MA Delegation Digest 3/23/17

Sen. Elizabeth Warren

• Rick Green, a businessman considering running against Warren, has bowed out. John Kingston and state Rep. Geoff Diehl are still considering a run.
• Sen. Warren used the nomination of Jay Clayton, who represented the banks during the bailout, to highlight how cozy the Trump administration is with Wall Street – despite their rhetoric to the contrary.
• Reports were released indicating that Senator Warren officially has the largest war chest of any Democrat facing reelection next year, and all but Sen. Corker (R-TN) on the GOP side.
• With the opioid epidemic on the rise, Senator Warren pointed out that sex traffic rings are preying upon addicts.
• Warren held a town hall meeting in Worcester, highlighting the need for people to get more involved in politics, calling for “a small ‘d’ democratic moment in America.”

Sen. Ed Markey

• Senator Markey, along with Representatives Moulton and Lynch vowed to protest the Boston St. Patrick’s Day if  OUTVETS were excluded from the parade.
• Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s decision to travel to Asia without any reporters is troubling to Senator Markey. Markey says that the decision sends a serious message to other countries about the freedom of our media.
• Alongside 7 other Senators, Markey introduced legislation in order to limit spending on nuclear weapons, as a response to President Trump’s comments regarding a potential arms race with Russia.
• Concerned with the Massachusetts economy, Senator Markey criticizes Trump’s budget which cuts 18% of funding for National Institutes of Health, translating to a potential $435 million loss for the state.

Rep. Richard Neal

• After almost 45 years of being closed, Rep. Richard Neal is touting the restored Springfield’s historic Union Station, and Neal hopes it will aid the local economy.
• Representative Neal spoke at an Elms College town hall to discuss all of the positive attributes of the Affordable Care Act. Later on in the week, in response to the proposed cuts to ACA, Neal spoke out saying that this policy has an identity crisis, caught somewhere between health care reform and tax cuts.
• With growing concerns about the future of Europe, Representative Neal urges President Trump to place an envoy in Northern Ireland to promote European security and stability.
• As a ranking member on the House Ways and Means committee, Representative Neal vocalizes his opposition to President Trump’s budget proposal which would negatively impact art programs in Western Massachusetts (and everywhere).

Rep. Jim McGovern

• On March 25, DNC deputy Keith Ellison will appear at University of Massachusetts Amherst with Representative McGovern to discuss an age of progressiveness in an era of Trump.
• Fighting against corporate abuses, Representative McGovern introduces the People’s Rights Amendment designed to underscore Citizens United. McGovern argues that corporations should no longer be able to exercise first amendment rights, because they are not people, and they should not have the right to directly influence elections through unlawful funding.
• McGovern says that the only reason that Trump is stuck on Obama wiretapping claims is to distract the people from his relationship with Russia.
• A champion for the Meals on Wheels program, Representative McGovern highlighted issues with Trumps budget cuts and the impacts it will have on Massachusetts senior citizens.

Rep. Niki Tsongas

• With her focus on environmental protection and regulation, Representative Tsongas received a perfect score from the League of Conservation Voters. Representative Tsongas also spoke out against Alaskan laws condoning the cruel and disruptive practices of hunting animals like bear cubs, and wolf pups on wildlife refugee’s.
• As the ranking Democrat in the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee, Tsongas spoke out against misuse of funding, pointing out that the budget for air forces is 3 times as much as it is for land.
• Representative Tsongas adds that the proposed increase in military spending at the expense of other programs comes at the expense of our national identity.

Rep. Joseph Kennedy

• Rep. Kennedy had a popular quote in response to the health care bill, dubbing it “an act of malice,” while quoting the Bible.
• Rep. Kennedy went to MSNBC to say: “You cannot deny that this law has done some very good things to some people in need and that at its heart is supposed to be what healthcare is all about. It’s about how we treat each other in a time of need.”
• Trump’s budget cuts highlight inequalities across the country says Representative Kennedy.

Rep. Katherine Clark

• As she did at President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress, Representative Clark stood in solidarity with women everywhere by staging a walkout on international women’s day.
• Representative Clark voices concerns about the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, stating that it will hurt women and the elderly the most, all whilst making the rich richer.

Rep. Seth Moulton

• Rep. Seth Moulton urged that the United States create a plan to address the recent nuclear policy change with Russia.
• In response to MBTA service cuts, Representative Moulton took aim at Governor Baker saying that the governor is balancing the books at the expense of the elderly and poor.
• Concerned with our national security, Representative Moulton spoke out against Trump’s proposed budget cuts to the Coast Guard that would be reallocated to building a border wall.
• Rep. Moulton co-sponsored bills by Rep. Delaney that would expand offshore tax loopholes, and in some cases, cause taxpayers to pay companies in exchange for limited infrastructure spending.

Rep. Michael Capuano

• At a Somerville town hall this past week Michael Capuano urged Democrats to “listen and compromise”. Representative Capuano’s discussion primarily focused on the immigration and travel ban, where Capuano noted we as American’s should be past segregationism.
• Although supportive of MBTA expansion, Representative Capuano argues that increases in the infrastructure budget should not come at the cost of school lunches, saying he is open to creating new taxes.
• Representative Capuano calls on the Department of Justice and the Federal Transit Administration to look into practices which Keolis transportation had made regarding moving trains which serve low-income families, and using them on more affluent suburban lines. Representative Capuano argues that if Keolis has practiced these tactics, it constitutes as a severe racial and economic injustice.
• Representative Capuano spoke out proposed budget cuts to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Rep. Stephen Lynch

• Representative Lynch is credited with being a lead voice in helping get OUTVETS reinstated into the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
• In a radio report this past week, Representative Stephen Lynch said that President Trump is treated unfairly by the media.

Rep. William Keating

• The Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2017 has passed the floor. It includes a move backed by Representative Keating, to increase funding for Lupus research.
• Keating aims to establish an independent committee to investigate into the President and those who surround the President’s relationship with Russia.
• Rep. Keating points to ways in which the White House budget might impact the fishing industry, and calls it economically harmful and shortsighted.