Marc Veasey and Roger Williams are ready for Thursday.
That's the day the two will stand with the 113th U.S. Congress, take the oath of office and formally become the newest members of North Texas' congressional delegation."I'm very excited," said Veasey, a Democrat elected to represent the new 33rd Congressional District, which stretches from Fort Worth's Stockyards to Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood. "I know there's a lot of work to do."There are a lot of important things to do for the country," he said. "This isn't politics. It's something that has been bestowed upon me and the responsibility is very real."Williams, a former Texas secretary of state and a well-known Weatherford auto dealer with local roots, said it's humbling to think of those who came before him - and the opportunities that lie ahead."I am so excited you can't imagine," said Williams, a Republican chosen to represent the 25th Congressional District, which stretches from Tarrant County to Austin. "It's going to be a great, great opportunity. It's an unbelievable time to help America move forward, to stand in the arena where we can make America better."As they say in sports, it's game time."Veasey and Williams, both graduates of Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, are among the dozens of freshmen who will be part of the next Congress.They join veteran Reps. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell, and Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, in representing communities throughout North Texas.No place like homeNew to Washington, D.C., both Veasey and Williams have found places to live within walking distance of the U.S. Capitol.Still learning their way around the massive Capitol Complex, they have spent weeks studying legislative procedures, participating in new member orientation and working to set up district offices. They have learned about federal ethics laws and how their payrolls will work, and they learned that they shouldn't go over budget or they'll have to reimburse overspending out of their own pocket.While they have chosen their offices - Williams in the Longworth House Office Building and Veasey in the Cannon House Office Building - they won't get the keys until Thursday.And they have learned that the U.S. Capitol is very different from the Texas Capitol."In Austin, you get to know people and make friends," said Veasey, who represented District 95 in the Texas House of Representatives for four terms. "In the members lounge, there are Democrats and Republicans in there together. There's a desk on the floor, where you can work all day, and you get to know people."It isn't the same at the U.S. Capitol.There, partisan lines are more firmly drawn, so much that Democrats and Republicans even have separate gathering areas. There are no assigned seats or desks on the U.S. House floor, so members aren't getting to know their desk mates and neighbors."You come here to go to work for two to three days a week, then you go back home to your family and district," Veasey said. "Because of that, you will make some friendships up here, but you are here to work."It's a different environment, a different atmosphere, and that's OK," he said. "I'm very happy about the time I spent in the Texas Legislature, but I'm more excited about serving in the U.S. House, even without the Texas friendliness."The two do have veteran local lawmakers to turn to - Barton, who has served in the House since 1985; Granger, who has served in the House since 1997; Marchant, who has served in the House since 2005; and Burgess, who has served in the House since 2003.'Do the right thing'Veasey began his political career years ago working as an aide to former U.S. Rep. Martin Frost, D-ArlingtonHe will be the first person to represent the 33rd District, one of four new districts Texas gained because of population growth. This district was designed to give North Texas minority voters a chance to elect a U.S. representative of their choice.And Veasey will make history when he is sworn in Thursday - which just happens to be his birthday - as the first African-American to represent Tarrant County in the House. His wife, Tonya, and son, Adam, will be with him for the swearing-in ceremony.During his two-year term, he said, he would like to help find ways to bring down healthcare costs."I really think we should spend more time and resources surrounding obesity," he said. "It's a huge problem and it drives so much of the healthcare costs."More than anything, he said he hopes the 113th Congress - made up of a Republican House and a Democratic Senate -- along with a Democratic president, can work together for a better country."I really hope the last election put everyone's focus into perspective," Veasey said. "I hope we can do the right thing for the country and move the country forward."Williams, who has homes in Weatherford and Austin, said he hopes his business background will help him make a difference in D.C.His father, Jack, was a well-known Chevrolet dealer in Tarrant County. Roger Williams went on to make his own mark as a car dealer, as well as becoming a powerhouse in raising money for GOP candidates such as George W. Bush in his campaigns for governor and president.After being appointed to serve as Texas secretary of state from 2005 to 2007, Williams first planned to run for Kay Bailey Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat, then the new 33rd District. But the courts intervened and changed boundaries in many districts, including the 25th, which was flipped from Democratic-leaning to Republican-leaning so much that Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, switched to a different district for his re-election bid.Williams ran run in this revamped district - home to the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant near Glen Rose, Fort Hood near Killeen, the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Capitol - and moved to Austin. The district draws its biggest population base from the Austin area, but it also includes thousands of people in Johnson and Tarrant counties.His priorities include those he cited during his campaign - the need to lower taxes, shrink government and understand the 10th Amendment, which reserves for the states powers not explicitly given to the national government."I think we have to address the economy," Williams said. "From Tarrant County to Hays County, it's all about jobs - how are we going to fix the economy and put people to work?"He said he hopes all lawmakers will be able to work together."I think there is a big difference between liberals and conservatives and where we need to take our country," he said. "I'm sure there will be some partisanship. But at the same time, we have to work together - but never give our core values up."Anna M. Tinsley,817-390-7610Twitter: @annatinsley
Texas Delegation
U.S. Senate
Senator: John Cornyn, R-Texas
Contact: 202-224-2934 in Washington; 972-239-1310 in Dallas.
Website: cornyn.senate.gov
Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sen.JohnCornyn; Twitter: @JohnCornyn
Information: Cornyn, in office since Dec. 1, 2002, will become Texas' senior senator, as Kay Bailey Hutchison retires from the upper chamber, as well as the new Senate Minority Whip. The 60-year-old Houston native has served as a district judge, Texas Supreme Court justice and Texas Attorney General. Voted one of the "most conservative congressmen" in 2010, Cornyn has served as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and served on the key Armed Services, Budget, Finance and Judiciary committees. He and his wife, Sandy, have two children.
Senator-elect: Ted Cruz, R-Texas
Contact: New members' office telephone numbers won't be activated until they are sworn into office.
Website: New members' websites aren't activated until they are sworn into office, but his website after that is expected to cruz.senate.gov
Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/tedcruz or www.facebook.com/tedcruzpage; Twitter: @tedcruz
Information: This will be the first elected post the 42-year-old Cuban American who was born in Canada will hold. Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas for more than five years before he decided to run for the Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Kay Bailey Hutchison. In a tough battle that pitted Tea Party supporters against mainstream Republicans, Cruz bested Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in a primary runoff election for this post before beating Democrat Paul Sadler in the general election. Cruz, a former adjunct professor of law, has served in the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission and as a Domestic Policy Advisor for former U.S. President George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential election. He and his wife Heidi have two children.
U.S. House of Representatives
District 6
Representative: Joe Barton, R-Arlington, whose district includes most of Arlington and Mansfield and all of Ellis and Navarro counties
Contact: 202-225-202 in Washington; 817-543-1000 in Arlington
Website: joebarton.house.gov
Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/joe.barton.355; Twitter: @RepJoeBarton
Information: Barton, who has been in office since 1985, served under the U.S. Secretary of Energy and consulted for Atlantic Richfield Oil and Gas Co. before he was elected to office. Now, as chairman emeritus of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the 63-year-old heads into the 113th Congress with definite goals: Supporting a balanced budget amendment, restoring "fiscal sanity" to Washington, boosting oversight of ObamaCare and reforming entitlement programs. "I think it is also time to pass meaningful privacy legislation. The headlines these days are full of data breaches, cases of website operators not following existing law and examples of operators discovering creative and sometimes reckless ways to use your personal information," said Barton, co-chair and founder of the Bipartisan Privacy Caucus. He and Rep. Ed Markey, D-Ma., likely will re-introduce the "Do Not Track Kids Act," geared to update the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998. "People want their privacy protected - just ask them," he said
District 12
Representative: Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, whose district includes downtown Fort Worth, all of Parker County and more than 23,000 people in Wise County.
Contact: 202-225-5071 in Washington; 817-338-0909 in Fort Worth.
Website: kaygranger.house.gov
Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/RepKayGranger; Twitter: @RepKayGranger
Information: Granger, who has served in office since 1997, is a former teacher and insurance agent, former Fort Worth city councilwoman and former Fort Worth mayor. The 69-year-old serves on the Appropriations Committee and its subcommittees on Defense Appropriations; and Labor Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, and she heads the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs. While money issues - reforming tax codes and getting the country's fiscal house in order - will likely dominate the next Congress, Granger said her top priorities include "providing for our national security, reforming the tax code and cutting spending and improving access to affordable healthcare." She hopes to work for stability in the Middle East, but she also hopes to work for key projects back home, such as ensuring the Trinity River Vision project gets funding and protecting local military programs and the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base. "It is essential that the many vital defense programs in the Metroplex, like the Joint Strike Fighter and V-22 are not cut," she said. "This is not in the best interest of either the nation as a whole or Fort Worth."
District 24
Representative: Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell, whose district stretches from far east Fort Worth to Southlake and The Colony and includes parts of Tarrant, Dallas and Denton counties.
Contact: 202-225-6605 in Washington; 972-556-0162 in Irving
Website: kennymarchant.house.gov
Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/kenny.marchant.1; Twitter: @RepKenMarchant
Information: Marchant, who has served in office since 2005, is a real estate developer and investor who has served in a variety of elected posts for more than three decades. The 61-year-old was a Carrollton councilman and mayor in the late 1980s, then spent more than 15 years in the Texas House of Representatives before being elected to Congress. He serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means and three subcommittees - on Select Revenue Measures, Oversight and Social Security. He has said he hopes to focus on tax reform in the upcoming session.
District 25
Representative-elect: Roger Williams, R-Austin, whose district stretches from the edges of Tarrant County, through Johnson and other counties, until it reaches into Austin. The largest population base of the district comes from the Austin area, but the district includes 150,000 Johnson County residents and more than 7,000 Tarrant County residents.
Contact: New members' office telephone numbers won't be activated until they are sworn into office.
Website: New members' websites aren't activated until they are sworn into office, but his website after that is expected to be rogerwilliams.house.gov
Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/rogerwilliamstx; Twitter: @RogerWilliamsTX
Information: Williams, a former Texas secretary of state, is a well-known Weatherford auto dealer. This will be the first public office the 66-year-old will hold, although he has been well known throughout Republican circles for decades as a powerhouse in raising money for candidates such as George W. Bush. He played baseball at TCU from 1968 to 1971, then played in the Atlanta Braves' farm system before returning to TCU as a baseball coach. He became head coach in 1975 but resigned the next year to devote more time to his family's auto dealership. He served as Texas Secretary of State, an appointed position, from 2005 to 2007.
District 26
Representative: Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, whose district covers all of Denton County, part of Wise County and a patch of northern Tarrant County, including Westlake, north Keller and far north Fort Worth.
Contact: 202-225-7772 in Washington; 972-434-9700 in Lewisville
Website: michaelburgess.house.gov
Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaelcburgess; Twitter: @michaelcburgess
Information: Burgess, an obstetrician for nearly 30 years, has served in office since 2003. The 62-year-old serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and on the Subcommittee on Energy & Power. He also serves as vice chair on the subcommittees on Health and Oversight and Investigations. He has said if Obama was re-elected, then "someone has got to be able to sit down with the White House and try to work out the problems that are contained within [Obamacare] that are going to make it harder for people to get the healthcare they need." He has also said he is "committed that the doctors and patients in this country will not be left out in the cold."
District 33
Representative-elect: Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, whose district stretches from Fort Worth's Stockyards through Arlington and into Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood.
Contact: New members' office telephone numbers won't be activated until they are sworn into office.
Website: New members' websites aren't activated until they are sworn into office, but his website after that is expected to be marcveasey.house.gov
Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/marc.veasey.1; Twitter: @MarcVeasey
Information: Veasey, who has served as a state representative from Fort Worth since 2005, will be the first person to represent this new district, one of four new districts Texas gained because of population growth. The Fort Worth native, who turns 42 on Thursday, began his political career as a longtime aide to former U.S. Rep. Martin Frost, D-Arlington. He won a multimillion-dollar, fiercely contested Democratic primary against former state Rep. Domingo Garcia of Dallas. He will be the first African-American to represent Tarrant County in the House.
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