Eric Loeb
Republican | Maryland
Candidate Profile
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Eric Loeb
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 4
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
MIT, Cambridge, MA, PhD, 1995
WORK & MILITARY
Department of Defense, political appointee, 2010-2014
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Congress, MD-04, 2020
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (9)
ActBlue (2006)
David Gill (2013)
Democratic National Committee (2015)
Hillary Clinton (2016)
Jennifer Brunner (2006)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Neutral
If this remains a national issue, then cautious allocation of funds might be a path to compromise. However, compromise has eluded us and this right is likely to be struck down by the Supreme Court. If the issue belongs to the states, there is no place for further national restriction.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Neutral
If this remains a national issue, then cautious allocation of funds might be a path to compromise. However, compromise has eluded us and this right is likely to be struck down by the Supreme Court. If the issue belongs to the states, there is no place for further national restriction.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Agree
I do not see how this issue belongs to the government. The appropriate protections should be and are applied: the act must be committed by the patient, who must be sound of mind.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Agree
I do not see how this issue belongs to the government. The appropriate protections should be and are applied: the act must be committed by the patient, who must be sound of mind.
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I think abortion should only be outlawed if the State provides support for the mother and the infant. If the State is willing to pay an income and medical support, then it has a basis to demand that the child be carried to term. It should not be allowed to ban abortion if the mother's life will be endangered by carrying the infant to term. It would be cruel to force pregnancy in cases of rape and incest, but state legislatures should be able to test how their voters feel about that.
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I think abortion should only be outlawed if the State provides support for the mother and the infant. If the State is willing to pay an income and medical support, then it has a basis to demand that the child be carried to term. It should not be allowed to ban abortion if the mother's life will be endangered by carrying the infant to term. It would be cruel to force pregnancy in cases of rape and incest, but state legislatures should be able to test how their voters feel about that.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Neutral
I haven't noticed that religious liberty is at risk, but it does deserve protection. This would be an interesting question for a deliberative poll. In deliberative polls, participants hear balanced information on both/all sides of an issue. They participate in breakout sessions and speak to their neighbors about the issue. The participants typically find consensus and are able to work together (unlike our political parties). I want to know if my neighbors feel that their liberties are at risk.
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Neutral
I haven't noticed that religious liberty is at risk, but it does deserve protection. This would be an interesting question for a deliberative poll. In deliberative polls, participants hear balanced information on both/all sides of an issue. They participate in breakout sessions and speak to their neighbors about the issue. The participants typically find consensus and are able to work together (unlike our political parties). I want to know if my neighbors feel that their liberties are at risk.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Disagree
Business must follow the law. Individuals must follow the law. Individuals who do not believe in the services that their business are required to provide (in accordance with the law) then they must change job or provide a service that makes them uncomfortable.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Disagree
Business must follow the law. Individuals must follow the law. Individuals who do not believe in the services that their business are required to provide (in accordance with the law) then they must change job or provide a service that makes them uncomfortable.
What should be the relationship between the church and the state?
They should be separate.
What should be the relationship between the church and the state?
They should be separate.
NATIONAL SECURITY
With regard to America's foreign policy, which view most closely resembles yours: A) The United States should intervene whenever freedom is threatened. B) The United States should selectively help countries trying to grow democracy and fight tyranny. C) The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. D) The United States should stay out of foreign conflicts completely.
I want to conduct deliberative polls on these issues in my district. MD-04 borders Washington, DC and is home to very knowledgable citizens who have seen national security and national policy from many different angles. Informed discussion in this group will lead to interesting results, I am sure. I personally believe that our posture has to lie somewhere near option B veering toward option C. Rigid adherence to option C will likely allow threats to grow too great before we intervene. Our cyber defense and attack is constantly hovering around options A & C anyway: freedom is threatened worldwide and our sovereignty may in fact be in imminent danger from foreign powers.
With regard to America's foreign policy, which view most closely resembles yours: A) The United States should intervene whenever freedom is threatened. B) The United States should selectively help countries trying to grow democracy and fight tyranny. C) The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. D) The United States should stay out of foreign conflicts completely.
I want to conduct deliberative polls on these issues in my district. MD-04 borders Washington, DC and is home to very knowledgable citizens who have seen national security and national policy from many different angles. Informed discussion in this group will lead to interesting results, I am sure. I personally believe that our posture has to lie somewhere near option B veering toward option C. Rigid adherence to option C will likely allow threats to grow too great before we intervene. Our cyber defense and attack is constantly hovering around options A & C anyway: freedom is threatened worldwide and our sovereignty may in fact be in imminent danger from foreign powers.
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Neutral
People are free to boycott who they want and call for divestment as they want. Official sanctions however, would be diplomatically complicated. I would want to hear what the career officials at the State Department think about this. If the US sanctioned Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians, we would essentially be saying that US national interests were more closely aligned with the Palestinians than with the Israelis. Would that shift in policy benefit the US?
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Neutral
People are free to boycott who they want and call for divestment as they want. Official sanctions however, would be diplomatically complicated. I would want to hear what the career officials at the State Department think about this. If the US sanctioned Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians, we would essentially be saying that US national interests were more closely aligned with the Palestinians than with the Israelis. Would that shift in policy benefit the US?
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
It stands to reason that capturing and killing movement leaders in the Middle East has helped reduce the threat. However, some argue (with data) that the opposite is true. In 2004, Presidential candidate John Kerry argued that Islamic terrorism should be treated as a law enforcement issue. That looks like the right course for handling the violent extremists that still plague us.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
It stands to reason that capturing and killing movement leaders in the Middle East has helped reduce the threat. However, some argue (with data) that the opposite is true. In 2004, Presidential candidate John Kerry argued that Islamic terrorism should be treated as a law enforcement issue. That looks like the right course for handling the violent extremists that still plague us.
HEALTHCARE
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
It is possible to write equations that give optimal solutions to who should be compelled, given relative weights on long-term health, productivity, freedom, etc. I believe parents should be compelled to vaccinate children against diseases that will cause long-term damage, but perhaps others do not. With factors of the optimization in plain view and simulate-able, an informed interactive voting device can be developed, distributed and given the force of law.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
It is possible to write equations that give optimal solutions to who should be compelled, given relative weights on long-term health, productivity, freedom, etc. I believe parents should be compelled to vaccinate children against diseases that will cause long-term damage, but perhaps others do not. With factors of the optimization in plain view and simulate-able, an informed interactive voting device can be developed, distributed and given the force of law.
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
Option B
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
Option B
ECONOMY
Redistribution of income is needed to lessen the gap between the wealthy and working classes.
Agree
Taxing wealth is probably required. However, I there are other approaches that might work. For example a tax on corporations based on the income gap among their employees might increase the floor and/or drop the ceiling of incomes. Of course, like any other thing we try, there are likely to be unintended consequences (in this case, employees might be pushed en masse to contractor status).
Redistribution of income is needed to lessen the gap between the wealthy and working classes.
Agree
Taxing wealth is probably required. However, I there are other approaches that might work. For example a tax on corporations based on the income gap among their employees might increase the floor and/or drop the ceiling of incomes. Of course, like any other thing we try, there are likely to be unintended consequences (in this case, employees might be pushed en masse to contractor status).
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Strongly Agree
We do need to fix this. Interest of the debt will soon consume us.
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Strongly Agree
We do need to fix this. Interest of the debt will soon consume us.
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
I would like to try the experiment: what would our flat tax be if we set it to cover the parts of the budget at 80% of us agree on? I would also like to try this experiment: how much of the remainder could be covered by voluntary taxes to pay for the programs we want ("you want this? So do 539,435 other tax payers. Your share will be $1,232. Do you still want it?")
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
I would like to try the experiment: what would our flat tax be if we set it to cover the parts of the budget at 80% of us agree on? I would also like to try this experiment: how much of the remainder could be covered by voluntary taxes to pay for the programs we want ("you want this? So do 539,435 other tax payers. Your share will be $1,232. Do you still want it?")
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Here's a thought experiment: suppose every US citizen had a dial from 0 - 100 that we used to set the proportion of immigrants to be allowed in that day. That would be a very democratic thing to control our borders that way, and to do it, we would have to have absolute border security. Otherwise how would we get 0 allowed in on days when that was the vote? Suppose instead that we had a program to send immigrants to sanctuary cities where they are welcome. Again, that requires border security.
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Here's a thought experiment: suppose every US citizen had a dial from 0 - 100 that we used to set the proportion of immigrants to be allowed in that day. That would be a very democratic thing to control our borders that way, and to do it, we would have to have absolute border security. Otherwise how would we get 0 allowed in on days when that was the vote? Suppose instead that we had a program to send immigrants to sanctuary cities where they are welcome. Again, that requires border security.
State and federal funds shall be denied to any public or private entity, such as a sanctuary city, that is not in compliance with immigration laws.
Disagree
We should not encourage lawlessness nor give in to the temptations of absolutism. We are better off finding compromise by taking advantage of the natural uses of public entities that declare an interest in housing immigrants. Let their voters sort that out. Private entities are better handled via law enforcement rather than new, bespoke legal sanctions.
State and federal funds shall be denied to any public or private entity, such as a sanctuary city, that is not in compliance with immigration laws.
Disagree
We should not encourage lawlessness nor give in to the temptations of absolutism. We are better off finding compromise by taking advantage of the natural uses of public entities that declare an interest in housing immigrants. Let their voters sort that out. Private entities are better handled via law enforcement rather than new, bespoke legal sanctions.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
The benefits of immigration are economic, quantifiable, and therefore subject to optimization. Equations can be written that model the costs and benefits of immigration, written as a functions of unquantifiable values chosen by the user (such as the importance of diversity, English as the only language, ideal sizes of labor pool by type, etc). Once developed, these equations can be distributed as surveys to identify the optimal policy for a region or state, according to its voters.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
The benefits of immigration are economic, quantifiable, and therefore subject to optimization. Equations can be written that model the costs and benefits of immigration, written as a functions of unquantifiable values chosen by the user (such as the importance of diversity, English as the only language, ideal sizes of labor pool by type, etc). Once developed, these equations can be distributed as surveys to identify the optimal policy for a region or state, according to its voters.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Did not answer
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Did not answer
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Did not answer
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Did not answer
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Did not answer
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Did not answer
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Did not answer
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Did not answer
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Did not answer
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Did not answer
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Did not answer
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Did not answer
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
Did not answer
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
Did not answer
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
Did not answer
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
Did not answer
VALUES
Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Neutral
I agree with the intent of these laws, but from what I've seen, they verge on thought policing.
Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Neutral
I agree with the intent of these laws, but from what I've seen, they verge on thought policing.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Did not answer
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Did not answer
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Did not answer
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Did not answer
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Did not answer
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Did not answer
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Did not answer
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Did not answer
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Did not answer
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Did not answer
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Did not answer
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Did not answer
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Did not answer
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Did not answer
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
Did not answer
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
Did not answer
