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Murphy: There's still much to do in D.C.
Oct 14, 06:04 PM
Meriden Record Journal
By Amanda Falcone
Record-Journal staff
MERIDEN — After nearly two years in Washington as a freshman congressman, U.S. Rep. Christopher S. Murphy, D-5th District, said he is not jaded, but more optimistic.
“I enter this campaign with just as much hope as I did two years ago,”
he said Monday of his bid for re-election and his attitude toward
America’s political system. During a meeting with the Record-Journal’s editorial board, Murphy said he has certainly seen the pitfalls of national politics, but said he has also seen that under the right circumstances and with the right people in charge, bills can be passed that make a difference.
“I love the job,” Murphy said. “I’ve had a great time this past year
and a half.”
Murphy said that he first arrived in Washington as a reformer, and believes he has helped to pave the way for change in several sectors. He cited his role in crafting ethics related legislation as an example.
But he notes that more work must be done in areas such as health care
and ethics reform, and said that the war in Iraq Election 2008 needs to end. Murphy wants to be re-elected to make sure these tasks are completed.
As he campaigns, Murphy has competition from state Sen. David J.
Cappiello, R-Danbury, the Green Party’s Harold Burbank II and Thomas
Winn, of the Independent Party. The election is Nov. 4.
If re-elected, Murphy said, he has some local priorities.
He hopes to get the federal government to play a greater role in revitalizing downtown Meriden. The government should help with funding, Murphy said, referencing the $490,000 the city got last year for a West Main Street streetscape project.
Murphy also wants to help Connecticut establish the New Haven-to-Springfield, Mass., commuter rail. This would not only help transportation in the state, but could also spur economic development, he said. Meriden would be a stop on the line.
Flood control and brownfields are also high on Murphy’s priority list. Acknowledging that Meriden has had difficulty in securing money for such projects, Murphy said the city’s luck might change if the federal government changes how it allocates funds. If it shifts away from earmarks and more toward a merit-based grant system, it may be easier for Meriden to get project money, he said.
The bigger issues, such as the economy and heating assistance, also are of local importance, Murphy said, adding that he stands by his vote in favor of the $700 billion bailout package recently passed by Congress. It was the toughest decision he had to make since becoming a U.S. representative, but Congress had to act, he said, noting that he knows the bill was not perfect and that it will take some time
before the country sees results.
To brush up on his econom-ics, Murphy has turned to American history, spending several hours this month reading up on the Great Depression.
The bailout package was just the first step in an economic recovery process, he said. Next, Congress needs to pass a new regulatory structure and approve an additional economic stimulus initiative, he said.
Murphy knows that many of his constituents are not happy with the high-priced bailout package, but said he thinks they realize that Congress had to do something.
“People are enormously angry and I’m just as angry as they are,” he said, stressing that he believes they are angry at the economic situation, not at lawmakers.
