Ruth Papazian

Ruth Papazian earned a B.A. from Hunter College, and an M.S. from NYU Polytechnic. Papazian’s career experience includes working as a health and medical writer and editor.[1][2]

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What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

• Tax policies that promote economic diversity in the East Bronx and Northwest Queens, and encourage companies like Amazon to create good jobs for those who live here.

• School vouchers for charter and religious schools, as well as for specialized vocational schools, to improve K-12 education—for all students, including special needs students.

• Border and immigration control is not just national security, but also neighborhood security. Keep out violent gangs like MS-13 and Trinitarios, and stop the flood of opioids into our neighborhoods.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

• Job creation

• Vocational education

• Infrastructure

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

To be a voice for your community, and represent their interests and aspirations with common-sense solutions to their problems.

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

• Commitment

• Courage

• Fairness

• Honesty

• Loyalty

• Passion

• Patriotism

• Reliability

• Respect

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

To propose and support legislation that is in the best interest of the country as a whole, and of the community you represent, as well as to provide constituent services to the residents of your district.

I firmly believe that instead of passing more laws, Congress should pass better laws -- laws that actually solve the problems they purport to address without creating unintended consequences that require still more laws to fix.

What legacy would you like to leave?

To be the best representative my district has ever had -- the most responsive, the most accountable, and the most effective.

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

I love the Fourth of July even better than my birthday.

My parents immigrated to the United States from Egypt -- a nation that had recently transitioned from a monarchy to a Socialist military dictatorship under Nasser, with the Muslim Brotherhood trying to take advantage of the upheaval by working towards establishing a theocracy.

Independence Day has a special meaning for me, because my parents left everything and everyone they knew to ensure that their children would live free from the sectarian strife (to the point of genocide) common in other parts of the world; where women have the same legal rights, and opportunities for education and self-actualization as men; and where upward mobility is possible, regardless of your humble beginnings.

Being born in this country is the best gift they have ever given me; the best gift they could ever have given me.

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

The House has the power of the purse -- the ability to tax and spend. This confers a unique responsibility to spend the nation's wealth wisely, and to root out fraud, waste and abuse. Taxpayers should not be treated as cash cows, and continually squeezed for increasingly greater shares of their incomes.

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

The House of Representatives should include people from all walks of life, rather than be a body comprised of millionaires and idealogues who do not represent the people who elected them.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

• Education and Labor

• Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

• U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance

• Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

• Judiciary

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

No, because you are always running for re-election. Four years is a more reasonable term -- for both the House and Senate, in my opinion.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

There are arguments in favor of term limits, as well as against. Pros of term limits: Politicians don't "go Washington" and become out of touch with their constituents. Also, fresh faces bring fresh perspectives and new ideas.Cons of term limits: Serving successive terms gives one experience, and the clout to move important legislation. And having a large number of inexperienced lawmakers in the legislative body increases the influence of lobbyists and activists.

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

Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He represented NY in the Senate as a Democrat and served as an adviser to President Nixon, a Republican. He put country over partisanship, and was a towering intellect.

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What is your political philosophy?

I am not a politician. I am a fed-up voter who decided to run after years of wondering why nothing ever gets done in Congress that helps my community. I pledge to join the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and work with Democrats and Republicans alike on legislation that will make life better for my constituents.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Unlike the incumbent, I am a lifelong resident of the district. People in this community who have clawed their way into the middle class, don’t want to be bankrupted by naïve, unworkable socialist policies. We are already among the highest taxed in the nation. The race isn’t about party. It’s about the people of the East Bronx and Northwest Queens having a voice in Congress again.[3]

—Ruth Papazian[1]

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