Shays Focuses on Economic Issues in Senate Run

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. – When Chris Shays announced he was running to replace Joe Lieberman for Senate, he focused his speech entirely on economic issues and how to create jobs and lower taxes. Absent from his announcement has been talk about social issues.

“When you want to distract people from making difficult decisions, you poll opinion on social issues,” he said.

Shays pointed to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay who, when faced with several legal and ethical problems in the House of Representatives in 2005, began speaking out against taking Terri Schiavo, a woman who was in a persistent vegetative state, off life support. By championing this issue, Shays said, DeLay diverted people’s attention from his own controversy.

“There is no social agenda,” Shays said of his own campaign. He wants to be elected on the basis of what he believes he can do to help the country’s economy.

The former U.S. Representative for Fairfield County also pointed to partisan politics as a reason why things are not getting done in Washington. He is a Republican, but during his time in Congress Shays was not afraid of siding with the Democrats on some votes. He says it is important for the parties to work together.

“When I was in Congress, I would always find a Democrat to co-sponsor my bills with me,” he said. For example, he worked with New Hampshire Democrat Dick Swett to introduce the Congressional Accountability Act in 1995.

However, he said just because he got Democrats to vote for his bills, that didn’t mean he would automatically vote for their bills just to return the favor.

“It was never quid pro quo. I would vote for their bills it made sense,” he said. Shays did not want to have to return to Fairfield County and explain to his constituents that he voted a certain way just because he made a deal. 

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