Federal candidates:

Immigration

'Secure the border” is a laudable goal expressed by a lot of candidates asked about immigration reform. We, too, want secure borders.

But 'Secure the border” also has become a dodge, allowing candidates to avoid more complicated issues, such as how to handle millions of undocumented immigrants already in the country and the demand for workers on farms and in other industries. Beyond fences, guards and high-tech surveillance, what are your ideas for fixing a broken immigration system?

Transportation

Once again, instead of tackling long-term issues with the way it pays for our transportation infrastructure, Congress kicked the can down the potholed road. The House and Senate passed only a stopgap funding bill that funds road projects through May. We expect candidates to have ideas for how transportation funding might change in the future, including whether the federal government or the states would take the lead on how highway dollars can be spent.

Veterans

Congress did manage to respond to a series of disturbing revelations regarding long wait times for veterans seeking health care by approving $16.3 billion in new funding to hire doctors and nurses at hundreds of facilities. That's good news, but what else can be done to ensure that veterans' health system has the resources it needs and the sort of oversight that can detect problems?

Energy

Most Iowa candidates for federal office have criticized a proposal floated by the Environmental Protect Commission to slice its Renewable Fuel Standard, or the amount of ethanol and other renewables the government mandates refiners to blend with motor fuels. We understand the need to defend an important home state industry, but with pressure mounting against the mandate, it's time to consider new strategies. How long can ethanol, wind and other alternative energy sources rely on government interventions?

Foreign Policy

With hot spots flaring around the globe, we'd like to hear candidates explain how they view the United States' role addressing international crises. Do we rattle sabers or work to build international coalitions? At what point do we abandon diplomacy and sanctions and use military force? Should the nation pull back from international commitments or become even more active? The invasion of Iraq has become a cautionary example of the limits of U.S. power. What lessons should the country learn from that war?

Health Care

Millions of Americans are now signed up for health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. But the law has multiple flaws that could cause significant problems down the road. What can Congress do to fix those problems? And for candidates who insist that full repeal is the only solution, what happens to those who now have insurance through the program? Be prepared to provide actual evidence that tort reform and selling insurance across state lines, the two main proposals floated most often by ACA critics, would lead to more access to insurance and lower costs.

Minimum wage

Behind the predictable partisan debate over whether to raise the nation's minimum wage is the much bigger issue of wage stagnation across the economy. We're eager to hear candidates' ideas for addressing that issue, whether it be through changes in the tax code or the social safety net. We'll be listening for solutions that are not well-worn, predictable or blatantly partisan.

Governing philosophy

It's fairly simple. Are you going to Washington, D.C., to be part of the solution or part of the problem? Are you carrying with you fresh hope for breaking endless gridlock and tackling important problems, or is your baggage filled with rigid ideological barriers you plan to throw up in an effort to please only your slice of the political spectrum? Will you be looking for partners across the aisle to cooperate with, or combatants with which to do battle? Washington has enough people spitting venom into microphones. We're looking for candidates who want to forge the compromises needed to govern a large, diverse nation, and we want to hear how they plan to get that done.