Issues

Economy

Today, too many hard-working Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to make ends meet, going deeper into debt and worrying that the American Dream is further and further out of reach. Stephen Lynch believes we can solve these problems.

First, Lynch believes the Federal government needs to create conditions that will induce the private sector to begin lending to creditworthy developers, businesses, and consumers.  He supported the recent Financial Services Reform legislation, but U.S. financial markets have suffered a loss of confidence at many levels, domestically and internationally, because many market participants have come to believe that U.S. financial institutions lacked integrity. It will take time and patience to rebuild that confidence. 

Second, Lynch believes the Federal and State Governments should develop some major projects that are 1) necessary (no make-work projects), 2) viable, and 3) strategically linked to private sector job creation. Transit oriented development, next generation power projects, and major infrastructure projects that are paired with private sector job creation should be eligible for targeted but limited public support. 

Third, Lynch believes that the U.S. needs to make a special effort to put young people to work. It is getting increasingly difficult for new entrants to the job market to find employment. Lynch supports a meaningful national job corps in priority areas and inner cities that would help grow jobs for young people.

Wall Street

Stephen Lynch opposed the Wall Street bailout, which rewarded bankers and executives for risky behavior that drove our nation into recession.  He believes we must hold Wall Street executives accountable for their actions, and he’s fighting for hard reforms to the banking system to ensure that we don’t pay for their mistakes again.

Education

Stephen Lynch believes that education is the foundation of opportunity in the United States. He supported the renewal of Head Start, the premiere early education program in the United States for more than 40 years. The measure improved program quality, increased teacher qualifications, and provided up to 10,000 more children and families access to the program – allowing more of our nation's children to arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed.  Stephen Lynch also supports efforts to make critical investments to modernize, upgrade, and repair school facilities across the country.

College Affordability

The rising cost of attending U.S. colleges and universities is a growing concern as many students are finding that their dream of attending an institution of higher education is out of financial reach. Stephen Lynch is committed to ensuring that all qualified students are given the opportunity to achieve their dream by making college more affordable and more accessible for America’s hard-working families and students.  He supported changes to the federal student loan program that will produce savings of $61 billion, and increases the maximum annual Pell Grant scholarship for low-income students. 

Working Families

After working 18 years as an ironworker, Stephen Lynch knows you can’t live the American dream without a decent job. He fought for the first minimum wage increase in a decade – to ensure that the minimum wage can be a living wage. He fought for extended benefits for unemployed American workers – to ensure that the victims of Wall Street’s reckless behavior aren’t penalized for circumstances they didn’t create and can’t control. And he’ll continue
the fight to protect American jobs in the global economy.

America’s future

Too many families today are worried about the burden we are putting on future generations. In order for our children to have the promise of America, we have to get our federal spending under
control. Stephen Lynch has fought to end corporate bailouts and misplaced spending. And he supports “pay as you go” legislation that forces Congress to keep its book balanced, just like the rest of us.

Afghanistan

Stephen Lynch supports President Obama’s plan to finish the war in Afghanistan, secure peace, and bring our troops home as soon as possible.  Under George W. Bush, America fought eight, one-year wars, with no strategy.  Stephen Lynch believes that President Obama’s strategy is the first real plan for success.  Having been to Afghanistan five times, where he has met with Afghan political leaders and U.S. military leaders and soldiers, he has a keen understanding of the conditions on the ground and the risks of a premature withdrawal of troops.

Renewable Energy

Stephen Lynch believes that the federal government must take an active role in reducing our energy consumption and dependence on foreign oil, and create a secure and sustainable energy future. He supports the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which moves us toward these goals by promoting renewable, clean energy resources, energy efficiency, reducing global warming pollution, and transitioning to a clean energy economy.

Health Care

Stephen Lynch believes that every American should have access to quality healthcare, regardless of their employment status or income level.  However, he believes that the health care reform law passed earlier this year is critically flawed, in that it does very little to reform the current fee for service system. The new law preserves the federal antitrust exemption that enables insurance companies to operate as monopolies and cartels in restraint of trade, does not include a public option, and taxes health insurance benefits for the first time.  Lynch remains committed to working with the President to fix and improve health care for all Americans.  He supports removing the antitrust exemption, establishing state public options, and other initiatives and programs designed to increase patient access, provide affordable premiums and drug prices for patients, establish appropriate reimbursement rates for doctors, sustain our nations existing Community Health Centers, continue the mission of our Teaching Hospitals, and invest into Health IT and preventative care.

Iraq

Stephen Lynch supports the Obama Administration’s drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq, which will bring most troops home from Iraq by 2011. While he understands that a redeployment of personnel takes time, he believes that the United States has done all it can and that we must conduct a safe and orderly withdrawal of our forces as expeditiously as possible.  However, Lynch believes that there is still a role for the U.S. to play as a partner in assisting with Iraq’s continued development.

Labor and Working Families

Stephen Lynch believes that all employees have the right to a safe workplace and a decent so that they can provide for themselves and their families. As a former Ironworker and current union member, Congressman Lynch remains committed to the goal of providing employees with the right to join together and bargain on their own behalf.  He believes in equal pay, prevailing wage, and the Employee Free Choice Act.

Social Security and Retirement Security

Stephen Lynch believes that it is vital to preserve Social Security for today's retirees and to strengthen it for the future as a cornerstone of the retirement plan for Americans.  Social Security is a reflection of the best ideals of our nation. Based on the noble and principled notion of shared sacrifice, it is a program that has provided financial independence for generations of Americans. Social Security provides half or more of the total income for the majority of American seniors, with retirement benefits going to 48 million people. The program also provides a dependable monthly income to children who have lost a parent to death or disability and to those who became severely disabled as children and remain dependent as adults on a parent who receives Social Security.  Lynch is absolutely opposed to privatizing social security.  While, there is no question that something must be done to shore up Social Security, but privatizing benefits would destroy the very heart of the program.

Stephen Lynch has also worked to assure retirement security for all Americans. He has led efforts to improve financial literacy for Americans age 45 years and older, educate families on creating savings, and combat problems such as high levels of debt and fraud in the forms of internet schemes, predatory lending, and identity theft.

Veterans

Stephen Lynch believes that one of the most important ways America can show its gratitude to its veterans for their heroic and dedicated service to our nation is by providing them with the finest medical care possible.  When the Bush White House tried to close four VA hospitals in the 9th District, Lynch successfully led the effort to keep them open.  He has been a champion of health care for veterans, and was a strong supporter of the New GI bill.