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Monday, January 4, 2010

01/04/10 State Senator Boucher Endorses Debicella For A Run Against Greenwich Resident Jim Himes Congressional Seat

“Dan Debicella is the Congressman Fairfield County needs.” says Boucher

State Senator Toni Boucher (R-26) today endorsed Dan Debicella for Congress in Connecticut’s Fourth Congressional District.

“Dan is someone who understands the way to grow our economy and create jobs is by supporting small businesses and the middle class—not massive expansion of government spending and debt,” said Boucher. “Dan Debicella is the Congressman Fairfield County needs.”

Senator Boucher represents the heart of the Fourth Congressional district—including New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton. She is currently serving in the State Senate after serving twelve years as State Representative and over ten years on her local Board of Education and Board of Selectmen.

“Having served with Dan in the State Senate, I can tell you he is someone who understands the concerns of Fairfield County families,” said Boucher. “He has been a leader in trying to create jobs in Connecticut by eliminating wasteful government spending and build a positive environment for small businesses. Dan will bring the same values of free enterprise and individual liberty to Washington.”

Debicella is a second-term Republican State Senator representing the eastern part of Fairfield County, including Shelton, Stratford, Monroe, and Seymour. He grew up in Bridgeport where his father was a police officer. He was the first in his family to go to college, attending the Wharton School and receiving his MBA from Harvard Business School. He has spent most of his career in business, having worked for management consulting firm McKinsey in Stamford, as Director of Strategy at PepsiCo in Purchase, NY, and currently as Assistant Vice President of Marketing at The Hartford Financial Services.

“I am impressed with the solutions Dan has developed on the economy, healthcare, and transportation,” said Senator Boucher. “His ideas are in stark contrast with Jim Himes, who seems to believe that bigger government, more spending, and more government control over our lives is the answer to everything.”

Debicella’s economic proposals have included repealing the unspent stimulus money in favor of a temporary cut in the payroll tax that small businesses and middle class families pay, and creating a federal spending cap to rein in the nation’s $1.4 trillion deficit. “We need to stop growing government, and start helping the small businesses that will lead us out of this recession,” said Debicella. Debicella added that most families have not received anything directly from the federal stimulus package, while his tax cut would give $1,500 directly to middle class families and reduce the deficit.

On healthcare, Debicella said that he was opposed to the public option that Jim Himes has championed. “We do not need a government take-over of healthcare insurance and increased costs for the 94% of us with insurance to cover the other 6%,” said Debicella. “Instead, we need to lower healthcare costs to help both middle-class and cover more of the uninsured. Bipartisan ideas like interstate competition of private insurers, medical malpractice reform, electronic medical records, preventative medicine, and no-frills insurance will all do more to help the middle class than the so-called public option.”

“I am humbled to have the support of such an amazing leader as Toni Boucher, said Senator Debicella. “Connecticut is fortunate to have her as one of our leaders, and I am thrilled to have her on my team.”

Boucher added that she respected other candidates in the race, such as former State Senator Rob Russo. “Rob is a talented professional and a great person. I have enormous respect for him and believe he has a bright future in Connecticut politics,” said Boucher, “but having worked closely with Dan and knowing his problem-solving ability and tenacity, I believe he is the best candidate for Congress.”

Boucher joins thirty-six other Republicans who have already endorsed Debicella’s candidacy for Congress. Endorsements have included other state legislators, First Selectmen, Republican town chairs, and Republican State Central members from almost every town in the congressional district (see attached list).

The Fourth Congressional District comprises most of Fairfield County, including seventeen towns from Greenwich in the west, to Shelton in the east, and Ridgefield in the north. The seat was held by Congressman Christopher Shays from 1987-2009.