Congressman Daniel Webster met with the Red Tail Memorial Chapter 136 of the Air Force Association to give a speech Thursday evening at the Shelter Building in Ocala.
Prior to the meeting’s start, a few members voiced their concerns that they’d hope would be addressed by the Congressman, or at least mentioned in his speech.
A few of those issues were in relation to the status of IU Retirement Plans, health care and pay. In response to President Trump’s signed legislation in April to allow veterans seek the care from private doctors, AFA’s Vice President Anthony Arnold said that it was “lip service so far” and that it was “up in the air.”
Arnold said that issues with veterans have been bumpy so far during the administration, and that he needed there to be stability in the White House.
The Congressman updated the group on the progress made in the House during the legislative session.
Some key highlights that happened in the House were the repeal of the Dodd-Frank Act, which Webster called a “job killer,” the passing of a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and a push for tax reform to “get the economy rolling” by reducing a 35 percent “tariff” on corporations to a more competitive rate.
Other topics touched on were infrastructure and the privatization of air traffic control.
Webster offered audience members a constituency service guide that contains phone numbers to reach if they had a question regarding any matter listed.
Before finishing up his speech, Webster said he wanted to discuss the condition of the world, specifically threats from enemies such as North Korea, ISIS, Russia and Iran, as well as the condition in Syria.
Webster expressed his confidence in Defense Secretary James Mattis in responding to any situation in which the enemy attacks America.
Webster assured the group that America would not be the aggressor, but said, “Expect us to respond in fury.”
The District 11 congressman presented the chapter with a gift, a certified flag that was flown at Capitol Hill, to honor the group.
Although Webster summarized what has been done on Capitol Hill and current issues in under an hour, some audience members expressed disappointment in not being able to ask the questions relevant to them in what they thought would be a long question and answer session.
“I was very disappointed that the Congressman spoke to this group of the Air Force Association and did not address any of the current legislative actions affecting the Air Force and the entire DoD,” said member and Village of Mallory resident Robert Bienvenue.
One of the concerns that needed acknowledgement was the repeal of sequester that would continue to cap defense spending.
And while one member, Anthony Arnold, was able to ask his pressing question regarding the repeal of IU Retirement Plans, in which Webster assured him that it was not going to happen, there were still unanswered questions that members felt needed to be addressed.
Some of those questions for Webster include what he and his colleagues were doing to make sure the country’s military is fully funded, as well as providing pay and benefits to military members and their families for their sacrifices, and what Congress was doing to assure that government spending is paid for with actual revenues rather that IOUs that compound future debt and interest payments.