Legislators support Trump’s cuts
Staff writer
At a meeting of the Patriots of Liberty Sunday, Senator Michael Fagg and Representative Scott Hill dismissed the idea that President Trump was seizing too much power.
A barrage of lawsuits contend some of Trump’s actions disregard the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and may contradict the Constitution, which states it is Congress’ job to dictate spending.
But Fagg and Hill were nonplussed.
“He’s got a majority of the voters behind him,” Hill said. “He doesn’t need to be a dictator of a banana republic. The things he’s doing are democratic. Everybody hollers about democracy. [Democracy] means you have the voters behind you.”
After an audience member commented that Trump had “all the power to say yes or no to what [certain departments] are spending,” Hill said: “Exactly.”
Hill spoke at length about bloated government spending.
He claimed Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency had found “a lot of spending put in place to benefit specific people,” and that defunding would help “bring government back to the people.”
He singled out Abilene as an example of a town that had been too rambunctious in its spending.
“Say no, people,” Hill said. “We don’t need a new ball field. We don’t need new radios. We don’t need new science equipment. If we do, budget it.”
Fagg also said he was not worried about Trump’s executive power, though his reasons were slightly less pointed.
“I don’t worry about things I can’t control,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see how that develops. I do like what they’re trying to do at the border right now, what they’re trying to do with ICE. They’ve been looking at efficiency. If that makes a difference, I’m all for that. We just have to say our prayers and have God pardon us.”
Fagg mainly discussed energy policy, advocating for a nuclear reactor to be built in rural Kansas.
Costs are high, and lots of regulations surround building a reactor, even a small one. But Fagg expressed hope that the project would get done.
The always-contentious topic of wind farms was raised.
“Hopefully, the federal government is going to quit subsidizing them,” Fagg said.
Hill concluded by expressing confidence that Senate Bill 63, which prohibits gender-affirming care for those under 18, would come into effect soon.
The bill previously was vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly.
Senate Republicans are looking to override the veto.
“We’re not going to chop up kids — before they’ve even reached puberty, in most cases — and affect them the rest of their lives,” Hill said. “The governor says that’s OK.”
The bill prohibits the use of state money for education on gender transition, and enforces civil penalties on health care workers who disobey it.
Hill, who spent four years on the State Board of Education, took time to discuss public schools.
Kansas education, according to him, has gone down a poor path in recent years.
“In the state of Kansas, we graduate 30% of our kids who are functionally illiterate,” he said. “We are at the lowest level we have ever been.”
Hill blamed part of the problem on diversity initiatives.
“We’re saying, if you are the right race or the right mixed-up gender, maybe, we’re going to send some resources your way,” he said.
He agreed with an audience member that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs were counter to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“I don’t know how we even talk about race anymore in this country,” he said.