One high profile Senate race this year is in Kansas. Republican Pat Robert has been in Congress since 1980 and spent the last 23 years in the Senate. He is the only lawmaker to ever chair both the House and Senate Ag Committees. We hear from the Democrat who would like to claim his seat.
Dr. Barbara Bollier first ran for office to tackle healthcare and tax reform. As a Kansas State Senator, she voted to expand Medicaid to support rural hospitals but the measure was vetoed by former Governor Sam Brownback.
She says that the federal government should continue working to expand the program, as well as others that improve healthcare access.
Dr. Bollier states, “Of course we need to expand telehealth because that’s a way to bridge some of those distance gaps, which again leads to why we need more broadband access, but we also need to consider and implement incentives for people to work in these smaller towns.”
She also says that the Senate must pass another COVID-19 stimulus package for America and it should include relief for farmers.
According to Bollier, “One of the things we need to do to mitigate some of the impacts of these recent challenges is we not only more aid, but flexible aid to ag producers and agribusinesses, not just here in Kansas but all over the country, and it needs to be a part of any agricultural or COVID relief.”
She says that after the pandemic is over, lawmakers should have a bipartisan conversation about some of the issues facing agriculture.
“One thing we need to restructure tax incentives about food waste, and, absolutely, Kansas and all our farmers are so dependent on and need, we need to expand the reach of SNAP, particularly during tough economic times, but we need it all the time, and there also needs to be some efforts for stronger antitrust enforcement,” she states.
Dr. Bollier says lawmakers should not wait for the next Farm Bill to implement the changes farmers want to see now: “2023 is when the Farm Bill must come up, but if farmers and ranchers in Kansas are telling me we need changes now, I’m ready to go to the mat for them because it doesn’t have to wait, we can do changes anytime.”
Her opponent, Dr. Roger Marshall currently holds a spot on the Senate Ag Committee. Dr. Bollier says that is elected she would fight to hold on to that seat for Kansas farmers.
For the full interview click HERE.
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