Last year, I was asked to nominate a person for man or woman of the year. I chose Harriet Miers, because I thought that she showed selflessness, grace, and dignity in the midst of great public scrutiny. This year, I am nominating a man who similarly deals with intense public pressure, day in and day out. The life this man lives in Washington, as a congressman, has caused more than one person to stumble or fall, abandoning principles that he once held dear. This man instead seems to have become stronger and more committed to his values, despite the increasingly heavy weight that has been placed on his shoulders.

The man I am describing, of course, is one of Dallas’ very own congressman, Jeb Hensarling, who represents the 5th District of Texas.

Hensarling was elected to the 5th District in 2002. His first challenge came almost immediately in 2003, when the Republican leadership backed a Medicare prescription drug benefit bill. The legislation was a costly, inefficient, vast expansion of Medicare that contradicts every small government, pro-private enterprise principle in the Republican platform. Hensarling worked with the legislation’s opponents in the days and weeks before the vote, but unfortunately made a mistake in the final hours. The Republican leadership strong-armed many legislators, including Hensarling, into voting for the measure in the final minutes and hours before the vote was completed.

To Hensarling’s credit, he seems to have realized his mistake very quickly—with much more speed and decisiveness than the rest of the Republican Party. He has not made such a mistake again, regardless of how much pressure the White House and other Republican leaders have applied. To the contrary, the mistake seems to have made him even more devoted to his values. Come hell or high water, Hensarling votes consistently with his conservative principles, not his party, and I, for one, admire him for it.

Consider, for instance, the fact that Hensarling is one of the few Dallas-area politicians who has been willing to publicly denounce the Wright Amendment, the legislation that worked against Southwest Airlines and Love Field for decades. Surely Hensarling’s stand caused him to lose more than one campaign donation from those who profit from DFW’s virtual monopoly on certain air travel routes out of Dallas. Nevertheless, Hensarling remains unwavering. The Wright Amendment might profit certain individual Republicans, but it is also anti-free market. Hensarling put principle above politics.

This past April, Hensarling took a similar stand when Republicans in the House attempted to squash certain political contributions to so-called 527 groups. This legislation was anti-free speech, but few Republican legislators seemed to care. After all, the measure would undermine George Soros-type contributions, thus helping Republicans and hurting Democrats. Hensarling was one of the few congressmen to see past the politics and to stand on principle. He voted against the legislation. In America, we are pro-free speech. We do not limit speech for purely partisan gain, as Hensarling demonstrated with his vote.

In recent months, Hensarling has become one of the leading advocates for conservative economic principles in the House. During the 109th Congress, he stood firm against the White House and Republican leadership over a series of budget and spending issues. In fact, his unwavering stance earned him praise from a National Review columnist as “Rep. Budget Reform.” Finally, just this month, Hensarling was elected the head of the Republican Study Committee, the caucus of conservative House members.

Following this November’s elections, Jeb was among the few to both recognize and acknowledge the reasons for Republican defeats nationwide: “Today, the American people have sent us a clear message, and that message is that we’ve deviated from our principles and values,” he stated. “ Instead, over the last several years, Republicans have experimented with big government, and we have now seen the result. The Bridge to Nowhere has led us here. The era of Republican Big Government is over. ”

Hensarling’s history in Congress all adds up to one indisputable fact: Agree with him or not, but Jeb Hensarling is a man who will vote his conscience, regardless of what may or may not be politically popular. Dallasites should be proud to have such a principled man serving them in the United States Congress.

Comments (0)

Comment	smaller | bigger
Name
Write the displayed characters
Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
	Add Comment