Personal Info
- Country of residence: United States
Information
Justin Amash is the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district which encompasses the Grand Rapids area. A member of the Republican Party who identifies as a conservative, he was backed by the Tea party in the 2010 election. He ran on a platform of pro-life, less government and lower taxes. He is formerly a member of the Michigan House of Representatives representing the 72nd district, which consists of the city of Kentwood and the townships of Caledonia, Cascade, and Gaines. At the age of 31, Amash is the second youngest current U.S. Representative, behind 29 year old Aaron Schock of Illinois.
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and raised in Kentwood, Amash is a second generation Arab-American of Palestinian Christian and Syrian descent. He attended Kelloggsville Christian School and Grand Rapids Christian High School. He graduated from the University of Michigan magna cum laude with an B.A. in Economics and earned his J.D. at the University of Michigan Law School in 2005.
Amash ran for state representative in 2008, winning the 72nd district seat. During this time, he donated to the campaigns of Congressman Ron Paul and John McCain.
After taking his seat in the Michigan House of Representatives in January 2009, Amash was praised for his commitment to transparency, becoming the first legislator to use his Facebook Page to explain all of his votes in real time and to interact with constituents. Additionally, Amash was one of the first state representatives to post all of his office expenses, staff salaries, and legislative benefits online. In the 2009 annual State Capitol Leadership Survey, Amash was the most frequently named freshman legislator in response to the question, "Who is the most effective member of the Michigan House?"
On August 3, 2010, Amash won the five-way Republican primary for the seat vacated by retiring Republican Vern Ehlers with over 40% of the vote. Amash was a favorite of the Tea Party movement, having been endorsed by iCaucus. He was also endorsed by The Club for Growth, Rep. Ron Paul, and FreedomWorks PAC during his primary campaign.
During the general election campaign, Amash ran on platform of pro-life, less government, and lower taxes. On November 2, 2010, Amash defeated Democrat Pat Miles by a 60-37 margin.
Amash opposes central government interference in the economy and believes it causes unemployment, inflation and dangerous economic cycles. He believes health care insurance should not be mandatory, and that real reform should consist of insurance companies being able to sell insurance across state lines and programs like health savings accounts. He believes that Congress has the power to declare war and that wars must not be allowed to drag on without the express authorization of Congress. He believes in secure borders and legal immigration. He is pro-life and supports the Defense of Marriage Act. He believes there should be a two state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He supports the Second Amendment as a safeguard against violations of Americans' liberty. He believes that schools should be managed locally with no interference from the federal government. He believes in States' rights and that the federal government should not be able to expand its powers using the General Welfare Clause, the Commerce Clause or the Necessary and Proper Clause.
n its October 25, 2010 issue, Amash was named one of TIME Magazine's "40 under 40 - Rising Stars of U.S. Politics." At the age of 30, Amash was the youngest federal candidate in the United States on the list of new civic leaders.
He has said his biggest heroes are economists F.A. Hayek and Frédéric Bastiat. Amash is married and the father of three children.
Source
Achievements and Awards
Committee assignments:
* Committee on the Budget
* Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
* Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy (Vice Chair)
* Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management
* Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs
- Years in active
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