Ann Kirkpatrick

Ann Kirkpatrick

Kirkpatrick, Ann (Democrat)

Phone: (928) 776-0529

Email: info@kirkpatrickforarizona.com

432 W Cattle Drive Trail, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Age: 60 (born:03/24/50, McNary, AZ)

Arizona since: Birth

Occupation: U.S. Representative since 2009; partner, Kirkpatrick & Harris, P.C. 1991-2008; Representative, Arizona State House, District 2, 2005-2007; instructor, business law & ethics, Coconino Community College, 2004.

Marital: Single (Roger Curley, attorney)

Children: 2

Religious preference: Catholic

Education: J.D., UofA College of Law, 1979; B.A., UofA, 1972.

Political experience: U.S. Representative since 2008; representative, Arizona State House, District 2, 2005-2007.

Memberships have included: Bd of directors, Big Sisters; AZ State Bar Assn; bd of directors, Flagstaff Symphony Assn; bd of directors, United Way of Northern Arizona.

Issues

Political influence: My parents. I learned from them the importance of hard work, self-reliance, standing up for what you believe in and personal responsibility. They showed me the value of a dollar and how to live within my means instead of looking to others for handouts.

Top priority: Creating jobs and ending the economic downturn. That is the biggest concern for District One’s working families. We must keep focused on finding cost-effective ways to get folks back to work. I am pushing for the Copper Basin Jobs Project, which will create more than 2,000 jobs at no cost to the taxpayer and the Four Forests Restoration Initiative, which will provide 600 jobs.

Respected opponent: Former state senator Jake Flake, who earned my admiration and respect. When I was first elected to the Legislature, he and Jack Brown took me under their wings and showed me the right and honorable way to serve the people of Greater Arizona. I always looked up to him for his steadfast dedication to fighting for his district, not his party, and for his willingness to bring people together to get things done. He is a model for me of how elected officials should act.

Wall St bailout: I am unwaveringly opposed to government bailouts, and I have opposed every bailout that has gone before Congress. It is infuriating to see taxpayer dollars used to reward big banks and their overpaid CEOs, who brought down America’s economy. Every dollar spent on bailouts needs to be repaid, and I was one of the earliest voices calling for repaid bailout money to be used to pay down the national debt. I have sponsored the bipartisan “Repaying the American Taxpayer Act” to put my plan into action.

Stimulus Act: When the stimulus plan came to a vote, both our state and the country were facing the very real threat of total economic collapse. I supported it because Arizona had too much to lose if we did not act — including jobs and critical public services. The Recovery Act has helped us avoid catastrophic service cuts to law enforcement and teachers. The tax cuts in the legislation are also helping working families balance their budgets, and smart, efficient investment in critical fields have allowed folks to get back to work. We still need to focus on job creation, and I am working to get our economy back on track with federal action but with little or no federal money.

Health care overhaul: Whenever I traveled in the region, I heard horror stories about the broken health care system. I have spoken with people who never missed paying a premium but who were denied coverage when they needed it the most. I have heard from seniors who were forced to choose between paying for food or for their prescriptions. After listening to folks in the district and reviewing the entire bill, I voted to pass the health reform law. It makes critical and immediate changes to our health care system, including banning denial of coverage because of pre-existing conditions, closing the Medicare Part D “donut hole” and making it easier for small business to offer health insurance by providing new tax credits. All without losing our ability to choose our insurance plans and doctors.