I received the following news release from my Congressman, Thomas Massie:

U.S. Representative Thomas Massie Announces He Will Not Vote to Re-elect
Speaker Boehner

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

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

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

• Mislead members into thinking that a vote on an unpopular bill was postponed, only to then conduct a rushed voice vote on the $10 billion unfunded spending measure with fewer than a dozen members present,

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

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

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

I’ve met Congressman Massie, and both the impression that I got from the short time I spent talking with him and what I have seen in his actions in Congress lead me to believe that what he is saying is true and that he is doing this out of a concern for the welfare of the Congress and the nation.  He goes into more detail in an op-ed, published this weekend.

I ask each of you to read what Congressman Massie says in both pieces, and to consider whether you want John Boehner to continue as Speaker of the House.  If you agree with me that it’s time he was replaced, or if you believe that to do so would not be in our best interest, please reach out to your Representative and let them know.  They need to hear from us in order to do our bidding.  Remember, apathy denotes acceptance, and silence denotes permission.