resources have the flexibility to use them effectively. Any "one
size fits all" federal policy will not work. We have to provide
local law enforcement, judges, community leaders, and charities
tools that will have a positive effect in communities.
Anything else you want to tell your fellow
members of the Bar?
I have really appreciated the support I have received from
members of the North Dakota legal community when I have
faced challenging issues in trying to draft legislation. Many of
you have spent many hours on the phone with me helping to
work through code to ensure we write good law. It means a lot to
me and to the state that you have taken the time to help produce
laws that are well-written and not just well-intentioned.
MAC SCHNEIDER (D)
Why you are running for Congress?
I’m running for Congress to be an effective advocate for our state
and the kind of lawmaker who will reach across the aisle to move
our country forward. North Dakota and our country would be
best served by a focus on kitchen table issues like jobs, education,
and balancing a budget rather than the partisan game-playing
that’s all too common in Washington.
North Dakotans work hard and work together to face down
challenges. Congress should too. I’ll work with anyone –
Democrat or Republican – to advance the best interests of our
state and country.
What do you think are the most important
issues facing the United States right now?
Political polarization is harming our country in a way that
negatively impacts virtually every major issue. Congress needs to
set partisanship aside to balance the budget, pass a farm bill, and
end a trade war that is harming North Dakota agriculture.
The same goes for health care. Rather than continuing the
decade-long battle over health care politics, lawmakers need to
focus on health care policy. My approach is to keep what works
– Medicaid expansion and protections for individuals with pre-
existing conditions – and fix the broken health care market for
individuals and small businesses.
Would your legal degree help you if you are
elected to Congress? If so, how?
While the critical thinking skills I learned in law school are
helpful in any setting, I’ve learned in my practice as an attorney
that you can aggressively advocate for the people you represent
and often times arrive at a compromise solution that is best for
all parties. As attorneys, we know that today’s opponent may be
tomorrow’s ally. Our country would be better off if Congress
learned that lesson.
MAC
SCHNEIDER
What are the most pressing issues facing the
legal system in the United States, and what can
Congress do, if anything, about them?
I am encouraged by the bipartisan efforts to reform our criminal
justice system that are currently underway in Congress. While
protecting the public from violent offenders, Congress must
advance alternatives to incarceration like secure treatment
facilities that assist individuals dealing with addiction and
co-occurring mental disorders. Further, Congress should help
break the cycle of recidivism by focusing on rehabilitation to
the greatest extent possible. In the civil context, far too many
Americans are forced to participate in life-changing legal
proceedings without counsel. Congress should work cooperatively
with the bar to ensure access to quality representation.
Anything else you want to tell your fellow
members of the Bar?
If elected, I would take the same forceful-but-practical approach
to representing North Dakota as I do representing my clients.
That’s what I did in the North Dakota Senate, where I worked
with members of both parties to enact laws to combat human
trafficking, protect victims of domestic violence, and close
loopholes inhibiting the prosecution of sex offenders. By being
both aggressive and sensible, we can achieve results for North
Dakota and our country.
SUMMER 2018
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