The benefits that were offered to me as a congressman don't even compare to the benefits that you get as a state employee.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
You can't go to Washington as a congressman and a senator and expect to make a difference all at once. You have to earn your way.
You think your congressman is working all day to get you a job? He may want to. He or she is probably not a bad person. They probably want to do the right thing. But they can't.
I really enjoyed my time in state government. I thought we made a difference. I liked being a part of that effort. I had a different experience in Washington.
I always am a firm believer in you compensate people for their job, and so I did give them bonuses. We accomplished a lot in Congress, we passed health care reform. There were threats against their lives; they had a tough two years. They'd forgone any cost-of-living increase or any bonus before.
As a state senator and then a congressman, I've had the privilege of trying to do good things for people to whom I owe so much and can never fully repay.
I was a very, very good congressman.
In the end, I think part of my problem was that I was a better legislator than I was a politician.
I've done a contract with my district. I have term-limited myself. I am not taking the pension. I am not taking pay raises, and my family and I are bringing our own health care to Washington, D.C. And my dad taught me as a kid to lead by example - Congress should not have anything better than the American people.
I served in the state Senate for six years with retiring Gov. John Lynch. During that time, we had the fourth-lowest unemployment rate in the country.
Don't say it's because of benefits, because our benefits are good.
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