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Washington, DC - By now, most of you have heard the name John Boehner. For those of you who have not, he was recently elected by his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives to serve as House Majority Leader. Boehner, a native of Cincinnati and a lifelong resident of Southwest Ohio, will succeed Rep. Tom DeLay, who stepped down in September.
Rep. Boehner was first elected to Congress in 1990. Prior to his service in Congress, he ran a successful small business and was active in politics at the local level as a Union Township trustee and later at the state level as a representative in the Ohio General Assembly. Although we’ve been lifelong neighbors, my first opportunity to work with John on a daily basis was here in Washington.
He represents the Eighth Congressional District of Ohio which includes the suburban areas of Butler and Montgomery counties and the rural areas of Darke, Mercer, Miami and Preble counties. He keeps his home in the Northern Cincinnati suburb of West Chester with his wife and two daughters. He is a graduate of Moeller High School and Xavier University. I have found John to represent the values we share here in Ohio – he’s honest, hardworking, loyal and fair. I strongly believe he has what it takes to be an effective leader.
I was proud to be among the first to publicly support John soon after he threw his hat into the ring for House Majority Leader. The contested race was among Rep. Boehner, Rep. Blunt and Rep. Shadegg. Many were surprised when Boehner edged out a victory over frontrunner Rep. Blunt, who holds the position of House Majority Whip, the third-ranking position.
The House of Representatives has chosen party leaders since the 19th century to expedite legislative business and to keep the parties united. These leaders are elected every two years in secret balloting by party members in the House.
The role of the majority leader, the second-ranking position in the House after the Speaker of the House, has been defined by history and tradition. The Majority Leader is charged with scheduling legislation on the House Floor; planning the legislative agendas; consulting with Members to gauge party sentiment about important issues; promoting and advancing the priorities of the party; and coordinating legislative efforts with the Minority Leader, the Senate and the White House.
I believe that Rep. Boehner will be an effective leader for a variety of reasons. First, and most importantly, he is a catalyst for change. He has pledged to bring the spirit of renewal and reform back to the majority caucus as Majority Leader. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to help Majority Leader Boehner achieve this goal.
John also has a proven track record for reaching across the aisle to achieve results. As Chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, he helped craft the bipartisan, landmark No Child Left Behind Act, and recently worked with all sides to provide much needed reform to the private pension system. He has also represented Ohio’s farmers well as my colleague on the House Agriculture Committee.
Over his Congressional career, John has worked consistently to reform the federal government, most notably early in his tenure to uncover abusive practices in the House of Representatives, including the infamous House Bank Scandal.
In his new role as leader of the majority caucus, John has outlined a positive, bold and reform-based agenda. His vision includes reducing the federal deficit; limiting the role of government; and restoring the trust between Congress and the American people.
I feel privileged to represent you in Congress at a time when there is so much hope and possibility to bring about reform. I look forward to tackling the major issues that will have a lasting impact on not only people here at home but across our great nation.
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