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Washington, DC -- U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, who represents Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, today was officially sworn in as Member of the United States Congress. The swearing-in ceremony took place on the House Floor of the United States Capitol.
As a new member, Klein is committed to passing legislation that will significantly improve the lives of all Florida families.
“I am honored that the people of Florida’s 22nd District have entrusted me to serve their needs in Congress, and with every vote I cast, I will always put Florida families first,” said Klein. “From improving access to prescription drugs for our seniors, to reducing the high-cost of homeowners insurance, to developing an energy plan that encourages our country to become energy self-sufficient, I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner to get the job done and improve the everyday lives of Florida families.”
Rep. Klein will also cast his first series of votes today, focusing on legislation that will clean up the up the culture of corruption that has pervaded the way Washington does business. The ethics legislation will help severe the cushy ties between lawmakers and lobbyists by banning all travel and gifts paid for by lobbyists, requiring full transparency to end the abuse of special interest earmarks, and ending the abusive processes that have curtailed democracy in the House of Representatives. These measures are the first measure Congress will undertake to ensure that Congress upholds the highest ethical standards.
“During the first 100 hours of the 100th Congress, my colleagues and I will vote on a series of aggressive measures that I hope will eventually restore the public’s trust and confidence in the way Congress does business,” said Klein. “There is no question that ethics reform is desperately needed in Washington. Just as I’ve supported ethics reform as a Member of the Florida State Senate, in Congress I will work to ensure that lawmakers cannot accept any free gifts from Congress – not even a cup of coffee. I look forward to working in the days and weeks ahead to pass meaningful legislation that will improve the lives of Florida’s families and families across America.”
During the first weeks of Congress, Klein and his colleagues in Congress will begin to debate the Democrats’ “100 Hours Agenda,” with the goal of passing all six major priorities before the State of the Union Address on January 23rd. These legislative priorities include:
• Implementing the 9/11 Commission’s Recommendations
• Raising the Federal Minimum Wage
• Cutting Interest Rates on Student Loans
• Allowing the Government to Negotiate to Reduce Prescription Drug Prices
• Repealing Oil Company Subsidies
• Allowing for Federally-funded Stem Cell research
In Congress, Klein will serve on the exclusive House Committee on Financial Services, one of the most powerful committee’s in Congress. To read more about the Financial Services committee, please visit the committee's website at http://financialservices.house.gov/.
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