Incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, D-Bourne, will be facing Republican challenger Jesse Brown during the upcoming Nov. 8 election to represent the 9th Congressional District.
The candidates have different backgrounds. Keating lives on Cape Cod, and comes from a background “steeped in a tradition of public service,” such as three generations of police officers and his father (who is from a Gold Star family) working as a veterans service agent for three decades. Other than as a congressional representative, Keating has served as a state representative, state senator, and district attorney. He also takes on roles outside of Congress, such as founding the Autism Law Enforcement Educational Coalition and co-chairing the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force.
Brown grew up in a single-parent household in Taunton before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving as a field radio operator and attaining the rank of sergeant before being honorably discharged in 1999. He settled in Plymouth. In 2007, he formed Heidrea Communications, which specializes in wireless communication infrastructure construction. He later co-founded a nonprofit organization called Heidrea for Heroes, a nonprofit that provides “customized care for veterans returning home.”
Keating underscored his longtime relationship with Martha’s Vineyard, and the work he has done and continues for his constituents, such as getting funding for ferry services during the COVID pandemic. Brown said he wants to bring his “get it done” attitude to Washington, D.C., where he believes career politicians have failed Americans.
Affordable housing is lacking on Martha’s Vineyard and across the state. What role and actions should the federal government take?
Keating: The role of the federal government for affordable housing is to provide the funding that state and local governments utilize to develop and modernize public housing, as well as provide tax incentives for private developers to use. The challenge for local officials on the Island in using these grants is greater than other areas in the state, due in part to the high escalation of prices. Wastewater capacity issues are an important limiting factor in increasing housing supply, and I have been leading on that issue in Congress. The bipartisan infrastructure package provided the largest-ever investment in wastewater programs.
Brown: Across the 9th District, and especially on the Cape and Islands, the housing shortage is a major problem for prospective tenants, and stunts the growth of our local economy. One solution I will support on the federal level would be the passage of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, a bipartisan bill to construct millions of more affordable housing units across the nation, including our own district. Additionally, it is vital for local towns to work together with state and federal legislators to remove regulations that disincentivize the development of middle-class housing. It must be made easier for developers to build housing units; this starts with local leaders reducing regulatory zoning barriers.
What are your thoughts on offshore wind farms as an option for American renewable energy?
Keating: My work on supporting offshore wind has been a priority during my terms in Congress. It helps address the existential threat of climate change, represents a necessary component of our commonwealth’s strained energy supply, and it provides major economic opportunities for our region. As a result, American Clean Power named me a 2022 Champion of Clean Power. I’ve worked extensively with Vineyard Wind, which will bring 800 megawatts of power to southeastern Massachusetts, enough to power 400,000 homes … I successfully sponsored legislation funding a job-training center to help keep those new jobs in our region.
Brown: Offshore wind is happening in Massachusetts, and expanding our energy portfolio is an important step in becoming energy-independent. Vineyard Wind says the offshore wind project it is working on 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard will “generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the commonwealth of Massachusetts, create 3,600 full-time-equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year.” All of these positive impacts can come from an offshore wind farm when done correctly, but we need to be mindful of the impacts it can have on our marine life and our commercial fishing industry, which already has to be wary of difficult federal regulations.
Do you have any comments about the migrants incident that happened on Martha’s Vineyard in September? Further, do you have any comments about the immigration issues our country currently faces?
Keating: What happened in September was a political stunt by a governor who is looking to build his name recognition so that he can run for president. But that governor’s actions, using vulnerable people as props, are the very worst that we see in politics. Thankfully, that governor does not know the people of the Vineyard well, because if he had, he would have realized that they would rise to the occasion as they did. That governor wanted to be the hero of that story, but we all know the true heroes were the people of the Vineyard. That being said, our immigration system is broken, and actions like [Ron] DeSantis’, which cynically use immigration as a political wedge, create roadblocks that stall bipartisan, comprehensive reform. Taking away the craven efforts to politicize this issue, I believe in and will work for a bipartisan compromise that will speed up legal procedures, strengthen our borders, and provide a common-sense pathway to veterans and long-time residents like the Dreamers.
Brown: I first want to commend Gov. [Charlie] Baker, the local providers, volunteers, and local officials that supported an immediate response and services to those on Martha’s Vineyard, and for working on a more comprehensive humanitarian response. In 2022 alone, there have been more than 2 million arrests at the southern border, already more than the 1.7 million arrests in 2021. This crisis is unsustainable, and is a root cause of the opioid epidemic here in the 9th District. To achieve comprehensive immigration reform, it will require bipartisan action from Congress. Border Patrol must be equipped with the proper resources in order to have a chance at stemming the flow of immigration. When I visited the border last year, I spoke to many agents who were overworked and lacking the resources needed to do their job effectively. The federal government sending more agents to patrol the border is a good first step.
Abortion access has been restricted in the U.S. after Roe v. Wade was overturned this summer, and recently President Joe Biden has called for the protection of reproductive rights by codifying Roe v. Wade. What are your comments in the national abortion debate?
Keating: The Supreme Court has taken away a half-century of rights for a woman and her physician to determine her reproductive health decisions. Worse yet, states are making it a crime, with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health and life of the mother. I joined a majority of House members in passing legislation to codify Roe v. Wade and to protect women’s reproductive rights.
Brown: If elected to office, I will not support a national abortion ban.
What are your comments about the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building and the hearings/investigations that are taking place?
Keating: I was there on Jan. 6th. You witnessed it on TV. It was nothing short of an attempt by force to stop the peaceful transition of power granted by the democratic process of free and fair elections guaranteed by our Constitution. To the best of their ability, the bipartisan Jan. 6 Committee must determine accountability — who was responsible, and how they executed it, so this cannot happen again. Vice Chairperson [Liz] Cheney said, Donald Trump “summoned the mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flames of this attack.” Some of those involved have already been convicted or pleaded guilty, yet others must be held accountable. I was there. This attack was very close to succeeding. Our law enforcement officers risked their lives to prevent this.
Brown: It is important to put measures in place to prevent something like this from happening again in the future, including passing the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act. The U.S. is still the strongest democracy in the world, and it will not be threatened by the actions of that day.
What are your comments about the war in Ukraine, and what should the U.S. role be in the conflict?
Keating: The war in Ukraine is the greatest military threat to democracy since WWII, and by extension is pivotal to the global balance between freedom and authoritarianism. Accordingly, it has direct ramifications on China’s ambitions as well. Nearly 30 years ago, Ukraine agreed to relinquish the third largest nuclear weapons arsenal — 1,900 warheads, each with a capacity 30 times larger than Hiroshima. In turn, the U.S. and Russia agreed to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and provide security assurances. Russia has broken its commitment in an unprovoked, illegal war of aggression rife with war crimes, including civilian targeting, torture, and rape. Last February, the Russian Federation made clear that their efforts would extend west into other European countries. History will look well on the courage of Ukrainians and the leadership of the U.S. As chair of the Subcommittee on Europe, I’ve held three hearings exposing Russian war crimes, I’ve traveled twice to the Ukrainian border to listen firsthand and report on the atrocities Ukrainians are suffering through, and as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, I am committed to supplying the necessary military assets for Ukraine’s defense.
Brown: I fully support the Ukrainian people in their efforts to combat Russian aggression, and America and the West are united in condemning Vladimir Putin’s horrific war. Russia’s unjust military advancement has come at the cost of tens of thousands of innocent lives, and has completely upended the global economy, including the energy markets. The United States of America should not be at the mercy of tyrants like Putin, and this is a clear sign that we should be making strides to become more energy-independent.
