Dear Editor,
What do you call a politician who protects his constituents’ paychecks?
You call that a rarity. So many politicians say they’ll go to Washington, DC and finally get government spending under control. They say they’ll fight against special-interest handouts for the wealthy and the well-connected. They say they’ll reform the government and allow us to keep more of our hard-earned money in our pocket.
Then they go to DC and do exactly the opposite.
Fortunately for Kansans in Barton County, a few do what they said they would do – they look out for taxpayers. Kansas Rep. Tim Huelskamp is one such lawmaker.
Few things are as important as affordable energy to a farm state like ours. In the last year alone, Rep. Huelskamp fought against a tax on 85 percent of our energy, saving the average Kansas family $1,400 a year. He also voted against an oil tax that would have cost 22 cents per gallon at the pump and made our energy bills even higher.
And when lawmakers proposed special deals for certain energy firms that would have made it tougher for Kansans to power their businesses or maintain a large piece of land, he voted against that, too.
Then there’s the matter of D.C.’s addiction to spending and debt – money that inevitably comes out of our wallets. Rep. Huelskamp and a few like-minded colleagues have fought to rein in overspending and put Washington on the path to solvency.
For example: In 2011, bipartisan majorities passed modest spending caps; today, bipartisan majorities are trying to break them. Unlike most of his colleagues, Rep. Huelskamp is pushing Congress to keep its promise to taxpayers and stick to the spending caps.
It’s the same story on special interests. Consider the Export-Import Bank – a federal agency that uses taxpayer money to prop up huge, multinational corporations not only in America but also in China, Saudi Arabia, and other foreign countries. Rep. Huelskamp sought to end it, along with dozens of other special-interest handouts that enrich the lucky few at hardworking Kansans’ expense.
And last but not least, Rep. Huelskamp has supported efforts to roll back the Obama administration’s regulatory assault. No wonder: The last seven years have seen reams of red tape that have jacked up the cost of groceries and everyday goods. This hurts everyone in our state, but especially those on fixed incomes, including seniors.
On that note, when you’re living on a fixed income, you need all the help you can get to save time and money. Rep. Huelskamp also co-sponsored a bill to simplify tax filings for seniors on Social Security.
We’ve known for years that the Washington agenda is a bad deal for us. We pay the price every day. Fixing this problem is the most pressing issue of our time, and Rep. Tim Huelskamp has been fighting to do just that. We should thank him for keeping hardworking Kansans’ hard-earned money right where it belongs – in our pockets.
Jeff Glendening
Kansas state director for Americans for Prosperity