Category: Tait Militana
Himes Gave Big Money to His Campaign, But Defied Odds by Winning
SELF
Norwalk Hour
Tait Militana
Boston University Washington News Service
March 3, 2009
WASHINGTON – Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, put just over a half million dollars of his own money into his campaign against incumbent Republican Christopher Shays last fall, which was 13 percent of his total spending.
According to political experts, self-financing is a common tactic for challengers to try to make up for the fundraising advantages incumbents have. But what is surprising, experts said, is that for Himes it worked.
Candidates who spent more than $350,000 of their personal wealth to challenge incumbents have won just two out of 32 times since the 2004 election, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group that tracks money in politics.
Jennifer Steen, a New Haven campaign finance expert and author of the book “Self-Financed Candidates in Congressional Elections,” said self-financing often creates a disadvantage for candidates because the money does not necessarily translate into votes.
“If you do ask for money in increments you are asking each individual for support,” said Steen. “Each check adds more than monetary value to the campaign. If you write yourself a check, it doesn’t contain any of that.”
Himes defeated Shays with 51 percent of the vote in what was the fourth most expensive congressional race of 2008, according to year-end candidate reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. By raising just over $3.9 million Himes out fundraised Shays by nearly $165,000, though $527,088 was his own money. Shays contributed $22,000 to his own campaign or less than 1 percent of the total money he raised.
Don Carlson, Himes’ chief of staff during the transition, said the decision to use the congressman’s money was made very late in the campaign to provide an extra boost to the field organization and advertising effort.
“It was a bridge loan to get us over the hump,” said Carlson. “It enabled the campaign to do the things it needed to do in final weeks.”
Himes’ communications director Elizabeth Kerr, said she believed Himes platform and message had a larger role in his success.
“He presented a strategy to help bring change,” said Kerr. “That was something that resonated with Connecticut residents. I think that has a lot more to do with the victory.”
According to data filed with the Federal Election Commission, Himes has been paid back $138,300 of the money he loaned his campaign.
Kerr said Himes expects to eventually receive back all of the money he lent his campaign, though she declined to specify how that would happen.
It is common for candidates to continue fundraising in non-election years to help pay off their campaign debt including debt to themselves. Months after her loss in the presidential primary, Hillary Clinton continues to ask supporters to donate to her campaign to help pay off her nearly $6 million debt.
Nonetheless, several experts agreed with Kerr that Himes’ message was much more important to his success than money. Vincent Moscardelli, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Connecticut, said though self-financing can help candidates get their names out there or keep the campaign afloat through hard times, it cannot overcome serious popularity flaws.
“You can’t overcome the larger political forces at work, said Moscardelli. “Chris Shays did not lose because he faced a self-financed candidate. He lost because he was the last Republican in New England.”
Scott McLean, professor of political science at Quinnipiac University, said this is one reason why so many self-financing candidates lose. Often they are forced to rely on their own money because they are a weaker candidate and cannot match their opponents in fundraising.
“That result is entailed in the very reason why candidates have to finance their own campaigns,” said McLean. “They are simply weaker candidates for the most part or first time candidates.”
Ultimately, McLean said one can point to the low success rates of self-financed candidates to disprove the theory that candidates can buy their seats in Congress.
“I don’t think rich candidates can just buy their seats,” said McLean. “They can get into the game and be a player, but it won’t make them win. Money matters, but in the end it’s the votes that count.”
Steen said the fundraising process changes once a candidate becomes an incumbent.
Because it’s much easier for incumbents to raise money, they almost never contribute as much of their own money to their campaign once they have been elected.
“Self-financing candidates almost always lose but when they win, they very rarely self-finance reelection campaigns,” said Steen. “That says it all right there.”
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In The Face of Record Deficit, Recovery Will Take Time, Himes Says
PRELIMINARY
Norwalk Hour
Tait Militana
Boston University Washington News Service
Feb. 26, 2009
WASHINGTON – Connecticut residents should have modest expectations about the economic recovery, said Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, following the release of President Barack Obama’s preliminary budget outline Thursday morning, which charts the government’s spending for the next decade.
Himes said it is important for everybody to understand that it will take time for the current economic hardships to end and that residents need to work together to get through them.
“Confidence is critical, but it’s important for everybody to understand that we’re not coming out of this economic crisis tomorrow, next week or next month,” said Himes in an interview after the budget announcement. “This economic crisis was eight years in the making and will be more than one month in the undoing.”
Obama’s preliminary budget estimates a $1.75 trillion deficit for the rest of the fiscal year, which began in October, and $3.55 trillion in spending in 2010. It will increase taxes on families making more than $250,000 by allowing President George W. Bush’s tax cuts to expire and will introduce new tax cuts for the middle class.
According to 2007 census data, about 45,000 or 20 percent of families in Fairfield County make more than $200,000.
In a press conference Thursday morning, Obama said the budget is full of hard choices, but with the harsh economic realities it is important to focus on what is needed to move the economy forward.
“There are times where you can afford to redecorate your house and there are times where you need to focus on rebuilding its foundation,” said Obama. “Today we have to focus on foundations.”
Despite heavy spending and revenue shortfalls in the first few years of the budget, Obama predicted he would slash the deficit to $533 billion by 2013. It is estimated to balloon again in 2019 by more than $200 billion. Obama estimated savings in health care by cutting Medicare payments to private insurance plans and computerizing medical records. He also planned to close tax loopholes for businesses and end government payments to farms making more than $500,000.
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said he is pleased with the outlines proposed by the president, especially reducing the high cost of health care.
“When it comes to health care reform, the president’s budget provides Congress a good starting point,” said Dodd. “To create a stronger, healthier nation in the long-term, I believe it will take an up-front investment in prevention and primary care, health information technology and expanding insurance coverage.”
Obama followed his call for energy investment in his congressional address Tuesday night, by allocating $15 billion a year for 10 years to develop wind and solar power technologies. Obama has asked Congress to take up a new energy bill by the spring recess.
“We need to make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy,” he said.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said in a statement that he considers defense spending a top priority in the coming years. In addition to the $69 billion already budgeted to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Obama administration has requested $75.5 billion for the rest of the year and $130 billion for 2010.
“I will fight to make sure that the Connecticut defense industry receives full support for the capabilities that only it can provide to our nation’s military,” Lieberman said.
Himes also set about fixing the country’s financial regulatory agencies Thursday, by announcing a set of broad guidelines for financial oversight reform in a press conference with the New Democrat Coalition. Himes, co-chair of the Task Force on Financial Services, called for a risk regulator to help prevent mass financial collapse and increased coordination between oversight bodies
He said the reforms are “complicated and technical and unsexy, but terribly important to the future of financial services industry and the strength of our economy.”
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Connecticut, Members of Congress Call for Bipartisanship
ADDRESS
Norwalk Hour
Tait Militana
Boston University Washington News Service
Feb. 25, 2009
WASHINGTON – Connecticut’s members of Congress called for bipartisanship following President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, with Rep. Jim Himes D-4, saying the stimulus bill and the President’s speech marked the beginning of the country’s recovery.
Himes said there is still work to be done, but he was optimistic about the country’s recovery moving forward.
“I think he [Obama] recognizes this, and we all do, that one of the key underlying aspects of our economy is confidence,” he said in an interview at the Capitol after the speech. “His optimism and his confidence should set a good tone.”
Himes said he appreciates the concerns of Republicans who have said the stimulus bill threatens future generations that will have to pay for today’s spending. But, Himes said, at some point both parties need to put aside differences and return to building confidence in the markets.
“I’ve said all along I don’t mind an opposition,” he said. “When the debate is done we need to come together and say this is going to work. It may not be perfect, but it’s going to work and it’s going to help us turn the corner.”
Obama spent a large part of his speech defending his stimulus bill, which he signed into law last week. Seeking to reassure Americans that the country will recover, he encouraged Congress to take up health care, energy and education reform in the coming months. He also called on all Americans to commit to at least one year of higher education or career training, saying dropping out of high school is no longer an option.
“It’s not just quitting on yourself,” said Obama. “It’s quitting on your country.”
On several occasions throughout the night Obama was met with jeers from Republicans on issues dealing with the stimulus bill, which passed the Senate with just three Republican votes, and government spending in general. However, lawmakers said, it would be important to work together to pass the much needed reforms.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., said in a statement that the stimulus alone will not save the economy but must be coupled with steps forward on the health care and energy bills.
“I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to build bipartisan coalitions to make progress in all of these areas,” he said.
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., reiterated the importance of cooperation between the parties, saying he is already working with several Republicans to reform the health care system and make it affordable to more Americans.
“The challenges facing our nation are not Democratic or Republican,” Dodd said. “They are challenges to America. I am confident that we will be able to address many priorities in a bipartisan fashion.”
Himes said lawmakers in both parties will realize how important the next few months will be in turning the country around. He said that several tough issues are still ahead, but that Obama’s speech represented an understanding between opponents.
“It was really moving,” Himes said. “I was sitting with a couple of Republicans, and I’ve got to tell you they were moved too.”
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Local Businesses View Stimulus Bill With Mixed Emotions
FAIRFIELD
Norwalk Hour
Tait Militana
Boston University Washington News Service
Feb. 17, 2009
WASHINGTON – For months Norwalk-based developer Greyrock Homes has been selling houses at a loss.
The company’s award-winning residential development in Cos Cob has so few buyers that Jerry Effren, the company’s principal, said he decided to sell houses below cost, hoping to ride out the economic storm.
Effren said he also recently decided to shelve a 20-home residential development in Wilton, after almost five years of planning and approvals. He said the slumping economy has wreaked havoc on the housing market.
“We had to shut it down and wait it out,” Effren said. “In this marketplace, the sales are just not strong enough.”
Effren is not the only one suffering. Business owners from various local industries said the recession has hurt their bottom lines. However, many had differing opinions on the potential effectiveness of President Barack Obama’s economic policies and the stimulus bill that the president signed into law on Tuesday.
Effren called Obama’s economic plan a disaster, saying he expects the stimulus package to do nothing to help him.
“I’ve cut 90 percent of my workforce,” he said. “The people I work with have done the same thing. You ask me what’s going to fix this. I don’t think it’s the stimulus.”
According to Effren, the largest problems with the stimulus bill are the lack of transparency and its size. He said Obama has not followed through on the transparency he has promised and said he could not be more frustrated with politicians who think huge government spending will stabilize the markets.
“It will do absolutely nothing,” said Effren. “It will delay any meaningful restructuring of the economy. People are waiting on the sidelines.”
Nonetheless, some business leaders who have experienced financial problems similar to Effren’s expressed hope that Obama’s economic plan will represent a significant improvement over the policies of President George W. Bush.
Kenneth Olson, president of POKO Partners, a developer based in New York that is working on the Wall Street Place mixed-use project in downtown Norwalk, said his company, like others, has faced economic challenges. The Wall Street Place residential component has been converted from apartments and condominiums to all apartments.
“It’s so much harder to get financing,” Olson said. “Those buyers [of condominiums] have been dramatically impacted by the economy.”
As long as funds are distributed fast enough, Olson said, the stimulus package should help his business because it provides funds for urban development, a major aspect of his industry. He said the stimulus plan has flaws, but the Obama administration’s approach to the economy is dramatically better than that of the Bush administration.
“There is no comparison,” he said. “At least Obama is engaged and trying to move things forward. Bush was not engaged.”
David Levinson, president of Norwalk Community College, was optimistic about Obama’s measures to fix the economy, saying potential infrastructure development projects in Norwalk would help stimulate the town and the college.
“We provide a number of workforce training programs,” Levinson said. “It is going to be a wonderful opportunity for us, so we can expand and create a new workforce.”
According to Levinson, the largest issues facing community colleges during the recession are budget cuts. He said he has already seen a 3 percent cut in state block grants and expects an additional 7 percent in cuts by the fall. These cuts, coupled with higher enrollment as students look for alternatives to expensive four-year schools, Levinson said, mean that the school must try to teach more students with less money.
Yet Levinson said the school is well positioned for the future and the stimulus will help. The college is continuing its work on a new science center and is entering a partnership with J.M. Wright Technical High School to facilitate a smoother path for students between high school and college.
“We believe we are right on the front line in providing a health work force that is needed,” Levinson said. “I’m very encouraged by how the community has come together.”
For Effren, the stimulus package represents a potential harm to Norwalk. He said as long as the government is involved, the market will not stabilize, prolonging already delayed projects in the city.
“Norwalk has some great developments on the books,” he said. “Unfortunately it’s taken too long to get them approved. Many could already be making revenue for the city. It [the city] has a lot of tremendous potential but will have to weather a poor economy.”
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Himes Says Norwalk Well Positioned to Weather Recession, But Housing Struggling
BUSINESS
Norwalk Hour
Tait Militana
Boston University Washington News Service
Feb. 17, 2009
WASHINGTON - Though the Norwalk economy is strong enough to survive a recession, the declining housing market presents a long-term threat, according to Rep. Jim Himes, D-4.
In addition to the $787 billion stimulus bill, which President Barack Obama signed on Tuesday, Himes said in a series of recent interviews, a foreclosure prevention plan is needed to help Fairfield County residents stay in their homes. He said in a phone interview that as long as people are in fear of losing their homes and real estate values are plummeting it will be hard to get the economy back on track.
“We can stimulate till the cows come home, but it won’t work if people are worried about losing their houses,” Himes said.
According to Himes, Norwalk’s community strengths put it in good position to face tough economic times ahead. He said the people of Fairfield County are resilient and will get through this recession better prepared to be competitive in the future.
Nonetheless, Himes said, a weak housing market could put a damper on efforts to improve other aspects of the county’s economy.
Last week Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced a plan to distribute the remaining $350 billion in Troubled Assets Relief Program funds that Congress originally approved in October. A nationwide foreclosure prevention plan will be included in the redesigned program.
Though Geithner said specifics were still being worked out, he expected to announce more-concrete plans in the next few weeks. According to the Treasury Department, every day more than 10,000 families lose their homes to foreclosure nationwide.
Mayor Richard Moccia said in an interview Tuesday that though the coming months will not be easy, the city is in a position to move forward. He reiterated Himes’s view that fixing the problems in the housing market are an important part of fixing the rest of the economy and added that it was essential that stimulus funds be directed through municipalities as much as possible.
“We are in good shape,” Moccia said. “Beyond that, a lot of it depends on what happens with the state. As best we can judge, we are in safe haven; should things get worse, then I think we are all going to be in the same boat.”
Moccia said Norwalk may be in a better position than other cities because it still has a strong bond rating. He also said he there is a potential for business investments in the near future by a film production company and a knife manufacturer.
Fairfield County is home to many Fortune 500 companies and a number of growing businesses. It is also a transportation and information corridor that plays a role in both the area’s economy and in homeland security.
Himes said that the stimulus law and the remaining bailout funds are not the end-alls and that continued investment in infrastructure is also needed. He applauded Obama’s creation of a public oversight Web site to show how stimulus funds are being spent and said several projects in Norwalk, including investments in transportation, are vital to the overall state economy
“I am confident Gov. [M. Jodi] Rell understands the importance of the I-95 corridor to Connecticut’s economy,” Himes said. “I look forward to breaking ground on projects in Norwalk and throughout the 4th District very soon.”
Himes also was recently named co-chair of a Democratic task force to lead an investigation into financial regulatory reform. He said he will be working throughout the year to monitor efficient money distribution.
“We are making sure we don’t put taxpayers’ dollars on the table for private benefit,” he said. “Most of my time in the next year will be about stabilizing the economy so we can produce jobs.”
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Dodd to Treasury: Constituents Are Frustrated
Photos by Caroline Bridges
BANKING
Norwalk Hour
Tait Militana
Boston University Washington News Service
Feb. 10, 2009
WASHINGTON—Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., urged the Treasury Department Tuesday to act swiftly to distribute the remaining Troubled Assets Relief Program funds, saying Americans are frustrated with the results so far.
“They are frustrated that even as we spent billions of their money, they have yet to see the results,” Dodd said. “They reminded me that we cannot restore the credibility of our financial institutions and put our economy back on track, until we restore the credibility of the government’s response.”
The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, of which Dodd is the chairman, questioned Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner following his announcement of a new plan for the remaining financial system rescue funds earlier in the day. In a speech at the Treasury building, Geithner outlined a four-part program to restart frozen credit markets and alleviate the problems of the devastated housing industry. Congress passed the original plan last October.
Though Geithner did not produce specific details about the plan, he said the key components would create a public-private investment fund, a consumer and business lending initiative, an evaluation of the banking industry and a foreclosure prevention plan. He said the $350 billion in remaining funds need to be used in a comprehensive plan in a variety of areas because the problems are all interconnected.
“We believe that action has to be sustained until the recovery is firmly established,” Geithner said.
Dodd, who said he would need to see more specifics and called for further hearings in the future, applauded the new direction for the bailout bill. He said the first use of funds, dictated by the Bush administration, did not work.
“Rather than increasing confidence in the banking system, the piecemeal, lurching intervention of the previous administration scared away private sources of capital needed to plug the growing hole on the balance sheets,” Dodd said. He estimated that the credit loss in the banking system has doubled since September.
According to Dodd, housing foreclosure is the most critical issue facing Connecticut. He called on Treasury to make it the number one priority, saying that nationwide, nearly 10,000 families are losing their homes each day.
Dodd also pressed Geithner to make the future use of the money transparent so that he and his constituents could see how the money was being spent.
But not every senator at the committee hearing was as optimistic about the potential for the rest of the funds. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the committee’s senior minority member, said the first half of the program was a failure that was hastily pushed through Congress.
“The economy worsened as Congress panicked,” he said.
Geithner said moving forward will not be easy. He said that the bailout plan alone would not solve the economic crisis but that paired with the stimulus bill could create significant strides forward.
“This strategy will cost money,” he said. “It will involve risk and take time. As costly as this effort may be, we know that the cost of a complete collapse of our financial system would be incalculable for families, for businesses and for our nation.”
The stimulus bill passed the Senate Tuesday afternoon and now is in conference to work out differences with the House version.
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Dodd, Himes say Infrastructure is an Investment in Future
RECOVERY
Norwalk Hour
Tait Militana
Boston University Washington News Service
Feb 04, 2009
WASHINGTON –The White House estimates that more than 40,000 jobs would be created in Connecticut by the $900 billion stimulus package but Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Rep. Jim Himes, D-4 say that may not be enough.
Both urged Congress to commit more money to infrastructure projects in the state. Improving the local infrastructure is critical to keeping the state economically competitive, they said.
“It’s one that ought to be a no brainer,” Dodd said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “Particularly in a state like ours with congested highways, providing resources to develop alternative means of transit in the corridors as well as the feeder lines, will be very important to us.”
In the House version of the stimulus bill, which passed last week, Connecticut would receive nearly $600 million for infrastructure improvements, including $400 million for highways and bridges and $70 million for transit.
Both Himes and Dodd said they were wary of White House data on the number of jobs the stimulus bill will create. Dodd said with the state losing 125,000 jobs last year, 44,000 new jobs does not seem to help that much. However, if it means 44,000 jobs are saved, that is a positive step.
“I think we need to keep eye on the goal of this bill,” Himes said. “Creating jobs and slowing the rate Americans lose them – I will judge the package by the extent it will do that.”
Larry Summers, director of the National Economic Council, said Tuesday that the White House stimulus package could create up to 44,000 jobs in Connecticut, the majority of which would be in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
“The program will include the largest investment in the backbone of the American economy, our basic infrastructure—roads, transit, broadband, schools—since the interstate highway system,” Summers said in a meeting with reporters in the Old Executive Office Building.
Himes said when it comes to infrastructure, transit is the most important issue facing Norwalk and Fairfield County, but there are issues with government buildings and utilities that cannot be ignored.
“The schools are crumbling and the sewage systems are not up to snuff,” Himes said in a telephone interview. “I am happy it [the stimulus package] will help us upgrade and improve our standard of living while creating jobs.”
To best support these proposed projects, Dodd called for money to be directed straight to municipalities. He said towns and cities know the needs of their communities better than the state government.
“My experience has been that if you can get money directly to your local governments you do very well,” Dodd said. “They are more likely to have shovel-ready projects.”
According to the United States Conference of Mayors, which met in Washington last month, there are more than $150 billion in shovel ready projects nationwide, including $180 million in Norwalk. The Senate is working on the stimulus bill which Republicans say has too much spending and not enough tax cuts. Democratic leaders say they hope to finish the bill and have something to President Obama by the end of next week.
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Lawmaker Says Darien Investment Fund Ripped Off Clients
MADOFF
Norwalk Hour
Tait Militana
Boston University Washington News Service
Feb 04, 2009
WASHINGTON—Legislators and investigators on Wednesday tore into financial firms and investment funds that invested with Bernard Madoff’s alleged fraudulent firm, accusing them of failing to protect their clients.
One of the members of the House subcommittee conducting the hearing, Rep.Jackie Speier, D-Calif., said of the private firms that they had “ripped off the American people.”
The panel and its principal witness also had few good words for the Securities and Exchange Commission, which failed to pursue the case when it was first brought to its attention.
Harry Markopolos, an independent financial fraud examiner from Boston, who discovered evidence of Madoff’s alleged Ponzi scheme more than eight years ago, said all of his information was available to the public. He said feeder funds such as Maxam Capital Management LLC, of Darien, should have been able to determine that Madoff’s company was too good to be true.
“If they didn’t know, they were woefully blind,” Markopolos told the subcommittee.
Comment from Maxam Capital was not immediately available.
The town of Fairfield, which lost nearly $42 million in pension funds in the Madoff scandal, used Maxam Capital as a retirement investment fund for municipal employees. According to Paul Hiller, the town’s chief fiscal officer, Fairfield first invested with the company in June 1997. Last December, Madoff was arrested for allegedly committing $50 billion in investment fraud.
Much of the suspected fraud was conducted through feeder funds such as Maxam that unknowingly recruited new victims for Madoff. Though Hiller declined to comment on the culpability of the feeder fund or the town in the bad investment, he said Fairfield was lucky because it had a stronger retirement system than most others.
“No one has lost their pension,” Hiller said.
According to Markopolos, who also blamed the SEC and other financial regulators for allowing Madoff to get away with his scheme for so long, others were not as lucky. He testified as the featured witness before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, on which Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, serves.
Himes said local feeder funds are responsible for continuing the alleged fraud, but investors at all levels need to be more diligent.
“Everybody involved with Bernard Madoff is at best guilty of willing suspension of disbelief, at worse malfeasance,” he said.
Markopolos said he discovered Madoff was deceiving investors in 2000, when he was working at a competing firm. He took his case to the SEC, which, he said, refused to investigate. He said it was inexplicable that Madoff went unnoticed by financial firms and regulatory bodies for so long.
“It took me about five minutes to figure out he was a fraud,” Markopolos said, explaining how Madoff appeared to get consistent good returns. “His performance line was a 45-degree angle, without any variation. No such performance exists.”
SEC employees who testified at the hearing cited the current investigation as the reason they were reluctant to say why agency investigators did not take up the case. They also said the commission receives thousands of tips each year and does not have the resources to pursue all of them
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Freshman Rep. Himes Learns Ins and Outs of Congress
Photos by Caroline Bridges
TRANSITION
Norwalk Hour
Tait Militana
Boston University Washington News Service
1/29/09
WASHINGTON – For many first-time members of Congress, the trials of starting their new jobs include finding their way around the Capitol, meeting other members and learning the ins and outs of Washington.
For Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, the first weeks also included dealing with unprecedented inauguration crowds and fixing the heat in his office.
He said he is still figuring out some of the basic stuff about Congress.
“I can get to the floor, no problem,” Himes said. “I can get to the gym, no problem. I know a couple of places where I know I can be fed. You ask me to get to anything a lot more esoteric than that and it’s a little slow.”
Taking the failing economy as his primary issue, Himes, 42, defeated incumbent Republican Chris Shays in November. The day after the election he began working on his transition to Washington. Yet this transition proved to be a challenge.
Himes started his career in Congress during one of the most historic events in politics. With almost 2 million people descending on the city to witness the inauguration of President Barack Obama, thousands of constituents looking for tickets and dozens of reporters nagging his incomplete staff, Himes said things have been hectic in his first few weeks as a representative.
“It’s been really busy,” Himes said. “The inauguration took all of the air out of the room.”
Himes also moved into his new office on Capitol Hill without a functioning heating system and during one of the coldest weeks of the year. Nonetheless, Himes has taken it all in stride. He said what really makes Congress tick is its members.
“The action of this place doesn’t really depend on the statues, the offices or the halls,” Himes said. “It’s about sitting down with people, thinking hard and making good decisions.”
Caitlin Donohue, a congressional assistant, said though Himes still may get lost, he is a hard worker and is always prepared for the next problem.
“Jim has adapted to the new challenges quickly,” Donohue said.
Earlier this week, Himes, who is on the Financial Services Committee, was appointed to two subcommittees: the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government-Sponsored Enterprises and the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, which oversee the securities, banking and housing industries.
Himes, who worked at the global investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. before running for office, said though his history in business should help him on the committee, the way things are done in politics is completely different from the business world’s methods. He said he was surprised by how important seniority is in the day-to-day happenings of Congress.
“The protocol and hierarchy are odd to me,” Himes said, describing the realities of seniority that “I came head to head with when I got to wait three hours to ask a question in a hearing.”
During Himes’ first week on Capitol Hill, he attended various social activities for new members and was able to speak to a lot of his new colleagues. One of the most powerful moments for him, he said, was walking through the Capitol for the first time and seeing the statues of Daniel Webster, Thomas Jefferson and of all the great politicians of the past.
“I had two sensations,” Himes said. “One was where we are today is really tough, but we’ve been in tougher straits before and we got through it. Two, boy the bar is pretty high.”
According to Himes, his biggest worry in the coming months is being a good husband and dad. He said he does not plan on moving his family to Washington.
“I’m regularly 200 miles away,” Himes said. “But as motivated as I am to be a public servant at this very important time, I’m fundamentally committed to being a good dad.”
Despite the challenges of the first few weeks and those that surely lay ahead, Don Carlson, Himes’ campaign chief of staff, said, Himes’ perseverance is one of the qualities that makes him so successful.
“He’s the most persistent guy I’ve ever met,” Carlson said. “He doesn’t know how to quit. He’ll make it work.”
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Lieberman Calls For More Troops in Afghanistan
AFGHANISTAN
Norwalk Hour
Tait Militana
Boston University Washington News Service
1/29/09
WASHINGTON- Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn, called on Thursday for more troops and money for Afghanistan, backing the Obama administration’s view that a defeat there would be detrimental to regional stability and the reputation of NATO.
In a speech at the Brookings Institution, a left-leaning think tank, Lieberman laid out a broad five-point plan to bring more civilian and military personnel to the country in the coming months to turn around the deteriorating conditions and defeat the insurgency. He urged foreign nations to do more to help, saying that regional stability has far-reaching implications for curbing terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons.
“Our failure there will make every problem in the region worse and harder to solve,” Lieberman said.
According to Lieberman, any surge in American troops in the country must be matched by a surge in the civilian workforce and the Afghan Army. Specifics on how much it will cost and how many troops his goals will require were not immediately available, but Lieberman said it is important that the United States make a long-term commitment to the region.
He said the U.S. military has learned a lot of lessons from the war in Iraq and that is why there is still an opportunity for success in Afghanistan.
“The American military has become the most formidable counterinsurgency force in history,” Lieberman said. “So we go into Iraq having learned a lot.”
Tom Mancinelli, a student at Georgetown University and former Marine Corps officer in Iraq who attended the speech, said that Lieberman’s view on the situation in Iraq is optimistic but that agrees with his analysis of the importance of Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan is more serious, more critical to our security,” Mancinelli said.
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