Rep. Flores meets with public in midst of re-election

Staff photo-Rod Aydelotte

A large crowd showed up at the Heart of Texas Builders Association on Monday night for a meet and greet with congressman Bill Flores as well as other members of the public.

Many people from the McLennan County GOP and Baylor Young Conservatives of Texas group were there to support Representative Flores who will soon be up for reelection, and Colonel Jon Ker who is running as a candidate for Republican Chairman of McLennan County.

Most of the night was focused on a short speech from Flores followed by a question and answer session. The U.S. Representative of Texas’ 17th District took on questions about the Congress’ latest omnibus spending bill, national security with regard to illegal immigration, government mandates for ethanol and if women should be forced to register for selective service in the military.

“I enjoyed hearing congressman Flores talk about his plans for the House if he is reelected, and I felt that I got to know him better from listening to him speak in person” said Petaluma, California sophomore Brittany Gamlen.

“I was very interested in hearing his reasoning for supporting the omnibus bill. I appreciated the details he gave about why he voted yes, in favor of it” said Baylor Young Conservatives President and Cisco senior Whitney Mechling.

Representative Flores didn’t do all the speaking however. Army Green Beret and Special Forces Colonel Jon Ker voiced his opinion against putting women in the position of being drafted to combat roles in military. Ker, who served more than thirty years in the armed services and completed several tours of duty in Vietnam and Iraq, also said that women who wish to volunteer for supportive roles in the military are much needed.

“We cannot allow political correctness to get in the way of making responsible decisions,” Ker said, “A female in an all-male unit breaks cohesiveness and preparedness for reasons due to human nature. War should be no matter of social experimentation.

The Texas congressman agreed with veteran Ker saying that he believed women should not take on combat roles in the Army, Navy or Marines. Flores endorsed Jon Ker for his election later this year.

The Baylor Young Conservatives are excited to continue being involved in the community and will pay attention to events like Monday night’s in the future.