Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler on “This Week”
In 11 days, we we’ll go to the voting booth and select a new president, as well as, local and state leaders to represent us here at home.
Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler will be on the ballot for some Missourians as she is seeking re-election to Missouri’s 4th U.S. House District. The 3-term Republican is running against Democratic challenger Dr. Gordon Christensen of Columbia.
As she made the rounds in her district, Representative Hartzler stopped by ABC 17 News to talk about a few things. She starts our conversation on “This Week” talking about the purpose of the small business conference.
This is a transcript of our conversation:
Rep. Vicky Hartzler: Well, this is the fifth year that I’ve had the privilege of hosting the Small Business Conference and we want to encourage the small businesses in this district to help them to have the tools they need to be able to grow and expand and be able to hire more workers and to provide those great Missouri products to the people in our area, so. It was a really great conference this year. We kinda focused on the students as well. It was held at the University of Central Missouri.
Joey Parker: In Warrensburg.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler: Yeah, in Warrensburg. And we matched them up with several business owners from the area. And they shared with them some of the entrepreneurial projects that they have and was able to get advice on how to move forward and actually start a business. So, it was, it was a really fun opportunity.
Joey Parker: Well, I’m sure you hear a lot from small businesses, as they are the bread and butter of the economy, most people would argue.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler: You bet.
Joey Parker: Have you seen situations where the Affordable Care Art, for example, is affecting some people?
Rep. Vicky Hartzler: Oh, absolutely. I had a lady who owns a small business follow me out into the parking lot after a meeting where I spoke just being me to please repeal this law, replace it with something because they had just gotten their rate increase. And she said, “Vicky, we cannot afford this! We’re gonna lose our business.” Two days later I got a letter from a constituent in the district and she and her husband own a small business and she outlines for us, for me, the premium increases over the last 4 years. And next year, it’s going to require one-third of her family’s total income to pay the health insurance. And, she was saying, “This is gonna out us out of business.” So, real people are being hurt by this law and that’s why we can do better. I’ve co-sponsored a bill that would replace Obamacare with insurance that’s affordable and that people want. It also addresses pre-existing conditions and includes some of the things people like from Obamacare like allowing students to stay on their parents’ policy until 26 (years old). So, I think we can do better. And I’m hopeful to have the opportunity next year, to move forward with that policy.
Joey Parker: So, you’re hoping that would get a “President Trump’s” attention. Um, a “President Hillary Clinton” would want to shape up the system. She wants to improve on the Affordable Care Act. Donald Trump wants to throw it all out and start anew.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler: There really is no tweaking what we have now to make it being fixable. We need to just start over again. But the good news is we do have this plan. People can go to a website called better.gov and see the plan and learn more about it but it goes after the cost drivers, which the Affordable Care Act didn’t, and that’s why it hasn’t been affordable. So our proposal goes after the cost driver, give patients more choice between their care between themselves and their doctor. I think people will like it a lot better.
Joey Parker: By the end of this year or the beginning of next year a decision should come down on the F-35. You’re on the Armed Services Committee. What do you anticipate will happen here?
Rep. Vicky Hartzler: Well I’m certainly hopeful that they will choose Whiteman Air Force Base and the 442nd Reserve Unit there for that. We are in the running with three other bases that have reserve units to be able to receive the F-35s and I have been advocating very strongly with the Air Force for Whiteman as the next home for it. Several of my Missouri colleagues have joined with me in this effort. We think it’s a perfect fit. The F-35 is a stealth aircraft and of course we have the B-2 stealth bomber there so we understand stealth missions. The 442nd now has the A-10s which provide close air support, unmatched close air support. And they have that wonderful experience of multiple deployments. The F-35 is going to be used for some close air support. For many reasons, not only just the installation itself, but certainly the stealth mission and the close air support mission makes Whiteman, I think, the perfect choice for it. We are hopeful we will find out by the end of this year or certainly the beginning of next year where they are going to locate it so hopefully it will work out.
Joey Parker: There’s been a little conversation about its cost and its fighting ability. How do you respond to that?
Rep. Vicky Hartzler: Well, it has cost more than they originally thought and there’s a lot of reasons for that, but the fact is they still are moving forward and they are choosing where it’s going to be based and we certainly would want to have it here in Missouri.
Joey Parker: Congresswoman, thank you.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler: You bet!
