Lucas Defends Farm Bill At Town Hall
GOP’s Lucas says Conservative activist groups are ‘coming after’ him
By RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer on Jul 2, 2013
SKIATOOK – The conservative schism that has all but paralyzed the U.S. House of Representatives and contributed to the defeat of one long-time Oklahoma Republican congressman showed itself Monday at the town hall meeting of another veteran GOP congressman who is catching heat from the right.
Taking their cue from the Heritage Foundation and other conservative groups, a half-dozen or so people in a crowd of about 25 at Skiatook’s First Baptist Church urged 3rd District Rep. Frank Lucas to cut even more from the farm bill than the $40 billion he and the Agriculture Committee he leads propose.
That bill failed on the House floor two weeks ago, largely because of 62 “no” votes cast by fellow Republicans, including Rep. Jim Bridenstine of the 1st District.
Bridenstine ousted incumbent John Sullivan with a boost from tea party and other conservative groups. A contingent of those folks, some of whom do not live in Lucas’ district, arrived Monday with a video camera and some cordial but pointed questions for the longest-serving member of the state’s congressional delegation.