For use by Stonewall Democrats of Dallas

2014 Federal Office Candidates:

Answers for Patrick McGehearty, Deocratic Candidate for !"#" Con$ress, District 24
1. Why are you seekng the endorsement from Stonewa Democrats of Daas?
I beeve n equa rghts for a and want the voters of my dstrct to understand my commtment
to that poston s sod.
2. W you use the Stonewa Democrats of Daas endorsement n or on:
a) your webste - yes
b) your campagn terature and maers - yes for that terature whch s ntended to
ncude endorsement sts.
c) your soca meda assets (Twtter, Facebook, etc.) - yes
d) your campagn advertsements - depends whether I have suffcent campagn fundng
to pay for ads.
3. What are your pans to support or partcpate n a coordnated campagn n the genera
eecton n Daas County?
As far as I'm aware, the coordnated campagn does not accept funds from Federa canddates to
avod the extra compexty of Federa Eecton fng requrements. In so far as I'm abe to assst
the coordnated campagn wthout voatng Federa Eecton spendng rues, I ntend to do so.
4. When eected, how w you recrut, retan, and create a frendy envronment for LGBT and
LGBT-frendy staff?
I w not toerate a hoste envronment for LGBT any more than I woud toerate a sexst or racst
envronment. I have had the good fortune to work for companes (Convex, HP, Sun, Orace)
whch have been frendy to LGBT staff for the ast 25 years. I w use the essons of those
companes pus the feedback from my frends n the LGBT communty to sove probems f they
arse.
5. How woud support or ead efforts to pass a resouton to support marrage equaty?
Yes, and more. See #10. It's smpy the rght thng to do and now s the tme to move forward on
ths ssue.
6. Woud you be wng to appont a ason to meet wth the LGBT communty on a ongong
bass? If not, why?
My campagn s st qute sma. For the tme beng, I expect to mantan persona contacts wth
the LGBT communty. When campagn tme/compexty become too much for that to be effectve,
I w reach out for gudance.
7. W you have a non-dscrmnaton pocy for empoyment and protecton of LGBT resdents
and protecton based on sexua orentaton or gender dentty?
If not, why? Certany. I support ENDA.
8. How woud you address the recent trend of state governments addng medcay
unnecessary procedures to the course of treatments pertanng to women's heath (e.g.
the requrement to requre a sonogram pror to the ega termnaton of a pregnancy)?
I w vocay oppose these excess government ntrusons nto prvate medca decsons. I don't
know f there s forma, effectve acton that can be taken at the eve of the House of
Representatves, but f there s an opportunty for effectve acton, I woud support such acton f
eected.
9. How woud you respond as an offce hoder to countres and regmes that enact aws and
poces that specfcay target LGBT ctzens for detenton or punshment based on ther
LGBT dentty or the free expresson of ther LGBT dentty?
I woud encourage the Executve Branch to do what t coud to dscourage such aws and actons
through the State Dept. I woud not be ncned to favor such natons by trade deas and such
ke.
10. How woud ead or support efforts to craft egsaton and/or consttutona
amendments pertanng to:
a) Repea of Defense Of Marrage Act (DOMA), or at east sectons 1 & 2 - I support
mmedate, fu repeat of DOMA.
b) Repea of Federa Marrage Amendment - The proposed Federa Marrage Amendment
has faed the ast tme t came before Congress. If t shoud be rentroduced, I woud
vote aganst and obby strongy aganst t.
c) Incusve Empoyment Non-Dscrmnaton Act (ENDA) - I woud gady vote for ENDA.
11. How w you combat Repubcan efforts to emnate or severey reduce the
programs beow that are crtca to the we beng of many Texas resdents?
a) Ryan Whte Fundng
b) Housng Programs
c) Drug and Medca Assstance
d) Food Assstance
e) Utty Assstance
f) Communty Deveopment Bock Grants
Unt Democrats gan a ma|orty n the House, t w be dffcut to bock Repubcan efforts to
damage our naton's soca safety need. I w work to educate other Representatves of the harm
caused by such efforts, both to the specfc ndvduas as we as to the broader economy. If we
must cut the defct, we shoud frst address the excessve tax cuts provded to the weathy by
the Bush admnstraton.
12. How woud you ead or support efforts to update the formua n Secton 2 of the
Votng Rghts Act of 1965 so that pre-cearance requrements can once agan be enforced
n regons of the USA where a pattern of dscrmnaton and voter dsenfranchsement has
contnued to be shown to dsproportonatey affect mnortes?
The Supreme Court rung on the Votng Rghts Act was bad aw and contrary to the expressed
w of the Legsatve Branch as we as the cear record of evdence of past dscrmnaton. I
woud work wth other Representatves experenced n ths ssue and Consttutona Law to craft a
b that s key to pass Supreme Court revew to restore Secton 2 of pre-cearance n areas of
the country that have a past hstory of dscrmnatory effect.
13. How w you ead or support egsaton ke Vermont Senator Berne Sanders
consttutona amendment that decares corporatons are not peope?
I support Berne Sanders' efforts for the consttutona amendment and woud ke to aso expore
possbe egsatve efforts to remove potca power from corporatons. Corporatons are a
creaton of egsaton and therefore shoud be ceary sub|ect to restrcton by the egsature.
14. How w you ead or support efforts for comprehensve mmgraton reform,
especay pertanng to:
a) Untng Amercan Fames Act (UAFA) egsaton
b) Deveopment, Reef and Educaton for Aen Mnors Act (DREAM) egsaton
I support comprehensve mmgraton reform, ncudng the two sted above. More mportanty,
we must provde a reasonaby pathway to ctzenshp f we are to be true to our prncpes and
vaues.
15. What specfc deas do you have and/or what current egsaton woud you support
to mprove our natona economy and address the weath dsparty n our country?
We need to rase the mnmum wage to at east $10. We need a natona nfrastructure budng
program to nvest n the future of Amerca. These w mmedatey ncrease demand whch n
turn w ncrease hrng. Wth more peope workng, demand w ncrease further and the
economy w pck up sharpy. There are other measures whch aso can be taken, but these are
fundamenta to gettng the economy gong.
I, Patrck McGehearty, am seekng an endorsement from the Stonewa Democrats of Daas for
the 2012 eectons.
Sgned___________________________________ Date___ 12/22/2013
(sgnature on attached |PG fe)