If there’s one quality that a U.S. Representative — at least one from Massachusetts — needs, it is intellectual versatility. Over the course of an hour’s town meeting at Needham High School last Sunday, Rep. Jake Auchincloss, a Democrat, answered questions on the Iran war, student loans, the funding of scientific research, job outsourcing, fair elections, border policy and immigration, nuclear arms, campaign funding (including his own), presidential corruption, and, in various guises, general despair over the personalities, perceived integrity and actions of the current federal leaders. Based on the regular applause and the tenor of the questions from the audience estimated at 150 people, attendees were largely sympathetic to Auchincloss and his party.
In his opening remarks, Auchincloss expressed some despair — and determination — himself, particularly regarding Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“My goal, quite frankly,” said Auchincloss, “is to get him fired by the midterms.”
“This individual, a lifelong conspiracist, is in charge of the largest department in Washington, D.C. … and it has a profound impact on the Massachusetts economy. We have an Eds and Meds economy here in Massachusetts. Health care and innovation are really important drivers of wages.
“What RFK Jr. and his henchmen have been doing over the last 18 months through a combination of grift, incompetence and anti-vax conspiracy [is] undermining both our democracy and our economy in Massachusetts.”
Auchincloss outlined a number of ways members of Congress have been “bottling up” Kennedy’s efforts, including opposing Marty Makary, who resigned in May as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
“While it can feel infuriating, demoralizing to see the headlines day in and day out,” he said, “just know that after each one of those headlines, there’s a response.”
Auchincloss and his staff fielded questions lottery-style: Attendees were given numbered tickets as they entered the high school auditorium and then numbers were randomly chosen and put up on a screen. Those whose numbers appeared lined up at the microphones.
The first question was about outsourcing jobs to other countries. Auchincloss promised to follow up regarding specific bills, but said in general, “If you look at the last 50 years, the returns on capital far outpace the returns on labor. I think that’s one of the reasons why American workers feel like this economy isn’t working for them very well.”
One of the things he’s looking at, he said, was a corporate “opportunity” index developed by business school faculty that assesses the likelihood that employees will get promoted within a company. “I think it could be interesting to figure out how to tie some federal policies towards higher scores within the American Opportunity Index.”
Several questions were clearly frequently asked at Auchincloss’s forums, some by the same people. Peter Metz of North Hill, for example, asked about nuclear disarmament, and it was not the first time.
“Peter,” said Auchincloss, “you’ve asked this question many times at town halls. I’ve always answered it. I’m coming to North Hill again next month, and I’m sure you’ll ask it again. I agree that we should have a no-first-strike policy. I agree that Congress should have to authorize any deployment of nuclear weapons. But I don’t agree that we should proactively handcuff ourselves.”
He then turned to another military threat: biological weapons. “China is developing a lot of concerning capabilities within biology,” he said. He described it as a new domain of human competition between states, along with air, sea, land, space and cyberspace.
In those five areas, countries develop both offensive and defensive capabilities. But, he said, “there can be no acceptable offensive applications in biology, period.”
Another familiar question was about Auchincloss’s willingness to accept money from certain organizations, specifically AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), which funds candidates who support Israel.
Records show, the questioner said, referring to an online tracker, “that you have accepted almost a million dollars from that special interest. I haven’t given you a nickel, but I’ve given you my vote. Do you represent me? Or do you represent the person whoÆs giving you a million dollars?”
Auchincloss defended his record on seeking to reform campaign financing, even if it took a constitutional amendment. On AIPAC, though, Auchincloss pushed back. “I speak and meet with all of the J Street and Jewish Voices for Peace, et cetera. I have no problem with criticizing people’s points of view on issues. Look at my votes.” But, he said, it seems like Jewish groups are targeted — from the right and from the left — for how they engage in politics, and he sees it as a sign of antisemitism.
“What concerns me is that one group of people are targeted above and beyond everybody else for how they engage in politics. Everybody’s engaged in politics these days, but only one group of people has been targeted.”
When asked about political issues, including recent Democratic primary wins by markedly leftist candidates, Auchincloss reminded attendees that this was a policy event, not a political one. He did, however say this:
“We’re seeing a massive decline in trust in institutions and in those who run those institutions. The challenge for both political parties — because neither political party, candidly, is held in very high regard throughout the country — is to build that trust and to show that they can disrupt the status quo.”
He turned to one of his regular themes. “I think that we have to have a governing compact in this country, built around a new American dream that says, we think that you should have an excellent education by the time you’re 18 years old. We think you should be able to own a home by the time you’re 30. And we think you should have a dignified retirement by the time you’re 65. And here are the policies that we’re going to slot into those three core pillars of a new American dream.”
Auchincloss closed the meeting by asking for a moment of silence to remember Rep. Barney Frank. “He was a terrific member, really a lion in the House for affordable housing, for marriage equality and LGBT equality, and also for financial regulation.”
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