1st Tea Party Caucus - Republicans 28, Democrats 0
July 23, 2010
1st Tea Party Caucus - Michele Bachmann |
Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Republican House Representative, won approval on Monday July 19th from House leaders to form the Tea Party Caucus which held its first meeting on Wednesday July 21st. Out of 433 possible House attendees (2 vacancies), only 28 Republicans and zero Democrats attended the meeting despite Bachmann’s efforts to reach out to House Democrats. Ms. Bachmann is serving as chairwoman of the Tea Party Caucus and the following is a full list of attendees by state:
- Arizona: Trent Franks
- California: Gary G. Miller
- Colorado: Doug Lamborn
- Florida: Gus Bilirakis and Cliff Stearns
- Georgia: Paul Broun, Phil Gingrey and Tom Price
- Indiana: Dan Burton and Mike Pence
- Iowa: Steve King
- Kansas: Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt
- Louisiana: John Fleming
- Maryland: Roscoe G. Bartlett
- Michigan: Pete Hoekstra
- Minnesota: Michele Bachmann
- Missouri: Todd Akin
- North Carolina: Walter B. Jones
- South Carolina: Joe Wilson
- Texas: Joe L. Barton, John Carter, Michael C. Burgess, John Culberson, Louie Gohmert, Pete Sessions, Lamar Smith
- Wyoming: Cynthia M. Lummis
Ms. Bachmann said of the Caucus, “it would be an informal group, dedicated to promote Americans’ call for fiscal responsibility, adherence to the Constitution, and limited government.” In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Bachmann wrote, “This caucus would do nothing more than promote the timeless principles of our founding, principles that all members of Congress have sworn to uphold. The Tea Party Caucus is strictly issue-based in nature, promoting policies of fiscal responsibility and limited government with a strict adherence to our Constitution at the forefront. By rejecting such an organization, we would be silencing the voices, values, and principles held dear by millions of Americans.”
Tito Munoz, an immigrant from Columbia, stated at the meeting, “I came here for liberty, and didn't come here for dependence. I came here for opportunity, I didn't come here to receive from the government or be told by the government what I should do or what I shouldn't do.” Many Tea Party members expressed their concerns about a government that is growing at an alarming rate, spending too much, and raising taxes. Representative Dan Burton, Republican from Indiana said, “The Tea Party Movement is all across this country. There’s all races involved, all ethnic groups, and they speak for America.” The question I would have to ask, is Congress listening?
The first Tea Party Caucus mustered up 28 Representatives from the House. The “Out of Afghanistan Caucus” has 24 members, the “Quality Care Coalition” has 29 members, the “Boating Caucus” has 118 members, and the “Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine” has a membership listing of 50 Republicans and 66 Democrats. Even the “Congressional Contaminated Drywall Caucus” has 20 members. House Republican leader John Boehner will not join the caucus because “as a personal policy” does not join any groups other that the House Republican Conference. Apparently Congress is more concerned with recreational boating, controlling methamphetamine, and party lines than in listening to the Tea Party which represents millions of Americans.
It remains to be seen if the Caucus of the largest grass-roots movement in our lifetime will gain traction in Washington or if Congress will continue to turn a deaf ear on Americans who will control their future in the coming mid-term elections of 2010.
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