Rep. Blum talks with Xavier High students

CEDAR RAPIDS - Ryer Barnes has been dreaming about attending West Point since he was in the fifth grade.

Wednesday, he met with U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, who gave the Xavier High School senior a congressional nomination for his application to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point.

Blum, a Republican who represents the 1st District, credited Barnes' hard work as a major factor in the nomination, which Blum staffer John Oferland said was one of just a handful received in the district each year.

'We're honored to be able to help him. He's going to be a great asset to our country,” Blum said. 'Anytime these happen, I love to come to the school.”

Barnes also received nominations from GOP U.S. Sens Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst.

'You only need one, but he got all three; it's unbelievable,” his father, Mike, said.

Barnes, who said he has a 4.52 grade-point average, said the military academy has long been a goal of his. 'West Point is my big focus, it's what's pushing me in school right now,” he said.

His sister, Jewel, parents Tabby and Mike, and his girlfriend attended Blum's visit.

Blum also visited a pair of teacher Gina Haag's government classes to meet with students and talk about his role as a congressman.

Blum, of Dubuque, touched on issues like personal and fiscal responsibility, free markets and sanctity of life as his four main focuses in Washington, D.C.

After meeting with students, Blum talked with a reporter about a few current topics in Washington, including plans by the GOP majority to replace the Affordable Care Act, as promised by Republican President Donald Trump.

Blum said the scuttled replacement - the American Health Care Act - was better than the current law, but he still wanted to see lower premiums.

'Is this better than Obamacare, the original bill? Yeah, but let's have it be better. ... Let's get it right. Let's get it better,” Blum said. 'Negotiations are going on every day.”

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the replacement would have led to 24 million fewer people with health insurance, but save $337 billion from the federal deficit, by 2026.

Blum also said Trump's order last week to launch 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield was a decisive move. However, he said he'd prefer Congress be involved before any such future engagements.

'If we're talking about continued bombing of Syria, if we're talking about controlling the airspace over Syria, if we're talking about committing our nation's finest young men and women to Syria to potentially die, it should come to Congress,” Blum said.

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