Barr talks bourbon, fire truck, ‘radical left’

Photo by Mark Mahan

Andy Barr, Tuesday Aug. 21, 2018 in Lexington, Ky.

Photo furnished

U.S. Congressman Andy Barr, center, poses for a photo while visiting Lawrenceburg City Hall last week. With him, from left, are City Engineer Monty Rhody, City Clerk Cassaundra Cooper, Mayor Troy Young, Barr, Assistant Police Chief Chris Beach, City Fire Chief Mike Barnes, and officer Joe Massey of the Lawrenceburg Police Department.

 Editor’s note: The Anderson News is working to arrange an inteview with Democrat Joshua Hicks, who has filed to run against Barr in 2020.

The effects of the ongoing trade wars on bourbon, the possibility of securing a new fire truck for Lawrenceburg and next year’s re-election campaign were all top of mind when Congressman Andy Barr (R-Lexington) visited Lawrenceburg last week.

Barr, who already has at least one democrat filed to run against him next fall, also weighed in a variety of issues, including the economy, what he says is the Democrat Party’s lurch toward socialism, the so-called Squad that includes Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and her fellow freshmen congress members, and his party’s odds of regaining majority control of the House.

‘Fire truck a priority’

Barr’s primary focus during his visits to counties across his district is to listen, he said.

“This is a continuation of what I’ve always done when I get a chance to get out of D.C.,” said Barr. “We travel the district to hear from constituents, but also meet with elected leaders and hear their priorities and concerns.”

Barr heard plenty of the above when he visited Mayor Troy Young at City Hall, including the need for a new fire truck.

“Public safety is always top of mind, and we want to help the [city] fire department here,” Barr said. “I know they need a truck and a station house to replace one that’s in disrepair, and in other portions of the district, we’ve been able to help with that.

“A fire truck is a priority, and that’s what homeland security and FEMA funds are for,” Barr said, veering off to discuss the recent increase to the debt ceiling limit.

“I’m a fiscal conservative and voted against that latest budget amendment because it spends beyond our means and does not address the runaway spending addiction in this country.

“But when appropriations are made and money is going to be spent, it’s my responsibility to fight for our communities to get a fair share.”

The city council earlier this year budgeted to purchase a new fire truck that will replace an old one that has serious electrical and mechanical problems.

Young, the mayor, said he would welcome any help Barr’s office can provide in securing a truck through homeland security of FEMA.

Bourbon and trade

Much has been made of President Trump’s trade war with China, including after last week when talks with the Chinese government broke down yet again.

But when it comes to Kentucky’s bourbon industry, China isn’t the biggest concern, Barr said.

“This is much more of a problem with Europe than it is with Canada, Mexico or China,” Barr said, adding he puts a bug in the ear of U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on a regular basis.

“Every time I see him in the hallway, we talk about bourbon,” said Barr, noting that bourbon exports declined about 2 percent from last June, when the tariffs began, through March.

“He recognizes it’s a problem.”

Barr said to fix it, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) needs to call for a vote on the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement), which President Trump negotiated last year to replace NAFTA.

“That would represent lighter fluid for our economy and be a huge boom for bourbon,” said Barr, who later said if he could get passed and signed into law any single piece of legislation, it would be the USMCA.

Barr said that deal would provide the U.S. leverage in striking a better trade deal with the European Union, which would in turn bolster negotiations with China.

“If we can get a deal with the EU that lowers trade barriers across the board between us and the EU, we can use that to encircle China with multi-lateral pressure.

“I get the sense that is the strategy of the Trump administration, and it’s about time we had a president who stands for the American worker.”

Barr insists the USMCA would pass in the House, but says it’s up to Pelosi to allow the vote.

“The key is will Speaker Pelosi exercise the leadership,” he said. “It would absolutely pass and be a huge win for labor.

“Democrats give a lot of lip service to labor, and this is a pro-labor vote.”

Standing in the way, Barr said, is Democrats to the left of Pelosi.

“The extreme wing of her caucus doesn’t want to give President Trump a win,” he said. “The impeachment crowd and socialists in her party don’t want to do anything perceived as helping Trump.”

That level of partisanship doesn’t rule D.C. in every aspect, said Barr, who pointed to work he’s doing with fellow Kentucky Congressman John Yarmouth (D-Louisville) to make permanent a tax break for the bourbon industry Barr wrote two years ago.

“We couldn’t be any different politically, but we are both co-chairs of the bourbon caucus and agree these tax cuts for the bourbon industry need to be made permanent.”

‘Liberal opposition’

Barr found out last week the name of one potential opponent in the 2020 election, Democrat Joshua Hicks, and wasted no time characterizing him.

“It’s not surprise that the national democrats continue to recruit liberal opposition to me,” said Barr, who faced a stiff challenge in 2018 from now-Senate hopeful Amy McGrath.

“He’s a liberal trial lawyer who wants to raise taxes.”

Barr said getting rid of him would help the “extreme majority in the House” do just that.

“I’ve opposed their agenda and their lurch toward socialism,” he said. 

“I’ve been a thorn in the side of the liberal majority in the House that wants to roll back the accomplishments President Trump has made and also wants to move us rapidly toward socialism.”

Barr said if that continues, he’s optimistic Republicans can win back the majority.

“If the majority fails to deliver any substantive bipartisan legislation, they’re going to lose and lose big,” he said. 

“The only thing they’ve sent are partisan bills that cater to identity politics, class warfare and special interest groups that make up the far left coalition of this country … bills that would violate the Second Amendment, promote open borders and codify amnesty.”