-By Warner Todd Huston
Veteran fiscal conservative Congressman Peter Roskam (R, IL) has announced the names of the 10 Republicans that are joining him on the House Ways and Means Committee, the powerful committee that has jurisdiction over taxes, trade, and programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
Peter Roskam is the Representative for the 6th Illinois Congressional District which is situated just west of Chicago. He is about to begin his third term in Congress and will advance to the position of Chief Deputy Whip in the 112th Congress. Roskam ranks fourth in the House GOP leadership. His American Conservative Union (ACU) ranking is 97.33 percent.
Two freshmen Representatives will be taking their place on this powerful committee.
Representative Rick Berg: (Official House website to come in Feb.) Berg is beginning his first term representing North Dakota’s 1st District.
After more than 25 years as a state legislator, Rick is making his first venture into national politics as North Dakota’s at-large representative-elect. As a Majority Leader and Speaker of the House in ND, Rick has a strong record of job creation and lower taxes.
Berg was a North Dakota State Rep. And beat nine-term Democratic incumbent Earl Pomeroy. Berg ran as a pro-business conservative. Berg signed the no tax pledge at Americans for Tax Reform.
Representative Diane Black: (Official House website to come in Feb.) freshman Black will begin her first term as Tennessee’s Representative of the 6th District.
After finishing up a victorious campaign, Diane is preparing to serve her first term in Congress. With over 40 years of experience as a nurse and 10 years in the Tennessee General Assembly, Diane will make an excellent addition to Ways & Means and the Republican majority.
Rep. Black took a seat from a retiring Democrat and ran as a small government, limited-taxes candidate. Black supports a repeal of Obamacare. She is against abortion and believes marriage should be defined as a union only between a man and a woman. Black also signed the no tax pledge at Americans for Tax Reform.
Here are the other Republicans serving on the Ways and Means Committee
Representative Vern Buchanan (FL-13): After two terms in Congress, Vern has developed a reputation for being a thoughtful, fiscally conservative representative, advocating for a balanced budget and earmark reform. He currently serves on the Small Business Committee, where he is the Republican leader on the Subcommittee on Finance and Tax. ACU rating 77.33 percent.
Representative Jim Gerlach (PA-6): Jim has been representing the citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania for over 20 years, first in the state legislature and now in Congress. Currently, Jim serves on the Financial Services and Transportation & Infrastructure Committees. ACU rating 62.57 percent.
Representative Lynn Jenkins (KS-2): With 20 years of experience as a CPA, Lynn brings a strong background in financial management to Washington. During her first term in Congress, she served on the Financial Services Committee, where she has demonstrated a commitment to fiscal responsibility. ACU rating 92 percent.
Representative Chris Lee (NY-26): A businessman by trade, Chris is about to begin his second term in Congress. In Washington, he has put his real world experience to use on the Financial Services Committee and the House Republican Economic Recovery Working Group. ACU rating 88 percent.
Representative Erik Paulsen (MN-3): Erik is finishing his first term representing the western suburbs of Minneapolis. He believes in fiscal responsibility, a trait he brought to the Financial Services Committee, advocating for greater transparency and accountability in government spending. Erik is also the co-chair of the House Medical Technology Caucus. ACU rating 88 percent.
Representative Tom Price (GA-6): An orthopedic surgeon by trade, Tom is preparing for his fourth term in the House of Representatives. Previously, Tom has served on the Financial Services and Education & Labor Committees, where he has been a strong advocate for patient-centered health care reform. ACU rating 97.60 percent.
Representative Aaron Schock (IL-18): A fellow Member from Illinois, Aaron represents the 18th District, based out of Peoria. He is the youngest member of Congress, but this is not a reflection of his experience – he spent his first term in Congress serving on three committees, including Transportation & Infrastructure, Small Business, and Oversight. ACU rating 92 percent.
Representative Adrian Smith (NE-3): Adrian represents America’s heartland with a district that stretches across most of Nebraska. Until now, his legislative experience in Congress centered around agriculture, serving on the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Science & Technology Committees. ACU rating 97.33 percent.
According to the ACU the poorest rating is that of Pennsylvania’s Gerlach (62.57 percent) and Florida’s Buchanan (77.33 percent). All in all a fairly conservative bunch there.
(Bios supplied by Peter Roskam’s office)
____________
“The only end of writing is to enable the reader better to enjoy life, or better to endure it.”
–Samuel Johnson
Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer. He has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and before that he wrote articles on U.S. history for several small American magazines. His political columns are featured on many websites such as Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com, BigHollywood.com, and BigJournalism.com, as well as RightWingNews.com, CanadaFreePress.com, StoptheACLU.com, AmericanDaily.com, among many, many others. Mr. Huston is also endlessly amused that one of his articles formed the basis of an article in Germany’s Der Spiegel Magazine in 2008.
For a full bio, please CLICK HERE.