ICYMI: The Hub’s Conversation With A Congressman

Part One: The Next Chancellor? 

Neugebauer said if the Texas Tech University Board of Regents offered him the position of successor to current chancellor, Kent Hance, he would have to carefully consider his answer.

The local lawmaker’s name has been circulated among other Tech alumni such as former regent Brian Newby, U. S. District Judge Robert Junell, and Texas state Sen. Robert Duncan.

Part Two: Government Shutdown

In part two of The Hub’s exclusive interview, Dixon asks Congressman Neugebauer about his role in the partial government shutdown that captured national media attention last October and his encounter with a National Park Service ranger that went viral during the standstill.

Dixon and Neugebauer discuss the lawmaker’s thoughts on the continuing debt ceiling debate in Congress that aggravated the ongoing stalemate in Washington and his reactions from his confrontation with the federal employee at the World War II Memorial.

Congress continues to debate whether or not it should raise the U.S. borrowing limit. Last week the House voted to raise the country’s borrowing limit until March 2015. Neugebauer, who voted against the bipartisan legislation, issued this statement in response:

“I won’t vote to keep extending our credit without making any reforms to the spending habits that keep pushing us up against our debt ceiling.”

 

 

Part Three: The Farm Bill

In part three of our conversation with Neugebauer Dixon asks the congressman about his role on the House conference committee for the nearly $1 trillion farm bill.

Neugebauer describes balancing his duties as a representative of federally subsidized West Texas farmers and ranchers with the conservative platform of cutting government spending.

 

Part Four: The Affordable Care Act

In fourth installment of our discussion the congressman talks about the rocky start that the Healthcare.gov website experienced at its launch.

Dixon asks if the Republican Party is attempting to scare Americans away from using the website to sign up for health insurance because of highly publicized questions surrounding the website’s security.

Later in the interview, Neugebauer explains the Republican Party’s alternative to the ACA and how congressional gridlock between parties is preventing compromises between Democrats and Republicans in Washington.

 

Part Five: The GOP Election Season – With Bonus Audio

In the final part of our series from our in-depth interview, Neugebauer talks about his record as one of the most conservative members of Congress and how that reflects his conservative district in West Texas.

Texas primaries are to be held March 4, and as Neugebauer gears up for re-election, several other Republicans are ready to fill Neugebauer’s seat.

After the interview the Hub immediately contacted several employees who work for the congressman to formally invite Neugebauer to a debate before the March primary. The congressman’s office has not responded to the Hub’s invitation.

In this bonus audio clip, Neugebauer discusses the need for constructive bipartisan legislation in Congress. Neugebauer, the self-proclaimed ‘most conservative member of Congress,’ says he represents the second- and third-most conservative cities in the country – Lubbock and Abilene, Texas.

Neugebauer recently released an advertisement claiming that liberals “don’t like [him] one bit” due to his brand of conservatism.

Stay tuned to The Hub@TTU for more interviews with notable Lubbockites, or tell us who you would like to hear from.