Congressional candidates answer questions at forum

MOSES LAKE - Energy production, immigration and government accountability were the topics at a forum for U.S. Congressional candidates Saturday.

The forum drew Janéa Holmquist, Moses Lake, currently a senator in the Washington Legislature; Dan Newhouse, Yakima, a former state legislator and former director of the Department of Agriculture; Kennewick attorney George Cicotte; Eltopia farmer Clint Didier; Glen Stockwell, Ritzville and small business owner Gavin Seim, Ephrata.

They are running for the Fourth District seat vacated with the retirement of incumbent Doc Hastings. They are among eight Republicans, two Democrats and two independents who filed for the seat, according to a previous report in the Columbia Basin Herald.

Each candidate talked about their experience and governing philosophies, and had a chance to answer questions about energy, immigration and how they would be accountable to voters. Time ran out before the candidates had the chance to answer more questions.

On immigration, candidates were asked what Washington residents and state officials should do, and most chose to talk about the national situation also.

Holmquist said she doesn't think there is any reason the country can't have a secure border and an adequate work force. The borders should be secure, and the only reason they're not is that the problem is not being addressed, she said.

Nor should the immigration process be so complicated that immigrants are forced to hire an attorney to work through it, Holmquist Newbry said. That's also true for employers, she said.

Didier said he would support putting military units on the border to secure it. He would ask illegal immigrants in the state to come forward, he said, and any that didn't would be deported if discovered.

Didier said he would require people who did come forward to pay a fine, and they would have to wait until people who have immigrated legally are taken care of. The process needs to be streamlined, he said.

Seim said he would encourage states to take their own action. He would not allow illegal immigrants to receive entitlements, he said. But it shouldn't be difficult for people to come here legally, Seim said; the current system must be fixed.

Newhouse said the current system isn't working. There is an "underground society" in many central Washington communities, and that's not healthy for the communities or the immigrants, he said.

The country and state need a system that makes it easier for people to come legally, so they can be vetted and make it possible to keep track of them, Newhouse said.

Stockwell said immigration is a problem because federal officials refuse to fix it. The government must figure out a way to stop the flow of people over the border, and provide a path for people already in the country, he said.

Cicotte said he would work for a market-based solution, where immigrants would be admitted based on their skills and the skills needed. He said he is in favor of expansion of the guest worker program. About 5,000 visas were available for 2014, and he had one client who could've used all of that, he said.

Cicotte said he also would be in favor of a plan that required illegal immigrants already here to wait until legal immigration cases were settled.

All six candidates said they are in favor of expanding American energy production. Seim said energy regulations should be up to the states. The country has a lot of energy resources, he said, and the feds should do their job - which does not, he said, include regulating in-state energy exploration - and let the states to theirs.

Newhouse said both the state and the nation can and should explore their energy resources. He pointed to North Dakota as an example, and said that success can be duplicated elsewhere, if there's less regulation. Affordable energy is one of the keys to economic success, he said.

Stockwell said government and private industry should be pursuing alternative forms of energy as well, and that the technology exists to exploit it.

Cicotte said he's in favor of an "all-of-the-above" strategy, including nuclear power. Currently wind and solar power aren't feasible alternatives, he said. Humans use the world's resources, but they must do it responsibly, he said.

Holmquist said the country needs a comprehensive energy strategy, and must develop its resources. She has battled in the state legislature to protect the region's hydropower, she said. National and economic security depend on energy independence, she said. Federal regulation is too burdensome, and the Environmental Protection Agency is misusing its authority and has to be reined in, she said.

Didier said the government is trying to pick winners, which isn't its function. In his opinion Congress should cut the budgets of agencies that are being too intrusive. States need more control over in-state lands, he said.

The candidates were asked how they would follow up if elected to Congress. Newhouse said communication is key, and it's not a job that can be done alone. The only way to know what district residents are thinking about the issue is for them to be involved, he said.

Stockwell said a congressman's door should be open to everyone, and his would be. Cicotte said he has a specific list of proposals on his website, and he would expect district residents to hold him accountable to that list.

Holmquist said district residents are "my bosses." She has called on their expertise in the past and would do so again, she said. But governing is a "team sport," and district residents need to be involved, and work as a team, to get the results they want, she said.

Didier said Holmquist was right about governing being a team effort, and that it's necessary to fight as a team. It's important to work with people of like mind, he said. He would be communicating with district residents and getting their reaction to what he's doing, he said. Seim said it's important to make government accountable, and that he would work to root out corruption and government overreach. People need to start paying attention to what government is doing, he said.

The two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the August primary will advance to the general election in November.