November 18, 2016

A Note about the Last Week

Last week’s election left me stunned and disappointed and I know many of you feel the same way because you’re sharing your concerns with me and my staff. Based on the many promises President-elect Trump made, to say I am wary and concerned about his potential policies is an understatement. I will work with the new Administration when I believe we can find common ground because I am always optimistic and hopeful and it is my obligation as a legislator. Perhaps that will happen with the $1 trillion infrastructure package he will propose. I am curious how it will be received and funded since Republicans for years have resisted robust infrastructure spending, including in 2011 when they rejected a $447 billion package citing cost. Maybe when a Republican President proposes it the reception will be different. Time will tell.

However, I fully expect there will be many more areas of disagreement than agreement over the next four years. I think it is my obligation and duty to the people of the 7th Congressional District to advocate as strongly as I can for the policies and initiatives important to us. Whenever I feel that the Administration is not acting in the best interests of my constituents, you have my commitment that I will do everything I can to make sure your voices are heard.

We have been contacted by hundreds of constituents since November 8th. Some posted online, some called and some waited for the office to open in the morning to share their opinion in person. Parents have stopped by to show their children what a Congressional office looks like. We’ve heard from parents who told us their teenage children did the math after November 8th and announced they can vote in 2020. It means so much to me and my staff that you are taking the time to reach out. Please know that every visit, phone call and message is appreciated.

So many of you have told us you want to do more to make sure your voice is not lost in the new Administration. I applaud you for your activism and commitment. Here’s something you can do. Get involved in your community at the local level. Volunteer at an organization, focus on an issue you care about, and support an initiative you think is making a difference. When you are concerned about something, speak out. Don’t just dash off an email and move on to the next item on your to-do list. And of course, vote in every election you can. Engage your neighbors, co-workers, friends and family in discussing issues of importance; don’t sit silently and leave it to pundits and biased media.

My first elective office was ward alderman in Somerville. I got involved because I was unhappy with the condition of our local parks. My wife Barbara and I took our two young boys to other cities on weekends because our parks had broken swings and broken glass. One day I got angry and decided to do something about it. You don’t need to run for office to make a difference but anyone can organize a park clean-up, petition your state or local government, and speak out when you care about something. There are so many ways to make an impact.

One of the first decisions that President-elect Trump made was naming Steve Bannon a special advisor. As I noted in my statement about this, Donald Trump did not hide his views during the campaign so it should surprise no one that he chose Bannon for such a prominent position. Bannon has a long history of expressing racist, anti-Semitic and misogynist views. Our President-elect said he wanted to bring people together. Well, he’s not off to a very good start with this appointment. I’ve joined 169 of my House colleagues and voices all over the country, calling on him to rescind the appointment. We will continue speaking out and I hope you will too. This one issue has really mobilized folks in our district, judging from the many phone calls we’ve received about it. In fact, it has generated by far the most feedback among the hundreds of calls we’ve received this week. That is happening throughout Massachusetts and in other parts of the country.

Although Presidents have the power to appoint their own personnel who are not subject to Congressional confirmation, that is not the case with Supreme Court nominees and Cabinet appointments. These confirmations are the responsibility of the Senate and although as a House member I do not get a vote on them, I do have a voice. When I think the President-elect has nominated someone who I believe is not qualified, I will speak up to support my colleagues in the Senate.

We are all at the beginning of a very long road where we will no doubt encounter twists and turns. I will be your partner and your voice on the journey.

I’d like to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you have an opportunity to spend some time with family and friends over the next week. As we gather, let’s also take a moment during these uncertain times to give thanks for living in our great country and to pray for the continued success and freedoms we enjoy in America.

Iran

This week the House considered H.R. 5711, the No U.S. Financing for Iran Act. This legislation represents one more attempt to undermine the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran Deal. It prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from fulfilling commitments made as part of the JCPOA involving approval of financial services transactions necessary for the sale of commercial aircraft to Iran. In June, Boeing announced it would sell 80 commercial planes to Iran. In September the Treasury Department authorized the aircraft sale, including allowing financial institutions to finalize it. H.R. 5711 essentially blocks this sale, going against the policy set forth in the JCPOA. The Administration has stated that H.R. 5711 will be vetoed. I voted NO. H.R. 5711 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

Regulations

Yesterday the House considered H.R. 5982, the Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2016. This legislation amends the Congressional Review Act (CRA) of 1996, giving the next Congress the authority to overturn all regulations enacted during the last 60 legislative days of the current Congress. This legislation effectively allows the next Congress to invalidate every rule or regulation submitted during the final days of President Obama’s tenure. Under current law, each regulation must be considered separately. H.R. 5982 gives the next Congress the power to overturn many regulations at once. Once a regulation has been nullified, it cannot be reinstated unless there is Congressional action. This would impact a whole host of rules, including ones related to health and safety. I voted NO. H.R. 5982 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

What’s Up Next

A District Work period is scheduled. The next House votes will take place on Tuesday November 29th.

On a Happy Note

Congratulations to Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello for winning the Cy Young award this week. We may not have made it to the World Series this year, but it was a great season and Red Sox Nation applauds you.