High Country Press

Results Yield Cross Section of Fifth Congressional District Political Views

Story by Sam Calhoun

Virginia Foxx mailer survey

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-5) issued a mailer to Fifth Congressional District constituents in May asking for input on 25 questions, and released the results last week.

Government spending, jobs and immigration topped the identified issues in the results of a recent survey, dubbed a Town Hall by Mail, conducted by U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-5). Foxx issued a mailer to Fifth Congressional District constituents in May asking for input on 25 questions, and her office released the results last week. In total, roughly 6,500 residents of the Fifth District responded to the survey and roughly 100,000 Fifth District households received the results by mail. Complete results are available by clicking towww.foxx.house.gov. 

Based on survey results, Fifth District constituents believe the most pressing federal issue is government spending (21.5 percent), followed by job creation (18.7 percent), the federal deficit (12.2 percent), immigration (11.2 percent), a “growing government” (9.8 percent), national security (7 percent), healthcare (6.3 percent), taxes (4.9 percent), energy independence (4.6 percent) and housing (0.6 percent). The “other” option was chosen by 3.5 percent of respondents.  

Almost 90 percent of respondents said they did not think the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or stimulus act, created jobs, and more than 90 percent of respondents believed that it would be a mistake for Congress to enact another stimulus spending bill in 2010-11. 

Healthcare was a hot topic in the survey. More than 85 percent of responding constituents support repealing the healthcare legislation passed by Congress, and almost 80 percent of those constituents are satisfied with their current healthcare coverage. The survey asked, ‘From what you have read about the healthcare legislation passed by Congress, do you believe this legislation would improve the quality of your healthcare coverage?,’ and 90.4 percent responded ‘no.’ Almost 90 percent of respondents also believe that healthcare reform should prohibit federal funding for illegal immigrants to receive healthcare coverage; the same percentage also think amnesty should not be granted for illegal immigrants through immigration reform. 

More than 90 percent of survey takers are in opposition to Congress raising taxes to pay for healthcare reform legislation; the same percentage also think Congress was wrong for cutting Medicare by $500 billion to pay for the healthcare overhaul. Just more than 10 percent of respondents believe Congress should require families to purchase healthcare insurance or face a tax penalty of up to $2,000. 

The strongest agreement of survey takers came with four questions: one concerning balancing the budget, one concerning auditing the Federal Reserve, one concerning posting important legislation for review and one concerning a moratorium on earmarks. Almost 95 percent of respondents believe the federal government should be required by law to have a balanced budget, and 98.5 percent believe the Federal Reserve should be subject to a full and complete audit of its actions. More than 96 percent of survey takers support placing a moratorium on congressional earmarks until the budget is balanced; the same percentage agree that Congress should be required to post major legislation online at least 72 hours before a vote. 

To reduce the national debt, 95.1 percent of responding constituents believe the answer is reducing government spending and eliminating programs, whereas 4.9 percent support increasing taxes to pay for existing government programs. 

To create jobs and stimulate the national economy, 95.2 percent of respondents believe in reducing taxes on private businesses as opposed to increasing government spending. 

Only 16 percent of responding constituents said they would be willing to pay higher fuel and energy prices to reduce the production of greenhouse gases. Ninety-five percent of respondents believe that economic sanctions should continue against Iran. 

Roughly 36 percent of respondents believe suspected terrorists should be transferred from Guantanamo Bay to federal prisons in the United States.  

Ninety percent of survey takers do not support the federal government’s $700 billion bank and automaker bailout of 2008-09. 

More than 70 percent of respondents believe the United States should pursue a missile-defense shield in Europe, and 62 percent support the war in Afghanistan. 

Of all survey respondents, 73.2 percent noted they were pro-life, as opposed to 26.8 percent who noted they were pro-choice. 

To see a detailed list of results, click to www.foxx.house.gov. For more information, call Foxx’s Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-2071, Foxx’s Clemmons office at 336-778-0211 or Foxx’s Boone office at 828-265-0240.