Many things have shocked me this election cycle, but little else compares to the attacks on Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) for “going Washington.”
If there’s anyone in Congress who hasn’t “gone Washington,” and has remained true to his values and the people who elected him, it’s Tim Huelskamp. And I say that as a Kansan myself.
Tens of thousands of concerned Americans marched in 2010 to protest ObamaCare, disastrous federal overspending and debt, and taxpayer bailouts for well-connect industries. Those protests helped to usher in a Republican-controlled Congress and several newcomers, including Tim Huelskamp. Voters were tired of Republicans and Democrats alike who had gone to Washington, D.C. -- only to break their promises to voters. They wanted someone who would stick by their principles and do the right thing for Kansas – even when it wasn’t politically convenient for Washington.
Tim Huelskamp has been such a leader. He has kept his word and voted to cut spending, curb government overreach, and end the dominance of special interests in D.C.
Which is exactly why Washington special interests fear him. He’s stayed true to his word – and made good on his promises to limit government and reduce spending. These facts notwithstanding, he’s now under attack for supposedly violating his principles.
Nothing could be further from the truth – a fact that his record makes clear.
In 2011, Huelskamp stood firm in his beliefs that Republicans should actually cut government spending. His efforts sent shockwaves through the House Republican Conference because – novel concept – he followed through on his promises to his constituents. He also thought the GOP owed it to America to follow through on its pre-election “Pledge to America” that contained a “commitment to cut $100 billion from the budget.”
He said “no” to continuing resolution after continuing resolution that maintained the status quo of unchecked, unquestioned increases in government spending. He said “no” to debt limit increases that failed to cut spending.
But it wasn’t all “no”; Huelskamp voted for a balanced budget amendment and for limiting Congress’ spending with reasonable spending caps.
And for this he is accused of “going Washington”?
The funny thing is, some of those critical of Huelskamp for allegedly “going Washington” have also said he shouldn’t be in office because he has said “no” too often and refused to go along with what Washington-based party leaders tell him.
Apparently “going Washington” also includes refusing to support special-interest handouts – including green energy subsidies, the Export-Import Bank, and myriad other taxpayer-funded giveaways. These types of programs take money out of the pockets of hardworking Americans and enrich wealthy corporations with armies of lobbyists.
Finally, I won’t dance around it. Huelskamp has taken a lot of criticism for refusing to support the Farm Bill, and the punishment he received for doing so: being removed from the House Agriculture Committee.
If you ever needed an example of what “going Washington” isn’t, that’s it. A fifth-generation farmer in one of the most ag-intensive districts in the country opposed a bill called the “Farm Bill.”
And it was the right thing to do. As he correctly explained, the bill isn’t exactly a farm bill any more. It’s a special-interest feeding trough. When he voted against the Farm Bill, he spoke of the opportunities House Republicans had missed to enact meaningful changes, including efforts to curb the Obama administration’s overregulation.
The past five years have been filled with missed opportunities for Congress. Imagine what could have happened if more of our representatives had stood with Huelskamp and taken principled stands. Maybe our national debt wouldn’t have grown by more than $5 trillion and President Obama’s regulatory onslaught could have been curbed.
And maybe, just maybe, we’d be looking at a different dynamic in this year’s election – where voters are filled with optimism because they know it’s possible for politicians to follow through on their promises and actually put our country on a path to a brighter future.
Tim Huelskamp has been fighting to do that for a long time, often alone. He deserves our thanks for sticking to his principles and putting Kansans first.
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Originally Posted by dannno
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