Choose two candidates from below to compare.

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  Nicole LeFavour (Dem) Idaho State Senator, teacher, former small business owner
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  Mike Simpson (Rep) U.S. Representative, Idaho 2nd Congressional District

No. Reductions of these programs hurt the economy and the nation’s seniors. They violate a promise our nation makes to each American who pays taxes or funds these programs that we will have some level of security in providing for ourselves and living out our lives in our communities as we age. I am saddened that in voting for the Ryan Budget that Congressman Simpson appears to believe we can in fact balance the federal budget on the backs of seniors, school children and the nations most vulnerable, all while decimating jobs with these drastic cuts. The nation's small businesses rely on seniors not living in crisis but instead being able to buy goods and services and fully participate in the economy. Our nation needs new congressmen and women determined to solve problems and lead our nation back to prosperity and the values of compassion and cooperation that made us great.

Yes. Our nation has reduced taxes on millionaires and profitable corporations at a time when our national debt has reached record levels and too many in Congress have voted to balance the budget at the expense of Medicare and putting at risk the security of American seniors. Our nation’s job creators are not millionaires or corporations but small businesses and regular working people. Americans create jobs when they can afford their doctor bills and can replace a broken washing machine, buy clothes for their children, fix the car, eat out at a restaurant or afford a home or college degree.

It is time for congress to put partisan politics and political parties aside and address this looming crisis. If sequestration happens then Congress will have truly failed in its job of managing the nation’s budget. Congress should allow the Bush era tax cuts to expire for everyone making more than $250,000 a year and keep the cuts and credits in place for working families and seniors. If the most wealthy 1% in America again paid their fair share we could trim more than $1.2 trillion from the deficit. It is critical that we re-examine our system of tax incentives to be sure they are truly stimulating the economy and creating jobs and not simply resulting in profitable companies putting more money into shareholders pockets, into banks and the stock market. We need to restore some of the hundreds of thousands of jobs decimated by budgets cuts. Paying wages to those families rather then just unemployment benefits is one of the best things we could do for the economy and deficit.

I have always opposed the Mitt Romney-style mandate to buy private insurance as it was included in the nation’s health care law. Sadly Congress made the industry more powerful by mandating that everyone buy private insurance. A strong nationwide non-profit program would be far more affordable and could simplify the current system which has created endless administrative costs in every doctor’s office and hospital. There are important new consumer protections in the Affordable Care Act. Telling insurers they can't deny coverage to Americans because of pre-existing conditions has saved many families and individuals from going without any insurance. I also support the provision which allows young people to stay on their parents plans until age 26. There's still much work to do and it's time for congress members to start proposing solutions and stop playing politics with people’s lives. It's time to ensure no American again goes bankrupt over medical bills.

I would support removal of wolves from the endangered species list if Idaho had crafted a plan that allowed only targeted killing of Idaho wolves, not destruction or destabilization of packs that were not interfering with ranching operations. One of the greatest flaws in management of wolves in Idaho was the lack of adequate, timely compensation of ranchers who lost livestock due to wolf predation.

Congressman Simpson voted again and again to support the loosening of the federal banking regulations that led to our nation’s financial crisis. I also disagree with his vote to add $700 billion to the nations deficit to bail out banks without providing any help for the small businesses struggling to get loans to create jobs across Idaho. Sadly today Idaho ranks 43rd in the nation for how much more a man is paid compared to a what a woman doing the same job is paid for the same work. I support the Lilly Ledbetter fair pay act because it improves families’ ability to bring pay disparities to the attention of our state and nation when they do occur. My opponent voted no in spite of the fact that the bill gives woman more time to discover and address unfair pay. Fair wages improve our economy and keep families independent and strong.

I’ve spent the last two decades working on the ground with people from across the state to solve problems and keep Idaho communities strong and prosperous. I’ve worked hard to build strong relationships with those of both parties and repeatedly earned strong bi-partisan co-sponsorship for my legislation. It’s so critical for elected representatives to be connected and present in their districts. Unless we’ve walked along side the people we represent, it’s too easy for Washington’s party politics and lobbyists to lead our Congress members on a path away from truly representing the people of Idaho first and foremost.

Restoring jobs. Food processing plants have closed and most Idaho products are now exported as raw materials, sending Idaho food producing jobs overseas and across state lines. I’d ensure grants, (not incentives which shift taxes to small business and families) are available for Idaho businesses to open food manufacturing facilities that create jobs and prosperity in Idaho. • Restore federal funding for our public schools so Tom Luna never again increases class sizes and causes property taxes to rise to balance our state budget. Also I have a plan to strengthen our economy by reducing the cost of a college degree and ending an era where going into deep personal debt was the only way for millions to afford college tuition. • I’ll protect the security of America’s seniors. Congressman Simpson’s vote in favor of the Ryan budget shows, sadly, he’s no longer deeply concerned for seniors, our schools or the medical care which America’s elderly depend on for security and quality of life.

I would reform entitlement spending, including programs like Social Security and Medicare, to reduce federal deficits, pay down our debt, and ensure their long-term sustainability. Entitlement programs represent almost two-thirds of total government spending and they are the fastest growing portion of the federal budget. There is simply no path to deficit reduction and a balanced budget that does not include significant reforms of entitlement programs. Setting aside the deficit reduction aspect, entitlement reform is necessary for the long-term viability of the programs themselves. Social Security and Medicare are going broke. They are simply unsustainable programs in their current form and the longer Congress waits to pursue reforms, the harder and more painful the reforms will be.

I would reform the tax code to make it simpler, fairer, and more conducive to economic growth. I would suggest we begin that process by looking to substantially reduce the number of tax earmarks contained within the tax code and by lowering overall corporate and individual tax rates. A simpler and fairer tax code, coupled with lower overall tax rates, I believe, would stimulate economic growth and job creation and result in greater revenues for the treasury. A growing and thriving economy is critical to deficit reduction and I believe the current tax code, and the fact that our nation has the highest corporate tax rate in the world, is an impediment to economic growth and needs to be changed.

Congress can theoretically deal with any one or two of these major issues in a standalone fashion with band-aids and other budget gimmicks, but dealing with all of them will require a massive overhaul of the way the federal government does business – an overhaul that is long overdue. At roughly the same time that the above mentioned provisions expire, Congress also must deal with the expiration of the Alternative Minimum Tax fix, the expiration of the Medicare Physician Reimbursement fix, and a Farm Bill that needs reauthorization as well. And all of this must be done at the same time that Congress is working to reduce the deficit and put the budget on a sustainable path toward balance. The crush of expiring programs and tax fixes is so large, and so costly, that only a massive overhaul of discretionary spending, entitlement spending, and the tax code could possibly present a viable long-term solution.

I have voted repeatedly to repeal Obamacare and believe we should replace it with healthcare reforms that lower costs and improve accessibility. Among the changes I strongly support are medical liability reform, the purchase of insurance across state lines, association health plans, deductibility of healthcare costs for individuals as well as corporations, expanded medical savings accounts, and the re-importation of prescription drugs. I also believe any legislation to replace Obamacare will, and should, include a provision on pre-existing conditions and a provision allowing children to stay on their parents insurance for a longer period of time. Finally, I believe reforms should focus on moving the American people away from being healthcare recipients and more toward being healthcare consumers.

I wrote the legislation delisting wolves and so, naturally, I am very supportive of it. It is important to remember that it isn’t just me, or Republicans in Congress that wanted wolves delisted, the Obama Administration actually wrote the rule for delisting. The federal courts moved to block the Obama Administration’s rule delisting wolves in Idaho and Montana. I thought the court’s action was wrong and moved to overturn it. By any rational measure, wolves are fully recovered in the West and their management ought to be returned to states like Idaho.

The law passed in the last four years that I most strongly disagree with is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). I believe the individual mandate contained within the PPACA is inappropriate. I don't believe the law will lead to better access to healthcare and will ultimately result in higher costs. Reforms to our healthcare system should be free-market oriented and result in better access and lower costs.

While I respect my opponent in this race and believe her voice is an important part of the ongoing political dialogue, I believe my experience, relationships, chairmanship of a subcommittee critical to Idaho’s interests and economy, and proven record of accomplishment for Idaho make me a better choice for voters. In the past year alone, I have written and passed legislation that delisted wolves, cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by nearly $2 billion, protected Idaho’s logging and grazing industries from overzealous lawsuits, and fully funded wildfire suppression on federal lands. And I’ll continue using my role as chairman of the Interior and Environment Subcommittee to protect Idaho’s interests and economy in the coming months and years. I aim everyday to do what is best for my constituents and would be honored to again receive their votes on Nov. 6.

The single most important thing I want to accomplish is a significant reduction of our yearly budget deficits and setting our budget on a path toward balance and eventual repayment of our nation’s debt. Second, I would also like to pursue economic recovery and job creation through a reduction in onerous and unnecessary regulations, a greater emphasis on domestic energy sources to reduce the price of gasoline, the creation of a simpler and fairer tax code with lower individual and corporate tax rates, and through the repeal of Obamacare and replacement of it with healthcare reforms that lower costs and improve accessibility. Economic growth and job creation will only be accomplished by providing American job creators with more certainty about the long-term tax, regulatory, and health care environment in which they will be investing their resources. Finally, I strongly support the passage of a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.