Nikhil Wagle
DemocraticQ1 Iowa currently has the nation’s second-highest cancer rate and is one of only a few states where the cancer rate is increasing. What policies, if any, would you support regarding this issue?
There needs to be investigation on the multifactorial issues that have led to this issue. I would support any policies that would help than the curve on the skyrocketing rates. I would also support policies that will improve our water quality because we know that that is a factor.
Q2 Iowa’s universities receive roughly $350 million annually in federal research funding. NIH funding for research at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University fell by over $125 million from FY2024 to FY2025. What is your view on these funding reductions, and what policies, if any, would you support regarding funding for scientific research conducted in Iowa?
Our funding needs to be restored because we have seen the significant strides that have been made when research has been adequately funded. I would support policies that would give a consistent supply of money for research and one that guarantees future funding.
Q3 Scientific evidence is generated through the systematic testing and evaluation of ideas. It provides knowledge that helps us understand the world and predict the likely consequences of different choices, such as policy making related to public health, energy, agriculture, and environmental regulation. What role, if any, should scientific evidence and expert input play in your policymaking process, and how would you evaluate competing or uncertain scientific claims when making policy decisions? What role, if any, should that process play when scientific consensus and public opinion diverge?
All of our policy decisions should be based on sound scientific evidence that has been supported by studies that have followed this systematic testing, and evaluation of ideas. Our decisions should be based on scientific consensus since this is the most objective and accurate way of coming to conclusions.