Covering the Land of Lincoln

Matt Hausman, 13th Congressional District

Editor’s note: Early voting for the June 28 primary starts May 19. The State Journal-Register asked some candidates in contested races to answer questions related to the office they seek.

professional background: After growing up on the family farm in central Illinois, Matt was able to live out his version of the American Dream by working in the space industry. He started as an orbital analyst at Boeing in 2004. He took a break from engineering in 2009 when he had the opportunity to teach Government and Economics at a low-income charter school in East Los Angeles. Then in 2014, he returned to the space industry and became a Mission Manager for SpaceX. In 2017, he again wanted to serve others and took part in a program at the YMCA in Colombia. From there he continued to travel around the world for a year working on more than a dozen volunteer programs in a variety of countries. He returned to central Illinois in 2018 to begin helping on the family farm and prepare to take it over. In 2019. became Executive Director of Feeding Our Kids, an organization that feeds more than one thousand hungry children across Champaign County. He continues to work for them part-time as an Executive Advisor. In addition to his work, Matt serves as a member of the Champaign County Mental Health Board, vice-president of the Champaign County Forest Preserve Friends Foundation, a founding member of the local chapter of Braver Angels, messaging lead for FairVote Illinois, and a member of Champaign West Rotary.

More:Newcomers battle over open seat in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District

Educational background: Local graduate of Unity High School in Tolono, IL – 1997; BS in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – 2001; MS in Aerospace Engineering Sciences – University of Colorado at Boulder – 2003; MA in Secondary Education – Loyola Marymount University – 2009; Certificate in Nonprofit Management – UCLA Extension – 2016

Family background: Matt grew up on the Hausman grain farm outside of Pesotum in Champaign County. He also worked on the dairy farm on his mother’s side in Flatville while growing up, continuing the family tradition of showing Holsteins at the county and state fairs. He moved back to central Illinois in 2018 and is preparing to take over the family farm in Pesotum from his parents in the coming years. He has two brothers, a sister-in-law, and two nephews, one of whom is also a godson. Matt also has two other godchildren. His four-legged family is a rescue dog named Story whom he brought from Los Angeles. Story enjoys farm life and getting spoiled by her for grandparents.

Agriculture is one of downstate Illinois’ biggest industries. What key changes would you seek in federal ag policy to benefit Illinois farmers?

The farm bill is to be reauthorized next year, so it is critical that we have a qualified representative. I am from and involved with a family farm. Also, about two-thirds of the farm bill addresses nutrition programs, and I have spent three years running a non-profit fighting child hunger. Congress needs to fix regulations like WOTUS. Farmers cannot have policy change with every new administration. We need a collaborative relationship between agricultural and environmental interests, instead of an adversarial regulatory one, that promotes mutually beneficial practices such as cover crops, conservation tillage, and biofuels. We must address input costs with continued investment in domestic production and reviewing trade deals. Items such as rail transport, lock and dam improvements, and rural broadband access must be included in infrastructure plans.

Toxic political polarization has permeated the landscape. How will you work to heal the divide?

Bipartisanship is a driving force in my campaign. When I taught government, I emphasized the need to see issues from different perspectives. I am a founding member of the local chapter of Braver Angels, an organization dedicated to bringing “Reds” and “Blues” together for civil discussion and to bridge the divide. I would work to implement some of the suggestions from the Congress at a Crossroads report on how to address polarization, mostly focused on processes and events that can promote bipartisanship. I would also support legislation to ban partisan gerrymandering. As a general approach, I will be hesitant to support any legislation that does not have at least some level of bipartisan support. Our representatives need to stop the partisan gamesmanship, and instead work for the good of everyday Americans.

In 2020, a record 45,222 people died from gun injuries in the US including suicide and murder, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. What, if anything, should be done to control guns?

I strongly support the 2nd Amendment and would oppose any effort to ban guns. That said, I do acknowledge that we have an epidemic of violence and mental health issues in this country, and we need to make sure that guns do not get into the wrong hands. The key is to find that balance between individual due process and public safety. Any legal effort to confiscate guns from someone deemed a risk must be done with that balance in mind to protect the principle of due process and individual rights. I strongly support programs that promote training to ensure responsible gun ownership. Any discussion regarding guns and violence needs to happen in close coordination with law enforcement. I will not support any gun related legislation, no matter what it is, if it does not have backing from the law enforcement community because they are the ones who have to deal with this issue directly.

Contact Andrew Adams: [email protected]; (312)-291-1417; twitter.com/drewjayadams.

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