LIMA — U.S. Senate candidate Ted Strickland (D-OH) criticized Rep. Jim Jordan on Thursday, saying the Republican congressman “doesn’t want the government to function.”
“I think the Republican Party today has an element within it that simply does not believe in government, and doesn’t want it to function,” Strickland told The Lima News. “I think Jim Jordan is the perfect example.”
Strickland made the comment when discussing partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C. He said there is an environment in Washington that is “qualitatively different than 10 or 20 years ago.”
Jordan responded by saying he does believe in government but wants it to play a more limited role.
“The bigger the government, the less freedom you have,” Jordan said. “The bigger the government, the more money it takes out of you and your family’s pocket. Limited government means greater freedom.”
As chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, which is made up of Republicans who advocate for a “smaller, more cohesive, more agile and more active group of conservatives,” Jordan said his role is to fight for families who believe Washington has forgotten them.
“There’s lots of things we told the voters we would do that we aren’t getting done,” Jordan said. “Our job is to remember them and fight for them.”
Jordan mentioned “out-of-control spending,” the Affordable Care Act and a $20 trillion national debt as issues voters want to eliminate, but politicians have yet to act on. He also said we need to reform the tax code, respect life and have respect for families.
“If Ted Strickland wants all that to continue — big spending, big government, Obamacare — that’s fine, but that’s not why people elected me to go fight for them,” he said. “We need to persuade our leadership to stand up and accomplish the things we told voters we were gong to do when they elected us.”
Jordan admitted they have so far not been successful in eliminating these issues, but said he will “keep pushing.”
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