Congressman Davis Spends Days In Congress On The Run
By Dale Welch
Hilltop Express
January 12, 2004

As the sun gleams its light across the dome of the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Congressman Lincoln Davis (D - 4th Dist.- TN) and his staff already have a couple of meetings under their belt and plan to work into the late hours of the day as congress goes into session. Just another typical day in Washington, DC.

Davis, being a former Tennessee state representative and state senator is used to the long legislative hours. He is serving his first term representing the newly redistricted Fourth Congressional District, which includes 24 counties stretching from Campbell County in East Tennessee, Southwest to portions of Hickman, Lewis and Williamson Counties.

Rep. Davis is serving his first term in congress, winning the seat that was vacated by Van Hilleary, who made an unsuccessful bid for governor.

The freshman congressman serves on three standing committees - the House Committee on Science, the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Among those committees, Rep. Davis serves on several subcommittees.

Rep. Davis said, "The congressman's job is a mobile one." From early morning meetings in his office in the House Cannon Office Building, Rep. Davis and his staff travel many miles on foot to the many other meetings during the day.

Leaving his office, Rep. Davis travels down a hallway to an elevator that takes him down to the miles of tunnels that connect the office building and even to the US Capitol Building, itself. There may be a science committee meeting in one house office building where members will talk about the space shuttle tragedy and, then, the next meeting might be in the agriculture committee with a discussion on the tobacco buy out in another building. Attending any of the meetings requires more long hallways, elevators and tunnels.

When there is a roll call vote on the House floor, no matter where congressmen are in a meeting, they act similar to what you were told to do if you get caught on fire - stop, drop and roll. They stop and drop whatever discussion is going on in the various committees and, once again, head for the hallways, elevators and tunnels on their way to the House floor to cast their "Yea" or "Nay" vote on the matter before the House.

Congressmen do roll call votes a little different than they used to years ago during the days of Cordell Hull. Rep. Davis and his colleagues use an electronic voting card, similar to a credit or debit card to vote on the House floor.

Within his Washington office, the staff stays busy filling notebook after notebook with issues that Rep. Davis has to study to keep up with what's happening in all the committees.

Cumberland County native Beecher Fraiser is Rep. Davis' chief of staff and oversees daily operations in the office. Fraiser was also Davis' chief of staff while he was in the state senate.

Cannon County native Cicely Simpson, an attorney and has a J.D., is the legislative director. Others in the office include Joye Purser, who holds a Ph. D; Brandi McBride who covers transportation committee issues; Noel Smith, who covers agriculture committee issues; and Tom Hayden, who serves a dual role not only as press secretary, but also covers science committee meetings for Rep. Davis and is the webmaster for the congressman's website.

Representing the thoughts, feelings and values of the Fourth District is what Davis said he wants to do. He was noted recently as being ranked 13th out of 205 Democrats who voted in favor of the president's positions.

"Every time I vote," Davis said, "it's not with a caucus or it's not with the White House, it's for the people I represent or to express their views.

As the sun rises over the barn on the Davis farm in the small Fentress County community of Pall Mall, in the Valley of the Three Forks of the Wolf, Rep. Lincoln Davis is already up helping feed around 125 beef cattle with his brother, Ceifer. "I don't know what I'd do without Ceifer," Rep. Davis said. "I couldn't keep up running the farm, the tobacco patch and the hay fields."

Lynda, Rep. Davis' wife, who he affectionately calls "Mrs. Davis," is already up, too and headed to her job as an elementary school teacher or, on the weekend, getting ready for a bunch of grandchildren.

Davis takes pride in the fact that he gets back to his district every weekend. "I haven't missed a weekend of coming back home," Rep. Davis said, "since being sworn in. If their is no business going on in Congress, I have no business being in Washington, DC. I need to be back in my district listening to the homefolks."

There are special weekends that Rep. Davis and wife, Lynda, get to spend with daughters Larissa, Lynn and Libby and their husbands, not to mention a bunch of grandkids - Alexia, Ashton, Andrew, Austin and Adam.

On many weekends, there are meetings with his constituents and homefolks all across the district and meeting with staff at the Fourth District offices in Jamestown, Columbia and Rockwood. Davis said that a vast amount of work is done from the district offices helping constituents with issues including social security, veteran's assistance and helping cities, counties and other government obtain infrastructure, economic development and other assistance.

"Making a difference in people's lives," is what Davis said his job is all about. "I became interested many years ago in public service." While running his construction business and farm, he became involved as a citizen in church and community happenings. Rep. Davis said, "I was involved in things like Little League Baseball and the Jaycees.

"When I became Mayor of Byrdstown, I realized I could do a whole lot more for my community. In the state legislature, we dealt with healthcare, road building and more. As a congressman, I am able to make a difference in more lives on a national and even international level and wanting to make a difference is what this job is all about."