Moulton addresses war in Ukraine, national security at Andover forum

Mar. 6—Congressman Seth Moulton held his first town hall meeting of the year March 2, fielding multiple questions from residents on the war in Ukraine and U.S. national security.

Moulton also spoke on mental health and affordable housing during the forum at the Old Town Hall, which followed a recent redistricting that put all of Andover in the 6th Congressional District that he represents.

When answering questions about defense and national security, the congressman talked about modernizing the military in a way that would be cheaper and more efficient.

Moulton served with the U.S Marines in Iraq and later earned joint degrees in business and public administration. The Democrat has represented the 6th Congressional District since 2015.

He is a member of the Armed Services Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party.

Moulton criticized spending on weapons such as aircraft carriers. He also talked about the importance of strengthening alliances, particularly in the Pacific, with the goal of avoiding war.

"We know the cost of war very personally," Moulton said, speaking of his military experiences.

When asked about U.S. support of Ukraine, he said it is important to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin to respect countries' sovereignty in Europe. He added that a victory for Ukraine would also be beneficial for U.S. national security.

While Moulton answered questions from the audience, he also used the forum as an opportunity to introduce himself to those he now serves following the redistricting. He spoke on how serving in Iraq persuaded him to run for office.

"I had seen the consequences of failed leadership in Washington," Moulton said.

He said affordable housing and mental health are key issues in Massachusetts.

On mental health, Moulton spoke about his role in helping to create the 988 national suicide prevention health line and the need to decrease the stigma around mental health. He said in an ideal world, a mental health checkup would be seen as no different than an annual physical.

In an interview after he spoke, Moulton said a lack of affordable housing could be alleviated with more investment in transportation.

"You would solve the affordable housing problem in large part in Massachusetts if you could get to Springfield in 45 minutes where there is a ton of affordable housing," he said.

The forum was attended by about 100 people.

"I thought he was well-prepared," said Diane Haynes of Andover.

Haynes said she attended the forum because she is particularly concerned about the war in Ukraine. She praised the questions from the audience.

Another resident wished the forum, which ran about an hour, could have been a bit longer so more questions could be answered.

After the redistricting, all Andover residents now have Moulton as their representative in Congress.

"Now that he is my congressman, I wanted to come and see him," said Mark Takvorian.

Takvorian said he is very interested in the foreign policy issues that Moulton addressed.

Takvorian added that he wrote a couple of letters to the congressman's office and always received a response.

Earlier in day, Moulton spoke before a few hundred Andover High School students. Students asked questions on a broad range of topics ranging from defense spending to police brutality.

Moulton also spoke on gun violence and school shootings, calling for stronger gun control.

"I don't think you should live in a country where that is even a concern," he said.

Other topics Moulton addressed included climate change, immigration and misinformation.

In the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, Moulton spoke about possible changes to the U.S. Supreme Court.

He said the justices' views no longer reflect those of the country, causing many Americans to lose trust in the court in recent years.

Moulton concluded by talking about the importance of getting young people involved.

"Whether you found this the most boring 45 minutes of your year or you found this moderately engaging, just look at me as an example of someone who really didn't appreciate that this stuff was important when I was sitting in your seat, but now realizes that it really matters," Moulton said. "We need more young Americans to stand up and be a part of making our country better."