Views
Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-3rd Dist., said he has received death threats on social media following the shooting of a fellow Congressman last month at a softball practice.
Rep. Yoder, who attended the monthly meeting of the Congressional Forum Friday, July 21, at Children’s Mercy Park, said that anonymous persons threatened him, with comments such as “Too bad you weren’t at the practice.”
U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise from Louisiana was attacked by a gunman the morning of June 14 during a practice for a benefit congressional softball game. There were security guards at the practice—but only because Rep. Scalise is the Majority Whip. The security guards are credited with saving lives.
Rep. Yoder said he expects Congress to consider this lack of security and to do something about it. He said he and Rep. Scalise are good friends.
Rep. Yoder also commented about health care legislation. He said that it will be important to pass legislation that will assure that premiums are affordable and will attract private-sector insurance companies. Many private-sector companies have left this market. Rep. Yoder voted for the U.S. House version health insurance that passed. Now it is up to the U.S. Senate to pass its version. The senators have rejected the House version.
Rep. Yoder said he continues to support more funding for Veterans’ Administration hospitals and also for the National Institute for Health that would advance research for the cure of Alzheimer’s disease. Rep. Yoder said he favors legislation that would change the quota system for “green cards” that affects foreign nationals. Because of a quota system, many highly qualified persons from foreign countries, such as China and India, have been denied immigration to the United States.
The U.S. House has passed 380 bills since the first of the year, Rep. Yoder said.
The Congressional Forum is a committee of the Kansas City, Kansas, Chamber of Commerce.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.