WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Luke Messer served as Master of Ceremonies for the National School Choice Week signature event on Capitol Hill.  As Chair of the Congressional School Choice Caucus, Congressman Messer is an advocate for education choice in all forms. “Today was an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the need to create high quality educational opportunities for every child,” said Congressman Luke Messer. “The fact is lots of kids go to great schools in America, but too many don’t. And that’s not OK.  We cannot rest until every child has access to a great school.” Hundreds of people participated in the rally that took place in the Cannon Caucus Room.  Speakers included House Speaker John Boehner, Majority Whip Steve Scalise, House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline, Senator Tim Scott and Senator Ted Cruz, among others.  “I’ve got 11 brothers and sisters and grew up working at my dad’s bar,” Speaker Boehner told the audience.  “My parents sent all 12 of us to Catholic schools – I don’t know how they managed it, but I owe everything to that opportunity.  When I got here in 1991, I wanted to help make sure every student had the same chance that I did.  Because education is the great equalizer in America – it can lift up kids who would slip through the cracks.” Isaiah Smith, a student at Washington Latin Public Charter School in D.C., was one of the 250 students who attended the rally and spoke about his experience at the school.   “I’m very glad the public charter school system is in place here in D.C.,” said Isaiah Smith.  “It gives young people like me options.” Parents who attended the rally said they are also grateful for the options the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) gives their children.  Gary Jones is the parent of two daughters who attend school in D.C.  He says education choice has played an important role in his family but also spoke about the need for the Opportunity Scholarship Program to expand to include more students.  “Programs like the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program help provide necessary funding for low to middle income families who don’t have the financial resources to send their children to better schools,” said Gary Jones who has one daughter who is a D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Recipient and one who is not.  “However, there is one drawback when it comes to School Choice programs such as this. There isn’t equal access in some cases for parents with multiple children who want to attend a private school.” That’s one of the many reasons Congressman Messer has been a strong advocate of Federal policies that incentivize education choice and expand school options at the local level for all students. “This is the civil rights issue of our time,” said Congressman Luke Messer.  “For our students to compete in the 21st Century global economy, they need to have access to a high-quality education.  Let’s give parents a choice, so kids have a chance.”  Today’s event took place in the middle of National School Choice Week (NSCW) which began on Friday, January 23 and runs through Saturday, January 31.  NSCW is an inclusive celebration of effective education options for children. More than 11,000 events are planned across the country to celebrate all choice this week. Read More

WASHINGTON (January 23, 2015)—Last night, Congressman Luke Messer (IN-06) honored eight 6th District students who have been nominated to attend our nation’s service academies.   “It was a pleasure to get to know these fine young people and their families,” said Congressman Luke Messer. “I’m amazed each year by the students in the 6th District who decide at a young age to dedicate their lives to public service.  These inspiring Hoosier teens are our next generation of leaders, and I am proud of their commitment to our country.” The following students from Indiana’s 6th Congressional District were nominated to attend service academies: Jesse Brownfield - Columbus Bret Lawson - Muncie Connor Paul - Lawrenceburg Derek Roth - Lawrenceburg Parker Saddler - Columbus Grant Williams - Greenfield Adam Oyler - Greendale                    Rachel Wineman – New Palestine Several of the students and their parents joined Congressman Messer for dinner at 18 on the Square in Shelbyville Thursday evening.  Read More

WASHINGTON--Today, Congressman Luke Messer honored the millions of unborn children who have been denied their God-given right to life.  He gave the following speech on the floor of the House of Representatives to mark the 42nd Anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.  You can watch the video by clicking this link.  The text of the speech is below:    “3,288 per day. “137 per hour. “1 every 26 seconds. “That’s how many children are denied their God-given right to life each and every day. “As we mark the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we should remember each of those children and the potential each had. “I am unapologetically pro-life and have been a long-time supporter of efforts to protect the unborn.  “Because every human life is precious, we must continue to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. “Today, I stand on behalf of those children and of future children who may never have a chance. “We must stand together and never forget until the battle for life is won.” Read More

WASHINGTON—Congressman Luke Messer released the following statement after the President’s annual State of the Union address to a Joint Session of Congress: “Tonight, the President talked about coming together but put forth policies that divide us, like higher taxes, increased spending and more debt.  “Washington does not need more money. Last year alone, the Federal government took in a record $3 trillion.  That’s a 40% increase over five years ago.  If the private economy grew at that same rate, we’d be experiencing historic job growth.  D.C. bureaucrats don’t need more money.  Middle class Americans do. “Let’s stop giving Washington more power at the expense of everyone else.   The truth is it’s time to invest in the middle class by lowering taxes, putting more money back in their pockets and growing our economy from the bottom up.  I’m committed to working with my colleagues on policies that get this done.” Read More

Policymaking is problem solving.  Our principles and priorities come together to find solutions that make life better for all Americans. Truthfully, our nation’s higher education system is in need of some real problem solving. Skyrocketing costs are pricing lower and middle-income Americans out of the market.  And, many who graduate do so with insurmountable debt.  Unfortunately, President Obama’s latest higher education proposal falls short. The President’s approach provides two years of free community college to students who are enrolled at least half of the time, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and make progress toward completing their program.  Federal funding would cover three-fourths of tuition, with participating states expected to contribute the remaining funds.  This model is based on a successful program championed by Governor Bill Haslam called Tennessee Promise. While it’s great to see state leaders innovating and figuring out what works for folks in their communities, a successful program in one state doesn’t translate into a successful Federal program everywhere.  The President’s approach sounds a lot like an old solution to a new problem. One size does not fit all. The plan, deemed “America’s College Promise”, fails to address one of the biggest issues facing college students: cost. Shifting responsibility from individuals to the taxpayer will not cut costs. There is no incentive to make college more affordable.  Further, the President’s plan only includes tuition at community colleges.  What about for-profit schools and four-year institutions? When the Federal government picks winners and losers it cuts off innovation and shuts down ideas.  Let’s pull good ideas from every corner. We should be in the business of empowering individuals and states.  It’s time to modernize the Federal role in education, not expand it. House Republicans understand this.  Last Congress we passed two laws that addressed student concerns.  Chairman Kline of the House Education and Workforce Committee took action on the issue of college affordability when he authored H.R. 1911, the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act (P.L. 113-28).  Signed into law in 2013, H.R. 1911 reduced the costs of borrowing money for millions of students, making college more affordable.  Legislators need to also examine vocational training to promote on-the-job skills in a modern economy. The House took action on H.R. 803, the SKILLS Act (P.L. 113-128). This legislation has helped workers get the skills they need to compete for jobs. In Indiana, my state implemented a program that raises the skill level of adults to meet workforce demands by changing education services and adding basic occupational training opportunities.  Too often, young people have difficulty finding a job, or at least a good paying one to start their journey in life. Tuition should never be a barrier to going to college, but removing that barrier and passing it off to the taxpayer is not an answer to our higher education problems. We need to pursue meaningful reform that addresses admittance to every higher education institution, promotes college affordability, and offers necessary support to ensure students graduate and get a job.  Today’s challenges deserve more than yesterday’s solutions. Read More

WASHINGTON—Today, Congress took an important step toward stopping the President’s unconstitutional executive amnesty order.  Congressman Luke Messer (IN-06) along with 235 members of Congress voted for H.R. 240 the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2015.  H.R. 240 reverses the President’s immigration actions by preventing any funds or fees from being used to implement his executive amnesty.  The bill also provides funding for the Department of Homeland Security and includes the following provisions: $10.7 billion for the largest operational border security force in history $5.96 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which fully funds the e-Verify program and provides funding to combat human trafficking Provides $753 million for cybersecurity operations “We promised the American people we would fight the President’s unconstitutional executive order,” said Congressman Luke Messer.  “We began that fight today.  We all know our immigration system is broken.  We need real solutions for fixing it.  This is the first step in what will be a long but needed process to deter illegal immigration, increase border security and fix our broken work visa program.” Several amendments to the appropriations bill were also adopted including a provision to freeze funds for the President’s controversial Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA.  That program defers deportations of children who came to the United States illegally and incentivized more than 50,000 unaccompanied children to arrive at our border last summer.  The bill also included an amendment that reverses the President’s executive action that provided a $3,000 incentive to businesses who hire undocumented employees. “It’s past time for Congress to stand-up for the American worker,” said Congressman Luke Messer.  “We’ve got to stop putting the interests of those who come here illegally ahead of those who follow the law. I hope the Senate takes up this measure quickly and gets it to the President’s desk.” H.R. 240 now heads to the Senate for consideration.   The bill passed in the House 236 to 191.  Read More

WASHINGTON (January 12, 2015) —Congressman Luke Messer will speak at Heritage Action for America’s 2015 Conservative Policy Summit on his bill, the Enhancing Educational Opportunities for All Students Act.  The summit, Opportunity for All, Favoritism to None, will host Conservative leaders who are introducing innovative, principled, conservative legislation that creates opportunities for all Americans. WHO: Congressman Luke Messer, Chair of the House Republican Policy Committee and Founder of the Congressional School Choice Caucus WHAT: Speech on the Enhancing Educational Opportunities for All Students Act WHEN:  Tuesday, January 13, 2015 @ 10:05 a.m. WHERE: Heritage Action for America, Conservative Policy Summit                   The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Auditorium                  214 Massachusetts Ave. NE                  Washington, D.C. 20002 Congressman Messer will be available for interviews following his speech.  Please contact Liz Hill, Communications Director for Congressman Luke Messer, if you have any questions.  She can be reached at liz.hill@mail.house.gov or 202-225-3021/202-695-0249. The summit will be broadcast live on C-SPAN 3 and livestreamed at http://heritageaction.com/policysummit/. You can also follow the summit on Twitter through the #Opp4All hashtag.  Read More

WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Luke Messer voted to pass H.R. 30, the Save American Workers (SAW) Act.  This legislation, authored by Congressman Todd Young (IN-09), repeals the 30-hour definition of “full-time employment” under the President’s health care law and it restores the traditional 40-hour definition. “It’s impossible to fix a bad law,” said Congressman Luke Messer. “Obamacare needs to be repealed and replaced. But, until that happens I’m proud to support common-sense legislation like the SAW Act which protects employers and employees from the President’s broken health care law.” Last Congress, Rep. Messer held an Education and the Workforce subcommittee field hearing in Greenfield on the effects of the President’s health care law on Indiana school systems and small businesses.  He and his committee colleagues heard from local school superintendents and entrepreneurs about the impacts of the President’s health care law on their employees and their cash-strapped budgets.  “Some of the hardest working Hoosiers in our state like school aides, bus drivers and hospitality workers saw their paychecks shrink because of the President’s health care law,” said Congressman Luke Messer. “Rep. Young’s bill fixes that.  Restoring the 40-hour work week gives employers in our state the freedom to expand their employees’ hours without facing the unaffordable penalties levied by Obamacare.  And, that means more take home pay for hardworking Hoosiers.  I urge my colleagues in the Senate to act quickly to get this bill to the President’s desk.”  The SAW Act passed with bipartisan support in the House of Representatives by a vote of 252-172.  Read More

WASHINGTON—Congressman Luke Messer released the following statement after the passage of H.R. 26, The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) of 2015. “Those who attacked us on 9/11 not only sought to kill innocent Americans but also destroy our economy and our way of life.  That’s why the bipartisan passage of TRIA was so important today.  This common-sense legislation not only provides much-needed stability for job creators and insurers but also helps prevent terrorists from wreaking havoc on our economy.”   ### Read More

[[{"fid":"488","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full"}}]] Today, Congressman Luke Messer was sworn in for a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives and released the following statement: “First, I want to thank my friends and neighbors in Indiana’s 6th Congressional District for giving me this opportunity to serve them in Congress.  It’s a privilege to represent them in Washington at this pivotal moment in our nation’s history.  As a united Congress, we have the chance to get this country back on track.  I’m looking forward to a productive two years and am excited to get to work.”  Rep. Messer was first elected to Congress in 2012. He represents Indiana’s 6th Congressional District which includes 19 counties in east-central and southeastern Indiana.  He was recently elected to serve as Chair of the House Republican Policy Committee during the 114th Congress.  He was also appointed to serve on the House Financial Services Committee and the Committee on Education and the Workforce.   Read More