{"id":694,"date":"2014-11-19T15:37:43","date_gmt":"2014-11-19T15:37:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.wabash.edu\/magazine\/?p=694"},"modified":"2023-05-24T17:57:08","modified_gmt":"2023-05-24T17:57:08","slug":"the-best-listener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wabash.edu\/magazine\/2014\/11\/19\/the-best-listener\/","title":{"rendered":"A Bigger Voice in the National Debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Republican party\u2019s sweeping election wins earlier this month have swept Indiana Representative Luke Messer \u201991 into a key leadership position within the House GOP.<\/p>\n

Messer was elected head of the GOP Policy Committee, the fifth-ranking leadership position in the conservative caucus, following his re-election by Indiana\u2019s sixth district on Nov. 4. The committee\u00a0serves as an advisory panel to help House Republicans develop policy solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will give our area a bigger voice in the national debate,\u201d Messer told reporters following the announcement via the\u00a0Indianapolis Star<\/i>. \u201cWe need a positive agenda, so we\u2019re not defined by just what we oppose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"U.S.<\/a>
U.S. Representative Luke Messer ’91 (R-Ind.-6th) during the Wabash Democracy and Public Discourse initiative’s simulated deliberations, Oct. 24, 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Messer will assume this new post when the 114th Congress convenes on Jan. 6.<\/p>\n

His ascension to the GOP leadership continues a whirlwind of activity for Messer, who was first elected to Congress in 2012. Since moving to Washington, D.C., he was elected Freshman Class President by his peers in 2012, and currently serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the Committee on Education and the Workforce.\u00a0 Messer previously served on the House Budget and Foreign Affairs Committees.<\/p>\n

Messer\u2019s efforts in and around the Capitol have won him plenty of fans, as Messer was described as \u201cprobably the best listener I have met here in Congress\u201d by Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, as reported by the\u00a0Star<\/i>.<\/p>\n

While at Wabash, Messer majored in speech and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He was also a letterman on the Little Giant football team. Following graduation, he earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University, where he also served on the Law Review.<\/p>\n

Messer is a member of the Wabash Democracy and Public Discourse initiative\u2019s Advisory Committee.<\/p>\n

No matter the post, Messer hasn\u2019t lost sight of the responsibility of representing the American public, and specifically, the people in his 19-county district in Indiana.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an exciting opportunity to be here,\u201d Messer said on C-SPAN. \u201cOn election night just a few days ago, the American people spoke loudly. They\u2019ve given our party an opportunity and they expect us to deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n