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Tri States Public Radio and NPR News will provide you with updated stories from all of our local and national elections between now and November. The NPR News element below will be updated constantly, and will sometimes provide live coverage and audio from important events leading up to the November elections. You can find all of our local coverage after the jump.Election 2012 News From NPR

John Archer – Congress (IA – 2)

Republican John Archer of Bettendorf says he is running for Congress to protect the futures of future generations, in particular his two young children.

 
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Interview with John Archer
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He says the United States cannot continue to spend more money than it brings in on an annual basis.

Archer has worked as Senior Counsel for Deere & Company for the last 11 years.  He is also the part owner of the Schebler Company and a member of the Pleasant Valley School Board.

Archer says that experience has prepared him to make the tough decisions in Washington, D.C.

“To find savings, to eliminate some of the fraud, waste and abuse, to streamline governmental processes to make sure the tax dollars we are paying into the systems are used more efficiently and effectively.”

Archer says compromise and integrity are needed in Washington, D.C.  He says an environment must also be created that provides certainty for individuals and businesses.

He says “job creators” are not investing their money because of the uncertainty created by new regulations and the potential changes to the current tax structure.

Archer says the first steps in the process of developing certainty are to extend all of the “Bush-Era” tax cuts and to permanently repeal the estate tax and Obama Care.

He says instead of Obama Care, he would push for a system that lessens the possibility of frivolous lawsuits and opens up out-of-state insurance options.

Archer says he would maintain coverage for pre-existing conditions and for young adults who need to remain on their parents’ insurance policies.

He says when it comes to Social Security, this country made a promise to those who rely on it, adding that Congress cannot go back and change the game for those at or about retirement age.  He says changes could be needed, though, for younger adults.

“We will have to examine those changes,” says Archer.  “If someone who is 21 or 18 and entering into the workforce, we might need to make some tweaks or modifications for those individuals.”

Archer says he is not in favor of an artificial time-line when it comes to withdrawing troops out of Afghanistan.  He also says Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, if it military force is needed.

Jason Parrott is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.