Listening to several new members of the U.S. House of Representatives, I see a much stronger commitment to focus on the issues they ran on and act on what they learned from the constituents they now represent. Seems like these new members were motivated to run, to serve, and fight for what is needed and not just take a step toward a long career in politics, which requires putting re-election efforts first and foremost. If my initial observations prove to be true and new members sell some veterans on putting the needs of the people first, like health care and infrastructure, we just might begin to address gridlock in Washington D.C.

Much of the success in increasing the size of the Democratic Caucus was achieved by talented women. If history is any lesson, this is a very good sign. The current women in Congress have, in general, been much more willing to cross the aisle and put country first. There is no indication that the new members wouldn’t follow that same pattern of bipartisanship. In Kansas, it was the women in the Legislature, in a well thought-out, nonpartisan way, that made major contributions to reversing some devastating outcomes of the Brownback Experiment. In Washington, for key crossover votes, almost without exception, Republican women are on that short list. At this moment there are not many Republican women in Congress, but there are several key ones who are willing to at least listen and set politics aside for the good of this country.

The Republican makeup of the U.S. House is different only in having fewer members in the caucus. It isn’t like there was any surge of new Republicans who fit the moderate mold replacing hard-line conservatives. I assume this is tied to the President’s dominance in Republican politics, including picking and supporting only candidates that are in line with the current far right direction. The Republican political machine probably doesn’t even recruit moderates that might be the most likely to win and to partner with Democrats.

While there will be plenty of opportunities to contrast with the President and speak up for American values, I believe another key for Democrats is not to go “investigation-crazy” now that they have power. Yes, some questions need to be answered, but I hope they pick the investigations with the strongest case that most Americans expect them to conduct. Hopefully, they stay away from dominating the evening news cycle with only coverage of what is being investigated. Much of what needs to be done for the good of the country has strong public support (for example, dealing with climate change). But if the public does not get the news on those issues and becomes distracted by one investigation after another, they won’t be the partner needed to get legislation into law.

In sum, much of these new members’ success, in my opinion, will depend heavily on what legislative plan is put together and how hard they are willing to work to avoid being just another different version of what we’ve had before. If all we get is lots of talk and investigating with no real effort made to reach across the aisle, progress, if any, will be limited. They need to remember the Senate is now even more Republican and if the Democrats’ effort to work with them comes across as partisan politics, I fear come 2020, the public will not be happy with either party. It may be impossible, but their efforts have got to be real and effectively communicated.

On the surface, Governor Colyer is doing everything that is politically sound to distance himself from Governor Brownback. But he has to do it in such a way that he doesn’t upset the far, far right who will probably determine the Republican primary outcome one way or another. He will also focus on Kansas issues and try come across as reasonable and calming in contrast with Secretary of State Kobach. For example, he recently had a signing ceremony for an executive order that would allow recently released lawbreakers to apply for state jobs. Good move, if it does not upset the far right. On the other hand, moves like his intent to sign the controversial adoption bill—​which allows organizations to refuse adoption placements to LGBT couples—​make it very clear that his new-found “political courage” will only extend so far.

In other words, he will work hard to communicate he is not Brownback 2.0 but without making changes on major policy issues. He will stick with the Brownback tax cut direction but smooth over a few things to hopefully make voters see him as different. He is showing signs of wanting to reach across the aisle, meeting with a mix of legislators, including Democrats. But it seems like only the tone has changed, the photo ops being more friendly, but the positions do not waver. This makes me believe, if elected, he would still be ready with the veto pen to stop many of the changes we desperately need to put this state back on the right track.

One issue he can’t run away from is his leadership to establish KanCare. Governor Brownback gave then Lt. Governor Colyer the leadership responsibility to develop the KanCare program and put it into operation. Even some Republicans join Democrats in blasting this program and with good reason. It just hasn’t worked. But we shouldn’t be too surprised. The level of passion for helping folks in need does make a difference in the effort to have positive outcomes.

He continues to oppose Medicaid expansion, a program that generates much support across the state. This is particularly true in more rural areas where their hospitals are struggling to stay open. He will also need to learn about the costly side effects of neglecting health care for thousands of Kansans. Forcing folks in need to go to the Emergency Room is a far more costly choice.   

So, from a political point of view, where is our Governor as it relates to this election year? In selecting Tracy Mann to be his Lt. Governor running mate, given his limited record, Mann can help lean whatever way seems to help the most. Kobach is not going to change. He now has a bank as a running mate (Wink Hartman) and will work to hold the hard core Trump voters. Jim Barnett is a fine man but too sane to get broad support in the primary, although he will draw from some of the reasonable voters who the Governor needs to win the nomination. I don’t know where the Insurance Commissioner fits but we do know every vote he does get could have gone to someone else.

The Democrats in general can not let Colyer and Company get away with his effort to be new and reasonable. He may have changed wardrobes, but underneath, it is the same old backward movement that has Kansas looking up at almost all states on key rankings that impact the future.

While still absorbing the devastating tax changes from the Republicans in Congress, we are now seeing the next low blow to the working class of America. Remember how the tax bill over time added to the deficit in the trillions? This raised questions on where the so-called “deficit hawk” Republicans have gone. But now we are learning what they are really up to. With the votes apparently in hand on the tax issue (providing the rich huge benefits), they have developed a new concern about the deficit. And, when the bill they're working to pass doesn't generate enough revenue in economic growth to pay for itself—which is the classic defense used in Kansas and other places to justify implementing these trickle down trainwrecks—their answer will be to go after the entitlements, the so-called “give away” to Americans who “won’t work and/or save for their future.”

Medicare, Medicaid, and eventually Social Security suddenly now become serious targets for those who, for a long time, thought the government was doing too much for the people. Particularly now that their fiscal nightmare of a bill seems in line to pass, they say they have real concerns about the deficit. If young and extended families, particularly with children, don’t start making their case, their future becomes much more dicey. These young families face expensive child care (in most cases they both have to work to make the family budget), exploding health care costs, and student loan payments or other costs to educating themselves for the future. At the same time, salary increases are in no way adequate to cover these realities. On this one, both parties share the blame. Republicans want to privatize entitlement programs to cover up their real goal: to shut them down. Democrats defend the programs as is and have yet to address the challenges demanded by demographic reality. With folks living longer and the balance between retirees and workers changing, without changes to these programs, the end comes at some point down the line.    

This is also what you get when you have a Supreme Court deciding that the very rich should have no limit as to how much they can spend to elect who they want and to get from them what they claim they need. They certainly should have a right to contribute and make their case, but it should be done on the merits, without the big-money artillery pointed directly at the elected person’s future. As a result, we now have relatively few Billionaires basically running the country into the ground, with only them benefiting from their trickle down philosophy.

So what do rank-and-file Americans do? Yelling and screaming to our family, friends, and anybody within shouting distance will not get it done. Giving up, ignoring what is going on, certainly will not help. Not registering to vote and/or not voting works right into the hands of those who are currently benefiting from the system as it is. We must, as I’ve said before, take our frustration into action.

Therefore, find forward-thinking candidates who understand the value of wisely investing and responsibly taking care of those in need, and help them get elected. Doing that begins the process of shaping tomorrow into the future we all want and need.

With the date set for Governor Brownback’s confirmation hearing (October 4th), we in Kansas have the opportunity to look back on his six plus years as Governor. Below are my reflections on the lasting impacts of his time in office and some thoughts on where we, as a state, go from here.

What we got from Governor Brownback was not quite what we expected. Much changed between the time he was Secretary of Agriculture and Governor. He went from being quite likable and non-controversial to being a very polarizing figure. His leadership approach was certainly not built on bringing people of different persuasions together. Not only did he change religions but, philosophically, he went from reasonably moderate to extreme right.

His policy mistakes were many but none more puzzling than his systematic destruction of the Kansas Bioscience Authority (KBA). What was at one time the darling of legislators across the board (created with bipartisan support in 2004) was now being trashed. Truth was not important and philosophical positions were often quite bizarre. None was more puzzling than his stance against picking winners and losers. He disliked that the KBA worked hard to make the wisest investments for the best interest of Kansas. He preferred that we invest the money without considering the likelihood of success. I think the Bible talks about putting the seeds where they can grow and not on the rocks.

His lack of support for all levels of public education is another example of his move to the far right, which favors private education. This dramatic change of position was totally new for Kansas. Proud of our public school system, most Kansans took for granted that the support from most public officials would be strong. With big money from private donors and other public school opponents, a push to support private education took place—​more often and in new, different ways. This includes an assault on our judicial system to change the way we select judges in Kansas, in order to push the policies that these monied interest groups favored.

In his run for re-election, he loved to promise of his support for very much needed highway improvements. He was comfortable endorsing specific projects but never sharing on how they might be funded. Given he robbed extensively from the highway fund to avoid Kansas going broke, maybe that is understandable. Historically, highway maintenance and improvements had strong support from both sides of the isle, but not under this Governor.

As puzzling as anything was his adamant opposition to Medicaid expansion. Kansans were paying for it but not getting it. Despite many Republican Governors accepting the dollars and significant support from Kansas citizens, he stood his ground. The result was pain inflicted on large numbers of Kansans as well as the financial viability of many, particularly rural, community hospitals and nursing homes.

But maybe the most damaging mistake over time will be his lack of support for, and his meat ax approach to, the civil service system and public service in general. I say that because it may take a generation or more to restore the quality state workforce we once had. With the Governor's recommendation and the Legislature’s support, now when a civil service employee leaves the system the position automatically becomes political, bringing back in essence the spoils system that most of us thought was a thing of the past.

The story of the past six years will be about a Governor who sowed the seeds of political division in Kansas. From his all-out attacks on members of his own party, to his blatant disregard for opposing views of any kind, Governor Brownback leveraged a big money machine to turn our state into a petri dish for far-right policy and an extremist approach to governing. This is a far cry from the Kansas that many of us have known and loved.

What will happen to our state as a result of the Brownback years remains to be seen, and it will largely be up to us to decide. Kansans of all political stripes have certainly been activated. And, so far, there are signs that we may learn our lessons from these divisive and damaging years for our state and begin to put Kansas back on the right track by bringing people together around the solutions to our largely self-created challenges. The path forward will not be easy, and there is certainly a lot of work to do. But perhaps the next chapter can be the most exciting and impressive one yet: a state turning the page on division and building a model for how to come together, engage, and overcome the disastrous results left behind by these difficult years for Kansas.

Hours after I posted a challenge to Senator Moran to step up on health care and represent the best interests of Kansas, he initially did. I’m sure that decision was already made, but it was a significant first step and I thought maybe one that might inspire others to follow. Then late last Thursday night, the last vote (for now) on repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) took place. Everyone knew this vote would be close, requiring at a minimum three Republicans voting no to defeat the motion. Fortunately, three Republican Senators joined the entire Democratic Caucus to stand up for sanity. Unfortunately, Senator Moran was not one of them. Senator John McCain joined Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins to stop the legislation from going back to the House and possibly on to the White House. For Senator Moran, to explain why he voted against the interests of the health industry and, most importantly, the thousands of Kansans who would have lost their health coverage will not be easy. The difficulty of going back to Palco was saved, to some degree, by the three who had the courage to do what is right.

Last week’s effort to find something that would pass in the Senate that would be able to accomplish their goal of repealing the Affordable Care Act was truly bizarre. When reviewed in the context of historical Senate actions on key legislation having such impact on citizens directly, there is no comparison. The secrecy, the failure to hold any public hearings, the total dismissal of the numbers provided by the Congressional Budget Office, and no effort in bipartisanship, could negatively impact our system of government in ways never before seen if these tactics become a pattern. Senators often had no copy of what they were being asked to vote on. If this had been a resolution on thanking Kansas for growing wheat, no big deal, I trust they could get that one right with little controversy. But this is an issue that has huge impacts on our national economy as well as the potential to deny health coverage to millions of Americans.

Health care will and should remain a key effort for the Congress to resolve, and Senator Moran still has an opportunity to play a key role. The flaws in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) need to be addressed. But it will require Republicans and Democrats working together to best serve the people most impacted by what the federal government does to ensure access to quality health care. The bottom line Senator, as I’ve said, is that this is a really significant opportunity for you. You only have to look to earlier Kansas Senators, Dole and Kassabaum for example, to know the “Kansas way” of leading and appealing to the “better angels of our nature”—​a phrase which harks back to President Lincoln’s first inaugural address and represents an approach to public service that is sorely needed in our politics today.

If you concur, here is a number you can call to share your story and your point of view: (202) 225-3121. Individual citizens expressing their concerns can often make the difference.

This Saturday evening, the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders here at K-State’s Staley School of Leadership Studies will be wrapping up a six-week Civic Leadership Institute. The Young African Leaders Initiative is facilitated through the U.S. State Department with the goal of helping develop the next generation of leaders in Africa. In all, there are 1,000 leaders studying at colleges and universities around the U.S. this summer who will bring their learning and newly-established networks back to their countries and continue to make change in their communities upon their return home. For the second straight year, the Staley School has had the pleasure of hosting this Fellowship. Twenty-five young but experienced Sub-Saharan African leaders, representing twenty three countries, make up the group. The time has been filled with class work and training sessions, interactions with local public, private, and nonprofit sector leaders, participation in some local civic engagement efforts, and making the most of a variety of experiences from Kansas City to Wichita. Building off our experience from last year, this year's program has not only been well-received but has proven once again to be of significant value.

As alluded to in my welcoming remarks six weeks ago, I made it clear then that the learning would go both ways, that we—​here at K-State and in Kansas—​would benefit significantly as well. That has certainly played out in real time. I was particularly struck by the candid comments from our visitors at a forum for local elected officials to share and answer questions. Just one example made clear by a young woman, Folasade Bamisaye from Nigeria, who shared during the forum that she was amazed that this country taxed feminine hygiene products. Here in this country there is little or not even discussion about this issue, much less action. So there is much that can be gained from a dialogue and exchange of ideas on the future.

Each of the Mandela Fellows is engaged across a wide array of issues, including: youth development, public health, gender equity, grassroots organizing, agricultural sustainability, and disability rights. The benefit of having six weeks is having the time to work on specific challenges they had in their leadership experiences in Africa. Naturally they all, as we do, want better ideas in general on how to lead effectively and mobilize people to address challenges. But they also focused on a couple specifics. They wanted to learn more about developing partnerships to work towards systemic change. And one piece in particular, that we all need to focus on, is the importance of utilizing volunteers more successfully.  

One of the unique aspects of this program is the one-on-one mentoring that takes place. Last year, my partner was Abdoul Salam Diallo from Guinea (pictured to the left). Our natural link was his family’s tie to milk cows, so as would be expected that put us together, but from there, our relationship grew to include more areas of discussion around his work. My partner this year is Ahmed M. Afi from Somali. Our connection is his direct interest in public service, and he has made some progress in that regard. His ambitions include being a national leader for Somalia, and given his knowledge, passion, and political savvy, I’m not going to be surprised at all if he achieves his goals. I certainly look forward to staying in communication, continuing to share lessons from my experiences, and knowing just how his plans are going.

Now, here is the not so good news. This program, along with many others, falls under the banner of “Foreign Aid” or investments in diplomacy. As you may know, these types of investments are currently under attack by the President, and it will be up to the Congress to—​as our country has historically done—​appreciate the value of investing in programs like this and other aid efforts. Stronger, well-prepared leaders for the future of Africa will help empower and mobilize citizens to address a range of issues that exist throughout the continent. Meanwhile, the ability to address community needs such as food insecurity not only helps these countries build for the future, but it’s also absolutely in our national security interest. Hungry people can easily be the target of self-serving leaders who prey on the needy to the benefit of themselves and, in the process, create an environment that is ripe for terrorist activity.
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It has been an absolute joy to spend time with the Mandela Fellows during these past six weeks, and most importantly, I look forward to the impacts that their leadership will make in the effort to build a healthier, happier, and more peaceful world for all.

Learn about each of the Mandela Fellows on the Staley School's blog or see more pictures on Facebook.

Recently, Senator Moran held a townhall meeting in Palco, Kansas. I include the “Kansas” part because I suspect many are not aware there is a Palco. Located in the western part of our state, they certainly represent an area that supported the President as well as the Senator in recent elections. The focus of the townhall was on healthcare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare, and the Republican Senators and their plan to repeal and replace.

I’m impressed with how Senator Moran basically handled the meeting. One, I compliment him for going there and having the public meeting. Secondly, he obviously handled it well. He listened, said he understood their concerns, and left the impression he would work hard to address their issues. I’m also very impressed with Palco and the large number of citizens from around the area who turned out to question and listen to the Senator. They had their questions ready, were civil, and were respectful of Senator Moran. This is in contrast to many of his colleagues who have faced hostile crowds and for some, consequently, they just don’t have public meetings. But this meeting reflected the Kansas that we know and love: where people’s passion is matched by a level of respect and a willingness to listen and seek understanding.

However, there is still a lot of political pressure on the Senate from not just the President but right wing political interests in general. The assumption is that whatever the Senate can pass, the House would be under unbelievable pressure to just accept it and send it on to the White House for signature, thus carrying out a Republican campaign pledge of repealing Obamacare. The question of whether that is good public policy or not was behind much of the energy in Palco.

Senate Majority Leader McConnell is focused on trying everything to get the 50 votes for passage, knowing the Vice President would break the tie in their favor. From the outside, it looks difficult given that making the key moderate Senators comfortable loses a couple on the far right. This week, he has announced a delay in the vote because of the absence of Senator John McCain, who holds a key vote that McConnell will need in order to pass the bill. You know he is frustrated because he has now threatened to work with the Democrats, which from my point of view is exactly what should be done. And I believe it is very telling of their approach that bipartisanship is viewed as a last-ditch, worst case scenario to be used as a threat, rather than a critical step to passing legislation on behalf of all Americans. Like the ACA or not, it is in place, and as shared in Palco, there is support for many of the specific pieces of the law and it has undoubtedly made a difference in many people’s lives, which creates a lot of opposition to repealing it. Clearly the ACA has flaws, and this is where working together in a bipartisan way for changes could bring about a much better program, serving more Americans, and done more cost effectively.

So, Senator Moran, now is the opportunity for you to really shine. This is the time for you to stand up, speak out, and make a huge difference for the good of the country and as well for the future of the Republican Party. It’s an opportunity to be a beacon for what politics has been in the past and could be again in this state and country. You know what is on the table hurts too many Kansans and communities. Does improving the ACA have political risk? Yes. However, with four years before your next election, the positive changes would have time to have impact and will less likely be the albatross that some will say today. Of course this does not guarantee an electoral victory, but it may guarantee a better life for Kansans and citizens nationwide. And, having lost elections myself, I can tell you that there are far worse things that could happen. In fact, opportunities could open up that you’ve never dreamt of. I guarantee you would be busy sorting through all sorts of possibilities that would add diversity to your life experiences as well as some new leadership opportunities. Who knows, you could even live full time in Manhattan, Kansas.

July 18th Update: 
Just a few hours after I posted this blog, I was pleased to read that Senator Moran released a statement opposing the current version of the Republican health care bill. As several of McConnell's key votes have moved into the "no" column, it seems that—for now—the current version of the bill has no path forward. However, with that being said, the issue has still not been addressed, and the story is far from over. Credit goes to the many citizen activists who have stuck with the issue and persistently raised their voices to influence our elected officials to find a better way forward. And this engagement cannot stop now, especially with the news that Senator Moran now favors a repeal of the Affordable Care Act without a replacement plan in place. I'm glad he had the wisdom to listen to his constituents on the GOP's replacement bill, and I would encourage him to continue listening on this issue and many others.

Between all the Russia concerns and our President already running for re-election (which has to be a record early start), I fear being lost by many Americans is the push to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with a plan that, until very recently, we knew nothing about. Next week, the United States Senate has on the floor for action a bill with both huge impacts on how citizens are treated in regards to health care, as well as major impacts on our economy given that health care is such a huge factor. But what is craziest of all is that the Senate version was done totally in secret, behind closed doors, with no public hearings, and no input from the minority party.
 
Now, I understand the Republican response is that the Democrats did the same thing when the ACA (also known as Obamacare) was passed. That is true, but only in the House. When it got to the Senate there were many hearings and endless meetings with Republican amendments not just being offered but also many being accepted. It did have bipartisan input. But most importantly, there was much time for special interests, the press, and citizens as well to comment and at least to some extent know what was coming.
 
It is important to acknowledge that there are changes that need to be made in the ACA. However, repealing and starting from scratch in a very partisan way is not a responsible step forward. If this bill is crammed through with only Republican votes, do you think the Democrats when they control Congress next are going to do anything but put this whole issue back up for change? Given the polls showing the American public’s opposition to many of the anticipated changes, as well as opposition from many areas of the health care industry, there will be public pressure to do so.
 
But maybe most important, for rural states like Kansas, is to understand that huge cuts in Medicaid will not just impact thousands of Kansans, but will really put additional pressure on our rural hospitals regarding their fight to survive. I don’t think I have to tell you what that loss would do, to not only health care coverage, but also consider the impact that losing so many good jobs would have on the local rural economy. States like Kansas that did not accept Medicaid expansion from the ACA are already hurting in this area, so how could more cuts to Medicaid be the answer? It will be interesting to see how our Congressional delegation will react and vote. If they will not speak up on behalf of rural America—​and be willing to back up these words with appropriate action—​then how can they say they are representing our best interests? I want to believe there are the few Republican Senators needed to stop this cruel action, even if a couple of them voted no because the cuts were too small. But that shouldn’t stop citizens from expressing their thoughts and making it clear that this bill will harm our future.