Thomas Massie (R-KY 4th) Announces He Will Not Vote to Re-elect Speaker Boehner

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Massie issued these reasons to support a new candidate for Speaker of the House:

For years I watched Washington from afar and suspected that something was broken.  Why is it that so many people approve of their congressman, yet they consistently disapprove of Congress?  During my first two years as a congressman I discovered a significant source of the dysfunction.  I watched the House Leadership:

• Schedule a fiscal crisis in a lame duck session on the last legislative day before Christmas to get maximum leverage over rank and file members,


• Give members less than 72 hours to read bills over 1,000 pages long, and

• Remove members from committees simply because they voted for the principles upon which they campaigned.

With a process this broken, is it any wonder that Washington no longer works for the people?  My constituents expect better and America deserves better.  On January 6th, 2015, I will vote for a new Speaker who will consistently articulate a constitutional vision for America and facilitate an inclusive and orderly legislative process that allows Congress to truly reflect the will of the people.