By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Republican Derek Schmidt is preparing to take over representing the Second Congressional District of Kansas early next year.
Schmidt won election to the seat being vacated by fellow Republican Jake LaTurner who served the last two terms in the seat that covers all of eastern Kansas with the exception of the greater Kansas City, Kansas metro. LaTurner decided not to run for re-election after serving two terms.
Schmidt has received his committee assignments.
“I’ll have the honor of serving on both the Armed Services Committee, which is very important for the Second District, because of course Ft. Leavenworth, Ft. Riley, Forbes Field and, obviously, the national interests, most important,” Schmidt tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And also, on the Judiciary Committee, perhaps not surprising given my background as a state Attorney General. I’d like to think I’ll bring a different perspective to the work of that committee that could be helpful, especially on state vs. federal types of issues.”
Schmidt says he has spent time with Congressman LaTurner as he prepares to begin service in Washington. Schmidt says he has known LaTurner for years. The two served in Kansas state government, Schmidt as Attorney General, LaTurner as state Treasurer. Schmidt says LaTurner advised him to always remember the honor of serving in the office.
“There are fewer than 12,000 people who have ever served in the United States House of Representatives in the entire history of our country,” Schmidt recalls LaTurner reminding him. “Every day there are 735,000 people in Kansas who are relying on you to be their voice and help them navigate the federal government and try to do our part to steer this great country back on to what we believe is the right track. And I thought that was very good counsel.”
Schmidt has been in Washington the past few weeks, watching the messy budget battle to avoid a federal government shutdown and other workings of a Congress he joins soon.
“I’m looking forward to being in (Congress) and being part of that. It’s going to have its moments, like anything does. I’m sure we’ll wonder what on earth did we signed up for,” Scmidt says. “At the end of the day, this is how the country makes progress; or not. And I certainly want to be an advocate for people in the Second District on the cause of progress. We’ve got to leave this country better than we found it.”
Schmidt says most of his time since winning election in November has been spent on the mundane tasks of establishing an office and staff as well as finding a place to live in Washington. He plans, at least at this time, to maintain the state offices in Pittsburg and Topeka that LaTurner established.
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