MacArthur Endorsed by Burlington County Times

Toms River, New Jersey – Congressman Tom MacArthur was endorsed by the Burlington County Times, the largest newspaper in New Jersey’s Third Congressional District, Sunday morning. Highlighting his effective advocacy on key local issues and his willingness to work across party lines, the Burlington County Times concluded that “a vote for Tom MacArthur is not a vote for Donald Trump. It is a vote for Tom MacArthur, who has represented a difficult and demanding district with dignity and determination. It takes guts, which is why we endorse him, again, for Congress.”

“Today’s endorsement by the largest paper of record in this district is beyond meaningful,” said Congressman Tom MacArthur. “The Burlington County Times effectively covers news that matters to our district day-in and day-out and voters here respect their opinion. Their endorsement specifically points to my efforts to work for bipartisan results that matter in the lives of the people in our community and I am grateful for their support.”

The Burlington County Times endorsement in its entirety:

Editorial Board: We endorse Tom MacArthur for U.S. House District 3, New Jersey
http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/opinion/20181021/editorial-board-we-endorse-tom-macarthur-for-us-house-district-3-new-jersey

Tom MacArthur has had to walk a tightrope between serving the needs of two very distinct voting populations in the district he represents: liberal Burlington County and conservative Ocean County.

The Third Congressional District contest between the two-term Republican incumbent and worthy Democratic challenger Andy Kim has been heated, to say the least, not just for what’s at stake — party control of the U.S. House — but also for its disagreeable tone. Both men are too smart to have stooped so low.

At the heart of it are the controversial positions MacArthur took on the thorny issues of health care and tax reform. They may prove his undoing, but MacArthur has never wavered from his commitment to those reforms, and he remains steadfast that his decisions were sound. He’s noted that 81 percent of New Jerseyans will receive a much-needed tax cut and that the $10,000 state and local tax deduction cap was zero until he interceded, and that Gov. Phil Murphy’s recent receipt of a waiver from the Trump administration to create a health reinsurance program was precisely the intent behind his so-called MacArthur Amendment.

We don’t agree with everything MacArthur has done. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act stands out. Many of our readers have let us know just how displeased they are with him. But the scope of his contributions should not be defined by health care and tax reform. We believe he is a rare and valuable moderate in a polarized Congress. To wit:

• He supports Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, helping to secure a squadron of new KC-46 tankers and the jobs that go along with it;

• He supports our military veterans, having co-sponsored nearly a dozen bills;

• He supports fighting the opioid crisis, serving as co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic and helping to approve $4 billion in funding;

• He has spoken out against detaining immigrant children, and supports deportation protection for Dreamers;

• He sponsored legislation that would qualify the Deborah Heart & Lung Center for millions of dollars in higher Medicare reimbursements;

• He has a commendable record of bipartisanship; on that score, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Lugar Center has ranked him 31st among 438 representatives.

Andy Kim is a formidable opponent — young, gifted, committed. If he is not elected this time, there is definitely a place for him in public service.

A vote for Tom MacArthur is not a vote for Donald Trump. It is a vote for Tom MacArthur, who has represented a difficult and demanding district with dignity and determination. It takes guts, which is why we endorse him, again, for Congress.

WE RECOMMEND: Tom MacArthur