Andy Ruff's Responses to Herald-Times Questionnaire

In response to recent national attention on policing, what changes to law enforcement policies, if any, would you like to see or support at the federal level?

I have the utmost respect for our men and women in blue, and I understand the extreme difficulties and challenges they face every time they put on that uniform. But it has become clear that we need more transparency and accountability, and that institutional changes will be required. In terms of specific policies at the federal level, we need to start by ensuring that resources are being used for training to address implicit racial bias in policing. In addition, I also support reform legislation that bans certain deadly maneuvers such as the chokehold, requires officers to wear body cams and have mounted cameras in their vehicles, and does away with qualified immunity. 

What changes would you like to see made to the nation’s health care system in light of the ongoing pandemic?   

Before the pandemic there were 28 million Americans without health insurance. Now millions have lost their jobs and that number is much higher. We don’t know how many have lost their health insurance coverage and how many who still have coverage cannot afford their copays, deductibles, and premiums. 130,000 Hoosiers have tested positive for COVID-19 and we are approaching 4000 Hoosiers dead. Black Hoosiers account for 13% of the deaths despite representing 9.8% of our population. The pandemic has laid bare the inadequacy of our current system. The United States has the most expensive healthcare in the world while performing poorly in all measures of care quality compared to the other wealthy democracies. The answer is right in front of us: Medicare is our universal program that everyone joins at age 65.  We should simply expand it to cover everyone – Medicare for All.

How would you rate the nation’s response to the pandemic and what should the country’s next priorities be in response?

The federal response to the pandemic is an ongoing disaster. The fact is that many of our elected leaders, including our current representative, severely downplayed this deadly virus from the start, and pushed for a full economic re-opening without ever presenting a semblance of a plan for keeping people safe. What’s equally as troubling has been our elected leaders’ continued disregard for public health guidelines, and Congress’s inability to come to an agreement on a second stimulus package. We need to provide states with money to support public schools, extend rent relief to individuals and small businesses, make sure hospitals have enough PPE to handle the surge in cases; and ensure that another round of stimulus checks makes it into the pockets of the people of Indiana’s 9th District. 

What has COVID-19 exposed about housing stability in the country and what changes, if any, would you make to national housing policies to benefit Hoosiers? 

The pandemic underscored the fragility of housing security even for middle class people, as layoffs put Americans at serious risk of eviction or foreclosure. Like in 2008, Wall Street speculators rushed into real estate markets and bought houses at fire sale prices for conversion into rental homes, generating revenue for out-of-town corporations and draining wealth out of communities. 

For those living on the edge, there is little housing stability, and that stems in part from lack of compassion by many government officials. Federal housing policies must recognize the corrosive impact of turning housing into a tradable financial asset by eliminating the tax incentives to buy and hold unoccupied housing for capital gains, and creating new incentives to build affordable housing. 

What actions, if any, do you believe should be taken to protect the integrity of U.S. elections?

There are two actions congress must take to protect election integrity, both of which our current representative, for self-preserving reasons, has voted against: 1) pass a constitutional amendment reversing Citizens United and making sure that the corrupting influence of “dark money” can no longer influence elected officials and 2) strengthen our nation's election infrastructure by providing funding to states to replace outdated and vulnerable voting equipment, ensuring there’s a paper trail for every vote cast, and mandating strict cybersecurity requirements for both election technology. 

What are your top priorities and why?

Ending the corrupt influence of big money in our elections and lawmaking. Providing direct support to working families. Making the government listen more to people who work hard for their paychecks or to keep their small businesses afloat. Enabling every hardworking Hoosier to earn a decent wage. Empowering unions, stopping Wall Street bailouts, and ensuring that our wealthiest individuals and corporations finally start paying a higher tax rate than our poorest citizens. Stopping the outflow of jobs and money from Indiana to out-of-state and foreign businesses. Taking care of our sick people by lowering healthcare costs and improving outcomes. Saving our Indiana lands and waters from pollution and creating a 21st Century economy that not only ensures our children have a clean and healthy place to live, but will create thousands of new jobs right here in Indiana in the near future.