Opinion: Some unsolicited suggestions for fixing Rep. Chuck Edwards' priorities

Our newly minted congressional Rep. Chuck Edwards announced his planned legislative priorities for his tenure in Washington. They include reducing government spending, protecting gun ownership rights, and increasing immigration enforcement.

I could easily write an entire article on how Edwards’s priorities are empty campaign talking points geared more toward ingratiating him with the Republican establishment and donors who get more excited by culture war topics than meaningful issues benefitting North Carolina's 11th Congressional District — Meredith College political science professor Whitney Manzo summed it up nicely in a recent Citizen Times article when she said, "Immigration is a tough one for someone from N.C., too ― usually that topic is dominated by states actually touching the border.”

However, one of my New Year’s resolutions was not to offer unsolicited criticism without unsolicited solutions, so today, I’ll use this space to provide Edwards with unsolicited suggestions for amending his priorities in ways that work for constituents of this district, regardless of political affiliation.

Suggested Congressional priorities for Chuck Edwards:

• Reduce sexual assault: It blows my mind this isn’t a top campaign promise across the board. One in every 6 women, according to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), has been the victim of attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. It’s 1 in 33 for men (however, I think the stigma against men reporting this kind of thing means the reality is higher), and these stats aren’t considering other forms of sexual assault or abuse. As long as these stats remain, we shouldn’t be able to claim we’re a first world country with a straight face, and who in their right mind would argue against this as a political priority (and if you’re more concerned with false rape accusations than actual rape, my unsolicited advice is to have a good, deep think about why that’s the case)?

• Increase transparency for constituents: Career Washington politicians have perfected the art of verbose legislature filled with fine print, hiding loopholes and funding the general public doesn’t have the skillset or time to interpret. How great would it be to have a congressional rep commit to ensuring his constituency knew exactly what the politicians that work for us did with their time and resources? It might not make him super popular on the hill, but we didn’t send an “outsider” to Washington to make friends, right?

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• Meaningful gun control: People know you could advocate for gun ownership without making it the cornerstone of your gun policy, correct? Protecting lives should come first when legislating weapons (Edwards famously claims to be capitol P, capitol L Pro-Life). Most Americans want meaningful gun control — assault weapon bans, age limits, making it harder to purchase a gun than a car — I’d love to see a Republican come out and say, “I’m pro-gun ownership, but let’s restrict what kinds of weapons are legal, so people stop dying.” Gun ownership and gun control aren’t mutually exclusive.

• Regulate politicians: It would be unexpectedly awesome if Edwards used the integrity and Mountain Values he campaigned on to ensure politicians actively work for the people who fund their salaries and don’t simply enrich themselves while playing political theatre. Spearhead term limits, put forth legislation that forces anyone holding public office to divest from other interests, make it illegal to write and promote a book while holding public office, and ensure that irritating op-ed writers have zero fodder for claiming you prioritize McDonald’s business success over the interests of Western North Carolinians!

• Prioritize mental health: Mental health is a problem in our country. Why not make it a priority rather than a flimsy excuse you trot out next time an 18-year-old decides to pop into Walmart before shooting up his prom?

• Improve infrastructure: Did you know that more than a third of the nation’s bridges need repair and 43,000 are classified as “structurally deficient?” That’s scary when you think of how many bridges we cross daily. Also, rumor on the street is that the water system in Asheville ain’t exactly up to par.

• Fix the DMV: WHY HASN’T A POLITICIAN RUN ON THIS PLATFORM YET?

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There’s a start. It’s by no means a comprehensive list of what needs attention or fixing, but I tend to think it’s a more productive list of priorities than what Edwards unveiled. I think they’re bipartisan priorities we can all agree would improve life here in NC-11, and I’d even go out on a limb and point out that if stuck with, they might curry favor come reelection time.

Pat Brothwell is a former high school teacher, and current writer and marketing professional living and working in Asheville.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: Suggestions for Chuck Edwards' priorities in Congress