Legislative updates on breakfast menu
Twelfth District Congressman Rick Allen (left) addresses the audience as state Rep. Bill Hitchens listens during the May 2 Legislative Eggs and Issues Review at Effingham College and Career Academy. - photo by Mark Lastinger/staff
Mark Lastinger
Updated: May 7, 2018, 9:41 a.m.
RINCON — Congressman Rick Allen was slightly out of his district but well within his element during the Legislative Eggs and Issues Review at Effingham College and Career Academy.
Allen, whose 12th District includes Springfield but not Rincon where the event was conducted, spoke mostly about his favorite subject — the U.S. economy — during the May 2 event sponsored by the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce.
"As a businessman, I'm just glad to see (President Donald Trump) and his policies focus on growing the economy. That's why I went to Washington," Allen said. "I think every American deserves the opportunity at the American Dream and we want to do everything we can to allow every American that opportunity."
Allen, a two-term Republican from Augusta, said the "controversial" farm bill is a leading current concern for him.
"It's a great bill," he said. "Unfortunately, the controversial part is on the nutrition side. What's we've done is offer some opportunities to find work, get skills, get trained, get educated and find work because, currently, the system really penalizes the people who want to seek employment. We changed that and incentivized people to seek employment."
Allen said there are 6.5 million jobs open in the U.S. today.
"Since this president took office, this country has created 2.4 million new jobs — just 300,000 in the last quarter," he said. "The economy is growing. It's right at three percent right now.
"Can we do better? I think if we can continue to implement these policies I believe that we can do better."
See the May 9 edition of the Effingham Herald for more details.