Republican Mike Pompeo said he thinks officials in Washington have lost connection with the people of Kansas and he hopes to bring that connection back if he wins his bid for the 4th Congressional seat.
Pompeo was at the American Legion in Newton on Friday as part of a three-day campaign swing through the district to announce his candidacy for Congress.
“I watched the Washington politicians. I think they are good people, but they have become part of the system. I don’t think they are connected to the values of the people in Kansas,” he said. “When I lose that connection, I will come back to Kansas and do something I love, which is growing business.”
Pompeo, 45, lives in Wichita with his wife, Susan. They have one adult son, Nick.
He came to Kansas 13 years ago to run an aerospace company and currently is president of Sentry International, a company that manufactures equipment for oil and gas production.
He graduated the top of his class from West Point and served in the Army for five and a half years before retiring as a captain.
Pompeo, who has never run for political office, said he hopes to work on job creation in Washington.
To that end, he said he would lower taxes on individuals and corporations, improve the regulations of manufacturing and turn decision back to individuals and families.
Steps also need to be taken to slow down the rise in health-care costs, as it is becoming difficult for employers to afford health benefits, he said.
He said he opposes President Obama’s health plan in favor of a system that encourages competition between private industry in the areas of health insurance, manufacture of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.
He said the government should not come between doctors and patients.
“I experienced government health care when I was in the Army. They were great doctors, and they provided great care, but there was an enormous bureaucracy,” he said. “The delivery system is awkward and ineffective. It scares me they would do that nationwide.”
Pompeo also said the president and Democrats have not articulated how they would pay for the health-care plan.
He said he also opposed the energy legislation know as Cap and Trade. He said he thought the regulations in the bill would drive up the cost of fuel and fertilizer used by local farmers and force food retailers to import food from cheaper producers.
As a veteran, Pompeo said he would give special attention to national security.
“I am sensitive to use of our military,” he said. “We should not put soldiers in harm’s way unnecessarily. We should put soldiers in a situation where they can win decisively and then get them out.”
