Hartzler: Top priority is facing down threats

Last month, U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler became the first congressional official in Missouri to jump into the 2022 U.S. Senate Race.

In the month since, Hartzler has already outlined several key issues she'd like to tackle if she's elected.

Hartzler told the Southeast Missourian on Friday she wants to help "take back the Senate" from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and decrease government spending by getting the country's budget under control.

Hartzler chastised President Joe Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan, saying it was designed to raise taxes, increase debt and mandate the Green New Deal. She said only a small percentage of the plan focused on roads and bridges.

Instead, Hartzler said the country needs to focus on security.

"My No. 1 priority is to provide for a strong national defense and take on the threats facing us," Hartzler said. "That includes China -- I'm very focused on China."

Hartzler works as a commissioner on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) and is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee.

In May, Hartzler introduced the Uyghur Stop Oppressive Sterilizations (SOS) Act with fellow CECC member Tom Suozzi (R-NY). The act would impose sanctions on individuals responsible for or complicit in forced sterilizations and abortions in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.

Hartzler recently released a four-part video series on her website about the "threats of China." Each episode covered different facets of the country that Hartzler perceives as threats, including military, economic, malign influence and human rights abuses.

"I'm the only candidate running for the Senate that has been sanctioned by China, and I think that matters," Hartzler said.

Hartzler also necessitates homeland security and "security at the border."

"One of the first things I'm going to do is try to strengthen our security at the border," Hartzler said. "Another piece of that leg of security is Homeland Security. That means defending our police, not defunding them."

The fight at home

Another of Hartzler's main focuses is expanding rural broadband.

A lot of small Missouri towns without reliable internet are languishing, according to Hartzler. Senior citizens can't access telehealth, and students can't do homework from home.

One way to revitalize small towns, she said, is to hook up more places with high-speed internet.

"Especially with COVID, people are fleeing the cities; they want to live in the country," Hartzler said. "But if they can't work from home, then that makes it difficult, so we need to get more high-speed internet in Missouri to bring jobs and people to our communities."

When it comes to the pandemic, Hartzler applauded the applauded the speedy development of the vaccine involving public and private entities. She called the vaccine's quick roll-out "a miracle."

As the Delta variant continues to spread across the state and country, some private businesses in Missouri have required employees to be vaccinated. Six republican Missouri state senators on Monday asked Gov. Mike Parson to call for a special session to prevent private businesses from requiring vaccinations.

When asked about the legislator's desired ban, Hartzler said people should have an individual choice on whether to get vaccinated. In her opinion, "freedom and liberty of an individual should prevail."

Experience

Hartzler currently represents Missouri's 4th District in the U.S. House.

She grew up near Archie, Missouri, and lives on a farm in Cass County with her husband and daughter.

Prior to her time in government, Hartzler taught family and consumer sciences for 11 years in Lebanon, Missouri, and Benton, Missouri.

"I think it's really important that Missouri has someone in the Senate that is from a rural part of the state because that is really who we are," Hartzler said.

Hartzler's announced Republican opponents to replace retiring Sen. Roy Blunt include former Missouri governor Eric Greitens, state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, U.S. Rep. Billy Long and attorney Mark McCloskey of St. Louis.

"I feel like Missouri deserves someone in the Senate who first of all cares about them and is running because of the people, not to have a title," Hartzler said.