U.S. representative: Three seeking GOP nod, chance to challenge Himes

Written by Johusa Fisher and Justin Reynolds

Jim Himes became the first Democrat to represent southwestern Connecticut in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1968 when he beat Chris Shays in 2008. Now three Republicans are hoping to be the man to keep Himes to one term.

State Senator Dan Debicella of Shelton, who won the GOP nomination at the May state convention, is being challenged by businessmen Rob Merkle of Norwalk and Rick Torres of Bridgeport.

All three Republican hopefuls are against the new health care legislation, among other Democrat-backed legislation such as the stimulus package.

Mr. Debicella’s plan to cut health care costs would include focusing on preventive medicine through a healthy-living tax credit, opening up insurance company competition across state lines, malpractice reform, improvements in electronic patient records and encouraging low-cost private plans like the state’s Charter Oak Plan.

These “reforms could rescue the cost of health care dramatically in Connecticut — while saving more lives through more prevention and better care,” Mr. Debicella said. “Rather than just taxing the insured to pay for the uninsured, we need a more intelligent and creative approach to reforming health care.”

On health care, Mr. Torres says: “I will work tirelessly to repeal Obamacare. I have already signed the Club for Growth ‘Repeal It’ pledge. When I am your congressman, I will work to implement free market solutions that will result in lower costs to all consumers.”

Mr. Merkle also supports free-market health care reform that includes interstate competition.

“Up to 30% of medical procedures are considered unnecessary and are ordered to protect physicians from frivolous lawsuits,” he said. “The practice of defensive medicine is a significant drain on our system, dramatically increasing costs, wasting health care resources and restricting patient access to cutting-edge treatments. Capping medical malpractice pain and suffering awards at $750,000 will dramatically lower malpractice premiums, free resources to cover more patients, and reduce costs for the entire system.”

Mr. Debicella supports tax relief for small businesses and middle class families rather than more government spending.

“I propose that we repeal the 80% of the stimulus money that has yet to be distributed and instead cut the payroll tax in half for one year,” he said. “This one act will save every family in America $1,500 in taxes. Furthermore, it will provide tax relief to small businesses so that they can afford to hire additional employees. Finally, it will actually shrink our $1.4-trillion deficit because it costs less than the pork-barrel stimulus.”

Mr. Merkle supports renewing the Bush tax cuts, set to expire this year. If they expire, he says, this district will see an additional $1.5 billion a year in taxes.

Mr. Torres also supports reducing taxes. “Steeply progressive income tax discourages economic growth,” he said. “By punishing success through disproportionately higher tax rates, we attain less success in the society. It is often said that the rich ‘can afford’ higher taxes. What this argument misses is that the more money is confiscated from the rich, the less money the rich have left to invest into business.

“As a result, new jobs are not being created for the rest of us. Higher, more competitive wages are not being paid to the rest of us — not to mention the new products which are not being developed to make life better for the rest of us. Everybody suffers. Everybody comes out less prosperous. The only thing that expands is the government. Instead, we should encourage American entrepreneurial spirit and spur economic growth and job creation by making the tax code less progressive — ideally by implementing a flat (single-bracket) tax.”

Mr. Merkle, who has lived in the area on and off since 1992, said his candidacy differs from his opponents, whom he believes have been in politics for too long.

“They are both party insiders. Torres has been in the Connecticut Republican Party for over 20 years. He was an insider for Chris Shays and Joe Lieberman,” he said. “He was chairman of the Bridgeport RTC and got kicked out. Now, he’s trying to claim that he’s a grass-roots conservative.”

“Debicella is a career politician. He’s been in politics since he was a teenager,” he continued. “His policies are moderate. [He’s voted to] increase spending, increase taxes and expand government, and now he’s claiming to be a Reagan conservative.”

Mr. Debicella says he’s running for Congress “to restore the values of free enterprise and individual liberty to Washington. Fairfield County families want practical solutions on the economy, health care, and transportation. I will use my background as a businessman and a state senator to implement new ideas to get our economy growing again and create jobs for our families.”

Mr. Torres says he is running to “preserve and restore our freedoms” and that he has the energy and understanding to beat Himes in November.

Mr. Merkle, who’s never run for office before, said he decided to toss his hat into the ring after seeing elected officials repeatedly make what he perceives as poor choices.

“I got sick and tired of watching politicians make bad decisions that were in their personal best interest and not in the interest of their constituents,” Mr. Merkle said Friday. “I’ve never been in politics. I’ve been a businessman. I am a husband and a father.”

Mr. Merkle said he was in the securitization markets in the 1990s, and fundamentally understands how the sub-prime crisis began. “Neither of my opponents have that background,” he said.

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