Races for Congress center on economy

A political newcomer and a former congresswoman are in the congressional races.

STAFF REPORT

SHARON, Pa. — The race for a U.S. House seat in the 3rd Congressional District is tight, while in the 4th District, the incumbent appears to have a comfortable lead.

A poll released earlier this month by SurveyUSA for Roll Call, Capitol Hill’s newspaper, showed Democratic challenger and political newcomer Kathy Dahlkemper with a slim 49 percent to 45 percent lead over 14-year Republican incumbent Phil English in the 3rd, which encompasses all of Erie County and parts of six others, including Mercer. A newer poll by Research 2000 showed her up 49 percent to 41 percent.

In the 4th, which includes Lawrence and part of Mercer counties, Democratic incumbent Jason Altmire had a double-digit lead of 54 percent to 42 percent over Republican Melissa Hart, according to SurveyUSA. Altmire beat Hart in November 2006.

As the Nov. 4 election draws closer, the candidates told The Vindicator why they want the House seats, what their qualifications are and what issues they’ll be focused on.

Dahlkemper, who owns a landscaping business in Erie with her husband, said she is running because she believes English’s and President Bush’s policies have hurt the district.

“I believe we must put Congress to work for the hard-working middle-class families of this district,” she said.

Though she has no political experience, Dahlkemper said she will bring the district’s concerns to Washington with “real-life experiences.”

“Before owning a successful business with my husband, Dan, I was a single mother,” she said. “At one point, I needed to go on food stamps.”

Dahlkemper also said that because of her professional experience, she knows how to create and keep jobs. She said she also has 20 years’ experience in the health-care field, with the “background and knowledge to tackle our country’s health-care crisis.”

For Dahlkemper, issues and priorities are the economy and job creation to reverse the region’s economic troubles. She also said she supports a tax break for the middle class, with tax cuts for “95 percent of working people.”

She said she likes the idea of tax incentives for businesses that create jobs here. Supporting green technology, she believes, will result in good jobs in the region.

Her opponent said he is running again to help the economy, protect the country from terrorism, ensure secure retirements for people, protect families from tax increases and improve the quality of education.

“I’ve worked across party lines to make progress on all those issues,” said English, who prides himself on being “an independent voice who puts the needs of the 3rd District ahead of any party or president.”

English, who voted against the bailout, says he has consistently supported taxpayers’ interests.

He said his economic priorities are a stronger regional and national economy, expanding overseas markets for U.S. goods, encouraging businesses to return jobs and investments to the United States and “renegotiating flawed trade deals like NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement].”

English also said he will work on reducing the nation’s dependence on energy “from unstable and unfriendly countries.” American sources of energy, which would produce jobs here, include drilling for natural gas and oil, clean coal technology and new technologies, he said.

English also said health care and retirement issues are important. He has worked for prescription coverage for senior citizens and has opposed proposals that would weaken Social Security, he said.

His top priority, he said, is to “get the economy running again.”

In the 4th District rematch, Hart, a Republican who had the House seat for six years, believes critical issues have been ignored or used as “political wedges” by Congress.

She said that as the economy became unstable and health-insurance remained out of reach for many, government spending was out of control and tax money was wasted. She said she favors a moratorium on earmarks, or what she calls “political pet projects for the congressman’s self-interests or to curry favor with campaign contributors.”

Hart, who was a Pennsylvania state senator for 10 years, said she had sponsored reform measures in Congress for the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “when the House leaders on both sides of the aisle turned a blind eye.”

Energy is a major issue Hart would focus on: “We must plan for our future by aggressively developing clean, renewable, reliable and less-costly energy sources,” she said, and added that increasing nuclear power is necessary.

Hart said that if she returns to Congress, she’ll regain her seat on the Ways and Means Committee with her seniority. “This will allow me to directly impact the tax issues as well as Social Security, trade and entitlements,” she said.

Hart said her top priority is getting the economy back on track. In addition to tax issues, she wants to make sure trade laws are strongly enforced “against illegal dumping and other predatory practices.”

Altmire, the Democratic incumbent, said he is running again with three key issues in mind: strengthening the economy, ending dependence on foreign oil and making health care more accessible.

His top priority, he said, is stabilizing the economy.

“First, I will work to reform our financial system so taxpayers never again have to pay for Wall Street’s mistakes,” he said. “I also want to protect middle-class families and small businesses during this economic crisis by further lowering their tax burden, protecting access to capital and lines of credit, and increasing protections for retirement accounts and pensions.”

He said he will also work to develop alternative energy sources, especially those that can generate jobs in the district such as natural gas, clean coal, coal-to-liquid and nuclear technologies.

He said he has been “a leading voice” for offshore drilling and an advocate for investing more in nuclear energy.

He also said he will work to get Congress to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, make it easier for small businesses to provide health insurance, and strengthen Medicare.

Altmire said he has introduced 16 bills or amendments that have supported veterans’ issues. He has also played a leading role, he said, in Congress’ efforts to make college more affordable by cutting interest rates on student loans in half.