https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96D-Gz94S4Y |
Self-serving politicians like Scott Garrett exemplify all that is wrong with Congress. Fortunately Scott Garrett’s extreme record is finally being recognized for what it really is. Garrett, the 12-year incumbent, adheres to a far-right ideology that is out of step with the constituents he was elected to represent. According to a recent Star-Ledger editorial, “he voted against putting child safety locks on guns. He wants to open the Jersey Shore to oil drilling. He wants to require schools to teach intelligent design alongside evolution.”
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Garrett has voted against project labor agreements, against unemployment benefits extensions, against prevailing wages, against food stamps, and for the government shutdown. Garrett dragged his feet during the Sandy aid vote and then had the nerve to claim on a campaign mailer that he was a leading advocate for Sandy relief. Fortunately, several major news outlets in the state called Garrett out for this blatant misrepresentation of his actions during the crisis. Furthermore, Garrett’s eventual vote for the Sandy aid package was a matter of political survival rather than exercising good conscience. For proof of this fact we need not look any further than his icy opposition to Hurricane Katrina aid.
Garrett’s expiration date as an elected official is long past due, and five days from now, we have the opportunity to elect Roy Cho, a leader who will provide honest and thoughtful representation for the 5th District. Roy Cho would bring a fresh new perspective to Congress with a focus on bridging partisan divisions to revitalize our nation’s middle class and to promote a culture of innovation and investment in American workers. You can learn more about Roy here.
Voters have a clear choice this year, but the only way to unseat Garrett and elect Roy Cho will be to make sure we get out the vote like never before. Every vote in this race is going to count. A victory here would send a strong message to Garrett-type politicians across the country that we are tired of their games and we will settle for nothing less than real representation for working families.