07/31/08 PRESS RELEASE: Himes Completes 17 Town Tour

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2008 Contact: Michael Sachse, 646 265-0556, Michael@HimesforCongress.com HIMES COMPLETES 17 TOWN TOUR Democratic nominee for Congress visits every town in district in 17 days, listens to voters' concerns BRIDGEPORT, CT - Democratic nominee for Congress Jim Himes completed the last of seventeen "Listening & Leading Forums" this week, discussing the issues before a standing room only crowd at the Ferguson Library in Stamford on Monday evening. In his opening remarks, Himes described himself as someone who has lived the American Dream. "I grew up in a small town, with a single-working mom," said Himes. "We didn't have a lot of extra money, but I went to a good public school, my mom had a job where we didn't have to worry about having health care, and I had opportunity. And that has made all the difference for me." Himes, a Rhodes Scholar who went on to become a Vice President at Goldman Sachs before running the New York office of a national affordable housing non-profit emphasized his desire to restore opportunity for others once elected. "There are three issues that I am particularly concerned about: energy, health care, and education," said Himes. "These issues form the underpinnings of the American Dream." The forum was the last of seventeen such events that Himes has held throughout the district. In comments after the Stamford event, Himes said that, although the discussion varied from town to town, citizens throughout the district share many of the same concerns. "Everywhere we went, people were concerned about the price of gas and are worried about heating their homes in the winter. And everyone - Democrats, Republicans, and Independents - agreed that we need to fix our health care system." Himes described what he sees as a broad consensus forming around the issues. "When I hear businessmen in New Canaan and teachers in Trumbull banging the table over health care reform, it makes me optimistic that we can fix these critical problems if we send the right people to Washington." The key, said Himes, is to elect representatives willing to tackle the difficult issues and fight for the middle class. "As a small business owner put it to me this week: 'We pay more and more for health care, college tuition, and gasoline, and at the same time we're in the middle of the worst slowdown I can remember.' Our families need someone in Washington who will fight for the changes we need here at home." ###

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