Maine's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018

Creating Good Paying Jobs, Protecting Our Jobs, and Growing Maine’s Economy
I am not a politician; I am a lifelong job creator.

I’ve spent most of my career helping create jobs, growing businesses and aiding the economy. Part of my work also included helping employers like Bath Iron Work secure the pensions of workers.

It is critical the government helps our small businesses and Maine job creators, rather than burdening them with job killing red tape.

As our Congressman I am working each day to help our economy:

• Passing Legislation through the House and Senate, and having it signed into law, to require the removal of an outdated deed restriction which was harming economic development in Eastern Maine.

• Helping protect and secure jobs at Bath Iron Works by ensuring funding for needed Navy Destroyers which aid our national security.

• Successfully fighting unfair trade, achieving significant rulings from the International Trade Commission against Chinese subsidies harming Maine forest products jobs in Aroostook County and jobs at Auburn Manufacturing.

• Opposing the TPP trade deal and fast track authority with Asia which would, on balance, harm Maine jobs.

• Saving hospital jobs at our local regional hospitals by pushing to have federal government reimbursements issued, on time.

• Pushing legislation to allow rural electric cooperatives access credit to better serve small business job creators.

• Voting to kill the death tax which harms Maine small businesses and especially our farms.

• Supporting expedited natural gas permitting to increase the supply and reduce costs for Maine job creators and residents.

• Introducing Legislation to aid family forest products and trucking businesses which wish to train the next generation in the business.

• Personally helping welcome hundreds of new jobs to Maine including OnProcess jobs in Belfast, Collaborative Consulting jobs in Central Maine, and Wayfair jobs in Bangor.

• Passing bipartisan Legislation to protecting clamming and digging jobs around Acadia National Park which were threatened by an encroaching federal bureaucracy.

• Authoring and passing Legislation, including the Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act, to help entrepreneurs and job creators gain the support needed to grow.

• Supporting efforts to limit red tape on our Community Banks and Credit Unions so they have freedom to provide lending to local small businesses.

• Providing support for Maine blueberries by utilizing existing federal programs to protect jobs in the industry.

• Keeping local restaurants, motels and Inns located in major tourism centers in business during the travel season by assisting with the temporary workers needed to keep the doors open.

• Backing significant tax reductions which allow Maine electricity utilities keep rates low, and lower some rates, which aids job creators which rely upon fairly priced electricity.

• Protecting our Lobster industry by opposing restrictions on the sale of lobsters in Europe.

• Working to support legislative changes to encourage apprenticeship in the logging business which still employs thousands of Maine people.

• Fighting bad policy like the medical device tax, which increased health care costs for consumers and threatened hundreds of Maine jobs at Hardwood Products in Guilford, Maine.

• Fighting the change in federal regulations which would have eliminated paper notices for medication used by seniors and cost hundreds of jobs in Madawaska’s paper mill.

• Creating jobs along our border while improving our national security by helping speed up hiring by the Border Patrol and opening up more jobs to Maine people.

A growing economy helps all Maine people and I will continue to put Maine first by fighting for Maine jobs.

Standing Up for Maine's Senior Citizens, Including Protection of Social Security and Medicare
My parents are both in the 80s. As their only living child, I know firsthand the challenges seniors face because I am involved with their care.

When my mom has needed significant medical attention she relied upon Medicare. They rely upon Social Security.

As our Congressman, I have always fought to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare.

In my effort to help Maine’s seniors I have taken these steps:

• Authoring the U.S. House Senior Safe Act, which he successfully passed with bipartisan support, to help protect seniors from being scammed and financially exploited by those who do harm.

• Supporting LIHEAP funding which many seniors rely upon to stay warm in the winter.

• Co-Sponsoring the Biomass Thermal Utilization Act which makes it easier for Maine seniors and families to install more affordable heating options while also supporting jobs in Maine’s forest products industry.

• Introducing the Guaranteed COLA Act which would force the federal government to sell unused buildings and property and use those funds to guarantee COLA increases.

• Co-Authoring the bipartisan Senior Accessible Housing Act to help seniors live more independently by making home accessibility and other changes more affordable so Maine seniors can safely continue living in their own homes.

• Opposing FDA changes which would have eliminated paper medication instructions.

• Working to end the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO which prevent teachers, firefighters and police officers from receiving their full Social Security benefits.

• Supporting tax cut Legislation which helps electrical utilities reduce electricity rates and to lower rate increases to help lower seniors electric bills.

• Working to ensure our Veterans who are Senior Citizens can receive health care closer to home and that the VA is held accountable for medical errors and wait times.

• Protecting our local hospitals by ensuring they receive reimbursements due from the federal government in a timely manner, providing much needed funding to support their operations.

As the son of Senior Citizens, I see firsthand the challenges and issues our Senior Citizens face. I will always be a voice in Congress for Maine’s Senior Citizens.

Protecting Our Hospitals and Healthcare Access
My mother is a retired nurse. I know access to quality healthcare is important in Maine.

As our Congressman I have worked hard to support our hospitals who care for our families, Senior Citizens, individuals, and Veterans. I have also worked for reform to bring down costs and improve care.

These are just some of the steps I have taken:

• Founding and serving as Co-Chairman of the national bipartisan Congressional Rural Hospital Caucus to fight for the needs of Maine’s rural and regional hospitals.

• Advocating for Maine solutions like the invisible risk pools created by the Maine Legislature which guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions while holding down and lowering health insurance costs for Maine people. I continue to advocate for this solution as a national model for reform.

• Working to expand access to VA programs so Veterans have the option of receiving their healthcare closer to home. Through this effort the VA supports our local hospitals and local doctors – which provided them a much needed funding source to keep providing care in our rural communities.

• Continuing to lead efforts to fix bureaucratic threats to the reimbursements our Maine hospitals and doctors need. As a result of my direct efforts, federal officials traveled to Maine meeting directly with local hospitals to fix their reimbursement problems and concerns.

• Holding the Toga VA medical center accountable for a Doctor on staff who was found to be negligent in multiple medical case mishaps.

• Serving as the original co-sponsor of Legislation to repeal the medical device tax, which increased health care costs for consumers and threatened hundreds of Maine jobs at our own health products supplier, Hardwood Products in Guilford, Maine.

• Supporting efforts to Maine people to choose the health plan which works best for them by eliminating the individual mandate which forced Maine people to pay an IRS fine if they did not purchase a government-approved health plan.

• Voting to support the bipartisan Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act which eliminates insurance company protections and creates competition so there is access to more health plan choices.

• Supporting the 21st Century Cures Act which speeds up new and innovative drugs to treat rare and disorders without treatments currently on the market. The legislation also provides for additional health care research that will help our Maine research facilities including Jaxson Labs and MDI Biological Labs in Bar Harbor.

• Standing up for the repeal of what was called the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) which was a failed government formula causing problems for senior citizens attempting to access doctors.

As the son of a nurse, I will continue to work on improving access to affordable, quality health care in Maine.

Ensuring Our Maine Veterans Receive the Care and Respect They Have Earned and Deserve from a Grateful Nation
Our Veterans have earned our respect and deserve the care they were promised and they deserve.

As a Member of the powerful Veterans Affairs Committee in the United States House of Representatives, I am a strong voice for Maine’s Veterans.

I will never forget those who have sacrificed their time, talents – and in some cases their lives – to defend our freedom. That’s why I have taken these steps and more:

• Working to create and expand health care options for Veterans closer to home so they can avoid traveling long distances for every appointment or procedure. While there is still much more to be done, Maine is helping lead the way in implement these new programs.

• Creating a Maine Veterans Advisory Panel made up of Veterans from all over Maine’s 2nd Congressional District to provide direct feedback on issues and problems facing our Veterans.

• Holding VA officials accountable for medical errors which occurred at Togus.

• Introducing legislation to require VA Medical professionals report errors and problems directly to state licensing boards.

• Supporting our Veterans who are also Native Americans by allowing government headstones to be placed at tribal cemeteries, like the one in Aroostook County, through Legislation he has authored in the House.

• Working to increase the number of VA Health Clinics in Maine.

• Voting in support of the VA Accountability bill which makes improvements in the VA.

• Supporting funding increases for the Veterans Administration.

• Joining the Military Veterans Caucus in Congress to work across party lines to fight for Veterans issues.

• Fighting staff shortages in Maine, including those at the Lewiston Vets Center so our Veterans get the care they need.

• Working daily with a dedicated staff to serve the needs of Veterans throughout the 2nd District who bring their problems to the Congressman’s attention.

I know we would not have the nation we have today without our Veterans. I will work to never, ever let them down.

Fighting the Opioid Crisis and Accompanying Crime in our State
I lost a brother who I loved due to substance abuse.

Substance abuse, and especially the opioid crisis, is impacting nearly every citizen in the State of Maine.

We must not let up in our efforts to deal with this problem. That’s why I have taken these steps:

• Serving as a founding member of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic.

• Joining efforts of the Congressional Victims Rights Caucus.

• Co-Sponsoring and pushing the adoption of the CRADLE ACT to provide life safe care to addicted newborns.

• Meeting with local law enforcement in Maine to learn about what can be done to support their efforts to thwart the addictive drug trade.

• Supporting funding for Drug Courts, the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, the Anti-Heroin Task Force, and Opioid Prescription Overdose Prevention.

• Visiting local treatment centers in Maine to learn more and provide support for those who are working to get clean and free from drugs.

• Holding Opioid Town Hall Meetings to provide resources and discuss solutions with law enforcement and treatment providers.

• Supporting and co-sponsoring the STOP ABUSE ACT, a comprehensive eradication approach to the heroin epidemic including best practice approaches for law enforcement and treatment.

As someone who’s family has been directly impacted by the death of a loved one due to substance abuse I will not give up on this fight. We can’t give up.

National Security and Terrorism
• Voted for stronger sanctions on Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

• Joined the Terrorism Financing Task Force to help cut off terrorism financing networks.

• Authored and passed bipartisan Legislation to force the disclosure of the secret funds held and used by Iranian terrorist financiers.

• Voted to end the dangerous Iran Nuclear Deal

• Introduced the No Welfare for Terrorist Act, which garnered more than 40 Democrat and Republican co-sponsors, to stop welfare benefits for those convicted of aiding terrorist actors.

• Worked on behalf of BIW jobs by passing Amendments to ensure Navy Destroyer contacts could be completed at the Yard, also helping National Security with these needed ships.

• Helped reform the visa waiver program to prevent terrorist exploitation of our nation’s travel and custom rules.

Women’s Issues
• Joined Democratic U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Democratic Representative Jackie Speier in co-authoring and leading the House effort to pass an Anti-Harassment Resolution in the U.S. House. Became the first House Republican, and the lead Republican, on the anti-harassment effort.

• Introduced bipartisan Legislation to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Harrassment in Congress.

• Voted to increase women’s healthcare funding for Maine’s 2nd District Federally Qualified Health Centers.

• Supported Legislation to expand maternity care at the VA.

• To coincide with the centennial of the 19th Amendment, introduced new bipartisan Legislation with Democratic Representative Barbara Lee directing the U.S. Treasury to issue quarters, one from each of the 50 states and the U.S. territories, to honor women who have made significant contributions to America. The governor or executive of each state or territory would recommend a design to the Treasury, in consultation with various stakeholders. If enacted, the quarter program would coincide with the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

• Served as lead Republican co-sponsor working with Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree on the Ruth Moore Act, a bill that will make it easier for survivors of military sexual assault to get the benefits they deserve.

2nd Amendment
• Support Maine’s long outdoor traditions including firearms ownership.

• Defend the Constitutional 2nd Amendment and Maine’s Constitution Section 16.

• Joined calls to investigate and fix the failures in Florida and elsewhere where disturbed individuals got access to firearms.

Welfare Reform
• Introduced Legislation to tighten regulations on replacement electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and banning people convicted of welfare fraud and specific drug trafficking offenses from gaining benefits.

• Sponsored Legislation to ban welfare after release for those convicted of aiding terrorist’s.

• Supported efforts to require work, community service, or striving for educational attainment to receive welfare.

The National Debt
• Introduced Legislation to tighten regulations on replacement electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and banning people convicted of welfare fraud and specific drug trafficking offenses from gaining benefits.

• Sponsored Legislation to ban welfare after release for those convicted of aiding terrorist’s.

• Supported efforts to require work, community service, or striving for educational attainment to receive welfare.

Illegal Immigration & Immigration Reform
• Worked to fix a hiring and recruitment problem for the Border Patrol allowing them to hire more staff for Maine border security.

• Has opposed sanctuary cities, voting for penalties for cities who ignore immigration law.

• Supports improved barriers to tighten America’s borders.

• Supports ending the Visa lottery.

• Opposes amnesty for adults who illegally crossed America’s border.

College Aid
• Introduced The Help All Americans Save for College Act which would improve college savings incentives.

• Voted to strengthen 529 college savings plans while opposing a proposed tax on the plans.

• Voted to strengthen the solvency of the Pell Grant Program.

• Fought to force the U.S. Department of Education to review the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Upward Bound Grant Application which had been rejected on arbitrary document formatting grounds.

Maine’s Environment
• Opposed Oil Drilling in Maine.

• Opposed removing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

• Backed funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to support public lands for hiking, hunting, fishing, and other recreational access. This protects national parks, national wildlife refuges, and national forests.

• Supported National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Funding so their partners like the University of Maine can continue researching and studying our oceans.

• Supported the Department of Defense Climate Change Study.

• Co-sponsored the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2017 to study ocean acidification’s impact on communities like Maine with coastlines.

• Stood against EPA budget cuts in the President’s 2018 budget especially for critical hazardous waste cleanup services like Superfund and Brownfields.

• Co-sponsored the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2017 to study ocean acidification’s impact on communities like Maine with coastlines.

• Urged Congressional leadership to double the funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Maine has one of the oldest water infrastructures in the nation and it needs to be upgraded and supported.

• Voted to support National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

• Supported rules to address coal mining’s impact on our nation’s water systems.

• Joined the Congressional Oceans Caucus, the International Conservation Caucus, and the Estuary Caucus as a voice for Maine.^[50]