Add Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) to the crowd calling on Congress to step in to tackle the risking costs of youth sports.
“When kids are being cut off from that because teams require all this money to participate, it's concerning … I think it's important that Congress, the role that we got to play is to make sure that we're putting money into afterschool programs. To make sure that we're putting money into community organizations that can be able to put that money where families can use it so that their kids can learn not just the game that they're playing, but the camaraderie, the discipline, the approach to teamwork that comes with playing the sports.”
Menefee — who won his seat in a January special election — is an interesting new voice in the conversation for two reasons:
1) He and his wife recently helped revive a low-cost Little League in the Houston area that had been defunct for years.
2) He could be a case study in how much impact youth sports makes as a campaign trail talking point. Menefee faces a high-profile Democratic primary runoff next month against fellow incumbent Rep. Al Green due to redistricting in the state.
Green has a national profile for numerous clashes with President Trump. He also significantly outperformed polls in the first vote, coming within two points of Menefee.
If Menefee’s youth sports advocacy helps him close out the race, it could inspire other politicians to pick up the baton this fall.
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