For Immediate Release
April 13, 2007
Media Contact: Ray Yonkura
(202) 225-2676
Jordan Column on First Hundred Days in Congress
Washington, DC -- Today marks the 100th day since Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) was sworn in as a member of the 110th Congress.
It is hard to believe that only 100 days have passed since taking the oath of office as the new Congressman from Ohio's 4th District.
Since then, we have been busy working both in Ohio and Washington, D.C. In our district, I have personally attended more than 80 meetings, events, and speeches since January, and our staff has attended many more. We welcome your continued invitations to meet, visit, speak, and listen.
In Washington, I have co-sponsored 35 pieces of legislation, a list of which is available on my congressional website at jordan.house.gov. I have offered pro-life and tax-cut amendments to bills in House committees, and expect to introduce my first stand-alone piece of legislation in the next few weeks.
I have also learned some important early lessons in these first few weeks on Capitol Hill.
First, I discovered that the name a sponsor gives a bill can be misleading. One example is H.R. 800, the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act," which actually takes away the right of workers to choose (or not choose) unionization by secret ballot. Another is H.R. 1, the "Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act." This bill would actually implement ideas that were rejected by the 9/11 Commission, such as agreeing to give the United Nations veto power over certain U.S. policies.
It seems to me that the old adage "you can't judge a book by its cover" applies to many pieces of legislation considered by Congress.
I was happy to learn that there are a number of important issues where bipartisanship works. I supported bipartisan legislation in such areas as earmark reform, ending government pensions for convicted felons, and providing additional resources to bring military facilities like Walter Reed Army Medical Center up to standards.
Other issues I opposed because they were fundamentally out of step with the principles I was elected to uphold. Among these were bills to raise taxes (H.Con.Res. 99), increase the size and scope of the federal government (H.J.Res. 20), tie the hands of our military commanders (H.R. 1591), and create new government programs to solve problems that are better addressed by individuals, families, the market, and the private sector economy.
In many cases where I opposed such legislation, I did cast votes for alternative proposals that I believe better fit the values of the families and taxpayers of our district.
Three major pieces of legislation we have considered deal with taxes, budgets, and government spending. Of the 10 or more times I have spoken on the House floor, most often I have done so to oppose these tax-and-spend proposals. Other topics I have addressed on the House floor include the tragic bus accident involving the Bluffton University baseball team, and my experience visiting our security fences along the Arizona border with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
Again, with so much activity both in Washington and at home, I find it difficult to believe that it has only been 100 days. As always, I want you to know what an honor and privilege it is to serve as your voice in Congress.
Finally, let me thank everyone who has taken time to contact one of our offices. I am impressed by the amount of correspondence we receive, whether by mail, e-mail, or fax. Our staff and I do our very best to respond in a timely manner.
As a reminder to those residents (like me) who were raised to "write your Congressman": Because of the post-9/11 Capitol Hill "anthrax scare," mail that is sent to House and Senate offices is rerouted to an offsite facility for irradiation, causing a delay in delivery of 10 to 14 days.
With that being said, we welcome your comments, questions, and concerns. Please contact me at the addresses listed on my website (jordan.house.gov), call us in Washington at 202-225-2676, or in our district offices in Mansfield (419-522-5757), Findlay (419-423-3210), or Lima (419-999-6455).
