Brad Schneider, Candidate for United States House of Representatives, 10th District
Candidate Full Name: Brad Schneider
Office: United States House of Representatives (IL-10)
Party: Democrat
Email Address: Brad@schneiderforcongress.com
Web Site: www.SchneiderForCongress.com
Campaign Name: Schneider for Congress
Campaign Office Mailing Address: PO Box 1318, Deerfield, IL 60015
Phone: 847.748.3788
Survey Questions (Character limit of 2,000 per response)
1. Please tell us about yourself, your background and why you believe you are qualified to hold this office.
From 2013 to 2015 I represented the 10th Congressional District of Illinois in the 113th Congress. During my time in Congress I led on job creation efforts through my service on the House Committee on Small Business and to advocate for a robust, sensible engaged foreign policy as a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. I also stood with President Obama to protect the Affordable Care Act and fought to protect Social Security and Medicare, reduce gun violence, a woman's right to choose, a healthy, sustainable environment and full equality for the LGBT community during my time in Congress. Before serving in Congress, I had a career a twenty-year career working as a management consultant and business executive where I helped small and family owned businesses with strategic planning and succession management. I also owned and managed a life insurance agency for six years. My wife Julie and I raised our two sons, Adam and Daniel, in Deerfield where we have lived for nearly twenty-five years. I have been an active member of my community coaching my sons' baseball and soccer teams as well as being active with the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, serving on the board of the American Jewish Committee and serving a four-year term as the Chair of the Chicago Alliance of Latinos and Jews. My experience representing the 10th District in Congress has demonstrated that I have the ability to pass legislation and to stand up to the Republicans when it matters most.
2. With this being a presidential election year, who would you like to be elected President and why?
I have proudly supported Secretary Clinton to be our Democratic nominee since she announced last year. While Senator Sanders has brought valuable ideas to the conversation throughout the primary, I am supporting Secretary Clinton because she has the right experience and priorities to be our President and because most importantly because I know she'll get the job done.
3. The fight against ISIS is on everyone's mind, especially after the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. What would your plan be in the fight against ISIS and for the national security of the U.S?
The terrorist organization ISIS represents a clear and present danger to American national security, both directly to American interests and as a destabilizing force in an important region. To fully address the risks, I believe we must (1) defeat ISIS at its roots in Syria and Iraq; (2) identify, disrupt and dismantle ISIS satellite and allied groups in places like Libya, Sinai, Indonesia and anywhere else they appear; (3) track and prevent the flow of radicalized fighters and terrorists from Syria to other nations, including the U.S.; and (4) counter ISIS efforts to radicalize "home6grown" terrorists through social media and other means. In Congress, I voted to give our military the funding and authority it needs to help contain ISIS and ultimately eliminate the threat they pose. I believe that the U.S. must work with our international partners, and in particular our allies in the region, to stop the spread of this dangerous threat. This can only be done through our ongoing partnership to strengthen the Iraqi military and supporting a secure and democratic region. I also remain resolute in my belief that the U.S. engagement in Iraq and Syria must not involve combat troops on the ground. The ultimate defeat of ISIS, and the distorted ideology, will only come when the people living under the thumb of their oppression are able to rise up and take back their homes and their communities.
4. Do you support a federal assault weapons ban? Why or why not? What other federal gun control measures would you support?
I absolutely support a federal assault weapon ban, in fact my first speech on the floor of the House of Representatives in January of 2013 called for universal background checks, banning assault weapons, and making trafficking of guns across state lines a federal crime. I then went on to sponsor legislation in
Congress that would expand background checks, restrict large capacity ammunition clips and close the gun show loophole. These are important steps to stop the senseless gun violence that happens daily throughout our country; hurting communities, schools, and even our children in their own homes. While we cannot prevent every instance of gun violence inaction is unacceptable. We must work to enact safe, sensible gun policy to reduce gun violence, while preserving the constitutional right to bear arms.
5. What are your thoughts on what has been done so far with immigration reform?
While I applaud President Obama for taking executive steps on immigration, I believe Congress has to urgently pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform, including securing our borders and making DACA and DAPA permanent and passing the DREAM Act. Passing these reforms will free people from living in the shadows of fear from deportation to be able to pursue higher education, buy homes, start businesses, and expand our economy. This will strengthen the communities of the 10th District and our nation.
Brad Schneider
