Live Simulcast: Rep. Norman's Tele-Town Hall

Norman will be with us very shortly. We want some more neighbors to get on the call first again. If you do have a question, please press zero zero on the keypad and your phone zero. If you have a question and we see some people are taking us up on that already and that's a good thing and press 77 on to keep that in your phone. If you wanna provide us your Email address for email updates, you can reach the congressman on Facebook dot com. backslash Ralph Norman Twitter Instagram is at Ralph Norman and Web. The website of course, is Norman dot House dot Gov. Those are the three ways you can get connect one way. Besides obviously calling so again welcome to our telephone town Hall meeting, Thank you again so much for joining us tonight. If you have a question on the congressman, please press zero zero on the keep on your phone zero. If you have any question and press the 77 on the keypad on your phone. If you wouldn't mind so you can get on our Email list. to get the newsletter Congressman take it away. If you would please we've got hundreds and hundreds of people on the call already go ahead. Please great. Thank you but I represent you in Congress in the fifth Congressional District in South Carolina. Thank you. Thank you. Everybody who was on the line over the summer I hosted a town Hall in person's around the around the district. we've covered Lancaster York Cherokee, something you bury in Union County. It was really great to see so many people come out to the event and I look forward to doing many more coming years. people sometimes ask me why host these telephone town halls. and even though my in-person events are very well attended. the truth is that. Allow me to reach many more people so when I was able to speak with hundreds of people at my in-person town halls over the summer, we just out out to over 250000 people. for this one call this is a telephone town Hall. I posted this year and from your feedback I acted it is to provide you with an update on what's been happening in Congress. so thank you for staying on the line. get started. I want to let everyone know that there are several great ways to. What I'm doing in Washington for you my website where you can sign up for Email updates is at Norman Dot House dot Gov, and you can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Ralph Norman the fact in fact, if you're not able to catch all of tonight's call, you'll be able to find a replay available on our website and Facebook page It should be posted by tomorrow evening anyway. My goal tonight is open up the call to many questions as possible before that. let me see. You know what's been happening in Washington. If you've been paying attention to the news, you know the number one story is the Democrats attempt to preach President Trump. this has been replaced most of the meaningful. This is replaced most meaningful work that we should have focused on in Congress. I know that there's some questions about this, but I truly believe this isn't a search for right or wrong and send us an effort to overturn the results of the 2016 election. this is going nowhere folks. There's no chance President Trump would be convicted if in peace. so what. Class is a distraction for Congress should be working on well. This has been playing out. I've been doing my best to keep some meaningful work done for you back home in South Carolina just today at Coast parts of the bill that would add two major reforms to federal budget process, force federal departments and agencies to justify new spending requests every year and second, it would hold the salaries of members of Congress in escrow if they not if they do not agree to a budget resolution in a timely manner. It was just a couple of the common sense measures that needs to be in place in Washington. Next, you know veterans are very important to me, you know, so maybe several pieces of legislation recently, they have those who have served our nation. You can find out more information about those on my website or my Facebook page For those in the military. I've been looking at possible reforms that might need to be made to address our military Justice system. ultimately we need to find to make sure that those in uniform are held to ask our standard but they be. Fairly and not subject to a lower burden of proof that we would accept in the state court on our economy. Our nation continues to perform unemployment remains very low wages continue to climb jobs are still being created. in almost every business I go into and visit fifth district people tell me that the most pressing challenge is finding employees. There are more job openings than they are. applicants is important to keep our eyes on the economy and make sure things are moving in the right direction. I think Republican. Outstanding job boosting our nation's economy and I'm proud to support the President's program of the general international trade. I'm a big proponent of the United States, Canada and Mexico Agreement, which will replace Nafta. This bill has been altered in 20 - seven years. the the new U S M C, A is a five partisan support in both the House and the Senate and be very beneficial to farm as a manufacturing industries. I've honestly, we have closing to allow to come up for a vote in the House That she may try to package the U S M C, A with a misguided pension bailout bill. If that happens to be a terrible idea, This is what we call up here at poison pill and this one will be two tough swallow. I would vote for it put suppose feel with it. My hope is she does not do this because it's likely the strong any hopes of passing the U S M C A. but firstly today we received received news that the White House has made some progress with Miss Pelosi. Hopefully there'll be a part about. The USMC, A by the end of the year and finally infrastructure, is a big issue for our nation for few weeks ago, I co-sponsored the Smart Infrastructure Act to improve our nation's infrastructure municipal municipal is across the nation have adopted severe restrictions on the type of materials that can be used for things like road improvements, Bridges, water delivery accessories, probably these regulations that they would use competition and stand in the way of you and better technologies. So this is about. It will remove regulations for federal projects over the competition. You'll have straight up infrastructure improvements and allow better technologies and save the taxpayer dollars in the process. I'm very honored to represent you in Congress and as long as I'm here to fight until the fight washing out of your lives and then the fight to get our spending and debt under control folks. I wanna send to Washington to Bagel bankrupt the country and a lot of that and. It takes the hard every day that I'm here and then military and our veterans protect your jobs, fixing immigration laws and fight against socialism which we just cannot have I'll continue to advocate for what America was built on life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness and again. if you would like to set up today on my latest work, please visit my website at Norman dot AXS dot Gov. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at The Rep Rabb. I look forward to answering your questions and we like to have you gotta girl is gonna be our first participant. Darrell Welcome to the call. Daryl Go ahead with your question please. Norman I appreciate you state and my question to you is about the impeachment process and I touched on any in your opening remarks. Could you expand on that? and then could you also let us know about the health care reform that sure well as far as the basement Darrell. I mean this was held in secret. we. A group of a storm the the The Skiff, which is just the basement that they were holding these hearings and and open it up to the public. The unfairness of what mister Congressman Schiff Miss Pelosi doing it's not fair to the President will open it up and she made the comment before this has been years before months before she started impeachment process it needed to be bipartisan and have the full support. No Republican supported it, and if you look at the basement process for President Nixon and President Clinton, you know you had the crossovers there were 22 Democrats across over to vote against this impeachment process. that's unfair process. It has no hopes and it shouldn't be this. This President has done nothing wrong and the question has been asked over and over of the nine witnesses that mister chef has chosen to to bring in. Is it tell me. According to the Constitution is violated high carbs and misdemeanors, treason and bribery, and they can't answer the question far as health care reforms. Unfortunately, impeachment is taken front and Center stage. We're not debating health care, which we should we will be having a healthy debate on the things that Americans are concerned about health care stacks up at the very front, but it's just not being debated in Committee. Just listen, No Nancy Pelosi control. Every Committee they have the numbers the votes to on each Committee to shutdown or stop any kind of meaningful discussion and they're doing that. and that's why we haven't had meaningful USMC A reform. That's why we have health care issues brought to the forefront lower prescription drug prices, and it's it's a sad day for America. the taxpayers deserve better than this. Let's take another question right away if we can let's take air. please welcome to the call. Erin Please go ahead with your question. Hey good afternoon Congressman Aaron Barnes from Rock Hill, South Carolina and I'm doing good question about the opportunity zones have been advertised by Senator Tim Scott and the effect for the fifth district. And with your ancestor, we have a lot of impoverished areas that are still not seeing the economic benefit in a lot of places have what they consider food deserts. Can you kinda talk about the opportunity to own and how that could help in these areas? Absolutely. Thank you for the question. for those of you who who have heard about opportunities on the the definition of. Opportunity zone is an area that according to the census tracks was an impoverished area didn't have the income levels that other areas had and what's interest. God did and that we passed as part of the tax package was that if an investor came in put his hard-earned tax dollars as equity into project. if you held it for five years, 50 percent of the capital gains would be exempt from taxes. Hold it 10 years, a hundred percent of the gains would be deferred, so what it was meant to do was to to to jump start areas that were creating no tax dollars and we're just on the tax book, says as in many cases, very little if any tax reform so the the investments that have been made, I know in Rock, Hill and other areas, particularly that some of the downtown mill areas had had been. This happened now behind of College and in other parts that is some final regulations that need to be worked out so people can invest in with confidence but so it's a great part of the tax code and credit tenant Tim Scott for making that a part of it. Let's take another question if we can please, it's gonna be from Steve Steve welcome to our call. Steve Please go ahead with your question If you would yes sir. Thank you Congressman for this opportunity. I'm Steve I live in Fort Mill so Fast Act transportation authorization is due to be redone in September. So my question is a two -parter first is will it be a will be postponed the year and second is if it is how can we improve Opportunities for South Carolinians to shared ride services, It's not just the bus anymore and also to bike and pet safely in South Carolina, where the assist state is all the above. I mean do I think it will be taken up this year. No just because impeachment is taking front and Center stage now infrastructure. I mean this President is a businessman who's a developer. He understands the importance of our roads, bridges to the economy this whole country the dog. That will be invested we'll we'll add will add so much to our economy. The light rail that you see Charlotte and other areas that have developed, but I'm optimistic that if we can ever get passed this impeachment that I do think we'll we'll pass a meaningful infrastructure. We've got to you've got bridges that are outdated the structure is outdated and be the other thing we as politicians have got to do is prioritize you know we got ball. That needs to be put in areas that are underserved. we've got different municipal municipalities that have different needs, but if we prioritize and may put it on a basis that is not a political giveaway that each municipality all over this country list exactly what is needed and how much they can put in so that it's not just politics getting involved where people are bidding, you know for for the different type of work. There's no enforcement, There's more needs when you when you define infrastructure than this is Dallas to go around. it doesn't matter if we put a hundred trillion dollars into it. it's there's more needs to go around, but it's it's the time and that's one of the things that frustrates me as a businessman. We ought to be looking at these issues and debating them and it's just not happening but you look at the area in Fort Mill, Rock Hill, South Carolina is growing our population now has over five. People we gotta keep up and infrastructures is at the top of the list. Alright. I just wanna read a couple of different ways you can get to the congressman. If you can Facebook at Facebook dot com backslash Rep Ralph Norman Twitter and Instagram is at Ralph Ralph Norman Both arm website Norman dot House dot Gov. We appreciate everybody's participation tonight if you'd like to get your Email in. That would be great Emails You press 77 on the keypad on your phone and you get electronic updates from us from so if you want an electronic update press 77 on the keypad in your phone now and we'll get you some folks to get that Email address taken down. Let's take Cindy next. If we can welcome to the call. Cindy please go ahead with your question. Thank you Norman. I live in the fifth district and I think my one of my questions was already answered about health care, but you know before Obama was President working on the health care the Republicans officers and favorite concert talking about selling health insurance across state lines, Current sheriff and she never hear anybody of. Anymore and they said that would bring costs down. Yeah. Well, let me thank you for the question and and health care. Obamacare has his is is not work. you remember the statement that you can keep your family doctor just haven't hasn't happened. People cannot afford to get sick. He here's what I support to fix help to begin to fix a health care crisis. I support transparency in in the PBMs pharmacy benefit managers. We all know what we're paying for. I think we all to end surprise billing. There was a bill that we supported that I think past behind. Either this week or last week expanding health savings accounts, which benefit businesses from a tax standpoint transparency in front. what insurance companies are buying drugs for all of the above and it's one of the one of my priorities in the coming year is to get this front and Center stage on what we're debating and not and and putting that as a priority any family, any businesses has priorities and I have not talked to any business or family. Anybody that says health care is not a burden for them and it's got to be changed and we got involved the doctors now they're the providers and we gotta make sure that they are a part of the solution because they are the providers that give us a health care so the things I just mentioned positive steps in the right direction that and it should be by partisan. but the only thing that again that we focused on these peach mint hearings. Let's keep taking questions let's take Todd next. No. Where's Todd You're gonna be second. We're taking Lily next Lily welcome to the call. Lily Thank you so much for joining us tonight. Go ahead with your great question. Please Congressman How are you this evening and I'm from South Carolina. I just wanted to make a comment about our veterans and health care. It's not personal for me. My husband is a veteran, but he has good insurance. So forth with his job, he retired from the veterans, but I'm a history buff and I watched what men and women have done for us in order for me to sit in front of my TV and enjoy my food and you know, feel free and comfortable you know freedom is not free and so I had this horror story about veterans in education and I know they had some really bad incidents in the past about you know, parading health care for them and I just wanna make sure. Everything that we can to take care of them, you know whether they're reenlisting or whether they're coming out or whether they're still in service, making sure we're doing everything we can for them. Well, I agree a hundred percent with you vets. We owe them a debt of gratitude and you know we just celebrated Veterans Day and we have our freedom because of our veterans and I tell you husband thank you for his service and you know I've got a heart for veterans because I see what they do. They put their lives on the line to save and protect this. You know I've supported legislation that helped our vets I think with the VA health care system as we have it, It's got some flaws and we got to work on and you know we tried to do that. I've visited doing hospital. we where we can put a face with the name when people call in you know we supported the bills that that had our Super computers at the Department of Energy, which filed help keep up with veterans. Health care issues where the VA could not keep up with it, so there's a lot of things that we're doing that are behind the scenes that are really helping the veterans out. But you know a lot of em that call our office and I would tell you listeners. We've helped so many veterans with D D 214 issues with things with getting the record straight with getting the benefits and to please keep notify the office of of doing that. but this front Center stage for me. Let's take another question right away if we can let's take Todd Todd welcome to the call. Todd please go ahead with your question If you would get that congressman thank you for your time and this opportunity. Yeah. Thank you John. my question sir is that whether what is the party doing and most specifically yourself to help run? Indeed, it's completely out of control and as a conservative, I'm concerned, I'm concerned about that. Concern We're turning 20 - two trillion in debt if you do the math for every man, woman and child in this country so over $70000 in debt, leaving our grandchildren and children with the debt is coolest tax. we can put on em. We had a budget Committee hearing today and we ask the Federal Reserve Chairman Powell about this and we don't have an income problem. We've got a spending problem, but if you were in my shoes and Washington DC to Has not been an appetite for it now. I'm voting against the continuing resolutions that keep coming up where you know they're don't have a budget in place. I'm on the budget Committee, but it just has not been a miss. Pelosi is not focused on you know having a meaningful budget and with cuts ask anybody that is 430 - five congressman and if you try to cut any agency this is like taking your you're robbing food from children. So I'm Disturbed about that but again we haven't even proposed a a budget I say we it's because the Democrats won't even put anything on the table to to talk about which is what we should be doing but you know it's a it's it's a problem that is gonna come back to harness. If we don't do something about it. I'm doing my part. I'm one vote out of 434 other people and up until now I just had been a priority, which is sad to say that. I would send here to bankrupt the country and I'll continue to vote that way to stop it. one of two polling questions or next. the first polling question goes like this. how closely have you been following the news of the impeachment inquiry President Trump. If you've been following a very closely press one on the keypad on your phone somewhere closely press two not much at all press three. How closely have you been following the news of the impeachment inquiry of President Trump Press one for very closely press two for someone closely Press 34, not very much at all. Joe Next while you're voting Joe welcome to the call, Joe go ahead with your question. If you would yeah, I would like to know the senator is willing to place forward a bill to put term limits on all of the politicians that are in Washington, DC number one in number two. all the money that's been taken for impeachment out of the social Security administration is that money gonna be put back since I'm a. a 40 year old guy who's paying into that seeing we're spending so much of it. There's not gonna be anything really left. if this continues now you exactly right and as far as term limits, I run on that supported that I put up a bill he got stuck in Committee. I put up a bill that get this all it had on the ballots across the country would add. would you support term limits and I couldn't even. Through and it's just again, unfortunately, the majority of members up here just don't want that. I'm one vote, but I completely support it. It's time for people that the biggest thing that could help this country is to get people out of office. I believe that to stay up here for 30 and 40 years. It's not fair to the public and it's really not fair to the person serving because you just it's it's age catches up with you and some of these people have been up here. And it shouldn't be they all get home. Let's go home and live under somebody's laws that they do that they make. but it's been a it's been a very frustrating bill to get passed. people talk about it, but they never they never it never goes anywhere because the majority of period just not gonna address it. Unfortunately, our second polling question goes like this. Do you believe President Trump should be impeached if you're interest. Yes, Press One press for you Press two for no and Not sure press one for yes, two for no and three. you're not sure do you believe President Trump should be impeached one yesterday. three. Not sure we appreciate you voting. Let's take David next if we can David Welcome to the call. David Go ahead with your question. Please alright Congressman good evening to you good evening. I have a question about the direction that government policy is taking invading the CDC have been misdirecting this. The very beginning and then their wages statement they acknowledge that vitamin asset is the primary culprit in the vaping debating Associated long illnesses. However, they go on in that statement to say vitamin acetate is used as an added production of cigarette and vaping products. Congressman This is an outright lie. How can the government make policy if the people they hired to? Then the facts give them incorrect fats. Well, you're exactly right. It's just like the cigarette addiction that went on for years and years where the public never knew about it. That's the best thing we can do is to pass laws that make it more strict for a young people under 18 to get it, which is illegal. Anyway, The House passed a bill that to make it harder for the youth. you know the youth. To get it, I know the FDA floated proposals that stated issues on flavor and and other things, but it's a you know the people of faith and not just nicotine, but the vaping marijuana and they put flavors with it and it's just not a it's it's something that I we shouldn't have to add to the other drug problems that we have and I I think if you ask anybody that's in the field, they will tell you at least other drugs aside from the harm that it's doing to the lungs that you mentioned, but It's the good news is it's been publicized now about the dangers of it and hopefully we'll we'll have more of that in the future. Thank you Congressman I want to remind people that if they want to provide us their Email address, they need to suppress it 77 on the keypad in their phone seven on the keeper on their phone and they wanna get their email address in. We'd appreciate it. We're gonna take time next. Todd Welcome to our telephone town Hall meeting time. Please go ahead with your question. Mister Norman. I really appreciate your time this evening. Thank you. Tom my questions around the US NTA and I know you support it. I sent you a a call this evening from you, but I'm concerned about the environmental protections that that legislation adds to what we had before and those and and in that it it States that your cats will be over other land. They'll get to make decisions on our Fisher and farmers that doesn't seem like to me. Did you elaborate on that? Well, let me just tell you overall there is no perfect USMC agreement. I mean you see the problem. We get it to to get just get it brought up and pass the reason I support it. It opens markets up for our poultry producers for our farmers that send corn dairy products. It opens up other markets and it's pretty well by Parkinson. as as far as the Democrats and Republicans agreeing on it, It's just we've got leadership. That just will not bring it up cuz I think it's a win for Trump but you know Nafta has not been updated for 20 some years. Any bill is is outdated as this one has been now on the environmental concerns that you mentioned I haven't heard the particulars of that being a problem and we've had some people who have been firing at it and have been you know critical over, but I have not heard the environmental issues that you you stated and and. As far as the bureaucrats making decisions as part of the deep state up here, you've got Denver. you've got bureaucrats unelected officials who are making decisions and they shouldn't be so overall, but this is a good bill and overall it will pass by pretty good numbers if we get it brought up before the Congress. Robin Next If we can rub and welcome to the call, Robin go ahead with your great question. hey, Congressman Robert Oh yeah. I just wanted to ask you about more about our right in the second Amendment. You know some Democrats. I wanna take alright as far as their arms and I just want to know that somebody is gonna be in there to protect the second Amendment. Well, you you gotta say you got somebody in Ralph Norman. It's gonna protect our Second Amendment rights you know if if there's anything that's Central to our constitution, Central to our way of life is our constitutional right the second Amendment to own and bear arms, and I'm gonna protect that you've heard all the Democrats say that they would basically let the government confiscate guns. That's not gonna happen with my vote. I'll fight that opposed every level and I hope other congressman will join me as well. Because it's just an attempt to to rob us of a constitutional right that we have. we always will have and I will vote to make sure we keep it, but really thank you for the question. my name is William Gaither I live in the fifth district well, actually I'm a pastor of a couple of small churches in the fifth district. I'm also a US Army veteran of the Vietnam Era. I'm retired I worked for the state of South Carolina and retired and I contracted type two diabetes. I was diagnosed in 2003. No one else in my family has it. I was informed by a representative of the VA when they. My record and while I was stationed that I was exposed to agent orange, I filed a claim for being able to be a benefits and I've been denied I've I've done whatever they said to do. ah why krishna but down i got a good catch you have secured do we get wow brothers i know three three to seven eleven fourteen at three three to seven eleven fourteen this we can help your back and at least you make sure you get what i say eleven to seven eleven fourty Let us get involved with that and thank you for your service both in the military and in the pulpit. Alright, let's take let's take another question if we can iron Aaron Welcome to the call and go ahead with your question, please. Hello. So this is a question about corruption, social injustice and you're getting it from kind of a more radical extreme stream. It's kind of person two questions. What what are you do? What else can you do to go crazy on the corruption That's going on with the impeachment, everything and what can I do that already me and my friends who are fasting? Our church is praying for truth to be exposed What else can I do? What else can you do well? That's why I say we just you need to pray. We need to pray for the country. We need to pray that you know we get a handle on. Run, which we need to do so what I would say is continue to pray. I say tell you your friends to vote as if they've never voted before get registered and put people in office and don't listen to what they say, listen to what they do and you know something that we're gonna have to to get a handle on, but hopefully it depends on who we send up to Washington as it is in state government who who do we put this? Our local and state government that will represent us on in an honest and fair way and it's not an easy task. I will say that Robin excuse me Robin your next and we got a bunch of questions behind you so Robin. If you can quickly ask your question that would be fantastic. welcome to the call. Yes and thank you for joining us. go ahead. Please Robin Lane. Thank you. Congressman. I'm 60 - eight. I'm on Medicare. I'm a retired banker. My husband's a retired school Many people I wanna talk to you about health care we had to downsize because if you haven't crying, we had to downsize because medical costs we had to sell our home in Charlotte. We moved to Rock Hill in 2015 and build town homes, but I've been in and out of the hospital and. Medicare and Blue Cross. I now have over $20000 in medical bills and I had to pay $80 a month on I had $200000 in medical bills just this year and what I'm upset about is why we're paying spinning 480 million dollars to the country of Ukraine. My tax dollars are not paying taxes on my social security $500 a month to keep Blue Cross in effect, and I'm still added. $20000 in medical bills and Congressman your thoughts, please tell you exactly right now. you know I feel for the people who I hear this all over the fifth district and really my fellow congressman said the same thing people cannot afford to get sick and that's why we need to focus get off of impeachment and folk focus on affordable health care and it pulls back to what I mentioned earlier about you know not let. The pharmaceutical companies rule today not leg insurance companies basically have their way because people cannot afford to get sick but I've supported bills that you that that had transparency with what the insurance companies and what the pharmaceuticals pay for drugs. we need to have transparency in billing. We need to be able to go across state lines. These just slogans. this is something that I believe in as a business person. we've got a streamline priorities authorization for Medicare, Part B and we just got. Focus on our medical situation in particularly bringing physicians who provide the care you know most of the positions I talk to will not go into the print will would not if they had do over again. go into medicine, which is sad. We need our best and our brightest operating honest, but I will continue to press forward but and it's I I feel your pain and it's something we gotta focus on but right now. it's just not a focus and I blame those aren't in control now. The reason that we're not let's take Jack next if we can Jack welcome to the call. Jack please go ahead with your question. Congressman I got a question for you. I know you're a business by now live here in Rock Hill and I don't like to ask you why more of your peers in Congress don't treat the United States dollars like they do their own dollars like they would if they were managing their business for their household budget. Exactly and they don't that's why again we need people you only as good as your weakest person in Congress and unfortunately a lot of people just will not serve and we ought to treat the tax dollars like we do how we treat our business the dollars involved in our businesses and in our household. But when you go to vote, you look at the people running and not only that try to recruit people at every level to say. Will you go? Washington or when you go to the statehouse and represent me, I'm sick and tired of hearing just taxing increases where the blend the reductions. I mean, I see it in Washington, but I saw it in the statehouse as well. so our questions out to be you know for that anybody running for office. how are you going to put get restrictions off of us? get regulations off of us and let us let us keep more of our hard-earned tax dollars and unfortunately it's it just hasn't the people we have put in office have not for the most part abided by that agreed with that and we gotta make change. It's time to fight and it's time to fight for the taxpayer in every tax increase. I wanna ask the question where is your offsetting cuts? Where is it and unfortunately we have not had that. That's why we got the debt debt problem, but I'm gonna use my vote and my one vote to make sure that happens and and I can't have an accountability. Thank you sir. let's take let me get this one up. I need to go ahead with your question if you would please okay, Yes, sir. I appreciate the opportunity. I am a teacher who's been teaching for over 30 years and I have taught the kids all about the three branches of our government system of checks and balances and how each each section of government is accountable to the others. I don't know how to explain to the students when they watch what's going on in Washington today that the extract. Of witnesses and the failure to comply to a subpoena, I don't know how to explain to them that our system of government is still working when they see this on the news. Of course, the news didn't carrying the right that they've been watching what you have heard and referred to as fake news. now I just happen to think and and the the listeners may disagree with me but what's going on now on this impeachment is is not right. you know they can't name one thing that violated the Constitution, but the three branches of co-equal branches of government on. The bedrock of our society, but as I as I was telling the previous caller we just gotta get people in office who represent us who respect that and they will abide by that and open uphold the constitution. That's held up well for 240 - three years and you know, I can't stress enough pay attention to who's running for office and help us put people business. people is what we need. We don't need professional politicians. We need business people who Who know what it means what it means to make a living and earn a paycheck and we gotta get our young people involved in the process and unfortunately most young people that only hear one side, which is a socialistic side is just wrong and we gotta stop that execution and is is having a due diligence to make sure that that that the schools are teaching our constitution and the greatness of this country because we had a great nation, not perfect, but we got a great nation. It's. And all the rest. Let's take a cleansing next if we can let's see welcome to our call. Quincy police head with your question well, I kinda wanna say thank you I'm just a normal. how are you doing? I just wanna thank you all for for stepping in and intervening the only people that advocated for me after years and years of you know he's looking for answers and y'all. The process of getting that just for me and I appreciate it so much and it's really just touched my life changed my life really and I just wanna thank you so much well honored to do it. you know we gotta work at staff. I've got good people. They go to work and they respect what the problems that each and everyone of you have. That's why I do these teletownhalls. let people know call our office. It's an issue that you're not getting response from. We gonna get a response now may not be able to solve every problem you have, but we're gonna tell you that and we're gonna tell you what we can do in can't do but but we've helped so many people from veterans to with us to people who just had a problem with government and I wanna that's the joy to be honest with you that I get in serving in office and and I wanna continue to do that and expand it and is why I'm having this teletown Hall tonight to make you aware of what we. Do it to help people? Thank you for saying that though let's take Marty next Marty welcome to the call. Marty please go ahead with your question. Congressman Norman my question was more on student loan debt and the student loan crisis. I know there's not a lot of agreement in Washington and I understand the impeachment has taken front and Center stage, but I believe that student loan debt and the crisis can't be avoided any longer and I believe that that's so. The bipartisan effort can be made to work towards a common goal to figure out a solution to this problem because as a student who will be graduating next year with a doctor degree, I feel like I would have been better off living with my parents the rest of my life because most student loan debt has increased dramatically due to the interest rates that just continue to skyrocket even though the Federal Reserve hasn't. Interest rates as much as the student loan rates have increased and I'm I'm confused on where we go from here and what progress is being made on on any bills or any kind of resolution to to help students like me who want to help the public, but we don't have the opportunity when we're crushed with student loan debt and that's so sad what you just said is is plaguing the whole nation. you know to to go to College and get to the grieves that you're getting. To come out burden by debt that you will take you years to pay off so but let let me say a couple of things one. We gotta get to colleges involve you know the government backs a lot of the loans that the colleges the cost that they are putting on the students. We gotta put some ownership with them. secondly, not everybody is cut out for College technical schools getting a specific trade people and I tell young. This every day they can make a lot of money and you can. I'm not so sure College, particularly with a lot of the things they're teaching is for everybody and I don't think it is so I think we gotta get to colleges involved. let them take some of the responsibility and we gotta stop the government has gotta get out of the business and a lot of cases of just back in a hundred percent of the loans because in many cases of colleges don't really care, they just keep raising tuition cost and we gotta put a stop. That you gonna have some legislation because this is a up in this issue. Just like you mentioned the too many people that are facing the crisis that you are and it's time to stop it and the biggest thing I could do is bring awareness to it, which I intend to do. Thank you. Congressman let's take roof Next Ruth Welcome to the call. Ruth Go ahead with your question. Please Mister Congressman This is live in Blacksburg, South Carolina. I'm. I was raised back in the days in the cotton field Cotton field. I was seven years old. Yes, I'm sorry they saw that you got cancer. Yes. How's my brother my sister. They all died cancer. We all worked in the cotton field. When are they going to do something for us? the ones that was raised back in and worked in the cotton fields with the cotton dust almost all whether they gonna do something about that. Well, I don't know you particularly issues on how you got cancer. I will be glad to take a look at it and to get somebody to to you know to see what insurance you have and how we may play a role with it. I hate you going through this and particularly with your husband died of of what you what what he died of with working in the cotton fields, but give our office a call and we'll be glad to look into your particular case and see if we can help out we have a question. As well earlier and and the question goes like this, why is Pelosi trying to impeach Trump she trying to beat you because she wants she does not want to have to deal with Mister Trump in re-election in less than less than 12 months. It's about power. she wants to keep her speakership. it's been a witchhunt since the day he was elected and she just is about keeping her power and they hate it. Which is sad the American people elected him in November, seventh of 2016, and since then they tried to put him out of office. Well, we have elections elections have consequences. If you look at the good things as President has done it's been amazing. the last three years. this country has done better than we have in the previous eight years and not since Ronald Reagan have we had an economy that's doing what this economy is doing. so it's a hatred of. Trump he didn't the lobbyist can't control him. He doesn't need their money and it's just a hatred of him, which is sad to say the least let's take 88 Year-old Willard and I'm gonna say that wrong. I can't see your name correctly. I am so sorry go ahead with your question. please you said. It's just fine. This is congressman you fine. How are you good good? thank you so much for taking my. Question and it's it's a little bit maybe in the weeds, but it goes right along with the idea of unelected bureaucrats basically setting policy and getting in the way of of things that you know are soft society, our communities need and that has to do with something that friends of mine have come up against. It's the mitigation banks in the army core of engineers, apparently you know mitigation banks. I think are used you know when they come. To trade, wetlands or land to whatever when we need to build roads and especially interstate and the army core of engineers as I understand that they have to certify these mitigation areas and there's a backlog of anywhere from 34 to five years and you know the army core of engineers. I always saw was a helpful Organization, but now it's own regulatory agency and you may not even know any. About this, but like I said, it's a time when we need to improve our infrastructure. They're kind of standing in a way at least that's what I'm hearing. so congressman your thoughts. Yes, ma' am. I'm well aware of the EPA. I'm well aware of the core of engineers. We're going through our wetlands mitigation project. now that's going on six years. you've got unelected bureaucrats who think they run the system and you know what what what we have to Is to make sure that the unelected bureaucrats are not the power is cut. you know that's where we elect people in office. That's why we let presidents to make the call not unelected people who don't answer to anybody. So I agree a hundred percent with you and the only way we're gonna get it. Let's get strong people in office who have got the backbone to make the solid calls that benefit the public and you know it's just we were fighting that fight. Every day that I'm up here in Washington, D C Ralph Norman We've been at this for nearly an hour, so we're pretty much out of time. I want to remind people if they had a question. Please stay to the very end of the call, which is in just a couple of minutes and leave us a voice mail with your name. Email address phone number someway. We can get back to you if you want us to, but you gotta stay at the end of the call to leave that voicemail with the contact information. Congressman Norman Brooks. Please bring us to the finish line if you would well. I just wanna thank everybody. This is America. This is our our great system. People can voice their opinion and You know we don't have to agree on everything but we're all Americans and we're here to make this country even greater. let me just tell you that we're here to work and as a wrap up to if you have an issue, call Rocky Office at eight 03327 1114 if you if you wanna call Washington it's 20222550 - 501 if you wanna get out go to our website. Sign up for our newsletters Norman dot House dot Gov of On social media, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Red Ralph Norman. It's just an honor to serve you. It's an honor to to represent the people of the fifth district and it's been an honor for you to stick on sale on the line tonight. Hopefully we've help help people and if not you call us and we'll sure do the best we can thank everyone of you for staying with us as long as you have God bless you, please press one to voicemail. Please press one to neighbors.