Democrat & Chronicle Endorses Louise - Keep Louise Slaughter in Congress
Veteran Democrat Congresswoman Louise Slaughter has a lengthy list of legislative successes behind her, as one would expect from a lawmaker in office for more than a quarter century.
It is not so much those accomplishments, but the consistent effectiveness they represent that earn Slaughter the Democrat and Chronicle’s endorsement for reelection in the new 25th Congressional District.
The Fairport resident is facing her most formidable challenger in years, in the form of Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, a Republican, who was elected last year to her third term.
Brooks is an informed candidate who correctly focuses on job creation and the economy as her chief priorities, while pointing out that the concerns of the reconfigured Congressional district — encompassing most of Monroe County — are intimately familiar to her.
No argument there, but on issues beyond county borders Brooks has said too little during the campaign: U.S. policy in Syria and the Middle East, active military personnel and veterans’ care, ethical missteps in Congress and on Wall Street, the environment, are just a handful.
Slaughter has been characteristically vocal on such issues: This past term she helped force the Army to improve body armor for soldiers; won passage of the STOCK Act, which made insider trading by members of Congress and their staff members illegal; and secured an amendment in a transportation bill aimed at protecting the Great Lakes from invasive carp.
Too, Slaughter’s experience and regional knowledge is a plus. The new Monroe-centric district would be her fourth; she has represented constituents from Rochester to Buffalo, and in counties including Ontario, Livingston, Genesee and Orleans. That regional perspective will help, particularly in working with other members of western New York’s congressional delegation.
Brooks wonders what a 26-year incumbent can do in a new term that she hasn’t accomplished already. Experience and persistence count in Congress. Slaughter pushed for the STOCK Act for 13 years.
Still, Slaughter is not a flawless candidate. She is a member of a dysfunctional Congress that has the lowest public ratings in history. She must accept some blame for that. More important, she needs to work harder to change public perception.
Too, it was bothersome that Slaughter didn’t seem to have thought much about devising a new strategy to fight urban ills in cities such as Rochester. “I don’t know what the answer is,” she said. That’s not good enough.
Overall, though, Slaughter can be an asset to the new Monroe district. Keep her in Congress.