Opinion

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When the Congress elected next week reports to Washington, its members are going to face a mountain of work. Most of it comes from cans that have been kicked down the road for years, or even decades. 
 The outcome of the <a href="/topics//White_House">White House</a> contest, as well as whether the <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> retain or even strengthen their majority in the <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a> and the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a> do the same in the House of Representatives, will determine the agenda and the pace. 
 Some short-term fixes are needed. Both parties say a compromise is required in dealing with the soon-to-expire Bush tax cuts, perhaps in a lame-duck session. But <a href="/topics//The_Heavy_(musician)">the heavy</a> lifting awaits the 113th Congress. Deficit reduction is getting plenty of lip service in the campaigns, but neither party seems to have a grip on how to deal with an annual budget shortfall that has exceeded $1 trillion for four years in a row. Addressing this in an environment where any cuts in government spending or increases in taxes could deflate the nation's shaky economic recovery will be tricky. 
 Immigration reform is another battle in which the sides seem intractable, yet the problem cannot be allowed to fester any longer. A path to citizenship, or permanent residency, along with wholesale reforms of the system, will most likely be part of a package that includes doing more to secure our borders and to find and deport illegal immigrants who've committed crimes. 
 The representatives you choose on Nov. 6 must also confront the unsustainable finances of Medicare and Medicaid. Studies show the average couple pays in about $100,000 to the Medicare fund when working, and will get about $300,000 in services from the program after they turn 65. Is it any surprise the fund is less than 15 years from bankruptcy? 
 Even Social Security, the most easily fixed of our entitlements, needs modifying to balance its books, and the longer we wait, the harder the fix will be. 
 To make progress on these daunting issues, our representatives will have to overcome the paralyzing partisanship that has Washington in its grip and the near-certainty that the chambers will be split. Worse, they must contend with a still-stagnant economy and a populace that seems to insist on a level of government benefits and services it's not willing to pay for. 
 Against this backdrop, local voters heading to the polls may be surprised by the results of redistricting. 
 The once-a-decade redrawing of state and federal election districts that took place earlier this year resulted in a loss of two <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> seats in the House, from 29 to 27, due to slower population growth than the rest of the nation. New lines put in place by a federal court -- after the State Legislature failed to work out a nonpartisan map -- has shifted many boundaries, so quite a few voters won't find a familiar incumbent on the ballot. 
 While the 1st District battle between longtime incumbent <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> <a href="/topics//Tim_Bishop">Tim Bishop</a> and repeat <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> challenger <a href="/topics//Randy_Altschuler">Randy Altschuler</a> features boundaries that haven't changed much, other districts are dramatically different. Many voters who previously had <a href="/topics//Peter_King">Peter King</a>, <a href="/topics//Steve_Israel">Steve Israel</a>, <a href="/topics//Carolyn_McCarthy">Carolyn McCarthy</a> or <a href="/topics//Gary_Ackerman">Gary Ackerman</a> as their representative may be surprised. 
 Ackerman is retiring, and <a href="/topics//Peter_King">King</a>, Israel and McCarthy's districts have shifted. There are now three congressional districts that are wholly made up of Long <a href="/topics//New_York_Islanders">Islanders</a>, while two districts also reach into Queens. The 3rd District stretches along the North Shore from Smithtown to Whitestone, and the 5th District, which had been only in Queens, now finds 12 percent of its voters in western Nassau County, including Valley Stream and Elmont. The point here: Know your candidates before heading out to vote. 
 And when choosing your candidate, consider what you want from this next Congress, and seek the traits in a representative needed to get it. An ability to compromise for the greater good probably tops that list, if we are finally going to solve the worsening problems that have gone unaddressed for so long.

VPCONGRESS

Editorial: Newsday endorses candidates for House of Representatives

cong-endorsements-cropped

Two years ago, newcomer <a href="/topics//Randy_Altschuler">Randy Altschuler</a> came within 593 votes of unseating incumbent <a href="/topics//Tim_Bishop">Tim Bishop</a> in a dramatic vote count that lasted for more than a month. Now he's back to try again, in a congressional race that's garnering national attention -- and dollars. 
 House Speaker <a href="/topics//John_Boehner">John Boehner</a> dropped by <a href="/topics//Nissequogue,_NY">Nissequogue</a> recently, to raise money for <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> Altschuler, 41, who co-founded CloudBlue Technologies, an electronics recycling company. Independent spending in the contest has so far exceeded $3 million. On Friday, Gov. <a href="/topics//Andrew_Cuomo">Andrew M. Cuomo</a> held a rally for <a href="/topics//Tim_Bishop">Bishop</a> in <a href="/topics//Hauppauge,_NY">Hauppauge</a>. 
 <a href="/topics//Tim_Bishop">Bishop</a>'s record is formidable. A former college financial assistance officer who rose to become provost of Southampton College, <a href="/topics//Tim_Bishop">Bishop</a> has presented a strong, consistent and effective defense of student aid on Capitol Hill. 
 Bishop has used his membership on the <a href="/topics//House_Transportation_and_Infrastructure_Committee">House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee</a> well, delivering $50 million for roads and bridges on <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>. He has sought to be an environmental steward, backing legislation to promote clean estuaries and protect the <a href="/topics//Long_Island_Sound">Long Island Sound</a>. He's also brought in $35 million to clean up beaches. 
 But Altschuler, who holds an MBA and lives in <a href="/topics//St._James,_NY">St. James</a>, makes a compelling case for his candidacy this time out. As co-founder of OfficeTiger, a Manhattan-based business support company, in addition to his founding role at CloudBlue, he's proven himself as an entrepreneur with extraordinary business acumen, someone who could help <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>'s private sector create jobs. 
 If elected, Altschuler would likely be a member of the majority in the <a href="/topics//U.S._House_of_Representatives">House of Representatives</a>, which would give him a substantial advantage as he works to carry out his agenda. Meanwhile, he has carefully played down any tea party ties in this year's campaign, a move that instantly nudges him closer to the district mainstream and one we hope is genuine. 
 Another promising sign: Although Altschuler signed <a href="/topics//Grover_Norquist">Grover Norquist</a>'s Taxpayer Protection Pledge two years ago, basically opposing any and all tax increases, this year he did not -- a welcome indication that he understands a legislator must compromise. And Altschuler says he will start a new <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a> caucus to end the bitter partisanship that has paralyzed the House. He will be held to that promise. 
 The political and philosophical gulf between Altschuler and Bishop remains profound. While Bishop insists that government can be a force for good, his challenger says government too often overreaches. The country is living beyond its means now, Altschuler says, and if you give the government more money, its expenses will just mushroom accordingly. 
 These are ancient arguments, of course, played out during this election cycle in district after district from northern <a href="/topics//Maine">Maine</a> to Southern California. By now even Bishop and Altschuler are smoothly exchanging their best lines. 
 Bishop remains a man of admirable principles and service. But Altschuler has emerged as a business leader with the skills to guide eastern <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a> toward a brighter future. 
 Newsday endorses Altschuler.

VPCON01

Editorial: Elect Altschuler in 1st Congressional District

Randy Altschuler - Cropped

<a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> Peter King is an irascible, combative congressman in sync with the South Shore communities that voted 10 previous times to send him to Washington. 
 As chairman of the <a href="/topics//House_Homeland_Security_Committee">House Homeland Security Committee</a>, he is an eager warrior in the struggle against terrorists and has used the position to ensure that in funding that battle, <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a> never forgets the <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> City region is the nation's No. 1 target. 
 King, 68, of <a href="/topics//Seaford,_NY">Seaford</a>, is the lone <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> in <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>'s delegation to the <a href="/topics//U.S._House_of_Representatives">House of Representatives</a>, where the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a> holds a decisive majority. He has shown a pragmatic willingness to buck the rabid partisanship that has often paralyzed <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a>. 
 For instance, he worked with <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a>'s <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> to win billions of dollars to care for and compensate 9/11 first responders made sick by the toxic dust at <a href="/topics//Ground_Zero">Ground Zero</a>. Unfortunately he has also used his homeland security platform to recklessly tar Muslims with a much-too-broad brush. As we said two years ago, alienating loyal Muslim Americans won't make the nation safer. 
 Vivianne Falcone, 55, his Democratic challenger, is a former teacher from <a href="/topics//West_Islip,_NY">West Islip</a>, one of the areas added to the district in this year's redrawing of the electoral lines. She's making her first run for public office because she felt disrespected by King's staff during a protest outside his district office. She said he doesn't give constituents like her a voice in Washington. That could be a problem for King in his newly redrawn district. But Falcone is unprepared for the office she seeks and would face too steep a learning curve. 
 King's predictability and inflexibility undercut his influence. Yet, he has attained a key position of national leadership and is a strong advocate for <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> interests. Newsday endorses King.

VPCON02

Editorial: Re-elect Peter King in 2nd Congressional District

Peter King - Cropped

Whether or not Democrats regain control of the House -- and it's a steep uphill climb -- it's clear that Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) has cemented his role as a rising leader by chairing the <a href="/topics//Democratic_Congressional_Campaign_Committee">Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee</a>. That position has given him valuable access. 
 When Israel, 54, enters the Oval Office, <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">President Barack Obama</a> notes his arrival by saying: "Here comes Mr. $250,000 Doesn't Make You Rich." That long nickname is about a vital issue: The threshold above which people will be deemed rich enough to pay increased taxes. As a Long Islander, he says it's too low; it should be $500,000 to $1 million. 
 <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a> does agree with Israel's idea for a Wilderness Warriors Initiative, to give veterans jobs like the Civilian Conservation Corps. The president has made it part of his own pending proposal. Israel's areas of expertise include foreign policy, energy and help for homeless veterans. 
 His Republican opponent is Stephen Labate, 44, of <a href="/topics//Deer_Park,_NY">Deer Park</a>. He's a 24-year <a href="/topics//United_States_Military_Academy">Army</a> veteran who served in <a href="/topics//Iraq">Iraq</a>, holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the <a href="/topics//United_States_Military_Academy">Army</a> Reserve and works monthly at the <a href="/topics//The_Pentagon">Pentagon</a>. He is a financial planner, but devoting full time to this race. 
 Labate is a <a href="/topics//Ronald_Reagan">Ronald Reagan</a> Republican, with a treasure trove of books and letters from the late president. Unfortunately, he is also a Grover <a href="/topics//Grover_Norquist">Norquist</a> Republican. Even as many in his party are backing away from Norquist's extreme no-new-taxes-ever pledge, Labate signed it this year. He is deeply suspicious of the Dodd-Frank financial reforms that Israel voted for, and his anti-marriage-equality rhetoric is over the top. 
 It makes no sense to throw out a pragmatic, on-the-rise member of Congress in favor of someone who has taken a discredited ideological pledge and would be starting from scratch. Newsday endorses Israel.

VPCON03

Editorial: Re-elect Steve Israel in 3rd Congressional District

Steve Israel - Cropped

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy is <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>'s Mrs. Smith, as in Mrs. Smith goes to Washington. 
 A registered nurse, she was catapulted into public life by tragedy: A husband killed and a son grievously wounded in a mass shooting on the <a href="/topics//Long_Island_Rail_Road">Long Island Rail Road</a> in 1993. McCarthy, 68, of <a href="/topics//Mineola,_NY">Mineola</a>, has grown beyond the <a href="/topics//Gun_Control">gun control</a> issue that prompted her first run for office in 1996, although it remains an important legislative passion. As a member of the <a href="/topics//House_Financial_Services_Committee">House Financial Services Committee</a> she's delved into the arcane but critical issues of financial services regulation and supported creation of the populist <a href="/topics//Consumer_Financial_Protection_Bureau">Consumer Financial Protection Bureau</a>. 
 <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> Fran Becker, 60, a financial planner from <a href="/topics//Lynbrook,_NY">Lynbrook</a>, is her opponent this year, as he was in 2010. The <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County legislator is a veteran public servant who knows the district well. He and McCarthy offer voters a clear choice. 
 She supports the Dodd-Frank law's post-crisis regulation of <a href="/topics//Wall_Street">Wall Street</a>, the Affordable Care Act and extending the Bush tax cuts, but only for individuals earning less than $200,000 and couples less than $250,000. She favors tax reform that would lower rates, limit deductions and raise revenue. She opposes converting Medicare into a premium support plan, or funding Medicaid via block grants to the states. 
 Becker has the opposite views. He would vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act and also Dodd-Frank, which he said inhibits economic growth. He wants the Bush tax cuts extended for all and favors tax reform, but not structured to raise additional revenue. He supports Medicare premium support, Medicaid block grants and limiting the programs' benefits for the affluent. 
 McCarthy's mind meld with the middle class is a valuable perspective in the halls of power in Washington. Newsday endorses McCarthy.

VPCON04

Editorial: Re-elect Carolyn McCarthy in 4th Congressional District

Carolyn McCarthy - Cropped

Thanks to redistricting, seven-term Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-Queens) has some work to do. His old territory in southeastern Queens has been redrawn to include North and South <a href="/topics//Valley_Stream,_NY">Valley Stream</a>, <a href="/topics//Elmont,_NY">Elmont</a> and <a href="/topics//Inwood,_NY">Inwood</a> in western <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County. So the 59-year-old needs to make himself known on <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>. 
 Meeks views the shift as a chance to push New York City and the Island to work more closely in pursuit of common goals. And there's no shortage of goals to choose from -- whether the subject is identifying ways to ease the brunt of home foreclosures, resolving local immigration controversies or creating programs to assist small businesses. 
 Meeks is not a total stranger to <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a> -- he has a bachelor's degree from <a href="/topics//Adelphi_University">Adelphi University</a>. After earning his law degree from Howard University in Washington, he worked as an assistant district attorney and a special narcotics prosecutor in Queens. 
 It is troubling that his name keeps popping up in official investigations, most notably by the House Ethics Committee, which is looking into a 2007 loan from a Queens businessman that Meeks didn't initially disclose. The congressman calls the lapse an oversight. 
 But his opponent in this race, running on the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> line, is Allan W. Jennings, 46, of <a href="/topics//South_Ozone_Park,_NY">South Ozone Park</a>, Queens, a registered <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> who once served on the <a href="/topics//New_York_City_Council">New York City Council</a>. The council censured Jennings in 2005 after two female subordinates accused him of sexual harassment, and he lost a primary re-election campaign later that year. 
 Jennings says he's running for <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a> now because he wants to reduce the high rates of <a href="/topics//Unemployment">unemployment</a> and home foreclosure in the district. He is not an acceptable alternative to Meeks. 
 Newsday endorses Meeks.

VPCON05

Editorial: Re-elect Gregory W. Meeks in 5th Congressional District

Gregory W. Meeks - Cropped

Longtime Rep. Gary L. Ackerman is retiring, and his old territory has seen a major overhaul. Now <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> City Councilman Daniel Halloran, a <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a>, and Assemb. Grace Meng, a <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a>, are vying for his seat. 
 Halloran, 40, of Auburndale, Queens, is an ex-prosecutor and an ardent neighborhood advocate. On the council, he has fought to keep firehouses open and to prevent teacher layoffs. He says he wants to cut taxes and relieve governmental burdens on small businesses. He is also a steadfast opponent of residential overdevelopment. 
 Meng, 37, of Flushing, is the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants who blazed a path toward the American dream. She is a graduate of <a href="/topics//Stuyvesant_High_School">Stuyvesant High School</a>, the University of <a href="/topics//Michigan">Michigan</a> and Cardozo School of Law in Manhattan. If she wins, she'd be the first Asian-American elected to <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a> from <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> State, representing a district that is 37 percent Asian and 17 percent Latino. 
 While her record as a legislator hasn't been extraordinary in the two terms she's served in <a href="/topics//Albany,_NY">Albany</a> -- among her successful bills she cites a measure that removes the term "Oriental" from city and state documents and one that lets judges in hate-crime cases order counseling for convicts -- she has some strong arguments in her favor. 
 She is energetic and smart, and as a member of <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a>, she could play a much-needed role in her district as a savvy provider of constituent services -- for example, helping resolve visa and immigration glitches, especially vexing to those seeking citizenship. Meng says Queens is overlooked when it comes to transportation and infrastructure needs and wants to improve mass transit access to <a href="/topics//LaGuardia_Airport">LaGuardia Airport</a>. 
 Newsday endorses Meng.

VPCON06

Editorial: Elect Grace Meng in 6th Congressional District

Grace Meng - Cropped

 Election 2012: Newsday's endorsements for U.S. Congress

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Newsday's endorsements for U.S. Congress

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