Kentucky's Congressional Delegation
Kentucky congressional reps have an influential role
Right now in Congress policies are being debated that directly impact the quality of life in Kentucky and across the nation. Questions about job creation, economic policy and who should pay taxes are being debated. The ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to enforce clean air and clean water laws is on the line. Programs for child nutrition, affordable housing, health care, job training and maintaining our infrastructure are on the chopping block. Support for renewable energy is up in the air while fossil fuel subsidies grow. Even the role of government to help create a better society is being challenged.
Kentucky’s two senators and six congressmen play a prominent role in these decisions. Sen. Mitch McConnell, as the minority floor leader in the Senate, and Rep. Hal Rogers, as the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, are in very public positions of power. Sen. Rand Paul, although in his first-term, is a dominant voice in the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party. Other House members have influential committee positions. This page includes a short introduction of each member, committee positions and some key recent votes.
Rep. James Comer, Republican, 1st District
Elected to current position in: 2016
Committee assignments:
- Rep. Comer's website does not make available a list of the committees and caucuses to which he has been assigned.
Recent actions/positions:
- Rep. Comer has made few votes during his first few weeks in office.However, one of those was to take away health care coverage for nearly a half million Kentuckians through repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
Rep. Brett Guthrie, Republican, 2nd District
Elected to current position in: 2008
Committee assignments:
- House Energy and Commerce
- Committee (energy, healthcare, telecommunications and consumer product safety policies)
Recent actions/positions:
- leading opponent of the EPA
- opponent of health care coverage for Kentuckians through the Affordable Care Act
- Several anti-EPA bills started in the Energy and Commerce Committee on which Guthrie serves.
- See a Record Check of other Guthrie votes HERE.
Rep. John Yarmuth, Democrat, 3rd District
Elected to current position: 2006
Committee Assignments:
- Committee on Budget
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Committee on Ethics
Recent actions/positions:
- sponsor of an amendment (killed in committee) to protect the voting rights of military personnel serving overseas by preserving funding to the postal service for mailing absentee ballots to soldiers
- consistent defender of the EPA
- consistent defender of health care for all Kentuckians through the Affordable Care Act
- supporter of the Big Oil Welfare Repeal Act to revoke nearly $13 billion in subsidies for the nation’s five largest oil companies.
- See a Record Check of other Yarmuth votes HERE.
Rep. Thomas Massie, Republican, 4th District
Elected to current position: 2012, replacing the retiring Geoff Davis
Committee assignments:
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (including Subcommittee on Government Operations and
Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements) - Committee on Science, Space and Technology (including Subcommittee on Energy)
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (including Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials and the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment)
Recent actions/positions:
- See a Record Check of some of Massie's votes HERE.
Rep. Hal Rogers, Republican, 5th District
Elected to current position: 1980
Committee Assignments:
- House Appropriations Committee (chair)
- House Republican Steering Committee
Recent actions/positions:
- leader on the Appropriations Committee of a move to cut more than $1 trillion from labor, health, education, transportation, clean energy, housing and environmental protection programs.
- leading opponent of the EPA’s efforts to enforce existing laws designed to protect public health
- opponent of health care coverage for thousands of people in his district through the Affordable Care Act
- see a Record Check of some other Roger's positions and votes HERE.
Rep. Andy Barr, Republican, 6th District
Elected to current position: 2012, defeating incumbent Ben Chandler
Committee Assignments:
- Committee on Financial Services (including the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations)
- Chair of the Congressional Horse Caucus
Recent actions/positions:
- see a Record Check of some of Barr's votes and positions HERE
Senator Mitch McConnell
Elected to current position: 1984
Committees/Leadership Roles:
- Senate Republican Leader
- Appropriations Committee
- Agriculture Committees
- Rules Committees
Recent actions/positions:
- is a leading opponent of health care for all, and has made it his life's goal to do away with the Affordable Care Act
- typical of his Congressional career, he led a successful effort in 2011 in the Senate to block S. 1723, a bill to provide about $35 billion to states to prevent layoffs of teachers and first responders. The bill proposed to pay for this expense by ending tax breaks for some of the wealthiest taxpayers in the U.S.
- led the effort to defeat the American Jobs Act (S. 1660) in the Senate.
- has been described as “the most conservative leader of either party in the history of the Senate,” a description he embraces.
Senator Rand Paul
Elected to current position: 2010
Assigned Committees:
- Energy and Natural Resources
- Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
- Homeland Security and Government Affairs
- Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Recent actions/positions:
- voted in 2011 to block S. 1723, a bill to provide about $35 billion to states to prevent layoffs of teachers and first responders. The bill proposed to pay for this expense by ending tax breaks for some of the wealthiest Americans.
- voted to defeat the American Jobs Act (S. 1660) in the Senate in 2011. The vote was 50 to 49 in favor of the bill, but according to Senate procedural rules, the bill needed 60 votes.