Massachusetts Peace Action endorses Dr. Robbie Goldstein for the Eighth Congressional district. Robbie is running against Stephen Lynch, who has too often supported our forever wars in the Middle East. Electing pro-peace candidates is a priority for Massachusetts Peace Action.
Dr. Goldstein is an internist and infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, where for the past five years, he has been the medical director of the Transgender Health Program. Robbie cites healthcare as his primary issue, drawing contrast with Lynch, who was the only member of the Massachusetts delegation to vote against the Affordable Care Act. Robbie supports reducing the military budget and nuclear weapons. Both Robbie and Lynch are strong supporters of Israel. However, Robbie came out against moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and said we have an obligation to speak up when Israel uses our resources “in a way that goes against our values.” Lynch, for his part, voted for legislation to punish the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
Lynch is a supporter of US militarism in the Middle East. He voted to go to war with Iraq and Afghanistan and has often voted for increased funding of our forever wars. Last month, although he did vote to reduce the Pentagon budget by 10%, he then turned around and voted in support of the National Defense Authorization Act after the amendment had been defeated. In 2019, Lynch was one of the few Democrats nationwide who voted against the “No War with Iran” provision in the National Defense Authorization Act. Passing the NDAA without this provision allowed funding for the Trump drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, risking war with Iran.
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted some of the pre-existing flaws in our system. While Congress has spent decades passing laws to enrich the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, our people still lack universal health care. Dr. Goldstein is well trained to represent healthcare priorities rather than corporate priorities. If we want a country that puts people over corporate profits, we require political leaders with the courage and clarity to carry out the rapid, profound changes we need. We must replace the self-serving careerists in Congress with compassionate, principled individuals who will truly represent the interests of the people.