 co-sponsors in the U.S. House — offers the clearest sign of life. There is no clearer sign of life than a heartbeat. Further, the bill does not penalize the woman seeking the abortion, only the doctor who would perform it.
Pastore: No. Unlike Mike Kelly who wants to outlaw abortion with no exceptions for rape and incest, I believe that any medical decisions involving reproductive health should be between a woman and her doctor. Politicians have no business telling women what procedures they can and cannot have.
The federal minimum wage has been set at $7.25 an hour since 2009. Do you favor federal action to change the minimum wage?
- Please explain your stance and, if you support a change, identify the minimum wage rate you believe is appropriate.
Kelly: Together, the private sector [and] a competitive labor market has ensured that 98.5 of all Americans already make more than the federal minimum wage, according to a 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics report. For contrast, that figure was just 86.6% in 1979, meaning more people are earning more than the minimum wage now than they were then. In Congress, I will continue to promote pro-growth tax policy that allows businesses to generate more revenue and, in return, offer higher and more competitive wages to their workers without the need for government mandates that can cost jobs.
Pastore: Yes. I support increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and I would like to see the wage indexed to inflation so we never go such a long time without an increase. I would like to see the increase in the minimum wage to be phased in over four years to prevent small businesses from seeing “sticker shock.”
Earlier this term, the U.S. House passed the "For the People Act" (H.R. 1), with provisions requiring states to offer options like early voting and automatic voter registration, and to create independent commissions to draw Congressional boundaries, rather than have the legislature and governor do so. The measure died in the Senate. Would you vote for H.R. 1 in office? Yes/no?
- Please explain your answer, and suggest any federal action — either in H.R. 1 or outside it — that you think would be appropriate for Congress to take on the conduct of elections.
Kelly: H.R. 1 would create a federal takeover of our elections, which I am against. Our Constitution explicitly requires states to run and control their elections, and that system has served us greatly since our nation was founded. Democrats have made H.R. 1 the first bill they have introduced in each of the last two Congresses for one reason: they believe federalizing elections will level the playing field, but I believe it will seriously limit democracy and challenge our Constitution. I believe we can remove dark money in our politics without silencing the American people.
Pastore: Yes. We need to make voting easier, not harder. I support expanding voting opportunities by expanding access to early voting and voting by mail. I also support campaign finance reform to remove dark money from the process. I believe we need more transparency and reporting requirements to know who is funding Super PACs and other political organizations.
President Biden recently signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which will move the United States toward reducing carbon emissions by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030. That’s short of a 50 percent reduction by 2030, which scientists say is necessary to limit the worst impacts of climate change on the globe. Would you support further legislation aimed at that target — yes or no?
- Please explain your stance, and describe any changes you wish to see to federal energy or climate policy.
Kelly: First, I believe the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will only increase inflation, not decrease it. To that point, nearly half of the funding in the IRA is geared toward climate change. This bill is a disguise for a scaled-down Green New Deal. My position on energy policy is this: we should consider all that’s above (solar, wind, etc.) and all that’s below (oil, natural gas, etc.). Pennsylvania produces more than one-fifth of our nation’s natural gas. It would be irresponsible to ignore the impact that industry has both locally and nationally by providing our nation with clean, affordable energy.
Pastore: Yes. Climate change is real, and we must continue to take steps to reduce carbon emissions to address it. I would support expanding the tax credits passed in the Inflation Reduction Act to maximize the number of people who will be able to afford electric vehicles. I would also support expanded tax credits and investments in clean energy and energy efficiency.
Inflation is a concern for Pennsylvanians, and some legislators have called for either reducing or suspending the federal gas tax. Would you support such a measure? Yes/no?
- If yes, how would you replace the revenue — and are there other inflation-fighting policies you would pursue? (Please limit your answer to 100 words)
Kelly: I would not support suspending the federal gas tax because it does not solve the long-term problem that is causing inflation. We must reduce federal spending and restore our broken supply chain that has driven the inflation rate up to a cumulative rate of 13% since President Biden has taken office. I believe in sensible energy policy. By restoring the Keystone XL pipeline and removing burdensome regulations, we can drive down costs and help American families feeling pain at the pump and home thermostats. Above all, we must produce more domestic energy to prevent relying on bad actors across the globe.
Pastore: Yes. While the price of gasoline has dropped, it is still much more expensive than it was just last year. I would replace the revenue by seeking to close loopholes that only benefit the wealthy. We must also address supply chain issues that are contributing to inflation. I support trade policies that will lead to manufacturing returning to the United States rather than being overly reliant on countries like China.
In the face of rising homicide and other crime rates, would you support requiring universal background checks for gun purchases? Yes/no?
- Please explain your stance, and describe other approaches to fighting crime that you would support.
Kelly: I will always be a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm. I believe that one of the best ways to reduce crime and to make America safer is to support our great law enforcement. Although policing is largely a local issue, I believe Congress can and must do more to provide funding and the necessary tools that will allow police to do their jobs effectively.
Pastore: Yes. Requiring universal background checks for gun sales is a commonsense approach to ensure that criminals cannot purchase firearms. We must also take other steps to make our communities safer, and that means funding additional police where needed. It also means addressing the root causes of crime, including poverty and the lack of economic opportunity. It also means expanding access to mental health and drug and alcohol treatment. We also need to invest in programs that help prevent at-risk youths from turning to crime.
Do you support proposals for the federal government to wipe out student debt? Yes/no?
- Please explain your stance and describe the changes you would support to change student loan programs.
Kelly: No, I believe that President Biden’s executive action to forgive up to $1 trillion in student loans is unconstitutional. Not only does this move bypass Congress and ignore the Constitution’s “Separation of Powers” doctrine, but it also does not solve the long-term challenges of making college more affordable. Congress can and should have a healthy debate about ways to lower the cost of college. But, a unilateral and illegal executive action only provides an unhealthy debate about winners and losers.
Pastore: Yes. Now that President Biden has forgiven up to $20,000 in student debt, I would only support debt forgiveness through public service. I would support legislation that forgives debt for people entering critical fields that are facing shortages such as teaching, nursing, and law enforcement. I would also support forgiving some debt for individuals that volunteer in struggling communities. We must also increase funding for Pell Grants and index it to inflation so the grants grow as costs grow. However, we will never solve the student debt problem until we start holding colleges and universities accountable to ensure they begin holding down tuition increases.
