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County
Bucks
Occupation
Director of Programs, Nonprofit
Education
PhD in Mathematics
Qualifications
Researcher, Educator, US Senate Science Advisor, Climate Policy Advocate, Community Organizer
Our communities cannot afford basic needs. At the same time, our government continues to give handouts to fossil fuel companies and Big Tech and has begun an expensive and unnecessary war. Far too often, we address the symptoms but not the root causes. The truth is that the current problems we face are largely a result of too much wealth and power in the hands of too few. In Congress, I would prioritize tax and electoral reform. But even before getting to Congress, I’m addressing this through how we campaign. Running a grassroots campaign, ensuring that we are not beholden to special interests, and supporting bold policies that would catalyze the necessary systemic change is how we put power back in the hands of the people.
Proper checks and balances across the three branches of government is foundational to our democracy. The Constitutional power of oversight lies with Congress, intended as a critical check on the power of the executive branch. We are seeing unprecedented attacks on the rights our founding documents guarantee us as Americans – from the First Amendment which gives us freedom of speech, to the Fourth Amendment, which guarantees safety from unreasonable searches and seizures. In addition, our government is repeatedly violating international law. Congress must perform its duty to hold accountable any elected official (including the President), cabinet member, judge, agency, or federal agent that violates the law and threatens our rights.
I believe in foreign policy grounded in mutual accountability and respect rather than aggression and arrogance. To ensure this, Congress must leverage its power over foreign policy much more than it does. Congress has the authority to halt or modify the sale of arms up until the point of delivery, exclusively holds the power to declare war, and determines military spending. We need more elected officials who are bold enough to limit the control of military contractors, ensure that the Pentagon passes a full audit, refuse AIPAC money, and commit to no more unnecessary wars. Congress should also ensure robust investment in diplomacy, foreign aid efforts, and quality care for our veterans. And at this very moment, Congress should stop the war.
Extending the ACA subsidies is necessary in the short term, but it’s a temporary measure and doesn’t address the root cause of our broken healthcare system: industries that put profit over people. I believe that Medicare for All is the policy equivalent of ‘healthcare is a human right.’ It would put into place the optimal structure to ensure that everyone in this country has access to quality healthcare. In a nation as wealthy as the United States, no one should have to face monthly premiums, denial of coverage, or medical debt. As an intermediate step, I would support the State-based Universal Healthcare Act that would allow states to develop universal healthcare programs as a way to build political will for a national program.
County
Bucks
Occupation
U.S. Congressman
Education
B.S. Business Administration, LaSalle University; J.D., Penn State Dickinson School of Law; M.B.A., Penn State
Qualifications
Former FBI Special Agent & Federal Prosecutor. Certified Public Accountant and EMT
Affordability is the most pressing issue. My Problem Solvers Caucus’ affordability agenda tackles root causes of high prices so that we can create lasting progress to address the deeper structural pressures that continue to put upward pressure on prices. The plan includes lowering health care and out-of-pocket costs through PBM reform. In housing, we must increase housing supply and expand access to affordable financing and rental options through targeted incentives. To reduce the cost of energy, the plan aims to expand the domestic energy supply by modernizing the federal permitting system. For child care, we can expand the child care workforce and reduce out-of-pocket costs for working families by strengthening tax provisions that work.
Congress should call balls and strikes and stand up to the executive branch through nonpartisan oversight, no matter who is in power. No one should prejudge or pursue any predetermined outcome based on partisan politics. As a former FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, I understand that any oversight must follow the facts wherever they lead, leave no stone unturned, and must report those facts with unimpeachable integrity. I am proud to be the number one, most independent Congressman in America. My voting record is reflective of my commitment to independence and willingness to stand up to congressional leadership in both parties, including my own on major issues, and to Presidents of either party.
Our national security posture must always be matched by fidelity to our Constitution. Any sustained or expanded military engagement should be done with the advice and consent of Congress. The American people deserve clarity of mission, defined objectives, and disciplined oversight. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, I served in several Middle East war zones as an Al-Qaeda Interrogator, where I became keenly aware of the incredible necessity of our Iranian counter-terrorism, counterintelligence and cyber security programs in order to protect our troops stationed in the region. America should always pursue peace. Peace is preserved not by weakening our defenses, but by keeping them strong enough to protect the people we are sworn to serve.
Every man, woman, and child should have affordable health insurance. I am fighting for a health care system that increases access and competition, and lowers the cost of prescription drugs. I voted for legislation to establish a fair price negotiation program, protect the Medicare program from excessive price increases and establish an out-of-pocket maximum for Medicare part D enrollees. And I will continue to protect Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. We need to proceed in fixing our healthcare system in a responsible, deliberate manner. That means any changes to our current system must ensure both the continuity of coverage and the continuity of patient protection provisions for those with preexisting conditions.
