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U.S. Congressman Lynn Westmoreland
 U.S.
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, of Grantville, entered Congress in January
2005 after serving 12 years in the Georgia House. He represents
Georgia's 3rd District, which stretches from the southern suburbs
of metro Atlanta into Middle Georgia.In
Congress, Lynn serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure,
Small Business and Government Reform committees.
Serving on the Small Business Committee affords
Lynn the opportunity to consistently focus on ways to enhance the
business climate for one of our nation's most important economic
engines. Within the Small Business Committee, he is a member of
the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and Oversight. This
subcommittee examines the regulatory activities of various Federal
agencies and assesses the impact of regulations on the small
business community. He is also a member of the Subcommittee on
Workforce, Empowerment and Government Programs. This subcommittee
works to encourage business growth and looks for ways to help
businesses attract and retain a high-quality workforce.
Lynn also serves on the Committee on Government
Reform, created to ensure government accountability. The panel is
considered the chief investigative and oversight committee and
exercises government-wide oversight and expanded legislative
authority. Within the Committee on Government Reform, Lynn was
selected as the Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and
Resources. He is also a member of the Subcommittee on Regulatory
Affairs.
Lynn was also honored with the opportunity to
serve on the Transportation Committee. He is a member of the
Subcommittee on Aviation, an industry important to the people of
the 8th District. The Aviation Subcommittee oversees funding and
organization of the Federal Aviation Administration, safety and
security programs, and oversight of the National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB). He was also selected to serve as the Vice
Chair of the Railroad Subcommittee, which oversees railroad
infrastructure programs, reauthorization of the Federal Railroad
Administration's Safety Program, and reauthorization of Amtrak.
In the state House, Lynn served three years as
Republican leader, fighting for low taxes and less government. He
played a major role in delivering a Republican majority in the
state House for the first time.
The Westmorelands reside in Coweta County, after
living in Fayette County for over 25 years where he started a
building company, L.A.W. Builders. During his work in the
construction industry, Lynn has worked in all aspects of the
trade, including commercial and residential construction, and land
development.
He and his wife Joan have been married for 36
years. They have three children and six grandchildren. They attend
Southcrest Church.
Visit
Westmoreland's House Website
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Westmoreland meets with Fayette Chamber members (front row, left to
right) Virginia Gibbs, Cyndi Plunkett, Donna O'Kelly and Kathy
Chamberlin, (back, left to right) Bob Reeves and Michael Whiteside.
9-17-06 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland hosted members
of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce in Washington this week. The
group was part of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce's annual fly-in.
"I'm always highly encouraged to see constituents getting
involved in the political process and letting their voices be heard,"
Westmoreland said. "This chamber event in Washington is an important
time each year. We need to hear from the business community, and it's
important that the chamber members come to ask the tough questions of
their elected officials but also to keep us up to date on what's cooking
back home in their communities.
"On a personal note, it's always great to see the folks
from Fayette, where I was a small businessman for many years."
Westmoreland hosted a lunch forum for the visiting
chamber groups from the 8th Congressional District.
Westmoreland arranged for visits from other members of the Georgia
congressional delegation. Sen. Saxby Chambliss addressed the battle
against terrorism and efforts to improve intelligence. Sen. Johnny
Isakson told the group that he delivered a better federal transportation
funding formula that will boost payments to Georgia by more than $1
billion over the next five years. Rep. Nathan Deal discussed immigration
reform and Rep. John Linder explained his Fair Tax proposal. Other
visitors included Georgia Reps. Jack Kingston, Charlie Norwood and Phil
Gingrey, House conservative leader Mike Pence (R-Ind.), House Majority
Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.).
"This year's event was a great success," Westmoreland
said. "We hope the Fayette Chamber members enjoyed their time here and
we're already planning for next year's event."
We
turned our pain and anger into purpose
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland delivered the following speech
this morning at the Coweta County Sept. 11 Tribute:
9-11-07 Blessed nation that we are, there
are only a few days in our nation's history that will live in infamy.
But today marks the fifth anniversary of one of those tragic days. We
gather here today for many purposes as a community: to remember, to
reflect and also to rally our resolve to continue the fight against
those who seek our destruction.
U.S.
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) issued the following statement on
FEMA paying out more than $1 billion in fraudulent claims after
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita:
"These crimes against the U.S. taxpayers are outrageous
but they're hardly surprising. I said last summer when I was one of
11 members of the House to oppose the $52
billion hurricane relief bill that we were
spending too much, too fast and that Congress was failing to exercise
any oversight of the vast sums of money it was doling out.
"Massive fraud in this case was as predictable as the
sunrise. We're hearing now that up to $1.4 billion was obtained
fraudulently. That's a lot of money. One person received nearly $2,400
for rental assistance while FEMA was also paying $8,000 for that person
to stay in a Hawaii hotel for 70 days. This sounds almost like a
perverse incentive to go live in a hurricane zone.
"This report offers a great time for reiterate that we in
Congress must be better stewards of the taxpayers' money. As a nation,
we want and need to respond and help those hurt by natural disasters.
But responsible leadership doesn't include writing blank checks and then
turning a blind eye to how it's spent."
Westmoreland to Georgia
counties: 'Begin the bailout process'
7-27-06 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland's statement on
today's signing of the Voting Rights Act renewal by President Bush:
"Today's signing will keep Georgia in the penalty box for
25 more years, even though we've righted the wrongs of our state's Jim
Crow past. A baby born in Georgia today will be old enough to have voted
in two presidential elections by the next time our state is up for a
reprieve. More
Westmoreland votes for
marriage amendment
7-18-06 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today voted for
the Marriage Protection Amendment, which would define marriage as a union
between one man and one woman in the U.S. Constitution. The amendment fell
short of the two-thirds majority needed for amendments, 236-187.
More
Westmoreland opposes 'emergency' spending bill
3-16-06 (Washington, DC) -- U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today voted against the
approximately $91 billion emergency spending bill for the war and Katrina,
saying that funding for the military effort should be voted on separately.
More
6-8-06 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland voted today
(6-7-06) to toughen enforcement of broadcast decency laws in America. The
House passed the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act by a wide, bipartisan
margin, 379-35. More
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Note: We post many of Rep. Westmoreland's articles in the
various topical pages. Not all are included on this page.
4/15/08 (Blogpost) U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland marked
Tax Day by reiterating his support for abolishing the Internal
Revenue Service as he accepted a petition in support of the Fair
Tax. The petition had 103,000 signatures that were presented by
Americans for Fair Taxation and the National Taxpayers Union...
More
3/13/08 (Blogpost) U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today voted
against the Democrats’ budget for next year, citing the plan’s $683 billion
tax hike and massive increase in spending. The Democrats’ record-breaking
budget passed on a tight party-line vote...
More
2/15/08 (2:21 p.m.) U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland said today
that the Democratic House put the nation at risk this week after its leaders
refused to hold a vote on renewing a vital anti-terrorism law that expires
Saturday... More
A Taxing Christmas
by Lynn Westmoreland
12/16/07 (7:09 p.m.)
At the time of year when we want to have the giving
spirit of Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Americans pinched
by the rising cost of living might feel more like the Dickensian orphan Oliver
Twist... More
Westmoreland Backs Higher Age Limit for Pilots
12/11/07 (11:24 p.m.) U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland will vote
today in the House to raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial
airline pilots to 65 from 60. As a member of the panel that oversees...
More
Westmoreland: ‘Put poor kids
first’
10/18/07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today voted to uphold
President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program...
More
Fayette Chamber visits Westmoreland
in DC
 Westmoreland hosted a reception for members of the
Fayette County Chamber of Commerce in Washington. From left with
Westmoreland are Bob Reeves (Accounting Resources), Alice Reeves,
Virginia Gibbs (Fayette Chamber president), Michael Whiteside
(Fayette-Coweta EMC) and Peachtree City Mayor Harold Logsdon.
Westmoreland statement on today’s reports by Gen. David Petraeus and
Ambassador Ryan Crocker: ‘Slow and steady progress will lead to slow and
steady redeployment’
9/10/07 “The reports today from Gen. David Petraeus and
Ambassador Ryan Crocker weren’t packed with surprises. In fact, their
testimony demonstrates that the increase in troops over the past three
months has worked the way we thought it would: It’s decreased the levels
of violence across Iraq, it’s increased...
More
Westmoreland Reflects on the US Constitution with Fayetteville's DAR
8/21/07 (Guest Article) The sun was gently beginning to warm the
air on this August morning in Fayetteville. Inside Southern Oaks was a blur of
activity as the ladies of the James Waldrop Chapter Daughters of the American
Revolution eagerly awaited the arrival...
More
Westmoreland: The Taxing Reality of Kids’ Health Care Plan
8/4/07 Not one vote has been cast in the 2008
presidential race, yet Democrats in Congress are acting as if Hillary
Clinton’s already in the White House...
More
Westmoreland Pushes for English-only
7/19/07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today offered
legislation that requires all federal financial aid forms be completed in
English. Westmoreland’s proposal came as an amendment to the spending bill
that funds the Departments of Education, Health & Human Services and
Labor. The amendment failed, 191-233...
More
Westmoreland: Democrats twisting arms, breaking rules
6/28/07 Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland called
out House Democrats on the floor for breaking their own rules, after their
leadership held open a vote past the allotted time to twist arms and change the
outcome of a vote...
Westmoreland opposes stem cell bill
6/7/07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today voted against the Stem
Cell Research Enhancement Act, which mandates the use of federal tax dollars to
destroy human embryos in order to harvest their stem cells for research. The
bill expands the number of stem cell lines eligible for federally funded
research....
Westmoreland votes
'yes' on war spending bill
5/24/07 After opposing Democrats' attempts in previous bills to
set timetables for surrender in Iraq, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today voted in
favor of the latest war spending legislation after Democrats backed off of their
demands for withdrawal timetables...
Westmoreland optimistic on Iraq compromise
5/23/07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland on Wednesday hailed the
progress in the war spending bill negotiations, saying we're moving in a more
positive direction by eliminating withdrawal timetables from the legislation...
Westmoreland:
Democrats' Iraq plans disastrous
5-10-07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today opposed the Democratic
spending bill that only funds the war through July and a bill calling for the
immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from. The war spending bill passed the House
on a largely party-line vote but the bill calling for immediate withdrawal of
forces from Iraq failed by a wide margin...
Westmoreland says no to Thought Police
5-3-07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland voted against the Local Law
Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, which passed the House today...
Westmoreland opposes giant tax increase
3-29-07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland voted against House
Democrats' budget plan today, citing its huge tax hikes on American families and
massive increases in discretionary spending.
Westmoreland votes no on 'slow bleed'
3-23-07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland voted against the Democrats'
"slow-bleed" war supplemental - which passed 218-212 with one member
voting present -- in the House today, saying it assures defeat by
mandating the withdrawal of American troops. More
Westmoreland:
Democrats pushing biggest tax hike in history
3-21-07 The House Democrats' budget unveiled today
proposes the biggest tax increase in the nation's history, huge
increases in discretionary spending and no entitlement reform. More
Democrats' Iraq bill declares defeat
3-15-07 Washington Democrats have unveiled their proposal for
Iraq, and it's as bad as anything we could have imagined. Their Iraq plan sets
arbitrary deadlines for U.S. withdrawal with no consideration whatsoever to the
consequences. Adding insult to injury, they've larded up the bill with billions
of dollars for "emergency" projects to secure votes from wavering Democrats.
Westmoreland blasts Democrats' Iraq plan
3-9-07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland vowed to fight House
Democrats' plan for Iraq, saying it would lead to defeat in the war.
Westmoreland
praises passage of Norwood's last bill
3-7-07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland paid tribute to his friend and
former colleague today, voting for the Charlie W. Norwood Living Kidney Organ
Donation Clarification Act, which passed the House with a unanimous vote.
Westmoreland opposes budget bill
1-31-07 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland opposed the
budget bill that will fund the government through Sept. 30. the bill
passed 286-140. More
Westmoreland statement on US
Airways ending its bid to take over Delta:
1-31-07 "This is a great day for Delta and
its customers, and it brings a giant sigh of relief for the metro
Atlanta region. My Southside district is home to more Delta
employees and retirees than any congressional district in the
country. Hartsfield-Jackson is the horse that pulls the cart in
this area, and you could say that Delta is the backbone of the
horse. The airport means $19 billion for Georgia's economy.
"Delta has long been one of Georgia's most
prominent corporate citizens. It's an important part of this
community and has been since its founder moved it from Louisiana.
It wasn't born here but it was raised here. It's ours. I worked
for Delta; my wife worked for Delta; my youngest daughter was a
flight attendant for Delta. It's not just part of our economy,
it's part of my family, and I think there are many families
throughout metro Atlanta that feel the same way.
"There were problems with this takeover bid from
the very beginning. There's no doubt Georgia's better off with an
independent Delta headquartered in Atlanta."
Westmoreland top Republican on Small Business panel
1-30-07 The Republican leader on the House
Small Business Committee named U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland ranking
member of the Subcommittee on Regulations, Health Care and Trade.
U.S.
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland Regarding President Bush's Plans for Iraq
1-11-07 "I support a significant increase in U.S.
troop strength in Iraq. With chaos spiraling more and more out of
control in various provinces, a larger U.S. force is our only hope
for bringing stability and a chance for peace and democracy in Iraq.
More
Democrats defeat taxpayer protections
1-4-07 As the Democrats brought their House
rules package to the floor today, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland
supported an effort to preserve a Republican-era standard that
protects against tax increases. Democrats unanimously voted down the
motion, which fell 232-199.
More
In
Democratic Congress, my job stays the same
1-4-07 Members of Congress return to
Washington this week as a new regime takes charge in the House. For
the first time in 12 years, a Democrat, Nancy Pelosi, will wield the
speaker's gavel.
As a Republican, I will move from majority to
minority status. The fact is, I don't expect my role in the House to
change much. I spent my first two years fighting against big
government and out-of-control spending. The only difference is now
I'll be standing up against the Democrats instead of leaders in my
own party.
More
Westmoreland votes
for federal voter ID bill
9-20-06 U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland voted in
favor of the Federal Election Integrity Act, which will require
voters to present photo ID in federal elections starting in 2008.
The bill passed 228-196 and now goes to the Senate.
More
Westmoreland supports
earmark reform
9-14-06
U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland voted today to change U.S. House rules to
require that spending bills list all earmarks and the name of the
member requesting the project. The rule changed passed the House
because of overwhelming Republican support for the measure.
"This is a
modest but symbolic victory for spending restraint," Westmoreland said.
"I'm not convinced that this is going to save a lot of money but it
brings transparency and accountability to the process.
"If members
are going to request money for projects from taxpayers, they should be
willing to publicly stand by that request. Let's hope that we'll at
least bring some shame to the process so that we can eliminate some of
the more ridiculous or highly expensive projects that waste taxpayer
dollars."
6-23-06
U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland's response to news releases from fellow
Georgia Reps. John Lewis (D-Atlanta) and David Scott (D-Atlanta).
More
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