Profile in Courage: Rep. Justin Amash (L-Mich.)

In recent years tribalism has become a phenomenon deeply ingrained in U.S. politics. Members of one party feel the constant urge to slam the other party, regardless of the facts or substantive public policy issues at stake. But fortunately, taxpayers and consumers have a friend in Congress who isn’t afraid to forge his own path and call out members of both parties for pushing disastrous policies. Rep. Justin Amash (L-Mich.) is not long for the halls of Congress, but has taken a principled stand for good governance, even-handedness, and transparency in his near-decade as a lawmaker. And for that, Rep. Amash is absolutely a Profile in Courage.

Like many members of Congress, Rep. Amash got his start in politics by representing his constituents in state government. During his two years in the Michigan House of Representatives Rep. Amash started a practice that most elected officials never bother to do. The state lawmaker used his social media pages (Facebook and Twitter) to tell his constituents how he voted and explain the reasoning behind the positions he took. Rep. Amash also maintained a transparency website where he listed the taxpayer-funded salaries of his staff.

The most remarkable aspect of this curious state lawmaker, however, wasn’t his dogged dedication to transparency. Rather, as the Detroit Free Press reported in 2010, Rep. Amash “refused to vote for a bill he hadn’t read, making him sometimes the sole nay in the chamber.” The profile also notes that, “Amash…worked well with the Democratic majority in the state House,” bucking the predictable partisanship common among elected officials. Rep. Amash’s tireless advocacy for his constituents did not go unnoticed and calls quickly grew for the lawmaker to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 2010, Rep. Amash handily defeated Republican primary opponents (and veteran GOPers) Steve Heacock and state Sen. Bill Hardiman.  He then went on to trounce Democratic nominee Patrick Miles Jr. in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District election. Rep. Amash hit the ground running, advocating for spending reform and transparency at a time of unprecedented “stimulus” spending. Rep. Amash was a powerful advocate for taxpayers in the House Budget Committee, championing a requirement that federal agencies publish budget request justifications at a central location on their websites. Rep. Amash also fought for a requirement that the Congressional Budget Office disclose the economic models used to score bills.

Unfortunately, not everybody was excited about the new reform-minded representative. Establishment GOP lawmakers feared that Rep. Amash was rocking the boat too much and dubiously claimed that his ideas would impair bipartisanship. As a result, the “rebellious right-winger” was booted from the House Budget Committee at the end of 2012. These shenanigans didn’t stop Rep. Amash from tirelessly advocating for taxpayers and fighting for a limited government. The Congressman has continued posting explanations of his votes on social media and imploring other lawmakers to do the same. Rep. Amash recounts, “When I first came to Congress, other Representatives told me it would be impossible to explain every vote I take. Explaining my actions in Congress is an essential part of this job. If I can do it, so can other Representatives and Senators.”

Over time, however, Rep. Amash came to decide that being a part of the two-party system made him less effective as an advocate for free markets and limited government. In 2019, Rep. Amash left the Republican Party to become an independent. Then, in 2020, Rep. Amash joined the Libertarian Party and became the first member of that party to hold a seat in Congress.

As a free market and taxpayer advocacy organization, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance doesn’t favor or endorse any single party. Many commendable lawmakers such as Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have felt that their efforts are best served by the Republican Party. Other pro-liberty officials such as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis are proud Democrats. In this case, however, Rep. Amash reasonably felt that his crusade for liberty could more effectively be advanced outside of the prevailing political duopoly.

This political trailblazer, however, will soon retire.  Rep. Amash has announced that he will not be seeking reelection. Taxpayers and consumers will dearly miss the lawmaker, but long remember his dedicated efforts to bring about good government reforms. For his steadfast consistency, tireless advocacy, and commitment to transparency, Rep. Amash is a Profile in Courage.