Westmoreland addresses Lions Club
By ALEX MCRAEalex@newnan.com
Lynn Westmoreland, U.S. Representative for Georgia’s Third Congressional District, addressed the Newnan-Coweta Lion’s Club Tuesday.
He said one of the main problems in Congress was not so much a disagreement over what should be done but how to do it.
Westmoreland said the fact that the Senate and House are unable to complete legislation to address the nation’s problems has left people not just frustrated and angry, but scared.
“A lot of people I talk to are scared because they don’t what direction we’re headed,” Westmoreland said. “They ask why we can’t get along. But it’s not always easy to agree on things.”
Westmoreland said he was a Baptist and that “if you’ve ever been to a Baptist church business meeting on Wednesday night, you know that even church people don’t always agree on things. People have different ideas about how to do things.”
In the 2010 elections, 89 new Republicans were elected to the U.S. House. Westmoreland says the congressional freshmen are not happy with current legislative progress either. He said he understands and has expressed his own frustration to House Republican leadership.
He said the current House leaders are reluctant to speak out too strongly against a president who still has high personal popularity ratings. Instead, they try and get along and say, “Well, this was the best deal we could get.”
Westmoreland said if Republicans keep the House and take control of the Senate and White House in the fall, things will change.
“At that time, we’ll have to do something. If the leadership in our own party won’t, people within the party will shut them down.”
Westmoreland said during the presidential campaign that Democrats would try to intimidate presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney. “That’s what they’re doing already with the accusations about his tax returns,” Westmoreland said. “That’s what this administration does. They try and intimidate you and hope you won’t fight back. I hope Romney is strong enough to overcome that.”
During the current Congressional recess, Westmoreland is making many appearances across the district. On Thursday, he will visit the KIA Motors Manufacturing Plant in West Point. According to information provided by Westmoreland staffers, Westmoreland and others will be discussing how railroads contribute to Georgia’s economy.
The congressman will attend a briefing by the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia followed by a tour of the Kia plant and the railroad yard on site. The event is designed to provide Westmoreland and other guests an opportunity to discuss the railroad industry in Georgia and see firsthand how companies like Kia utilize rail transportation as a part of their business plan.
Westmoreland will join representatives from the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, STX Railroad Construction, and local officials to discuss the positive impact railroads have on Georgia’s economy and how they can continue to keep Georgia’s business running.
In addition, Mr. Byung Mo Ahn, Group President and CEO of Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia is also scheduled to attend.
