Rep. Lynch offers Quincy High students glimpse into Congress

QUINCY – Before heading to her next class, well-informed Quincy High School senior Megan Fox stopped to get Congressman Stephen Lynch’s take on ISIS and the role the United States should play in fighting the insurgents in the Middle East.

“My friends and I see what’s on the news, and the impression we get is that our government is falling apart, and now I know it’s still functional in many ways,” Fox said Monday. “I thought it was great to get a firsthand account of what’s going on.”

Lynch offered a glimpse into what really takes place on Capitol Hill during a visit with several dozen Quincy High School students who take Advanced Placement U.S. Government or will participate in the congressional simulation conference Harvard Model Congress. Students had the chance to ask Lynch questions, ranging from his take on modifying the U.S. Constitution and mandatory minimum jail sentences, to what it’s like working with Republicans as a Democrat.

A South Boston Democrat, Lynch rattled off some facts about Massachusetts’s 8th congressional district – including that he currently serves 727,514 constituents in three cities and 21 towns stretching from Dedham down to Scituate.

The first politician of his family, Lynch told the group he never intended to become a Congressman. Instead, he joined Boston’s Ironworkers Local 7 after graduating from South Boston High School in 1973, becoming the union’s youngest ever president. Lynch later received a law degree from Boston College Law School to further his advocacy for working people.

While providing pro bono legal services, Lynch helped families dealing with housing issues in the Old Colony Housing Project, where he grew up. There, he said South Boston residents encouraged him to run for office.

In 1994, Lynch was elected to the state House of Representatives, and to the state Senate in a special election just 14 months later. He was elected to Congress in 2001, filling the seat left vacant by the death of U.S. Rep. Joseph Moakley.

“I never had intentions to become a Congressman, but I am now,” Lynch told the students. “I’m a lawmaker, but that’s just a little part of the job.”

Lynch explained his roles as a member of the Financial Services Committee and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and how laws must first make it through these smaller committees before coming up for a vote.

“If we had a conversation between 435 members – there’s a lot of egos, a lot of perspectives, and it would get very confusing,” he said. “Plus, the Republicans and Democrats go at it hard.”

Last week, Lynch said Congress found some success, passing a $1.1 trillion omnibus bill – or many bills rolled into one.

“The idea is that something in that bill is something that’s important to each member,” he said.

For Lynch, the important items included funding for military suicide prevention efforts and health benefits for 9/11 first responders.

Afterwards, juniors Terry McMillen and Joelle Robinson said they enjoyed hearing about Lynch’s efforts for the military.

“He cares so much about what he does,” Robinson said. “It was cool to get the inside perspective because you don’t usually get the chance to ask politicians about how it actually works.”