John Yarmuth announced to his supporters today that he has filed the necessary paperwork to run for a fourth term in Congress, representing Kentucky's 3rd congressional district.
This should come as no surprise to anyone, but to his supporters it is a very welcome announcement indeed.
Representative Yarmuth has forged a unique path through the legislative minefields of Washington. He has balanced the political pragmatism of party support with his conscience as a sort of "left libertarian" liberal. During the healthcare debate, he made it clear that he felt that the nation would be best served with a single-payer "Medicare for All" type of plan. But with that not an option, he was also clear that he felt the flawed plan that came out of the negotiations would serve his constituents better than the status quo, so he voted for it.
Recently, he has voted against a balanced budget amendment that would force Draconian cuts on the most vulnerable of America's citizens while continuing the historically low tax rates on millionaires and billionaires. Even more recently, he voted against hundreds of billions of dollars of funding for the Pentagon because of a provision allowing the executive branch to detain American citizens indefinitely, without trial. While you're unlikely to hear any praise of Yarmuth from the Tea Party, this is the very same reason Rand Paul voted against the defense authorization bill.
Congressman Yarmuth has been an active participant in Louisville's civic community. He has spoken at Sierra Club rallies, he signed a ground-breaking MoveOn.org pledge to fight undue corporate influence in government, and he fairly regularly provides insightful analysis and first hand updates of what is happening in Washington.
Ever vigilant to the area's economic needs, he has ensured that Louisville has had a visible seat at the table when federal funding is being allocated. He has fought to protect social and educational programs, has been instrumental in obtaining grants for government agencies, non-profits, and Louisville businesses that are engaged in work that benefits the community and the nation beyond simply creating profits and jobs.
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