Mr. Jones Goes to Washington “Laser-Focused On Delivering Results”

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January 2, 2021

The day before he was to be sworn in as the newly-elected Representative of New York’s 17^th Congressional District in Washington, Mondaire Jones spoke with The Hudson Independent’s Barrett Seaman. Their conversation:

THI: Jerry Nadler picked you for the House Judiciary Committee. How did that come about? Did you lobby for the appointment?

MJ: It was the Steering and Policy Committee that ultimately made a recommendation to Speaker Pelosi, who makes the final decision. But I did have the support of Jerry Nadler in that effort. (The assignment) is something that I have wanted for a long time. It was my first choice. You may recall that I centered democracy reforms in my campaign for Congress—especially in the general election, when the issue of court expansion became even more urgent with what is now a 6-3 hyper-partisan conservative majority on the Supreme Court.

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We have to pass the For The People Act, HR-1, that was passed by the 116^th Congress in 2019. It contains things like automatic voter registration that would enfranchise 15 million people nationally. It would replace what is currently a process of partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts with independent redistricting commissions, ensuring that representatives are responsive to the electorate, where Q-anon adherents cannot coast to victory in a general election campaign.

HR-1 seeks to root out the corrosive influence of money in politics by establishing a system of public financing of elections. You may recall that I’ve had my own experience with a candidate trying to purchase an election. Our policies will be better for it. If we don’t have better people in Congress, which requires democracy reforms, then we’re going to continue to see critical legislation blocked, including $2,000 survival checks.

THI: You’ve also been named as the Freshmen Representative to House Leadership. Was that the result of a caucus among your peers?

MJ: It was an election by the 15 (Democratic) members of the freshman class, and I’m pleased to say that when it came to a vote, I was unanimously elected and am now the youngest member of the House Democratic Leadership team. It was an honor to meet, frequently—at least once a week—with folks like Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Whip Jim Clyburn and Caucus Chair Hakeem Jefferies, and I’m looking forward in the 117^th Congress as a duly sworn-in member to really making the case for the big structural changes to help get us out of the worst pandemic in a century and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

THI: I recently interviewed your predecessor, Nita Lowey, and asked her what advice she had given you as you head off to Washington. She said, in effect, “don’t forget the folks back home.” In other words, pay attention to your constituents in the District. How do you intend to do that? What issues of concern locally do you intend to pursue, and how, as the new kid in town, do you go about that?

MJ: This is my favorite thing to talk about, because I am acutely aware that I serve at the pleasure of the great people of Westchester and Rockland County. A kid who grew up poor, black and gay was able to, with the support of the community that raised me, that rallied behind me in the face of powerful forces, (go to) the halls of Congress.

I’m going to be in the community and visible. I’m going to be doing town halls on a routine basis. Many of them will be virtual due to the pandemic. Folks are going to see me, not just in Westchester but in Rockland County, which is 40% of the District, which is where I grew up. Folks in the historically disenfranchised communities, communities that are lower income, communities that are undocumented, communities that are of color will see me, and they will know that I am fighting for them in the United States Congress.

We’re starting with the SALT (State and Local Tax) deduction, which is a top priority of mine. I’m so pleased that I have already begun conversations with my Republican colleague, Andrew Garbarino of Long Island. We’re going to be working together—as did our predecessors, Nita Lowey and Peter King. You’re going to see my in Congress highlight the housing crisis that we have in parts of Westchester and Rockland Counties. Folks in Rockland are going to see me fight for the resources to build a rail (system) in all parts of Rockland County, including across the Tappan Zee Bridge, so that we are a more attractive place for young people to move to and start families.

Folks are going to know that I’m going to continue, in the tradition of Nita Lowey, in making sure that we safely and responsibly and fairly decommission Indian Point. That means fighting for the resources to fill the tax revenue void that will follow the decommissioning.

THI: Where is your District office going to be? And who will be managing your affairs back here in Westchester and Rockland?

MJ: We are continuing in the tradition of (providing) excellent constituent services that Nita Lowey has set over her 32 years of service. I have promoted one of our district representatives to director of constituent services, and we are keeping on another district representative, and I’m keeping on Nita Lowey’s scheduling (officer) in the district office. We are nearing a decision on the district director role, but I understand that it is a very important role, and I don’t want to rush it. And I am placing a premium on managing experience. (Note: Rep. Jones will be keeping Lowey’s White Plains office at 222 Mamaroneck Ave. but looking for new Rockland office).

THI: You won the election on a very progressive platform—Green New Deal, Medicare for all, tuition-free college. That platform clearly aligns you with AOC, The Squad, and I now see that you are the Deputy Whip of the Progressive Caucus. But President Biden won on a more centrist platform and will be dealing with a Senate that is at least half Republican—and conservative Republican at that. How closely should you and other progressives hold to your positions if Biden negotiates compromises on issues such as climate or health care? There is that saying that the perfect can sometimes be the enemy of the good. Isn’t that likely to be applicable here? What is your strategy on representing the goals that you ran on?

MJ: I think we’ve already seen Joe Biden move to the left, on the issue of climate change, for example, where he has set forth the most ambitious climate proposal of any incoming president in American history. That’s because activists have pushed him to that point but also because he recognizes that we’ve only got so much time left to save the planet, and that climate legislation of the ambitious variety is a jobs creation program. And on the debate stage, he said that he wants to introduce comprehensive immigration reform in the first 100 days in office. He has expressed a willingness to lower the age of eligibility for Medicare and indeed has championed the public option, which is now the centrist position in the Democratic Party, whereas a decade ago in the Obama/Biden administration, we couldn’t even get a public option passed. So there is tremendous opportunity for progressives to work with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to deliver results.

That does not mean we will agree on everything. I will continue to support Medicare-for-all as the only policy that would insure literally everybody in the richest nation in the history of the world.

But we—myself and my staff—will be laser-focused on delivering results and that will require pragmatism at times. And it even means that I’m going to work with Republicans on issues.

THI: Where will you live in Washington?

MJ: I’m thrilled to say that I have found a place that is proximate to the Capitol, because I want to be able to roll out of bed and get to work immediately.

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