U.S. House District 2: Jim McGovern on the issues

Banking & Finance

Congressman McGovern supports holding Wall Street accountable for the mess it created. He believes we need strong, efficient oversight of risky financial products and effective protections for consumers. Jim voted to crack down on credit card companies and predatory lenders, and he supports requiring the big banks to repay 100% of the taxpayer money they received. Congressman McGovern also believes that we should eliminate tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas.

Civil Rights & Liberties

Congressman McGovern believes that the protection of our civil rights and liberties is of the utmost importance, and should never take a back seat to other interests. Our Constitution guarantees equality of treatment to all American citizens, even when it is unpopular with a majority of the people. Jim believes that fundamental constitutional rights should not be subject to public referendum or the ballot.

Defense (Afghanistan & Iraq)

Congressman McGovern opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, and quickly established himself as a leading voice in opposition to the Bush Administration’s policy.

Congressman McGovern voted to authorize the use of force in Afghanistan in order to go after Al Qaeda and their allies. Over the course of the war, he has become increasingly concerned about the direction of U.S. policy in Afghanistan. In addition to the loss of our brave soldiers, the United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars in Afghanistan. Jim has deep reservations about our “nation-building” strategy in Afghanistan, and believes that given the state of the economy, we should be doing more nation-building here at home.

While he opposes the current policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, Congressman McGovern will continue to fight to ensure that our men and women in uniform have the equipment and training they need. Nothing is more important than ensuring that our military personnel have the resources they need to succeed, both on and off the field of battle.

Economy & Jobs

Jim McGovern’s top priority in Congress remains spurring economic development and job creation in the Third District, with a strong focus on helping small businesses grow and succeed. The Congressman has helped dozens of innovative small businesses thrive in our area, including companies that produce high-tech prosthetics for returning soldiers, solar panels, high-energy lasers, fuel cells, medical devices, and other essential technologies.

Jim has voted to provide tax relief and incentives to small businesses, and will continue to push for additional tax relief and to reduce red tape. Jim advocates reforming our outdated tax code so that it is fairer to middle class families and helps our small businesses and entrepreneurs compete.

Congressman McGovern also recognizes how important improving our local infrastructure is to our economic development. He has secured millions of dollars for road and bridge projects, wastewater system improvements, and commuter rail service in the Third District.

Education

As the brother of two Worcester Public School teachers, Jim McGovern knows that a quality education is essential to preparing our students for the 21st Century economy. He voted to end the wasteful subsidies to banks in the student loan program, making more funds available for families. He has worked to increase funding for the Pell Grant program, so that more middle class families can afford to send their kids to college. He supports investments in early childhood development, providing funds for school construction and modernization, and is working to strengthen the school lunch program. The congressman has also fought to improve classrooms by adding high-speed internet access and other cutting-edge technology.

Energy & Environment

Congressman McGovern believes that our future economic security and environmental sustainability depend on reducing our dependence on foreign oil, improving energy efficiency, and creating new, green jobs here at home. The Third District is home to companies developing many of the most promising technologies in renewable energy. The congressman will continue to support these businesses to grow and create new jobs.

Congressman McGovern has also been a champion in the effort to protect our environment. He believes it is vital to protect our air, water, and natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations of Americans. Jim spearheaded the effort to provide funding to states and local communities to preserve open space in urban and suburban communities.

The congressman strongly believes that BP - not the American taxpayer - is responsible for the long-term clean up of the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Federal Budget

Congressman McGovern knows how important it is for the United States to get its fiscal house in order. He believes that we must not burden future generations of Americans with unmanageable debt. Under the Bush Administration, the federal debt nearly doubled with two wars, massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, and a Medicare prescription drug benefit - none of it paid for.

The congressman is a strong supporter of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. He believes that everything should be on the table as we tackle this urgent problem: domestic spending, tax policy, defense spending, and entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. Congressman McGovern voted to restore “pay-as-you-go” in federal spending, and he supports stronger measures to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse among government programs and by private contractors.

Foreign Policy

Congressman McGovern believes that the United States must have a robust and proactive approach to foreign policy. He believes that it is essential to reach out not only to our allies, but also to those nations with which we have strained relations. Jim knows that communication is the key to furthering global cooperation and understanding, and that to overcome global challenges and divisions, we must work together.

Health Care

Congressman McGovern has been a strong proponent of increasing access to affordable health care for our families and small businesses. Jim voted to prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions or raising their premiums when someone gets sick. He supported improving Medicare benefits by closing the “donut hole” in the prescription drug benefit; allowing young people to stay on their parents’ insurance until the age of 26; and extending coverage to the uninsured. Congressman McGovern will continue to work hard to make health care more affordable for all by cutting costs for small businesses and investing in new technologies.

Jim McGovern has helped spur investments in cutting-edge medical technologies in the Third District, including genetic disease research at UMass Memorial, “untethered” health care at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, battlefield chemical detections devices for our soldiers, and state-of-the-art prosthetics for wounded veterans.

Homeland Security

Congressman McGovern understands that the primary responsibility of our federal government is to keep the American people safe from those forces who would seek our nation harm. He believes it is essential that the agencies and people involved in this important work have the necessary resources available to them, but also that they use those resources in the most efficient and effective way possible, and that their conduct be held to the highest of standards.

Congressman McGovern has always been firmly committed to the protection and integrity of the U.S. Constitution, and that the fundamental rights and liberties contained within must never be sacrificed for the sake of temporary security.

Hunger

Congressman McGovern believes very strongly that hunger and poverty, both here at home and abroad, are serious political issues that threaten the future of global stability and prosperity, and that we have a moral imperative to confront these concerns and work cooperatively towards a solution.

As the co-chair of both the Congressional Hunger Center and the Hunger Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, Jim McGovern has long been involved in the fight to end hunger. He is actively involved in the reauthorization of the U.S. child nutrition bill; he has worked closely on the development and implementation of the ‘Roadmap to End Global Hunger’; he was central in the creation of the Worcester Advisory Food Policy Council, which works to reduce hunger and increase food security in Worcester; and he has been instrumental in obtaining funding for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (named for former Senators George McGovern and Bob Dole), which helps support education, child development, and food security for some of the world’s poorest children.

Jim has long said that hunger is a political condition, and though we have the resources to end it, what we really need is the political will to make it happen.

Immigration

Congressman McGovern recognizes the frustration many of his constituents have with our immigration policy and system, both citizens and immigrants alike. It’s a serious problem, and it requires a serious solution. The congressman supports immigration reform with four key components: First, we must improve the effectiveness of our border security to prevent people from crossing the border illegally. Second, we must crack down on employers who recruit, hire and exploit illegal workers. Third, we must develop a common-sense approach to people who are already here illegally, to bring them out of the shadows and onto a path to citizenship. And fourth, we must have an effective and efficient system in place to process, in a timely manner, the large volume of requests to legally visit or immigrate to the United States.

Local Issues

The wellbeing and success of the communities of the Third District have always been Congressman McGovern's first priority during his time in Congress. Over the past 13 years, he has consistently delivered millions of dollars for vital local and regional projects, small businesses, public safety, regional and mass transportation projects, and affordable housing around the district.

Seniors & Social Security

Congressman McGovern is a passionate advocate for seniors. He opposed President Bush’s plan to gamble Social Security in the stock market, and he led the fight to protect Medicare funding for home health care services so seniors can stay in their homes. He also voted to close the “donut hole” in the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Going forward, the congressman is committed to ensuring that both Social Security and Medicare remain solvent and responsive to the needs of seniors.

Veterans

Congressman McGovern knows that we have an obligation to care and honor our veterans and their families. Jim authored legislation (“Hope at Home”) to provide tax incentives to employers that continue to pay the salaries of their National Guard and Reserve employees who are called to active duty. Jim supported the Post-9/11 GI-Bill to restore the promise of a full, four-year college education for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Jim also continues to be a strong supporter of Tri-Care and other vital services for our veterans. In addition, Congressman McGovern secured funding for Liberating Technologies, a Metrowest company that manufactures state-of-the-art prosthetics for wounded soldiers.

Information provided by Congressman Jim McGovern's website. For more information click here.