7/29/2019 Matt Cartwright - PA-17

1/3

_

_

99Elect Candidate Questionnaire

"We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few,but we cannot have both."- Justice Louis D. Brandeis

As the gulf between the rich and the rest of us grows, our country is facing the disappearance of themiddle class and the loss of the American Dream. This is poisoning our society, threatening oureconomy, and destroying our democracy.

Voters are sick of an economy that no longer works for the 99%, and an election system andgovernment rigged by and for the 1%.

We want political leaders who will represent ALL Americans, and will fight for economic fairness anddemocratic government.

The organizations sponsoring this questionnaire are asking all candidates-federal, state, and local-to tellus where they stand on these critical issues.

Please check YES or NO to the following questions. You may append comments if you wish. Your

responses to these 99Elect questions will be made public.

Hold Wall Street accountable

YES [X] NO [ ] Do you support a full investigation into the Wall Street banks' role in crashing oureconomy-and if warranted, criminal prosecutions of bankers who broke the law-as well ascompensation and principal reduction for homeowners who were harmed by the banks' fraudulentand illegal practices?

YES [X] NO [ ] Do you support major changes to the banking system that would reduce the risk offuture financial crises-including breaking up the biggest banks and restoring the wall betweencommercial and investment banking (along the lines of Glass-Steagall) to protect families'government-guaranteed deposits from being used for risky Wall Street speculation?

Good Jobs and Shared Prosperity

YES [X] NO [ ] Do you support a major public investment in jobs-such as repairing crumblingschools and highways, wiring the entire country with high-speed Internet, weatherizing millions ofbuildings to save energy, and ensuring that states have the resources needed to keep teachers,police, and firefighters working-to create at least five million new jobs?

_

7/29/2019 Matt Cartwright - PA-17

2/3

_

YES [X] NO [ ] Will you support strengthening the rights of workers to join together in unions andcollectively bargain with their employers?

YES [X] NO [ ] Will you oppose cuts to Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, and Medicaid

benefits, and will you work to strengthen and expand these vital programs?

YES [X] NO [ ] Do you support a right to education and helping students struggling with loans-who are graduating with debts averaging $25,000 or more-by expanding programs that keep loanpayments affordable based on a student's income, as well as strengthening protections againstpredatory lending?

Everyone must pay their fair share

YES [X] NO [ ] Do you support treating money earned from investments similar to money earnedfrom work so that millionaires like Mitt Romney don't pay lower tax rates than middle-classfamilies-and will you oppose any bill that extends the Bush tax cuts for income over $250,000 per

year?

YES [X] NO [ ] Do you support a Wall Street tax on financial speculation to make sure Wall Streetfirms are trading responsibly and paying their fair share?

Democracy for the 99%, not just the 1%

YES [X] NO [ ] Do you support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens Unitedanddecisions giving corporations the same Constitutional rights as people, and to place reasonablelimits on political spending and contributions?

YES [X] NO [ ] Do you support fair, clean elections, where candidates who capture theenthusiasm of enough small donors in their home state receive matching funds, so that everydaypeople can have the same voice in our government as the rich and well-connected?

Optional

Comments on any of the above questions:

Working families throughout the new 17th Congressional District, like working families allacross the country, are hurting. For those that arent struggling with unemployment orunderemployment, their incomes have been stagnant. Even as we struggle to emerge fromthe worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, large corporate profits continue to go

up, while middle class incomes go nowhere.

Why? Because incumbent congressmen continue to support policies and cast votes that putcorporate profits over people. For too long, their priority has just been to get reelected, toprotect their own jobs, so they wind up representing the deep pockets of the special interestsinstead of the people. It is wrong and it has to stop.

I will stand up and fight for the middle class values and the interests of our working families.

There is an overwhelming feeling here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, that Congress is

7/29/2019 Matt Cartwright - PA-17

3/3

broken. When you look at the constant dysfunction, bickering and failure to act in Congress,its hard not to agree with that. But when a handful of representatives from the DemocraticParty turn their backs on the middle class, and start voting like Wall Street Republicans,something is really wrong. Something even more fundamental is broken.

Whats broken is their promise to protect the middle class instead of the profits of bigbanksor the oil & gas companiesor Wall Street. Whats broken is their promise to vote

for bills that benefit the middle class and not loopholes that benefit special interests. Whatsbroken is their pledge to make decisions based on whats best for the average family and notwhats best for the lobbyists contributing to their campaign funds. The pact of faith betweenour incumbent representatives and the people they represent is what is broken.

Are there additional measures you support which you believe are particularly important for

the 99%?

Signature: Date: April 13, 2012

Printed Name: Matthew A. Cartwright Office sought: U.S. Congress, PA-17