Chris Cannon's responses to News candidate questionnaire

Many of us in Utah are extremely concerned about the No Child Left Behind law, and for good reason. Sometimes we overlook the fact that NCLB was actually the reauthorization of federal education programs dating back to the 1960s. The President and many Republicans used this reauthorization as an opportunity to try to inject some long-held Republican principles into those programs. Having seen that 40 years of federal interference in education, I voted for the NCLB as a catalyst for needed change. As we have in seen in Utah, though, implementation of the NCLB law has caused confusion, controversy and complication. At my urging and in response to concerns raised by the state, the federal Department of Education has responded to some of Utah's unique challenges by granting some of the added flexibility we desired. However, even with those modest improvements, the bureaucratic implementation of NCLB has made it clearer than ever that the only real answer is to get the federal government out of our classrooms. One area where the Federal Government can help Utah schools is by helping us consolidate our school trust lands. There is a lot of revenue-producing land in our state that is today owned by the Federal Government, but which could easily be transferred and exchanged into our school trust lands. Then, that revenue could go directly to our schools. Considering how much of our land the government owns, the least we can do is use more of those lands to support education. After two decades of stalemate, we are actually seeing some progress toward getting some land exchanges done, and I am committed to seeing them through.

14. The U.S. is now running huge budget deficits. How would you deal with this problem?

I want government to spend less, and do less. The kinds of deficits we are seeing right now are a burden that our economy simply cannot bear. Deficits drive up interest rates, reduce the money that's available for homebuyers, businesses, and consumers — and add to a national debt that we do not want our children and grandchildren to inherit. Sure, 9/11, the war on terror, Iraq and a rash of natural disasters like hurricane Katrina have put unprecedented demands on the federal budget. And we need to spend what it takes to deal with those kinds of threats and catastrophes. At the same time, there are a lot of things the federal government does that it doesn't need to do. Until we deal with those things, it will be difficult to truly bring spending under control. We also need to be thinking more creatively about the process by which government spends — and how we can begin to return more functions and programs to states and local governments. The idea of the federal government going to a two-year budget cycle has been around for many years. Maybe it's time to consider it. With a two-year cycle, Congress would actually have the time it takes to provide real oversight and find ways to make government operate smarter and cheaper. I chair the subcommittee that oversees interstate compacts, like the ones we use to manage everything from river basins to adoptions to sex offender registries. I personally believe there are probably dozens of federal programs that could be turned over to the states and managed through compacts among those states . That would let us get the federal government out of the way and save the money it wastes doing things it doesn't need to do. We can control spending — but not without changing what government does and how it operates.

15. What is the one personal trait/characteristic that you want voters to know about you and why is that important in this race?

My conviction to do what is right combined with a willingness to work toward real solutions. I am a student of our founding fathers. They were an incredible group of individuals. By working together, against all odds they were able to forge the greatest nation in the world. Because they had the passion and courage to stick to their convictions they were able to accomplish something that had never been attempted. A workable, representative democracy. Without conviction, an individual changes his stance depending on the blowing wind. With conviction, a politician can run on a record he is proud of.

16. Why would you be a better Congressman than your opponent?

I have the passion, the experience and the relationships to get things done for Utah. We are a small state and that reality demands effectiveness from our congressional delegation, and I believe my record reflects that effectiveness. My record as a solid conservative is clear and I am able to translate those convictions into results.