Committee Assignments Let Banks Deal With Vet Issues
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Third District Congressman Jim Banks was named to three overlapping House committees since being sworn in Jan. 3 – Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and the Science, Space and Technology committees. Banks, a Republican from Columbia City, serves in the U.S. Navy Reserve and took a leave of absence from the Indiana State Senate in 2014 and 2015 to deploy to Afghanistan during Operations Enduring Freedom and Freedom’s Sentinel. “In Northeast Indiana, we have a number of businesses like Harris Corporation that are in the space technology business, satellite business. We used to have more businesses related to that industry than we do currently. So my interest to that committee (Science, Space and Technology) was drawn from the opportunities to support local satellite, space businesses. There’s also a tie-in to the defense industry. A lot of the defense-related businesses that exist in Northeast Indiana are also in the satellite business, so it gives an opportunity to have a seat at the table and being a part of those debates,” he said during an interview Tuesday afternoon. “From a purely personal interest to be a part of the debates about the future of NASA, the future of space exploration and to be a part of that is exciting,” he stated, noting the committee hasn’t had a hearing yet. Second District Republican Congresswoman Jackie Walorski used to serve on the House Armed Services Committee, but moved to the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, Banks said. “She and I share Kosciusko County and that committee is very relevant to medical device tax repeal and other significant tax reform measures. Because she left the Armed Services Committee, it gave me an opportunity to pursue a seat there. I’m the first member from the 3rd District to ever serve on the Armed Services Committee since it was created,” he explained. There’s many components to that committee which he said are important to the Third District – the large defense industry, a number of jobs in the district related to national defense as well as the 122nd Air Guard base in Fort Wayne. Banks said serving on the committee gives him the opportunity to be the base’s best advocate they’ve ever had. “My vision and goal is to grow the significance of the base and hopefully add, over time, new active duty and reserve components to the base and support what they do,” he said. As for the Veterans Affairs Committee, Banks said he is personally passionate about the care of the veterans in Northeast Indiana. As one of the few post-9/11 veterans now in Congress, he especially wants to support America’s younger veterans coming home from war and help them deal with the issues they face, “trapped in a bureaucratic system that largely doesn’t work or function well for so many. “I hear stories, literally, every single day from veterans who are getting trapped in a bureaucratic system that doesn’t work. For me, I’m a proponent of more choices in the private healthcare market for veterans, and setting up more programs where veterans can choose their healthcare provider rather than get stuck in a system that might not provide the best care.” He said there’s a lot of work to do in all three of the committees. President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in Friday in Washington, D.C., amid controversy over the election and a variety of his tweets. Banks and his wife, Amanda, will be there to witness the 45th president take office. “We’re excited to be a part of the historic inauguration. I’ve been to inaugurations before. I’ve never had as good of a seat as I’ll have on Friday,” he joked. “But I’ve been to inaugurations for a Democrat and a Republican. No matter who the president is being inaugurated, it’s a historic moment. I find it unfortunate and disappointing that some have protested the legitimacy of President-elect Trump. But I am optimistic and excited about what we can all do to work together and move our country forward and work on the significant issues we face as a country.” But he said that he wasn’t elected by the 3rd District to be a rubber stamp for President Trump. “I know there will be areas of disagreement, and at the end of the day, I represent the district and was elected on a platform of advancing conservative principals and ideas and that’s what I’m looking forward to doing over the next couple of years,”?Banks said. He also said he felt pretty good about Trump’s cabinet picks. Friday, he gave his first speech on the House floor during a debate and spoke about the importance of new leadership at the Department of Defense, that be believes General James Mattis will provide, “to break up the bureaucracy in the Pentagon and make it a department that is focused on the threats we face around the world.” Banks said he believes Jeff Sessions, as the attorney general, will take a large step forward in advancing the rule of law in this country. “One of the appointments that has gotten very little attention, but that I think is as significant as any of them, is Mick Mulvaney. He’s currently a Congressman from South Carolina, one of the most conservative anti-tax-and-spend members of Congress. And he’s been appointed to lead the budget-writing agency, the Office of Management and Budget,” Banks said. With the country facing a $20 trillion national debt, Banks said it’s intriguing – and he appreciates – that Trump would appoint someone who has voted against almost every budget that he’s had to vote on since becoming a member of Congress because of bloated spending and the rising national debt. “That’s an appointment I think has gotten little attention, but is probably as significant an indicator as any that Trump is serious about reigning in the federal government and addressing the national debt,” Banks said. The vast majority of Trump’s Cabinet picks comes from some sort of business background, as does Trump, which is a seismic shift from prior administrations. “I think it’s healthy. It’s good for our country to bring different backgrounds together to serve in different areas. Some do come from a political background,” Banks responded when asked how he felt about the shift. “... Each of these picks shows a significant acknowledgement by President-elect Trump that he’s serious about reform and not succumbing to the pressure of those who are maintaining the status quo. I think, overall, his picks have been very exciting.” When Trump officially takes over from Obama, he’ll have to address national security issues like Russia, immigration and a proposed wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Banks said many of Obama’s foreign policies and postures didn’t make sense, but the country will learn more about Russia’s interests and actions, which he’s concerned about. While the U.S. needs to be wary of Russia’s interest, Banks said he’s new to the Armed Services Committee and has a lot to learn. As for the wall, Banks said, “I think that will be a subject we’ll hear more about next week. So far, there’s been little discussion about immigration and the wall. But I imagine once President Trump is inaugurated and heads over to the White House and begins to work on his agenda, his plans will become more of a hot-button issue.”
