CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Here is a look at where U.S. Senate hopefuls Democrat Natalie Tennant and Republican Shelley Moore Capito stand on key issues.
Energy/Coal: Both oppose a proposal to limit carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. Both vaguely say they want an “all of the above” domestic energy policy that weans America off international energy dependence, but uses all types of energy production.
Capito sponsored the MINER Act of 2006, which became law. It requires mines to prepare better preparation and reporting for accidents.
Tennant criticizes Capito for voting against a failed mine safety bill in 2010, which was largely a partisan vote. The bill made it easier to shut down problem mines, increased penalties for serious safety violations and offered more protection for whistle-blowers. At the time, Capito said the bill was rushed, did little for mine safety, penalized businesses, added regulation and promoted lawsuits.
Affordable Care Act: Capito has voted with her caucus dozens of times to repeal the Affordable Care Act. She says she wants to replace part of the law allowing Medicaid expansion in states, a push that has insured about 150,000 West Virginians.
Tennant supports changing the Affordable Care Act, but also supports Medicaid expansion. She favors a provision that patients can be denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions. She also supports delaying penalties on people for not having insurance and wants more insurance providers involved in West Virginia.
Gun rights: Both candidates have been outspoken gun rights advocates. Tennant believes decisions about criminal background checks should be made at the state level. She says the waiting period after a background check should drop from three business days to 48 hours, and after the background check system is in place for four years, the wait should only be 24 hours. Both opposes a federal firearms registry. Both say they oppose a failed bill sponsored by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, to expand background checks.
Budget: Capito has cast votes for several budgets by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin. The latest version, which passed the House in April and won’t advance any further, would cut more than $5 trillion over the next decade to balance the budget by 2024. It relies on domestic program cuts, like education and food stamps, and shifts money to the Pentagon and veterans’ health care. Future retirees would be shifted from traditional Medicare and toward a subsidy-based health insurance option on the open market. Social Security would be untouched. Ryan’s 2010 budget included an option for personal Social Security accounts, but Capito voted against it.
Last September, Capito voted to raise the debt ceiling only if the Affordable Care Act was delayed, changed or defunded. A government shutdown ensued. Later, she voted to end the shutdown by raising the debt ceiling in October. She supported a bipartisan budget deal in December.
Tennant supports a push to refinance some student loans by setting minimum tax rates on millionaires. She has criticized Capito for supporting Ryan budgets and for the shutdown. She opposes cuts to Social Security and efforts to change Medicare into a voucher program.
Third party candidates
John Buckley, Libertarian: wants to cut federal spending; get rid of federal education, housing and health agencies; repeal the Affordable Care Act; cut taxes; opposes abortion.
Phil Hudok, Constitution: supports restoring Christian heritage to America.
Bob Henry Baber, Mountain: supports a balanced budget; encourages transitioning from coal to alternative energy sources, specifically solar; opposes mountaintop removal mining.
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