Harbaugh brings message of 'Country over Party' to the region
Ohio 7th District Congressional candidate Ken Harbaugh visited Tuscarawas County on May 23 for a “Country over Party” town hall meeting. The 7th District includes parts of Lorain, Medina, Huron, Richland, Stark and Tuscarawas counties and all of Ashland, Coshocton, Knox and Holmes counties.
Ohio 7th District Congressional candidate Ken Harbaugh visited Tuscarawas County on May 23 for a “Country over Party” town hall meeting. Harbaugh fielded questions from the crowd gathered at the United Steelworkers Lodge for about an hour.
The former Navy pilot expressed his views on health care, gun control, the opioid crisis and union rights. He also used the time to outline his campaign strategy, political philosophy and talk about what he’s learned on the campaign trail.
In his opening remarks the candidate spoke about how he never expected to run for Congress but loves the opportunity because it has given him a chance to see America at its best.
An early question brought up the topic of common-sense gun laws. Harbaugh said he is in favor of bans for people on terrorist no-fly lists and convicted domestic abusers. He pointed to a dysfunctional Congress as the reason nothing has been done on the issue.
“The problem is we have a Congress that doesn’t have the guts to do what the vast majority of Americans want,” Harbaugh said.
Health care was another popular topic that came up several times. Harbaugh spoke of personal struggles with his daughter, who needed four surgeries before she was four years old. He said he was lucky enough to land a job with benefits before any surgeries but said “it shouldn’t be a roll of the dice in the richest country in the world.”
Harbaugh called out members of both parties for the problems he sees with health care. He said many congressmen were bought and paid for by pharmaceutical companies, and this is why his campaign has sworn off all corporate-backed money.
Harbaugh expressed his belief that the opioid crisis is a medical epidemic and not a crime spree. He criticized U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his plans to reignite the war on drugs by saying he only has one tool in his toolbox.
“We’re not going to arrest our way out of this one,” Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh talked about the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, saying he was grateful for the pay raise but doesn’t think it does enough to offset skyrocketing health-care costs. He also said most families have next to nothing in savings and would be struggling if they encountered a $500 emergency.
“If this Congress wanted to pass a middle-class tax bill, they would have passed a middle-class tax bill,” he said, “and not one that gave 87 percent of the giveaway to individuals making $900,000 or more.”
Harbaugh said Congress borrowed $1.4 trillion to pay for the tax bill and that the tax bill is the “opening salvo against Medicaid and Social Security.”
Union rights were another frequent topic. Harbaugh said his thoughts on right-to-work legislation were that we “should change the freaking label.”
“We invented the middle class in this country, and who built it for us? Unions,” Harbaugh said.
He spoke of the time with workers on the Gradall strike where the union successfully fought to have their spouses covered by their insurance. He said going on strike can be a dangerous tactic, saying “people are risking their livelihoods.”
“It’s not just about labor. It’s not just about health care,” he said. “I think it’s about preserving the middle class.”
He also spoke out against income inequality, corporate subsidies and work requirements for SNAP recipients. He said work requirements would cost more to administer than current benefits cost.
Harbaugh will face Republican incumbent Bob Gibbs in the November election and said he expects the race to get ugly. He expects to be outfunded but spoke optimistically about his chances at winning because he said his campaign is tapping into and inspiring people. He expects Democrats to win many elections in the fall but was careful to point out that it will take a lot of work.
“I thought of the blue wave as a raindrop at a time.” he said.
While his positions on many topics place him in the Democrat camp, Harbaugh said he is not a stranger to the feelings of Republicans. Both of his parents voted for President Trump.
Harbaugh said he feels a lot of anger comes from a population that feels they aren’t being heard by their leaders. He blames the political class for this and said Congress should shoulder most of the blame.
Harbaugh said being elected would be the beginning of a conversation with constituents and said that is the part of the job he loves the most. “The campaign and election is part of the conversation. It’s not the end of the conversation,” he said.
More information can be found at www.kenharbaughforcongress.com/.