Mariah Lancaster
DemocraticQ1 Both research universities and government-funded research programs play a critical role in advancing scientific discovery, training the future workforce, and driving economic development. How would you approach funding and oversight of research universities and government-funded research programs, and what outcomes would you hope to achieve through those investments?
As the only scientist in this race, I understand how far this administration has set back our research through its attacks on federally-funded universities and research programs. Congress must stabilize our scientific community and restore the investments torn away by this administration. One of my first priorities is to increase funding for the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other federally-supported research. Congress must undertake historic hiring and disbursement of research funds to offset the thousands of positions lost and hundreds of millions in grants canceled.
Shortsighted cuts only increase costs for our nation. The ongoing outbreaks of Cyclospora and New World Screwworm are the direct result of cuts to biosecurity programs, now requiring massive resources to counteract. An ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.
To train the next generation, Congress must restore student visas and pass legislation to restructure the federal student loan system. By eliminating interest on federal student loans for future and past borrowers, we allow our graduates to afford their degrees without trapping them into a lifetime of debt. I have experienced the lack of stability facing our scientists and researchers firsthand. The consequences of the existing cuts will last for generations if Congress does not act swiftly to restore the integrity of America’s world-renowned research programs.
For us to remain a leader in the sciences, we must have reliable, long-term investments in scientific research.
Q2 What specific forms of AI regulation do you support, and where would you draw the line between necessary oversight and overregulation that could slow innovation?
I support a national moratorium on data center development. Companies are overinvesting in these industries, creating a boom and bust economic bubble while selling out American workers and poisoning our environment. Congress must take swift action to halt development and to develop rigorous standards for any future data center construction.
Minimum standards should include: - Data centers must provide their own, low/no-carbon power. Our communities cannot be subsidizing the energy costs of these facilities. Existing data centers should pay a high-usage surcharge, for utilities to invest in their own low- to no-emissions energy infrastructure projects. As tech companies look to utilize nuclear power, Congress must strengthen the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission by increasing staffing and monitoring capabilities.
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Prohibit the use of fossil fuels to power data centers and prioritize environmental justice for historically impacted communities.
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Mandatory public reporting of energy and water usage for data centers to ensure transparency and accountability. This allows communities to adapt in real time to make necessary changes to their agreements with these facilities. Communities should control their own resources, not data centers. - Cap water usage, mandate the use of non-potable water, such as greywater, for cooling, and require all discharges be filtered and free of harmful compounds. - Prohibit Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act exemptions for emissions and discharges from data centers.
Q3 What policies, if any, do you support or envision to manage land-based resources in your state (water, open-space preserves, parks, etc.)?
In Massachusetts, we need aggressive climate resilience and adaptation measures. We face both drought and flooding, along with widespread water quality issues as direct results of climate change. This starts with holding polluters accountable and enforcing our laws and regulations to protect our health and natural resources. I will advocate for the development of a new federal department to lead on climate adaptation, resilience, and disaster response with investments to support both disaster prevention and recovery.
Congress must ban fossil fuel leasing in federal waters and on public lands. I will support legislation such as the ‘Keep It In The Ground Act’, to prohibit new fossil fuel leases on federal lands, cancel non-producing leases, and permanently ban offshore drilling in the Atlantic and the Arctic. We must remove the threat of offshore drilling to permanently protect coastal districts such as the Sixth.
Congress must also prioritize the recreation and ecosystem benefits federal lands provide, from carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and pollutant reduction, to better water quality and flooding mitigation. I will fight to codify the Endangered Species Act, restoring protections for both species and their habitat. I will promote federal programs focused on increasing public access to parks and our coastlines and fully fund the operations and maintenance of our national parks and federal lands. In Congress, I will champion our public lands, coasts, and waters and work to increase public access to nature.
Q4 What policies do you support to secure affordable and ready access to healthcare services for your constituents?
Healthcare is a human right. I support single-payer, universal healthcare - reducing the administrative costs and increasing access to care - including dental, vision, and hearing as well as disability resources, gender-affirming care, and all forms of reproductive healthcare. Abortion is healthcare and national access to birth control and abortion must be codified into federal law. More broadly, federal healthcare funding must be protected and expanded, including for funding community medicine programs such as the Massachusetts School-Based Medicaid Program. We need robust antitrust enforcement to break up healthcare monopolies. I support federal legislation to ban corporate entities from capturing the market for insurance, medication, and healthcare services. I will vote to allow the federal government to manufacture lower-cost generic versions of prescription drugs, so pharmaceutical companies cannot charge Americans more than the rest of the world for the same medication. I will introduce legislation to amend the “No Surprises Act,” to ensure all emergency ambulance services are covered by insurance, and work to federally fund emergency services nationwide while phasing out private, for-profit ambulance companies. As a clinician, I recognize that climate change is a public health crisis. Global warming leads to increased risk of disease spread alongside degraded air and water quality. We must pass landmark environmental legislation, like the Green New Deal, to combat the both short-term and long-term health risks associated with climate change and pollution.