Jenkins, Wakefield talk on ‘dysfunction’

FORT SCOTT — Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins and her challenger, Margie Wakefield, sounded off on a number of topics Monday, from illegal immigration to the perceived dysfunction of Congress, at a local candidates’ forum.
The candidates spoke in front of a crowd of more than 100 at Fort Scott High School as part of an event sponsored by the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce.
Jenkins, 51, is a former state treasurer and state senator. She is seeking her fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Wakefield, 47, owns and operates a law practice in Lawrence.
Jenkins, Republican, and Wakefield, Democrat, fielded the same three questions, on alleged misdeeds at the IRS;  their interpretation of true immigration reform; and on whether clergy should be faced with litigation for not performing same-sex marriages.
Jenkins said the investigation on the IRS, and its former director, Lois Lerner, should continue to determine if groups were scrutinized by the IRS based on their political affiliation.
“This isn’t a partisan issue at all,” Jenkins said. “We wouldn’t care if it was a Republican being targeted, or a Democrat being targeted. No American should be targeted. We have reason to believe Lois Lerner broke the law.”
Wakefield agreed that no American should be targeted based on political beliefs, but instead used the opportunity to blast “the constant gridlock in Washington, and the sequester cuts that have caused us to fall so far behind in what we should be doing.
“This is very akin to me to the disaster that has befallen the Veterans Administration,” Wakefield said. “I want to make sure our public agencies are working for Americans in an efficient and fully funded manner.”

WAKEFIELD said she did not endorse full amnesty for undocumented immigrants, “but let’s get real. We’re not going to deport millions of people at a cost of billions of dollars. What we need to do is have a real conversation about immigration reform. We need to make undocumented workers taxpayers. We need to get on that quickly.”
Jenkins, while decrying the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded with young children among those illegally entering the country, noted the House passed a border security bill before recessing for the fall election season. But the bill has not been acted upon in the Senate, Jenkins said.
She, in turn, took opportunity to criticize the Senate’s unwillingness to vote on scores of bills that have passed the House.
“This is one of the bills that’s laying there,” Jenkins said. “We’re very hopeful we will get a Senate that will show up and move some of this legislation.”

BOTH CANDIDATES agreed ministers should not be punished for declining to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. Both noted the courts have spoken on the issue, particularly since the Supreme Court earlier this month declined to hear appeals from lower courts striking down several gay marriage bans.
“I do not believe ordained ministers or pastors are going to suffer in terms of any kinds of lawsuits,” Wakefield said. “I agree they should not.”
Said Jenkins: “We have enough lawsuits in the world right now. We don’t need any more. I’m not sure Washington needs to weigh in. The states have already done that.”

WAKEFIELD, on two occasions, noted Jenkins was a part of “the least productive Congress in our history.”
“We need our representatives to take real action on the important issues, and not just propose bills you know cannot pass.,” she said. “The dysfunction in Congress, led by Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, isn’t working for us, and it won’t work for our future.
“In Congress, I’ll work hard for Kansans, and not a party caucus,” she continued. “We need a representative in Congress who will reach across those entrenched, partisan divides to get the job done. We need, expect and deserve that from our representatives, and that’s what I’ll do in Washington.”
Jenkins said she ran for Congress after being frustrated with both parties.
“When Republicans had unfettered power in Washington, they blew it,” she said. “They spent more money than they took in. Then I watched as Democrats took control of Washington, and they took spending and deficits to a whole new height.”
Jenkins touted instances in which they worked with Democrats on passing legislation, and touted her inclusion as part of the No Labels Problem Solvers Caucus.
“We’ve had great success already, especially in the House, where we are working in a bipartisan manner,” Jenkins said. “That doesn’t sound like dysfunction to me, Miss Wakefield.”

AMONG THE other candidates at Monday’s forum were Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, who touted Gov. Sam Brownback’s performance while in office by adding private sector jobs, education funding and getting Kansans off of welfare.
Also attending was Democratic hopeful A.J. Kotich for attorney general, who criticized incumbent Derek Schmidt’s spending of $8.3 million to hire outside counsel through his four-year term in office. Nobody spoke on behalf of their opponents.