Lore Bergman

I have been an organizer, an advocate and an activist. I am a woman with disabilities, that is so tired of hearing rich congressmen like John Rose, vote against all programs for the disadvantaged and also propose stupid and cruel legislation on how to fix Social Security, healthcare and other programs, when he has never been sick, poor, hungry or homeless, and probably never will be. I have been all of those things and I have many ideas on how we can make things better for the people suffering in the 6th Congressional District here in TN and across the United States. There are many things congress can do to make things better, and I cannot wait to get on the floor of Congress and give my ideas for new legislation. I have advocated for the disabled and have suffered at times for it, but no matter what happens to me, I will still continue to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. As a woman, I am also so tired of old white Republican men like John Rose, telling us women what to do about our reproductive issues. John Rose has voted against every bill that could help improve a woman's life, including the right to contraception and the Women Against Violence Act. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, it angers me greatly to think that a man like John Rose represents and speaks for me in Congress. We have gone backwards 50 years in less than 2 years, and all women's freedoms are in jeopardy. I will always fight to preserve democracy and human rights for all.

• When someone is in need, and gets help, it is not an "entitlement". To be hungry and get fed, to be sick and get medical care, to be homeless and get housing, is not an entitlement, it is a human right. The only ones who are entitled are the rich in congress who think they know what's best for people who are poor and/or disabled and elderly. The disabled are very much underrepresented in Congress and average Americans hardly ever get elected, because they do not have the money or time to be able to run for office. If we had average working Americans in Congress, we would get so much done for the people of America. Congress would actually work for the American people and not for huge corporations and industries.
• Women are more than baby making machines. At least we used to be. And now, only women who can conceive naturally are basically considered important. It sickens me to think that women that are younger than me, now have less rights than I had at their age. We are going backwards in our fight for freedom. Women should not have to live in fear, if they are of reproductive age. Since Roe vs. Wade was reversed, women's health care is a chaotic mess. Old white men should not decide what a woman can or cannot do about her own health decisions. No matter what you believe about abortion or IVF, it is your decision, not someone else's decision for you. When a woman cannot make decisions about her own body, she is not a free citizen.
• Leviticus 19:18 says ".... love thy neighbor, as thy self....". Just think what kind of America it would be if the people in this country and the rest of the world would remember that verse. We would love the children more than we love our guns, and we would ban assault weapons and not books or black history and have common sense gun legislation reform. We would always want equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community and all minorities. We would be kind and empathetic to immigrants, and we would have common sense immigration reform, that is cruelty and pain free for those who are just trying to have a safe and better life. We would never make people live in fear, because they believe differently. And we would protect the Earth.

As a disabled woman, I am personally passionate about any public policies that have to do with saving, expanding and improving programs like Social Security, disability and all other programs for the sick, elderly and poor, including affordable housing, health insurance for all and SNAP. I have had to use them, and I have many ideas for improving them!
As a woman, I am personally passionate about any public policies that have to do with women's reproductive rights and all other rights and protections for women in our society. It sickens me to see that young women now have less rights, than I had at their age. The Republicans are threatening to take away more rights for women every day. I will fight to make sure this doesn't happen

Well, I would say there are many, but I am listening to a wonderful book right now called "The Kingdom, The Power and The Glory", by Tim Alberta. It just reinforces over and over again, how important it is to keep church and state separate. No matter what your religious belief, those beliefs should not govern a democracy where everyone has a right to believe what they want to believe. The problem this book says is that these certain people, want everyone to believe what they believe. As someone who grew up in the very strict Fundamental Independent Baptist circles, I have learned through my journey out of that belief system, that everyone has a right to believe what they want, and it is not my job to force my belief system down their throat. So, when it comes to abortion and IVF and other personal health issues, it is not my job to tell another woman or person what they should do with their own healthcare. That is between them, their partner, their doctor and their god, and it is none of my business and should not be anyone else's business either. Leviticus 19:18 in the Bible says, "...love thy neighbor, as thyself..." In other words, treat other people like you want to be treated. If you don't want someone shoving their belief system down your throat, then stop shoving it down theirs.

I think more than ever honesty, dignity, integrity and morality are most important for an elected official. It is unbelievable to me that we now have a presidential candidate, who has 88 indictments against him, and yet people are still going to vote for him. The lies that have been spread through this one individual have ruined the reputation of our country and have brought us to the brink of civil war. I do not understand so-called "Christians" that have bowed so low to this man, that the very statutes that they base their religious beliefs on, have been turned upside down. When a whole political party, as the Republicans, have doubled down on the lies that they know are not true just to get power, we are in real trouble. The behavior of many of these politicians is so juvenile and immature, no wonder nothing gets done in Congress. If these congressmen would just remember that they are here to make America's lives better and not just keep their power and get their attention on social media, we would not be in the condition we are right now. How can the extremists in the Republican Party continue to get paid for a job that they will not do?
Experience is also important when it comes to an elected official, but in saying that, just because someone has been in the political arena for a long time, does not mean that they are necessarily a good representative. But in saying that, having an elderly statesman running the country is much more important to me, than some so called "businessman" who doesn't know what he's doing. Life experience is very important and can mean a lot, when being an elected official, because empathy and knowledge about certain subjects can then be used to make real change for the American people. The rules definitely need to be changed or made for how we vet people who are running for office. You cannot vote if you are a felon, but you can run for office? What is wrong with this picture?

I have been told I am determined, tenacious and resourceful. I have fought many battles for the disabled, elderly and poor and even became homeless, because of my determination to get a dangerous situation fixed in a building I had to live in. The landlord pushed me out to keep me quiet and within less than a year, I had to live in my car for two months while I waited for other affordable housing to open up. I almost didn't survive due to my health challenges, but I would do it again because the problem did eventually get fixed and the people that live in that building are now safe. I basically put myself on the line for other people and as an office holder I would do that again. Because being disabled and having to live on the poverty line, I know how to balance a budget and be resourceful. If anyone can help balance the budget in Congress, it is someone who has had to live on the small amount of money, that I have. Even now, how I run my campaign is not how other people do. I just got done making my own buttons and I will be recycling old political signs found in the trash, by using my art skills to repurpose them. Recycling and repurposing are one of my talents and I know it will come in handy when money is being wasted in Congress. I also am not afraid to speak out and tell it like it is. But I am also a good listener and I try to see all sides of an issue before I make a decision.

I think one of the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office, is to tell people what is really going on in Washington DC. My opponent on the Republican side, still has not come clean to his constituents in the 6th district about the 2020 election not being stolen, and that January 6th was not a quiet tour of the capital but was indeed an insurrection. If an elected official is willing to twist the truth and outright lie about something that we have seen with our own two eyes, what else will they do? Lying through omission is also a lie. Even if your constituents do not want to hear the truth, because they have been fed disinformation over and over and over again, it is still your responsibility as an elected official to tell them the truth, even if it means you may not get reelected! This is once again where integrity and character come into play. Because representatives like John Rose do not have the courage to tell the truth, they have now put our country in a terrible position, and it is terrifying to think what might happen if the man that they bow down to, becomes president once again. They know he is an awful and dangerous man, but yet they refuse to have the courage to tell the truth.
Since a representative is responsible to speak for the people of his district, then he must listen to ALL the people of his district, and not let a small amount of people who are possibly contributing to his campaign or strong arming him in some way, to be in control of him or her. The elected official has a job to understand what he is voting for and not just vote because everyone else in his party is voting the same way. Once again this is where character and integrity come into the picture.
Also, as an elected official of the US Congress one needs to be knowledgeable about world events and world history. But a US Congressman especially needs to know what our Constitution says, about our history and about how our government works. Many don't! Ridiculous!

The legacy that I would like to leave, is that I was a warrior for all the disadvantaged and marginalized people in this country, and I did everything I could to help them live a good life here in the United States of America.

I have had quite a life and I have had a lot of struggles of different sorts, but I have to say being born with crazy genetics, that are equal to basically having half an immune system, has been the biggest struggle in my life. Physically I am a highly sensitive person to my surroundings, infections and allergens, but I have learned to maneuver through life and despite all the setbacks I have had, I have managed to have a productive life. The struggle is just part of my life. I do not know what it's like to not have it, and I do not let it stop me. Sometimes I need to rest, but I always get up again and keep going. My motto is: never quit, and when you can, do what you can, and when you can't, sit down and rest, but when you feel better, get up and get busy again.

The House of Representatives unique powers are that all revenue type bills must originate in the House, they have the power of impeachment of federal officials, and they can elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie. The House combined with the Senate can declare war, override veto's, initiate amendments and confirm a newly appointed vice president. Also, the Speaker of the House is the highest-ranking legislative official in the US government. They are 3rd in line to the presidency.

No, I do not. BUT I do believe they need to know American and World History, the Constitution and basic civics to how our type of government, a democracy, works. I really think it would be beneficial that representatives and senators, be required to take a test or classes, so they can learn these things. At a minimum, they should be willing to at least study on their own and learn on the job. Unfortunately, right now we have many people in our Congress, especially in the US House of Representatives, who are not willing to do this, and they definitely show their ignorance every day.

There are many, but here are some that I see: to heal the divisions and prevent a civil war in our own country, to continue to repair the damage that Donald Trump and the MAGA movement have caused, to make sure we never have another president or presidential candidate like Donald Trump, to prevent World War III from breaking out, to finally fix our broken immigration system which has been broken for decades, to reverse the damage that has been done to women's rights in the last two years, to get the MAGA extremists out of Congress, to fix the disinformation machine destroying the world, to make sure the extremely rich in this country pay their fares share of taxes, and to make sure we do everything we can to save the earth.

No, I think it's too short. I think it should be at least 4 years so that you're not in this constant cycle of campaigning. This could be one of the reasons why the House of Representatives is such a mess and never gets anything done. BUT in saying this, I do also believe there are certain people, that two years is actually too long of a term, for them!

I am very much for term limits, especially when it comes to the Supreme Court. I think they should be elected first of all, and that they should have the same 4-year limit as the President and only be allowed three terms. I find it ridiculous that these people get to stay in this office for the rest of their lives and have no accountability to anyone except for themselves. We have seen how dangerous this can be. They basically do whatever they want and don't have to answer for it.

I believe all Senators should have the same 4 years and 3 terms, also. They just get too comfortable, and they forget how the rest of us in America live. They also get to know too many lobbyists, etc. and get too comfortable taking money from certain people, which can warp their thinking towards how they are voting. As far as the House of Representatives go, I believe they should be in office for four years at a time also with only 3 terms, because the two-year term in my opinion is too short. Their time in office seems to turn into constant campaigning and running for the next term. It's ridiculous and I would say very stressful and unneeded, and it explains why nothing gets done in the US House. Now in saying all this, there are certain people in the House that think should only have one, two-year limit!! I always thought that the president should have more time allowed to be in the White House, but now seeing what Donald Trump plans on doing, and the destruction he already did, I'd say the term limit for president is just fine.

I just feel like there needs to be more accountability for all people in Congress and in the White House. We have seen that certain people have figured out how to get around all the rules and have found every loophole. In my opinion, there needs to be many more regulations for accountability for this group of Americans. Power really can corrupt and there needs to be more checks and balances on their powers.

I really like and respect Nancy Pelosi, Katie Porter, AOC and Jamie Raskin to name a few. Even though Bernie Sanders is a Senator and not a Representative in the House, I think he's great because he really is a champion for the most disadvantaged, elderly, disabled and poor in our country and has always been, and that is what I want to be! And I really respect Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, even though they are Republicans and even though I do not agree with most of their policies and ideologies. I do think they had great courage, for being one of very few Republicans who spoke the truth about the 2020 election and their good work in the January 6th hearings. Bernie Sanders, AOC and Katie Porter are teaching politicians, and that is what I am striving to be. I'm trying to be as knowledgeable as possible and give people the facts to help them really know the truth about what's going on in Washington. I hope to one day, use my own whiteboard in Congress, to explain how Social Security and all the benefits that the Republicans want to end, really work. Most congressmen don't have a clue how any of these programs work, but I do because I've had to use them.

I am considered disabled. Most of my friends are disabled, elderly and/or poor so I have many stories. I hear them every day and see my friends and neighbors struggle everyday just to survive, and I understand this because I have had to go through the same things myself. The fear and anxiety of having to maneuver through all the programs that are available is great. Everyday this group of people worry when they go to the mailbox, hoping not to see a letter that will say that their benefits are being cut or ended. My neighbors struggle just to have enough food on their table and especially healthy food. I just spoke to my neighbor about this very subject just yesterday. This group of Americans need to decide many days, whether to eat or buy their medicine. They also worry about their housing and becoming homeless, and how they will pay their electric bill. And now in just the last month or so they worry that their free Internet will end, because lawmakers like Marsha Blackburn have decided that the few people that are defrauding the program, is the reason why millions of Americans will have to lose this very valuable and essential tool. I just wrote Marsha a letter about this and that is the response that she sent back to me. I have two neighbors one with a Seizure Disorder, Diabetes and MS that needs to do her therapy through her computer. If she loses her Internet, she will not be able to do it anymore. Then my other neighbor who is elderly and poor, has a part time job that she does at home, on the phone using her Internet. If she loses that Internet, she will have to quit her job, that she needs desperately just to be able to survive. I could go on and on. There are so many stories, and these stories and my personal experiences are exactly why I'm running for office. I hope to bring a greater understanding and example to a Congress, that is full of people who have never had to deal with any of these situations and probably never will.

Yes, and this is especially why nothing is getting done in the US House of Representatives led by the Republicans, right now. And every Republican Tennessee representative, including John Rose, refuse to compromise for any reason. When a bill is brought to the floor to be voted on, it is not a one-page document. It is a huge document consisting of possibly thousands of pages. No one can completely agree with every single thing in any document. But yet if one line of that document is not agreed upon, this faction on the right will vote against it. That is why this has been the most unproductive Congress in the history of our country. In the last 10 years, every Congress has passed an average of 391 bills each. But yet this Congress has only passed 42 bills. Even during President Trumans time, when the Congress was known as the "Do Nothing Congress" it passed 511 bills. And now, we have Marjorie Taylor Greene threatening to remove the new speaker of the house again for the second time in less than a year, because she does not agree with everything, he says. What a mess! Can you believe these people get paid for doing this and wasting time and taxpayer money. They do nothing and still get paid. John Rose is one of these embarrassing representatives we have for Tennessee and Tim Burkett is also. He just made this point the other day, when he refused to vote on the last bill, because he did not agree with one little thing in the whole bill. Tennessee please, we can do better. Allow me to represent you and bring some common sense and integrity back to Tennessee. VOTE BLUE!!!!

Well, by now you probably see that I am a warrior for the disadvantaged in our society. So, I would definitely make sure that Social Security, Disability, SNAP, HUD and affordable housing and any other programs like these will be protected and expanded. I will fight against any legislation to balance the budget, that wants to cut or end these programs and refuses to tax the ultra-rich. If the ultra-rich would just pay their fair share of taxes, we would have plenty of money in the budget. But the Republicans continue to give tax breaks to the rich. President Biden tried to get more revenue for the IRS, so they could find these tax cheats. When I am elected to the US House of Representatives and it has turned blue, we will definitely make sure that the IRS is able to do its job fully. I will also use this power of my vote, to get the border secure in a way that is cruelty free and get the resources the country needs to fix the problems on the border, which has been going on for decades. I will also vote to help women get the resources they need, especially when they need to get help for healing from any types of sexual abuse. Can you believe that the Republicans voted against renewing the Violence Against Women's Act? I will make sure that woman's rights are protected and that they get the health care, that they need and deserve. I will also vote to protect democracies around the world and to help the innocents that are caught in the crossfire. There are so many more issues that I will use this power for.

The House of Representatives should use its investigation powers for REAL investigations, not shams and fishing expositions, like the impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden. The Republican led inquiry has wasted so much time and taxpayer money, it is unbelievable. They still cannot find any proof of any wrongdoing but continue their political drama anyway, all under the order of Donald Trump. We as taxpayers should be furious about this, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. The House of Representatives has done so little since they took back the power last year, it is ridiculous, and it would be laughable if it wasn't so sad and frightening. Investigations for people who were participants in the January 6th planning should be done and continue to be done. Unfortunately, people like Jim Jordan and Mike Johnson are in leadership in that party, which is shielding them for right now, from being investigated themselves. BUT I hope to God, that we take back the Presidency, the Senate and the House, so we can finally get every person who was involved, indicted and put in jail. It is not fair that the players on the lowest levels of this conspiracy are in jail, and the people at the middle level and very top level are still walking free. The house should also use its investigative power to investigate congressman who are breaking the law in other ways such as finance, sexual crimes, foreign influence and treasonous behavior.

There are many committees that I would be interested in being a part of. It's really hard to choose because there are quite a few, but this is my top 10 committees that I would be interested in joining: Appropriations, Ethics, Rules, Ways and Means, Intelligence, Joint Economics, Agriculture, Oversight and Accountability, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs. They are all so interesting, but I think my top three would be Oversight and Accountability, Agriculture and Ways and Means. The reason I picked these is because they deal often, with my top concerns for helping the disadvantaged and most vulnerable in America.
All the programs that help the disadvantaged, elderly, disabled and poor, like Social Security, Disability, SNAP and HUD, etc. definitely have problems and they need to be solved. I feel I could bring a very personal experienced viewpoint to the Oversight and Accountability Committee, because they investigate and look at present policies and what needs to be changed. There are so many threats from the Republicans about cutting and gutting these programs, but that is not what needs to be done. Programs just need to be revised and made better.
The Agricultural Committee decides about food and food labeling, which is a very important issue to me, because of my severe allergies to foods. Some of the other things they deal with are SNAP, Forests preserving and maintenance, Farming and Livestock. They also supply boxes of food monthly to many poor in America. The food in these boxes is very unhealthy and non-nutritious. I have been offered these boxes in my life and have had to reject them, even though I was food insecure, because I knew they would make me more ill than I already was. Between this issue and SNAP issues, I have a lot of solutions and ideas how to make these programs better.
The Ways and Means Committee is also very interesting to me, because they find the money to help with programs like Social Security, Healthcare and Human Services.

I think financial transparency and government accountability are very necessary. But in saying that, my question is: at what cost? When I see so much money being wasted and then the other side of the aisle threatening to take programs away from the neediest in our country and refusing to tax the super wealthy to pay their fair share, I will never agree with that! Donald Trump ran up our deficit higher than any other president, but yet that is never mentioned. Once again honesty and integrity come into play. For instance, we just learned that a retiring representative of the state of Alabama and a longtime leader of a committee, has for years finagled extreme amounts of extra money, to his own state. The Biden administration is trying to put a stop to it, because it is downright wrong and dishonest. The faction on the right has decided that every financial issue is a bargaining tool for them. We cannot have this, when the world is in such a mess, and dangerous enemies like Putin are trying to take over the world. Also, we are still coming out of a pandemic and many people are still struggling and will always be struggling. The housing crisis in this country has caused more need than ever for the disadvantaged. More people are homeless than ever before, and to blame this on one president is absolutely ridiculous. Also, playing games with our border security and immigration reform, like the Republicans just did is ridiculous and dangerous. They asked for certain things and then refused it, when it was offered. This is not being transparent or accountable. New rules need to be written for congressmen who consistently wreak havoc in our chambers of Congress. Certain representatives just thrive on causing trouble and really have no desire to get anything done for the American people. This type of accountability and transparency really needs to be stepped up, and in my opinion, random drug testing is very necessary in our US Congress today. It would explain so much.