By Marla Jones, Managing Editor • marla@southerntorch.com

RAINSVILLE, Ala. — U.S. Representative and candidate for U.S. Senate Bradley Byrne made a campaign stop this week at the Southern Torch office in Rainsville. 

In an exclusive interview, Rep. Byrne discussed impeachment, education and the state of the race. 

As the only candidate in the race who currently holds office in Washington D.C., Byrne stated called the impeachment inquiry "very frustrating." 

"The House has issued more subpoenas this year, than we've passed bills that have gone into law," stated Byrne. "We are wasting time." 

Byrne was famously one of the members of the U.S. House stormed Rep. Adam Schiff's (D-CA) closed door hearings on the impeachment of the President. 

Byrne, a former chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, also addressed the plans put forward by several 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to eliminate student debt.

"I don't think it's too much to ask these students to borrow some money and pay it back during their working career...I was a financial aid recipient, and I paid it back," he stated. 

On the state of the race now that former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced his own campaign, Byrne said, "I honor Jeff Sessions for his prior service as our U.S. Senator, I don't think he did a good job for us as Attorney General. I think his time is over and we need a new U.S. Senator." 

In the most recent fundraising quarter, Byrne reported $2.5 million cash on hand with $408,000 raised in the third quarter. Recent polling conducted by Club for Growth had Rep. Byrne tied for third place in the Republican primary at 11 percent. The primary election will be held on Tuesday, March 3.