The experience of reading about Congressman Jake Auchincloss, Representative of Massachusetts's 4th Congressional District (that includes Dover, Medfield, Needham and Newton), is quite different from meeting him.
But as one person I know put it, the Representative has “explode[d] a lot of stereotypes.” In chatting with the Congressman, rather than remembering a collection of soundbites, one instead is left with conversation that is marked by knowledge and sincerity.
An earnest sincerity comes out when he speaks of his job and what he hopes to accomplish. Perhaps it stems from his upbringing. Rep. Auchincloss grew up in a family which viewed public service "expansively," he says. They pursued medicine and research as a way to provide public service. For his part, although growing up Newton, an area perhaps not much known for its military pursuits, he wanted to serve in uniform after attending Harvard College. He did so for a few years as a marine, leading troops in combat. After the Marines, serving on Newton's City Council was a logical next step.
“I had worked with Americans from all walks of life overseas. And now I wanted to work with my neighbors from all walks of life to build a stronger city,” he says of his decision to run for Newton’s City Council. Once there, he focused on issues of housing, transportation and the environment.
Not too long afterwards, the opportunity to serve on a state and national level presented itself. While the move to run for the open seat of Joe Kennedy III could have the appearance of a planned path of a budding politician, the Representative offers a different, somewhat surprising explanation of his decision.
“I don’t believe in charting a political trajectory. That’s not how this profession works,” he says. “You need to do a good job in the role that you have and if new opportunities present themselves, then ask the voters to give you another chance. I was perfectly happy working in the business world and being City Councilor [on] nights and weekends and then [ ] the seat opened up when Joe Kennedy left. I thought I could do a good job for this district because this is a very socio-economically diverse district."
"I’ve got some of the wealthiest communities in the state and some of the most low income communities in the state. I’ve got urban, rural and suburban. So it’s a job that really requires you to bring people together from different walks of life to get things done, and I’ve done that. I’ve done that in the military. I’ve done that in business. I’ve done that in local government. I’m hoping to do that [now] as a member of Congress.”
He gives an example of how his experience chairing Newton's Public Safety and Transportation Committee proved a benefit to his current work in Congress. In City Council, he supported and pursued complete streets, a walkable downtown, better transit infrastructure and thinking holistically about how to connect people to jobs and services. Now, on the federal level, he is on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and has worked on the same agenda as what he once worked on locally - empowering cities and towns to build complete streets.
Rep. Auchincloss discusses his diversity of experience in context of being a member of the Millennials, whom he characterizes as the next generation of leaders in Congress. Just as he has been able to "thread together" his own varied experiences in local government, business, and the military, he believes his fellow Millennials will bring diverse qualifications to the table in years to come. He says his generation recognizes that building experience across different sectors is an advantage.
“Congress is about being able work with people with whom you disagree. That’s the job description," he says. And he has done that, threading together experience from local government, business and the military to work with his colleagues to get results.
In his first 6 to 7 months in Congress, Rep. Auchincloss has supported the House's passage of the INVEST in America Act. The act includes funding for six local projects, such as improving safety at the intersection of West Street and Route 27 in Medfield.
"We're demonstrating that federal government can deliver for residents of Massachusetts," he says, noting that some state and local projects just need a boost across the finishing line. This was one of them.
Of his biggest accomplishment so far, Rep. Auchincloss notes that the infrastructure bill is important, but is not yet law. He is proud of his part in passing the American Rescue Plan, which he characterizes as perhaps "the most important piece of legislation for working class Americans that has passed since arguably the Great Depression." He remarks that the legislation is helping to end the pandemic and that it has cut childhood hunger in half throughout the country.
As far as what is his biggest challenge, the Congressman says it is cutting through partisan noise to get results.
“You have to solve problems. You don’t have the luxury of sitting there and pontificating. People expect you to actually get something done. And that’s the attitude I bring to Washington. . . . Our constituents expect us to deliver results, and that requires working together.”
He wants people to keep pressure on Republicans to stay at the table to pass the infrastructure bill. With environmental sustainability at its core, he says it's an opportunity to reinvent transportation in Massachusetts.
“We’re going to pass something with or without GOP votes, but it can be a better bill if we can do it under regular order as opposed to under reconciliation. . . . If the GOP is serious about wanting to be bipartisan and working with this president, then they need to demonstrate that. It’s on them now. He’s reached his hand across the aisle.”
As busy as the Representative is in his district and in Washington, he will soon be expanding his responsibilities at home as well. With a baby on the way in August, Westwood Minute asked the Congressman what he would tell her about the world she is coming into.
Rep. Auchincloss takes a moment to consider. He responds, "I would tell her she's being born in the greatest country in history, but that we have to earn that by every generation being impatient for change and improvement. And that means leaving the environment better than we found it. . . And that means building an economy that works for everyone.”
Thanks to Representative Jake Auchincloss for being interviewed for this article. If this story was interesting or helpful to you, please consider subscribing to Westwood Minute's daily email newsletter. It's free! Just click the "Sign Up" button, below.
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