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Nevada candidates hope to help Republicans retake House

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Nevada candidates hope to help Republicans retake House

Oct 04, 2022 | 8:58 am ET
By Michael Lyle
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Nevada candidates hope to help Republicans retake House
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From left: Mark Robertson, Sam Peters, April Becker.

Note: This is the first of two stories on the positions of candidates running in Nevada’s three competitive U.S. House seats. The second story will examine positions of the Democratic candidates.

Republican congressional candidate Mark Robertson says his top priority is to the limit the federal government, no matter if it’s voting against child care subsidies, opposing fellow Republicans on nationwide abortion bans, or abolishing the Department of Education.

Robertson, a retired army colonel and certified financial planner running in the 1st Congressional District against Democratic Rep. Dina Titus, is one one of three Republicans running to oust Democratic incumbents in efforts to flip control of the House of Representatives.

The race for control of the House, where Democrats currently maintain a slim majority, is expected to be razor close, and three Nevada seats consistently rank among the nation’s most competitive. 

Nevada Current reached out to all three candidates, including April Becker, who is running against Democratic U.S. Rep. Susie Lee in the 3rd Congressional District, and Sam Peters, who is running against Democratic U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford in the 4th Congressional District. 

Peters and Becker didn’t respond to interview requests. 

House Republicans, led by minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, have laid out proposals if they retake the House that include repealing economic measures enacted by Democrats, legislation to “protect the lives of unborn children and their mothers,” a focus on national security and crime, and investigations of actions taken by a White House and Congress that have been controlled by Democrats. 

Robertson said he supported the principles outlined by the “Commitment to America” but is also prepared vote against any federal action on abortion. 

Democrats have warned if Republicans take control of the House, they will begin paving the way for a national abortion ban in the aftermath of Roe v Wade being overturned by the United States Supreme Court. 

House Republicans have introduced more than 100 bills addressing abortion access, includes a bill to establish 20-week abortion ban that is backed by 193 Republican members. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who in the weeks following the fall of Roe said abortion should be left up to the states, recently introduced a bill to ban abortions nationally after 15 weeks.  

Robertson, who describes himself as “pro-life” and supports exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother, said he wouldn’t support any federal legislation dealing with abortion. That also includes legislation that offers protections for pregnant people leaving states with abortion restrictions to seek care in other states.

When asked if states with recent bans have made it harder, if not impossible, for people to receive abortions even when their life is at risk, Robertson said “that doesn’t apply to Nevada and the people of each state need to make that decision.”

“That’s how our democracy and our republic operates and I support that,” he said. “The Constitution is quiet on abortion. It should be settled by the people and by the states.”

Becker, who wrote on her website she is pro-life with the exception of rape, incest and life of the mother, has also said she wouldn’t vote for a national ban. Peters, according to his campaign website, supports legislation that would criminalize performing an abortion after 20 weeks. 

‘So-called Covid relief’

Republicans nationwide feel their best issue is inflation and rising gas prices, and putting the blame on Biden and Democrats. 

“To reverse inflation, you stop printing, borrowing and spending money we don’t have and you stop paying people to stay home and not work,” Robertson said. 

Inflation is a global phenomenon and worse in several nations than in the U.S., driven by multiple factors including the aftermath of Covid-19 lockdowns as well as disruptions to energy and food markets as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Similar to other Republicans, Robertson maintains inflation is a result of the federal government “injecting trillions of dollars into our economy creating an artificially high demand.” 

He points specifically toward the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion relief package used to address the aftermath Covid-related hardships as well as systemic inequities that were exposed and exacerbated by pandemic.

Nevada state and local governments received about $6.7 billion through ARPA, and has used money to begin addressing the affordable housing crisis, children’s mental health, and other priorities. 

Economists disagree over ARPA’s impact on inflation. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, a former chair of the Federal Reserve Board, contends the relief bill saved the country from economic disaster. 

Robertson disagrees. 

“There were a lot of people who did not need a safety net who got so-called Covid relief,” he said referring to the $1,400 economic impact checks distributed to low- and moderate-income households in 2021. 

When asked about the relief bill’s role in helping those most hurt by Covid, he said “the state and local people who shut down their economies, they should have been held accountable.”

“That’s where the high unemployment was,” he added. “That’s where the suffering was from. From the governors who shut down their states. They should have been responsible for fixing the problem, not the rest of America.” 

ARPA also expanded the child tax credit, usually a payment for middle and high-income families received in one lump sum when they filed their taxes. For the last six months of 2021, families received direct payments, which according to multiple analyses, decreased poverty, specifically child poverty rates. 

Robertson, who called the plan a socialist program, also takes issues with the expanded child tax credit for not being targeted. 

“It was broadly given to people who never lost their job or never lost their income,” he said. “To some extent, it went to people who did not need the help. Then it contributed to inflation.”

Data from the Centers on Budget and Policy Priorities shows the most common use of the tax credit benefits were helping families pay for rent, groceries and utilities. 

Republican U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney has proposed a version of the child tax credit, but Robertson said he wasn’t familiar with the proposal. 

Robertson said there need to be incentives to get people back to work and pointed to welfare reform under Democratic President Bill Clinton in the ’90s that “stopped paying people not to go to work.”

While other factors, such as the lack of affordable child care or paid leave, have prevented people from entering, returning or staying in the workforce, Robertson said he would vote against a federal package that invests in child care subsidies and paid family leave. 

He added those issues should be dealt with at the local and state level first. 

“I would be against a big Washington program that addresses these issues,” Robertson said. “I think those issues are first addressed by individuals. Then their families and their extended families. Then their communities, which might be churches or nonprofits. Then by local government, counties and cities. Then by the state government. The closer you get to the individual the better the solutions are. Not by bureaucrats in Washington D.C.”

‘Finish the wall’

In addition to inflation being one of his top priorities, Robertson said other issues he is focusing on include crime rates and border security. 

His immigration platform includes ending “chain migration” or immigration based on family ties, prosecuting people who overstay their visas and making it a priority to “finish the wall.” 

Becker and Peters also support “completing the wall”

On his website, Robertson supports allowing DACA recipients to “to remain in the United States as long as they make progress toward earning citizenship.”

Robertson wants to reduce government spending, which includes abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. 

Instead, he thinks there should be a voucher system “that parents can use to determine which education option is best for their children.”

Some Republicans have said if they retake the House, they would also attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Robertson said he would only vote for a repeal if there is a replacement bill that focuses on expanding health care savings accounts. 

He also called a single-payer system unconstitutional and wasteful, referencing talking points from conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.

“We talk about health care as a basic human right but I suppose eating and having food is a basic human right as well,” Robertson said. “If someone else was paying your food bill and you were just loading up your cart in the grocery store and you went straight by the cashier and you didn’t have to pay for it, think about what you’d put in your cart if you weren’t paying the bill. That’s the situation we have in health care right now.” 

Peters said he would support repealing the ACA. Becker’s website doesn’t mention the ACA but does support focusing on expanding health savings accounts.