In The News

Local congressional representatives take oaths of office
The Ludington Daily News
January 4, 2013

It’s official. Mason County is now served by two members of Congress, Michigan 2nd District U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, and Michigan 1st District U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek, RCrystal Falls.

The two members of Congress were sworn in as members of the 113th Congress Thursday, each beginning their second term. Mason County was split between the two Congressional districts in the redistricting that followed the 2010 census. The 1st District now includes all of the Upper Peninsula, and much of northern Michigan including Manistee County and as far south as northern Mason County. Benishek serves that area.

The dividing line between the two districts in Mason County mostly runs along Decker Road. There’s a little bumpout in Hamlin Township west of Lincoln Road where the 2nd District goes north to Dewey except for a strip along Hamlin Lake. Everything south of Decker remains in the 2nd District represented by Huizenga.

“It is both an honor and a privilege to serve West Michigan,” Huizenga said in a statement Thursday. “As a freshman, I had several legislative successes including: having legislative language adopted protecting life, preserving Coast Guard helicopter coverage for Lake Michigan and having legislation reforming Dodd-Frank signed into law. I hope to continue this success in the 113th Congress by moving legislation that reins in Washington’s out of control spending, promotes economic growth, and helps create an environment for private sector job creation.”

Huizenga will return to serve on the financial services committee but his other assignments have not yet been made.

“It is truly an honor to continue serving the people of Michigan’s First District and I am humbled by the trust my fellow citizens have placed in me” Benishek said after being sworn in by Speaker of the House John Boehner “My top priority is to keep fighting for good paying jobs in our area so that our children and grandchildren can continue working and living in Northern Michigan.”

Benishek will serve on three House committees: the House Committee on Agriculture, the House Committee on Natural Resources, and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Additionally, he was recently named the Chairman for the Subcommittee on Health on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.