The race to replace Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA) in the competitive Sixth Congressional District has drawn a diverse array of candidates including a geologist, a former newspaper editor, a wealthy venture capitalist, a few local government officials, a member of the state legislature, and a physician.
Despite the high level of skills and abilities possessed by the five announced Republicans and three presently declared Democrats, only one candidate seems to have a resume tailor-made for service in the United States House of Representatives and the unique ability to roll up his sleeves and get to work immediately upon taking office. That candidate is Howard Cohen, a Lower Merion Republican whose clarity and understanding of complex policy issues ought to provide some comfort to voters in these turbulent times.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Cohen to discuss his candidacy and the issues which motivate him. It is clear after spending just a brief period of time with him that his understanding of public policy and his desire to serve in the U.S. Congress is a culmination of many dedicated years of professional and public service which has allowed him to gain a firm grasp of the intricacies of business and government.
Cohen’s profile sets his candidacy apart from the rest of the crop. At 68, Cohen brings a lifetime of experience in academia, the public sector, private sector management, and politics that the rest of the field is lacking. Without dismissing the aptitudes of the other current contenders, it is obvious when speaking with Cohen that he is able to look beyond political rhetoric and propaganda and speak in a compelling fashion about why he is best equipped to serve the citizens of Montgomery, Chester, Berks, and Lehigh Counties in Washington.
His reason chief reason for running isn’t to get the fanciest committee assignments, the accumulation of power or seniority, or the desire to wield patronage power. Cohen instead is running for Congress because he believes that “someone must resurrect the notion of the citizen’s responsibility in the republic.” Seems like a reason worthy of consideration.
“Life experiences matter,” says Cohen. “Being a parent and a little older is helpful because it demonstrates the trials and tribulations one faces throughout life.” And his life and career experiences are certainly noteworthy.
Former Governor Dick Thornburgh appointed Cohen to his cabinet as Pennsylvania Secretary of Revenue after he served in the Nixon and Ford administrations as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislation. Cohen utilized his undergraduate and law degrees from Rutgers and his MBA in international business from The George Washington University in becoming an executive with ARAMARK, CEO of Goodwill Enterprises Development Corp., and president of I.C.E. Group, a London-based company which handled technology transfers throughout Asia and Europe.
Cohen taught legislative drafting and interpretation to lawmakers and Capitol Hill staffers at Georgetown University Law School and later taught at the Fels Center of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. He also was the founding chair of the Public Management Program at the Wharton School and most recently served from 2000 to 2007 as Associate Dean at Temple University’s Fox School of Business.
Cohen poses three simple questions to Republican voters in the district. “Who do you want to hire to send to Washington as your sole representative in Congress for the next two years to do the job that needs to be done, who’s the best candidate in life experiences to do the job, and who can win in November?” Cohen, of course, suggests that he’s the answer to each of these queries.
“The district,” says Cohen “ought to send someone to do the hard, important work of doing the government oversight, delivering services, and cutting spending.” These are the words of the candidate who proudly touts his credentials as a limited government Republican out of the Barry Goldwater tradition—the candidate he supported against the Big Government ideology of Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
President Calvin Coolidge—a purveyor of a genuine limited government philosophy— used to joke dryly with White House guests that his favorite hobby was “holding office.” Cohen doesn’t seek to make public service a hobby or a lifelong venture. Reflecting his business background, Cohen views a congressional election as a job interview conducted by the citizenry. Cohen says that he will not be absorbed by the aura of being a U.S. Representative. “I want the people to know they are electing someone for two years. I’m not going to stay there for 10, 12, or 15 years. I’m going for two years and then will see if my contract will be renewed,” he remarks.
Cohen sets his trajectory on a number of critical issues. Namely, he talks specifically about jobs and the economy—a blueprint followed by successful Republican nominees for governorships in New Jersey and Virginia in 2009. As a business leader, Cohen says that he has what it takes to navigate Washington’s bureaucratic jungle of red tape. Noting that he trusts “private sector guys” and is concerned with the growth and depth of the federal bureaucracy, Cohen thinks that Washington needs a “business leader to make business decisions” with regard to handling the bureaucracy and economy alike.
On budgetary matters, Cohen is a true deficit hawk, pledging to work hard to “slow down or stop the growth of the deficit” if elected. “The issue is spending,” says Cohen. “All candidates say they are going after waste, fraud, and corruption. I’ve been there working in government at all levels and I taught public sector management for 30 years,” he says. When asked which committees he’d like to serve on, Cohen doesn’t suggest the flashiest or highest profile assignments. He instead says that he will seek whichever “committee has the most effective ability to do government oversight” so that he can find real ways to save tax money and go after spending as a means of addressing the country’s tax burden.
He’ll also keep a close eye on Iran, an international situation which he equates to “a three ring circus which can erupt into a nuclear world war in a tinderbox” if not handled properly. In response to the Obama administration’s Dec. 29 announcement of their desire to revive an amnesty plan for illegal immigrants, Cohen advocates a thoughtful position which is cognizant of past governmental incompetence in handling illegal immigration, optimistic about supporting an enforceable border control program, intent on developing a means of requiring immigrants to demonstrate a better grasp of the English language and American history, concerned with illegal immigration’s impact on law-abiding citizens, and troubled by its costly effect on public services.
Sixth District Republican voters have a chance to nominate a candidate who comprehends the true responsibilities and rewards of citizenship and public service. With what promises to be a bruising, difficult race in November, Howard Cohen seems best able to articulate a vision of accountable, fiscally conservative governance capable of capturing the minds of all voters. Nominating any other candidate will put this Republican seat in peril in the fall and deprive voters of a chance to elect someone who properly comprehends the republic’s founding vision.
