U.S. House candidate Lewis talks jobs, energy and health care

Having lived on both sides of the Continental Divide, John Lewis says he brings a unique perspective to his campaign for Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I was born in Billings and grew up in Missoula,” Lewis told the Pilot during a campaign stop last month. “They’re the two largest cities [in Montana] and both are very unique.”

“Something I learned in Billings is the importance of having good paying jobs. Billings is constantly evolving as an economy. It started out as an oil town and has evolved into a financial sector with two great hospitals and two colleges.”

Job creation is a top talking point for the Democrat from Helena as he campaigns around the state. He is vying for the House seat currently held by Rep. Steve Daines. Daines, a Republican, is running for Senate.

Lewis says he’s frustrated with the current lack of progress in Congress.

“Congress is not doing anything,” he said. “They’re not working on the things that can move this country forward. They’re going from crisis to crisis. That creates uncertainty for everybody — small businesses, seniors, veterans — and efforts to create jobs. We need less partisan politics and more working together, and that’s what I’m about.”

The 36-year-old father of two says he entered the election as a concerned family man.

“I’m concerned about my kids’ future,” he said. “The direction Congress is taking us scares me.”

He says the first obvious step is to pass a federal budget.

“Communities across Montana, businesses, families — my own family — we work on a budget every day,” Lewis said. “The only place that can’t pass a budget is Congress.”

He said government needs to cut wasteful spending, “but then come together and make tough decisions...and live within our means.”

As a former aide to Max Baucus, Lewis says the longtime Montana senator taught him about finding common ground. While working for Baucus in 2011, he traveled to all of Montana’s 56 counties and met with community leaders along the way, including former Whitefish mayor Mike Jenson.

“During that, I found out that people are sick and tired of partisan politics,” Lewis said. “They want Congress to work together.”

“Working hard on solutions is something I learned from [Baucus.] He was certainly somebody that was focused on that.”

Lewis says a challenge facing Montana is striking a balance between job creation and preservation of the state’s outdoor heritage.

“Most people are in Montana for a reason,” he said. “A big part of that is the outdoors, and our public lands, and our way of life. But you have to have a job, too. That balance is always a struggle.”

He supports the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, introduced by Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.

“It’s built from the ground up,” he said. “People who want wilderness and people who want more logging are coming together and agreeing it’s a good step forward. It’s something I would support.”

Lewis is interested in clean energy and energy independence.

“We needs to develop a plan that moves us toward cleaner, more efficient energy,” he said. “Montana can be a leader with that.”

“But, we do have coal here. It does support a lot of jobs and families.”

He’s in favor of building the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that would carry oil through eastern Montana, with a few caveats. He says any deal on the pipeline needs an emergency response plan in place in case of a spill.

“I don’t see that yet,” he said, noting a 2011 pipeline oil spill into the Yellowstone River.

He also wants a guarantee the pipeline is built with American labor and products.

Lewis supports the Affordable Care Act and says it’s already benefiting Montanans.

“Can it be improved upon? Definitely,” he said. “Let’s do that and find the things that aren’t working and fix those. To me what’s not an option is to...go back to the day when somebody with a pre-existing condition can’t get coverage, but goes and gets health care and drives up the cost for everyone.”

He says his own family benefits from the Affordable Care Act. His family was on COBRA after leaving his job with the federal government. He signed up with the Montana Health Co-op in January.

“We’re saving over $400 per month with comparable coverage,” he said. “There are a lot of people benefiting. Let’s keep making health care more affordable and accessible.”

Lewis is a proponent of early education and developing a public pre-school system.

“There are so many people who work two or three jobs just to make it by,” he said. “Early education would help.”

He also supports increasing the federal minimum wage.