By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Congressman-elect Derek Schmidt will be sworn in today as the next United States Representative of the Second Congressional District of Kansas.
Schmidt, a Republican, says though Republicans have had some friction within its caucus in the United States House, he believes they will ultimately come together.
“I do think there is a nearly universal sense among House Republicans that the voters in this country have entrusted us with a special moment in time and that this moment will not last forever,” Schmidt tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “It may not last very long. This is the time we have to find a way to get to ‘Yes’ and make progress on some of these big problems and serious problems facing our country.”
Schmidt says the big issues facing the Congress are reforming the immigration system, securing the southern border, and reducing federal spending.
Schmidt, the former Kansas Attorney General, succeeds fellow Republican Jake LaTurner who decided not to run for re-election.
Schmidt says he has several goals as he begins his Congressional career, but truly representing the district tops the list.
“Well, certainly I want to be an effective advocate for the people in the Second District of Kansas each and every day and that’s on matters great and small. It’s not just the headline grabbing issues of advocating on a piece of legislation or a vote, although certainly we’ll do that,” Schmidt says. “It’s also being an effective advocate in terms of constituent service, being a presence around the district, making sure I understand the needs, dynamics, and hopes of people all over the district.”
Schmidt says a big challenge for him and fellow Republicans is, as he puts it, clearing out the underbrush of the federal bureaucracy.
“Just a huge amount, nearly all of the consequential decisions in Washington, are made by people that nobody ever voted for,” according to Schmidt. “And I think we’ve let that get out of kilter. You have to have some of that, but we have far, far too much and I would like to be part of paring back the bureaucracy and returning control and accountability for public decisions to people who run for office, put their names on the line, and are accountable to Kansans.”
For the first time since 2019, Republicans control both chambers of federal government, both the House and the Senate.
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