Latest / Meet the Candidate - Pittsburgh & Western Pennsylvania / Chris Deluzio — Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District

Transcript

Chris Deluzio — Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District · Meet the Candidate - Pittsburgh & Western Pennsylvania

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And welcome to Meet the Candidate, designed to give you
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: an opportunity to hear directly from the people asking for
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: your vote. No endorsement, no debate, just a conversation about
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: the candidate, the issues, and where they stand, so you
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: can make up your own mind. Today, we're talking with
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Congressman Chris DiLuzio, the Democratic incumbent representing Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District. Congressman,
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: welcome to Meet the Candidate.
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: Hey, Johnny, thanks for having me on.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: So, Congressman, you've been asking voters to send you back
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: to Washington for another term. What's the single most important
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: thing you want them to know about Chris DiLuzio?
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: I love this country. I get to represent the people
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: in the place that made me. And every day I'm
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: fighting as hard as I can to put a stop
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: to the chaos and corruption down in D.C. so that
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: your hard work delivers a good and decent life that
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: I think for too many we're not seeing happen. And
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: that's the core of what I fight for every day.
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: To me, it's about the American dream, and it's an
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: honor to do this job. I'm asking folks for two
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: more years to keep doing it, to keep delivering things
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: like the kind of infrastructure money, the more than $ 180
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: million I brought back home just this last year in
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: community project funding. That's the job. That's the core of
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: what I'm excited to keep doing for folks, and I'm
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: asking them to give me two more years to keep
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: doing it.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: The big buzzword this year is affordability. People are still
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: feeling the squeeze at the grocery store, the gas pump,
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: and when they're paying their bills. What can Congress realistically
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: do to make life more affordable for Western Pennsylvania families?
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: John, you hit right at the heart of it. Folks
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: are getting squeezed, they're working hard, and yet life is
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: increasingly expensive. So here's some stuff I think we could
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: do in the Congress right away. First and foremost, I
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: think we put a responsible end to this Iran war
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: that has not only cost American lives, it has driven
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: up the cost of gas and diesel and fertilizer and
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: so much else. I'm an Iraq war veteran. I don't
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: want to see another generation risk their lives for a
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: war that I don't think we should be fighting. I
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: think we can put a stop to the reckless trade
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: wars that President Trump has started that's driven up the
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: cost of so much that we buy around here, especially
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: our farmers and small businesses are getting squeezed. And then
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: I want to put a reverse and a repeal of
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: these health care cuts that have driven up the cost
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: of health care, that are jacking up in premiums, that, again,
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: is contributing to this cost of living emergency. And that's
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: just the tip of the iceberg, because there's a lot
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: we got to do beyond that longer term to restore
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: the American dream. But right off the bat, those three
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: big items, I think, could start to bring some real
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: relief for people here in Western Pennsylvania.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: Well, Western PA has a proud manufacturing history. How do
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: we bring more good-paying jobs back to the region and
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: make sure those jobs stay here?
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: And they should stay here. We should not be blind
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: to what happened. I represent Beaver County, part of Allegheny County.
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: So many factory towns and mill towns got gutted by,
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: number one, bad trade deals, and number two, a corporate
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: leadership that decided that it was more important to ship
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: jobs overseas and chase the weakest workers. labor and environmental rules.
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: I laid out my Build America plan, which is all
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: about juicing American manufacturing, re-industrializing the country. You got to
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: get the trades education back in schools. When foreign polluters
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: want to import their goods here, they should pay a
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: tax on our border to account for that. And we
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: got to get our government investing in critical manufacturing in
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: this country. And I lay out exactly a plan to
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: do that, that I think can pass, that I think
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: can get support from both parties in Washington.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: Well, you've raised concerns about the rapid growth of data
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: centers and other potential impacts of electricity prices in local communities.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: How do we encourage new technology and investment without passing
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: on those costs to the homeowners?
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: That's the biggest question. I think we can do this,
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: but communities get to have a say, because I don't
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: think Washington's going to know the best land use decisions for,
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: you know, the North Hills, Allegheny County, or for, you know,
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: Shippingport or anywhere else in Beaver County. I think communities
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: get to have a say. I think we should be
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: listening to the folks in the building trades, the union
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: workers around there who know how to build right and
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: build it strong, so that local labor is not undercut.
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: And we've got to make sure that we're not seeing
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: these powerful corporations do the things that we've seen happen
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: generations before, poisoning our water and poisoning our air. They've
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: got to respect us. And that requires Congress to act,
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: but it requires the state to make sure that communities
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: have a say in these development decisions.
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: You served in the Navy and deployed in Iraq. How
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: has that experience influenced your views on America's involvement in
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: conflicts overseas?
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: It's a big part of who I am. My military
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: service shapes it. As I said, I'm a veteran of Iraq,
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: and I think that was a war looking back. We
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: shouldn't have sent Americans to fight. And now I'm in
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: the Congress. I have a pretty solemn and sacred responsibility
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: to make sure that we don't squander the patriotism of
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: our troops today. I thought it was reckless for the
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: president to send Americans to fight in Iran, a war
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: that the Congress never authorized. The American people don't want
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: and they want to see us put an end to it.
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: And so for me, it's about looking out for our troops.
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: I want to see a responsible end to this war.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: And then when they come home. When they go to
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: the VA, as I go to the VA now, they
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: should have the best VA out there. I think that's
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: something that Democrats, Republicans, you name it, people expect our
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: VA to be well-funded and ready to meet the needs
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: of our veterans.
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: Well, let me continue with that theme. Washington seems more
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: divided than ever. You've worked with Republicans on legislation involving
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: rail safety and cybersecurity. What's the biggest obstacle to getting
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: bipartisan legislation passed?
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: Well, there are some big disagreements now and again. I
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: think folks see it when they watch the debates in Washington.
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: But on something, let's take rail safety. You know, we
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: all live through what happened in East Palestine just across
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: the border from us over there in Ohio. My Beaver
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: County constituents certainly saw it right up close. That railroad
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: wasn't asking whether you were a Democrat or Republican when
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: it sent that toxic fireball to the sky. The railroads
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: are powerful. They've put a lot of money to try
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: to block my Railway Safety Act. But we beat them
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: in committee. We passed the bill. It required me to
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: get every Democrat on board to work with a Republican
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: on the committee to get the White House on board.
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: That's the job. I'm looking out for our safety. And
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: whether it's a powerful railroad or anybody else, I'll work
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: with who I need to to get things done. I
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: think that's what folks expect from their members of Congress.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: Now, you frequently have talked about standing up for the
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: working families. Can you point to one specific piece of
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: legislation or action you've taken that has made a measurable
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: difference in the lives of the people here in Western PA?
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: Absolutely. I'll give you one that's something I'm pretty proud of.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: So I mentioned I was the top House Democrat, number
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: three overall in bringing back community project funding, a big
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: part of that. was the money I secured for the
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: Montgomery Locks and Dam Project on the Ohio River. That
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: is going to support thousands, thousands of union construction jobs
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: and the building trades. Those are family-sustaining jobs, and I
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: look for opportunities every chance I can get. I support
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: bills to grow those, but that's a very concrete, big
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: check that's coming to our region that is already supporting
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: good union jobs all over western Pennsylvania.
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: You've served nearly four years in Congress. Looking back... What's
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: the one thing you hope to accomplish that hasn't happened
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: yet and why?
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: I want to get the Railway Safety Act through the
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: finish line on the president's desk. We're getting there. It
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: passed out of the Transportation Infrastructure Committee where I serve.
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: It needs a full vote on the floor of the House.
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: It's passed out of the Senate Committee and the prior Congress.
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: I want to get this done. I mean, this is
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: A no-brainer, I think, for communities like ours where so
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: many people live along the tracks, where the railroads have
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: shown disregard for our safety. They put their profit first.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: I want to get this thing passed. I want to
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: get it signed by the president. I don't care if
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: it's Donald Trump or the next president. I want to
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: get this thing signed into law.
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: Congressman, you get the last word. What do you want
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: the voters in Pennsylvania's 17th district to know before Election Day?
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: Look, this is a power that we all have to
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: have our voice in our government, that we can govern ourselves.
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: Folks around here sent me to fight for all of
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: us in Washington. I'm not done. I've got work still
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: to do. We all have work to do to turn
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: the ship around, to put a stop to so much
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: of this chaos and corruption, to restore the American dream.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: That's my North Star, man. That's what I'm fighting for
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: every day, and I'm asking folks to give me two
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: more years to keep working.
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: Congressman, thank you so much for your time, and good luck.
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir.
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: Thank you.