McGovern: Local activism leading up to midterms is key

SHELBURNE — U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern sat down with community members at the Shelburne Grange Fellowship Hall on Saturday, discussing military action in Venezuela, the rising cost of living and actions by the Trump administration, as well as the importance of local activism and voting in the midterm elections.

McGovern, who represents Massachusetts’ 2nd Congressional District, answered questions before approximately 100 people at the “Coffee with your Congressman” event. McGovern said he was surprised to see so many people in attendance, but proud that his constituents care about what’s happening in their country.

“I didn’t expect as many people to be here, but it was inspiring to see so many people show up, because it reminds me that people really care,” he said. “This is a community that cares, and I think what we saw here in Shelburne is reflective of what’s happening all across the country. People are worried about democracy. The people who showed up here were patriots; they love this country and they don’t want to see it ruined by Donald Trump.”

Immigration, cost of living and other national issues

For a little under three hours, McGovern addressed attendees’ questions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), military action in Venezuela and more.

McGovern said ICE has been employing “Gestapo-like” tactics, walking around wearing masks while carrying assault weapons and intimidating people. He added that the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis by ICE agent Jonathan Ross was murder.

“This is not who we are,” he said, “and I don’t want it to be normalized.”

On the topic of Venezuela, McGovern said he has seen the U.S. get involved in quite a few international conflicts since he was first elected in 1996, and he worries that the reasons behind Trump’s interest in Venezuela are the wrong ones.

The capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Jan. 3 came after months of heightened U.S. military presence and escalating conflict, including attacks by U.S. forces on alleged drug smuggling vessels off the coast of Venezuela.

“One thing I’ve learned is that it’s easy to get into a war, but it’s hard as hell to get out of one, and if you’re going to war, you ought to have a clearly defined mission,” McGovern said. “You’ve got to debate it. People ought to know what the hell they’re doing. This war in Venezuela, no one knows what the hell they’re doing, and it’s not about drugs. … It’s not about human rights or democracy; it’s about oil.”

McGovern, noting that Mexico serves as the primary source of illicit fentanyl trafficked into the United States, not Venezuela, argued that Trump’s involvement in Venezuela is about paying back oil companies that donated to his reelection campaign.

“I don’t want any Americans to lose their lives over oil and I don’t want to enrich people who are already rich,” McGovern said.

He argued that the efforts of the Trump administration have not been about supporting the American people, who are facing a cost-of-living crisis.

“In the United States of America, in the richest country in the history of the world, we have [more than] 46 million Americans who are food insecure. I’m ashamed of that fact,” McGovern said. “That should not be the reality here. … When I go around talking to people in my district, people don’t come up to me and say, ‘Oh, I’m really rich I need another tax break.’ I have people who come up to me and say, ‘I can’t afford my rent, I can’t afford housing, I can’t afford my groceries.'”

Midterms and local activism

McGovern encouraged attendees to stay engaged politically and advocate for what they want to see, particularly in the lead-up to the November midterm elections.

In Massachusetts, incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is looking to retain his seat against challengers, including Seth Moulton and John Deaton. Nationwide, Democrats are looking to take back seats from Republicans, who currently have control of the House and the Senate. McGovern said winning back seats will be key for the Democratic Party.

“A lot depends on what happens in the midterm elections. Every federal cutback impacts the town, whether it’s direct aid to cities and towns or cuts to Medicaid or renewable energy,” McGovern said. “It all trickles down, and all negatively impacts our local communities. We’re trying to fight to make sure that more federal resources come to our cities and towns. I’d rather spend our money on our communities than spend money on Venezuela, bailing out Argentina or invading Greenland.

“We have to have a Congress that reflects a different set of values than the one we have right now,” McGovern continued. “If we can win the midterms, then I think that there’ll be a check on the Trump administration that right now doesn’t exist, and we’ll be able to advocate for a different set of priorities, which includes more financial assistance to our cities and towns.”

McGovern said the strategy of the Trump administration has been to make people feel powerless, but the people have more power than they think, and should speak up and vote.

“It makes all the difference in the world. These elections are very close in this country. If another percentage [of voters] showed up, we would be having a different conversation right now,” McGovern said. “We have to sell democracy to people. We have to remind people it’s worth being engaged.”

The congressman said people need to talk with their friends, family members and neighbors, and in particular, those with different political beliefs, about what is happening in the United States and about the importance of their vote. Conversations with neighbors, standouts on town commons and social media will be key tools to spread this message.

“We have people in our community who need to be reminded what’s right and what’s wrong, and to make sure they understand what is unfolding,” McGovern said. “It is important to continue the activism here.”

He added that people need to be considerate about the candidates they vote for, and support good candidates “with a backbone” who are not afraid to stand up to Trump. He said that on both sides of the aisle, voters need to choose candidates who would be willing to work together to better the lives of the American people.

“We need to demand more of the Democratic Party,” McGovern said. “We need Republicans and Democrats who actually stand for something, not just reelection.”

McGovern said he was inspired by how many people showed up to share their thoughts with him and that he plans to bring their messages back to his colleagues in the House.

“People are alarmed about what is happening in Washington,” McGovern said. “And they want us to be aware of that fact and do what we can to protect this democracy, protect our values and protect the best about this country.”