Name: Doug Chin
Age: 52
Current occupation: Hawaii Lieutenant Governor
Political experience: Hawaii Attorney General; Managing Director of the City and County of Honolulu; acting City Prosecutor and First Deputy City Prosecutor of the City and County of Honolulu

What should the government’s role be in providing access to health care? What should or should not be covered in a basic policy?

As Hawaii Attorney General, I fought to protect the Affordable Care Act and the principle that every American should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. And I support the merits of a universal health care system.

Instead of undermining the Affordable Care Act, or scaling back the quality of insurance plans, Republicans should join with the Democratic party to make the necessary improvements, such as repealing the so-called Cadillac Tax, ensuring families in every state have access to affordable health insurance, and quality health care. I will fight back against any attempts to take away crucial consumer protections under Obamacare like putting an end to discrimination by insurance companies based on pre-existing conditions or gender.

Deadly mass shootings have fueled arguments for increased gun control. Do you agree? What should or should not be changed about America’s current gun laws?

I received the “Gun Sense Candidate” distinction from Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America because I am committed to ending the epidemic of gun violence. Under my leadership as Attorney General, Hawaii is leading the nation with responsible, common sense gun laws to stop the tragic shootings we see across the country. We were the first state to take on the NRA and require more rigorous FBI background checks for gun owners, keeping guns out of the hands of stalkers, sexual harassers, and the severely mentally ill.

Hawaii has the lowest gun death rate in the nation because of our responsible limitations on who, and what types of weapons, the people of Hawaii may possess. It’s time for Congress to get its act together and protect our students and our citizens.

In light of recent nuclear threat concerns, should the United States play a more or less prominent role in international relations? What actions should be taken?

This is not a time to cede U.S. leadership on the world stage. That’s why it is critical for the State Department to be both staffed and fully funded – two things the Trump Administration has failed to accomplish in its first 500 days.

I am deeply concerned by President Trump’s dangerous tendency to conduct U.S. foreign policy via Twitter – even as he undercuts real diplomacy by failing to staff the State Department. His reckless words and actions undermine America’s intelligence community, and it makes our complicated world a more dangerous place.

Now, more than ever, Congress needs to step up and renew its commitment to be a real check-and-balance to Trump’s backward foreign policy agenda.

A White House proposal aims to slash the Department of Interior’s budget by $1.6 billion, and shift funds from new land acquisition to the development of oil, gas, and coal. What elements of this plan would you keep, what would you change, and why?

This White House plan is another example of the Trump administration putting corporate profits at oil companies ahead of protecting our environment and taking action to stop climate change. In Congress, I will support the Democratic alternative budget for the Interior Department and oppose attempts to roll back the progress we made under President Obama.

As Hawaii Attorney General, I have been on the forefront of Hawaii’s unmatched commitment to building a more sustainable future by powering our state with 100% renewable energy by 2045. And I’ve been a strong advocate for action on climate change, signing a pledge to stick with the international Paris Agreement after President Trump pulled the U.S. out, and I opposed the nomination of climate change denier, Scott Pruitt, to be Administrator of the Environment and Protection Agency.

In Congress, I will follow in the footsteps of visionary leaders – like U.S. Senators Brian Schatz and Bernie Sanders – to be a steadfast champion for preserving our precious natural resources, reducing greenhouse emissions, and stopping climate change. The people of Hawai‘i can count on me to secure federal funding to invest in sustainable sources and new technologies so we can generate, store, and transmit the green energy of the future.

If you could introduce one piece of legislation, what would it be and why?

I know how hard it is for Hawaii families to make ends meet, pay the bills, and put food on the table. That’s why I will never stop working to make sure Hawaii families have a chance of success and that we face our challenges head-on.

My top legislative priority in Congress will be securing Hawaii’s future by leveraging all available resources to create more affordable housing for the people of Hawaii. This won’t solve all of our problems when it comes to Hawaii’s outrageous cost of living – but it would be a critical step to level the playing field for working families who too often are surviving when they should be thriving.

Website: www.dougchin.com