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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Dan Meuser said he learned a lot when he served as Pennsylvania secretary of revenue under then-Gov. Tom Corbett.</p><p>Meuser, 54 of Dallas, is the Republican candidate in the 9th Congressional District. He is opposed by Democrat Denny Wolff, a former state agriculture secretary. Meuser met with the Times Leader Editorial Board Tuesday.</p><p>Meuser, who ran and lost for Congress in 2008 in what was the 10th Congressional District, said he is better prepared this time around.</p><p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t deserve to win the last time,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;You need to be able to serve well and I am ready to do that. I learned how to deal with legislators &#8212; how they act and react. And you get to realize the justified frustrations of all the people.&#8221;</p><p>Meuser said government often works against people, resulting in their frustration. He said lobbyists and special interests are can also be counter-productive.</p><p>&#8220;I know what needs to be done and if I ever forget, the people will be there to remind me,&#8221; Meuser said.</p><p><strong>On the issues</strong></p><p>Meuser said he will go to the House of Representatives with full intent to support the agenda of President Donald Trump.</p><p>&#8220;I am not taking anything for granted,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;I haven&#8217;t crossed the finish line yet. But if elected, I will support the president and his agenda.&#8221;</p><p>Meuser said Trump has made good on many of his campaign promises and much remains to be accomplished. He said he will work to bring good-paying jobs to the region, he supports protecting our borders and building &#8220;the wall,&#8221; and he wants to assure there is affordable healthcare for all Americans and he strongly supports the inclusion of pre-existing conditions as part of any health plan.</p><p>&#8220;President Trump is not on the ballot, but I believe he could have even a stronger influence than ever before,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;When I&#8217;ve been campaigning, I hear the Trump name constantly. People want their representative to support the president.&#8221;</p><p>Meuser said one area he wants to see Trump change is in deficit spending.</p><p>&#8220;We need to get serious about this,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;Our revenue has gone up 2 percent, but spending is up 4 percent. We have to look at ways to save money &#8212; reducing waste, correcting abuse and eliminating fraud.&#8221;</p><p>Meuser said he supports helping farmers. He said he was pleased to see the recent agriculture bill passed the House &#8212; he noted not one Democrat voted for it. He said he wants to continue reducing the dependency on food stamps through the SNAP program. He said the Trump administration has reduced the number of those on the program from 45 million to 40 million.</p><p>Meuser wants the recent tax cuts to be permanent. He said the country has to create more opportunities for capital investment.</p><p>&#8220;We have to lay out a plan,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We have to reduce a lot of those regulations. I want to see us continue our tough stand on foreign trade and I want to see the U.S. become energy independent.&#8221;</p><p>Meuser said he supports keeping Social Security and Medicare strong and sustainable.</p><p>&#8220;These are not areas to look for any reductions,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;The way you sustain them is through a great economy. The more taxpayers there are, the more taxes collected. We can&#8217;t have people fearful that they might lose these benefits.&#8221;</p><p>As far as protecting our borders, Meuser said he favors Trump&#8217;s plan to build a wall.</p><p>&#8220;Yes, a wall will make a difference,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;And we can&#8217;t offer amnesty. Democrats want to offer legal status so they can get those votes.&#8221;</p><p>Meuser also recognizes the need for strengthening infrastructure, like roads and bridges. He said too often, state and federal regulations get in the way of progress.</p><p>Meuser said he has traveled the 9th district extensively and he found a lot of cities in need of major urban renewal.</p><p>&#8220;We have to create better opportunities for investment,&#8221; Meuser said.</p><p>Meuser said the opioid epidemic needs to be addressed. He said there has been a significant over-supply of opioids on the market. Meuser noted that there were some 450 million opioid prescriptions written in 2017, a state with 13 million population.</p><p>&#8220;We all know people who ended up in coffins because of this crisis,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;And they are from all walks of life. We need for educational programs to inform the people of the risks and consequences.</p><p>&#8220;Law enforcement is on top of this, but sometimes they have to act as social workers.&#8221;</p><p>Meuser said U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, is his inspiration. Barletta is running for the U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Bob Casey of Scranton, who is seeking his third 6-year term.</p><p>&#8220;When Lou decided he was going to run for the Senate, he called me and asked me to run for his seat and he promised to support me,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;I want to follow his example. Draining the swamp is not just a catch phrase &#8212; I believe in term limits and bans on lobbying. We have to continue what President Trump has started.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Dan Meuser says if he is elected to Congress he will support the policies of the Trump administration. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL101618Meuser1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dan Meuser says if he is elected to Congress he will support the policies of the Trump administration. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL101618Meuser2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dan Meuser says if he is elected to Congress he will support the policies of the Trump administration. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL101618Meuser2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Dan Meuser says if he is elected to Congress he will support the policies of the Trump administration. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL101618Meuser3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dan Meuser says if he is elected to Congress he will support the policies of the Trump administration. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL101618Meuser3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Dan Meuser says if he is elected to Congress he will support the policies of the Trump administration. </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Dan Meuser</strong></p><p>Age: 54</p><p>Residence: Dallas</p><p>Party: Republican</p><p>Seeking: 9th Congressional District seat</p><p>Current job: Affiliated with family business, Pride Mobility.</p><p>Education: New York State Merchant Marine Academy; Cornell University</p><p>Family: Wife, Shelley; 3 children &#8212; Caroline, 25; Jacqui, 20; Danny, 16.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Meuser intends to support Trump agenda if elected