(Host) Congressman-elect Peter Welch said today he would be an active voice in
Washington to change the country’s policies on the Iraq war and the economy.
Speaking this afternoon on VPR’s Vermont Edition, Welch said he would vote to support a Congressional review of White House use of pre-war intelligence, and alleged misuse of funds by independent contractors working in Iraq.
In terms of the economy, Welch says he’s confident the new Congress can take a number of actions.
(Welch) “Some very specific things that I think we’ll be able to accomplish and should, is raise the minimum wage, roll back the tax breaks for the oil companies, require price negation for Medicare part D, return and restore the pay-as-you-go’ budgeting rules, and I’m hopeful we can pass those within a year.”
(Host) Welch says he’d like to serve on key tax writing and budget committees in the house, but acknowledged that those are difficult assignments to get for a freshmen member of Congress.
Welch says two years from now he hopes to be able to tell voters that he accomplished two things.
(Welch) “One, I want voters and Vermonters to say, Peter Welch answers his phone, when we have a problem, he’s accessible.’ And, number two, he helped change the direction of the country.”
(Host) Welch says his first job is to assemble a staff and set up offices in Vermont and Washington.
He says he hasn’t yet decided where his Vermont offices will be located.