Barr wants ‘new generation’ of small government leaders

The 6th District Republican candidate for Congress, Andy Barr made a stop in Winchester Friday to speak with employees at J&T Distributing, a company that manufactures firearms for the military and police agencies across the nation.

Barr, a Lexington lawyer, is trying to unseat incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler of Versailles, who has represented the Bluegrass district since 2003.

During his visit, Barr told workers at the plant that one of the signature issues in the campaign is the continued loss of jobs, which he says, is being caused by polices backed by congressional members like Chandler.

“The number one issue in this campaign, not only in this district, but all across this country, is jobs, and this administration’s approach and this Congress’s approach to job creation is a breath-taking failure,” Barr said.

He said Chandler supported cap and trade, an environmental and energy bill that he claims would cost Kentucky 35,000 jobs over several years if it were enacted. But the bill, which passed the House, died in the Senate.

“We need legislation that won’t kill jobs, but create jobs and provide more faith in the free enterprise system, which is the engine of our economy,” the candidate said.

Barr said a policy included in the cap and trade bill aimed at reducing greenhouse emissions from coal and other fossil fuels could cripple Kentucky’s coal industry and drive up energy costs for individual households as well as businesses and industry.

Barr said Chandler has lost touch with central Kentucky during his four terms in the House and that it’s time to take a step back and try something different from what he described as the taxing, spending, big government, more borrowing and more debt approach of the current government. He wants to provide that alternative, he said.

“The main difference between me and my opponent is he believes we need more spending, and he supports the Obama-Pelosi agenda 94 percent of the time. I believe we need less spending, more responsibility and I’ll vote against Nancy Pelosi for speaker of the House,” he said.

Barr responded to questions from the workers about his stance on several issues including:

— Gun legislation. “It is an individual’s right to bear arms, a fundamental right, irrespective of their membership in militia, National Guard or other group. I also think the Supreme Court got it right on a case in Chicago when it ruled that the Second Amendment prevents not only the federal government from encroaching on that right, but it also prevents state and local governments from encroaching on that fundamental constitutional right.”

— Immigration. “There’s nothing wrong with immigration, most of us have grandparents who immigrated to this country, but you can’t break the rules. We need to adequately fund border security and to enforce the laws we have to prevent illegal immigration because of the impact it has on us taxpayers. We can’t afford our what our obligations already are, let alone to furnish services for people who aren’t supposed to be here.”

— Health care reform. “We’ve got to stop bills like the takeover of the health care system, which will increase the cost of health care. It’s already way too expensive. We need to make policy to decrease the cost of health care and make it more affordable, not increase government.

Barr asked the workers to take a look at candidates like himself who are looking to change the status quo in Washington when they cast their votes in November.

“Right now Washington is broken. There are career politicians who have been there way too long, so we want a new generation of leaders in Washington who are going to cut spending, force government to live within its means, force government to be more accountable to the people and have waiting periods so that members of Congress can actually read the bills before they are vote on,” said Barr.

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