***This is NOT an endorsement for Congressman King, just mere observations and my opinion on the idea that he cannot be “effective” without committee assignments***
Is Congressman Steve King “effective?” Can Congressman Steve King be “effective” if he isn’t on any committees?
Those are questions voters in Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District will be asking themselves for the next 19 weeks or so.
First, voters in the Fourth District have to figure out a way to measure effectiveness. Is effectiveness determined by how many laws are passed?
I know people who are my friends and neighbors here in the Fourth District who would say the most effective thing Congress could do is stop making laws and regulations.
That’s not necessarily my view, I’m just saying it’s a school of thought.
According to the numbers, of the members currently serving in the 116th Congress who have offered the most amendments on the floor, King has the second-highest approval rate of amendments.
Congressman Paul Gosar has a rate of 65.25 percent. King has a rate of 52.04 percent.
Of members currently serving in the 116th Congress, the top-four offering amendments on the floor are Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, with 285; Gosar, with 118; King, with 98; and Congressman Jerry Nadler, with 63.
Anyone who knows anything about the legislative process knows amendments are crucially important.
These numbers would suggest that Congressman King is engaged in what’s happening in Congress and that his policies have been popular, in spite of the fact he’s received little support from leadership.
King was the original author of the ObamaCare Repeal Act. He has always advocated for the Second Amendment. He has said it many times, and it’s pretty true, King ran testing on President Trump’s immigration policy long before Trump ran for President. The heartbeat bill has been introduced in 14 states this year, largely due to King’s leadership.
He had four bills pass in two days during the 115th Congress:
*Sarah’s Law (No Sanctuary for Criminals Act)
*Sanctuary Cities Legislation
*Kate’s Law
*H.R. 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017
King argues his policies are shared policies of the Trump Administration. That list includes school choice, protecting American intellectual property, addressing birthright citizenship, the Census Accuracy Act.
And the list, he would say, could go on.
King’s team will claim he isn’t being challenged in a Republican primary for things he hasn’t done, but perhaps due to what he has done.
He’s taken positions that are not popular with the Republican establishment. He’s taken positions that are not popular with employers who need cheap labor through illegal immigration.
And, he’s done so rather unapologetically. Agree or disagree, King’s constituents know exactly what he stands on an issue.
That’s relatively rare these days. And while King’s opponents may call him ineffective, it doesn’t seem they’d ever call him deceptive.
That should count for something for someone who is representing people in Washington D.C.
I’ve made it this far without saying what I think. But here is what I think.
Effectiveness can be measured in many ways. The reality is Congressman King is one out of 435 people in the United States House of Representatives.
I have seen firsthand how “effective” state legislators are when they’re one of 50 in the Iowa Senate or one of 100 in the Iowa House.
Here’s an unfortunate truth, one Congressman is not going to be THAT effective. They are one out of 435.
And not only that, but how “effective” should a conservative member of Congress be in a United States House of Representatives run by Nancy Pelosi?
Really? Seriously?
I don’t care if Congressman King is on every committee in the U.S. House, if Pelosi is in charge, his priorities aren’t going to get addressed anyway.
Maybe I’m wrong. I’m certainly willing to listen. King is not the only person in the Fourth Congressional District race I’d be content with calling my congressman.
But I struggle to think of ways King could’ve really made my life better if he was “more effective” in this Pelosi-led Congress. Nor do I think my life is any worse because he isn’t on any committees in the Pelosi-led Congress.
Again, these are just my thoughts. I am interested in hearing what YOU think, especially if you are from the Fourth Congressional District. We will gladly publish your opinion! Send your thoughts to [email protected].
