Rogers Makes It Official

January 9, 2006

Dear Colleague:

You and I came to Congress with the same basic goals, to stand up for America and the citizens we represent by setting high standards and always working to do what is best for our nation.

Today, I am asking you to support me for Majority Whip. I believe the Conference deserves a choice and an election. The most important thing we can do when we leave here is to be able to look our families in the eye and know that America is better because of our service. Our legacy will be greatest if we leave behind a better institution and a better America for our children and all Americans to come. Together we must ensure public service remains an honorable calling.

I enter the race to serve as your Whip at a significant disadvantage. My candidacy is not predicated on a "sure thing." To be clear, I am not running against anyone. I am running to give our Members a choice for change. To me, changing our agenda is far more important than me changing jobs.

The Republican Congress has achieved many goals, working to restore personal responsibility and providing historic tax relief, while also promoting human freedom and democracy abroad. Unfortunately, many of those achievements are obscured today as our constituents turn on the news and hear of political corruption and scandal, and government growing at unsustainable rates.

I am afraid we have lost our way in the day-to-day administration of this government. For this I am not critical. I saw the same tendencies institutionalize themselves during my service in the Michigan State Senate. It is exactly why I chose to run for Majority Floor Leader in 1994 (the State Senate's version of our Whip) against the establishment's consensus candidate. I ran on a platform of fresh ideas, renewed commitment to our core Republican beliefs, and the kind of accountability in government that our constituents demand of their leaders. The State Senators put their faith in me (by a mere one vote I might add), and together we led Michigan through some of its most prosperous days in recent memory.

Bold change is a must if we are going to regain the public's trust and confidence. Reforming lobbying in Washington, DC is a must. Making lobbyists accountable by creating an independent commission to audit their activities is a must. Closing the revolving door of senior staff is a must. Cracking down on the $19 billion Indian casino industry and closing the campaign finance loopholes which allow Indian tribes to spend unlimited corporate money to defeat each of us in elections is a must. Closing the 527 loophole which allows George Soros and Michael Moore to spend millions of dollars distorting what Republicans stand for is a must. And finally, better utilizing the expertise of our Conference is a must. The small business owners, doctors, lawyers, scientists, and police officers who make up the Conference need to be called upon to advance our agenda.

I will not shy away from the challenge that faces us in this very important cycle. On the contrary, my record is one of standing up to challenges. After proudly serving as an ordinance officer in the U.S. Army, I chose to continue my service to our nation by becoming Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Much to my wife's chagrin, I chose to tackle the toughest assignments, all of which centered around public corruption and organized crime in Chicago. I learned a lot about people during my service in the FBI, and those lessons dictate that we must always challenge ourselves to hold people in the public trust accountable. I take my responsibility as a Member of this Conference no differently.

I ask that you join me in seeking this new direction as we work to restore accountability and the trust of the American people.

Sincerely,

Mike Rogers

Member of Congress