Jack Kingston

John Heddens "Jack" Kingston, a Republican, has represented the First District of Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993. The first district is based in the southeastern part of the state and encompasses five military installations.

Iraq War
Kingston voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

Statements made by Jack Kingston:
 * May 4, 2007: Kingston stated that a vote to sustain the President's veto of an Iraq supplemental spending bill that included a troop withdrawal "could have been the peak, possibly the last statement of House public solidarity with the White House. As the war develops in the next two crucial months, the political solidarity may change."

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Bio
Kingston was born April 24, 1955 in Bryan, Texas, but spent most of his life in Athens, Georgia. He earned a degree in economics from the University of Georgia. He has lived in Savannah since 1977 and spent 25 years selling insurance and agribusiness throughout southeastern Georgia before his election to Congress.

Kingston ran for Congress in 1992 after serving eight years in the Georgia House of Representatives. At the time, he claimed, "I have a Democrat's heart and a Republican's brain. You have to have a heart, but a brain, too, to solve problems," a message that resounded well with a realigning Southern electorate. Kingston won decisively with 58 percent of the vote, and he has not been seriously challenged since. He ran unopposed in 1998 and 2004.

Kingston is a pro-life conservative who opposes stem cell research. He supports the death penalty, the war on terrorism, the Patriot Act and George W. Bush's tax cuts. He has sponsored resolutions calling for the 10 Commandments to be displayed in the House and Senate Chambers. He has spent time in the district promoting President Bush's overhaul of the Social Security program in town hall meetings and as "chairman of the House GOP caucus is the party's point man on the issue, " according to the Washington Post. He has been called by many, including USA Today, "one of the most partisan Republicans in the House," having been of 19 co-sponsors of the 1997 resolution asking for an impeachment inquiry of President Clinton. In 2002, Americans for Democratic Action gave him a rating of zero, and the American Conservative union gave him a rating of 96.

USA Today reports, "Kingston already has a clear, resounding voice in the Republican leadership, and he is on the rise. In 1997, he assumed the chairmanship of a group of about 50 Republicans called the Theme Team, which has been responsible for the daily verbal one-minute volleys on the House floor, which are often loud, partisan, and humorous.  He has had a very significant impact on the Republican message, encouraging members to tone down their rhetoric by focusing more on ideas and less on personalities." 

Kingston has been at the forefront of the Republican modern media revolution. On April 13, 2006, the Washington Times quoted the Republican National Committee's eCampaign Director as saying, “Kingston has been at the forefront of getting the congressional majority to understand what role the blogosphere plays...And not just in commenting, but in taking action. It’s been an incredibly helpful development.”

On December 10, 2006, the Savannah Morning News highlighted Kingston's innovative leadership: "[Congressman Kingston] and others say an undercurrent of enthusiasm among Gen Y staffers brought him closer than expected to beating a candidate backed by the GOP establishment. Kingston was one of the first Republican members of the House to start his own blog. He became a regular on Comedy Central and preached the virtues of podcasting and interactive Web sites with 'pizazz.' The aim: reach young, hip, technologically savvy voters who seldom read newspapers or watch traditional television news." 

In September of 2006, Kingston voiced his opposition to a House resolution that would require the identification of earmarks' sponsors in tax, authorization, and appropriations bills, believing it to unfairly target members of the Appropriations Committee, of which he is a member. 

2006 elections
In 2006, the Democrats nominated Jim Nelson to face Kingston in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) Kingston retained his seat.

Money in politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Agriculture, Ranking Member
 * Subcommittee on Defense

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Agriculture Rural Development Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
 * Subcommittee on Defense


 * Vice-chairman, House Republican Conference (2003-)

Resources

 * Official website
 * Official blog
 * Campaign website
 * USA Today Profile.
 * Kingston introduction of Fuel Choices for American Security Act of 2005
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Georgia Unfiltered
 * PeachPundit

Articles

 * "GOP urged to make greater use of blogs", Eric Pfeiffer, The Washington Times, April 13, 2006
 * "Kingston: Let's go blogging now. Everybody's learning how. Come and ride the YouTube with me", Larry Peterson, The Savannah Morning News, December 10, 2006
 * Kingston Gives Away Abramoff Money By Terry Dickson, The Jacksonville Times-Union, January 10, 2006
 * Dana Milbank, Tilting at the Social Security Windmill, The Washington Post, August 28, 2005; Page A03.
 * Jack Kingston's Colbert Report interview. (Other Colbert Report interviews with members of Congress.)
 * Elana Schor and Patrick O'Connor, "Lewis balks at earmark reform," The Hill, September 14, 2006.
 * "GOP congressmen quit because of five-day work week," Think Progress, October 9, 2007.