Schools

Frelinghuysen Visits with Chatham High Students

James Meguerian's AP students question the congressman on world economy, the future of NASA, and more.

The Advanced Placement US Government and Politics class at welcomed guest speaker (R-NJ) Wednesday morning.

Frelinghuysen has visited each of Chatham High's AP Government classes for the past seven academic years. Each year, he said, "I am impressed with the questions they ask."

On Wednesday, students asked him about everything from the economic recession, the global economy, the future of the government's space program and funding for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare, defense and national intelligence.

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Frelinghuysen answered some questions bluntly and concisely—when one student asked if they would be able to collect Social Security, Frelinghuysen's answer was "No."—and others with detailed explanations which, by his own admission, did not adequately answer the questions posed.

Complexities in a Global Economy

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Most of these longer answers were given in an effort to explain the complexities behind the questions. When students asked about trade relations with China and comparisons between the Chinese and American armies, Frelinghuysen, who sits on the Defense Appropriations subcommittee, said, "We don't really know how much China spends on their army." He explained that in China, "there is not a clear division between what's civilian [and] what's military."

While some members of Congress, Frelinghuysen said, like to criticize China, he urged more caution and care. "Sometimes a sledgehammer isn't the best option," he said.

When Frelinghuysen told students "I'm not sure I adequately answered your question," they did not question him further.

Students asked about austerity measures in Ireland and Greece, the recent presidential election in France and whether these countries provided a glimse of America's future.

"It's true we're spending a lot more than we're bringing in," Frelinghuysen said, but "reducing spending doesn't necessarily mean you'll see an uptick in demand and productivity."

In the long run, he said, "I'm not sure we know exactly how to get back on the right track."

When students asked about the debt ceiling crisis from August 2011, Frelinghuysen said he "would hate to see that repeated later this year." The debate caused the nation to lose "international prestige" and "was an unmitigated disaster."

When it comes to the federal budget, he said, "I don't think compromise is a dirty word."

Students also asked about the evolution of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the private shuttle launch from Tuesday and the migration of aeronautical engineers to other countries. Frelinghuysen linked these issues to the economy at large, international relations and government spending.

When students asked about cyber privacy laws, such as the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) which could block access to entire internet domains, Frelinghuysen was adamant in his opposition to the act.

Impact of the 2010 Census

Frelinghuysen represents the 11th district, which includes Morris County and parts of Essex, Passaic and Somerset Counties. After the 2010 census, he told students in James Meguerian's class, his district includes 14 new towns and 270,000 new constituents.

A change such as this one, Frelinghuysen said, "makes you go back to Politics and Campaigning 101." He said he is attending pancake breakfasts, Kiwanis and Rotary meetings and Chamber of Commerce meetings.

A Learning Experience

Meguerian said Frelinghuysen's visits provided an invaluable learning experience for the students. "It's incredibly important for them to see their congressman, to know that he's a flesh-and-blood person," he said.

Additionally, "he's really great with the kids," Meguerian said. "Congressman Frelinghuysen is really open. He'll talk to them as real people, as adults, and not as little kids."

Frelinghuysen regularly answers most of the questions students have for him, Meguerian said, which usually "focus on the issues of the day. When the war was big, they were asking about that. Now it's financial issues."

Three students from Meguerian's class, Kyle Daruwalla, Patrick Lei and Cathryn Jijon, said they found Frelinghuysen's answers honest, though sometimes indirect.

"We always get the impression that politicians aren't truthful," Lei said. "I thought Rep. Frelinghuysen kind of skirted around some of the questions, but was very honest about his positions on things like health care."

Daruwalla asked Frelinghuysen about oversight of the CIA, and said he did not think the congressman's answer got to the heart of his question. "There was not a lot of time left," Daruwalla said. "I would have liked more time to push him."

"If he'd sponsored or supported SOPA, we'd have been all over him," Lei said.

After Frelinghuysen's visit, the teens said they were "definitely going to pay more attention at the next election."

 

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