A group of children sat at a picnic table Saturday afternoon listening to U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry talk about life in Washington, D.C., and his support of North Carolina's homeschoolers.
It was a more intimate gathering than some of his other stops along the campaign trail as he gears up for his re-election bid against Democrat Daniel Johnson — and about half the people who turned out to meet with him won't be able to cast their votes for quite some time.
It wasn't the first time Nicholas Gibson, 13, of Hickory had met McHenry, but he enjoyed the chance to see the two-term congressman again.
"I like hearing what's going on in Washington," he said. Gibson has his sights set on serving his country by attending the Air Force Academy and was eager to hear McHenry's tales of homeschoolers from Burke County who have gained admittance to America's elite military academies.
As to McHenry's politics, Gibson said simply, "I think he's doing his job well."
McHenry held his Homeschool Town Hall Picnic at Winkler's Park, next to the Crawdads Stadium.
Educating their children themselves is a top priority for most of the event's attendees, and McHenry came with words of support.
"I'm a big supporter of homeschooling and the rights of parents to homeschool their children rather than leaving that choice up to a bureaucrat," said McHenry, adding, "You shouldn't be punished for homeschooling."
McHenry said he's in favor of providing vouchers or tax refunds for parents who educate their children at home to pay for expenses related to education because, "The cost to homeschool is significant — this is not free."
But, McHenry said, providing parents who homeschool with relief money is not a main priority for Congress.
"Unfortunately, I don't see Congress doing anything to fix this problem this year," he said.
The housing crisis was on the minds of the attendees. McHenry said he voted against the housing bill that recently made its way through Congress because it did too much for financial institutions and too little for homeowners in distress.
"If we're going to help anyone, let's help those people who are on the verge of losing their homes," said McHenry. He suggested a dramatic change: "Let's make it tax-free to own a home."
Another topic of interest to parents and children alike is the energy crisis.
McHenry suggested fighting the problem on three fronts simultaneously. He advocated new oil exploration and drilling, cutting down on oil usage and investing in alternative sources of energy.
His energy solution proposal was brief but he said, "If you come to my town hall meeting on Tuesday night I'll have a 30-minute presentation on energy."
McHenry will host a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m. It will be held in the auditorium at Catawba Valley Community College, at 2550 U.S. 70, SE, in Hickory. It is the seventh town hall meeting out of 10 that he's hosting in the district.
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