Newly elected Rep. Paul Hodes '72, D-N.H., held a town hall meeting at the Rockefeller Center on Monday night to discuss his recent debut in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Iraq war and the state of the U.S. economy. Hodes, who was returning to Dartmouth for the first time since his election, made sure to thank the Town of Hanover and the College Democrats -- who co-sponsored the Rockefeller Center event -- for support that he said allowed him to defeat six-term incumbent Republican Charlie Bass, a 1974 graduate of the College.
Hodes, who has extensive experience in public service, said he had never set foot in Capitol Hill prior to his November election.
"I did not quite expect the reception," Hodes said. "The Democrats had been walking in the wilderness for years. We, the majority makers, were treated like heroes. They said, it was like the cavalry coming over the hill."
While voicing his support for the recent House no-confidence resolution on President Bush's Iraq policy. Hodes said that this is only a first step in the necessary removal of troops from Iraq.
"We wanted to do something clear and simple to get the Republicans to go along," Hodes said. "It is the Republicans who have the president's ear and they are the ones who could change his view towards Iraq."
He said the resolution represented an important first step, if not an overtly powerful one.
"You're trying to bring along 435 members of Congress," Hodes side. "The pace of change is not instantaneous, but at least now it's moving at an inextricable rate."
Though Hodes did not lay out a specific plan for the removal of troops from Iraq, he did lay out the various options that Congress is looking into, which include making a strict timetable with set dates for the withdrawal of American troops and de-authorizing the Iraq War Resolution.
Hodes also expressed serious concern for the state of the U.S. economy. He cited the rising U.S. trade deficit, federal deficit and negative savings ratings as evidence that the economy is not as healthy as it seems. He proposed that the Federal Reserve should not concern itself exclusively with inflation, but should also take into account the growing gap between rich and poor and jobs that are being lost overseas.
"I'm a free-market guy, but Lincoln said that government must do what free-markets can't do for themselves." Hodes said.
Hodes expressed skepticism on President Bush's trade policies. He said that the current U.S. trade deficit with China is a major concern, and advocated removing the "fast-track" authority of the president to make trade deals. Part of what he classified as a "patriotism, not protectionism" policy would include ensuring that the current deals are enforceable, as well as making sure that all future deals have strong environmental and labor standards.
Hodes did not use his speech to endorse any of the Democratic presidential hopefuls who have been streaming through the state in the last couple of weeks, saying instead that he believes the Democratic Party has a wide array of strong candidates to choose from.
