Getting to Know Your Member of Congress and Your Congressional District, Essay Example

I reside in North Carolina’s 10^th Congressional District, an area populated as 87% White (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Hickory is the largest city in the district and is located at its center in Catawba County, one of the largest counties in the state. Twenty percent of the population of the district resides in Catawba County. The second largest city, and fastest growing, is Mooresville, also known as “Race City USA,” because it is home to several NASCAR teams and drivers, namely, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. The district is predominantly a rural one and prefers Republican candidates as verified by its recent elections for, not only the U.S. House, but for state house and senate as well (North Carolina Republican Party, 2010). Most of its Democratic voters live in its more densely populated areas.

Patrick T. McHenry, a Republican from Cherryville, currently represents the district in the U.S. House of Representatives. McHenry is serving his third term, elected first in 2004 while representing North Carolina’s 109^th District in the state House of Representatives. According to the National Journal, McHenry holds the most conservative voting record in Congress (National Journal, 2009). He serves as the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives. As such, he holds major responsibility for the oversight of the 2010 Decennial Census. In addition to several other committee memberships, McHenry serves as the Deputy Republican Whip in the House (United States House of Representatives, 2010).

Representative McHenry’s voting record proves that he is in line with the objectives of his party. During the 111^th Congress, he has voted with his Republican colleagues 94.7% of the time (Washington Post, 2010). He has voted against key issues such as the Omnibus Appropriations Act (HR 1105), the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (HR 976), and the amendment to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HR 1). He has favored the Patriot Act (HR 836) and the measure to increase funding for the War in Iraq (HR 2206).

McHenry follows the delegate concept of representation, as opposed to the trustee concept, because he votes with in accordance with the predominant wishes of his constituency on most issues. A trustee, on the other hand, is one who acts, ostensibly, with the best interests of a people in mind, even if the action is not popular.

There are four important reasons that I support Representative McHenry’s reelection bid for the House when he runs again this year. First, as a young man, born in 1975, McHenry represents a new wave of republican leadership in Washington. Already he has distinguished himself as a leader among leaders, and he is poised for varied, influential roles in the coming years. Secondly, he balances the current power structure of the House of Representatives as a strong, conservative voice during a period that undoubtedly go down in history as being one of the most liberal minded Congresses that the United States has seated in decades. This provides a good basis for returning him to continue the good work that he has begun. Next, I support McHenry because he has plans for restoring jobs to our beleaguered area. Once a stronghold for the furniture industry, the workforce of North Carolina’s 10^th District has now shrunk under the Obama administration. Our district needs to see people go back to work. Finally, I will work to send Patrick McHenry back to Washington to help ensure that our men and women in uniform receive the full backing and support of our federal government as they work night and day to rid the middle east of terrorist cell groups. We need action to back up straight talk. We know that Patrick McHenry is working. He missed less only 2% of the votes that of the current congressional session.

This assignment has caused me to do careful investigation into an extremely important office for those who live in my district. From Avery County in the north to Gaston County in the south,  and from Lincoln County in the east to Rutherford County in the west, my congressional district is a great place to live, work, worship, and recreate. I am proud to have Mr. McHenry represent my family and me as he speaks for the values of hard working people who do not expect the government to bail them out but to lift them up.

References

National Record (2009). McHenry Battles Distrust. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from             http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/cdp_20090928_8893.php

North Carolina Republican Party (2010). North Carolina House. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from            http://www.ncgop.org/site/c.osLZIdMSJvH/b.5616335/k.CE48/NC_House.htm

United State House of Representatives (2010). Legislative Resources. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from http://mchenry.house.gov/.

U.S. Census Bureau (2000). Catawba County , North Carolina. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from             http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/37035.html

Washington Post (2010). North Carolina Census Data. Retrieved February 16, 2010 from http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m001156/key-votes/