Washington, D.C. — Newly-elected members of the U.S. House of Representatives were in Washington last week for orientation. The 117th Congress begins operation in January, and the event allowed new lawmakers to be brought up to speed about how things work in congress.
4th District Congressman-Elect Randy Feenstra attended the orientation and said it reminded him of going into 9th grade.
(As above) “You feel very new. I mean, it’s orientation….I felt like I was going back to school and being the freshman in class. There’s just so much to learn, from how a bill becomes a law…all the minutiae that goes with it and then all the ethics rules, I mean everything is very official. There’s official business and you can’t mix that with campaign business and things like that…it was just really good to know. But probably the most important thing was just getting to know current congressional people and the new class you’re going to be in with.”
The Hull Republican called orientation an exciting experience and said he took the opportunity to let it be known that he wants a place on the Ag Committee.
(As above) “For me, it was just exciting to see, ‘alright, how can I help the 4th District?’ I want to be on Agriculture and I made sure I told everybody that…that, hey, being from the 4th District, we’re number one or two in the nation and it’s paramount that I be on Agriculture and be a strong advocate.”
He said that while the congressional orientation was an interesting experience, it was also humbling.
(As above) “Going through all those things was really interesting and humbling. Just to be there in Washington, knowing that you’ll be the voice for the people in the 4th District of Iowa.”
Prior to running for the U.S. House of Representatives, Feenstra had served in the Iowa Senate for a dozen years. Experience which, he says, has been invaluable in preparing him to go to Washington.
(As above) “It is a true asset to have been in the legislature in Iowa. How the bill processes, or goes through the process of committee work and how you get it to become law. There are just so many steps to get that done. But at the federal level, while it’s the same process, but it’s even more complicated.”
The 117th Congress doesn’t convene until January, but Feenstra says he’ll be plenty busy between now and then.
(As above) “From now until the end of December, just meeting with all the different organizations and finding out what do we need when it comes to our ag producers? What bills and amendments can we put forward? How does ethanol play out? There’s so many different things….I’m very pro-life, how can we advance a pro-life agenda? It’s exciting to meet a lot of my colleagues who believe the same things I do, and how we can work together, collaboratively, to get something done.”
He says that, while he’ll be the voice of the 4th District in Washington, together we’re all “the government.” He reminds us that we’re all in it together.
(As above) “I’m just so humbled. And I just want everyone to know I represent you, but we are government together, we collectively are government and I’m going to do everything possible to fight for our beliefs and fight for the 4th District and what we have going for us over here. I ask anybody, please keep in contact with me. I’ll get my new number here very shortly and it’s important that everybody understands that we’re all in this together.”
Congressman-Elect Feenstra says he is very much looking forward to getting going in January and delivering for Iowans.
