Often Bipartisan, Sometimes Partisan, Always Conservative

Op-Ed

This column was first published by the KPC Media Group in the News-Sun (Noble & LaGrange Counties), the Evening Star (DeKalb County), and the Herald-Republican (Steuben County).

These columns have been a great opportunity to share with you the diverse issues we face and how we deal with them, as your representatives and advocates in Washington, D.C.

All three of us — Martin Green in my Washington office, Derek Pillie in my Indiana office, and I — have hopefully provided you with details and insights that are not usually available.

Our office receives around 400 e-mails, letters and calls per week from Hoosiers throughout northeast Indiana. While some issues — such as gas prices — are obviously more common, there are often 50 to 100 different issues being raised to me per week.

Furthermore, on an issue like gas prices, if there are 50 letters per week, there may be 50 variations of that issue in questions and comments.

While we try to handle the incredible diversity and complexity of inquiries as specifically as possible, some generalization is obviously necessary.

This column has helped expand the level of detail in our answers, and the thinking behind them, for at least a number of the major issues.

Our Web site — www.Souder.House.gov — continues to be updated frequently. It includes not only all our media releases, but also my position on more than 50 different issues, as well as images, video, audio, and information on everything from planning a trip to Washington, D.C., to applying for an appointment to a military academy. It's an award-winning Web site, because it's a wealth of information.

I hope these columns have also illustrated that Congress and our government can be both bipartisan and partisan.

Anyone who has followed my career knows that I fight hard for my core beliefs. I am currently furious that liberal Democrats refuse to compromise on creating more American energy. They apparently have decided to stop all spending bills until after the election because, under House rules, Republicans would be allowed to offer amendments to promote drilling for oil and gas, clean coal, or nuclear power.

Obviously, I am thrilled that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Second Amendment's individual right to keep and bear arms by overturning the D.C. gun ban. For many years, I led the fight to overturn this unconstitutional law.

But, as outspoken as I am on tax relief, the war on terrorism, creating more American-made energy, and moral issues like abortion and homosexual marriage, I have also been the lead Republican on many major bipartisan bills.

I have many Democratic friends in the House of Representatives who enjoy working with me, so I am approached almost daily about working on bipartisan opportunities. Among our latest cooperative efforts include numerous education bills to expand programs for low-income kids, a bill to help nurse practitioners, a bill to make sure our border fence uses American-made steel, and a tribute to the DEA.

So, I work with Democrats on many issues, but I also stand up for my conservative principles.

Lastly, I want to thank the KPC Media Group, and in particular Grace and Terry Housholder, for kindly publishing these columns. We hope to resume them in the fall.

Source