Greg McCauley
Office Sought: Pennsylvania Congress (6th District)
Political Party: Republican
Age: 62
Campaign Website: mccauleyforcongress.com
No. of Tweets: 4
No. of Facebook Followers: 4,053
Biography: McCauley is a tax attorney from Chadds Ford; he's a member of the Union League of Philadelphia and the Richmond Cardinals Rugby Club, with significant experience in tax law and business. He says he wants to "restore the American Dream for our kids and our future".
On the Issues:
Healthcare Solutions
"America is still reeling from the failures of Obamacare. We need to bring down premiums and make healthcare affordable again in PA District 6. Congress should be discussing mutually owned health insurance, where the patients actually own part of the insurance company. Any profits are reinvested back into the company and don’t get funneled away to shareholders on Wall Street. Some of these companies could also be set up as non-profits. Additionally, the portion you pay for your monthly premium should be made tax deductible. Our existing Medicare and Medicaid programs should be vetted, and we need to eliminate instances of fraud wherever we find them. We can also streamline the prescription drug market by cutting out the middleman and lowering prices for consumers. I’d also like to keep Wall Street from profiting from your cancer diagnosis. As a member of Congress, I’ll always be willing to listen to any proposal that could save my constituents money and expand access to affordable healthcare."
Economy
"We must balance the budget. Current US debt is more than 21 trillion dollars. The waste and fraud in many of our most important social welfare support programs, has spun out of control. Congress must work to isolate and get rid of waste that increases our debt as well as hinders us from providing an effective social safety net to our most vulnerable citizens. We must also be sure that historic tax reform–the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act–which has provided more than 90% of Americans with bigger paychecks and resulted in increased benefits such as maternity and paternity leave, remains in place. We must also continue to create a domestic economic environment that encourages companies to keep their operations here in the US, hiring Americans to perform all types of jobs, both in the labor and professional sectors."
Student Loan Solutions
"I’ve talked to numerous families in PA District 6 who are struggling with the Student Loan Debt Crisis. They’re being crushed by this unreasonable financial burden. Some students are being charged interest rates as high as 13 or 14 percent. At those rates, they can barely handle the monthly interest payments, let alone start paying down the principal. I propose that we lower the interest rates to a manageable level (2.59%), so that our younger citizens can pay back their obligations and live out the American Dream. Congress sets the rates, and Congress has the power to lower the rates. If elected, I will make it a priority to ease this financial burden for the next generation of Americans."
Immigration
"My plan is to fast track a sustainable worker visa program that will bring the undocumented workers in our country out of the shadows. After obtaining a work visa, they will be able to remain in the country but will have to pay their fair share of taxes just like you and me. It is important to note that this is NOT a path to citizenship or amnesty. The ultimate goal is to secure our borders and ensure that we know who is coming into our country."
Small Business
"According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses play a vital role in the country’s economy. They produce nearly half of the private nonfarm GDP in the U.S. and employ more than half of America’s workforce. The passage of Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act increased capital reserve requirements for banks as a percentage of total bank assets. This led banks to show strong preference in lending to those seeking sums of money larger than the typical small business owner, who according to Harvard Business Review typically seeks less than $500,000. Although, the “Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act,” signed into law recently was a start in relieving some of the regulations crushing small and midsize banks themselves, further reforms are necessary.
"As a tax attorney, Greg McCauley has helped hundreds of businesses in the Philadelphia metro area each year. He understands the direct impacts Dodd Frank regulations have had on Chester and Berks Counties’ small businesses, especially on their abilities to borrow money to expand their operations or perform critical updates to their infrastructure. Besides reforming the student loan debt crisis, working toward the repeal of Dodd Frank regulations that impede small business lending was a strong inspiration in Greg’s announcement to run for Congress. The SBA statistics clearly illustrate that small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy. We must empower them to succeed by granting them access to the capital they need to not just survive but also expand and thrive."
Government Reform
"When my wife and I go door knocking, there is one thing that everybody agrees on: term limits. Right now we have politicians in Congress who have been in office for 30 and 40 years, and in all that time, some of them have only proposed one or two bills! These career politicians don’t have original thoughts or new ideas. We need to make sure our elected representatives get changed out periodically. New faces in Congress means fresh ideas and different perspectives. I’m not a career politician, and just like you I can see what the establishment has done to our country: $21 trillion in debt, special interest groups controlling Washington, and wasted tax dollars. In addition to term limits, implementing a 5-year ban on lobbying for former members of Congress and their highest ranking staff members is also a good idea. We need to close lobbying “loopholes” used by former government officials to profit off of what was their duty as a public servant. If elected, I will do everything in my power to eliminate corruption and build a Congress that actually serves the interests of the voters."
Law enforcement, first-responders, military and their families
"We must always honor the service and commitment of our members of the military, law enforcement and all first-responders to disaster. We must also remember that they have families, friends and other loved ones who also make sacrifices so that they can serve some of our highest priorities including safety and upholding law and order. We must always ensure that Congress understands and considers their needs in legislation. Making sure that they and their families have access to the healthcare and education resources they need is paramount. Greg McCauley will support any legislation that benefits both these dedicated service members as well as their families."
Opioid Epidemic
"The sad truth is, nearly all of us in PA District 6 have lost someone to the opioid epidemic, or know someone who has. Opioid addiction doesn’t discriminate. This isn’t a Republican or Democrat issue. There are two sides of the problem we need to tackle. First, we need to stop the flow of heroin and fentanyl into our country. Southeast Pennsylvania has become ground zero of the opioid epidemic. Right now, the heroin being trafficked in Philadelphia is among the purest and deadliest in the country. Securing our borders will go a long way to keeping these dangerous substances away from Dist. 6. The other side of this issue is rehabilitation. Right now, the average rehab facility in our region sees a success rate of only 18-20%. We need to adopt programs and strategies used by rehabilitation facilities in neighboring states that see success rates of 88-90%. Congress should make it a priority to identify successful rehab programs and apply those models to the rest of the country. If we take this issue seriously we can provide real support to those struggling with addiction and save our neighbors, friends, and loved ones from this crisis."
