A Conversation with U.S. Congressman James Barcia

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A Conversation with U.S. Congressman James Barcia

By Tom Baird

REVIEW Bay City

Political Correspondent

Congressman James Barcia from Bay City easily won re-election to his fifth term on November 7th. He defeated Republican Ron Actis from Saginaw Township with 72% of the vote. Barcia has served mid-Michigan over the last 24 years first as a State Representative, State Senator, and now as United States Congressman. He has remained very in touch with his district over the years, coming home every weekend and attending numerous functions throughout the district.

Barcia is controversial in the sense that he is viewed as a Conservative Democrat, going against party lines at times to vote what he says he believed to be the vest views of the district.

The Review sat down with the Congressman after the November election to ask

what he sees in store for the next four years.

Review:  What does it mean to have the control of the House of

Representatives go to the Democrats or Republicans?

Barcia: The most significant aspect of any majority in the House is the

fact that the controlling part sets and dictates the legislative agenda.

Moreover, the majority party selects the leadership of the House, including

Committee Chairmen. Since the Republicans have a narrow majority in the

House, it is going to be extremely important for moderate and centrist

members like myself to work together in a spirit of bi-partisanship to move

important legislation forward. Without the cooperation of moderate and

centrist members, Congress will accomplish little in the next session.

Review: Social Security. What do you think the outlook will be and what

needs to be done to save it?

Barcia: Recently, much attention has been paid to Social Security and the

future of the program. It is widely held that without significant

legislative action, the Social Security Trust Fund will be depleted by

2037, meaning that after that date those programs will no longer have money

on hand to pay out benefits and cover other expenditures.

With the impending Social Security crisis looming, preserving this vital

program for future generations of retirees needs to be a top priority of

Congress.

Since coming to Congress, I have been committed to ensuring that the Social

Security benefits of those who have paid into the system will be available

upon retirement. I have supported legislation to create a 'lockbox' to

prevent Congress from considering bills that would use funds currently in

the Social Security Trust Fund for other purposes.

When the 107th Congress convenes in January, it is critical that we move to

shore up Social Security's future, because the solvency of the program is

not an issue that affects only citizens and people with disabilities - it

is an issue that affects every single American worker today, tomorrow, and

beyond.

Review: On President Clinton. Why didn't you vote with President Clinton on

the Brady Bill provisions and the Clinton Crime Plan for more neighborhood

police officers?

Barcia: I voted against the Brady Bill because, while I support the

National Instant Check System (NICS), I was opposed to the waiting period

which this bill implemented.

The NICS performs the check while the person is in the store, and therefore

prevents a criminal from purchasing a firearm. The waiting period simply

makes the person wait for five days before purchasing a firearm, and does

nothing to prevent a criminal from obtaining a gun.

I am concerned about keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, which is

why I have supported several pieces of legislation to provide our law

enforcement officials with the resources they need to keep those most

violent in our society where they belong - behind bars.

One of the first votes that I cast during my first term in Congress was the

Violent Crime  & Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (also known as the Clinton

Crime Plan) which authorized $30.2 billion for law enforcement and crime

prevention measures. It contained a 'three strikes' provision requiring the

imposition of a sentence of life imprisonment for violent three-time

federal offenders and provided funding for crime prevention and violent

against women.

However, I did not support the conference report on the measure because it

contained a provision that unfairly banned certain types of firearms.

During my tenure in Congress I have championed preserving and expanding

programs such as the COPS program - to make sure our police officers have

the tools they need to effectively do their job. In fact, earlier this year

I was honored to receive the J. Edgar Hoover Award from the National

Association of Police Chiefs for my efforts to reduce crime. While I was

pleased to receive this award, the real praise should go to the law

enforcement community in their day-to-day efforts to keep our families,

towns, and cities crime free.

Review: What do you think about the differences of the Democratic vs.

Republican Prescription Drug  Bill?

Barcia: I am a co-sponsor of the Democratic plan which provides a

voluntary, universal prescription drug benefit under the Medicare program

to our seniors. I believe it provides a more extensive benefit and will

cost patients less than the alternative Republican plan.

Moreover, I believe the Republican plan, which relies on private insurance

companies to provide coverage, will not work because private entities will

have a very difficult time making profits under this plan, which will

result in them not providing coverage to high-risk patients and eventually

seniors being left with unaffordable coverage, or without any prescription

coverage at all.

Review: What do you see as some of the burning issues for the people of the

5th District in the next session of Congress?

Barcia:  It is my hope that my legislation, H.R. 828, the Combined Sewer

Overflow Control & Partnership Act will be one of those issues that the

106th Congress complete before adjournment. My legislation will authorize

$2billion in federal grand funding to assist communities to address their

combined and sanitary sewer overflow problems. H.R. 828 is a critical down

payment toward the federal government's continuing efforts to assure clean

and safe water nationwide. In addition to creating a funding partnership

with our State and local governments, H.R. 828 also seeks to ensure that

federal regulatory requirements will be carefully focused to ensure

affordable and cost-effective controls will be expeditiously implemented.

I firmly believe that federal taxes are too high and I am committed to

reducing this heavy burden on the taxpayer. In particular, I believe that

the estate tax simply has no place in our tax code. There is no reason that

farmers and small business owners should be penalized for passing on their

life's earnings to their heirs.

America is enjoying unprecedented prosperity and the time is long past to

give back to the taxpayers that have made our country what it is today. So,

first off, Congress must work toward eliminating unfair taxes such as the

estate tax and the marriage penalty tax. I voted to override the

President's veto of both of these pieces of legislation and will work to

ensure that they are high on the agenda of the 107th Congress.

(Editor's Note:  Clinton vetoed elimination of the Estate Tax legislation

because estate taxes have been phased-out already and only apply if the

estate is worth more than $500,000.)

Technology issues will also be critical in the next Congress. As the

Ranking Member of the Technology Subcommittee, I have been committed to

addressing the needs of the business community, especially small &

medium-sized businesses in our new technology driven economy.

Specifically, I intend to reintroduce a bill, the Electronic Commerce

Enhancement Act, that was unanimously passed by the House of

Representatives. This bill will identify the continuous challenges facing

small and medium-sized businesses and assist them in overcoming those

obstacles when they enter the world of electronic commerce.

We must be sure that we do not leave any business behind, especially

America's small and medium sized businesses that are the backbone of our

economy and the realization of the American Dream for so many. We truly are

on the precipice of major breakthroughs in fields like medicine,

communications, and energy. I am committed to formulating policies that

create an environment which guarantees that the rapid progress we have

experienced continues.

Review: How many terms will you seek as Congressman? Do you have any higher

political aspirations?

Barcia: I thoroughly enjoy my work and consider it a privilege to serve the

people of Michigan's 5th District. It is an exciting time in our nation's

history and equally exciting to participate in the crafting of legislation

that shapes our future. I look forward to serving the people of Michigan in

next year's Congress, and I will continue my efforts to do the job as best

I can.

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