Amanda Bell
Substitute teacher
Democrat
Town of Wyocena
Elected Experience
None
Q&A with the Candidate
Why should voters send you to congress?
For 24 years, I served the American people as a federal scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey. I managed a three-state office, oversaw 125 employees, and stewarded a $33 million budget, all in service of evidence-based science that protects our water, our land and our communities. Science doesn’t have a political agenda. Neither do I. I understand how federal agencies work, how policy gets made, and how to fight for the resources our district needs. Wisconsin’s 6th district deserves a representative with real public service experience, real scientific credentials, and real accountability to the people, not to corporate donors.
What is the top issue in your district? How would you address it?
The number one issue I hear across WI-6 is the cost of living. Gas, groceries, health care, housing, families are working harder than ever and still falling behind. This is the result of policies that protect corporate profits over working people. I’ll fight to lower prescription drug costs, expand affordable health care coverage, raise the federal minimum wage, and crack down on the price gouging by corporations that use inflation as cover to pad their margins. I spent 24 years managing federal resources and delivering results on a budget. I know how to cut waste, prioritize spending, and get things done. That’s the experience Wisconsin families deserve in Congress right now.
What expertise would you bring into congress? How would it help your district?
I bring a unique perspective to Congress after more than 24 years as a federal scientist focused on water quality, environmental research, and conservation. I know how to take complex problems and turn them into real solutions for real people. As deputy director of a three-state U.S. Geological Survey office, I managed a $33 million budget and led 230 employees across 13 facilities. I’ve worked alongside federal agencies at every level of government. WI-6 has real water and environmental challenges. I don’t need to be brought up to speed. I’ve spent my entire career working on problems just like them, and I’m ready to get to work on day one.
Should Congress exert more oversight over the president? Why or why not?
Absolutely. Our constitution designed our government to be a three-branch system with checks and balances. Right now, our judicial and legislative branches are not holding the executive branch accountable.
What is your favorite fun Wisconsin history fact?
Wisconsin has produced more conservation giants than just about any state in the nation. John Muir grew up on a farm near Portage. Aldo Leopold wrote “A Sand County Almanac” right here in Wisconsin. Gaylord Nelson, a Wisconsin governor and U.S. senator, founded Earth Day. And the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame, based in Stevens Point, has inducted over 80 Wisconsinites who shaped how this country thinks about land, water, and wildlife. Conservation is Wisconsin’s DNA, and I’m proud to carry that tradition into Congress.