The recent flurry of retrospectives surrounding the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy carried, in part, a reminder of the optimism that prevailed in the United States in
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The recent flurry of retrospectives surrounding the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy carried, in part, a reminder of the optimism that prevailed in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, said U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th Congressional District).
President Kennedy, and many of the lawmakers who served beside him, belonged to the Greatest Generation — those who fought in World War II. When the soldiers and sailors came home from the war, they were optimistic and positive about the future, Rep. Lance said.
But much of that optimism is missing lately — mostly because of the economy, which is among the most important issue facing the nation today, he said.
Rep. Lance delivered “A Report from Washington, D.C.” at the invitation of Rider University’s Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics on Dec. 5.
Americans are feeling besieged, he said, adding that the middle class is “not of the belief they are making advances.” Overall, wages have been stagnant for more than a generation. People work hard, yet real wages have not increased. It is not the fault of any president or Congress — it is systematic, he said.
Rep. Lance attributed at least part of the decline of the middle class to the revolution in manufacturing. Jobs have moved overseas because the pay is lower and the environmental standards are not as strict, he said, stressing that he does not recommend lowering American wages or environmental standards.
Turning to the need for greater fiscal responsibility in Washington, Rep. Lance said the federal government shutdown in October was “unfortunate.” He said he was one of the 87 Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted to keep it open.
Noting that he considers himself to be a fiscally conservative Republican, Rep. Lance said it is imperative to pay all bills on time and in full, and to all vendors — from large corporations to small businesses. He said he could not engage in prioritizing which bills to pay — Social Security, Medicare, interest on Treasury notes or salaries for troops in the field.
”Under no circumstances should we ever default on these responsibilities,” Rep. Lance said.
Rep. Lance said he would like “a grand bargain” on reforming entitlements, which are cost drivers in the federal budget. He suggested raising the minimum age to receive Social Security payments to perhaps 68 or 69 years old, and applying it to young people in their 20s.
The congressman said he is aware that his political opponents may try to use that proposal against him during the 2014 election, but there is precedent for raising the retirement age to receive full Social Security benefits.
Republican President Ronald Reagan and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tip O’Neill agreed a generation ago to raise the retirement age, Rep. Lance said. For himself, the retirement age rose from 65 years old to 66. For others, the minimum age has risen to 67 years old.
”I felt in no way offended, given a generation-and-a-half notice,” he said. “I modestly suggest to young people, you might have to wait until you are 68 or 69, but you will be given a generation-and-a-half advance notice.”
Rep. Lance also touched on the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. He made it clear that he opposed the law and voted to repeal it, hoping to replace it. The failure of the website is a procedural issue, but once past website issues, the substance of the Affordable Care Act is very much in question, he said.
He said he doubted that enough young people would sign up to make Obamacare successful. He also criticized President Obama’s oft-repeated phrase that people could keep their doctors and their health insurance plans, if they wanted to do that.
”Many of my constituents call me and tell me it’s not true,” Rep. Lance said. At a recent electronic Town Hall, about 5,000 people called in and 90 percent of the questions were related to Obamacare in the hour-long event.
”That is certainly on the minds of a lot of people,” the congressman said.
One possible solution would be to allow people to buy health insurance across state lines, Rep. Lance said. Children could be kept on their parents’ health insurance policies until they turned 26 years old. Tort reform, which would limit lawsuits, also should be enacted.
Rep. Lance also touched on border security and immigration. Having visited several states on the U.S.-Mexican border during the summer, he said fences exist in some areas, but in others, the terrain is “rugged” and fences may not be needed.
Congress is likely to take up legislation on border security in January 2014, he said. Among the issues is the need to reform the type of visas that allow foreign scientists to enter and work in the United States. There is need for reform to attract talented people to this country, because there are many technology-oriented jobs in New York, New Jersey and the Silicon Valley in California.
A more difficult issue is that of illegal immigrants, Rep. Lance said. He opposes citizenship for them because they came to the United States illegally. There has to be a resolution to the issue, but not a pathway to citizenship, he said.
On the upcoming elections, Rep. Lance predicted that the Republican Party would continue to hold onto the U.S. House of Representatives. They may make gains in the U.S. Senate, he said, pointing to open seats in West Virginia, Montana and South Dakota. There are other vulnerable Senate seats in Arkansas, Alaska, Louisiana and North Carolina, held by Democrats.
”I think it is possible (for Republicans) to make significant gains in the Senate. Whether they will get control of the Senate, I don’t know,” Rep. Lance said.
And for the first time in 100 years — since the election of Woodrow Wilson — there is a good chance that a New Jerseyan is a potential president, he said.
Things could change in the next two years, he said, but today, Gov. Chris Christie would be the Republican Party nominee in 2016. He said that he and Gov. Christie are close “philosophically,” and that he would be a strong proponent for the governor. But there is much work to be done between now and 2016, he added.
Wrapping up his remarks, Rep. Lance said “we have to work together on major issues that confront us as a nation,” pointing to the economy and a thriving middle class “and all that is attendant to it — health care issues, issues relating to tax policy and getting our fiscal house in order.”
”Beyond that, we have to work together in a bipartisan capacity on the international situation, making sure that our values in this nation — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of thought and freedom of association — are the values that we can espouse around the world,” he said.
”We need to make sure that tyranny is ever reduced and to make sure we are on the side of freedom, tolerance and to make sure that every person on earth can live up to his or her full potential,” Rep. Lance said.

