Views
Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
Despite what you may see and hear from the news media, there are bipartisan cooperative efforts to get things done in Congress.
This was the message from U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., who was the featured speaker at a meeting of the Congressional Forum via Zoom Friday, Sept. 18. She cited the progress on legislation that would provide funding for flood control. The Congressional Forum is a committee of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce.
Rep. Davids said she favors emergency federal help for state and local governments; they cannot be expected to address these challenges on their own because of the coronavirus pandemic. She said more legislation also needs to help workers and small businesses.
Rep. Davids serves on the House Committee on Transportation that recently released its final report on the Boeing 737 MAX. Two of this aircraft crashed and killed 346 victims. She said that investigations indicated that the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing put profit over safety. She said that aviation safety must be strengthened.
Steve Shondell, a longtime member of the Congressional Forum, asked about federal spending that would encumber debt for future generations.
Rep. Davids said that she is part of a bipartisan effort that supports a triggering mechanism that would warn Congress of excessive spending.
Rep. Davids said she expects a continuing resolution to be passed soon so that the federal government does not run out of money. She said she does not want to experience what she suffered through last year when there was disagreement on Congressional spending.
Rep. Davids is seeking re-election; her Republican opponent is Amanda Adkins. Both are residents of Johnson County.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.