Hayhurst Discusses Congressional Run During Warsaw Visit
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Third District Congressional candidate Tom Hayhurst said, if elected, he will work to foster job growth and reshape the trade policy.
Hayhurst (D-Fort Wayne) visited the Times-Union Thursday afternoon to discuss his thoughts on the upcoming election.
Hayhurst, 68, faces Republican Marlin Stutzman (Howe) in a Nov. 2 special and general election. Tom Metzger, Warsaw, is a write-in candidate for the seat.
Hayhurst previously ran for the seat in 2006 when he won the Democratic primary election over the Rev. Kevin Boyd in May 2006. Hayhurst was defeated in 2006 by Mark Souder with a 54-46 percent margin.
Hayhurst said there needs to be a framework created that encourages and stimulates the private sector to create jobs.
"I'm a firm believer that we need to develop this region as an economic development area," Hayhurst said.
He said he believes all of the counties in the district should work as one unit.
"People from Kosciusko County are driving from Allen County and vice versa to work, and we can build and market this area globally and nationally as an area that has a good work ethic," Hayhurst said.
Hayhurst said he supports the expansion of the orthopedic industry, and is opposed to the new tax placed on medical devices.
"It is an unfair tax and not the right way to fund health care, and I would work very actively to reverse that tax funding health care," Hayhurst said.
He said he supports clean energy jobs, and there needs to be accelerated development in passenger and freight rail from Toledo, Ohio, to Fort Wayne and Chicago.
Hayhurst said federal and state government should work with farmers to encourage growing products such as corn and beans. He said they can be used for energy all over the region and can aide economic development and encourage energy independence.
He said government working with private industry will help create jobs.
If elected, he said he would like to serve on house committees that develop economic development and foreign trade.
Hayhurst said the current trade policy needs to be reshaped, and one that supports American workers and doesn't ship jobs overseas.
"I think we have our foreign trade policy all wrong. Free trade has shipped jobs oversees, and with shipping jobs to China we have lost millions of jobs here in the U.S.," Hayhurst said.
He said he would look to get together with other congressmen to put pressure on trade negotiators at the federal level to change the U.S. trade policy with other countries like China so jobs are not shipped to China.
"I think we need to move away from wide-open free trade and have a trade policy that looks out for our country," Hayhurst said.
Hayhurst said he considers himself to be a citizen legislator, and has worked a job for the past 30 years as a pulmonary critical care specialist at Indiana Medical Associates, Fort Wayne.
"I am focused on doing the right things for the country and not just trying to run for another office and get elected," Hayhurst said.
He said, if elected, he will listen to democrats, republicans and independents to improve the trade policy and bring jobs back to this area.
Hayhurst said there needs to be a constitutional amendment for term limits and a balanced budget.
"We have way too many spending too much time in Washington who are lifers and that is not what our founding fathers intended, and I think a term limit amendment would make sense," Hayhurst said.
Hayhurst said term limits would open the door for more candidates to come forward.
On the topic of health care, Hayhurst said he believes all Americans need to have affordable health care and have access to free health clinics for those who are laid off from their job.
"Health care debt leads to half of the bankruptcies in Indiana and a million bankruptcies nationwide," Hayhurst said.
For more information on Hayhurst, visit hayhurstforcongress.com
