Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Ross seeks re-election

(PRESCOTT, AR)  Congressman Mike Ross, a Democrat from Prescott, filed for re-election Monday to a fifth term in the United States House of Representatives. Ross listed numerous accomplishments he achieved in 2007 and pledged to continue his fight to address many of the nations challenges that lie ahead through common sense solutions rooted in Arkansas values.

It has truly been an honor to represent all those who call Arkansass Fourth Congressional District home, and I want to continue my work in our nations capitol to fight for common sense solutions to the many challenges that face our nation. Ross said. It is the small town values I learned growing up in Prescott, Emmet, and Hope that I take with me each week to Washington. They define who I am and why I am so committed to putting families and children first. Ross cited numerous accomplishments he helped achieve in the first session of the new Democratic Congress on behalf of working families, small businesses, farmers and veterans. He credited his work to pass landmark ethics and lobbying reform measures on the first day of the 110th Congress to helping clean up the mess in Washington.

On the first legislative day of 2007, I am proud to have helped pass the toughest ethics and lobbying reform in a generation, sending a strong message to special interests that unethical and illegal behavior in government will no longer be tolerated, Ross said. When I first campaigned for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, I promised my constituents hard work and results. I have never taken their support for granted and I have never forgotten that promise. I expect my constituents to hold me accountable the way I am holding our government accountable in Washington.

I am proud to have helped pass historic energy legislation last year to strengthen our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil while creating new jobs here at home. In fact, the efficiency and conservation provisions in that bill alone will reduce carbon dioxide emissions equal to taking all the cars in America today off the road for a year. I also worked hard to cut student loan interest rates in half and raise the federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade, two important steps to help ease the growing economic hardship faced by working families.

I will continue to be an outspoken advocate on the need to make our nation safer and was proud to help pass the bipartisan 9-11 Commission recommendations. In addition, I will never waiver on the obligation and responsibility we have to our veterans, and I was honored to provide our veterans with the largest increase in veterans health care and benefits in the history of the Veterans Administration. This monumental investment, totaling nearly $12 billion, will help meet the needs of a new generation of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Additionally, Ross pledged to continue his fight for common sense solutions to the nations many challenges that lie ahead.

There is still much work to be done in the second session of the 110th Congress, which just got underway, Ross said. At a time when the costs of everything from gasoline, to groceries, to health care are steadily increasing for our working families, seniors and veterans, I remain committed to working to reinvigorate the American economy.

We must complete our work on legislation to combat global warming, make health care more affordable and accessible, improve the No Child Left Behind Act by providing our teachers with the tools and flexibility they need to ensure our children are prepared for this new global economy, and provide our farm families with a farm bill that allows them to continue to provide all of us with a safe and reliable source for food and fiber. We must also stop illegal immigration and secure our borders, and continue to ask this administration the tough questions on their Iraq War Policy and demand a new direction in Iraq, while supporting our troops.

One of the greatest challenges we face this century is an energy crisis that will impact our national security and affect us all if left unaddressed. Therefore, I have introduced comprehensive energy legislation that will increase domestic energy production utilizing 21st Century technology to ensure it is done in an environmentally responsible manner, and use the revenue from the lease and royalty payments to make the largest investment in history in alternative and renewable energy. This legislation will combat global warming, protect the environment and create new jobs here at home.

Ross is married to the former Holly Hempen of Texarkana and they have two children, Sydney and Alex. They are active members of the First United Methodist Church in Prescott, Arkansas.

Ross is a graduate of Hope High School in Hope, Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He served on the Nevada County Quorum Court, and became the youngest member of the Arkansas State Senate in 1991, where he served for ten years and was chairman of the Senate Children and Youth Committee.

Ross was the only Democrat outside of California to unseat a Republican incumbent when he was first elected in 2000. He was re-elected with 61% in 2002, was unopposed in 2004, and was re-elected with 75% in 2006. He serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the House Science and Technology Committee, and as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly.

In addition, Ross is the elected co-chair of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition, a group of 47 conservative House Democrats who are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States.