St. Marys Mayor Joe Hurlburt, right, listens as Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, answers a question at Wednesday’s event.
Jacob Espinosa | The Lima News
ST. MARYS — As Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, fights to win re-election, the 4th District U.S. congressman visited St. Marys on Wednesday to share his thoughts on Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate and the issues at stake with this year’s decision.
Jordan answered questions from residents and city officials on a number of topics including the southern border, the situation in the Middle East and President Biden’s fitness for the office.
“This is such a consequential election,” Jordan said of the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
St. Marys Mayor Joe Hurlburt said he appreciated Jordan visiting the city.
“It was an awesome experience,” he said. “It’s nice to stay connected to your representatives in Washington, and we just appreciate them taking time out to come sit and talk to not only our elected officials, but some of our employees, as well.”
Much of the focus was on the Biden administration and the presidential race, with the Trump ally praising Vice Presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) for his performance against Democratic running mate Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minnesota) in the debate and calling Biden out for his declining mental state.
“We all have relatives who, when their cognitive abilities decline, they get a bit mad,” Jordan said, pointing to a recent meeting Biden held with Indian President Narendra Modi. “The commander-in-chief is just not up to the task.”
Jordan also decried the administration’s handling of the southern border, saying the country needs more immigration judges to handle the situation. He promisied a new Trump administration would solve it.
“The first three things we will do when we win the House, Senate and Presidency are authorize tax cuts, secure the border and get back to common sense energy policy,” he said. “You can’t lead militarily unless you lead economically because that fosters an environment for growth.”
Most dramatically, Jordan expressed worry over the potential for the U.S. dollar to lose its status as the reserve currency.
“Being the reserve currency allows us to carry the debt we have right now,” he said, cautioning that relations with Iran could lead to acrimony with Saudi Arabia. “If you’re not the reserve currency, it’s tough. Great Britain is still an important country, but they’re not ‘the’ country.”
Jordan is running against Democrat Tamie Wilson for re-election.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
