U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins was not optimistic during Friday’s stop at the Iola Public Library. JENKINS said there were a few significant dates citizens should be looking out for. JENKINS took time at the end of her presentation to listen to concerns of her constituents.
“We are almost at $16.39 trillion in debt. This is the highest in our nation’s history,” Jenkins said. “This is unsustainable. We need to do something to fix it.”
Jenkins said the debt is roughly $50,000 per U.S. citizen.
At the beginning of the Congressional session, Jenkins is on her “Congress to Kansas” listening tour across the 26 district she covers.
Jenkins attributes the current debt to the nation’s spending.
“The goal for most nations is to have no more than 19 percent of the GDP go toward government spending,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said in the past few years the spending has been above 20 percent of GDP.
“We are trying to get to the kind of government that the framers of the Constitution had in mind, and give back to the people what the federal government has taken away,” she said.
One of Jenkins’ suggestions to create prosperity is for people to work longer.
“Is that fair? No, but life’s not fair folks,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said she would ask people to add about two more years to their working lives.
She also would propose changes to the new health care plan so “we can afford it,” Jenkins said, without being specific. “Elections have consequences. The new health care plan will be in full effect in less than a year.”
Jenkins said lowering corporate taxes would help bring prosperity back into the U.S.
“We have the highest corporate tax rate in the world,” Jenkins said. “You would have to be a fool to do business in the U.S.”
Today is the President’s budget deadline.
March 1 the sequester cuts hit. This will cut a large portion of defense spending.
“This is going to hurt, we all will feel these cuts,” Jenkins said.
On March 27 “continuing resolution” expires. The government is currently operating under the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, a type of appropriations legislation used by Congress to fund government agencies if a formal appropriations bill has not been signed into law by the end of the Congressional fiscal year.
According to Jenkins, a budget will be coming out of the House and Senate on April 15. Jenkins said because of a No Budget No Pay Act it will be more likely that a budget will be produced.
Jenkins said on May 19 the debt limit will be reached. As of Friday afternoon the Senate passed a bill to temporarily suspend the debt limit. This will allow Congress to borrow more money.
“Lower your bar of expectations,” Jenkins said. “Little will happen in the next two years.”
When asked if she thought a stricter gun law would be passed, Jenkins said “I don’t think it will. I would be shocked if it did. If I am optimistic about anything that. You don’t mess with people’s Second Amendment rights.”
Rep. Jenkins makes pit stop in Iola
