Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger is serving his tenth term in the United States House of Representatives for the citizens of Maryland’s 2nd District, which includes parts of Baltimore City as well as Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Harford and Howard Counties.
Congressman Ruppersberger currently serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for allocating hundreds of billions of federal dollars each year. Congressman Ruppersberger serves on the Defense subcommittee, a good match for his District, which is home to the National Security Agency, Fort Meade, U.S. Cyber Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground and other installations essential to the country’s national security. He also serves on the Homeland Security as well as the Commerce, Justice and Science subcommittees.
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The best way to fight crime is to support local law enforcement.
Dutch is proud to have secured millions of dollars to help Maryland and its local police departments fight criminals, including the funding needed to set up the first-of-its-kind, multi-jurisdictional gang taskforce. He has also secured millions to re-hire laid-off local police officers and firefighters and replace outdated safety equipment. Drawing on his experiences as Baltimore County Executive, he advocates on behalf of school resource officers – which protect students, teachers and staff – while in Congress.
Citizens have a right to responsibly bear arms, but we can do a better job regulating the sale and transfer of guns and ammunition.
Dutch strongly believes in the Second Amendment, but we also have a Constitutional responsibility to protect American citizens from harm. He supports efforts to ban true assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, which have been the weapons of choice for mass shooters because their sole purpose is to inflict as much damage as possible as quickly as possible. When assault weapons or high-capacity magazines have been used in a shooting, the number of casualties has increased 63 percent. So while a ban may not stop these attacks, it will help drastically reduce the bloodshed.
Dutch also supports requiring background checks for all gun sales, including those purchased online and at gun shows and addressing the sale of firearms to the mentally ill.
To alleviate prison over-crowding, we should save mandatory minimums for the really bad guys.
Mandatory minimums for minor drug offenses are bogging our prison system down and costing young people who make one poor decision their entire futures. We should concentrate prison space on violent and career criminals by focusing mandatory minimums on leaders and supervisors of drug trafficking organizations. Dutch supports legislation that would reduce mandatory minimums for certain non-violent, first-time drug offenders, reduce the 3-strike mandatory life sentence to 25 years, allow drug sentences to be enhanced based upon prior convictions for serious violent felonies and broaden the existing safety valve for low-level drug offenders with prior misdemeanors.
Education funding is a strategic investment – even during tough times.
As we make difficult budget decisions to reign in the federal deficit, Dutch believes that education should remain a top priority. As an appropriator, he advocates for full education funding each year, especially for formula grant programs that ensure ALL students have an equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education, like Title 1 and IDEA. Dutch also supports funding to ensure children can learn in modern and energy-efficient buildings. On average, public schools across the country are more than 40-years-old and need an estimated $500 billion in repairs and upgrades.
We must show the teaching profession the respect it deserves.
Teachers aren’t only instructors – they are nurturers. As Baltimore County Executive, Dutch fought to give all teachers a pay raise. Dutch supports federal incentives for teacher preparation programs and professional development. He also helped pass legislation to extend the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers. He believes we must do whatever we can to recruit and retain the best teachers we can, especially from under-represented groups.
Federal education policy should ensure equal access and that schools and teachers are held accountable in a way that makes sense.
Dutch supported the successful effort to replace “No Child Left Behind” with the “Every Student Succeeds Act” in December 2015. While Dutch supported the goals of “No Child,” it shifted too much control away from our states and focused too much on punishing failure instead of rewarding success. He believes we should reduce the number of federally-mandated standardized tests and use multiple measures to evaluate school and student success. He does not support federal mandates that base teacher evaluations on such tests.
College must be more affordable.
American college students now owe $1.2 trillion in education loans, which is second only to home mortgages in terms of consumer debt. Dutch supports legislation allowing federal student loans to be refinanced – like mortgages – when interest rates decline and expanding federal loan forgiveness programs for students who choose certain careers, like teachers. He helped pass legislation to strengthen the Pell Grant program and the American Opportunity Tax Credit for tuition and related expenses. As a STEM education champion, Dutch supports funding for scholarships to re-train retired STEM professionals as teachers.
Saving the Chesapeake Bay means saving jobs.
The Chesapeake Bay contributes $1 trillion to the economies of its 6-state watershed, including Maryland. Dutch supported one of the most aggressive Bay clean-up bills in decades – the Chesapeake Clean Water & Ecosystem Restoration Act – which requires states to meet strict pollution caps and authorizes new funding to reduce run-off. He has proudly secured millions of federal dollars for projects in and around the Bay, such as the reconstruction of menhaden and oyster habitats essential to improving water quality.
A strong Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act will improve the quality of life for all Americans.
The public relies on the government to protect our only two universally-used resources: water and air. For decades, the federal Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act have been responsible for ensuring these life-giving resources are available for generations to come. Dutch has opposed – and will continue to oppose – unreasonable legislation and legislative riders that would weaken these acts as well as the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to enforce them.
We must take an “all of the above” approach to energy policy.
Dutch is deeply concerned about our dependence on hostile foreign countries for oil. Our country uses 25 percent of the oil consumed in the world, but sits atop only 3 percent of the world’s oil reserves. So he believes all options – including wind, solar power and nuclear energy – should be on the table.
Climate change is real and we must act now to mitigate its effects.
Scientific evidence has proven that human activity is contributing to global climate change. Dutch supported landmark efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent before 2050 by requiring polluters to purchase carbon credits to fund energy efficiency programs. He supports funding for programs to help manufacturers and farmers reduce their carbon output and tax credits to help American businesses and homeowners reduce their energy use and lower their utility bills. These investments can help substantially reduce pollution while creating millions of jobs, such as installing solar panels, manufacturing wind turbines and renovating homes.
Mass transit is a strategic investment that will keep American workers and American products on the move and reduce our carbon footprint.
Every American business and worker relies on dependable and efficient transit, including our highways, runways, railways and waterways. For every $1 billion of federal funds invested in transit infrastructure, we create or save about 34,800 jobs in some of the hardest-hit industries. Dutch always supports robust transportation funding during the annual appropriations process. He is actively working with partners in local government, as well as private investors, to determine how best to improve mass transit in the I-95 corridor, which is one of the most congested in the country.
Obamacare should be improved – but not repealed.
Dutch supported healthcare reform because it addresses the unsustainable healthcare costs affecting all Americans, particularly seniors and children. It prevents insurance companies from dropping customers when they get sick or denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. It lifts limits on the services you receive and expands coverage to young adults entering the job market. It offers free preventive care for seniors and lowers their prescription drug costs. During negotiations, Dutch worked to exempt small businesses and would support expanding the exemption threshold to companies with 50 employees or even more.
Medical malpractice reform should be part of the solution to rising healthcare costs.
Dutch worked behind the scenes on a state-level tort reform effort and remains committed to sensible liability limits that experts agree will save taxpayers billions of dollars. Limits on jury awards in malpractice suits will lower insurance premiums for doctors, which are passed on to patients. It will also prevent doctors from ordering unnecessary and costly tests and procedures to avoid misdiagnosis.
Medical research must be part of the solution to rising healthcare costs.
Funding for medical research is key to our country’s economic recovery. In Maryland, the growing life sciences sector has generated one third of all job gains over the past decade and is now supporting more than $9.6 billion in salaries for Maryland families. It’s also our best hope for finding cures, improving treatments and gaining a better understanding of the complex causes of diseases that affect millions of Americans. Dutch has secured federal aid for local research centers including the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins and Kennedy Krieger and will always support robust funding for federal research agencies like the National Institutes of Health.
We can plan for the future of Medicare and Medicaid without cutting benefits.
Medicare and Medicaid are the cornerstones of healthcare for millions of American seniors, especially those on fixed incomes. Dutch supports reducing costs – without cutting services – by eliminating fraud, waste, insurance overpayment and abuse. Preventing these mistakes alone will save $575 billion over the next decade. Dutch opposes a plan to turn Medicare into a voucher system because it would shift more costs to seniors. He supports a permanent fix to the formula currently used to calculate reimbursements for doctors who accept Medicare. Reimbursements below doctors’ actual costs threaten patient access and the quality of service suffers.
Women should have the right to make their own healthcare decisions.
Time and again, the courts have upheld a woman’s right to choose. Current law already prevents federal tax dollars from funding abortion and protects doctors who decline to perform them.
Secure communities require secure borders.
Dutch supported the construction of the fence between the U.S. and Mexico and consistently champions funding for additional border patrol agents, state-of-the-art surveillance equipment and the U.S. Marshals fighting cartels operating along the border. He supports the right of border states to defend themselves in the absence of enforceable federal policy and thinks we should be working harder to deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. These efforts should be funded by increasing Visa fees on foreign companies that bring their workers into the United States.
Those who come to our country illegally should not be eligible for benefits or jobs at the expense of American workers.
Dutch supports making the government-verification system known as e-Verify permanent so that businesses have a straight-forward and consistent method to determine the legal status of their workforce. He supports existing federal laws that prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving benefits like Social Security, unemployment, food stamps and housing assistance.
There’s room to accommodate children brought into this country illegally through no fault of their own.
Dutch supported legislation known as the Dream Act that would establish a rigorous 10-year process for certain qualified young adults to obtain conditional permanent residency. In addition to strengthening our military recruitment pool, this proposal would produce more taxpayers to contribute to our economy. Dutch thinks this plan should only apply to students who were brought into the country as minors, who have already lived here for at least five years, who have graduated from a U.S. high school, and have completed at least two years at a community college or with the military.
We can’t just deport our way out of the problem.
We simply don’t have the manpower to deport each and every one of the 11 million illegal immigrants present in our country today – and most people don’t want that. A recent Fox news polls shows most American voters believe illegal immigrants should be given a chance to apply for citizenship if they meet certain requirements. Dutch would support a rigorous legalization process that requires immigrants, for example, to pay back taxes plus a penalty and pass a background check. But he believes we must secure our borders before any immigration reform passes into law.
We can do better when it comes to screening travelers entering the U.S.
Many Americans worry about potential terrorists exploiting our refugee system, but it would be far easier for an enemy combatant to gain entry through the Visa Waiver Program, which allows tourists to travel without a visa for 90 days or less. The program is open to citizens of 38 nations, including France and Belgium, where the Paris attackers were citizens. That is why Dutch is cosponsoring legislation to help the U.S. better identify and stop potential terrorists with European passports from entering our country.
Privatizing Social Security won’t work.
Dutch opposes any effort to privatize the Social Security system or replace any part of its guaranteed benefits with individual investment accounts. Such a system would be extremely expensive to set up and administer and would expose retirees to the volatility of America’s stock market. Studies show the market crash in 2008 would have stripped nearly 60 percent from retirement investors’ stock portfolios.
He is taking a close look at a legislative proposal that would give current and new beneficiaries a 2 percent benefit bump and index that annual COLA with the Consumer Price Index to better keep pace with the cost of drugs and medical services. The bill will give more than 11 million recipients a tax cut by having millionaires and billionaires pay the same rate into Social Security as ordinary workers. It also enables the system to earn a higher rate of return by gradually investing a portion of its reserves in equities.
Retirees who have worked and contributed to the system should be guaranteed their benefits.
Dutch opposes any effort to increase the full retirement age more than it has already. He also opposes reducing Social Security’s guaranteed benefits, altering the benefit formula or instituting means testing for both Medicare and Social Security. Dutch supports changing the Social Security formula so that it keeps up with inflation, and, in the meantime, will continue to support payments in lieu of COLAs to help seniors struggling to make ends meet.
Turning Medicare into a voucher program is a bad idea.
Stipends to purchase insurance in the private market would not likely keep up with inflation and, over time, seniors would be forced to pay more out-of-pocket. The best way to keep Medicare solvent is to lower prescription drug prices, which are increasing overall costs. We can do this by going after pharmaceutical manufacturers who are unjustifiably raising the prices on life-saving drugs. We also need to let Medicare negotiate group drug prices, like the Veterans Affairs department already does.
Fixing the deficit is important, but Social Security and Medicare shouldn’t be unfairly targeted for cuts.
Our entitlement programs must be put on stable financial ground, but any adjustments should be implemented over time so changes do not impact current beneficiaries or those near retirement. Dutch opposes cuts to domestic programs that help vulnerable seniors, like housing assistance, food stamps and medical research. He supports reauthorizing the Older Americans Act and increasing funding for programs that seniors need like Meals on Wheels, transportation assistance and caregiver support.
We owe our veterans proper healthcare and benefits.
Dutch supports military pay increases, opposes TRICARE fee increases and supports tax deductions for supplemental premiums and enrollment fees. As part of his extensive constituent service operation, Dutch helps Maryland veterans access their benefits each and every day and is working aggressively to make sure Baltimore’s VA office eliminates its care backlog once and for all.
In Washington, he supports legislation and funding to keep the VA health care system strong, with clean, modern facilities. He is particularly supportive of services to fight the tragically high suicide rate among veterans and improve the treatment of traumatic brain injuries. He has also secured millions in federal funding for the Trauma Clinical Research Program and the Peer Review Orthopedic Research Program, which work to ensure our wounded warriors and veterans can access the best possible medical care.
Returning troops and veterans deserve quality jobs.
Dutch supports legislation to encourage employers to hire servicemembers who have recently returned from duty or who have been discharged and are looking for a job. He consistently supports federal funding for programs that re-train veterans so they have the skills they need to find work in today’s job market. He supported the “new” post September 11 G.I. bill to expand educational benefits for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
As elected officials, we have an obligation to do whatever we can to ease the sacrifices of our military families.
Since coming to Congress, Dutch has launched two national programs that support our wounded warriors and their families. Operation “Hero Miles” helps citizens donate their frequent flyer miles to wounded warriors traveling to receive care through the military health system, as well as to friends and family visiting them. “Hotels for Heroes” allows the American public to donate their hotel reward points, further helping to defray travel costs. Both programs, now administered through the nationally recognized Fisher House Foundation, have been incredibly successful. Dutch also supports every legislative opportunity to better the quality of life for our veterans and their families. For example, he recently signed on in support of the Housing Our Heroes Act, which aims to acquire and renovate abandoned homes for homeless veterans.
Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger ran his own business, so he knows what it’s like to make a payroll and meet a budget. As Baltimore County Executive, he was required to submit a balanced budget for eight years and was repeatedly honored for his responsible financial management. Now in Congress, he believes the same common sense principles should be applied to the federal budget. Dutch believes:
The government shouldn’t spend more than it can afford.
Dutch has voted for, and even cosponsored, balanced budget amendments. Now, as our country continues to rebuild, he joined a bipartisan coalition encouraging a minimum $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade.
As Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, Dutch worked with the Republican Chairman to cut $1 billion from the budgets of 16 intelligence agencies without affecting their missions by conducting program review and eliminating all unnecessary, wasteful and duplicative spending. Now as an Appropriator, he thinks the same should be done across the federal budget. Priority must be given to job-creating investments, such as infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Sequestration must be replaced with a balanced budget solution.
While Congress recently passed legislation that lifts the across-the-board budget caps known as sequestration for two years, this is only a Band-aid fix. Unless completely repealed, sequestration will continue to have a disproportionate impact here in Maryland, which is home to many federal agencies and contractors that employee thousands of residents.
Bipartisan groups that have looked at our deficit challenge such as Bowles-Simpson have all concluded that we cannot achieve financial stability without a balanced package that includes both tax cuts and new revenues where appropriate. Dutch agrees.
Tax reform should be addressed comprehensively.
Dutch supported extending the Bush tax cuts for the vast majority of American households and, more recently, joined 77 other Democrats in voting for a tax extenders bill that includes $650 billion in tax relief for businesses and individuals, including the Earned Income Tax Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit. He has sponsored legislation to increase the $1,000 child care tax credit and make it permanent since 2007.
That said, Dutch believes our entire tax code should be updated and simplified comprehensively. We should have lower individual and corporate tax rates and fewer brackets and we should get rid of unfair loopholes and tax breaks for certain industries such as oil and gas companies.