WASHINGTON, D.C. — Robeson County U.S. House representatives Mike McIntyre and Richard Hudson were sworn in Thursday as members of the 113th Congress.
McIntyre, a Democrat from Lumberton, is serving his ninth term as the District 7 representative, and Hudson, a Republican from Concord, is beginning his first two-year term in District 8. Because of redistricting, District 8 now includes almost all of Robeson County, including Lumberton, where McIntyre has a home.
During the first day of the new session, John Boehner a Republican from Ohio, was re-elected as House speaker, defeating Democrat Nancy Pelosi, of California, by a vote of 220 to 192. McIntyre voted for Tennessee Democrat Jim Cooper, a fellow member of the conservative Blue Dog coalition, for speaker, with Hudson supported Boehner.
“Serving the citizens and communities of Eastern North Carolina is a great honor, and I am excited to have the opportunity to keep doing all I can to move our great state and nation in a positive direction,” McIntyre said. “Working together and seeking solutions while respecting differences is how we bring folks together, and that is what I will continue to do. By doing this, we can help create jobs, honor our veterans, keep our agriculture and coastal communities strong, protect Social Security and Medicare, and make sure that our nation is strong and safe.”
With his re-election and beginning of the new Congress, McIntyre rises in seniority on two House committees which are critical to North Carolina’s economy. He now fills the No. 2 position on the House Agriculture Committee and the No. 3 position on the Armed Services Committee.
McIntyre will also continue to serve as co-chairman of the Special Operations Forces Caucus, co-chairman of the Congressional Youth Sports Caucus, co-chairman of the Congressional Waterways Caucus, and co-chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus. He also will continue to serve as co-chairman of both the Congressional Caucus on the United Kingdom and the Congressional Caucus on Scotland, as well as a senior member of the U.S. Commission on Security & Cooperation in Europe.
Hudson, a resident of Concord, defeated incumbent Larry Kissell, a Democrat, to represent te 8th District, which now encompasses almost all of Robeson County and extends westward to Mecklenburg County.
“I am humbled and honored by the opportunity the voters of North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District have given me today,” Hudson said after taking the oath of office. ” My freshmen Republicans and I were elected because Americans are fed up with out-of-control spending, high unemployment, and an administration that doesn’t listen to their concerns.
“Every day my focus will be aimed at creating jobs, cutting spending, and advancing a balanced budget,” he said. “The decisions we have to make won’t always be easy, or popular, but we have to make the tough choices now in order to get our fiscal house in order and get people back to work. I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and get started.”
McIntyre told The Robesonian on Wednesday that his new Washington office, 2428 Rayburn House Office Building, was obtained after he drew the No. 1 position in a lottery for office space held among members of Congress who are serving at least their ninth term.
“The office is on the top floor of the Rayburn Building and offers me a direct view of the U.S. Capitol,” he said. “I think it will be an office my constituents will enjoy when they visit Washington.”
McIntyre will begin his new term with district offices located in Elizabethtown and Leland. The Elizabethtown address is 119 Courthouse Drive, and the phone number is 910-862-1437. The Leland address is 497 Olde Waterford Way, Suite 206, and the phone number is 910-815-4959. McIntyre has closed his Lumberton office at City Hall.
Hudson announced earlier this week that his district office will be located at 325 McGill Ave, Suite 500 in Concord. This is the same office that was occupied by Kissell. The office phone number will also remain the same at (704) 786-1612.
Both McIntyre and Hudson say they are considering locating additional district offices in the future.
We need to VOTE all of them out!