Democrat Seth Moulton, Massachusetts' newest member of Congress, says he's ready to tackle a number of issues after being sworn in to his position on Tuesday.
In an interview with WGBH News, Moulton laid out his priorities as Congressman.
“There’s an awful lot of listening that I need to do. One of the biggest jobs I have early on is just to go around and listen to constituents to understand what their needs and priorities are so that I can best serve them when I’m working in Washington,” said Moulton.
The Iraq veteran says he hopes to be placed on the House Armed Services Committee in order to have influence over military matters and improve leadership in Washington using the experience he gained serving four tours of duty in Iraq.
“A big part of why I ran in the first place is because of my service in the Marines. I’m not someone who grew up wanting to be a politician but I saw in the Iraq War the consequences of failed leadership in Washington, and that’s fundamentally why I decided to run for Congress,” said Moulton.
Moulton says that his veteran status will also allow him to collaborate with other members of Congress to take steps towards improving the VA healthcare system.
“Getting good care for our veterans is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue; It’s an American issue and … I think we should be able to find some common ground to make some real progress in this congress,” Moulton told WGBH News.
Moulton’s priorities also include improving the local economy, and helping fishermen in Gloucester, who in recent months have been caught up in a battle with federal regulators.
You can listen to full interview with Seth Moulton above.
