Missouri U.S. Senator Roy Blunt Archives

Bipartisan efforts: Clay and Blunt celebrate NGA groundbreaking (AUDIO)

November 26, 2019 By Ashley Byrd

Construction is officially underway on a new national geo-intelligence facility in north St. Louis. The $1.7 billion project, known as N2W relocates the National Geospatial-Intelligence agency from west of downtown St. Louis.

Missouri First District Congressman Lacy Clay welcomed the crowd of national, state and local dignitaries at the Nov. 11 groundbreaking:

“Welcome to a historic day at the corner of Jefferson and Cass!” he exclaimed, alluding to a blighted area of town that will be the hub of this headquarters.

In this speech, Clay thanked “his good friend Sen. Roy Blunt…thank you so much for your friendship and your leadership.”

Clay told what he calls “the amazing story of how St. Louis won the competition for the new NGA West headquarters, which will be the largest single federal government investment in St. Louis history.”

Listen to Lacy Clay speech (8:17)

Sen. Blunt also spoke of working closely with city leaders and former Mayor Francis Slay as he enthusiastically listed the immediate economic benefits to an area that was, according to a local ward leader, “going more and more downhill.”

Listen to Blunt’s speech (6:27)

Blunt says he can envision the area 10 years from now, as support businesses move in and retail grows to meet the demands of thousands of employees and visitors.

“This is a good day to capture in your mind where we are today and where I fully believe we’ll be then. It’s a great day for the intelligence, defense, the geospatial, the overhead architecture defense of the country but its a great day for St. Louis, a great day for jobs, it’s a great day for this community,” he said at the groundbreaking.

The City of St. Louis officially transferred the 97 acres of land for the new NGA campus to the U.S. Air Force in December 2018, displacing residents. There have been dissenters, but city and neighborhood leaders welcome the facility as an economic boost to a blighted area. (photo Ashley Byrd)

NGA sign and site in background

Missouri U.S. Senators split on vote to keep federal government open

November 21, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

Congress has passed a bill to keep the federal government open through December 20. U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, supported the measure and Senator Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, opposed it.

The U.S. House passed the proposal on Tuesday.

U.S. Capitol dome courtesy of the U.S. House

The legislation would also include a 3.1% military pay raise, funding for U.S. census efforts and extends controversial surveillance programs to March.

During a press conference on Capitol Hill this week, Blunt says many things are on hold until the funding issue is resolved.

“Defense is critical, but there are lots of other things in this appropriations process that are waiting to see if we’re going to fund the government, at what level we’re going to fund the government, and whether we’re going to move toward the future or just wait for the future come to us,” says Blunt.

Blunt says the National Institute of Health needs funding for important research, like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

“The one percent of that amount that we put into research isn’t nearly as effective if you get it three months into the year as it would be if you got it at the first of the year. It’s even less effective if you get it five months into the year,” says Blunt.

President Donald Trump signed the proposal shortly after.

Blunt says trade dispute has hurt China’s economy more than America’s

November 13, 2019 By Missourinet Contributor

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, believes the trade dispute with China will be resolved, but says the belief that trade would change China will likely never materialize. Blunt says both the U.S. and China have reasons to sign a new trade agreement.

Blunt says trade dispute has hurt China’s economy more than America’s

“I don’t think we’re ever going to get back to where we were with China a decade ago when there was a sense that this was going to be smooth-sailing and the Chinese economy and their view of individual freedom was developing so rapidly that, before you knew it, we’d all be functioning the same way,” Blunt says in an interview with St. Joseph affiliate KFEQ. “I think we now see that’s not likely to happen. President Xi is president for life.”

Blunt insists the trade dispute has hurt the Chinese economy more than the American economy. He says China, because of its communist form of government, can better weather economic hardships than the United States.

“They can tolerate more unhappiness in their system, but nobody likes to tolerate unhappiness,” Blunt says. “So, President Xi should want to do this. President Trump should want to do this. I think we will see some things happen there, but not everything that probably we need to see happen and would eventually want to see happen.”

Blunt says the optimistic outlook many U.S. leaders had that open trade would create an open China just hasn’t happened and likely won’t happen.

One trade agreement has been reached, but is pending Congressional approval.

Blunt is optimistic Congress will approve the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is touted as vital to Missouri agriculture as well as business.
Blunt says it might seem odd, but the move by House Democrats to investigate and possibly impeach President Donald Trump could well pave the way for approval of the USMCA.

“The impeachment votes in the House make it even more likely that the Speaker’s going to decide that the 30 or 40 members that are going to have the hardest time casting that vote are the same 30 or 40 members that have the most need to have a vote on USMCA,” according to Blunt. “I think we have a real chance to get that done.”

Blunt holds out hope Congress will take up and pass the trade agreement before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, public impeachment hearings involving President Trump begin today.

By Brent Martin of Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph