Bill Finn

Bill Finn was born in Marlton, New Jersey. He earned an associate degree from Burlington County Community College in 1999 and a graduate degree from Arcadia University in 2004. His career experience includes working as an educator. Finn has been affiliated with Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.[1]

U.S. House New Jersey District 2

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a single father, special education teacher, coach and a life long New Jersey Democrat.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I will work to get the PRO Act passed through Congress.I don't believe in subsides for Billionaires while regular people struggle to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table and the heat/electric on.I'm willing to make compromises in order to do what's best for New Jersey.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Taxation and proper representation in Congress

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I can't separate them as both my parents played such an important role in my life. My mother taught me to care for others and to always give of your time and space whenever possible. None of my friends ever went hungry if my mom had something to say about it. We all knew if we were a little inebriated and hungry, my parents' fridge and couches were the go to place. My mother once had a 12 AM conversation with one of best friends while he ate some leftovers, about what I do not know, the rest of us were passed out on different couches and I recall my father coming out of the bedroom asking my mother where we all came from and her response was "who cares, they're all safe, we know where they are and they aren't wrapped around a telephone pole". When another good friend of mine's parents were going through a rough divorce and it seemed like there wasn't much being made of his birthday; my mother told my buddy, his now wife, and I to not bother with class (some 1st year college class) and have dinner at my parents. She made one of my friend's favorites, meatballs and raviolis. To this day, my oldest knows he can raid the fridge and I always do as my mother did, attend as many of my boy's sporting events that I can. My father on the other had taught me to work hard and to provide for my family. The food my mom could brazenly offer up to my friends would not be available if not for my father's Union wages and the OT he willingly did to provide for us. He may not have a college degree, but he's still one of the most intelligent men I know and I still look forward to stopping by to have a beer and or a cigar bs with him over tv, music, movies, and or politics. He may be in his 70's, but I've seen his opinions change on various cultural issues and at times he's more left leaning than I am.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Since its the 25th anniversary of the show, I've been watching a lot of West Wing lately. I really enjoyed the show in my College Years and now between the nostalgia and the current state of affairs it really makes me long for a time of respectful discourse and where government actually cared about the people they represented and not just those who supported them. I see myself in the mold of Josh or Toby; both men are highly intelligent, a little rough around the edges, but they truly care about people.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty and Empathy. Elected officials need to be honest with their constituents, even if the news isn't good. While at the same time they need to show people they care and that no matter what they will strive to do what's best for everyone.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Like my mother and Representative Andrews, I have a big heart and I really care about others. Like my father; I work hard, I'd like to think of myself as intelligent but I also know I'm not all knowing and I can evolve over time. Caring for others, hard working, intelligence, the willingness to seek out new information, and the ability to change in order to better serve are all qualities I believe all of those in government service should have.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To make the lives of those represented better. That can be in the form of finances, mental health, opportunities, etc.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to think I help make the lives of those I served better. Weather its through better opportunities, leveling the playing field, expansion of basic human rights to all individuals or just creating a more representative body; I want the people I represent to be better off then they were before I tool office.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Challenger explosion, I was in 2nd grade losing a spelling bee when the Principle came over the intercom to tell us of the said news. I remember writing a letter to Christa McAuliffe. I then remember my 5th grade science/math teacher rolling in a tv to watch Discovery take off.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Not including being a paper boy or working for my father, my first hourly paid job was at Roy Rogers. I believe I worked there for almost a year, but the store closed while I was a Boy scout Summer Camp. I remember when returning from camp, there was a letter waiting for me from the company and the store was completely boarded up.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I've been rereading Dune of late and I'm astounded by its relevance 60 years after publication. However my favorite book is a much easier read, World War Z. For starters, the narrative that Max Brooks creates is that of a collection of survivor accountants and stories of the "outbreak". Some interviewees are revisited throughout the book as the "author" collects different viewpoints of various important events. More importantly this collection of stories doesn't have its typical western centric view of things, instead Brooks's main character is a UN employee creating an oral history of how the world survived. As result of this approach; different histories, geopolitics, socioeconomics, and cultures are on full display throughout the story telling. Which is why I was so throughly disappointed with the movie when it came out. The film with the same name is a typical piece of summer entertainment/escapism and its a fine film if that's what you're looking for. However when I first heard this was being made into a film, I had envisioned a Ken Burns style pseudo documentary and instead we got another zombie flick with an A-List Hollywood Actor.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

The Doctor; he can travel through all space and time and with the exception of his 1st incarnation he's always willing to help those in need. When he chooses to fight, his weapons of choice are his brain and his two hearts.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

This is a hard one as I'm constantly listening to music, I have ADHD the only way I can function on my computer without falling asleep is with some playlist going. I have various monthly themed playlists, many months have multiple playlists. One song though that has stuck with me recently is Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire. My youngest and I were driving somewhere; hockey, lacrosse or maybe even scouts and Eve of Destruction came on through one of my playlists and my son asked me if this was a new song. I laughed, and said know (the song is 12 years older than me). My son's, he's 16, response was very sad but interesting as he said much of the lyrics could apply to today. He wasn't even born when Obama was elected and took office and I recall a feeling of pride a joy that we were finally turning a corner, yet now here's my 16 year old son seeing a real connection to a Civil Right's song from 1965. While I'm proud that he's smart enough to see there's still a lot of work to be done, I'm saddened to think we may have taken a step back from 2008/09.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

As a single father, money has always been a struggle. I know the cost of a gallon of milk and had a ramen soup for dinner. Like many of my constituents, I find ingenious ways to stretch a paycheck. I'm a full time teacher; but I have at least two other side gigs just to pay my mortgage, keep the lights on, house heated and food on the table. And that doesn't begin to account for sports, scouts and school trips. My parents raised three kids and my mother only worked various part time jobs I'm and it didn't seem as hard.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The House is supposed to be more representative of the country as a whole. Its members are more diverse and there should be munch more diversity of ideas. It should also be a much larger body to better encapsulate the look and feel of the country.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

It can be, but I don't feel its necessary. Again I like the diversity of the House and think it would lose some of that diversity if everyone came from the same place.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

There are two equally challenging threats to this nation. The first is the existential threat that the lasting authoritarian leanings of the Trump administration may have on this Republic. No one man should have the power Trump is attempting to yield, its not the intent of Constitution. Congress should be a check to the President's power and they are not doing their job. The second and equally threatening is more tangible and that's the shrinking buying power of the consumer class. Weather its crippling debt, an affordable housing shortage, or a lack of health coverage; too many people are struggling to just get by and their numbers are growing. On the flip side, there is a class of uber rich who are buying up houses, turning them into rentals while at the buying politicians that write favorable labor and tax policy.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes and no. The intended consequence of a two year term that our framers had in mind would be to invite turnover of ideas and the momentum of change to take place in the lesser governing body. However because of gerrymandering there are less competitive Districts and therefore less chance of idea change. That is not to say there aren't any "Blue" or "Red" waves, there certainly are; but they've been muted. Also the Appropriations Act of 1929 has made the House less representative as it was intended. Also the unintended consequence of two-year terms is the constant campaigning and with that the unabated flow of money into politics.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I don't agree with them. If you're bad at your job, then you should lose it. Conversely, if you're really good at your job and you can mentally and physically do your job; why should you be forced out? More importantly, term limits do not solve the underlying problem in our system and that's gerrymandering and the Appropriations Act of 1929. Louie Gohmert left office in 2023 and because his seat has a PVI rating of R+23 he was simple replaced by someone who thinks the same and is 20+ years younger. Also the limiting restrictions of the Appropriations Act of 1929 make Gerrymandering a lot easier. If there are more districts and more competitive districts and still stagnation of ideas, then yes term limits should become part of the conversation.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Rob Andrews, I may have found his policies a bit centrist; but you always knew where he stood and why he stood for something. More importantly, he truly care for his constituents. I know of two different instances in which his office went out of its way to help people in need regardless of their voting record or economic status. An old high school friend of mine's step father suffered a massive heart attack that required major surgery, but they didn't have insurance. In the ensuing shock of the situation, my friend's mother incorrectly filed out the charity care forms. My friend's step father made a full recovery but through the passing months, the medical bills that certainly were impossible to pay were mounting. Despite obviously being qualified for Charity Care, they were getting the runaround over what was basically the wrong box being checked. They eventually reached out to Andrew's office and with his help, the paperwork was corrected and thankfully they avoided going bankrupt over a heart attack and incorrect paperwork. Andrews represented the District I grew up and lived in during my college years, which was when I was more politically active. I never met him and during those college years I recall pining that Andrews was too conservative, but I remembering hearing from various people from different walks of life how his office would always help people in need. I hope if I am elected, that despite differences of opinion, that people will be able to say the same of me as they did about Andrews.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

This is a bit personal, but this is from my oldest son who graduated with honors from Stockton University. He now works full time, helping people not injure themselves or worse. He makes a good wage, but he can't seem to be able to get out from either mine or his mother's roof and that's not because he's "sitting around playing video games" as I've talked him through his budget many times. The rental market is completely out of control and sadly he doesn't even think home ownership is in the cards. Here is a fully employed salaried young man who went to a state university, not some expensive private school, that can't find affordable housing. Meanwhile I'm reading about companies like Blackstone owning over a trillion dollars of real estate and turning it all into rentals. Making home ownership and asset generation a mere pipe dream for the next generation.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I'm Gen-ex, raised on Kinison, Murphy, Pryor and Carlin. Any joke I know is inappropriate.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Absolutely, I maybe left leaning, but I'm not an absolutist. I would love to see a variation of former Senator Tom Harkin's Filibuster Reform proposal. In addition to the "sliding scale" I think a filibuster should have a vote from at least one member from the opposition. I know that's the Senate, but that would in theory bring back compromise and more actual governing. On the House side, neither party should govern itself on an unofficial rule from a convicted sex offender, the Hasert Rule. Again adhering to such a stance is anti-compromise.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I would be just one member of 435 people, but I would wholeheartedly argue that all tax and spending decisions must originate in the House. As well as any spending changes.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

The House should investigate crimes, it's one of their powers. They should be actual crimes like an insurrection and not the Tenure of Office Act that was written to apply to cabinet members, which was a clear violation of the separations of powers. These investigative powers should not be used for score settling.

What committees interest you?

Budget, Education & the Workforce, Energy & Commerce, Natural Resources and Transportation & Infrastucture

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Not sure why this isn't even a question, but I guess that's the times we live in. I believe 100% in knowing who is funding who, both in terms of campaign contributions and stock ownership. As extension to that, there should be limits on both stock trading and campaign finance.

U.S. House New Jersey District 1

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