U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert on Monday told students at East Texas Charter High School that what has been going on in Washington during the past year will have a profound impact on their generation.
"The kind of money the federal government has been spending lately is putting your generation in debt, and quite frankly, you deserve better than that," said Gohmert, R-Tyler.
Kevin Green/News-Journal Photo |
U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, speaks to students Monday at East Texas Charter High School in Longview.
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It was Gohmert's first visit to the Longview school, which is funded directly by the state and is not part of any local school district.
Gohmert gave out copies of the U.S. Constitution at the end of his speech and urged all the students to become familiar with it. He also encouraged them to complete their high school education.
"You may not like some of your teachers, but that doesn't mean you can't learn something from all of them," Gohmert said. "It only takes a few minutes of research on the Internet to find out how much better your lives will be if you finish high school rather than dropping out."
Gohmert told students he voted against the national health care bill because he thinks it would have far reaching and unintended consequences. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the $894 billion package by a vote of 220-215 late Saturday.
"The people who are pushing this legislation mean well, but I don't believe they truly understand the potential negative impact of government-run health care," he said.
Gohmert also gave an overview of a typical day in the life of a member of Congress. He said he is often running between one committee meeting and the next.
"It's not luxurious, grand or glorious, except that you never lose sight of what it's like to be following in the footsteps of giants," Gohmert said.
Daquan Martin, a student at the school, said he enjoyed Gohmert's speech and the chance to ask him some questions.
"It was great that he came out and spoke to us," Martin said.
John Kulak, a teacher who helped arrange the visit, said it was the first time a state or federal legislator spoke at the school.
"Having him come here shows that lawmakers are gaining a greater appreciation of charter schools and what we contribute to our communities," Kulak said.
