Rep. Andy Ogles talks border, China, electrification at first large Q&A in Maury Co.

U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tennessee, 5th Congressional District, participated Tuesday in the first question and answer session in his home base of Maury County since being elected after a contentious primary and November election.

Addressing key issues facing Congress, Ogles discussed frankly his views on Southern border policies, China's position in the world market, electrification funding and former President Donald Trump's recent indictment, to name a few.

Maury County Chamber & Economic Alliance hosted the talk at Puckett's Restaurant in downtown Columbia with a question and answer session led by Wil Evans, Maury Alliance president, drawing over 100 business leaders.

First Ogles addressed controversy head-on by acknowledging the early criticism he received as a freshman Congressman when he didn't join the majority and readily vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-California, to be U.S. House speaker. He defended his action.

"It was about the rules of the House of Representatives. All spending was on autopilot. Any member of Congress can offer an amendment on the House floor," Ogles said. "We need to go back to the basics when John Quincy Adams called the House 'the people's House.'"

Ogles first term launched with a rocky start when he was criticized by Republican peers over McCarthy, and again lambasted by some media outlets for not accurately disclosing education degrees he had earned, mistakenly calling himself an "economist."

More: U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles admits he was 'mistaken' on the college degree he received

Southern border, national debt in question

When asked to name the most pressing challenge the country will face, Ogles rated first policies regarding the southern border between the U.S. and Mexico, citing that between 100,0000 to 200,000-plus illegal immigrants attempt to cross the border each month into the U.S., according to recent data by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

He also said 250 individuals, who are on the terror-watch list, have also been caught at the U.S. southern border.

As of July, 1.5 million law enforcement encounters had been made at the Southwest land border by the CBP, according to recent CBP data collected on apprehensions, inadmissible volumes and expulsions. The number reflects a 200% to 420%-plus increase since 2020.

Ogles also cited the $32.5 trillion national debt as an area of concern.

"We have a horizon of about 10 years to fix the trajectory of this economy ... to avoid a catastrophic outcome," he said, comparing it to the Titanic. "It's a big ship; it turns slowly."

Ogles predicted "heated" debate over budget appropriations in coming months with a "tug-of-war" between the parties, with possible talks of the government shutting down similar to years past in recent history.

He added he is "not afraid of a government shut-down."

"If government shuts down, they aren't spending your money," Ogles said. "We've got to get back [going back to John Quincy Adams' fervent belief in debate on the House floor] to the basics. We've got to fight. We've got to debate. We've got to come up with the best outcomes."

"The economy is going to be fine," he said, highlighting other countries' high investments in the U.S. dollar. "We are the global currency. That is how energy is traded," Ogles said.

Sticking to conservative Republican ideals, Ogles lauded less government, less federal spending and protecting gun rights. However, he said there is work to do for Republicans.

"I believe a sovereign nation has a strong military, secure borders and open and transparent elections, and right now, we don't click all three boxes," he said.

Ogles said he is a "big fan" of the federal block grant system to disseminate funding for state and county projects to bolster infrastructure, for example, predicting that electrification systems will need to be strengthened in the near future.

"When you look at Blue Oval coming online ... that will be transformative for West Tennessee in the same way the Saturn plant was for southern middle Tennessee, but think back to the winter," he said. "We had brown-outs in Middle Tennessee in the TVA region, and TVA is known for being a good, reliable producer of electricity and yet even today we don't have enough electricity for demand.

"So what you will see as we move forward is the need for infrastructure projects for our electrical grid."

Threat of Chinese Communist Party, federal overreach

Ogles said he believes the Chinese Communist Party is the biggest threat to America.

"They think in terms of dynasty. That's not rhetoric, that's not conspiracy theory," he said, explaining that the party consistently tries to "hack" the U.S.'s electrical grid.

He explained that the U.S.'s dependence on China's investments in the supply chain could present issues down the road.

"Who found it hard to find toilet paper during the pandemic," he said, also citing the long delays in getting certain products presently.

He also supports "getting rid of" "alphabet-letter" federal departments such as the U.S. Department of Education in order to return educational decisions to states as well as do away with the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

"The CFPB can require banks to have more money on hand, and it can affect you and your ability to get a mortgage," Ogles said, also stating its data-reporting to Congress is infrequent.

"The federal one-size-fits-all stamp on everything is not working."

Trump indictment 'frightening'

He briefly commented on Trump's recent indictment, saying he was targeted by "woke" district attorneys.

Ogles was endorsed by Trump for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives and is encouraging all Republicans to back Trump in the 2024 election.

"The idea that political differences will be settled in jail by district attorneys is frightening," he said.

Ogles praised the conservative values of Maury County, calling it a representation of America, while describing Washington D.C. in stark contrast.

"When you go to the swamp, it is everything you think it is and worse," he said. "It's mayhem in that city. The rats have taken over. That is the culture in D.C. It's disconnected from the rest of the world. That's why I ran to take a little piece of America to Washington."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Rep. Andy Ogles talks border, China, electrification at Maury Co. address