Andy Warren outside the polling place at Maple Point Middle School last fall.
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
Andy Warren is looking to bring his decades of public sector experience to Washington D.C.
If elected, the Middletown resident said he plans to tackle a variety of issues, most importantly the economy.
He’s knows the economy is in trouble and the staggering national debt needs to be repaid. If elected to represent the Eighth Congressional District in Washington D.C., it will be his top priority.
To prove his point about the state of the economy to others, he often brings three water bottles to campaign events. One bottle has red food dye in the water and represents the entire amount of money the federal government brings in yearly and the second bottle representing interest on debt, social security payments and healthcare payments owed is empty. He pours the red water from the first bottle to fill the second.
“By the time you get to the third bottle, that one represents the part of the budget that pays for education, welfare, parks, defense and transportation; all the water is empty and in the second bottle,” he explains.
“When you talk trillions in debt people eyes, at least mine, just glaze over. I’m a visual learner and this helps show people,” Warren said.
“This is where the United States is. We’re not talking about lifetimes or decades away, we’re talking about 16 years (The government will be out of money) unless congress or someone in congress starts talking about the way we’re spending,” he said. “If we don’t, there will be nothing left to pay for government.”
Warren knows he might not have the funds of Brian Fitzpatrick, who once worked on one of Warren’s campaigns, or even the support, however, he thinks his campaign message is important.
“Whether I win, lose or draw, I’m going to keep talking about my message,” he said. “I really am very, very concerned. We’ve got to wake up.”
Warren rose from a teacher at William Tennent High School in Warminster to work running local towns. From there, he was elected as a Bucks County Commissioner, a position he held for 15 years, before becoming a PennDOT executive. While a Republican, he was registered a Democrat for a period of time in the mid-2000s and even ran for congress as a Democrat.
Warren said his other plans in Washington D.C. include draft and supporting legislation that he can explain by writing them on a single page and also allowing them to be reviewed by the public before going to a vote.
The longtime public servant said he is in favor of legalizing medical marijuana but recreational marijuana use is something he remains “very much opposed to.”
One local issues that has come up a lot this campaign is something a federal representative will likely never have to vote on – the proposed Elcon hazardous waste treatment facility in Falls Township.
“My position is honest, I’m still studying the process, and I don’t mean that in a weasel word way,” he said. “The jury is still out and I’m willing to listen.”
While the 73 year old could easily stay retired and live a comfortable life, Warren said he feels it is his duty to run for congress and try to make things better for future generations.
No matter who gets elected, Warren hopes Democrats and Republicans are able to work together to make progress in the nation’s capital.
At the end of last Thursday’s debate, Warren asked the public one thing: “”Ladies and Gentlemen, I am respectfully and sincerely asking for your vote”
