Amash, J Rep

=elected 2010 thus TP wave?freedom cauc TP see themselves as principled mavericks, so mebbe not that odd that aMASH 1st to jump ship?why oppose? arab? libtard?<div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2015/12/fred-upton-delivered-big-time-for-big.html" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2015/12/fred-upton-delivered-big-time-for-big.html</a></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">upton barton whores</div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="font-size: small;"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on" style="">our old nemesis-- and by "our" I mean planet Earth's, the L.A. Times explaining that his "disdain for green regulation, he represents one of the biggest threats to planet Earth on planet Earth"-- got his energy bill passed yesterday. Upton's <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d114:HR00008:@@@D&summ2=m&" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">H.R. 8</a>, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, passed the House <a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2015/roll672.xml" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">249-174</a>, only 3 Republicans (libertarian leaning GOPers Justin Amash, Walter Jones and Thomas Massie) voting against it... although 9 worthless DINOs crossed the aisle in the other direction-- as they always do-- and voted with the GOP:
<blockquote style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 204); margin: 0.75em 0px; border-style: dotted; border-color: rgb(85, 153, 102); border-image: initial; border-width: 1px 0px; padding: 5px 15px;">• Brad Ashford (Blue Dog-NE)
• Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA)
• Gwen Graham (Blue Dog-FL)
• Gene Green ($1,221,738-TX)
• Ann Kirkpatrick (New Dem-AZ)
• Ann Kuster (New Dem-NH)
• Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)
• Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)
• Kyrsten Sinema (Blue Dog-AZ)</blockquote>If it passes the Senate-- unlikely-- President Obama has promised to veto it. It was known around Capitol Hill as Fred Upton and Global Warming Denier's Corporate Energy Bill. Pennsylvania progressive Democrat Matt Cartwright, who offered a motion to recommit, predicted that Upton and the Republican climate change deniers would go down in history as the "greatest ignoramuses of all time... Sticking our heads in the sand, pretending a serious problem will go away on its own, doing nothing in the face of a grave threat, is not the American way, and it never was."

The League of Conservation Voters urged all Members of Congress to vote no because Upton's bill "further entrenches fossil fuels while failing to make the necessary clean energy investments for our future" and included a provision "that would allow pipelines to be built on National Park land without the necessary environmental reviews... This bill contains an efficiency title that would increase energy use and costs to consumers, a hydropower title that curtails NEPA review along with state, local, and tribal authority over projects on their own lands, and provisions that could lock in dirty fossil energy for decades to come at a time that we should be investing in cleaner, cheaper alternatives." They also asked congressmembers to reject Joe "Oily Joe" Barton's amendment "that would lift the crude oil export ban. This provision is a massive giveaway to the oil industry and would be on top of billions in existing permanent tax subsidies. Multiple analyses show that lifting the crude oil export ban would increase oil production by at least 500,000 barrels per day, leading to more climate pollution and more drilling on our public lands, in the Arctic, and off our coasts."

Frank Pallone is the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and he took to the floor of the House to warn that Upton's lobbyist-written bill meant bad news for "the environment, on air pollution and on climate change" and offered an amendment to prevent the bill from becoming law until the Energy Information Administration had analyzed the impact and scored its carbon impact. That was voted down <a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2015/roll670.xml" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 204);">181-243</a>, a little closer because 4 Republicans (2 from districts in Florida already being impacted by rising oceans) voted with the Democrats, while only 4 (instead of 9) hardcore energy industry whores among the Democrats-- Costa, Peterson, Schrader and, Washington state New Dem Rick Larsen-- voted with the Republicans.

The bill is also a national security threat inasmuch as it lifts the ban on selling U.S. crude oil overseas, something the oil companies heavily bribed Upton and Joe Barton to include. Since 1990 Upton has taken $2,494,518 from energy special interests, more than any other current members of the House other than Joe "Oily Joe" Barton (R-TX) and Steve Pearce (R-NM), formerly an oilfield services company owner himself. This current cycle has seen the Energy Sector step up to the plate for Upton again, his $282,650 (so far) being second only to Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's $292,550.

The Democrat in southwest Michigan opposing Upton and his Big Oil Machine is professor and environmental activist Paul Clements (you can <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/blueamerica16?refcode=dwt&recurring=11&tandembox=show" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 204);">help him win here</a>) who told us right after the vote that "Congressman Upton is one of the top ten recipients of campaign contributions from Big Oil in the House and Senate combined. With H.R. 8 he once again increases profits for carbon polluters, raises costs for consumers, and undermines environmental protections. We need to quit subsidizing the energy of the past and take the lead in energy for the future."

So who got the biggest payoffs so far this cycle from the Energy Sector? No surprises here; these are the dirty dozen, polluting the earth to pad their campaign war chests this year:
<blockquote style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.75em 0px; border-style: dotted; border-color: rgb(85, 153, 102); border-image: initial; border-width: 1px 0px; padding: 5px 15px;">• Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)- $292,550
• Fred Upton (R-MI)- $282,650
• Steve Scalise (R-LA)- $258,550
• Charles "Lord Charles" Boustany (R-LA)- $196,750
• Ed Whitfield (R-KY)- $159,600
• Bill Shuster (R-PA)- $156,700
• John Shimkus (R-IL)- $144,500
• Joe "Oily Joe" Barton (R-TX)- $143,650
• Steny Hoyer (D-MD)- $133,400
• Greg Walden (R-OR)- $129,800
• Will Hurd (R-TX)- $125,400
• Bill Flores (R-TX)- $124,859</blockquote></div><div style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 204); clear: both; padding-bottom: 0.25em;">Labels: <a rel="tag" href="http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/search/label/Big%20Oil" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">Big Oil</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/search/label/energy%20bill" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">energy bill</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/search/label/Fred%20Upton" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">Fred Upton</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/search/label/global%20warming" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">global warming</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/search/label/Matt%20Cartwright" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">Matt Cartwright</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/search/label/MI-06" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">MI-06</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/search/label/Paul%20Clements" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">Paul Clements</a></div></div>=<div></div><div>see rooney politico on impeach:</div><div>
</div><div>...</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This could prove to be Trump’s salvation. Even among those Republicans not predisposed to defending him, there is the silhouette of an emerging consensus: That the president’s dealings with Ukraine were foolish, unbecoming and unfortunate—but not impeachable.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Even Sanford admits that if he were still a voting member, he wouldn’t be ready to support impeachment. “I think there’s a very weighty, complex judgment to be made here,” he says. “I object to this president on a variety of levels. But I would still say another shoe has to drop.” Sanford pauses. “Then again, this is a guy who said he could shoot somebody on 5th Avenue and get away with it, and he was pretty clairvoyant on that front. So, I don’t know what that shoe would have to look like.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mark Sanford, a former South Carolina congressman and governor, campaigns in Manchester, New Hampshire, in Sept. 2019. Sanford is running against Donald Trump for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mark Sanford, a former South Carolina congressman and governor, campaigns in Manchester, New Hampshire, in Sept. 2019. Sanford is running against Donald Trump for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination. | Elise Amendola | AP</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="">Amash, who voted for the House inquiry to proceed, is wrestling with that same question. “I think we’ve seen plenty of evidence that the president is abusing his power, abusing the office of the presidency,” he says. The independent congressman understands that his former GOP comrades disagree, or at least say they disagree, with him on that front. What he wonders is what, if anything, could change their minds; whether even a smoking cannon of misconduct linked directly to Trump could convince them of their responsibility to impeach.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Just as we sit discussing this mystery inside Amash’s congressional office, the nearby television flickers to life with a CNN breaking news bulletin: “White House admits to quid pro quo with Ukraine.” A short while earlier, Mulvaney—one of Amash’s closest friends during their time together on Capitol Hill—had taken to the White House press podium to declare, among other things, that Ukraine’s military funding had indeed been held up at Trump’s behest and that people should “get over it.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Amash shakes his head. “I mean, I’ve known Mick for a long time, but I don’t really know what his life is like at this point, and what he’s thinking, and how much just being in that world warps your view of things,” he says. “The administration’s approach with a lot of things is to put out really bad information and then pretend like it’s not bad. It’s sort of a different way of covering up. It’s gaslighting—just put out the bad stuff and then tell everyone it’s not bad, and that you’re shocked that anyone would think it’s bad. ... Trump understands that. He’s figured out that he can say and do pretty much anything and people will cover for him.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“The administration’s approach with a lot of things is to put out really bad information and then pretend like it’s not bad. It’s sort of a different way of covering up.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">—REP. JUSTIN AMASH</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Both Sanford and Amash, once integral players inside the conservative House Freedom Caucus, say that if the roles were reversed—if Barack Obama were asking foreign nations to investigate Mitt and Tagg Romney—that Jim Jordan, the group’s founding chairman, would be leading the charge toward impeaching the Democratic president.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Oh, no doubt,” Sanford laughs.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“100 percent,” Amash says.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div>With Sanford and Amash exiled, and Trump’s alliance with the House Freedom Caucus strong and symbiotic, it’s unclear whether even a single member of the organization—one founded on the order of principles over party—will consider a vote for impeachment. Jordan and Mark Meadows, his wingman and Trump’s soothsayer on the right, have so thoroughly transformed the identity of the group from feverishly independent to ferociously partisan that it’s difficult to imagine any of their lieutenants stepping outside of what’s become a Trump-topped chain of command.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div>There is, however, one conservative who continues to be monitored closely: Chip Roy.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A former federal prosecutor who made a name for himself in Washington as Ted Cruz’s original Senate chief of staff, Roy is a true believer who was sharply critical of Trump throughout 2016. When Roy decided to run for Congress in 2018, in fact, he was reminded to scrub his social media of attacks on the president. With so many of his Freedom Caucus colleagues springing to the president’s defense in recent months, Roy’s silence has been a subject of growing concern. Although the freshman congressman hasn’t indicated that he’s prepared to impeach Trump, he hasn’t soothed anxieties by ruling it out, either.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Freshman Republican Rep. Chip Roy speaks at a press conference outside the Capitol.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Freshman Republican Rep. Chip Roy speaks at a press conference outside the Capitol. | Tasos Katopodis | Getty Images</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In an interview, Roy tells me he has yet to see evidence supporting a case for Trump’s impeachment. That said, he is clearly uncomfortable with the reflexive attempts by his colleague to insulate Trump at every turn, often resulting in sloppy and self-contradicting arguments.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“I have not associated myself with any of the defenses of my colleagues on this issue, because I’m going to make my own assessment and frame it however the facts present themselves,” he says. “I’ve got my own views on this, and I don’t necessarily believe the arguments I’ve heard to date have been the best arguments, because people are just firing on the fly without thinking it through.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Roy acknowledges his reluctance to speak on the matter. He explains that he has been marking up hundreds of pages of documents and building a prosecutor’s case file from which to draw his ultimate conclusions. Unlike some of his colleagues, Roy says, he sees “a line” that needs to be enforced as a matter of precedent. It’s just that Trump, from everything he’s gathered thus far, has not crossed it.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The president’s allies have long believed his greatest threat from within the Republican Party comes from the middle; that given the cultish devotion he enjoys on the right, a moderate with lukewarm constituents could get away with defying him before a conservative with MAGA-clad constituents could. This thinking had led Trump and his team to keep a close eye on certain individuals, such as Adam Kinzinger and John Shimkus and Fred Upton, who fit the description of the centrist, traditional, Bush-friendly Republican who have been known to voice their displeasure with the president. And indeed, both Kinzinger and Shimkus leaped off the radar in recent weeks due to their broadsides against Trump. But their invective had more to do with abandoning the Kurds than pressuring the Ukrainians...</div><div>=</div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/07/justin-amash-should-name-names/">https://www.alternet.org/2019/07/justin-amash-should-name-names/</a>fellow gop say they support him pvtly)
...“It’s a problem for the Republican Party, it’s a problem for the Democratic Party when people aren’t allowed to speak out. So I think we really need the American people to stand up and say, ‘Hey. Enough is enough. We’ve had it with these two parties trying to ram their partisan nonsense down our throats.’”<blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 10px 20px 10px 24px; position: relative; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-style: italic; line-height: 1.7; overflow: hidden; background: rgb(245, 245, 245); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; border: none !important;"><div class="p6_10" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.8; color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Amash’s crusade against the parties aside (someone should explain <a title="Duverger's Law" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duverger%27s_law" target="_blank" rel="external nofollow noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 191, 165); transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">Duverger’s Law</a> to him sometime), the congressman has a point: if people do agree with him, they need to be speaking out. And if they lack the courage to do so publicly, Amash should at some point expose them for their cowardice.<div class="p7_10" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.8; color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The ability to keep confidences and maintain relationships is one of the most important currencies in politics. But Amash’s career in politics is likely to be short-lived from here. He is unlikely to survive in Congress, and his putative primary run against Trump for the GOP nomination will be quixotic at best. A stint as lobbyist would be gross, and a dereliction of the principles Amash claims to serve. So it looks like a career in the private sector awaits.<div class="p8_10" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 17px; padding: 0px; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.8; color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">If that’s the case, Amash won’t have relationship currency to spend in Washington much longer. Moreover, if the threat to the country from Trump and the current incarnation of the GOP is as bad as he claims it to be (and it certainly is), then the health and safety of the country is more important than the privacy of his less courageous friends.<a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/07/justin-amash-leaves-gop-after-becoming-lone-republican-to-call-for-trumps-impeachment">https://www.alternet.org/2019/07/justin-amash-leaves-gop-after-becoming-lone-republican-to-call-for-trumps-impeachment</a>Weeks after becoming the lone Republican to call for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, Michigan Rep. Justin Amash announced in a Washington Post op-ed Thursday morning that he is officially leaving the GOP.
“In recent years,” Amash wrote, “I’ve become disenchanted with party politics and frightened by what I see from it. The two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions.” “Today, I am declaring my independence and leaving the Republican Party,” added the congressman. “No matter your circumstance, I’m asking you to join me in rejecting the partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us. I’m asking you to believe that we can do better than this two-party system—and to work toward it. If we continue to take America for granted, we will lose it.”
Amash joins Sens. Angus King (Maine) and Bernie Sanders (Vt.) as the only independents in Congress.
Opinion | Justin Amash: Our politics is in a partisan death spiral. That’s why I’m leaving the GOP.The two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions.
washingtonpost.com20K people are talking about thisAs Common Dreams reported in May, Amash won praise from progressive critics for demanding impeachment proceedings against Trump for the lawless behavior detailed in the Mueller report—a call that set him apart from every other congressional Republican and most Democrats.
“Plenty of liberals are asking why there aren’t more Republican members of Congress with the guts, eloquence, or honesty to say what Amash has said,” The Intercept‘s Mehdi Hasan wrote in a column at the time. “It’s a good question. But a better, more relevant question is this: Why aren’t there more Democrats willing to say the same?”In a series of tweets, Amash said “Trump engaged in specific actions and a pattern of behavior that meet the threshold for impeachment.”
“While impeachment should be undertaken only in extraordinary circumstances,” wrote Amash, “the risk we face in an environment of extreme partisanship is not that Congress will employ it as a remedy too often but rather that Congress will employ it so rarely that it cannot deter misconduct.”<a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/06/hbo-real-time-panelist-reveals-the-nasty-slur-conservatives-are-saying-about-the-first-republican-to-back-impeachment/">https://www.alternet.org/2019/06/hbo-real-time-panelist-reveals-the-nasty-slur-conservatives-are-saying-about-the-first-republican-to-back-impeachment/</a>...“It’s sad when a Republican like Justin Amash is making a more principled case for impeachment than the Democratic Party,” conservative Charlie Sykes argued.<div class="p3_10" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“The lone one, the Maytag repairman of Republicans,” Maher said.<div class="p4_10" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“He’s getting called a cuck by all people who are the ‘originalists’ and the constitutional conservatives,” Bari Weiss noted. “It’s their favorite insult.”
GOP’s Justin Amash steps down from House Freedom Caucus after criticism of Trump 519 1st burr then F<a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/05/fox-news-viewers-unleash-furious-attacks-on-gops-amash-for-impeachment-talk-this-chump-is-toast/" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" box-sizing="box-sizing" border-box="border-box" outline="outline" none="none" margin="margin" px="px" padding="padding" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" color="color" transition="transition" all="all" s="s" ease="ease" cursor="cursor" pointer="pointer" display="display" inline="inline" important="important" font-size="font-size" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" line-height="line-height">ox News viewers unleash furious attacks on GOP’s Amash for impeachment talk: ‘This chump is toast’</a><div class="mag-header" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px 0px 19px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="grid-post-box-meta mag-meta" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 7px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/author/tom-boggioni/" title="Posts by Tom Boggioni" class="author url fn" rel="author" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">Tom Boggioni</a> / <a href="https://www.alternet.org/author/raw-story/" title="Posts by Raw Story" class="author url fn" rel="author" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">Raw Story</a></div></div><div class="mag-excerpt entry-content" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">According to Amash, Trump's actions and behavior meets the "threshold" for impeachment.</div>

<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://click1.e.alternet.org/blzbqszvztdydqmmyjfzzyzmmjymvgcnbtzdfpsjzpq_xgrvdcsctdrrsppjjcc.html?a=&b=223&c=21989&d=2" style="">House Freedom Caucus votes to condemn one of its founding members over Trump impeachment comments</a><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" font-style="font-style" italic="italic" color="color" rgb="rgb" margin="margin" padding="padding">

I presume candidates Dan Benishek (MI-01), Justin Amash (MI-03), and John Kupiec (MI-05) are climate zombies because they've signed the AFP/Koch no climate tax pledge, as has incumbent Fred Upton (MI-06).

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It also cements the legacy of those who voted in favor of Keystone. It was largely along political party lines; however, in the recent House vote, 29 Democrats voted for the pipeline and one Republican voted against it (Justin Amash), although his reasoning had little to do with climate impacts.

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That's not to say that being outspoken on the issue necessarily led to closed wallets. Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00031938&cycle=2014" style="">Justin Amash</a> (R-Mich.) had the biggest haul among the dissidents in the third quarter:  $207,884. He may now need it -- business leaders in Michigan are <a target="_blank" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/business-groups-stand-by-boehner-plot-against-tea-party/2013/10/17/ed951f0c-350a-11e3-be86-6aeaa439845b_story.html" style="">talking</a> of supporting a primary opponent to Amash in 2014.</div>

<div style="">Amash picked up nine major donations from PACs on Sept. 30, the eve of the shutdown, including $5,000 from <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00295527&cycle=2014">Citizens United</a> and $5,000 from <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup.php?strName=Young+Americans+for+Liberty">Young Americans for Liberty</a>, a libertarian advocacy group. On that day he also reported receiving $7,1000 in donations from three fellow members of the group of 20 dissidents. In August, Amash received $1,000 from the Koch Industries corporate PAC, <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000186">KochPAC</a>.

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<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/justin-amash">http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/justin-amash</a>

11 /15%

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014531<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-531-undermining-clean-air-protections">Undermining Clean Air Protections</a>Air </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014528<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-528-attack-sound-science">Attack on Sound Science</a>Toxics/Public Right to Know, Other </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014525<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-525-attack-scientific-integrity">Attack on Scientific Integrity</a>Toxics/Public Right to Know, Other </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014519<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-519-keystone-xl-tar-sands-pipeline-kxl">Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline (KXL)</a>Climate Change, Dirty Energy </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014515<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-515-big-polluter-giveaway">Big Polluter Giveaway</a>Dirty Energy, Climate Change, Lands/Forests </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014489<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-489-assault-clean-water-rule">Assault on the Clean Water Rule</a>Water </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014470<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-470-pesticides-pollution">Pesticides Pollution</a>Toxics/Public Right to Know </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014463<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-463-attack-endangered-species-act-esa">Attack on the Endangered Species Act (ESA)</a>Wildlife </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014461<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-461-using-best-available-science">Using Best Available Science</a>Other </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014402<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-402-assault-clean-energy-and-clean-water">Assault on Clean Energy and Clean Water</a>Clean Energy, Water </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014397<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-397-impacts-climate-change">Impacts of Climate Change</a>Climate Change </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014394<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-394-attack-clean-water">Attack on Clean water</a>Water </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014393<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-393-light-bulb-efficiency-standards">Light Bulb Efficiency Standards</a>Clean Energy </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014389<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-389-social-cost-carbon">Social Cost of Carbon</a>Climate Change </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014376<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-376-clean-energy-funding">Clean Energy Funding</a>Clean Energy </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014368<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-368-big-oil-giveaway">Big Oil Giveaway</a>Dirty Energy, Drilling, Lands/Forests </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014364<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-364-offshore-drilling-subsidies">Offshore Drilling Subsidies</a>Dirty Energy, Drilling </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014361<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-361-national-ocean-policy">National Ocean Policy</a>Oceans </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014359<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-359-liquefied-natural-gas-lng-exports">Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Exports</a>Dirty Energy </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014354<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-354-gutting-pipeline-review">Gutting Pipeline Review</a>Dirty Energy </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014334<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-334-military-investments-advanced-biofuels">Military Investments in Advanced Biofuels</a>Transportation </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014267<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-267-blocking-climate-action-trade-agreements">Blocking Climate Action in Trade Agreements</a>Climate Change </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014177<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-177-big-oil-budget">Big Oil Budget</a>Dirty Energy </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014147<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-147-preventing-new-parks">Preventing New Parks</a>Lands/Forests </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014141<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-141-toxic-mining-waste">Toxic Mining Waste</a>Water </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014113<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-113-attacking-public-input-environmental-review">Attacking Public Input & Environmental Review</a>Other </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014106<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-106-carbon-pollution">Carbon Pollution</a>Climate Change </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014103<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-103-climate-change-science">Climate Change Science</a>Climate Change </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">201491<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-91-undermining-flood-insurance-reform">Undermining Flood Insurance Reform</a>Climate Change, Other </div>

<div class="tableRow dataItem" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">201478<a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/roll-call-vote/2014-78-assault-public-protections">Assault on Public Protections</a>Air, Other

</div>

===

https://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00031938

<table id="topContrib" class="datadisplay" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><tbody><tr style=" background-color: rgb(224, 230, 236);"><td>Club for Growth </td><td class="number">$274,580</td><td class="number">$274,580</td><td class="number">$0</td></tr><tr style=" background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td>Amway/Alticor Inc </td><td class="number">$101,250</td><td class="number">$95,250</td><td class="number">$6,000</td></tr><tr style=" background-color: rgb(224, 230, 236);"><td>Michigan Industrial Tools </td><td class="number">$93,250</td><td class="number">$93,250</td><td class="number">$0</td></tr><tr style=" background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td>Windquest Group </td><td class="number">$57,800</td><td class="number">$57,800</td><td class="number">$0</td></tr><tr style=" background-color: rgb(224, 230, 236);"><td>S Abraham & Sons </td><td class="number">$54,750</td><td class="number">$54,750</td><td class="number">$0</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2>Top 5 Industries, 2009 - 2016</h2>

</div>

<table id="topIndus" class="datadisplay"><thead><tr style=" background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><th>Industry</th><th>Total</th><th>Indivs</th><th>PACs</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr style=" background-color: rgb(224, 230, 236);"><td>Republican/Conservative</td><td class="number">$340,927</td><td class="number">$302,965</td><td class="number">$37,962</td></tr><tr style=" background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td>Misc Manufacturing & Distributing</td><td class="number">$238,865</td><td class="number">$226,365</td><td class="number">$12,500</td></tr><tr style=" background-color: rgb(224, 230, 236);"><td>Retired</td><td class="number">$191,482</td><td class="number">$191,482</td><td class="number">$0</td></tr><tr style=" background-color: rgb(240, 243, 246);"><td>Health Professionals</td><td class="number">$182,309</td><td class="number">$165,809</td><td class="number">$16,500</td></tr><tr style=" background-color: rgb(224, 230, 236);"><td>Retail Sales</td><td class="number">$147,370</td><td class="number">$133,870</td><td class="number">$13,500</td></tr></tbody></table>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

Club for Growth $274,580$274,580$0Amway/Alticor Inc $101,250$95,250$6,000Michigan Industrial Tools $93,250$93,250$0Windquest Group $57,800$57,800$0S Abraham & Sons $54,750$54,750$0Wolverine Gas & Oil $32,900$32,900$0Betz Industries $30,700$30,700$0Autocam Corp $30,000$30,000$0Dp Fox Ventures $26,200$26,200$0Anesthesia Medical Consultants $25,850$25,850$0Wynalda Litho $25,200$25,200$0Wolverine World Wide $23,700$23,700$0Scott Christopher Homes $23,300$23,300$0Savory Foods $23,100$23,100$0Bank of America $22,800$22,800$0Preusser Jewelers $22,300$22,300$0Superior Foods $20,400$20,400$0Koch Industries $20,000$0$20,000Notions Marketing Corp $17,750$17,750$0Adtegrity.Com $16,900$16,900$0

<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash</a>Justin Amash (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none !important;">/əˈmɑːʃ/</a>; born April 18, 1980) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S. Representative</a> for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan%27s_3rd_congressional_district" title="Michigan's 3rd congressional district" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Michigan's 3rd congressional district</a> since 2011. His district is based in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids,Michigan" title="Grand Rapids, Michigan" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Grand Rapids</a> and includes most of its suburbs and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Creek,Michigan" title="Battle Creek, Michigan" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Battle Creek</a>. It includes much of the territory represented by former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States" title="President of the United States" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">President</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford" title="Gerald Ford" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Gerald Ford</a>. Originally a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party(United_States)" title="Republican Party (United States)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Republican Party</a>, he announced on July 4, 2019, that he was leaving the GOP to become an independent. After leaving the Republican Party, Amash became the only independent serving in the House of Representatives. He is the first independent to serve in the House of Representatives since <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders" title="Bernie Sanders" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Bernie Sanders</a>of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont" title="Vermont" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Vermont</a> who left the House in 2007 to become a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senator" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Senator" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States Senator</a>. Amash is one of three independents in the United States Congress with Sanders and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine" title="Maine" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Maine</a> Senator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_King" title="Angus King" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Angus King</a>.First elected to Congress in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Michigan" title="2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2010</a>, Amash served in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_House_of_Representatives" title="Michigan House of Representatives" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Michigan House of Representatives</a> from 2009 to 2011, representing the 72nd district, which is centered on the city of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentwood,Michigan" title="Kentwood, Michigan" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Kentwood</a> and includes his home in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascade_Township,Michigan" title="Cascade Township, Michigan" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Cascade Township</a> as well as the townships of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caledonia_Township,Kent_County,Michigan" title="Caledonia Township, Kent County, Michigan" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Caledonia</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaines_Township,Kent_County,Michigan" title="Gaines Township, Kent County, Michigan" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Gaines</a>. Amash chairs the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Caucus" title="Liberty Caucus" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Liberty Caucus</a>; a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_libertarian" class="mw-redirect" title="Conservative libertarian" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">conservative libertarian</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Republican" title="Libertarian Republican" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">libertarian Republican</a>, he is regarded as one of the House's most conservative members.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-PhillipsMind-1" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">[</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-PhillipsMind-1" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">1]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-ShabadHigh-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[2]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-AndrewsHC-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[3]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-:0-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[4]</a>A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Amash was born to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Christians" title="Arab Christians" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Arab Christian</a> parents who had immigrated to the United States. After high school, he studied <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economics" title="Economics" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">economics</a> at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan" title="University of Michigan" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">University of Michigan</a>, then earned a law degree at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan_Law_School" title="University of Michigan Law School" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">University of Michigan Law School</a> and worked as a corporate lawyer before entering politics.
<div id="toc" class="toc" style="background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1;"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="direction: ltr; position: absolute; opacity: 0; z-index: -1; display: none;" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;">
</div><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Early_life_and_education" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">1Early life and education</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Pre-Congress_work" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2Pre-Congress work</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Michigan_House_of_Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3Michigan House of Representatives</a><ul style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Election" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3.1Election</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Tenure" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3.2Tenure</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#U.S.House_of_Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4U.S. House of Representatives</a><ul style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Elections" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.1Elections</a><ul style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#2010" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.1.12010</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#2012" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.1.22012</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#2014" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.1.32014</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.1.42016</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#2018" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.1.52018</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Tenure_2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.2Tenure</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Political_positions" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5Political positions</a><ul style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Abortion" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.1Abortion</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Economy" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.2Economy</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Energy_and_environment" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.3Energy and environment</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-18" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Foreign_policy" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.4Foreign policy</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-19" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Gerrymandering" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.5Gerrymandering</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-20" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Health_care" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.6Health care</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-21" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Immigration" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.7Immigration</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-22" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Marijuana_legalization_and_forfeiture" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.8Marijuana legalization and forfeiture</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-23" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Same-sex_marriage" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.9Same-sex marriage</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-24" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Security_and_surveillance" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.10Security and surveillance</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-25" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Suicide_prevention_hotline" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.11Suicide prevention hotline</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-26" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#2012_and_2016_presidential_endorsements" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.122012 and 2016 presidential endorsements</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-27" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Criticism_of_Donald_Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.13Criticism of Donald Trump</a><ul style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-28" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Comments_on_the_Mueller_Report" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5.13.1Comments on the Mueller Report</a></li></ul></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-29" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Committee_assignments" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">6Committee assignments</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-30" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#Caucus_memberships" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">7Caucus memberships</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-31" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#See_also" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">8See also</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-32" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#References" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">9References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-33" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#External_links" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">10External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Early life and education[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Early life and education" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Justin Amash was born in 1980 in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids,Michigan" title="Grand Rapids, Michigan" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Grand Rapids, Michigan</a>, the son of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_Christian" class="mw-redirect" title="Palestinian Christian" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Palestinian Christian</a> father and a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Syria" title="Christianity in Syria" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Syrian Christian</a> mother.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-political_points-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[5]</a> His father, Attallah Amash, immigrated to the United States in 1956 through the sponsorship of a Christian pastor and his family.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-timmak-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[6]</a> His mother, Mimi, met his father through family friends in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus,Syria" class="mw-redirect" title="Damascus, Syria" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Damascus</a>; they married in 1974.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-motherjones.com-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[7]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Profile_3rd-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a>Amash grew up in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentwood,Michigan" title="Kentwood, Michigan" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Kentwood, Michigan</a>. He attended Kelloggsville Christian School in Kelloggsville and graduated as class valedictorian from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids_Christian_High_School" title="Grand Rapids Christian High School" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Grand Rapids Christian High School</a>. He graduated from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan" title="University of Michigan" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">University of Michigan</a> in 2002 with a B.A. in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economics" title="Economics" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">economics</a> with high honors, then earned a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juris_Doctor" title="Juris Doctor" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">J.D.</a> from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan_Law_School" title="University of Michigan Law School" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">University of Michigan Law School</a> in 2005.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Profile_3rd-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a>Amash and his wife, Kara (née Day), attended high school together, and later married after he graduated from Michigan and she graduated from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_College" title="Calvin College" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Calvin College</a>. They have a son and two daughters.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[9]</a> They are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church" title="Eastern Orthodox Church" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Eastern Orthodox</a> Christians.<h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Pre-Congress work[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Pre-Congress work" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>After graduating from law school, Amash spent less than a year as an attorney at the Grand Rapids law firm Varnum.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Profile_3rd-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a> He then became a consultant to Michigan Industrial Tools Inc. (also known as Tekton Inc.), a company his father founded and owned.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[10]</a> He worked as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_lawyer" title="Corporate lawyer" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">corporate attorney</a> for his family's business for a year before being elected to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_House_of_Representatives" title="Michigan House of Representatives" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Michigan House of Representatives</a> in 2008.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[11]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Justin_Amash_Full_Biography-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[12]</a> Amash's two brothers also have positions at Michigan Industrial Tools, and the three share ownership of Dynamic Source International, a Chinese company with offices worldwide that is a supplier to Michigan Industrial Tools.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Profile_3rd-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[13]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Michigan House of Representatives</h2><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Election[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Election" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Amash ran for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_House_of_Representatives" title="Michigan House of Representatives" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Michigan House of Representatives</a> in 2008 in Michigan's 72nd House District. During this time, he donated to the campaigns of Congressman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul" title="Ron Paul" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Ron Paul</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain" title="John McCain" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">John McCain</a>.[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">citation needed</a>] In the Republican primary, he won a five-way election with 41% of the vote, defeating opponent Ken Yonker by 723 votes, a 6.3% margin. The incumbent Republican, Glenn D. Steil, Jr., was unable to run due to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Term_limits_in_the_United_States" title="Term limits in the United States" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">term limits</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[14]</a> In the general election, Amash defeated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party(United_States)" title="Democratic Party (United States)" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Democrat</a> Albert Abbasse 61–36%.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[15]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Tenure[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Tenure" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>During his initial tenure in the State House, Amash sponsored five resolutions and twelve bills, but none of them passed.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[16]</a> While in the State House, he began using his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter" title="Twitter" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook" title="Facebook" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Facebook</a> pages to report his floor votes and explain his reasoning.<h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">U.S. House of Representatives[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: U.S. House of Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Elections[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=7&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Elections" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3><h4 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">2010</h4><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Michigan,2010#District_3" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2010" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2010 § District 3</a></div><div class="thumb tright" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); clear: right; float: right; margin: 0.5em 0px 1.3em 1.4em; width: auto;"><div class="thumbinner" style="min-width: 100px; border: 1px solid rgb(200, 204, 209); padding: 3px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); text-align: center; overflow: hidden; width: 202px;">
<div class="thumbcaption" style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><div class="magnify" style="float: right; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 0px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Congressman_Justin_Amash.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data" /></div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Congressman_Justin_Amash.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">Amash as U.S. Representative in 2011</a></div></div></div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Congressman_Justin_Amash.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">On August 3, 2010, Amash won the five-way Republican primary for the seat vacated by retiring Republican </a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vern_Ehlers" title="Vern Ehlers" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Vern Ehlers</a> with over 40% of the vote. He was endorsed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_for_Growth" title="Club for Growth" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Club for Growth</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-17" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[17]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul" title="Ron Paul" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Ron Paul</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-18" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[18]</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreedomWorks" title="FreedomWorks" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">FreedomWorks PAC</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[19]</a> during his primary campaign.In the general election Amash campaigned on a conservative platform.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Profile_3rd-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a> He defeated Democrat <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Miles,Jr." class="mw-redirect" title="Patrick Miles, Jr." style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Patrick Miles, Jr.</a> 60–37%.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-20" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[20]</a>In its October 25, 2010, issue, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time(magazine)" title="Time (magazine)" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Time magazine</a> named Amash one of its "40 under 40 – Rising Stars of U.S. Politics".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[21]</a> At age 30 Amash was the youngest federal officeholder in the United States on Time's list.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Time-22" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[22]</a><h4 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">2012[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=9&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2012" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4><div class="thumb tright" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); clear: right; float: right; margin: 0.5em 0px 1.3em 1.4em; width: auto;"><div class="thumbinner" style="min-width: 100px; border: 1px solid rgb(200, 204, 209); padding: 3px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); text-align: center; overflow: hidden; width: 222px;">
<div class="thumbcaption" style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><div class="magnify" style="float: right; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 0px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data" /></div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">Amash as U.S. Representative in 2011</a></div></div></div><div class="thumb tright" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); clear: right; float: right; margin: 0.5em 0px 1.3em 1.4em; width: auto;"><div class="thumbinner" style="min-width: 100px; border: 1px solid rgb(200, 204, 209); padding: 3px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); text-align: center; overflow: hidden; width: 222px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">
</a><div class="thumbcaption" style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data" /><div class="magnify" style="float: right; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 0px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns:data="data" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns:data="data" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns:data="data" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns:data="data" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns:data="data" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns:data="data" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash,official_portrait,112th_Congress.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash(8001759811).jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data" /></div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash(8001759811).jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">Amash at the 2012 </a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Political_Action_Conference" title="Liberty Political Action Conference" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Liberty Political Action Conference</a></div></div></div><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Michigan,2012#District_3" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2012" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2012 § District 3</a></div>Amash won <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Michigan,2012#District_3" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2012" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">reelection to the U.S. House in 2012</a>, defeating <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Pestka" title="Steve Pestka" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Steve Pestka</a> 53–44%.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-23" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[23]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[24]</a><h4 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">2014[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=10&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2014" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Michigan,2014#District_3" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2014" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2014 § District 3</a></div>After initial speculation that he might run for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Michigan,2014" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Senate election in Michigan, 2014" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S. Senate</a>, Amash confirmed that he would run for reelection to the House of Representatives in 2014.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[25]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-26" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[26]</a>Amash was endorsed by the fiscally conservative <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_for_Growth" title="Club for Growth" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Club for Growth</a> PAC, which spent over $500,000 supporting Amash in his Republican primary against former East Grand Rapids School Trustee Brian Ellis, who was endorsed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Chamber_of_Commerce" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Chamber of Commerce" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a> and spent more than $1 million of his own money on the race.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-27" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[27]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-28" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[28]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-29" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[29]</a>After Amash defeated Ellis in the August primary, with 57% of the vote to Ellis's 43%, Amash was highly critical of Ellis and former Congressman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Hoekstra" title="Pete Hoekstra" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Pete Hoekstra</a>, who had backed Ellis. Of Hoekstra, Amash said, "You are a disgrace. And I'm glad we could hand you one more loss before you fade into total obscurity and irrelevance." Amash took exception to one of Ellis's television ads that quoted California Republican Congressman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devin_Nunes" title="Devin Nunes" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Devin Nunes</a> calling Amash "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Qaeda" class="mw-redirect" title="Al Qaeda" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Al Qaeda</a>'s best friend in Congress"; he demanded an apology from Ellis for running what he called a "disgusting, despicable smear campaign."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-30" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[30]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-FriedersdorfAtlantic6Aug14-31" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[31]</a> As Friedersdorf of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atlantic" title="The Atlantic" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The Atlantic</a> notes, "Amash voted against the reauthorization of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act" title="Patriot Act" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Patriot Act</a>, favored a measure to repeal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indefinite_detention_without_trial" title="Indefinite detention without trial" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">indefinite detention</a>, and opposed reauthorization of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FISA_Amendments_Act" class="mw-redirect" title="FISA Amendments Act" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">FISA Amendments Act</a>."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-FriedersdorfAtlantic6Aug14-31" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[31]</a>In the general election Amash won reelection with 58% of the vote, defeating Democrat Bob Goodrich (who received 39%) and Green Party candidate Tonya Duncan (3%).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-32" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[32]</a><h4 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">2016[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=11&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Michigan,2016#District_3" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2016 § District 3</a></div>Amash won <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Michigan,2016#District_3" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">reelection to the U.S. House in 2016</a> for his fourth term, defeating Democrat Douglas Smith 59–38%. Taxpayers Party candidate Ted Gerrard finished with 3%.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-33" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[33]</a><h4 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">2018[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=12&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2018" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Michigan,2018#District_3" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2018" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2018 § District 3</a></div>Amash won <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Michigan,2018#District_3" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2018" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">reelection to the U.S. House in 2018</a> for his fifth term, defeating Cathy Albro, 54–43%. U.S. Taxpayers party candidate Ted Gerrard finished 3rd with 2.4% of the vote. Amash was unopposed in the Republican primary.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-34" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[34]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Tenure[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=13&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Tenure" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Amash has been noted for his attendance. From January 2011 to January 2019, Amash missed only one of 5,374 roll call votes.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-35" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[35]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-mold-36" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[36]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Political positions[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=14&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Political positions" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Amash is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism" title="Libertarianism" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">libertarian.</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-37" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[37]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-38" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[38]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-39" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[39]</a> He is regarded as one of the most conservative members of Congress,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-PhillipsMind-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[1]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-ShabadHigh-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[2]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-:0-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[4]</a> receiving high scores from conservative interest groups such as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_for_Growth" title="Club for Growth" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Club for Growth</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Action_for_America" class="mw-redirect" title="Heritage Action for America" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Heritage Action for America</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_for_Prosperity" title="Americans for Prosperity" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Prosperity</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-ShabadHigh-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[2]</a> and praise from conservative think tanks and nonprofit organizations.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-McMillin-40" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[40]</a> He was a founding member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Freedom_Caucus" class="mw-redirect" title="House Freedom Caucus" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">House Freedom Caucus</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-PushOutBoehner-41" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[41]</a> a group of hard-line conservative Republicans in the House.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-AndrewsHC-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[3]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-PushOutBoehner-41" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[41]</a> In June 2019 Amash left the caucus.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-42" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[42]</a> On July 4, 2019 he announced that he's leaving the Republican Party and to become an independent.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-43" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[43]</a>Before leaving the GOP, Amash gained a reputation as a gadfly within the Republican Party; his staunchly libertarian and sometimes contrarian views resulted at times in disagreements with party leadership and other members of the Michigan congressional delegation.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-44" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[44]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-45" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[45]</a>Amash has called economists <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Hayek" title="Friedrich Hayek" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">F. A. Hayek</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Bastiat" title="Frédéric Bastiat" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Frédéric Bastiat</a> his "biggest heroes" and political inspirations,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Time-22" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[22]</a> and has described himself as "Hayekian libertarian".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Maroon-46" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[46]</a> When <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times" title="The New York Times" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The New York Times</a> asked him to explain his approach to voting on legislation, he replied, "I follow a set of principles. I follow the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Constitution" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Constitution</a>. And that's what I base my votes on. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_government" title="Limited government" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Limited government</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_freedom" title="Economic freedom" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">economic freedom</a>, and individual liberty."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-nytimes.com-47" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[47]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Abortion[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=15&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Abortion" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Amash opposes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion" title="Abortion" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">abortion</a> and federal funding for abortion.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-ontheissues-48" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[48]</a> He describes himself as "100 percent pro-life"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-49" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[49]</a> and in 2017 voted in favor of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain-Capable_Unborn_Child_Protection_Act" title="Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">federal legislation to ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-50" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[50]</a>Amash voted "present" rather than "yes" or "no" on the 2011 Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act, which provided for the cessation of federal funding to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_Parenthood" title="Planned Parenthood" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Planned Parenthood</a>. Although he supports eliminating federal funding for Planned Parenthood, he abstained from defunding legislation, arguing that "legislation that names a specific private organization to defund (rather than all organizations that engage in a particular activity) is improper" and an "arguably unconstitutional" <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_attainder" title="Bill of attainder" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">bill of attainder</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-nytimes.com-47" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[47]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-51" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[51]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Economy[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=16&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Economy" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Amash opposes government bailouts and tax increases.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Time-22" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[22]</a>He was one of four Republicans who joined 161 Democrats to oppose a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_amendment" title="Constitutional amendment" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Constitutional amendment</a> that would require a yearly <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_budget_amendment" title="Balanced budget amendment" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">balanced budget</a>, due to serious concerns[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify" title="Wikipedia:Please clarify" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">clarification needed</a>] with that specific proposal.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-52" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[52]</a>Earlier that year, Amash had introduced H.J. Res. 81, an alternative balanced budget amendment that addressed those concerns.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-53" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[53]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Energy and environment[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=17&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Energy and environment" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Amash has criticized the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Environmental_Protection_Agency" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Environmental Protection Agency" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA), arguing that many environmental regulations are overreaching.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-ClimateChangeAmash-54" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[54]</a> He voted in favor of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Tax_Prevention_Act" title="Energy Tax Prevention Act" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011</a>, which would have amended the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Air_Act(United_States)" title="Clean Air Act (United States)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Clean Air Act of 1963</a> to prohibit the EPA from regulating specified <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gasses" class="mw-redirect" title="Greenhouse gasses" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">greenhouse gasses</a> as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollutants" class="mw-redirect" title="Air pollutants" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">air pollutants</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-55" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">[</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-55" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">55]</a> In a 2017 debate Amash "exaggerated uncertainty around the basics of climate science"—specifically, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_consensus_on_climate_change" title="Scientific consensus on climate change" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">scientific consensus</a> that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_emissions" class="mw-redirect" title="Carbon emissions" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">carbon emissions</a> cause climate change.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-56" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[56]</a> He opposed Obama's decision to sign the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Agreement" title="Paris Agreement" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Paris Agreement</a> to combat climate change.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-57" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[57]</a> Amash voted against legislation to block Trump's decision to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withdrawal_of_the_United_States_from_the_Paris_Agreement" class="mw-redirect" title="Withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-538Track-58" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[58]</a> and in favor of legislation "expressing the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense_of_Congress" class="mw-redirect" title="Sense of Congress" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">sense of Congress</a> that a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_tax" title="Carbon tax" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">carbon tax</a> would be detrimental to the United States economy."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-538Track-58" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[58]</a>Amash voted against <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes" title="Great Lakes" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Great Lakes</a> restoration legislation.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-ClimateChangeAmash-54" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[54]</a>Amash was the only representative from Michigan to oppose federal aid in response to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_water_crisis" title="Flint water crisis" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Flint water crisis</a>, arguing that "the U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to intervene in an intrastate matter like this one." Instead Amash contended that "the State of Michigan should provide comprehensive assistance to the people of Flint."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-59" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[59]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Foreign policy</h3><div class="thumb tright" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); clear: right; float: right; margin: 0.5em 0px 1.3em 1.4em; width: auto;"><div class="thumbinner" style="min-width: 100px; border: 1px solid rgb(200, 204, 209); padding: 3px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); text-align: center; overflow: hidden; width: 222px;">
<div class="thumbcaption" style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><div class="magnify" style="float: right; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 0px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash(28430150180).jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data" /></div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Justin_Amash(28430150180).jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="width" height="height" viewbox="%220" e="E" cg="Cg" id="%22smallbox%22" fill="%22%23fff%22" stroke="%22%23000%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22M-1.499" h10.99v7.919h1.509z="h10.99v7.919H1.509z" h5.943v4.904h-5.943z="h5.943v4.904h-5.943z" c="C" g="g" display="display" block="block" text-indent="text-indent" px="px" white-space="white-space" nowrap="nowrap" overflow="overflow" hidden="hidden" user-select="user-select" none="none" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data">Amash speaking at the 2016 </a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Americans_for_Liberty" title="Young Americans for Liberty" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Young Americans for Liberty</a> National Convention in Washington, D.C.</div></div></div>Amash supports decreasing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States" title="Military budget of the United States" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S. military spending</a>, and believes there is significant waste in the military spending of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Department_of_Defense" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Department of Defense" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S. Department of Defense</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-60" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[60]</a>He believes only <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress" title="United States Congress" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Congress</a> has the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Powers_Clause" title="War Powers Clause" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">power to declare war</a>, criticizing President Obama's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American-led_intervention_in_Syria" class="mw-redirect" title="American-led intervention in Syria" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">intervention in Syria</a> against <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_intervention_against_ISIL" class="mw-redirect" title="Military intervention against ISIL" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant</a> for proceeding without a Congressional declaration of war.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-FriedersdorfAtlantic29Aug13-61" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[61]</a>In 2011 Amash was one of six members of Congress who voted against House Resolution 268 reaffirming U.S. commitment to a negotiated settlement of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict" title="Israeli–Palestinian conflict" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Israeli–Palestinian conflict</a> through direct Israeli–Palestinian negotiation, which passed with 407 members in support.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-timmak-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[6]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-62" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[62]</a> In 2014 he was one of eight members of Congress who voted against a $225 million package to restock <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel" title="Israel" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Israel</a>'s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Dome" title="Iron Dome" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Iron Dome</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_defense" title="Missile defense" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">missile defenses</a>, which passed with 398 members in support.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-KlapperHuffPost1Aug14-63" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[63]</a> He supports a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-state_solution" title="Two-state solution" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">two-state solution</a> to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-timmak-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[6]</a>Amash joined 104 Democrats and 16 Republicans in voting against the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Authorization_Act_for_Fiscal_Year_2012" title="National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2012 National Defense Authorization Act</a> (NDAA), which specified the budget and expenditures of the Department of Defense,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-64" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[64]</a> calling it "one of the most anti-liberty pieces of legislation of our lifetime".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-65" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[65]</a> Amash co-sponsored an amendment to the NDAA that would ban indefinite military detention and military trials so that all terror suspects arrested in the United States would be tried in civilian courts. He expressed concern that individuals charged with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism" title="Terrorism" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">terrorism</a> could be jailed for prolonged periods of time without ever being formally charged or brought to trial.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-66" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[66]</a>On March 14, 2016, Amash joined the unanimous vote in the House to approve a resolution declaring the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant" title="Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant</a> (ISIL) to be committing genocide against religious minorities in the Middle East (it passed 383–0), but joined Representatives <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsi_Gabbard" title="Tulsi Gabbard" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Tulsi Gabbard</a> (D-HI) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Massie" title="Thomas Massie" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Thomas Massie</a> (R-KY) in voting against a separate measure creating an international tribunal to try those accused of participating in the alleged atrocities (it passed 392–3).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-67" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[67]</a>In 2017 Amash criticized U.S. involvement in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabian-led_intervention_in_Yemen" title="Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen</a>, arguing that "Al Qaeda in Yemen has emerged as a de facto ally of the Saudi-led militaries with whom [Trump] administration aims to partner more closely."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-68" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[68]</a>In July 2017 Amash was one of only three House members to vote against the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countering_America%27s_Adversaries_Through_Sanctions_Act" title="Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act</a>, a bill that imposed new economic sanctions against Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The bill passed the House on a 419–3 vote, with Representatives <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Massie" title="Thomas Massie" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Thomas Massie</a> (R-KY) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Duncan_Jr." class="mw-redirect" title="John Duncan Jr." style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">John Duncan Jr.</a> (R-TN) also voting no.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-69" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[69]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-5HouseMembers-70" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[70]</a> Trump initially opposed the bill, saying that relations with Russia were already "at an all-time and dangerous low", but ultimately signed it.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-5HouseMembers-70" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[70]</a>In 2019 Amash signed a letter led by Representative <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ro_Khanna" title="Ro Khanna" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Ro Khanna</a> and Senator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul" title="Rand Paul" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Rand Paul</a> to Trump asserting that it is "long past time to rein in the use of force that goes beyond congressional authorization" and that they hoped this would "serve as a model for ending hostilities in the future – in particular, as you and your administration seek a political solution to our involvement in Afghanistan.”<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-71" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[71]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-72" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[72]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Gerrymandering[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=19&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Gerrymandering" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Amash opposes political <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerrymandering_in_the_United_States" title="Gerrymandering in the United States" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">gerrymandering</a>, saying in 2018 that he strongly supported adopting "an independent process for drawing districts" based on geographic considerations, so that districts would be "as compact and contiguous as possible."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-73" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[73]</a> As of February 2019 Amash was the only Republican member of Michigan's congressional delegation who did not join a federal lawsuit challenging the state's political boundaries.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-74" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[74]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Health care[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=20&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Health care" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>On May 4, 2017, Amash voted in favor of repealing the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act" title="Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act</a> (Obamacare) and to pass a revised version of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Health_Care_Act_of_2017" title="American Health Care Act of 2017" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">American Health Care Act</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-:02-75" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[75]</a> Amash initially opposed the American Health Care Act, describing it as "Swampcare",<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-76" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[76]</a> tweeting that "It didn't take long for the swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-77" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[77]</a> and criticizing House leadership for attempting to "ram it through."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-78" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[78]</a> Nevertheless, Amash voted for the updated AHCA plan before the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Budget_Office" title="Congressional Budget Office" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Congressional Budget Office</a> could determine its impact or cost.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-79" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[79]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Immigration[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=21&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Immigration" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>In July 2018 House Republicans introduced a resolution supporting the officers and personnel of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Immigration_and_Customs_Enforcement" class="mw-redirect" title="U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)</a>. Amash was the only Republican in the chamber to vote against the resolution.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Maroon-46" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[46]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-WBCKFM-80" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[80]</a> He tweeted, "The House voted today on an inane resolution regarding ICE. The resolution makes several dubious claims and denounces calls to abolish ICE. I wouldn't abolish ICE without an alternative, but there's no reason to treat a federal agency as though it's beyond reproach and reform."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-WBCKFM-80" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[80]</a>In December 2018 Amash was one of eight House Republicans to vote against a stopgap government funding bill that included $5.7 billion in border wall funding. Amash tweeted, "This massive, wasteful spending bill – stuffed with unrelated items – passed 217–185. It’s amazing how some wall funding causes my fellow Republicans to embrace big government."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-81" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[81]</a>In February 2019 Amash was the only House Republican to co-sponsor a resolution to block <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Emergency_Concerning_the_Southern_Border_of_the_United_States" title="National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Trump's declaration of a national emergency</a> to redirect funds to build a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_wall" title="Trump wall" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">wall on the U.S.-Mexico border</a> without a congressional appropriation for such a project. He wrote, "A national emergency declaration for a non-emergency is void", and "[Trump] is attempting to circumvent our constitutional system."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-82" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[82]</a> On February 25 Amash was one of 13 House Republicans to vote to block Trump's declaration.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-83" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[83]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Marijuana legalization and forfeiture[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=22&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Marijuana legalization and forfeiture" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Amash and fellow <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S. Representative</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Lieu" title="Ted Lieu" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Ted Lieu</a> (D-CA) introduced a bill<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-84" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[84]</a> to block the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_Enforcement_Administration" title="Drug Enforcement Administration" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Drug Enforcement Administration</a> (DEA) from financing its Cannabis Eradication Program through <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_forfeiture_in_the_United_States" title="Civil forfeiture in the United States" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">civil asset forfeitures</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-85" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[85]</a>Amash took aim at civil asset forfeiture in a statement, saying that the practice allows for "innocent people to have their property taken without sufficient <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Due_Process_Clause" title="Due Process Clause" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">due process</a>".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-86" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[86]</a>Amash co-sponsored H.R. 1227, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ending_Federal_Marijuana_Prohibition_Act" title="Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act</a> of 2017. The bill was introduced by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S. Representative</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Garrett(American_politician)" class="mw-redirect" title="Thomas Garrett (American politician)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Thomas Garrett</a> (R-VA).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-87" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[87]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Same-sex marriage[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=23&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Same-sex marriage" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Amash supported a repeal of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_of_Marriage_Act" title="Defense of Marriage Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Defense of Marriage Act</a>, saying that the "real threat" to traditional marriage and religious liberty is government, not gay couples.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-ontheissues-48" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[48]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-88" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[88]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Security and surveillance[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=24&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Security and surveillance" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Amash has been a frequent critic of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Agency" title="National Security Agency" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">National Security Agency</a>'s anti-terrorism surveillance programs.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-motherjones.com-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[7]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-89" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[89]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-90" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[90]</a>He voted against the 2011 reauthorization of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_PATRIOT_Act" class="mw-redirect" title="USA PATRIOT Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">USA PATRIOT Act</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-91" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[91]</a> the 2012 reauthorization of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FISA_Amendments_Act" class="mw-redirect" title="FISA Amendments Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">FISA Amendments Act</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-92" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[92]</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Freedom_Act" title="USA Freedom Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">USA Freedom Act</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-93" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[93]</a>In 2013 Amash and 15 other members of Congress filed an amicus brief in Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court supporting the release of the Court's unpublished opinions regarding the "meaning, scope, and constitutionality" of Section 215 of the Patriot Act.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-94" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[94]</a>Amash opposed President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Donald Trump</a>'s 2017 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_13769" title="Executive Order 13769" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">executive order</a> to ban citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. Amash said: "Like President Obama's executive actions on immigration, President Trump's executive order overreaches and undermines our constitutional system."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Blake1-95" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[95]</a>Amash proposed an amendment to the reauthorization bill of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-96" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[96]</a> The Amash amendment would have required the government in criminal cases to seek a warrant based on probable cause before searching surveillance data for information about Americans.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-97" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[97]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-98" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[98]</a> While the Amash amendment received bipartisan support as well as support from civil liberties groups including the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_Liberties_Union" title="American Civil Liberties Union" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Civil Liberties Union</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-99" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[99]</a> the amendment ultimately failed by a vote of 183 to 233.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-100" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[100]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Suicide prevention hotline[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=25&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Suicide prevention hotline" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>In July 2018 Amash was the only member of the U.S. House to vote against creating a three-digit national <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_prevention" title="Suicide prevention" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">suicide prevention</a> hotline. He argued that Congress lacked the constitutional power to pass the legislation.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-101" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[101]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">2012 and 2016 presidential endorsements[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=26&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2012 and 2016 presidential endorsements" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Amash is an ally of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul" title="Ron Paul" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Ron Paul</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Zezima-102" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[102]</a> endorsing Paul in his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul_presidential_campaign,2012" class="mw-redirect" title="Ron Paul presidential campaign, 2012" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">campaign</a> for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_presidential_primaries,2012" class="mw-redirect" title="Republican presidential primaries, 2012" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Republican presidential nomination in 2012</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-103" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[103]</a> Ron Paul's brother, David Paul, formerly an assistant pastor in Amash's district, introduced the two men.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-mold-36" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[36]</a> Amash endorsed Paul's son, Senator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul" title="Rand Paul" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Rand Paul</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul_presidential_campaign,2016" class="mw-redirect" title="Rand Paul presidential campaign, 2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">for president</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_presidential_primaries,2016" class="mw-redirect" title="Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2016</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Zezima-102" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[102]</a> After Paul dropped out of the Republican primary race, Amash endorsed Senator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz" title="Ted Cruz" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Ted Cruz</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz_presidential_campaign,2016" class="mw-redirect" title="Ted Cruz presidential campaign, 2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">his bid for the presidency</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-104" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[104]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Criticism of Donald Trump[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=27&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Criticism of Donald Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>In 2016 Amash made headlines by joining the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Republicans_who_opposed_Donald_Trump_presidential_campaign,2016" class="mw-redirect" title="List of Republicans who opposed Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">list of Republicans who opposed the GOP nominee</a> for President, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Donald Trump</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-Oppose_Trump-105" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[105]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-twsWSJ4343-106" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[106]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-twsNewsmax494-107" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[107]</a> After Trump was elected president, the Huffington Post profiled him in an article with the following title, "The One House Republican Who Can't Stop Criticizing Donald Trump". Amash said, "I'm not here to represent a particular political party; I'm here to represent all of my constituents and to follow the Constitution."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-CBS1-108" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[108]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-HuffPost1-109" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[109]</a>After <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lewis(civil_rights_leader)" title="John Lewis (civil rights leader)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Representative John Lewis (D-GA)</a> said that Trump was not a "legitimate president," Trump sent out a series of tweets on January 14, 2017, criticizing Lewis. Amash responded to Trump's tweets with one of his own: "Dude, just stop."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-110" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[110]</a> Amash later explained, "The reason I did it is he wouldn’t stop...The way he feels so slighted about everything I think is not healthy for our country." Amash felt that Lewis’s comments were "inappropriate" but said that Trump’s response should have been “dignified and conciliatory to the extent possible” instead of “personal jabs, attacking his district”.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-111" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[111]</a>In April 2017 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Scavino_Jr." class="mw-redirect" title="Dan Scavino Jr." style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Dan Scavino</a>, a senior White House aide, called for Amash to be defeated in a Republican primary challenge. Amash later called Trump a "childish bully", saying that his attacks would be "constructive in the fifth grade. It may allow a child to get his way, but that's not how our government works."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-CBS1-108" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[108]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-112" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[112]</a>In May 2017 Trump was accused of pressuring fired FBI director <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comey" title="James Comey" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">James Comey</a> to end an investigation into former national security adviser <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Flynn" title="Michael Flynn" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Michael Flynn</a>. Amash was reported as the first Republican congressman to publicly state that the allegations, if proven true, merited impeachment.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-113" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[113]</a> This report was contested by the office of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo(politician)" class="mw-redirect" title="Carlos Curbelo (politician)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Representative Carlos Curbelo</a>, who claimed that he was the first to say that.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-114" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[114]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-115" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[115]</a>In June 2018 the Huffington Post asked House Republicans, "If the president pardoned himself, would they support impeachment?" Amash was the only Republican who said "definitively he would support impeachment".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-HuffPost2-116" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[116]</a> In July 2018 Amash strongly criticized Trump's press conference with Russian president <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin" title="Vladimir Putin" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Vladimir Putin</a>. He tweeted, "The impression it left on me, a strong supporter of the meeting, is that 'something is not right here.' The president went out of his way to appear subordinate. He spoke more like the head of a vassal state."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-117" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[117]</a>When Trump's former attorney <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cohen(lawyer)" title="Michael Cohen (lawyer)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Michael Cohen</a> testified before the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Oversight_Committee" class="mw-redirect" title="House Oversight Committee" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">House Oversight Committee</a> on February 27, 2019, Amash asked him, "What is the truth President Trump is most afraid of people knowing?" Democrat <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krystal_Ball" title="Krystal Ball" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Krystal Ball</a> wrote, "Amash showed how someone actually can exercise oversight responsibility and try to get to the truth, even if the truth might not be in his party’s short-term best interest."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-118" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[118]</a> CNN editor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Cillizza" title="Chris Cillizza" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Chris Cillizza</a> wrote, "The Michigan Republican did something on Wednesday that almost none of his GOP colleagues seemed willing to even try: Ask Cohen questions about his relationship with Trump that might actually shed some new light on not only their relationship but on the President of the United States."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-119" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[119]</a><h4 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Comments on the Mueller Report[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=28&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Comments on the Mueller Report" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>In May 2019, Amash said that Trump "has engaged in impeachable conduct" based on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obstruction_of_justice" title="Obstruction of justice" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">obstruction of justice</a> findings of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mueller_Report" title="Mueller Report" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Mueller Report</a>, which, Amash said, "few members of Congress have read".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-120" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[120]</a> Amash also said that Attorney General <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Barr" title="William Barr" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">William Barr</a> "deliberately misrepresented" the report's findings<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-121" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[121]</a> and that partisanship was making it hard to maintain checks and balances in the American political system.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-:1-122" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[122]</a> Amash was the first Republican member of Congress to call for Trump's impeachment.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-123" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[123]</a> In response, Trump called Amash a "loser", accused him of "getting his name out there through controversy", and falsely stated that the Mueller report had concluded that there was no obstruction of justice.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-:1-122" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[122]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-:0-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[4]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronna_McDaniel" title="Ronna McDaniel" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Ronna McDaniel</a>, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, accused Amash of "parroting the Democrats' talking points on Russia."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-:1-122" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[122]</a> She did not explicitly express support for a primary challenge against Amash, but tweeted, "voters in Amash’s district strongly support this president."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-:0-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[4]</a> House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, claimed that Amash "votes more with Nancy Pelosi than he ever does with me"; PolitiFact evaluated this as false.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-124" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[124]</a> Republican Senator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney" title="Mitt Romney" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Mitt Romney</a> described Amash's statement as "courageous", though he disagreed with Amash's conclusions. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-125" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[125]</a> The New York Times reported that while many Republicans supported Trump in public, they criticized his actions in private.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-126" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[126]</a>Two days after Amash's comments, state representative <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lower" title="James Lower" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">James Lower</a> announced that he will challenge Amash in the 2020 Republican primary, saying he wanted to "make sure people in the community knew there was a pro-Trump conservative ready to take him on."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-127" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[127]</a> Amash received a standing ovation from the majority of his constituents who attended a town hall meeting shortly after Amash's comments on impeachment. He told the crowd that Trump was setting a bad example for the nation's children.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-128" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[128]</a>Another challenger in the Republican primary is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_National_Guard" title="Army National Guard" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Army National Guard</a> member Thomas Norton, who announced his candidacy in April.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-129" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[129]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Committee assignments[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=29&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Committee assignments" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Note: This list is not complete.<dl style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">115th Congress</dt></dl><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Oversight_and_Government_Reform" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Committee on Oversight and Government Reform</a><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Oversight_Subcommittee_on_Information_Technology" title="United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Information Technology" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on Information Technology</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Oversight_Subcommittee_on_National_Security" title="United States House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on National Security</a></li></ul></li></ul><dl style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">114th Congress</dt></dl><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Oversight_and_Government_Reform" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Committee on Oversight and Government Reform</a><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Oversight_Subcommittee_on_National_Security" title="United States House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on National Security</a></li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress_Joint_Economic_Committee" title="United States Congress Joint Economic Committee" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Joint Economic Committee</a></li></ul><dl style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">113th Congress</dt></dl><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Oversight_and_Government_Reform" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Committee on Oversight and Government Reform</a><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Oversight_Subcommittee_on_Government_Operations" title="United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on Government Operations</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Oversight_Subcommittee_on_National_Security" title="United States House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on National Security</a></li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress_Joint_Economic_Committee" title="United States Congress Joint Economic Committee" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Joint Economic Committee</a></li></ul><dl style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">112th Congress</dt></dl><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Oversight_and_Government_Reform" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Committee on Oversight and Government Reform</a><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Oversight_Subcommittee_on_Government_Organization,Efficiency_and_Financial_Management" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Oversight_Subcommittee_on_TARP,Financial_Services_and_Bailouts_of_Public_and_Private_Programs" title="United States House Oversight Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs</a></li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress_Joint_Economic_Committee" title="United States Congress Joint Economic Committee" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Joint Economic Committee</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_the_Budget" title="United States House Committee on the Budget" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Committee on the Budget</a></li></ul>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering_and_Policy_Committees_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives#House_Republican_Steering_Committee" title="Steering and Policy Committees of the United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">House Republican Steering Committee</a> removed Amash from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_the_Budget" title="United States House Committee on the Budget" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">House Budget Committee</a> in late 2012 as part of a larger party leadership-caucus shift.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-130" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[130]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-WP01-131" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[131]</a> He joined <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Huelskamp" title="Tim Huelskamp" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Tim Huelskamp</a> (R-<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas" title="Kansas" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Kansas</a>) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Schweikert" title="David Schweikert" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">David Schweikert</a> (R-<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona" title="Arizona" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Arizona</a>) in a letter to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="Speaker of the United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Speaker of the House</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boehner" title="John Boehner" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">John Boehner</a>, demanding to know why they had lost their committee positions.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-132" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[132]</a>A spokesperson for Republican Congressman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Westmoreland" title="Lynn Westmoreland" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Lynn Westmoreland</a> of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia(U.S.state)" title="Georgia (U.S. state)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Georgia</a> said that Amash, Huelskamp, and Schweikert had been removed for "their inability to work with other members." <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politico" title="Politico" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Politico</a> said that the three were "the first members pulled off committees as punishment for political or personality reasons in nearly two decades".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-The_a%E2%80%94hole_factor-133" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[133]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-'Obstinate'Factor_Continues_to_Roil_GOP-134" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[134]</a>:p.2<h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Caucus memberships[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=30&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Caucus memberships" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Caucus" title="Freedom Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Freedom Caucus</a> (Founding member)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-PushOutBoehner-41" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[41]</a>; resigned from the caucus June 10, 2019<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-135" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[135]</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Caucus" title="Liberty Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Liberty Caucus</a> (Founder and Chairman)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-136" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[136]</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_Caucus" title="Second Amendment Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Second Amendment Caucus</a> (Founding member)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash#cite_note-137" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[137]</a></li></ul><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">See also[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Amash&action=edit&section=31&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: See also" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" width="%225%22" height="%2213%22%3E" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="%222.5%22" cy="%229%22" r="%222.5%22" fill="%22%23222%22/%3E" c="C" e="E" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Arab_and_Middle-Eastern_Americans_in_the_United_States_Congress" class="mw-redirect" title="List of Arab and Middle-Eastern Americans in the United States Congress" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">List of Arab and Middle-Eastern Americans in the United States Congress</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_politicians_who_switched_parties_in_office" title="List of American politicians who switched parties in office" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">List of American politicians who switched parties in office</a></li></ul><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">References</h2><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">...</div>

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