Rokita Begins Third Term; Sworn Into 114th Congress

Press Release

Representative Todd Rokita was officially sworn into his third term representing Indiana's 4th District today, as the 114th Congress commenced. He highlighted his legislative priorities for the new Congress and previewed some of the first bills the House will consider this week.

Rokita will continue to serve on the House Budget Committee in the 114th Congress, giving him an important platform to drive spending reductions and control the size and scope of the federal government. When he first ran for Congress more than four years ago, he did so for future generations -- that they might not be saddled with trillions of dollars of their parents and grandparents debt. As a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Rokita will also continue championing education reforms that empower parents and respect states' rights, especially legislation to rewrite No Child Left Behind.

New to Rokita's committee portfolio for the 114th Congress will be the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Representing the Crossroads of America, this assignment will greatly serve the people and businesses of Indiana. The committee has oversight over all modes of transportation, including highways, railways, waterways, and aviation. Some of the key issues on the committee's agenda for the new Congress include reauthorizing surface transportation programs and the Federal Aviation Administration. As a commercial-rated private pilot, Rokita will also continue his push on the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act, to reform the medical requirements for general aviation pilots.

The new Congress will waste no time in beginning the work of governing, by passing important legislation to help both veterans and small businesses. The House is expected to take up and pass the Hire Our Heroes Act today, which exempts veterans from the 50 full-time employee threshold for employers to provide health insurance, so long as the veterans receive health coverage through the VA or Tricare. This legislation will allow small businesses to employ more people, and provides an incentive especially for the hiring of veterans.

The remainder of Congress's work this week will include the Save American Workers Act, to redefine "full time" as the traditional 40 hours, and the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, to approve the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from the oil sands of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Rokita supports both of these bills, which will benefit Hoosiers across the state.

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