James_March-April_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 56
At this point he was being modest, since it’s well known on Capitol
Hill that the Steering Committee
exercises raw power because it
controls the committee assignments for his new colleagues. Jack
called it “a big win” to lead his class
on the Committee and notes that
one of his first tasks was working
to score committee assignments for
fellow freshmen.
He hastened to note “that you
can’t put yourself in the room and
give yourself the best assignments.”
So he looked out for his friends.
“There are four committees that
are perceived to be the most prestigious: The Appropriations Committee, the Energy and Commerce
Committee, the Financial Services
Committee and the Ways and
Means Committee,” he explained,
“and I got to assign nine freshmen— nine of them across those
four committees. That’s the highest
share of freshmen since the 1990s
56
JAMES MARCH /A P R I L 2 02 6
to earn placement on those coveted
committees. So I’m very proud of
that— and it naturally generated a
lot of goodwill from my colleagues.”
Furthermore, Jack was given a
great honor by U.S. House Speaker
Mike Johnson for becoming the
only freshman appointed to the
powerful House Rules Committee.
That’s the chamber’s oldest committee and the one from which all
legislation flows.
“I also oversee recruitment
for the party,” he added. “So I’m
working hard to recruit quality congressional candidates around the
country.”
Emergence of a Power Player
It’s becoming increasingly clear
that this congressman is emerging
as quite a power player— especially
for the benefit of his district constituents. Think about it. Jack knows
every GOP member of Congress
as well as a significant number of
Democrat members. Along with
this asset, he is a Trump loyalist. He
says, “To be a successful legislator
requires good relationships and
trust and confidence from your colleagues because it takes 218 votes
to pass a bill, and that’s 217 people
you need to convince to support
your legislation. So it is a very relationship oriented business, and I’m
certainly excited about the relationships I’ve developed thus far.”
Jack also strives to make
himself accessible and helpful. A
great example of help to a constituent (and to the country) occurred
last year when he led a bipartisan
majority to pass a joint resolution
repealing a foolish Biden administration regulation. The rule would
have banned non-condensing tankless water heaters manufactured
in Griffin in Spalding County at the
Rinnai America Corporation’s manufacturing facility, which employs
over 300 workers.
