NJSJR Requests that Congressional Candidates’ Respond to Questions about the Upcoming Election

The Nashville Jewish Social Justice Roundtable (NJSJR) invited the Democrat and Republican congressional candidates for the Fifth and Seventh Districts to respond to questions about their candidacy. Each was sent a list of questions for response. Maryam Abofazili (5th District) and Megan Barry (7th District), the Democrat candidates, submitted their answers; Republicans U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (5th District) and U.S. Rep. Mark Green (7th District) did not respond. 

What follows are some the responses submitted by the candidates:   

NJSJR Question: Upon your victory in November, you will represent urban and rural residents in your District for the next two years. What are the top three priorities for you in Congress? (The answers are edited for length). 

Abolfazli:  

• Gun safety legislation: background checks & safe storage.  

• Healthcare decisions to be between healthcare professionals and patients. Access to abortion for all.  

• Thriving for all: incentivizing the pursuit of meaningful economic growth for all.  Child tax credit, attainable housing incentives, first time home buyer incentives, federal funding for infrastructure and waste water management and and resource management, incentives for small businesses. Overall, I will work to incentivize the economic thriving of our District 5 residents. 

Barry:  

My top three priorities are protecting reproductive freedom, enhancing affordability and supporting economic development, and improving access to affordable healthcare. 

In Congress, I will support the Women’s Health Protection Act, which creates a federal statutory right for healthcare providers to provide abortion care, and a right for patients to receive such care, free of any bans or restrictions that states may try to impose to limit access. I would also support legislation that protects a woman's right to access IVF and birth control. 

We need to continue to support and invest in infrastructure and jobs, bills like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This bill has brought over $6.6B of investment into Tennessee including expansion of broadband in rural areas — while supporting small businesses and innovation. I will continue to push for investments in job creation and affordable housing, making it easier for young people and families to build wealth and achieve financial stability. I will work to cut taxes for middle-class families…. I will support the Working Families Tax Relief Act that would expand the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). 

… In the 7th District, eight counties have only one hospital, and three counties have none. Tennessee leads the nation in hospital closures per capita. There are a number of proposals to address this in Congress, including the Save America's Rural Hospitals Act, which supports critical-access hospitals and expands Medicare reimbursement. The Rural America Health Corps Act would provide loan repayment for healthcare professionals serving in rural areas, and the Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act, which expands remote healthcare coverage and ensures it remains accessible in underserved areas …. 

… There is existing legislation … - the Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act would expand Medicare drug price negotiation to benefit those with private insurance, and the Easy Enrollment in Healthcare Act makes it easier for Americans to sign up for health coverage during tax season. These proposals and more like them are all sitting idle in Congress now, some having not moved since early 2023, because of partisan gridlock. When I say I want to bring a spirit of bipartisanship and collaboration to Congress, it’s because people in TN-7 can’t afford for effective legislation like this to sit on the shelf. 

NJSJR Question:  Our hope and prayer is that the conflict between Israel and Gaza will be resolved before the new session of Congress begins in January 2025. If it has not, what steps would you support to bring peace to the region?  

Abolfazli: 

I would actively advocate for peace including hostage return, ceasefire, humanitarian aid and accountability for military aid.  

Barry:  

Regarding Israel-Hamas, what happened on Oct 7, 2023 was a horrific attack by Hamas and Israel has a right to defend itself. We must advocate for a mutual ceasefire that provides for the immediate return of all hostages and an end to the civilian suffering in Gaza by enabling a massive surge in humanitarian aid. The continuing loss of life needs to end. I will advocate for a two-state solution that recognizes where both Israelis and Palestinians can live in security and self-determination with the U.S. playing a constructive role in facilitating that coexistence. 

Additional NJSJR questions to the candidates were: 

• If elected, what specific immigration policy changes and legislation would you support? 

• Negotiating a budget in the House of Representatives is always tough. As you think about the needs and desires of the people who helped elect you, what area needs significantly more funding? 

•  Please complete this quote: “As your representative in Congress, you can count on me to fight for the safety of women and children, fight for the middle class, and promote peace.” 

•  What issue or policy are you most concerned about and how do you plan to address that topic and support legislation related to it in Congress? 

You can find the candidates’ complete answers to all of these questions on the NJSJR website: www.jsjrnashville.org