Jordan makes stop in Wapak
WAPAKONETA — U.S. Congressman Jim Jordan took questions from political officials and community members during stops at the Auglaize County Administration Building and the Wapakoneta Service Club Wednesday.
County Commissioner Dave Bambauer said commissioners wanted to know when more infrastructure funding would be headed their way, as they have related needs in the county.
Jordan criticized the most recent infrastructure spending package. He said only about 10 percent of the money in that bill was actually for infrastructure.
County Engineer Andrew Baumer expressed his interest in infrastructure funding as well.
Jordan said there is talk about switching from gas tax to a different approach.
“My attitude is if you just use the revenue coming in from the fuel tax, for roads and bridges, you get a lot further with infrastructure than when you are using that money to pay for mass transit along the east coast and highway beautification projects,” Jordan said. “I doubt if anything is going to happen.”
He noted in the election season congressional members are moving into full-time political mode, before targeting Biden, saying the country was on the wrong track on border security, crime, energy and inflation.
But Public Defender Nick Catania pressed Jordan on infrastructure funding.
“I understand there is a lot of partisanship and blame to go around but are you or your Republican colleagues actually putting anything forward to help with infrastructure?” Catania asked, wanting to know what was in the pipeline.
Jordan took the opportunity to zero in on partisanship in the prior legislation and claimed that today’s left wants to fundamentally change America.
“So you’re not working on anything or you are?” Catania pressed. “Are you guys putting something forward or not?”
“I have to check with the transportation committee if there is a specific proposal. I think the main thing I am focusing on is stopping the left from doing the crazy things they are doing,” Jordan said.
Jordan was also focused on inflation.
He told elected officials and service club members it cost him about $40 to fill up a riding lawn mower.
When it comes to inflation, Jordan said “families are feeling it.” He said it is the worst tax you can have.
He blames Biden and “the left” for not wanting to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and decrease production, which Jordan equated to an intentional move wanting $8 for a gallon of gas.
“They truly want $8 gas,” he said. “JP Morgan’s estimate by the end of the summer, it’s going to be $6.”
The county’s Emergency Management Agency Director Troy Anderson wanted to
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know what kind of assistance might be available for the county’s homeless population, which have been hit hard by inflation.
“They can’t afford the housing, they can’t afford the gas to get to work, so now it’s a domino effect,” Anderson said.
Official numbers put the homeless population in the county at more than 50, but Anderson estimated it could actually be as high as 75 people.
“It’s not just here, it’s everywhere,” Anderson said.
Jordan recommended using excess COVID-19 funds to address the issue.
“You can take the money that is already out the door, and see where we can re-allocate that in places that makes sense,” Jordan said.
The bigger issue, Jordan claims, is government providing the wrong incentives, blaming increased unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
“When you defund the police and don’t put bad guys in jail, you shouldn’t be surprised when you get more crime. When you tell people they can’t be evicted, you shouldn’t be surprised when they quit paying rent,” Jordan said. “What they are doing to the border is intentional. They don’t want a border.”
Veterans Service Director Rob Wiss asked how he feels about term limits.
Jordan said he has been a supporter of term limits from the beginning but that it would take a constitutional amendment to change that.
“Are you for term limits on the Supreme Court? Catania asked.”
Jordan responded by saying that Democrats are trying to pack the court, recalling that Jerry Nadler introduced legislation to add four justices to the Supreme Court.
“Right now it is sixthree conservative,” Jordan pointed out.
He said that if the leaked draft opinion is in fact the official opinion on the Mississippi abortion case there would be a full tilt effort to add more justices to the Supreme Court.
He called that effort “very dangerous.” He anticipated the court’s decision would hand the abortion debate to the states, citing Justice Aleto’s draft opinion.
Jordan called it “a win for common sense.”
“I’m for doing whatever we can do to protect unborn children,” Jordan said.
Erica Preston asked about medical marijuana legislation being passed at the federal level.
Jordan said that while he doesn’t support it, it may have the votes to pass.
He claimed there were studies that showed marijuana was the first step into more harmful drug use.
“We already have this terrible problem with fentanyl that is driven by the fact that we don’t secure our border,” Jordan said.
Catania disagreed. “I could just tell you from what I’ve seen,” he said. “Most of my fentanyl users, meth users, don’t come from marijuana. You don’t have to worry about that. A lot of my fentanyl users started with opioid painkillers,” Catania said.
At the Wapakoneta Service Club Jordan said the 2022 message would be to stop the madness and the 2024 message would likely be to make America great again. He is supporting JD Vance’s bid to take Senator Rob Portman’s seat.
“I think he is going to beat Tim Ryan,” Jordan said.
Ralph Miller asked about politicians figuring out that guns don’t kill people.
Jordan acknowledged that the mass shooting in Texas was a tragedy.
“It’s the worst thing you could imagine,” Jordan said.
He separated that
from the tools used.
“It’s bad people who do bad things,” Jordan said. “It was an evil person who did that.” He pondered a need for more security and was wary about attacks on the second amendment.
He sent a letter to the Jan. 6 committee at the beginning of the year expressing his concerns. He called the committee political and said that he has caught them lying about information.
“We have real concerns about this committee,” Jordan said.
Tom Meyers asked him about his thoughts on the media who Jordan called an extension of the Democratic Party.
“It’s a good thing that most Americans don’t believe in the press because the press lies about me everyday,” Jordan said.
“There is always some false statement out there.”