 Number one opening statement please tell us why you are running and what experience you bring to the position. What will be different for the people of the state of Vermont as a whole because you have been elected to this position and what qualifies you to make those changes happen. Up now candidate Chris Erickson. Hello I'm Chris Erickson and I am the best candidate for United States Senator. I have the only valid plan to reduce inflation and bring a lot more money to Vermont without raising your federal taxes. Now right now the US Congress votes to give billions and billions of your hard-earned tax dollars to corporations as subsidies and they use our hard-earned money to make huge profits for themselves. We're getting nothing in return for the fruits of our labor so what I will do is sponsor a bill so that whenever the US Congress votes to give our hard-earned dollars to corporations as huge billion dollar subsidies that we will get a share of their profits that they make using our money. That's only fair. What's going on now is modern-day slavery. Question number two what are your top three priorities and what committee appointments are you seeking? Up now candidate Chris Erickson. My top priority is sponsoring a bill to require that no subsidies shall be given to corporations unless they give back to taxpayers a share of their corporate profits made by using our tax dollars. We need a share of the corporate profits to use for all levels of education, higher teacher pay, health care, dental care, childcare, elderly care, infrastructure and to help families start new small farms and build trailer parks for homeless citizens. I will sponsor a bill for freedom of speech and freedom of association for all US senators to allow them to join any committee they want to join. The committee appointment system is unconstitutional. Question number three constitutional rights given that the Supreme Court has overturned what was thought to be settled law that is reproductive rights are you concerned about other rights that we may be taking for granted coming under threat? What rules should Congress play if any in protecting those rights? Up next candidate Chris Erickson. People take for granted their right to have weapons under the Second Amendment. They're two A rights. These rights are at risk all the time. We would be stupid to give up our gun rights. We don't want to be the next Ukraine having weapons and guns at home under the United States Constitution isn't just about hunting it's about protecting ourselves from foreign invaders. Just ask the Ukrainians I will work to uphold our complete Second Amendment rights to every last bullet. We also have taken our freedom of speech for granted and we have to fight hard now against corporations denying us our freedom of speech. I will sponsor a bill to give us back our freedom of speech stolen by social media companies who take our personal information and sell it for their profits while simultaneously denying us our freedom of speech. The internet is a powerful tool for huge corporations to abuse us and it is time to declare all social media sites equivalent to using a telephone in the privacy of our homes where we still expect freedom of speech. Question number four, health care. Health care costs are nearly 20% of the US gross domestic product. There seems to be no end to the cost increases. What does Congress need to do to curb cost and also assure quality health care? Up next candidate Chris Erickson. I will sponsor a bill to change funding for the NIH the National Institute of Health because right now we pay our tax dollars taken right out of our paychecks. They go to the IRS and then the US Congress votes to give billions and billions of our tax dollars to the NIH and they hand out our money for research design and development of new prescription drugs, vaccines and medical devices and under the Baydoll Act of 1980 the lead researcher owns the patent rights even though we the taxpayers paid for all of the costs of the research design and development. The lead researcher then makes a deal with pharmaceutical corporations and they sell the new products worldwide and they make all the profits. I will work to repeal the Baydoll Act of 1980 and I will sponsor a new bill so that when our taxpayer dollars are used and corporations sell new pharmaceutical products worldwide for a fortune, we will get our fair share of the profits to pay for all of the health care, dental care, home health aids, hospital care, nurses for all of our medical needs, our fair share of the profits that the pharmaceutical corporations are making because we paid for the research design and development when we demand our share of the profits which I will do that will pay for all of our health care needs. Question number five, criminal justice reform. What can be realistically achieved by Congress to curb gun violence in US communities? Next, Chris Erickson answers. I will sponsor a bill to require that all schools, shopping centers and government buildings have live surveillance cameras in every room, closet, parking lot, hallway, sports field and door and have them connected to YouTube so people can check in on their friends and loved ones on live surveillance cameras anytime. Question number six, foreign policy. Is there a limit to US involvement in the Ukraine war with Russia? What is that limit? Up next, candidate Chris Erickson discusses it. We have reached the limit. We can't afford to take care of Ukraine anymore because we have to start protecting our own border from the ongoing invasion of illegal immigrants that President Joe Biden is allowing. We need to impeach President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris immediately. Too many United States citizens are dying from fentanyl drug overdoses and that fentanyl is coming from illegal immigrants crossing our borders and working with foreign cartels. Just because you enjoyed the nice stimulus checks President Biden sent out in the past, that's no excuse to allow him to destroy our own national security with open borders. Question number seven, future of democracy. Do you share the concern that our democracy is in jeopardy? If so, what measures do you recommend be taken in Vermont? Chris Erickson responds as a candidate for United States Senator. An example of the erosion of democracy in Vermont is the marijuana law in Vermont, which allows for the for profit commercial growers to grow entire fields of marijuana while regular citizens will be fined, find money if they grow more than two adult plants and they can't afford that fine. And it's a violation of the US Constitution for the state of Vermont to pre plan the invasion of the privacy of your home and property to count your plants. They don't come into your home and open your refrigerator and count how many cans of beer you have. Question number eight, privacy. Do you think the United States needs a comprehensive consumer privacy law? What steps should Congress take, if any, to advance this agenda? Next response by United States Senator candidate Chris Erickson. We have to protect our right to use paper money and coins because every time we use a credit card or a debit card, the government and the big corporations are following every move we make. And that's not privacy. We can never let them take away the cash system. Question number nine, getting things done. You can't do this work alone. With whom will you build partnerships and coalitions to get things done? Response by US Senate candidate Chris Erickson. Vote for me, Chris Erickson. I'm an independent candidate for United States Senator, and I will go down there to Washington DC. And if either the Republicans or the Democrats are short one member to become the majority in the United States Senate, then I'll make them an offer. If they vote to make me Senate majority leader, then I'll join their side. I don't care which side I join. I just want to be Senate majority leader because that is in the best interest of the people of the state of Vermont to get bills we want passed through. Question number 10, should the filibuster be scrapped in the United States Senate? Response next by US Senator candidate Chris Erickson. The filibuster is an American tradition and it gives the minority party a chance to be heard. So it is valid, especially when your favorite party happens to be in the minority. Question number 11, who do you think should be the candidate for president for your party in 2024? Answer by US Senate candidate Chris Erickson, who's an independent. I'm Chris Erickson and I am an independent candidate for United States Senator. And thinking about 2024, it's too soon. You can go to politics1.com and click on presidential candidates and scroll past the Democrats and the Republicans and have a look at the minor parties and the independent candidates. That's who I would be interested in, but it's too soon to tell who. Number 12, closing statements by candidate Chris Erickson for United States Senator. My name is Chris Erickson and I am the best candidate for United States Senator. I'm an independent on your ballot. I will sponsor a bill to change the way we grant subsidies to corporations so that if they want our taxpayer dollars, they have to guarantee us a share of the profits they make using our taxpayer dollars. We need our share of the profits for all kinds of programs to help people. Giving our tax dollars away for free to huge corporations is just a form of modern day slavery. It's the wrongful taking of the fruits of our labor and that is a violation of the United States Constitution. If you agree, please vote for me, Chris Erickson. Thank you.