Shea-Porter says summer recess is hardly a vacation
by Charles McMahon
(Fosters, Sept. 6, 2008)
Editor's note: This is one in a series of editorial board meetings Foster's is holding with candidates in major races.
DOVER
— Despite talk of Congress taking a vacation while Americans found
themselves in the middle of one crisis after another during the month
of August, U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter said she hadn't even touched a
toe to the water this summer and hasn't even had time to buy a new
bathing suit.
In fact, the First District U.S. congresswoman
said she's been working overtime over the past month and is worried
about the high level of cynicism surrounding the notion that not enough
work goes on in Washington.
"The work does go on," said Shea-Porter during a meeting with Foster's editorial board on Wednesday.
While
the first-term congresswoman admits she's still a relative newcomer to
Congress, she also admits a lot has changed over the past two years and
hopes to be re-elected in order to become an advocate for the middle
class.
"I come from the middle class and I support the middle class," said Shea-Porter.
But
defining the idea of "middle class" is not an easy thing to do, she
added. With the high cost of health care and the surge in energy prices
over the past few years, Shea-Porter said people are attempting to
relearn how to live comfortably while maintaining all of life's
essential needs.
Shea-Porter recalls having the ability to pay
for her own college tuition when she was a student at the University of
New Hampshire and now considers the cost of living to be so incredible
that students have to depend upon loans and borrowing money in order to
pay for their education.
"Something is very different," she said.
Everything
from food prices, housing costs, insurance and health care are
beginning to squeeze families, said Shea-Porter, which is ultimately
contributing to the national debt.
Taxes for the middle class
are also too high, she said, and the continuing failure of big business
to pay their taxes is only contributing to the problem.
Shea-Porter
also spoke about the failure of the current establishment to withdraw
troops from Iraq and emphasized the need to focus on Afghanistan.
Calling
Iraq a "money sinkhole," Shea-Porter said somehow Afghanistan has
become the "stepchild" and maintaining infrastructure and finishing the
job there is critical.
"We walked away," she said.
All of
the reasons for going to Iraq proved false as well, she added, and the
Iraqi people still do not necessarily welcome Americans in their land
to this day.
While she admits it's much more stable than it used
to be, Shea-Porter maintains that we went there for the wrong reasons
and now we're stuck with getting out.
"If you put 50 cops on any city street, crime will go down," said Shea-Porter.
Shea-Porter
also got an opportunity to speak about the need to provide earmarks for
the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Funding for the shipyard is essential,
she said, and the only way to do that is through earmark funding,
because for some reason the U.S. Navy hasn't included any funding for
improvements in its budgets.
The shipyard is not only critical
in providing jobs to a variety of New Hampshire and Maine residents,
but it's also vital for national security, she said.
Having
worked to secure money for improvements at the shipyard, she said when
the money comes through, the facility will be fully capable of
servicing the Navy's newest Virginia Class submarines, which will only
bolster the workload.
"It needs Maine and New Hampshire to be real strong advocates," said Shea-Porter.
Even
despite not having taken a vacation, like some of her First District
congressional opponents have claimed, Shea-Porter said, if re-elected,
she'll continue to fight for the middle class, ensure Americans a
renewable source of energy and be an advocate for small business owners.
"Nothing has changed for me," she said.
Running
unopposed in next week's Democratic primary election, Shea-Porter will
face off against Tuesday's Republican primary winner in the Nov. 4
election.
