‘Everything that you engage in is quintessentially American’; Rep. Barr speaks with nonprofit groups

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Congressman Andy Barr addressed a room of Central Kentucky nonprofits Monday morning.

“Everything that you engage in is quintessentially American,” he said.

Adding that nonprofits provide the creativity and efficiency our government may sometimes lack.

“The government is sometimes not super efficient, to say that nicely,” he said. “You’re closer to the problem, you observe it, you have a human touch, you have personal interaction with people in ways that the government cannot.”

Sean Schomp with the Shepards House says the nonprofit industry needs more help, more grants and more volunteers.

“It is difficult to run these things, it is difficult to hire, and so if we can find ways or get grants that can help us provide for our clients, provide adequate staff for our clients it just goes such a long way for us,” Schomp said.

Barr says he has a list of acts he’s working on to help the nonprofit industry, like streamlining federal grants, passing the bipartisan charitable act and tax deductions.

“Regardless of the outcome of the election, whoever wins in the congress, whoever wins in the white house, there’s going to have to be a major tax bill in 2025,” Barr said.

He says he will continue pushing for these bills, writing these acts, and supporting Kentucky’s nonprofits.

“This is patriotic work that you all are doing, and you do things that nobody else can do,” Barr said.