Talent, McCaskill diverge on stem cell research, minimum-wage, immigration

The neck-and-neck race between Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Talent and Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill is drawing local, statewide, and national attention. Missouri ballot issues involving stem cell research and minimum wage underscore the differences between the two candidates.

A list of four questions involving the local economic impact of these issues and others was submitted to both candidates in early October.

McCaskill responded to The Columbia Business Times’ request for a response, and Talent declined. Information from Talent’s Web site and other news sources were used as a basis for the Talent responses to the questions posed.

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Amendment 2, the Missouri stem cell and research initiative. Given Columbia’s huge health care industry, in addition to the cutting-edge technology and research afforded by the university, what should Columbia business professionals know about your views on Amendment 2 and its impact on the local economy?

McCASKILL: On this issue, I come down on the side of hope and cures, and therefore strongly support Amendment 2. This amendment will ensure that the physicians and researchers at the University of Missouri will remain at the forefront of lifesaving stem cell research. While in the Senate, I will fight for our scientists and health care providers, and will support expanding federal funding dedicated to stem cell research. I will oppose any legislation that seeks to ban or criminalize these valuable scientific procedures.

TALENT: During the first four years of his Senate term, Talent supported banning embryonic stem cell research. Talent co-sponsored, along with Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, a bill that would ban all forms of human cloning including embryonic therapeutic cloning techniques. However, earlier this year Talent withdrew his support for the bill. Talent told the Associated Press, “The technology is changing all the time and so I’m always considering whether there is a better way to strike the balance.”

Although individuals, particularly seniors, worry about rising health care costs on a personal level, there are also economic impacts to a community as heavily reliant on healthcare as Columbia is. How would your views on controlling healthcare costs affect Columbia’s business community?

Our national health care system is in crisis. In the Senate, I will focus on two main issues: first, fully funding government health programs like Medicaid and Medicare, so that healthcare providers receive proper payments and Missourians both young and old receive quality healthcare; and second, expanding coverage for the 37 million uninsured Americans.

I will also work to keep healthcare costs low. First, I will fight to allow Medicare to use its bulk purchasing power to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices. Second, Medicare reform should include information technology upgrades, which would provide great cost savings. Finally, going after provider fraud is one key component of saving taxpayers money while still providing needed care.

Although Talent’s Web site does not address the economic impact of healthcare issues on businesses, he does promote improving access to health care for rural Missourians and for the uninsured. Specifically, Talent supports Association Health Plans (AHPs), a method for underinsured or uninsured small business owners and self-employed people to form national associations to pool their health care plans, thereby improving coverage and reducing costs by as much as 30 percent.

Talent supported the Medicare prescription drug benefit, Medicare Part D, which reduced prescription costs for senior citizens. He also voted against an amendment that would have allowed Medicare to negotiate a bulk purchase discount for prescription drugs.

A number of businesses in Columbia and Boone County are supported by minimum wage labor. With the abundance of college students, Columbia boasts a low unemployment rate compared with the rest of the state. How would you defend your position on the minimum wage issue?

Columbia and Boone County face unique circumstances, given the number of students who live in the area and work in minimum wage jobs to help pay for school. I know personally how important those jobs are to students — I worked my way through college and law school at Mizzou as a waitress.

I support the minimum wage initiative because I believe it will have statewide benefits, and will stimulate our economy. It is a travesty that families working full-time in this state are living in poverty. Raising the minimum wage will help more than 250,000 hard-working, low-wage Missourians, and according to Governor Blunt’s own administration’s analysis, it would pump more than $21 million into the state’s economy.

At press time, Talent had yet to take a position on this initiative because he believes it is a state issue, but has stated he supports minimum wage increases if they are coupled with tax breaks for small businesses. Without the corresponding tax cuts, Talent believes that increasing the minimum wage could actually reduce the number of jobs by raising the cost of doing business.

Like many areas of Missouri, Columbia and Boone County are experiencing an increase in their illegal immigrant populations. Yet many businesses hire immigrants for unskilled labor. What is your view on illegal immigration and how would your policies affect mid-Missouri?

I want our laws to be enforced, our borders protected and employers held accountable for hiring illegal immigrants. I do not support amnesty, either for illegal immigrants or for corporations that hire illegal aliens. First, we need to secure our borders, which Washington has failed to do. Second, we need to crack down on the employers that lure illegal immigrants across the border with the promise of jobs, and then exploit them for cheap labor.

He supports increased border security. Specifically, he has called for the additional hiring of 50,000 customs employees and 5,000 enforcement inspectors. Talent opposed amnesty for illegal immigrants and has outlined a $5 billion plan for securing the U.S. borders, including surveillance technology, choppers and barriers.