Richard Anthony for Congress

The Economy

Getting the economy back on track -- and ensuring economic stability for everyone -- must be a top priority for our representatives in Washington. With the country facing a trillion dollar deficit, high unemployment and serious problems in the banking system, Northern Virginia needs a leader dedicated to protecting the economic health of Main Street, not working to preserve the status quo on Wall Street.

For too long, the middle class has taken a back seat when it comes to the economic policies passed in Congress. Tax breaks that benefit the richest 1% have further squeezed the middle class and have led directly to an out-of-control deficit and the worst recession since the Great Depression. We need a Congress that understands the best way to lower the deficit and grow the economy is through policies that put the middle class first.

What America needs most are jobs. The top priority of any economic plan has to be creating good jobs that pay a good wage and come with health insurance benefits. It’s unacceptable that people who are able and willing to work can’t find jobs. With an unemployment rate hovering around 10%, in addition to large numbers of "discouraged" and "underemployed" people, the American workforce is hurting badly right now.

Richard is dedicated to working with the Obama administration on reforming the financial system and restoring fiscal accountability. Through investment in health care, clean energy and education, we should be focused on cutting costs for American families and creating jobs.

Workforce Development

Currently, one is six American workers are unemployed or underemployed. That number is even greater for young workers, where the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows an unemployment rate close to 20 percent. Although the U.S. economy has begun adding jobs once again, we can’t just assume that the worst is completely behind us and that the job market will continue to improve on its own. We need to remain vigilant and take action where necessary; inertia is not an option.

One plan currently being offered by some in Congress is to offer small business new tax cuts or tax credits. Their assumption is that these tax cuts will help create opportunities for new job growth in small businesses. The more likely outcome is a further increase in the deficit with no new jobs created or saved in the small business sector. Just look at the impact of TARP funds in the credit market as an example of what additional taxpayer money in the private sector has accomplished. Rather than increasing the ability of the financial markets to free up credit to consumers and businesses, the financial companies receiving TARP funds used those tax-payer dollars to prop up their bottom line and pay excessive bonuses to company executives.

What we need is a comprehensive jobs plan that invests in education, training, and job creation in new sectors of the economy like green jobs. It’s also important that we take steps to stop the cycle of poverty with our youth. By making investments in National Service programs like AmeriCorp, YouthBuild and VISTA, we can make substantial progress in a sector that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. The money we spend now to help educate our youth and provide them with job training will come back to us multi-fold. Think fewer young adults living in poverty, fewer on welfare, fewer on food stamps, fewer receiving unemployment benefits. Combine that with the additional tax revenues from income, sales and property taxes and we can pay for these programs and bring down the deficit in the long-term.

Transportation

Transportation issues consume a lot of our time in the 10th district. As an active member of his community and as a dedicated family man, Richard is constantly reminded of how increased traffic congestion can affect our daily lives and reduce quality of life in the region.

Richard understands the transportation challenges we face in Virginia’s 10th district. Our members of Congress from Northern Virginia have a long history of fighting hard to meet the transportation needs of the region through roadway expansion and reliable public transit. As a member of Congress, Richard will continue the tradition of working with partners in state and local government to ensure that our region receives its fair share of federal funding for public transit, roadway and highway expansion, airport maintenance.

Energy and The Environment

As a veteran, Richard is acutely aware of the price we pay for our dependence on oil from unstable, war-torn regions of the world. Richard knows that the money we spend on imported oil all too often ends up funding extremist groups, fueling regional arms races, and even encouraging nuclear proliferation. In today’s world, moving away from fossil fuel dependency is not just a matter of protecting the environment, it’s a vital matter of national security.

Our dependence on fossil fuels represents a clear and present danger to our environment and to our economic stability. As we begin the second decade of the 21st century, Richard believes it’s time to stop listening to people who claim that economic growth and environmental protection are mutually exclusive. Richard agrees with Mark Warner when he said during his 2008 campaign for U.S. Senate, that “[w]hen this country puts its shoulder to the wheel, we can solve this [energy issue], make our country safer, create millions of jobs, drive down the price of gas, and take a leading role on climate change.” It’s time for us to stop listening to excuses for inaction.

America needs to invest heavily in energy efficiency and in clean, renewable energy, for compelling economic reasons. In 2008, for instance, the United States ran a fossil fuel trade deficit of $410 billion – almost half the entire U.S. trade deficit that year. To illustrate how much money this is, it would have been sufficient to support the Departments of Defense, Education, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, State and International Programs, Energy, and NASA for a full year. That money didn’t just contribute to our trade deficit, it also made America less competitive. Imagine if we had invested that money in top-quality education and health care, high-speed rail, a national “smart grid,” and an economy that uses far less energy per unit of output than it currently does. Our economy would be stronger, our deficit lower, and our children would grow up healthier.

Richard believes in Barack Obama's vision of a future in which we “lead the world, secure our nation, and leave our children a planet that is safer and cleaner and healthier than the one we inherited.” As a member of Congress, Richard will work to make these goals a reality.

Health Care

With the economy weighing so heavily on the minds of many Virginians, one thing we shouldn’t have to worry about is how to keep our families healthy. Skyrocketing premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses are adding to the burden Virginia’s families and small business are already feeling.

Richard supports comprehensive health care reform that will achieve affordable and adequate coverage for all Americans. Reforms to the health care system must address issues of cost and competition in the system, and that means supporting a robust public option. Did you know that, in Virginia, just two insurance companies control 61% of the market? In some part of Virginia’s 10th congressional district, 87% of the market is dominated by just two insurance companies! That means lack of choice for our community, and that’s not acceptable.

Richard is committed to making sure that those who already have insurance can keep what they have, but also see a reduction in rates and more stability of coverage. He is dedicated to making sure that those who lack insurance, or are underinsured, have access to affordable health coverage for their families.