Senate goes local: Rep. Seth Moulton on housing affordability and other Waltham issues

Journalists from The Belmont Voice, Brookline News, Cambridge Day, Lexington Observer, The Waltham Times and Your Arlington met on July 13 with U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., as part of a joint project to cover candidates for the September primary election for the U.S. Senate. 

Seth Moulton wants to modernize the state’s Democratic Party. 

Moulton is challenging Democratic incumbent Ed Markey for U.S. Senate. Markey has served in Congress for 50 years, including the past 12 years as a senator. Moulton, who lives in Salem with his wife and their two children, has held a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the North Shore since 2014. 

Moulton is campaigning on a platform of generational change for the Democratic Party, arguing that, at a comparatively young 49 years old, he’s the candidate to deliver it.

He met with reporters from the western suburbs Monday to discuss issues affecting their municipalities, all of which lie within and around the I-95 ring. Here’s what he said on affordability, health insurance and more.

On affordability

One big factor contributing to affordability issues in Greater Boston is the regional housing crisis. To address the “fundamental … supply and demand problem,” Moulton said Massachusetts needs to build more housing.

Instead of trying to build in suburban areas like Waltham, which he said generally resist new construction, Moulton argued Boston should take cues from other major cities worldwide and improve its transit system. 

In some cases, he claimed subways and commuter rail services are running at or below 1950s standards. By electrifying rail lines and upgrading equipment, he said the MBTA could cut transit times such that residents could live in areas like Fitchburg, which have space for new development, and still work in Greater Boston.

On health insurance

Meanwhile, health insurance is making a huge dent in the budget of many municipalities, including Waltham. 

Moulton argued the government could cut costs and protect residents’ right to health care by creating a single-payer option. He champions a “Medicare-for-all-who-want-it” model, which could compete with private insurers to drive down costs.

On immigration

Moulton emphasized that a lot of immigration policy is ineffective and outdated, laying the blame both on Republicans blocking Democratic immigration reforms and on Democrats failing to reform the system when they’ve held power.

Although he didn’t detail his ideas for policy updates, Moulton positioned himself solidly against the actions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency under President Donald Trump. He advocates for abolishing the agency and taking its leadership and agents to court.

“It’s not enough just to say you’re opposed to [ICE] … we need to hold these people accountable,” he said. “You can’t have law enforcement who thinks they’re above the law.”

Moulton pointed to his office’s track record in constituent services as an example of how he shows up for immigrant communities, saying he and his staff have worked closely on many individual constituents’ immigration cases. He said the office has received four awards from the Congressional Management Foundation, including two for constituent services.

On surveillance technology and regulation

Moulton said he’s concerned about the data that large tech companies collect on Americans: “I think all this surveillance is frightening,” he said.

When it comes to technologies such as Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader cameras being used by law enforcement, including in Waltham, Moulton said he’s sympathetic to those worried about security and privacy violations. Still, he said he doesn’t want to dismiss potentially effective safety tools out of hand. He suggested starting with regulation at the local level to ensure privacy and individuals’ rights before implementing these technologies.

Moulton said these regulations must be written by people who understand the technology and proposed that states should be allowed to implement their own regulations for new technologies, including AI, to encourage innovation. 

On creating dialogue

Moulton talked about his experience serving in the Marine Corps during the Iraq War and how it galvanized his stance against the war. “I saw the consequences of failed decisions in Washington. There were people making decisions … that were totally out of touch with people on the ground.”

He emphasized the importance of listening to his constituents, saying he has prioritized holding local town halls during his campaign. Although he loves the “proud individuality” of Massachusetts municipalities, he also emphasized they need to bridge gaps and come together to address regional issues such as transportation.

On how federal politics affects the local

Before Democrats can make significant change, Moulton said they have to win elections. “As long as Republicans are in charge, they’re going to keep … attacking blue states, blue cities.”

Moulton talked about his involvement in the political action committee Serve America, where he has helped campaign for other Democratic candidates around the country. He said that although he respects the Democratic establishment, he wants to see change in the party’s current leaders.

“We need stronger fighters, people who are not afraid of these MAGA Republicans,” he said. “We cannot just go back to the way things were … Democrats need to be more effective.”

On peace between Israelis and Palestinians

Moulton talked about using his military experience in a nonlocal issue that he knows is of widespread interest in Massachusetts: Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. 

Israel’s subsequent devastation of Gaza has changed the political landscape for Democratic politics around the area. He said he starts from first principles: that everyone, including Israelis and Palestinians, deserves the same fundamental rights and freedoms. “Then you can have an honest conversation, a rational conversation, about the strategies to get there.” 

Moulton said that ultimately, the U.S. should scrutinize its arms deals with Israel with the same standards as its dealings with any other nations. He argued it should support a two-state solution with Israeli and Palestinian governments willing to work toward peace.