GBC Candidate Questionnaire
David Trone1.SincetheonsetoftheCOVID-19pandemic,thefederalgovernmenthasinvested significantlytoaccelerateeconomicdevelopmenteffortsatalocallevel.Please outlinetheeconomicopportunitiesforwhichtheBaltimoreRegioncouldcounton youtobeanambassador.
WithSenatorCardinleavingoffice,Baltimoreneedssomeonetocontinuehislegacyof fightingforthisCity.That’swhyIhavespentmoretimetherethaninanyotherpartof ourstatesincethiscampaignbegan-listeningtoandlearningfromthepeopleofthiscity whattheyneedfromtheirnextSenator.Weneedfederalinvestment,awell-trained workforce,andafederaldelegationthatunderstandshowimportantthiscityistoour state.WhenBaltimoreprospers,Marylandprospers.Igetthat–andI’mgoingtomake sureeveryoneinWashingtonhearsthatloudandclear.
Iwillcontinuetobeachampionforeconomicdevelopmenteffortsatthelocallevel.As partoftheBipartisanInfrastructureBill,Ihavepushedforfundingforkeytransit projects.Everyonedeservesaccesstoreliabletransportationoptions,regardlessof whethertheyownacarornot.EveryjobintheBaltimoremetroareaisreachablewithin onehourbycar,butonly9%ofemploymentintheregionisaccessiblewithinonehour bypublictransportation.Baltimore’spublictransportationsystemisthe13thlargestin thenationbutnumberoneinserviceinterruptions,makingitlessreliableforMarylanders needingpublictransportationtowork.Ihavefoughtforfederalfundingforvitalprojects liketheRedLine.IntheSenate,I’llleadthefighttobringlocalandregionalmasstransit projectstoMaryland,incentivizelocalgovernmentstoimprovedependabilityand reliabilityofexistingtransit,andmakesureMarylandfamiliescanaccessincredible opportunitiesacrossthestate.
High-speedinternetispartofthefoundationforlongtermeconomicprosperity.Ihelped bringover$900millionforhighspeedinternettoMarylandwith287,000householdsin Marylandsaving$30-75amonthontheirinternetbills.Iwillpushtocontinuethis essentialfunding.
Iwillcontinuefightingtocreateanewgenerationoftechnology,science,and manufacturingjobsintheBaltimoreregion,asI’vedonebysupportingtheCHIPSand ScienceAct.ThemedianincomeinMarylandismorethan$100k,butinBaltimore,it’s only$55k.BringingthesejobstotheBaltimoreregionwillhaveagame-changingimpact forgenerationsandraisewages.IbelievethatinvestinginAmericanmanufacturing doesn’tjustcreategreat-paying,unionmanufacturingjobs,italsosupportsourportsby developingnewproductswecanshipworldwide,stimulatingMaryland’seconomyand creatingmorejobs.
2.Howdoyouenvisionsupportingregionaleffortstoaccelerateentrepreneurshipand
innovation,includingthefull$10billionfundingintheU.S.CHIPSACTforthe regionalTechHubs?
IwasproudtosupporttheinitialBaltimoreTechHubapplication.TheTechHubisan exampleofhowwecanharnessallMarylandhastooffertoinvestinourfuture from worldclassuniversitiestotoptierhospitals,researchers,andaburgeoningtechindustry tocreatenewhealthcaretechnologies.
IwilldowhateverittakestomakesurethatBaltimoreisawardedthefullamountand willbearelentlessadvocatewithdecisionmakersintheWhiteHouseandatthe CommerceDepartmentonbehalfofthiscriticalproject.
3. Howwillyousupporttheregioninensuringitreceivesarightfulshareoffederal infrastructureinvestment?
IvotedfortheBipartisanInfrastructurebillandhavecontinuedtopushtomakesurethe Baltimoreregionreceivestheirfullshareofinfrastructureinvestment.Ihavehelped secure$11.3billionfortransportationinvestmentsinroads,bridges,publictransit,ports andairportsand$436.7millionforcleanwaterinfrastructureacrossMaryland,including $80.6millioninfundingleadpipeandservicelinereplacement.
Ialsowanttomakesureoursmallandminorityownedbusinessescantakeadvantageof federalcontracts.Lastyear,thefederalgovernmentawarded$765billionincontracts. However,muchofthisfederalcontractworkhasbeenoutofreachforoursmaller businessesandstartups,whichmakeup99.5%ofallbusinessesinthestate,andweare trendinginthewrongdirection.
Therehasbeenasteepdeclineinnewsmallbusinessesenteringthefederalprocurement marketplace–andweneedtochangethat.Federalcontractsmustbeequitably distributed,whichmeansinvestingintechnicalassistanceforsmallbusinesses, streamliningcertificationforsmallandwomenandminorityownedbusinesses,and holdingthefederalgovernmentaccountablewhenwedon’tmeetoursmallbusiness contractinggoals.
TheFrancisScottKeyBridgecollapseisdevastatingandwillhavealongtermeffecton ourworkers,thePortofBaltimore,andMaryland’seconomy Weareworkingaroundthe clocktoremovethewreckage,reopentheportandmakesureportworkershavethe supporttheyneedthroughthesedifficulttimes.IwillcontinuetoworkwiththeBiden AdministrationtoensurethePortandsurroundingcommunitieshavetheresourcesand expertisetheyneed.Already,wehavesecured$60millioninemergencyfundingfor initialwreckageremovaland$25millionfromtheDepartmentofLabortohelpworkers impactedbytheclosingofportoperations.
4. WhatrolewouldyouenvisiontheMarylandDelegationservingtosupport
initiativestoaddressa)publicsafetychallenges,and(b)housingvacancyissues, bothofwhichcontinuetochallengemanyofthecountry’spost-industrialmarkets?
Everybodyhastofeelsafeintheircommunity.Ibelievewecanimprovepublicsafety whilereformingourcriminaljusticesystemtobemoreequitable.Isupport community-orientedpolicingpracticesthatprioritizebuildingtrustandcollaboration betweenlawenforcementagenciesandthecommunitiestheyserve.Thisincludes policiesthatemphasizede-escalationandnon-violentconflictresolution.Ico-ledthe LawEnforcementDe-EscalationTrainingAct,whichprovides$124milliontobetter equiplawenforcementofficerstorespondtomentalandbehavioralhealthcrisesand connectpeoplewiththerightresourcesandservicestoaddresstheirneeds.Thisbillwas signedintolaw.
Weneedtoinvestinprogramsthataddresstherootcausesofcrimeandinparticular addresstheunderlyingpovertythatisacontributingfactor ThismeansmakingtheChild TaxCreditpermanent,increasingwagesandeconomicopportunities,andinvestingin afterschoolprogramsandwrap-aroundservicestoimproveeducationaloutcomes.
InBaltimore,theGreaterRosemont,Sandtown-Winchester/HarlemPark,andSouthwest Baltimoreneighborhoodshavethehighestnumberofpeopleintheprisonsystem.Within thisdenselypopulatedportionofthecitycomeshighlyconcentratedpoverty.Weneedto reformourracistcriminaljusticesystemandmakesureformerlyincarceratedindividuals havethetoolstobesuccessfulwhentheyreturnhome.
Asthefounderandco-leaderoftheSecondChanceTaskForce,Ihaveworkedto promotepoliciesthatwillimprovereentryoutcomesforreturningcitizens–workingto implementtheFirstStepAct,cleareligiblecriminalrecords,and‘banthebox’onjob applications.
Educationisthemosteffectivemeansofreducingrecidivism.Incarceratedindividuals whoparticipateineducationalprogramsare48percentlesslikelytorecidivateandthe oddsofrecidivismdecreasethehigherthelevelofeducationheorsheachieves.For example,acollegedegreecanreducethereturningratetolessthan8percent.Withmany colleges’remotelearningprogramsmovingentirelyonline,lackofinternetaccessposes asignificantbarriertoparticipatingineducationalprograms.Additionally,internetaccess enablesjobtrainingopportunitiesandallowsindividualstomaintainconnectionswith theirfamilies,allofwhichwillbetterpreparethemforsuccessfulreentryintosociety.I supportedtheMarthaWright-ReedJustandReasonableCommunicationsAct,which makessurethatincarceratedindividualsarechargedreasonableratesforphoneandvideo calls.
BeforecomingtoCongress,IfoundedtheTroneCenterforJusticeandEqualityatthe AmericanCivilLibertiesUnion(ACLU).TheTroneCenterfocusesontheproblemsin theU.S.criminaljusticesystem,includingthetreatmentofprisonersandthepoliciesof
over-incarcerationthathaveledtheUnitedStatestoimprisonmorepeoplethananyother countryintheworld.
HousingremainstopofmindforcommunitiesinMarylandandacrossthecountry. There isa96,000unitshortageofaffordablehousinginMaryland,with30%ofyounger Marylanderssayingtheywouldconsiderleavingthestatetofindbetterhousing. Comparedtootherstates,Marylandersareatthebottomofthelistforhowlongthey havetowaittoaccessaffordablehousingvouchers.
Weneedtoincreasethesupplyofaffordablehousingbutalsoaddressdiscriminatory practicesinhousingmarketsandensurethatrentersarenotlivinginunsafeconditions. I’llfighttogivetheCitytheresourcestorehabthemorethan13,000vacantproperties and20,000vacantunitsofhousingandcreatenewprogramsthatmakeanewgeneration ofBlackhomeowners.
AspartoftheBuildBackBetterAct,Isupporteda$170billioninvestmentin affordablehousing.ThisbillwouldhaveexpandedtheHousingChoiceVoucher programby30,000vouchersandfundedimprovementstodeterioratingconditionsin publichousingunits.ItalsoincludedtheUnlockingPossibilitiesProgramwhichwould provide$1.75billiontostatesandlocalgovernmentstoincentivizetheeliminationof restrictivezoningandlandusesthathavebeenabarriertobuildingnewaffordable housingunits.Unfortunately,theSenatedroppedtheseprovisionsfromthefinal legislationbutIwillcontinuetofighttoensuresafeandaffordablehousing.
5. WhatareaswouldyouencouragetheGBCtoleverageitscollectiveimpactaround toadvancetheregionaleconomy?(re:downtownrevitalization,manufacturing expansion,etc.)
AsevidencedbyitsleadershipbringingtogetherBaltimore’sbusiness,technologyand academiccommunitiestocreateasuccessfulTechHubapplicationandbringover$4.2 billionineconomicimpactand52,000jobstothecity,IbelieveGBCcancontinueto builduponthismodeltocreategoodpayingjobsintheindustriesofthefuture.Iwantto makesureBaltimoreandtheregionareattheforefrontofnewtechnologies, manufacturingprojectsandentirelynewindustries.Iwillnotonlycontinuetopushfor investmentsineducationandincentivesthatacceleratenewtechnologiesandensure historicallydisadvantagedcommunitieshaveopportunitytoleadthesedevelopments–butIwillpartnerwithGBCtobringdiversestakeholderstothetableandmakesurewe allworktogetheronbehalfofthecityandregion.