Connolly: ‘Trump has divided our country and united the rest of the world against us’

Rep. Gerald Edward Connolly, Democratic incumbent, faces a three-way race November 6. He’ll be up against Republican Jeff A. Dove Jr. and Libertarian Stevan M. Porter.

Locally, there are at least three congressional races in Prince William, Stafford, and Manassas:

• 1st District: Republican Robert J. “Rob” Wittman vs. Democrat Vangie A. Williams
• 10th District: Republican Barbara J. Comstock vs. Democrat Jennifer T. Wexton
• 11th District: Republican Jeff A. Dove Jr. vs. Democrat Gerald Edward Connolly vs. Libertarian Stevan M. Porter

We sent survey questions to Connolly and all local candidates running in the upcoming election. Below are Connolly’s responses.

PL: What role can you play in helping to improve traffic conditions in Northern Virginia? What can Congress do when it comes to improving traffic or public transportation in the region?

Connolly: In order to improve traffic in Northern Virginia, we have to give commuters more options than just getting in their car and driving. I’ve been a champion of Metro my entire career, while also demanding accountability from it. Working with Democrats and Republicans we were able to get Metro expanded to Tysons Corner, Reston, and soon all of the way to Dulles Airport. I’ve introduced legislation in the House to expand Metro to Prince William County. At the same time we must continue to improve Metro’s safety, reliability, and customer service. I’ve also been a champion of expanding telework in the federal government. A few months ago I introduced the Telework Metrics and Cost Savings Act which is legislation that would help protect federal teleworkers from attacks by the Trump administration. One of my first votes in Congress was for the Stimulus Act, which funded completing the Prince William County Parkway and the Fairfax County Parkway. Finally, I support a federal infrastructure bill to fix our crumbling roads, bridges, and rail lines, which slow all of our commutes down.

PL: How would you characterize President Trump’s first  year and a half in office, in terms of his administration’s impact locally, nationally and internationally?

Connolly: President Trump has divided our country and united the rest of the world against us. The first thing Donald Trump did when he announced his campaign called Mexicans rapists. As President, he put his anti-immigrant rhetoric into action with the Muslim travel ban, cruelly separating families at the border, and cutting refugee admissions in half. During the campaign, a tape came out where he bragged about committing sexual assault. As President, he nominated a Supreme Court Justice credibly accused of sexual assault who would be a fifth vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. In 2016 he said it was smart not to pay taxes and admitted that Trump University had defrauded veterans and moms. As President, he signed a tax bill that cut his and his children’s taxes, while raising taxes on hardworking Northern Virginia families. On the international stage he has embarrassed our nation, pushing our closest allies away while cozying up to murderous thugs: saying that he and the Kim Jong Un, “fell in love” and siding with Vladimir Putin over the United States intelligence community.

PL: What’s your view on the recently enacted tax reform bill — and on the potential for a second round of tax cuts?

Connolly: The Republican tax bill gives tax breaks to the wealthiest of Americans, instead of hard-working families who need it most. Rather than invest in our country, we’ve returned to trillion dollar budget deficits. In Northern Virginia, the tax bill has many negative effects on homeowners. 174,000 homeowners won’t be able to deduct their full property taxes, 106,800 with existing home equity loans won’t be able to claim full home equity interest deductions, and 547,600 homeowners won’t be able to claim a deduction for interest on many home equity loans. By repealing the individual mandate, families will see higher health insurance premiums. I was proud to stand with my constituents and against the Trump tax scam.

PL: Where do you stand on immigration reform? What should happen with DACA and TPS recipients, particularly those in the Northern Virginia area? Do you support using taxpayer funding for a border wall?

Connolly: Our immigration system is broken. In 2013, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate came together and passed comprehensive immigration reform. But Republicans in the House refused to allow a vote on it, even though there was a majority in the House prepared to vote for it. Instead we’re left with millions of people in the shadows. I support a plan to increase legal immigration — especially H-1B visas which are critical to our region — but that also increases border security to crack down on illegal crossings at the border. I support a path to citizenship for those who are in this country illegally but are willing to pay a fine, learn English, and have no criminal record. I strongly support a path to citizenship for DREAMers, young people brought to this country as children, who now face deportation to a country they’ve never known. I have also been a vocal opponent of Trump’s immoral border separation policy and have co-sponsored legislation to end it, as well as speaking out on Trump’s attempt for a border wall. At the last State of the Union address, it was my honor to bring a DREAMer who is a high school student in my district. This DREAMer was brought here when she was a baby, but now she is an ‘A’ student, a stellar varsity athlete, a committed volunteer in the community, and I am proud to look at her as a fellow American. We must permanently protect DREAMers from deportation. The Trump administration has allowed a record low number of refugees into the country in the past year and next year will allow even fewer. I’ve introduced the Lady Liberty Act to reverse this callous backslide and restore America’s commitment to refugees.

PL: What’s your view on salaries and retirement benefits for federal workers, particularly those in this area?

Connolly: Since taking control of the House in 2011, Republicans have declared a war on federal workers, a war they’ve accelerated under President Trump. I currently represent over 50,000 federal employees and every day I defend them against another attack from the Trump administration. After giving away trillions to the wealthy in his tax bill, President Trump had the temerity to cite the deficit when he announced a federal pay freeze for 2019. The Trump budget cuts retirement benefits and eliminates cost of living adjustments. In Congress, I have introduced the FAIR Act, which would provide a 3% pay increase for federal employees. On the Oversight Committee, I’ve stood up to Trump and House Republicans for their outrageous attacks on our federal workforce. If we are going to try and recruit our best and brightest into federal service, we can’t mindlessly cut federal pay and retirement benefits.

PL: What’s your position on how to improve the nation’s health care system and the status of the Affordable Care Act?

Connolly: One of the proudest votes of my career was my vote in 2010 for the Affordable Care Act. Thanks to the ACA, Americans will never again be denied health insurance for pre-existing conditions, face lifetime caps on their coverage, and parents can keep their kids on their plan until they’re 26. I am a proud supporter of Obamacare and fully support Virginia’s Medicaid expansion this year to 400,000 Virginians. I have rejected Republican health care proposals that would raise premiums on consumers. Like any bill, Obamacare wasn’t perfect, and we expected to be able to find ways to improve it along the way. Instead, we’ve faced a relentless campaign to undermine it from Republicans in Congress, the courts, and Governor’s mansions. If Democrats regain the majority in the House, I hope to work with Democrats and Republicans to find ways to bring down premiums, by restoring the risk corridors, introducing a public option on the federal exchange, and expanding Medicaid in the states that haven’t done so.