President Obama finally visited the Republican Members of Congress on Capitol Hill today -- and I had the opportunity to speak with him and voice the concerns of Hoosier families.

I asked President Obama why the government doesn’t balance their budget like our families are forced to do every day.

President Obama answered: “The country’s not a family.”

Hoosier families understand that America is a family -- and that’s why regardless of whether we are balancing the budget for our family or our business, it is imperative to live within our means. That is a value that this president does not understand which has resulted in massive debt and an uncertain fiscal future for our children.

Today’s encounter was another example of how out of touch President Obama and the Democrats are in Washington. That’s why I’m asking for your help.

Please contribute $5, $10 or anything you can afford today to ensure we have strong, fiscally sound voices fighting for our Hoosier values in Washington.

I look forward to continuing to hold President Obama accountable and representing the 2^nd Congressional District in Congress.

Sincerely,

Jackie Walorski

ELKHART — Campaign signs are propped up here and there, a large bag of uneaten candy — snack food, apparently, for volunteers — sits on a table.

Gradually, though, Jackie Walorski’s campaign office in a strip mall on South Nappanee Street is getting cleared out as the congresswomen-elect, winner Tuesday in the 2nd District U.S. House race, readies for Washington D.C. Next week she goes to the nation’s capital for orientation sessions for freshman U.S. representatives, and though many nuts and bolts still have to be sorted out — office location, committee assignments — she’s starting the transition from candidate to federal lawmaker.

One of the first orders of business, Walorski said Thursday at her campaign office, will be getting acquainted with the other incoming lawmakers at orientation, both Democrats and Republicans.

“That’s where you have an opportunity to really find relationships and bond, and find folks across the aisle that you can work with,” she said. She touted the need to battle partisan gridlock during her campaign, and forging connections on those initial meetings with other new lawmakers will be “priority one,” even before policy work.

Her Democratic foe in the U.S. House race, Brendan Mullen, had accused Walorski — a fiscal and social conservative with tea party backing — of being prone to extreme partisan bickering. Walorski, who beat Mullen by a thin 49 percent to 47.6 percent margin last Tuesday, has rebuffed the criticism and remains upbeat Democrats and Republicans will work together.

“We will find common ground,” said the former three-term member of the Indiana House. “The message was sent — Americans want jobs. We’ve got to get jobs in this place. In order to do that, we’ve got to be able to find common ground across the aisle.”

Walorski, tentatively to be sworn-in on Jan. 3, will take over from Democrat Joe Donnelly. Donnelly, who narrowly fought back a challenge from Walorski in the 2010 2nd District election, ran for the U.S. Senate this cycle, beating Republican Richard Mourdock.

OBAMACARE, the EPA

Of course there are issues to be dealt with, not just the working relationship between Democrats and Republicans.

During the campaign, Walorski repeatedly called for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, President Obama’s overhaul of the health care sector, and still thinks that’s the way to go. “I’m sure there’s going to be a vote in the House to repeal Obamacare, and yeah, I’ll be on the side of repeal,” she said.

With Obama’s re-election, repeal is a questionable proposition, in which case she’d consider the alternatives. “I’m at the table with my sleeves rolled up... OK, so if (repeal) doesn’t succeed, you look at plan B,” she said. 

She doesn’t know what the alternative may be. But one thing she remains strong about is that the medical device tax in Obamacare, which critics say would hammer the local orthopedic industry, should be stripped. “Of the pieces that are job killers, I think we’ll find bipartisan support to repeal them,” she said.

Walorski also thinks small business are overburdened by regulation and plans to focus on that.

“Part of it is just reining in the EPA,” she said, alluding to the Environmental Protection Agency. Manufacturing is key here and she has heard over and over from those in the sector — farmers, even — that the agency has become “much more heavy handed.”

Part of the EPA’s regulatory authority comes from legislation, some from executive action, and she thinks one means of getting the agency to back off is teaming with other lawmakers, applying pressure. “Advocacy,” she said, “can go a long way in backing some of this stuff off, for the sake of job creation and putting people back to work.”

Lawmakers are apparently working on a fix to stave off the so-called fiscal cliff, the mix of spending cuts, tax hikes and other measures that go into effect automatically Jan. 1 to trim the national budget, per prior legislation.

Even so, Walorski thinks that will still be an issue, in some form, when she takes office. If lawmakers haven’t implemented any sort of stopgap measure to stall the Jan. 1 change, it’ll likely be the first issue on her plate, she thinks.

Social issues, meanwhile — things like abortion and gay marriage — aren’t apparently on the front burner. Walorski is pro-life and favored moves, as an Indiana state lawmaker, to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

“We’ve just come out of a campaign with months and months and months of activity and it has not been an issue that people have talked about,” she said. Rather, people are talking about the need for more jobs, and that’ll be her focus.

HONORED, GRATEFUL, HUMBLED

With Tuesday’s victory, Walorski will be the first Republican female to hold the 2nd District U.S. House post, she said. According to the Associated Press, she also becomes the first GOP female, along with newly elected Susan Brooks in Indiana’s 5th District, in the state’s congressional delegation since 1958.

Also of note — Walorski’s win reverses the close loss she suffered at the hands of Donnelly two years ago. She started campaigning in the lead up to Tuesday’s vote just a few months after that 2010 loss.

Whatever the case, if there’s any glee in being elected, Walorski doesn’t show it.

“I’m very honored and I’m grateful. And I’m humbled to have a chance to represent people,” she said. “I’m more humbled by it than I am anything.”

ELKHART — “We should never take for granted what freedom is, and what God has given us,” concluded State Rep. Tim Neese in his speech to more than 300 people gathered to observe a Veterans Day ceremony at Rice Cemetery in Elkhart on Sunday morning. 

11/4/12

The race between Jackie Walorski and Brendan Mullen for Indiana’s 2nd District U.S. House seat has been bitter and expensive and that troubles us.

These two are fighting for the job, but we need someone to fight for us. Elkhart County has been on the ropes for too long. We need a strong, respected dealmaker who can go to Washington and be our advocate, not a partisan politician.

Walorski is a former member of the Indiana House. Mullen is a former member of the U.S. Army running a consulting firm. 

Walorski says Washington needs Hoosier values, the way that the state balanced the budget during her time in the Indiana General Assembly from 2005 to 2010.

She says Mullen is a liberal Democrat who would align himself with President Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Mullen says he’s a moderate Democrat who would work to solve problems, including a lack of jobs, in a bipartisan way.

He says Walorski is a fiscal and social conservative aligned with the tea party and hasn’t worked with Democrats.
They both say they want to make life better for those in Indiana. They want to help create jobs or remove barriers so those in business can more easily do so.

They’ve both campaigned hard, met with voters and heard from people about what they want from a representative in Washington.

Based on the tone of the campaign, it’s hard to tell if either is truly listening. Their attacks on each other have been disappointing.

As a former state representative, Walorski has more government experience. But most Americans say they’re tired of the Washington gridlock and the question is whether she can work with people she doesn’t agree with to get things done.

Mullen is a Blue Dog Democrat candidate, though he has no voting record to prove it. He’s pro-life, pro-guns and served our country. He says he’s a “middle-of-the-road guy.” But there are questions about his business career, whether he returned to Indiana from Washington just to run for office, and what he would really do for us in Washington. We’re unsure that his values represent Elkhart County and what it needs. 

If Walorski were to go to Washington and truly be the independent voice she claims to be, she could help people in Elkhart County. More than someone who gets embroiled in social policy issues, we need someone who will help more of us get back to work. 

Walorski and Mullen have raised pointed questions about each other. In doing so, they’ve also raised questions about themselves and how well either would represent us. Joe Ruiz is also running for the seat as a Libertarian, but won’t win this race.

Walorski understands Elkhart County and has represented us. She could do that in Washington. In recent months, her campaign focused on jobs, not social issues. That’s a curious change, but if she stays focused on being fiscally responsible and paying down the federal debt, she would represent our Hoosier values.

If she wins, we’ll be watching her in hopes that she focuses on jobs, on the economy, on how to help seniors who need health care, as well as the 37,000 in our county who don’t have health insurance.

We endorse Jackie Walorski.

South Bend Tribune

10/22/12

I served as an infantry soldier in Vietnam with the 1st Air Cavalry Division in 1968. I was honored to be awarded the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantry Badge.

At the age of 64, I identify myself in this community not only as a veteran, but also as a concerned citizen. Since leaving the Army, I was privileged to utilize the G.I. Bill to earn a college degree in electronic technology and went on to build a successful career in computer technology. Now, as an independent insurance consultant, I have gained a unique perspective on the dramatic shift in our economic development and the projected future of this great country.

This election, I have decided to activate my voice in order to contribute to the grassroots movement in this district that will end up choosing out next elected officials. My inspiration has been fostered by the true grassroots politics that exists right here in northern Indiana, from candidates like Jackie Walorski.

Walorski represented my district in the Statehouse for six years, and I have met her multiple times at community events. Undoubtedly, Walorski represents Hoosier values in her everyday demeanor as a reliable, loyal, and grounded ambassador for her constituents. Despite the shady speculations from her opponent, Walorski is a heartfelt member of our community and naturally embodies Hoosier values. As a veteran, it is disheartening to see her opponent endorse accusations that Walorski is unAmerican. This rhetoric is a deplorable attack on any candidate, especially from a service member.

In my view, Hoosiers aren't interested in mudslinging and smear tactics: They want to hear about real plans for the future. Walorski is running on a concrete voting record that proves her support for issues ranging from veterans to economic development.

I've seen Walorski take hard votes -- sometimes against her own party. Her accomplishments include fighting for economic reforms that brought businesses to Indiana and voting for a balanced budget. Walorski was part of the team that worked across the aisle to keep taxes low, bring jobs to Indiana, and turn a $1 billion state deficit into a surplus. These are real, tangible results that Hoosiers can see for themselves.

More than 40 years ago, I spent my days in combat defending this great nation, and now as a private insurance consultant I find myself fighting against our own federal government to make a living and provide for my family. As an independent consultant, my clientele lies almost entirely within the 10 counties in the 2nd District. I work with a wide spectrum of companies, including small family-owned businesses and large manufacturing companies.

Across the board, I hear from business owners every day about the uncertainty that is holding back their businesses -- and mine.

Federal regulations and oncoming mandates from the Affordable Care Act and agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency have put Hoosier businesses in a holding pattern -- or completely put them out of business.

I've lost loyal clients who can't afford the upkeep and are hesitant to take any economic risks. Instead of growing, producing and creating jobs, a Congress in gridlock and onerous government regulation is holding them back.

Voters must break this cycle by electing candidates like Walorski on Nov. 6. Walorski understands the struggles of Hoosier families and businesses and has devoted much of her time to go into companies around the district to learn how to restore this economy.

As a returning solider in 1968 in need of an education and job, or now as a consultant trying to improve the economic climate for my career, I want the type of leader Walorski is representing me in Congress. Through an honest approach, Walorski has shown her true colors, including her respect for the red, white, and blue.

10/10/12

La PORTE — A windy day Tuesday had Republican candidate for Congress Jackie Walorski sweeping through La Porte during lunchtime to visit a couple downtown businesses.

The visit to two small businesses was the kickoff to Walorski’s last leg on her “Main Street Jobs Tour.” The tour will continue all the way to the end of the election in an effort to give that extra push for a vote. 

Her first stop was at Cookery TT, a 5-and-a-half-year-old restaurant by owner and Head Chef Yvonne Curley at 810 Lincoln Way.  A small crowd of Walorski supporters attended wearing her campaign shirt and ordering pastries. 

Walorski said she has already been to more than 129 businesses and found similar problems, which she is looking to hone in on at the federal level.

“Paying the bills, the over-bearing regulations, Obamacare, and uncertainty in the economy,” said Walorski. “This is how we have become so upside down. We have to fight the bureaucracy of the Federal Government.” 

She said her biggest push for change in the government is to lower taxes for small businesses and repeal health care.

“My parents were small business people,” said Walorski. “I remember the struggles my mom and dad had.”

Walorski chatted with the business owner and her supporters while eating an apple pastry. She said the pastry was as good as her mother’s and rated it as a 10 out of 10.

“I’m a long-time supporter,” said Ali Laun, who came to the Cookery TT to see Walorski. 

Laun found out about the event on Facebook. 

“If I have your support ... it is absolutely your seat,” said Walorski. “This is the election of our generation. We are on the brink of rebound.”

Her final stop in La Porte on Tuesday was a brief introduction a block from the Cookery TT at A J Schmitt Jeweler on 721 Lincoln Way.  She will be visiting downtown Peru today.

GOSHEN — GOP U.S. House hopeful Jackie Walorski campaigned here Tuesday, sounding some familiar messages and emphasizing her support of military veterans and senior citizens.

“We owe it to the generation of folks that fought and are still fighting today,” said Walorski, addressing the Goshen Noon Kiwanis Club. The candidate, a fiscal and social conservative, noted recent formation by her campaign of a coalition of veteran supporters and said, if elected, she’d focus on things like medical benefits and job training for the group.

Walorski has visited many senior groups on the campaign trail and visited many long-term care facilities, she added. “There’s no way I’ll support cuts in Medicare or Social Security,” she said.

The campaign for Indiana’s 2nd District seat has at times grown heated between Walorski, who lives in the Jimtown area, and her Democratic opponent, Brendan Mullen of South Bend. Each has attacked the other, Walorski’s camp labeling Mullen a Washington, D.C., “insider” in part because he lived there for five years and the Mullen campaign decrying the Republican as a “career politician” and extreme GOP partisan.

None of that came out Tuesday, though, and Walorski focused on her three terms as a member of the Indiana House. She also repeated her vow to be an “independent voice,” beholden neither to the Republican or Democratic party.

“People are very worried about the election,” said Walorski. “They want to know they have an independent voice that represents them.”

She said 75 percent of her votes in the Indiana House jibed with the overall Republican and Democratic tallies on the varied issues, bolstering what she characterizes as her ability to find common ground with both parties. “You know, that’s exactly what has to happen in Congress,” she said.

She also touched on the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s health care overhaul, repeating Congressional Budget Office estimates that it’ll take $740 billion out of Medicare over the long haul. Democrats and Republicans have to sit down to resolve the simmering dispute over health care, she said, “and I absolutely will do that,” she said.

Like many Republicans, she’s previously called for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Touching on her record as Indiana lawmaker, she said efforts while she served in the statehouse have resulted in revenue surpluses and a level of job creation, if the news reports she reads are correct, second only to Texas.

More generally she called for “less regulation, less handcuffing of business” and cited endorsements from pro-life and pro-gun groups.

Democrat Brendan Mullen's status as an Army and Iraq War veteran has been central to his run for Indiana's 2nd Congressional District seat.

There's even a Veterans for Mullen coalition that's supporting him, and some of those local vets' stories are on his campaign website.

But Republican Jackie Walorski is showing there are local military men and women who support her, too. On Friday, she announced a coalition of local veterans is backing her.

"I'm supporting Jackie because I am proud of her extensive public service record," said Jim Grey, a Navy veteran from South Bend, in a statement issued by Walorski's campaign. "She has always fought in the best interest of all Hoosiers, including veterans, and I know she will do the same thing in Washington."

Walorski, a former state representative, said she voted for several bills in the Indiana General Assembly that helped veterans by, for example, giving them better access to education and business opportunities.

CONCORD ROTARY CLUB

Rebecca Huber, Sandy Meteiver and Sharon Christophel and Elizabeth Guyton, with speaker Jackie Walorski, were guests at the Sept. 6 meeting. 

Walorski, who is running for Congress in the second district in Indiana, said she is a big fan of the Concord Mall and shops Carson’s for shoes and other clothing items. She feels it is important to “buy local” and shop local businesses. Walorski said Indiana was rated as one of the nation’s leading job creators while she was in the State Legislature, at one point rated second only to Texas. She also was proud of the fact that Indiana passed a balanced budget and turned the state deficit into a surplus. At the Republican National Convention, Walorski spoke for several minutes and was able to talk about the quality of the state government and business turnaround from the recession. “We can do the same thing in Washington,” said Walorski, suggesting the government must remove obstacles that hurt the growth of small business. She feels that priority one should be to help create jobs for Hoosiers. She stated that on a recent visit to Washington she observed many politicians did not seem as “up in arms” over unemployment or other issues as they should be, considering the concerns of the American people.

Walorski believes a strong grassroots network is important to a successful campaign, and she is grateful to have one supporting her candidacy. She was born and raised in South Bend and is a lifelong Indiana resident. Some of the issues she spoke about were her positions on Medicare and long-term care for senior citizens, tort reform, how to avoid tax increases, her support of the NRA (National Rifle Association) and job creation. “No mountain is high enough to erode the American Spirit to persevere,” Walorski said. 

Meetings are at noon Wednesdays at Adam’s Catering and Conference Room inside Concord Mall. Stop by for a visit.