Candidate Q&A: Gabriel Gomez

1. Former Senator Scott Brown spoke often about his independence and not always voting with the Republican leadership. Which one or two issues do you most agree with Republican leadership? Which one or two issues do you most disagree with Republican leadership?  

I agree with (thoughts on) debt. We need to address the spending side, first and foremost. Secondly, I agree with dealing with sequestration along with the spending side.

I don't believe in any kind of discrimination, and I'm for repealing DOMA. If two people are in love, they should be able to get married.

I'm also not in line with Republican leadership on immigration. We need to secure the border, and have a pathway to citizenship that is difficult, but not impossible.

2. Our region benefits a lot from defense spending, including bases and the development of new weapons. There has been a lot of talk about cutting defense spending. How would you do that without hurting defense contractors and companies (and all their high-paying jobs) in your home state?

First priority is to make sure that our fighting men and women have the tools, training, resources to effectively accomplish their mission overseas – and just as importantly they get the care and treatment they deserve. There are smart ways that we can address military spending without jeopardizing our National Security, troops or jobs.

For example – the Joint Stikefighter, a Navy and Air Force Jet, is currently being produced but most in the Navy admit that they could simply upgrade the F-18 Super hornet to save money. As a businessman, I know that any budget should be able to sustain 2 percent of cuts, and I don’t think any area of the government is immune from reform.

3. MetroWest suffered a blow with the loss of New England Compounding Center and the associated fallout: will you be working to draw other medical companies to the MetroWest area and how will you do that?

I believe that advocating for sound business policies – like cutting spending and lowering taxes, will provide an environment where companies will naturally want to grow in MetroWest because of their proximity to great research facilities and educated workers.

4. There has been a call for more federal oversight of pharmaceutical compounding companies in the wake of the New England Compounding Center scandal. Is there a similar federal role in the state's drug lab scandal? Or do you believe the prosecution of Annie Dookhan and court reviews of the 34,000 affected cases is a sufficient response?

Federal oversight is a huge issue here in Massachusetts; some of these standards have been brought down from the federal side. I’m shocked it got to the point it did. Unfortunately, at the state level, there are people appointed by elected officials that have no background on the position to which they’re being appointed. I would have wanted to see the state react quicker. This highlights the fact that the wrong person was in there; it’s just one of many examples of what can be wrong with the appointment process.

5. Whenever federal transportation money is discussed, the talk focuses on highway construction and expanding public transit. Yet the MBTA's core service is in desperate need of repair and funding. What will you do at the federal level to improve the quality of T service for current riders? Or does expansion to Fall River and other economic areas in the state trump the needs of Bostonians trying to get to work in a safe, timely manner?

The main driver when looking at investing in transportation is: is this going to improve the safety of people riding transit? You have to draw the line on what's good to have versus what's nice to have. My litmus test is, is this required and is it necessary to improve transportation. We have so many roads that need to be repaired, that it comes to a point where it becomes unsafe.

6. There's been increased use of drones internationally, as well as domestically, primarily as a law enforcement tool. Are you comfortable with the use of drones internationally and domestically? What sort of rules should be in place for the domestic use of drones?

Domestically, I'm not comfortable at all with the use of drones to target individuals. Internationally, that's different. I would have stood by Rand Paul in the filibuster. 

7. Do you support the most recent catch limits on commercial fishing? Why or why not?

No. If you go to places like New Gloucester and New Bedford, fishermen are barely able to break even. These are environmentally friendly people. The limitations are drastic. 

8. For many who live along the coast, the only option for home insurance is the FAIR plan. It's expensive, with many paying more for insurance than in real estate taxes, and it does not have a good reputation for paying out claims. Yet, it is the only game in town. If a storm like Sandy were to have hit the Mass. coast, it is unlikely the FAIR plan would be able to cover the loss. What would you do to encourage insurance companies that offer residential insurance to come back to coastal Mass.?

It’s unfair for people who live on the coast not to have adequate insurance.  I would do what I could to help provide them with more options.

9. Increasingly our police departments are dealing with the problems of drugs in our towns? What do you think the federal government can do to get more funding to fight drugs? How can the police get the funding and equipment they need to deal with the problem?

Drugs are a huge problem in the inner cities and beyond. That’s one of the biggest worries you can have as a parent. In terms of finding what pockets of government that funding could come from, I would need to research that.

10. What Senate committees and leadership posts will you seek if you become a senator and why?

Given my background, I'd look to get on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and committees that address veterans issues. I'd also get involved with education; that's a huge priority for me. Global competitiveness is a main concern.