Letter: Why I’m running for Congress

Why I’m running for Congress
Right now in Washington, the deck is stacked against the average American. While the privileged and well-connected receive special treatment, it’s getting harder for middle-class New Yorkers to get the opportunities they deserve. I’m running for Congress this year because we need someone with the values and the skills to make a difference, and deliver real change.
Instead of helping, the Republican agenda in Washington keeps getting more radical — and worse for middle-class families: shifting the tax burden even more on to wage-earners while continuing sweetheart deals for wealthy investors like Mitt Romney; relaxing oversight of big banks; ending controls on skyrocketing medical costs while making access to basic health care — including access to contraception — harder; and dismantling basic environmental protections, to name just a few.
This agenda is backed by powerful interests and armies of lobbyists. But throughout a career in law enforcement and national security, I haven’t shied away from tough challenges. As an attorney for the CIA, I helped bring members of al Qaeda to justice for the bombings of U.S. embassies. And as both a federal prosecutor and as senior assistant district attorney here in Ulster County, I battled narcotics traffickers, gangs and white-collar crooks. I’ll bring the toughness and independence of a prosecutor to Washington.
But I’ll also bring the values I learned growing up here in Ulster County. I graduated from Kingston High School and became the first in my family to go to college. I worked throughout college to support my education. My family was supported by my mom’s small business — I know first-hand the struggles that small business owners face. Now, just a few miles from where I grew up, my wife Shannon and I are raising our three young boys to enjoy and appreciate the things that make this region unique and wonderful.
The fight ahead is tough. But I don’t believe in measuring the odds before standing up for our principles. The need for change in Washington is too urgent to stay on the sidelines. I will fight for us, and the issues that matter to our communities, no matter what.
Julian Schreibman
Stone Ridge