One of the things that`s offensive is saying in the fifth district there`s nothing going on. This is a very vast district. The congressman happens to represent me. And while there are always more things that we can do in every community, this is a very diverse district with all kinds of wonderful things.
The Republicans in the House and Senate took the district that I firmly represent, 22 in south Florida, from a D plus one to a D plus five almost a D plus six district, which means you are given a five to six percent registration advantage to Democrats. They drew in more Democrats into the district I represent.
I'd like to vote for a bill. But I'm not going to vote for one unless I think it's going to be good for the area I represent.
I don't have any rift with President Obama at all. I think that he is operating in an entirely different arena than I'm dealing in. I represent my constituents in the Fourth Congressional District. I'm looking out admittedly for much more narrow interests. I represent the fourth-poorest district.
To suggest that all members of the Republican conference represent their district in a manner that's reflective of the makeup of their district would not be accurate.
My district doesn't come to vote to the polls against something because they fear something. They will come to the polls to vote for something because they are inspired by something.
To give you some background, I represent the largest manufacturing district and the largest agricultural district in Ohio.
There are 10,000 local governments in the state of New York. Ten thousand! Town, village, lighting district, water district, sewer district, a special district to count the other districts in case you missed a district.
I will vote adamantly against the interests of my district if I actually think what I am doing is going to be helpful.
There are not very many people who go out and vote in primaries. So to get elected in a particular district, you have to appeal to the five people who vote in the primary.
I don't go to Washington to represent the president; I go to represent the people of this district.
I've been winning with 70 percent of the vote, and if you look at my district, you know it's a majority Christian district, and yet we've still been winning with high margins, so I don't feel like I've had any disadvantages for being a minority.
The key is to vote because we need a vote to put the people in power that we want to represent us.
Personally, I'm incredibly lucky to represent the 10th district of Illinois, which stretches from the edges of Cook county all the way north along Lake Michigan to the borders of Wisconsin. From the lake all the way west to Fox Lake. It's an incredible district.
I think it's incredibly important to vote because politics is for the people, and we shouldn't leave it just to the parties because then we're in some kind of helpless society where you have no say in anything and in things that are going to affect you. Government was formed to represent the people, but if you don't vote, then you're not being represented.
I'm going to try to give people someone to vote for instead of something to vote against.