Claude B. Hutchison Claude B. Hutchison (September 15, 2000)U.S. Congress, 10th District

Political party: Republican Age: 62 City of residence: Lafayette Spouse: Sue Children: Three grown children; one grandchild Web site: www.claudehutchison.com Education: BA, UC Berkeley MBA, Harvard Business School Occupation: Businessman Affiliations/organizations: U.S. Navy officer; member, One Hundred Club; past president, Commonwealth Club of California; director, president, California Alumni Association Relevant experience: Director, chief operating officer, Security National Bank in Walnut Creek; founded CivicBank of Commerce in Oakland; currently managing director for Navigant Consulting Inc.; chairman of finance board for Summit Medical Center; director for HEALS and QualMed Plans for Health; president of Lafayette School Board; Regent for University of California; director, executive VP, Oakland Chamber of Commerce Key issues: Education - Believes education is best controlled at local level by parents, teachers and local school boards; supports mandatory teacher testing by state and local authorities, merit pay and increased compensation to attract best young professionals into education; supports "phased forgiveness" of student loans for teachers as an added recruiting incentive; favors limited experiments with vouchers on pilot program basis, beginning in failing school districts. Taxes - Supports flatter income tax with lower tax rates and fewer brackets; supports raising child tax credit from $500 to $1,000; favors interest and dividend exclusions, expanded charitable deduction and lowering capital gains tax to maximum of 15 percent. Social Security - Favors placing trust funds in a "lock box" account so that Social Security revenues will only be used for paying retirement benefits; believes reform should include setting aside some of current budget surplus for Social Security and by permitting personal retirement accounts. Individual workers should be given opportunity to privately invest portion of dollars they would otherwise pay government in payroll taxes; would vigorously oppose any scheme to government investment in private stocks or bonds. Transportation - Supports fourth bore for Caldecott Tunnel, adding additional lanes in I-680 on Sunol Grade, widening Route 4 in Contra Costa, expanding capacity of Routes 84, 238 and Vasco Road; supports alternative modes of mass transit including heavy and light rail, buses and ferries; supports BART extension to Livermore and Antioch as well as around South Bay to San Jose; would work to encourage telecommuting; deplores and would work to overturn proposed OSHA regulations which unfairly apply to home office work spaces or flexible work schedules. Health Care - Supports Medical Savings Accounts, tax-exempt accounts that can be used for medical expenses by all taxpayers; supports allowing taxpayers who purchase their own health insurance to deduct 100 percent of their premiums; supports creation of "health marts," regional alliances of employers, insurers and health care providers that ban together to develop insurance packages for workers; supports prescription drug benefit to Medicare recipients. High-tech Industry - Supports permanent ban on Internet taxation; supports permanent tax credit for research and development which encourages long-term investment by high technology companies; supports computer and encryption technology export controls that would strike balance between interests of industry and our national security requirements. National Security - Would work to increase military pay; improved military housing and training are needed; supports immediate congressional review of overseas deployments; believes longstanding administration of National Laboratory by UC on behalf of the Department of Energy should be continued.