EDITORIAL

Reed and Langevin

Posted 10/29/14

CONGRESS- 2nd DISTRICT

Incumbent Congressman James Langevin has a Republican opponent this November, Rhui Reis, who is new to politics. Reis is a Foxwoods Casino employee who is also a licensed …

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EDITORIAL

Reed and Langevin

Posted

CONGRESS- 2nd DISTRICT

Incumbent Congressman James Langevin has a Republican opponent this November, Rhui Reis, who is new to politics. Reis is a Foxwoods Casino employee who is also a licensed general contractor in Rhode Island.   

Reis would push to establish a uniform income tax rate so that all earners contribute the same percentage of their earnings to the federal government. He believes that since high earners would pay more in taxes than low-paid workers, it would be a fair system that would still collect enough to support our government. Langevin has supported our current progressive system of taxation but would work to “rebalance” the tax code to close the gap between lower and higher-income earners. Those, of course, are code words for raising taxes on higher income earners. 

Both candidates oppose abortion rights except for the situation in which the mother’s life is in danger.  

Langevin supports President Obama’s strategy in Iraq and Syria of conducting air strikes against the Islamic State with no American ground combat troops. Reis believes there will have to be boots on the ground eventually to defeat the terrorist group, at least in order to train Syrian rebels.

Reis would abolish the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Langevin supports the health insurance act and wants it to remain in effect.

Congressman Langevin has been an effective congressman. He has helped bring $17 billion in submarine construction dollars to Electric Boat Company – much of it to be spent in Rhode Island. He has also pushed hard to increase federal funding for career and vocational training in Rhode Island to help put our unemployed back to work.

Perhaps Langevin’s most important contribution has been in making sure our country is prepared to thwart cyber attacks from terrorists and foreign countries that compete with us economically and that may one day be our military enemies. His work on cyber security has made him a congressional leader in the field.

Although Congressman Langevin seems to support raising taxes, his positions on other issues are good for the 2nd district. Voters should not reject him for a new face we know so little about. We endorse Congressman James Langevin for reelection. 

U.S. SENATE

Rhode Islanders are fond of Senator Jack Reed.  His low-key eloquence and his hard work on behalf of our citizens have brought him the respect of his peers in both parties and have brought significant benefits to his home state constituents.

However, in most every race, there are at least two opponents, both of whom deserve consideration.  

Reed’s Republican opponent in the November election, Mark Zaccaria, perhaps stated it best after admitting that he stands little chance of defeating Reed, “but the question really is, is the Rhode island Republican Party going to offer a viable alternative…so that the voters of Rhode Island, the hard-working, taxpaying men and women of the state, have a choice.”

Zaccaria is a veteran candidate who twice ran against 2nd District Congressman James Langevin and lost. He is political philosophy is simple and upfront.  He believes in low-taxing, low-spending small government. He would repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), would rein in the Environmental Protection Agency’s perceived anti-business regulations and would strengthen America’s foreign policy leadership that he believes has atrophied under President Obama.

Reed supports President Obama and most of his policies, including the ACA, the EPA and the president’s foreign policy. Reed has also been instrumental in bringing federal dollars to Rhode Island, especially in big submarine building contracts. Reed’s positions on three key senate committees – Armed Services, Appropriations, and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs – make him a leader in the Senate and give him great opportunities to further help Rhode Island. 

While Mark Zaccaria has some good ideas about government in an ideal world, Rhode Island voters should not change from a strong horse to a new and untried horse as we swim midstream through our uncertain economic recovery. We endorse Senator Jack Reed for reelection to the U.S Senate.

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