3rd District GOP candidates offer differing views of job

Mid-Missouri Republicans can nominate one of three candidates to serve in Congress from the 3rd Congressional District for the next two years - incumbent Blaine Luetkemeyer of St. Elizabeth and two challengers, Leonard Steinman of Jefferson City and John Morris of St. Peters.

They offer some differing views of what Congress needs to do.

Leonard Steinman

Steinman appears first of the three on the Aug. 5 GOP ballot.

Noting a "very proud heritage that goes all the way back to the Revolutionary war," Steinman said he's running for Congress partly because "I want to see our great country return to the principles and ideals that our founding fathers fought for."

He listed the five biggest issues facing Congress in the next few years as:

• Doing better checks and balances on U.S. Supreme Court's judicial process, the Office of the President and on Congress, "to put an end to the out of control rules and actions that do not follow the Constitution" and benefit "only a select few" rather than all U.S. citizens.

• Ending "out of control government spending" and "borrowing against our nation's future (or) there will be no future for the United States."

• Reviewing foreign aid to other countries - "When we have been involved in other countries' conflicts, the United States ends up footing the bill for the rebuilding."

Instead, Steinman said, the U.S. needs to "start rebuilding the United States (because) we are in need now."

• Curbing special interest lobbyists - "The perks that government officials receive for supporting bills that are in the favor of the big special interests needs to stop," because "the needs of the people outweigh the wants of the money-grubbing big special interests."

• Reviewing the "party concept" - He promised to "keep in mind the needs of all the people" and would vote "based on what is best for the people in my district - not what is best for the party."

Steinman pledged to "hold public forums, to hear what the people in my district have to say regarding all issues that would affect their lives and those of their families," and to make personal responses "to their concerns" rather than have answers come "from a member of my staff."

Blaine Luetkemeyer

Luetkemeyer didn't respond to our request for listing the five most important issues facing Congress.

However, he lists nine issues on his campaign's website, www.blaineforcongress.com.

Those include:

• Job Creation - Luetkemeyer cites his "30 years of small business experience" and says he "knows what it takes to create jobs and turn our economy around," including fighting "to keep taxes from going up," cutting government red tape, pushing "for an all of the above energy plan to lessen our dependence on foreign oil" and supporting "the opening of new markets for Missouri goods and services."

• Getting the federal budget under control - Luetkemeyer says he's "extremely concerned about the $16 trillion national debt that will be passed on to future generations" and supports the need for "and voted for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution and a budget plan that gets us back to balance."

• Health care - Luetkemeyer "strongly opposes Obamacare and is currently working to repeal it and defund it, because Obamacare destroys jobs, raids Medicare, raises taxes, tramples on religious freedom, and empowers the government rather than doctors and patients to make medical decisions, among other reasons."

He supports "common sense solutions to the high cost of health coverage," including allowing small businesses to join together to have the same purchasing power for insurance as large corporations; enacting medical malpractice reform to stop frivolous lawsuits" and "allowing the sale of insurance across state lines."

• Sanctity of Life - "Defending the unborn is a top priority."

• National Security - "It is important for our nation to be able to defend ourselves and protect our citizens."

That means the U.S. "must ensure that our intelligence and military capabilities remain the best in the world," Luetkemeyer said. "We must ensure our military has the tools to deal with threats to our national security, and we must make sure we offer the utmost support to our troops."

John Morris

Morris is running "because I do believe in the Constitution and that it needs to be followed. For years now they say they will" follow it, "but then do what they want. It's time to get it right."

He said the five biggest issues facing Congress are:

• A balanced budget amendment "must be put in place."

• Following the laws of the land - "That includes illegals."

• Overturning the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe verses Wade decision, because "Life does begin at conception."

• Having a stronger military "that is not run by politics."

• Keeping "an intrusive government out of the people's private lives."

If elected, he would keep informing people about "who is blocking" good bills, "no matter which side" is responsible.

He pledged to "not take donations for my campaign (so) I owe no special favors to groups or anyone else."