Getting political
with Allyson Schwartz

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz isn’t ready to call President George W. Bush a liar or endorse a censure of him, but she does believe he broke the law by not getting court permission to use wiretaps to identify potential domestic terrorists.
"Let’s call this president to account for what he’s done," she said.
Schwartz (D-13th dist.), in an interview last week at the Times’ office, said she recognized that the executive branch of government has certain powers.
At the same time, she described Congress as an equal branch of government and said it deserves more information on topics such as the response to Hurricane Katrina and the war in Iraq.
"There ought to be a Congress asking the tough questions," she said.
Schwartz has taken the two-week congressional break to meet with senior citizens, veterans and others in the district. One of the big issues Congress will face when it returns is passing a budget. Schwartz sits on the House Budget Committee.
Of course, it’s also an election year. Republicans control the House of Representatives and Senate, but Democrats are hopeful of capturing both chambers because of Bush’s low poll numbers. Americans seem unhappy about high gas prices, the war in Iraq and various scandals.
According to Schwartz, Democrats will focus on issues such as energy, health care, the $8 trillion national debt and homeland security. She believes her party will win seats in the House but isn’t sure Democrats will gain the 15 needed to oust Dennis Hastert and make Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi the new speaker.
"We should do better. We can," Schwartz said.
Schwartz’s Republican opponent is Raj Bhakta, a businessman and former candidate on The Apprentice 2. The incumbent said she’ll work hard to earn a second term.
As for Bhakta’s acknowledgment that he’s twice been arrested for drunken driving, Schwartz said she’s glad nobody was hurt and hopes her opponent has gotten whatever help he needs so it doesn’t happen again. She’s not sure whether she’ll make the arrests a major focus of her campaign.
"DUI is very serious," she said.
Schwartz identified high gas prices, illegal immigration and the wars in Iraq and on terrorism as key issues.
The congresswoman said high gas prices hurt individuals and businesses, adding that the government must make sure that oil companies aren’t gouging consumers. She favors alternative sources of energy and more fuel-efficient cars but realizes that gasoline prices will probably continue to rise.
"Three dollars is really hard to believe," she said.
Schwartz said her office helps a lot of Russian immigrants with a variety of issues. As for the nation’s estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, many of them Mexicans crossing the southern border of the United States, the lawmaker wants beefed-up security. It’s great, she said, that so many people view the U.S. as the land of opportunity, but the government must make them follow the law, she said.
"We have to have a legal system by which they come in," she said.
On security matters, Schwartz wants more funding to protect ports and transit systems. The money, she said, would best be spent on intelligence, surveillance and cargo screening.
The congresswoman doesn’t believe the Bush administration was prepared for a long war in Iraq. She thinks the U.S. should work with moderate Muslim nations, like Indonesia, to repair its relationship with nations in the Middle East. And, acknowledging the nuclear threat from Iran, she hopes Bush teams with the international community to rein in that nation’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Schwartz would like to see Iraq form a stable democratic government soon, allowing National Guard and Reserve units to begin pulling out of the country by the end of the year. In the meantime, she’d like the administration to develop a long-range plan for Iraq.
"We have to have an exit strategy," she said.
On other issues, Schwartz wants City Council President Anna Verna to call special elections to replace David Cohen, who died last year, and Rick Mariano, who will be sentenced on June 1 on a federal corruption conviction. But she predicts the seats will remain vacant until replacements are elected in November 2007.
The congresswoman said she is neutral in the 8th Congressional District Democratic primary between Patrick Murphy and Andrew Warren.
Looking ahead to next year’s mayoral race, she said she likes all of the most likely Democratic candidates.
In her congressional district, she’s excited about initiatives such as development of the North Delaware Avenue waterfront, improvements to the business corridors on Frankford and Torresdale avenues and safety enhancements on Roosevelt Boulevard. She continues to oppose plans for an extension of Woodhaven Road.
The freshman Democrat said her staff has been responsive on constituent service matters and helped assist 10 high school seniors to earn appointments to military academies. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com