US Congressman makes visit to Gonzales

GONZALES — While Washington is on its August break, Congressman Blake Farenthold (R) Dist. 27, Texas, is making rounds and reaching out to his constituents for dialogue opportunities.

Farenthold visited Gonzales yesterday and spent more than an hour with a small group of people gathered at the J.B. Wells Expo Center. Farenthold was accompanied by his wife, Debbie Farenthold, Chief of Staff Bob Haueter, Press Secretary Stacey Daniels, District Representative J.D. Kennedy and Field Representative Collin Kennedy.

Farenthold noted there is a lot going on in Washington and while Congress is on break, the Senate is working for another two weeks after the House closed with more than 200 bills having been passed.

"If I thought there was more stuff to be done in Washington, on the house side, I'd be up there, but I'd be the only one, because all the other members are gone," Farenthold said. "I feel like we ought to work through the break because we have not delivered on the promise that every Republican made – to repeal and replace Obamacare, secure the border and get taxes under control."

Farenthold said he takes a little solace in the fact that the House has passed the repeal of Obamacare.

"The Senate came up with this thing called 'Skinny Repeal,' which was the bare minimum they could possibly do – then couldn't do the bare minimum – so I am a little disappointed in the Senate," Farenthold said.

Farenthold joked about his remarks where he said he would settle the score with Senate holdouts "Aaron Burr-style" – which was a reference to the 1804 duel where Burr killed Alexander Hamilton – sparking controversy between Farenthold and Senator Susan Collins (R) Maine.

"I experienced a little bit of what it's like to be Donald Trump, where you get caught kissing a baby and the headline would be 'Donald Trump infects baby with germs,'" Farenthold said. "It's tough to get a break from some of the mainstream media folk."

Local resident Ellen Kennard told Farenthold she herself had been on The Affordable Care Act for 18 months and saw both good and bad aspects of the plan. She asked Farenthold why could the Affordable Care Act not be tweaked or re-written rather than going through the repeal and replace process.

Farenthold replied that the Affordable Care Act cannot be tweaked or rewritten.

"Here's the problem. It's not going to happen. No Democrat is going to do anything major to it – at all," Farenthold said.

According to Farenthold there are two reasons for that.

"One is political and if we were to make the major changes that need to be made to the Affordable Care Act, it's a win for President Trump," Farenthold said. "The whole strategy from the Democrats is to resist and not let there be any change, not to give President Trump a win – and that's how they intend to win the next election, by saying 'Republicans had both the House and the Senate and couldn't get anything done.'"

Farenthold said the other reason is “the far left-wing Democratic Party,” he likes to call the “Bernie Sanders' Democratic Party,” which has protested Farenthold's Corpus Christi office last Sunday, while Farenthold was in Moulton. He said the signs read “Medicare for all.”

"They want healthcare – government-funded healthcare – for everyone," Farenthold said. "Now I think that's a horrible Idea."

Farenthold made examples of Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as the Veterans Affairs (VA).

"We have all heard the horror stories coming out of the VA," he said. "That's government-run healthcare."

Kennard urged Farenthold to help with bipartisan agreement.

Farenthold said there are three things the people cannot expect Democrats and Republicans to agree on: the border wall, healthcare and tax reform.

"As a Texan, I am all for securing our borders," Farenthold said." I disagree with Trump to take a border from Brownsville to San Diego [Calif.], when in places like Big Bend [National Park] you really don't need a wall – you can do it with aerial surveillance; nobody's going to disappear. And it looks like General [John] Kelly may be getting Trump to come along on manpower and technology, rather than a physical wall."

Tony Spears, local rancher, voiced his concern over the “death tax” or inheritance tax. Farenthold reassured him by saying if tax reform happens, Republicans aim to repeal. He said tax reform is on the horizon.

“The goal is to see it happen in this fiscal year," Farenthold said. "I think the political pressure is there, especially since Obamacare repeal and replace wasn't done."

"Listen, the Democrats' narrative is going to be: 'Trump's a buffoon. He can't get any of his agenda passed,’" Farenthold predicted. "They are going to say 'You guys gave the republicans the House. You gave them the Senate. You gave them the White House – and they couldn't do squat. It's time to throw the bums out."

Farenthold said statements like those will be the theme of the Democratic campaign.

"It's a pretty powerful message," Farenthold said. "And I'm pretty pissed at some of the 'bums' myself."

Farenthold said there are two "paradigm-shifting" approaches to tax reform.

"One is the fair tax, which is to replace the income tax completely. The argument with that one primarily is it's a repressive tax – it hits the poor harder than it does the wealthy. Well, in Texas, we get away with that by not taxing essentials like groceries and medicine."

Farenthold said that could be expanded by taxing other essentials or non-luxury clothing items.

"The other radical change is flat tax and that is everybody regardless of income pays 'x' percent of their income," Farenthold said. "Again, there's a repressiveness argument about that."

Farenthold said the simplified plan now compresses tax payers down into four tax brackets.

"I think this plan has the best chance of passing," he said. "It's not my first choice, but it has the most realistic chance."