Himes calls on Congress to assert its war authority

By Scott Benjamin

NORWALK – The last group through the greeting line is smiling as they pose with U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4).

One of the members of the convention delegation proudly holds the “New Canaan” placard and Himes’ campaign manager, Francesca Capodilupo, takes a photo.

Himes of Greenwich has captured the Democratic convention nomination for a 10^th consecutive time.

Eighteen years ago he became the first Democrat to win in the district since 1966, the year that he was born.

Now he is the ranking Democrat on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, becoming a Democratic point person on Operation Epic Fury in Iran.

In 2008, the year that Himes was initially elected, the U.S. military engaged in a two-front war, initiating a troop surge drawdown in Iraq while ramping up resources in Afghanistan due to a rising insurgency.

Over the previous five years the two wars resulted in nearly 430,000 deaths and costs that were estimated at over $5 trillion,

Wall Street Journal columnist William Galston recently stated, “The post-World War II emergence of the U.S. as a superpower with global reach and responsibilities has changed the constitutional balance between the executive and legislative branches, especially regarding the power to take the nation to war.”

“I totally agree with that,” said Himes in an interview with Patch.com.

“We’re seeing now why our founders said the representatives of the people should debate this,” he explained. “Because we’ve lost 13 people. This really is impacting Americans’ quality of life. It has raised gasoline prices and costs for food.”

“This is why the representatives of the people should be involved in making these consequential decisions,” Himes said.

“Congress needs to assert its authority,” he commented. “In fact, needs to man-up a little bit. There are way too many people in Congress who would rather not take a vote, a very difficult vote.”

“People looked at what happened to Hillary Clinton when she voted in favor of the Iraq War,” Himes remarked. “We’re paid to be leaders. We’re paid to make hard decisions. I think Congress needs to step up its game.”

As for the public’s reaction, he said, “I was a little surprised. I thought that the American people after the Iraq War and the Afghanistan withdrawal - those were a rough couple of years – would have been more adamant about entering another war in the Middle East.”

“The public opinion is very much against this war,” said Himes. “How many times do we need to get involved in a war before the American people demand more care from the president, in particular, but all elected officials.”

Did President Donald Trump underestimate the resolve of Iran?

“I think he believed that the regime would crumble when attacked,” Himes said. “I think he didn’t listen to his many advisors, who would have told him, ‘Iran can close the Strait of Hormuz.’ I think he wildly underestimated. No way he would he have chosen this outcome. Here we are 70 days in and gas prices have increased considerably.”

With so much support form Republicans in strong red districts, it appears the president can keep the war going.

Himes declared, “I think this war’s end is very soon, as it becomes clear to the president that he is going to lose the House and the Senate. And the president cares about one thing – himself. I don’t think he is going to relish the prospect of working with a Democratic Senate and House. The numbers are only going to get worst for the president. I think he’s going to cut and run.”

“He’s going to take a terrible deal from the Iranians, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and gas prices go down,” he commented. “I’m sorry to say, I don’t think there is anything the Congress can do right now. You have too many Lindsay Grahams and cheerleaders of the president.”

Himes asserted, “But the president is going to soon realize, if he doesn’t already, what a terrible catastrophe this is for him. This will be his legacy. I think he cares enough about himself that he is willing to cut and run and take a really bad deal.”

On a separate subject, Himes said he hopes that this week’s summit between Trump and Chinese leader Xi results in lower tariffs on good being imported to the United States.

“Tariffs are a tax on Americans and we import a lot of stuff from China,” said Himes, who acknowledged that there can be a worthy discussion on whether America should have so many imports from China.

Is it curious that 48 years after President Jimmy Carter established diplomatic relations with China and about 25 years after the United States entered Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China that the grassroots Chinese are not seeking more democracy and capitalism?

“We don’t have a lot of control over the Chinses political system,” Himes remarked. “It is disappointing. What is disappointing about the Chinese is that they have been predators from a trade standpoint. They artificially devalue their currency. They have forced t heir people to under purchase. Thus, they’ve been in a position to dump lots of goods on the world market.”

The federal debt is now more than 100 percent of gross domestic product. The United States hasn’t ended a fiscal year with a figure that high since 1946.

“We know what needs to be done,” Himes commented. “It is hard to talk about because what needs to be done are things that people don’t want to talk about. We need the wealthiest Americans to pay more. To pay their fair share., because we’re not going to slash Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security.”

“Can we reform those programs? Yes, we can. Social Security and Medicare which live in their own trust funds will have to be reformed, said the congressman. “ That is not going to be reached by putting it on the backs of people who rely on nothing but those programs. The answer is, unfortunately, that we are going to have to cut some spending. We’ are going to need to raise revenue. But too many elected officials don’t want to talk about any of that.”

“What I fear is it will take a market signal – meaning a market is going to say, ‘Guys you borrowed too much.’ It is very hard to a member of the House, who runs every two years to tell Americans that they have to eat their broccoli.”

Himes said that, “Social Security will be reformed. In 2029 if we don’t do some reform, the full benefits will not be paid out.”

He said there are tools to be applied, such as raising “the cap on wages,” raising “the percentage” and “although it is painful – raise the retirement age. It has been done in the past.”

Remarked Himes, “We need to do it in a progressive way so that we’re not hurting vulnerable people. “I have constituents who don’t even notice their Social Security check. Very wealthy people.”

Himes is a member of the Build America Caucus, which states that it is committed to trimming red tape and getting infrastructure and energy projects completed faster.

One of the members, U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), also has called for inheritance to be taxed at the same rate as income.

In a recent New York Times column by Bret Stephens, Auchincloss said, “The idea that if I work hard and I earn $100,000 and I pay an income tax on that, my income tax rate could be higher than someone who does no work and inherits $10 billion? That is not patriotic. That is not the meaning of America.”

Himes said he agrees.

“The very core of this country is an avoidance of massive, hereditary wealth,” he remarked. “We should tax more the passage of wealth from one generation into another.”

Himes’ district includes much of Fairfield County and Oxford, a town that has grown over the last 20 years from rural to suburban, in New Haven County.

The congressman says the district “has not changed drastically” over his 18 years in office.

“Actually in the last reapportionment, we lost voters because Fairfield County has been gaining more rapidly than the rest of the state,” noted Himes.

He added, “We have a lot of economic engines in the state, but a lot of them are based in Fairfield County.”