Citizens Voice - Cartwright Emphasizes Health Care, Trade in Platform

News Article

By Josh Moyer

Matt Cartwright paused for a moment, slowly rotating his wedding ring as he gathered his thoughts.

The self-proclaimed Roosevelt Democrat, who once said he was from the "Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party," had never before been asked if his hard-lined party stance would prevent Congress from reaching compromises.

The Moosic attorney - who hopes to best incumbent U.S. Rep. Tim Holden in the April 24 Democratic primary - apologized for rambling before his answer and smiled.

Listen to audio from Cartwright's interview

"You don't compromise with people like that because they won't give you anything," he said Monday during an hour-long visit to The Citizens' Voice. "So how else do you deal with it? I think the answer is to raise the noise level."

Cartwright believes Democrats have already compromised too much with Republicans: President Barack Obama's health care plan does not go far enough, he said, and George W. Bush's tax cuts on the wealthy should not be extended.

"You don't extend the Bush tax cuts," he said. "You fight about it."

Dressed in a striped red tie and a charcoal suit, Cartwright framed himself as a longtime attorney who remains a champion of the poor and middle class. He has worked as a partner at Scranton's Munley, Munley & Cartwright law firm since 1994 and says he believes that experience will translate well into public office.

Although Cartwright's political experience is limited - in 1992, he served as an elected delegate for Bill Clinton at the Democratic National Convention - he didn't hesitate when it came to naming his three-pronged approach to improving the U.S.

His priorities include health care, education and infrastructure, which he said is tied with the economy. He wants to see high-speed rails in Pennsylvania, a public option available in health insurance and additional finances devoted to educational programs, especially those that focus on younger children.

Cartwright says he wants to pay for those programs by raising taxes on the richest 1 percent and by making moderate cuts in military spending.

Here are excerpts of his answers to the editorial board's questions:

Health care

"There's a fundamental difference between these two candidates on something like health care because Tim Holden thought it was going too far to give people with pre-existing conditions a chance to be covered by health insurance. I know a lady whose life was saved because of this health care legislation because she had cancer.

"Cancer is a pre-existing condition, if you have it when you go to apply for your health insurance. If the Supreme Court knocks this law down, there's a lot of people on chemotherapy right know that could get knocked off of coverage.

"I will fight to make the Affordable Care Act stronger and better and more comprehensive for everybody. That is a democratic ideal. A lot of people don't agree with it, but believe in it and I will fight hard for it."

His opponent, Tim Holden

"What kind of a fighter are you overall? He's been in Congress for 19 years, he's on his 20th year now. Tim Holden has authored exactly two pieces of legislation in his 19 years of congress, and both of them were to name local post offices."

Trade

"I believe in fair trade, not just free trade. I think that too many jobs are going overseas in this country because there's dumping going on. I have a friend in Bucks County, he has a factory. He just had to pay a $500,000 bill for a remediation system that he wasn't altogether sure that he needed, but he was going to comply to the law.

"And he said, 'Matt, look, I love the environment, too, but here's what's happening. I have to pay this $500,000. That means I have to add to the price.' His factory makes rototillers and garden tools and things like that, it's a nice little company.

"But he has to compete against these Chinese companies that make the same thing, and China doesn't have an (Environmental Protection Agency).

"The answer is put reasonable tariffs on countries that are dumping goods on this country because they don't have to pay for those things to keep children out of the factories, to make workers safe so their arms and legs don't get cut off, things like that."

Tax cuts

"I strongly believe we have to go back to the Clinton-era tax rates. I think the top 1 percent can pay an extra 3 percent on their top marginal rate. And that hasn't happened. Warren Buffett believes his oMatt Cartwright paused for a moment, slowly rotating his wedding ring as he gathered his thoughts.

The self-proclaimed Roosevelt Democrat, who once said he was from the "Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party," had never before been asked if his hard-lined party stance would prevent Congress from reaching compromises.

The Moosic attorney - who hopes to best incumbent U.S. Rep. Tim Holden in the April 24 Democratic primary - apologized for rambling before his answer and smiled.

"You don't compromise with people like that because they won't give you anything," he said Monday during an hour-long visit to The Citizens' Voice. "So how else do you deal with it? I think the answer is to raise the noise level."

Cartwright believes Democrats have already compromised too much with Republicans: President Barack Obama's health care plan does not go far enough, he said, and George W. Bush's tax cuts on the wealthy should not be extended.

"You don't extend the Bush tax cuts," he said. "You fight about it."

Dressed in a striped red tie and a charcoal suit, Cartwright framed himself as a longtime attorney who remains a champion of the poor and middle class. He has worked as a partner at Scranton's Munley, Munley & Cartwright law firm since 1994 and says he believes that experience will translate well into public office.

Although Cartwright's political experience is limited - in 1992, he served as an elected delegate for Bill Clinton at the Democratic National Convention - he didn't hesitate when it came to naming his three-pronged approach to improving the U.S.

His priorities include health care, education and infrastructure, which he said is tied with the economy. He wants to see high-speed rails in Pennsylvania, a public option available in health insurance and additional finances devoted to educational programs, especially those that focus on younger children.

Cartwright says he wants to pay for those programs by raising taxes on the richest 1 percent and by making moderate cuts in military spending.

Here are excerpts of his answers to the editorial board's questions:

Health care

"There's a fundamental difference between these two candidates on something like health care because Tim Holden thought it was going too far to give people with pre-existing conditions a chance to be covered by health insurance. I know a lady whose life was saved because of this health care legislation because she had cancer.

"Cancer is a pre-existing condition, if you have it when you go to apply for your health insurance. If the Supreme Court knocks this law down, there's a lot of people on chemotherapy right know that could get knocked off of coverage.

"I will fight to make the Affordable Care Act stronger and better and more comprehensive for everybody. That is a democratic ideal. A lot of people don't agree with it, but believe in it and I will fight hard for it."

His opponent, Tim Holden

"What kind of a fighter are you overall? He's been in Congress for 19 years, he's on his 20th year now. Tim Holden has authored exactly two pieces of legislation in his 19 years of congress, and both of them were to name local post offices."

Trade

"I believe in fair trade, not just free trade. I think that too many jobs are going overseas in this country because there's dumping going on. I have a friend in Bucks County, he has a factory. He just had to pay a $500,000 bill for a remediation system that he wasn't altogether sure that he needed, but he was going to comply to the law.

"And he said, 'Matt, look, I love the environment, too, but here's what's happening. I have to pay this $500,000. That means I have to add to the price.' His factory makes rototillers and garden tools and things like that, it's a nice little company.

"But he has to compete against these Chinese companies that make the same thing, and China doesn't have an (Environmental Protection Agency).

"The answer is put reasonable tariffs on countries that are dumping goods on this country because they don't have to pay for those things to keep children out of the factories, to make workers safe so their arms and legs don't get cut off, things like that."

Tax cuts

"I strongly believe we have to go back to the Clinton-era tax rates. I think the top 1 percent can pay an extra 3 percent on their top marginal rate. And that hasn't happened. Warren Buffett believes his own tax rate should be raised 3 percent.

"Let me tell you why I think we need to get back to that: No. 1: We're burrowing into a horrible debt hole. Why? So that we can give the richest Americans 3 percent off? Now 3 percent isn't much to them, but in terms of revenue, it's enormous and it's not necessary."

Gas prices

"Gas prices are going to get bad this summer. I think they're going to be around $4.50, and that's a supply-and-demand thing. Supply, you know, we have the Arab Spring. Gas production out of Libya is down 50 percent because of that. Things like that matter.

"When supply is down, prices go up. But the bigger problem is demand.

"Last year, Chinese demand for gas went up 12 percent. When you're talking about China, 1 percent is enormous. Twelve percent is unbelievable; that's what's driving up gas prices: Chinese demand. How do you fix that? Well, again, it goes back to fair trade."

One of the reasons he's challenging Holden

"The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009. My opponent voted against that. That's one of the things that brought me out in this election, a Democrat voting against people being evicted by banks. And let me give you some more texture on that. In 2009, people were being evicted from their homes.

"What that does for the breadwinner's self-esteem in the home, how that scars kids in ways we can't imagine to be thrown out of your house. Democrats had Congress - and they had the House, they had the Senate, they had the presidency.

"My opponent voted against that. That's one of the things that has brought me out in this election. It's core values. A Democrat with core values wouldn't vote against something like that."wn tax rate should be raised 3 percent.

"Let me tell you why I think we need to get back to that: No. 1: We're burrowing into a horrible debt hole. Why? So that we can give the richest Americans 3 percent off? Now 3 percent isn't much to them, but in terms of revenue, it's enormous and it's not necessary."

Gas prices

"Gas prices are going to get bad this summer. I think they're going to be around $4.50, and that's a supply-and-demand thing. Supply, you know, we have the Arab Spring. Gas production out of Libya is down 50 percent because of that. Things like that matter.

"When supply is down, prices go up. But the bigger problem is demand.

"Last year, Chinese demand for gas went up 12 percent. When you're talking about China, 1 percent is enormous. Twelve percent is unbelievable; that's what's driving up gas prices: Chinese demand. How do you fix that? Well, again, it goes back to fair trade."

One of the reasons he's challenging Holden

"The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009. My opponent voted against that. That's one of the things that brought me out in this election, a Democrat voting against people being evicted by banks. And let me give you some more texture on that. In 2009, people were being evicted from their homes.

"What that does for the breadwinner's self-esteem in the home, how that scars kids in ways we can't imagine to be thrown out of your house. Democrats had Congress - and they had the House, they had the Senate, they had the presidency.

"My opponent voted against that. That's one of the things that has brought me out in this election. It's core values. A Democrat with core values wouldn't vote against something like that."

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