Congressman Ken Buck, the freshman Republican representing Colorados Fourth Congressional District, visited the Intermountain Jewish News last week, seven months after taking office in Washington, and sat for an interview in which Israel, the pending Iran nuclear agreement, the Middle East in general, the deficit and church-state issues were discussed.
How do you like Congress so far?
I am blessed in a lot of ways, with a great staff, a great living situation, dealing with the big issues that need to be dealt with in Washington, DC.
Some of it is just an unwillingness to take risks that I think we need to take. Its a personality issue more than anything else. Its tough to move some issues forward because of some of the things the president has done.
I think there is more bipartisanship than is perceived. I certainly get along with Democrats. I sit with Democrats most often. I have worked with them on different things.
Until some dynamics change in DC I just dont think were going to get moving on some issues that are important. And DC is unwilling to give up control. They want more, not less, and the only way to balance the budget and some other things is with less DC control.
Youll soon be asked to vote on the Iran deal. Youve already voiced your opposition to it. Why do you think its not a good deal?
There are a number of reasons.
The first is that well be handing $100-200 billion to the number one state sponsor of terrorism.
Number two, the primary goal is not going to be achieved, and that is preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and ballistic missile technology.
Number three, the other Arab and Muslim countries in the area will move forward and acquire nuclear weapons in response, so it might cause nuclear proliferation.
Do you feel it already has, or is likely to in the future, harm the relationship between the US and Israel?
I think the relationship is at a low point. I dont think its going to get any worse in the last 18 months of this administration. And I dont see any of the serious candidates that are running for office not improving that relationship, so I think youll see an improvement in the next year and a half.
Are you speaking of Republican candidates?
No, I think either side will have a much better relationship with Israel than the current president.
Do you feel that the traditional American Jewish support for the Democratic Party may be changed as a result of the debate surrounding the Iran deal?
I have talked to my friend Larry Mizel and others about that issue. It has always baffled me. There is no group that is closer to the American Jewish community than evangelical Christians and the Republican Party. I would understand a 60-40 split or a 65-35 split, but a split on the order of magnitude of an 80-20 or whatever the vote is now, is something that is surprising to me.
I think it will cause a shift. Im not sure its going to be a seismic shift, but a shift in voters.
Have members of the Northern Colorado Jewish community been calling or writing you about this deal?
I put a video out in March, talking about how ridiculous I felt this whole effort was and I dont think anybody has needed to lobby me much. I wouldnt mind getting lobbied a little more.
Have you been lobbied from the other side, wanting you to support the deal?
Its one of those things about my personality that people know where I am. The president has not called me or sent me an email or a letter. He did send me a birthday card back in February. I dont think anybody looks at me as a likely target to a yes on this vote. People know Im a no.
My constituency is very pro-Israel and looks for a much stronger United States presence in the Middle East.
What is right about the way the current administration is managing the large picture in the Middle East from ISIS in Syria to Israel and the Palestinians and what is wrong?
The current administration withdrew too early from Iraq. It has failed to lead. I was in a meeting with former Prime Minister Tony Blair and he said that Europeans arent asking America to do all the fighting but we are asking America to lead. Thats something this president has not done.
Our friends dont trust us and our enemies dont fear us. We have a situation where, whether its Putin in the Ukraine or ISIS or Iran or other entities, state actors, non-state actors, are engaged in conduct they would not otherwise be engaged in if we had a strong American president with strong, allied support.
I think its a mistake for the United States in any way, shape or form to tell Israel what their negotiating position should be.
I, along with many others, pray for peace in the Middle East, but its got to be on the terms that Israel and the Palestinians decide and not something that the Europeans or Americans should be dictating or even strongly influencing.
Is there a lot of interaction, debate, discussion, on a one-to-one basis, among members of Congress on a subject like Iran? Or is everybody isolated, making up his own mind?
Right now I think people are isolated because were not in session, so theres not much interaction in DC. But before we left I was talking to Democratic friends and frankly they are opposed to this.
I know there are Democrats who are in favor of it, some very disappointing to me. I was surprised to see Cong. [Jerrold] Nadler support the presidents agreement.
The Democrats Im talking to, mostly in the freshman class, are not in favor of this. And we have had a lot of interaction and discussion. Some of it comes down to why is the president doing this? What is his motivation? People talk about legacy but that cant be all of it. There has to be something else there.
Have you been to Israel?
I have not. I was going to go this year with AIPAC and my daughter was getting married. It was much easier to say no to Larry [Mizel] than it was to say no to my daughter. I will go either next year or the year after.
In your own life, how important is religion to you?
Oh, its very important. My faith is what drives me in my public life as well as my private life. There are very few decisions that my wife and I make that arent based on our faith. Im a member of the Greeley Wesleyan Church. Its sort of the conservative side of the Methodist church.
How do you view the entire picture of church-state relations where state and religion interact? Where is the line that should be drawn, not only by the Supreme Court but also by the president and Congress?
The Constitution was created to prohibit state government or federal government from creating a religion and forcing it on people. It is our freedom to decide what religion we want to practice, if any, and how we practice that religion.
We have evolved in a very positive way since the 1800s and early 1900s in how we view multi-cultural religions in our society. I think the dynamic now is between non-believers and believers.
I dont want to force a synagogue to have a same-sex wedding any more than I want to force a mosque or a church. As believers, we have to protect our rights under the Constitution.
In some sections of the religious and conservative communities there is a sense that religion is under siege, that theyre being assaulted by the left and secular societies. Do you agree with that?
I recognize that sentiment. No one is attacking me in the sense that Im not being required to do something that I feel violates my faith at this point. But I do think the country has moved very quickly on some issues that are threatening to people of faith.
What is your most important policy goal for Colorado?
The most important thing that we can do for Colorado and any state is to reduce the size and scope of the federal government and allow states to be incubators for all kinds of issues, whether its education or transportation or environmental regulation.
I think the federal government has created this centralized government that America was never intended to have and is stifling economic growth and the ability of the states to be incubators in trying different things.
Are there certain bills that you are opposed to, or want to see passed?
Id love to see a balanced budget amendment passed. We have passed budgets in the House that Im opposed to. They dont do what we need to do in terms of limiting the federal role in America.
Has America seen its best days? Is this country on the decline, as some argue, or are we, in fact, still number one on the hit parade?
There were many cynics during the Carter Administration. After President Carter we had President Reagan and we created a more vibrant economy and a more stable world environment to live in. I credit that to strong leadership. If we get another strong leader to pull us out of the malaise that exists today we will continue to rise.
Our strength doesnt lie in conquering other nations. It lies in working with other nations and being a productive society and an inclusive society and one that is forward thinking.
I believe that if we do the right things with the federal government, in the areas of taxation and immigration, we will see our best days ahead.
It sounds a little like hesitant optimism.
It depends on who the next president is. I frankly dont think that Bernie Sanders is going to reduce the scope and size of the federal government. I do think there are some others who will, who recognize the need for American leadership in the world.
Have you thrown in your lot with any of the Republican presidential candidates?
No. I have relationships with many of them and am just waiting to see how things play out at this point. I dont think that throwing my lot in is going to affect many peoples judgment.
Do you think this is not going to be a boring campaign?
One of the problems that I think America has is that there are too many people on the sidelines for too long. If Donald Trump and Mrs. Clintons email server have done anything, it has been to pique interest early in whats going to transpire next year.
I think people are interested in the discussion already.
What is the most critical issue in your district? What are people worried about?
Theyre mad at DC not doing more to solve problems. Thats probably the No. 1 answer, the frustration that I hear from people.
There are folks who would like to see the federal government not continuing to roll out the regulations and rules that are hampering their businesses. Whether you talk to bankers or farmers or insurance agents, theres a frustration that the administration continues to hamper their ability to make a living.
Chris Leppek may be reached at [email protected].
Copyright © 2015 by the Intermountain Jewish News
