“What’s at stake is whether we have another 250 years of freedom. That is what’s on the line.”
WASHINGTON, DC – With just over 100 days to go until the November midterm elections, The Ripon Society held a breakfast discussion yesterday morning with three members of the U.S. House of Representatives who are running for the U.S. Senate.
The members were U.S. Reps. Andy Barr (KY-6), Kevin Hern (OK-1), and Julia Letlow (LA-5), who delivered remarks about their districts and states and what they hope to achieve if they are elected to the Senate later this year.
“I come from a purple district,” Barr stated, kicking things off. “I think representing purple districts is an advantage in so many ways because you represent kind of the mosaic of America and you know what it takes to win. Being battle-tested matters in the United States Senate.
“I flipped a seat from Democrat to Republican. Fayette County – the population center – and Lexington — the university town — that part of Kentucky voted for Obama, Obama, Clinton, Biden, and Kamala Harris. That’s the population center of my congressional district. And because of that, what I would tell Republicans in the primary is if you want to block their path – if you want to make sure that the Mitch McConnell seat in Kentucky stays in Republican hands – vote for the battle-tested guy who can block the path of the Democrats.”
Hern struck a similar note in his remarks, talking about the people he has met traveling across Oklahoma and some of the challenges that both families and businesses are facing today and down the road.
“Going across the state,” Hern stated, “you get to see a lot of diverse opinions and thoughts. But one thing I will tell you is that they love President Trump. They love what has happened in this country, where we’re taking back the sovereignty of our nation and not giving that to adversaries around the world. That’s really important…
“Oklahomans love Oklahoma. They love where we’re at in the middle of the United States. They love this country. And they love to see somebody fighting for them, and expect us – the Republican Party – to fight for them, as well. This is a state just like Arkansas, where I grew up. Not too long ago, it was all Democrats. But the Democrats in Washington, DC left the Democrats in America. That’s good for us as a Republican Party, but we have a responsibility to protect this great nation.”
Hern also singled out one challenge Washington needs to address that is of growing importance in his home state.
“We really have got to figure out this permitting issue,” he declared. “We’ve got to be able to build America back. It’s one thing to get our companies repatriated and have our manufacturing companies and our jobs coming back from overseas. But if they can’t rebuild within our lifetime, it’s very problematic. You know, Hoover Dam was built in five years. Can you imagine trying to build that today? All these different infrastructure projects – whether it’s transmission lines above the ground or it’s pipelines in the ground. We’ve done a lot of work with the Speed Act and others on the House side … These are huge issues. And if we can find synergy and a bipartisan approach going forward, we can rebuild America and be competitive and stay competitive in the world.”
Letlow agreed, and talked about her own experience meeting with and listening to Louisianans and why she continues to be inspired by the people of her home state.
“What a privilege it has been to crisscross every corner of the state of Louisiana,” she stated. “We are a bit like gumbo – every part of the state is a different ingredient. Even the language we use. It’s just been an incredible, incredible experience. And I’m so grateful. One thing that I talked about on the campaign trail is my passion for fighting for our families.”
“What inspires me – what gives me the ability to get up every day and fight so hard for this country that we’re so proud of – is an eight-year-old little boy, Jeremiah John, and a six-year-old little girl, Jacqueline. Because they are the future. What we do today will have a direct impact on the country that they inherit. And I want to give it my all every single day. Because it’s our children and it’s our grandchildren – they are the reason why we all get up and fight so hard.”
Following their opening remarks, the three lawmakers were asked about the challenges facing the people of their home states and their top priorities if they are members of the Senate next year.
“It has been such an incredible honor to be an appropriator and be able to deliver for Louisiana,” Letlow said, referring to her role as a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “We’ve been able to bring back in five years $200 million just in my district alone. These aren’t work projects. These are quality of life projects. A new sewage treatment center for Tallulah. These are areas that are in desperate need, and I’d love to continue that big work. I would love to continue bringing our tax dollars back home to Louisiana. That would be such an incredible honor.
“Secondly, my passion is education. I was so proud when we passed the Parents’ Bill of Rights. COVID was a terrible time for parents, and we continue fighting for school choice. I love what the administration has done – taking control away from the federal government and putting it back in the state’s hands.”
Hern returned to an issue he had previously discussed, and also cited a challenge that has been a priority of his for years.
“The permitting issue is big for Oklahoma,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s big for the country. We’ve got a lot of pipeline companies that really have a lot of expertise in this area to continue that work. But I will tell you, being in the Senate, you don’t have to be on the committee of jurisdiction to actually push issues. So that really opens things up … And finally, I am just really big on getting a limited government in America.”
Barr took a broader view in his response, talking not only about the importance of this year’s mid-terms, but what he planned to fight for if elected to the Senate later this year.
“What is at stake in this election?” the Kentucky lawmaker asked. “On the 250th anniversary of the greatest experiment in freedom, you have a socialist ascendant wing of the Democratic Party. What’s at stake is whether we have another 250 years of freedom. That is what’s on the line. I’ve served on the Financial Services Committee for the last 14 years. It’s the capitalism committee. I have made my preferences known to Leader Thune. I want to serve on the capitalism committee in the Senate. I want to serve on the Banking Committee, because free enterprise is worth fighting for. It’s the secret sauce of America. The Declaration of Independence says, ‘Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.’ How do you pursue happiness in America? Economic freedom.
“That is what is at stake in this election. That’s what I want to fight for. That’s going to be my priority. And of course, we have our parochial interests. Energy is an area of national security importance. We’re sitting on an ocean of coal in Kentucky. If we want to win the race against China on AI dominance, we need to be clear-eyed about the importance of firm dispatchable power. In Kentucky, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, we are energy rich states. We need to be at the forefront of providing that energy dominance.”
To watch the remarks of Barr, Hern, and Letlow before The Ripon Society yesterday morning, please click the link below:
The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.