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5.30.19 – Rep. Justin Amash
May 30, 2019 @ 12:00 am - 1:15 pm
Representative Justin Amash (pronounced uh-MOSH) represents Michigan’s Third District in the 116th United States Congress. He was elected to his first term on November 2, 2010.
Justin was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He received his bachelor’s degree with High Honors in economics from the University of Michigan and his juris doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. He worked for his family’s business, as a business lawyer, and as a Michigan state representative before his election to Congress.
Justin leads the incorporation of Facebook and other social media into his work as an elected official by posting explanations of his votes online, and he has set new standards for transparency and accountability.
Justin believes government overspending is one of the biggest threats to our economic health and national security, and he has introduced an innovative balanced budget amendment—the Business Cycle Balanced Budget Amendment—to control government spending and reduce the national debt. He supports a fair and simple tax code and a regulatory environment that promotes economic prosperity.
As an ardent defender of Americans’ civil liberties, Justin has been a leading critic of the unconstitutional suspicionless mass collection of all Americans’ phone records, the indefinite detention provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).
When asked by a New York Times reporter to describe his voting methodology, Justin explained: “I follow a set of principles, I follow the Constitution. And that’s what I base my votes on. Limited government, economic freedom, and individual liberty.”
Justin is a member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform (COR). He serves on the COR Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the COR Subcommittee on National Security. Justin also chairs the House Liberty Caucus.
Justin lives in Cascade Charter Township with his wife Kara, a graduate of Calvin College and a former elementary school teacher. Justin and Kara have three children.