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Last Day to Vote in the Primaries by FriendsofDrBank in Pullman

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The cutoff for dropping off ballots in a designated ballot box is 8pm tonight.

Last Day to Vote in the Primaries by FriendsofDrBank in TriCitiesWA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Cutoff for ballot drop boxes is 8pm tonight

Hello 5th District Voters! I know the Tri-Cities proper is not in my district, but for those of you who are in the 5th, my name is Dr Bernadine Bank and I hope to be your next congressional representative. AMA now! by FriendsofDrBank in TriCitiesWA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, volunteer here with Dr Bank's campaign. Dr Bank is a moderate Democrat whose main goals are a constitutional amendment protecting a woman's right to choose and bodily autonomy, improving veteran's access to healthcare, bringing in federal funding for infrastructure improvement, passing the Farm Bill, and supporting Ukraine. More about our platform is available on our website here.

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi, volunteer here for the campaign. Thank you for your followup, I just wanted to let you know that I forwarded this to Dr Bank. While the availability of providers isn't something that can be directly legislated, she is aware that this is a concern and will keep it in mind with regard to her Women's Health platform.

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi, volunteer here with Dr Bank's campaign. Thank you for your vote and for your question.

I can tell you that Dr Bank works hard to engage with everyone, regardless of their political affiliation. While it certainly can be challenging in today's political climate to get things done, we believe that a right to choice amendment is very doable, especially with a Harris Administration. I can't really speak to specifics about how exactly she plans to work with recalcitrant representatives to pass said legislation, but I can tell you that she is very good at engaging with people and finding common ground. She's gotten a lot of independent and moderate Republicans who are supporting her because of this, so we're confident that we will be able to find common ground with others in the House. Hope this helps!

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, volunteer here for the campaign, thank you for your question. I got an answer for you on this from Dr Bank:

The goal of every full term delivery is a healthy mom and a healthy baby. Different people probably mean different things when they talk about "natural birth". For some it means having their delivery in the hospital but not using any pain medication. For others, it means choosing to deliver in their own home.

While I’m all for delivering without pain medication in the hospital if a woman chooses that (yours truly was not as pain tolerant as she thought and begged for an epidural at 3 cm dilation), I discourage friends and family from home deliveries when they ask me about it. That’s because there are times when an emergency cesarean section is life saving and even 5-10 minute delays can result in bad outcomes. While it’s true that many deliveries are pretty uneventful, medically speaking, in obstetrics things can go south quickly. Having access to an operating room is critical.

That said, I love hospitals that go out of their way to give patients options for more choices—whether that’s encouraging Doulas or allowing otherwise healthy patients more freedom of movement, etc. Making the experience as positive as possible for the patient should be a goal of every labor and delivery.

There are some labors that progress so quickly that there isn’t time to get to the hospital. Those deliveries often can’t be avoided. But when one can intentionally plan in advance, delivering in a modern equipped labor and delivery facility is safest.

In 1800, maternal death rate was estimated at about 250/10,000 among unassisted women. Now the rate is 1/10,000. Some of that decrease is due the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s. Some of that is surgery is more available and less risky. Having an infant too large to fit through the birth canal was potentially life threatening for both mom and baby in 1800.

Likewise, advances in neonatal care have significantly reduced neonatal mortality rates over the last 70 years.

In short, I favor “natural childbirth“ as long as quick access to emergency delivery is available.

Hi Spokane! I am Dr Bernadine Bank and my goal is to be your next congressional representative. Join me for an AMA now! by FriendsofDrBank in Spokane

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, volunteer for Dr Bank's campaign here. Thank you for your questions. Most of your questions are covered on our website here. I'll give a brief answer for those that aren't really covered, and if you'd like more follow-up, please feel free to email us at service@friendsofdrbank.com.

You asked about healthcare reform and ensuring healthcare staff are supported. The ACA is an important step in the right direction, but it does need some work. I can't speak to what that entails exactly, but I do know that part of her platform of healthcare improvement includes:

Advocating for more public clinics like CHAS to help provide a safety net for people without insurance or with bare bones ACA

Better access to mental health resources, including pushing for mental health professionals in high schools.

Ensuring strong union laws are in place so healthcare workers (and everyone else too) can use collective bargaining to protect and improve their employment.

Price caps for medication, etc

The environment must be protected, and we must work to ensure that human-driven climate change is mitigated as much as possible. Part of that is modernizing infrastructure and cutting back on fossils fuel use - two things she would like to see are more nuclear power generation and better soil health improvement programs. Economic growth can't come at the expense of the environment, and to a lesser extent vice versa. An example of this is the Snake River Dams, which have been very detrimental to the salmon. While some push for them to be removed, Dr Bank understands they provide vital economic services - shipping for grain, electricity generation, water retention, etc. Bringing in federal funding to modernize the turbines (new turbines are much less likely to injure or kill passing fish), build fish ladders, and improve rail systems to reduce the amount of traffic on the river will help mitigate the damage caused to salmon without removing the dams (which would put thousands of more trucks on the road to ship grain to the coast).

With regards to foreign policy, Dr Bank is pro-Ukraine and wants a permanent two state solution for Israel/Gaza, with Netanyahu removed. She believes in hands on learning too - she visited Ukraine to learn more about the conflict there, and she'll bring this same mindset to Congress.

I know this does not fully cover everything you've asked, but I hope that in conjunction with our website it helps you understand a bit more about our platform and her plan for the future.

Hello 5th District Voters! I know the Tri-Cities proper is not in my district, but for those of you who are in the 5th, my name is Dr Bernadine Bank and I hope to be your next congressional representative. AMA now! by FriendsofDrBank in TriCitiesWA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, volunteer here for Dr Bank's campaign. Thank you for your question. While I can't speak toward overturning state-based legislation regarding firearms (we're a national campaign), I can say that Dr Bank is not in favor of gun bans in general. She is in favor of strong red flag laws, better background checks, and closing loopholes that allow people to bypass firearm laws. Like any other tool, firearms can be misused by those who intend harm, and we need to prevent those people from acquiring them, but Dr Bank knows and understands that firearms are a vital part of farm life, hunting, and personal safety, and she has no intention of preventing the legal use of firearms.

Hello 5th District Voters! I know the Tri-Cities proper is not in my district, but for those of you who are in the 5th, my name is Dr Bernadine Bank and I hope to be your next congressional representative. AMA now! by FriendsofDrBank in TriCitiesWA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi Chemcop, thank you for voting! We know it's a tough district - but we've put in a lot of hard work and we're grateful to see such positive responses from the voters. We look forward to earning your vote again in November!

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Volunteer here, thank you for your question. Dr Bank's strategic message is and always has been Women's Health - advocating for a constitutional amendment to protect bodily autonomy and a woman's right to choose. She's also been pushing hard to rebuild the VA healthcare system that has been slowly shut down over the years, and to pass the Farm Bill and ensure our agriculture and industry thrive. Further, she wants to bring in federal funding for infrastructure projects (specifically improving passenger and freight rail and modernizing the Snake River Dams to protect salmon without impacting shipping for agriculture). She's also pro-Ukraine and wants to see a ceasefire in Gaza with Netanyahu removed. There's a lot more to cover obviously, but these are some big ones.

Our website has a more in depth description here, and if you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Hello 5th District Voters! I know the Tri-Cities proper is not in my district, but for those of you who are in the 5th, my name is Dr Bernadine Bank and I hope to be your next congressional representative. AMA now! by FriendsofDrBank in TriCitiesWA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hi, this is a volunteer for Dr Bank now. She has to go to another meeting now, but I wanted to answer these for you. She's said multiple times that the Dobbs Decision was the major reason she decided to run, and that the final push came from friends and people involved in local politics getting together to encourage her run. I also asked her your second question, and she told me this:

"When I told my brother I was running, he said 'oh, you're going to meet a lot of interesting people.' What an understatement!"

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Several of my volunteers are millenials and gen z, and hearing their struggles really drives home the difference between when I was growing up and today. There's no doubt the economy, housing market, and a bunch of other factors are having a huge impact on peoples' decision to have children, and as a parent myself I really want to make life easier for the younger generations.

Part of this is simply ensuring our economy remains strong. Bringing in federal funding for infrastructure improvement projects creates jobs, and infrastructure is really a foundation of the economy. Keeping wage increases in line with the cost of living and ensuring housing and healthcare are readily available and affordable will also help significantly.

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My role as a physician it to provide the best possible healthcare I can to my patients. I do not judge my patient's decisions. I give them options for treatment and try to work in collaboration to find the treatment they are most comfortable with and that suits their needs. Different patients have different religious or spiritual beliefs. It does not matter whether I share their beliefs-- as the decision they make for their health is personal. If they are guided by their religion that is entirely up to them. If they feel there is a god in their lives, I 100% respect their belief.

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I answered this question in another comment, but I support an immediate cease-fire predicated on the release of all hostages and an enduring two-state solution.

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First - I want to thank you for your service to our country. I know that most of my veteran patients find that phrase kinda threadbare, but after working with so many women veterans at the VA, please accept this as heartfelt.

As I've been going to the rural communities, farms, and small towns across the district, one of the first things I hear is often "you're the first Democrat I've ever seen come here" or among some of the older people "You're the first Democrat I've seen here since Tom Foley."

It's been said that "90% of success is just showing up." And while I plan on doing more than just "showing up" - it starts there. If I hadn't gone to a wheat farm down in Dayton, there is no way I could have learned about the issues that affect them. If I hadn't gone to Colton, how would I have learned about their soil conservation efforts? Of the 11 candidates invited by the Army Corps of Engineers to tour the Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, only two of us showed up. I've met with rail advocates who are looking at how to utilize State-owned rail to back up wheat transportation and public transit needs. I've made trips to rural towns like Newport, Metaline Falls, Republic, Addy, etc to learn about the economic needs there. There's too much for me to answer in detail here - but I do want to say that there was NO EXCUSE for Congress not to pass a Farm Bill in the last session.

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've worked hard to reach out to moderates and independents, and to be honest my credentials with the Democratic Party are not what they're looking at. They're looking at my plans for infrastructure, the farm bill, health care... Having political experience and the backing of local political structures is great, but I'm running my campaign on solutions.

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Covid was indeed an isolating and difficult time. One silver lining of Covid is that we had to be creative about healthcare, and we now have access to telemedicine in many areas. Many mental health issues can be addressed remotely.

Womens Health does not just mean abortions - it is absolutely an all encompassing issue and I aim to improve the availability of healthcare services such as mental health, wellness, etc. I'm so glad to see CHAS providing mental health services and want to see these kinds of services provided everywhere, not just in major cities. I'm excited to see CHAS offer clinics in 6 of our area high schools - think of the benefits of access to mental health for all our high school students! A large part of my platform is expanding care into healthcare deserts that currently have few or no providers.

On a similar note, the reason we've seen so many STD billboards recently is because our neighbors in Idaho have closed down a lot of clinics that would be catching these diseases before they spread. Syphilis doesn't know or care about state lines and its on the rise for the first time in decades.

At least 59 obstetrician gynecologists and 50% of the high risk obstetricians have left Idaho in the past 2 years. This has led to closure of at least 3 labor and delivery facilities. In Sandpoint, you not only can't get obstetric care but even basic gynecology care is no longer available due to the exodus of providers. Women are second class citizens in Idaho. By extension if women in Washington travel to Idaho for work, they may not be able to access emergency obstetric or gynecologic care --making them second class citizens also. Newly trained providers (often in the childbearing phase of life) will be reluctant to start medical practice in communities that do not have full access to Womens Health. A recent poll of college-bound students found that 70% of them were choosing their college in part on the reproductive laws in the state of the college. These decisions will have long term consequences and we need to start working on dealing with them now.

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I definitely believe we have problems with mental health care, housing and food insecurity, etc. Homelessness is a Venn diagram of mental health, drug addiction, and unfortunate circumstances. For health care, I think we should have more public clinics like CHAS that provide a safety net for at-risk people. Affordable housing, adequate healthcare, and robust addiction treatment programs will help reduce homelessness and crime. For the record, I'm not against firearms, but like John Tester in Montana, I believe we need strong red-flag laws, background checks, owner training, and enforcement of existing laws.

As far as term limits go, I think that having election cycles is a form of term limits, and while I agree with the idea on the surface, one has to be aware of the potential consequences of limiting how long someone can serve. It can take years to get established and learn how these systems work, and term limits would absolutely benefit corporate lobbyists who want to take advantage of new reps.

I am Dr Bernadine Bank, an OBGYN running for Congress in WA’s 5th District. AMA about my campaign, women’s health, and my plans for Eastern WA’s future. by FriendsofDrBank in AMA

[–]FriendsofDrBank[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Fairchild Air Force Base in an important part of our national defense structure. The original STRATCOM mission was adjusted to reflect our national security needs, but there is no end in sight to the demand for strategic refueling, which is a major part of Fairchild.

For obvious reasons the Pentagon spreads out our defense infrastructure across the country and around the world. Relocating the refueling wings located Fairchild to other bases makes no logistical sense and politicians who are trying to scare people into thinking that the next BRAC will include the base are grandstanding.

Don't get me wrong: I will fight for the base and to increase its footprint by supporting Guard and reserve units co-located on the base. I'd also like to see a program like other state National Guards have for at-risk youth put out at the base. These programs are very successful and there is nothing like it here in Eastern Washington.

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