Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives - Massachusetts 7th Congressional District in 2018 Massachusetts 2018 Primary Election.
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Get StartedMike championed pay equality by supporting the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which lengthened the statute of limitations to sue for employment discrimination. He is supporting the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act which prohibits employers from implementing practices that discriminate against job applicants or employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition. Employers must make reasonable accommodations in these instances. Mike’s record in Congress reflects the seriousness with which he protects reproductive freedom. He has always upheld a woman’s right to choose and her right to make her own decisions about health care. Learn more
Mike championed pay equality by supporting the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which lengthened the statute of limitations to sue for employment discrimination. He is supporting the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act which prohibits employers from implementing practices that discriminate against job applicants or employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition. Employers must make reasonable accommodations in these instances. Mike’s record in Congress reflects the seriousness with which he protects reproductive freedom. He has always upheld a woman’s right to choose and her right to make her own decisions about health care. Learn more
Mike voted against the Patriot Act because he thought it did far too little to protect our precious civil liberties. He also opposed the FISA Amendments Act because he believed it violated the protections of both the First and Fourth Amendments. Learn more
Mike is also a vigilant champion of civil rights and he believes that the right to vote remains the basis of all other rights. Mike proudly co-sponsored the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Reauthorization Act, maintaining the provisions of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965. Learn more
Mike believes the federal government must act to end the significant disparities that exist between sentencing related to crack and cocaine. The penalties associated with crack are significantly higher and fall disproportionately on persons of color. All too often the sentencing results in long mandatory minimum sentences. This is not a fair system. Learn more
Mike believes the federal government must act to end the significant disparities that exist between sentencing related to crack and cocaine. The penalties associated with crack are significantly higher and fall disproportionately on persons of color. All too often the sentencing results in long mandatory minimum sentences. This is not a fair system. Learn more
A key component of a healthy economy and reducing inequality is a robust jobs market. Mike is committed to advancing legislation that supports job creation and economic growth. He supports workers rights and protections for consumers. Learn more
Mike has fought, and always will fight, to defend and advance union and labor rights. Learn more
Mike is committed to advancing legislation that supports job creation. A key component of a healthy economy and reducing inequality is a robust jobs market. He supports investment in research and innovation as well as green technologies and renewable energy. Learn more
Mike also voted against the Trump tax package because it was too weighted in favor of corporations and the wealthy and simply widens the income gap. Tax cuts for individuals expire but the corporate tax cuts are permanent. The tax bill will also add $1.5 trillion to the deficit which is on top of the $320 billion added by the budget deal. This is an irresponsible way to manage federal resources. Learn more
Mike supports a balanced approach to addressing our nation’s budget deficit and growing the economy. That is why he voted against legislation creating the framework for Fiscal Year 2018 and 2019 which provided far more money for defense spending than it did for nondefense. That legislation also increased the deficit by $320 billion. Learn more
Social Security is the foundation of our government’s commitment to seniors and the disabled. It is a critical safety net that must be preserved so it is there for today’s seniors as well as future retirees. Mike is adamantly opposed to privatizing Social Security, something that has been proposed in the past. Placing even a percentage of Social Security funds in a volatile and unpredictable stock market creates too much risk for seniors, disabled individuals and those who rely on it to make ends meet. Learn more
Mike was one of 41 members of the House to vote against No Child Left Behind because he did not think it sufficiently sensitive to the challenges encountered by local school districts. He feared the legislation would give states and municipalities the burden of mandates without enough money to fulfill them. As a former mayor, he always resisted federal “unfunded mandates”. He also disagreed with the legislation’s overemphasis on standardized testing as the almost sole measure by which to gauge student achievement. Learn more
Mike voted to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the form used by families to apply for college financial aid. He also supports increasing the maximum Pell Grant to help make tuition a little more affordable for families. Learn more
Mike recognizes that a good education requires not just schools. Our children cannot succeed without access to health care, adequate nutrition, safe housing and a supportive home environment. Mike believes that state and local governments exercise primary responsibility in formulating education policy for our nation’s schools. The federal government must support communities through funding and with sensible policies that uphold justice and opportunity for every student, and take note of the unique challenges and needs communities face. Learn more
Respecting and preserving our environment has always been a priority for Mike. Mike is a proponent of green and renewable sources of energy as an investment in job growth and environmental stewardship. He stands strong against the Trump Administration’s relentless assault on environmental policies. Learn more
Mike voted against the Congressional Resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq and remained an outspoken critic of that war. A link between Saddam Hussein and the September 11th terrorist attacks was never established and weapons of mass destruction were never found. Mike was concerned that there was no realistic planning for post-war governance or reconstruction. Learn more
Mike is committed to increasing the transparency of government and the accountability of elected officials. Learn more
Mike’s work in the Special Task Force on Ethics Enforcement resulted in the creation of the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE). For the first time in the history of the House, private citizens have the ability to review ethics issues raised by the conduct of elected officials and staff. The establishment of the OCE represented one of the most significant steps ever taken to strengthen ethics enforcement in the House. The OCE has public reporting requirements and operates independently from the House Ethics Committee. Learn more
Mike is also committed to keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. He would restore the Obama era regulation requiring the Social Security Administration to share information with the gun background check system about individuals with severe mental disabilities that have been confirmed by a medical professional. These individuals require a designated representative to manage their Social Security. This commonsense regulation would subject these individuals to additional scrutiny before they can purchase a gun. Learn more
Mike believes strongly that an assault weapon does not belong in the hands of civilians. No one can reasonably argue guns like these are necessary to hunt or protect one’s home. Mike has long called for bump stocks — used to increase the potency of a semi-automatic rifle — to be outlawed. Learn more
Mike is determined to prevent deportations when possible. He seeks to protect individuals and families who are at risk as a result of President Trump’s Executive Orders, which are essentially “Muslim bans”. Learn more
In Congress, Mike has long supported the Dream Act. He is working hard to protect the “dreamers”, individuals brought here to the United States as children by their parents. He is also working to preserve Temporary Protected Status for Central Americans and Haitians. Learn more
Mike is committed to supporting our women and men in uniform while they serve and when they return home. Our military veterans sacrifice so much for our country, including time spent with their loved ones. They put themselves in harm’s way and defend the values upon which our country was founded. As a nation, we owe them a great deal. Learn more
Mike has worked while in Congress to improve health care services for veterans, expand affordable housing opportunities, increase services related to job training and ensure that our military has the equipment necessary to safely serve, such as increasing funding for body armor. Mike fully supported expanding the GI Bill, which enhanced education assistance available to veterans and directed those benefits to include military families in certain circumstances. This important initiative is an important economic resource once veterans return from service. It gives them the opportunity to participate in job training or learn a new career so they can better care for their families. Learn more
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