WASHINGTON — New Congressman Mike Collins supported Kevin McCarthy as U.S. House speaker on all ballots in a move Collins said would "ultimately benefit not only my constituents but all Americans."
Collins, R-Jackson, was sworn in Saturday, Jan. 7, to his inaugural term representing Georgia's 10th Congressional District which includes much of Newton County.
It followed his vote for U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California as Speaker of the House for the 118th Congress.
McCarthy won after 15 ballots — the most since the Civil War — after promising members of the House Freedom Caucus he would support capping spending at 2022 levels, allow any one member to call for a vote to oust him, and expand the House Rules Committee to include more members of the Freedom Caucus, among other concessions, the New York Post reported.
The Freedom Caucus is a group of about 50 far-right House members who reportedly believe Republicans have been too amenable to agreeing with Democrats to pass legislation in the past.
Collins said "democracy can be messy at times" but "I’m proud to have been part of this historic process that will ultimately benefit not only my constituents but all Americans.”
“You don’t change the way Washington works on Twitter or talk shows," Collins said. "You change it by working hard and sometimes quietly with your colleagues.
"What I’ve learned in business is that the most effective work is often done outside the limelight, and I could not be more pleased to have accomplished what I promised my constituents I would do — take back the House and make it the most conservative body we’ve had in decades.
"This freshman class is an 'America First,' policy-focused group that has worked hard to restore a more open and transparent legislative process," Collins said. "I congratulate Speaker McCarthy, and I look forward to an exciting and productive two years working with leadership and all my colleagues to pass conservative legislation under this new framework and tackle the issues everyday Americans are facing because of Democrats’ disastrous agenda.”
The 10th Congressional District includes southern, eastern and northern Newton County among 18 counties east of the Atlanta metro area.
Collins said, “It is a tremendous honor to represent the people of Georgia’s 10th District and be their conservative voice in our nation’s capital.
"I look forward to serving as the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives works to rein in Joe Biden and Democrats’ reckless spending and government overreach. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work putting our country back on a path to prosperity and security.”
Collins owns a trucking company in Jackson. He defeated Vernon Jones in a June runoff to win the Republican nomination for the seat and easily won the November General Election in the heavily Republican district.
Also sworn in to a ninth term Saturday was U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Stonecrest, whose district also includes western and central Newton County.
Johnson, who voted for Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker, said "get ready folks" after the four-day battle the House waged before electing McCarthy.
McCarthy had praised former president Donald Trump for helping convince holdout members to vote for him.
"If you think last week’s MAGA Speaker election was a spectacle, I’m worried about what the next (two) years of reality show drama will mean for America’s future," Johnson wrote on Twitter, referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) slogan.
"Now’s the time for all good women and men to come to the aid of our country," Johnson said.
"We can’t just sit at home eating popcorn and watching. 'Get up and get in the way' is what Rep. John Lewis would say."