The College Republicans hosted U.S. Representative Mike Rogers at their Sept. 18 meeting at Dudley Hall.
Rogers began by discussing his campaign race against Mallory Hagan, the Democratic candidate in Alabama’s 3rd congressional district and former Miss America.
Rogers said he is not concerned about Hagan and doesn’t believe there will be a surprise win.
When asked why he would not debate his opponent, Rogers said he was not interested in raising Hagan’s political profile.
“This district knows exactly what they are getting when they vote Mike Rogers,” he said.
He added that participating in a debate would only benefit Hagan and make her appear more credible.
“Why would I want to help her look more credible?” Rogers asked. “It’s not my job to get her elected.”
Rogers said he would debate Hagan if her poll numbers were higher.
Rogers said a lot of people are too content with the current administration and might not vote in the mid-term elections in November.
“This all could come to a screeching halt if our people don’t get out and vote in this election like the way they did in 2016,” Rogers said.
Rogers compared this scenario to the 2010 midterm elections after former President Barack Obama was elected. In that election cycle, Democrats lost 60 seats in the House of Representatives because many constituents were too content with the administration to vote.
“That 60 seat loss could be us,” Rogers said.
When asked about what he was most proud of that he helped get past the House, Rogers said in this cycle, he was most proud of the Space Force.
Rogers said the militarization of China and Russia in space was a threat to American infrastructure because of the heavy dependence on satellites for military purposes or otherwise.
The program would relocate the space professionals from the Air Force Space Command and ensure they were properly funded and educated.
Rogers said a farm bill that he has been working on while on the House Committee on Agriculture is not passing through the Senate and House identically because the bill adds a work or education requirement for food stamps.
According to Rogers, a compromise could be made to current food stamp laws, which have a work requirement, but states can apply for a waiver to be exempt from that requirement.
The compromise would remove the waiver, he said.
Rogers said that he wishes that the current law had an education alternative instead of just a work requirement. Rogers said he believes the best way to ensure someone can get a job is to get an education.
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