Voters will pick a new representative this year in Kansas’ Big 1st congressional district.
One of the candidates hoping to win election is Dr. Bill Clifford, a Garden City ophthalmologist, Air Force veteran and current chair of the Finney County Commission. Clifford sat down with KMAN in a recent interview at the Manhattan Radina’s Coffeehouse on Claflin Road.
Clifford is among six candidates lobbying for the seat, and is one of four Republican candidates. He explains what sets him apart from others in the race.
“I swore an oath to support and defend this country in uniform. I have adopted children and I’m absolutely pro-life, and I’ll be a pro-life champion in Washington, D.C. I’m very pro-ag, I’ve invested in agriculture, in ethanol in particular and will have the back of producers,” he said.
Clifford says he plans to lobby hard for Kansas agriculture including expanding fair trade and will have a seat on the House Ag Committee. As a physician, Clifford says he’ll also be a member of the “Doc Caucus.”
“That gives you a voice in health care that is heard throughout the capital, so I think for the citizens of our district, I’ll work as hard everyday as I can on the ag committee, but I’m really a bonus candidate because I have a voice in health care,” he said.
As the economy moves into recovery, he says it will be important to provide relief to Kansas beef producers, who have been struggling even before the pandemic.
“I think there is plenty of money in the system, particularly in beef. We just see it skewed towards the packers right now,” he said.
Clifford says in Congress he’ll demand that producers and packers meet together to iron out more fair opportunities to both sectors. Clifford touts the USMCA (U.S., Mexico, Canada) trade agreement as a key component for creating a level playing field in terms of foreign trade.
“The Chinese, despite what you hear, at least in phase one are buying our products. So we’re starting to see better prices, particularly in milo and we hope to get there soon on other products,” he said.
Clifford also says the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted a need for secure borders to prevent infectious diseases as well as terrorism and illegal immigration into the country.
Other Republicans in the field include former Lt. Gov. Tracey Mann of Salina, Jerry Molstad of Lacrosse and Michael Soetaert of Council Grove. Kali Barnett of Garden City and Christy Cauble Davis of Cottonwood Falls are the two democrats in the race.
The full interview with Dr. Clifford can be heard below.
