/Buried in the political grind, Rep Gregg Harper calls it quits

Buried in the political grind, Rep Gregg Harper calls it quits

This was the night President Donald Trump was due to speak at the grand closing of two new history museums in Mississippi for the state’s bicentennial. It also happened to be the day that parts of Mississippi had seen more snow in decades. Some of the passengers waited for 30 minutes before getting off the bus to board the flight to Jackson. They didn’t miss the chance to ask Harper questions about Common Core national education standards, tax reform, and health care reform. Harper was even lamenting “the sad reality of the world”, a Mississippian said. He pointed out that Siri on his iPhone wouldn’t tell him the identity of Jesus Christ, but it would give details about the life and times of Prophet Muhammad. Harper is well-known for his charm with constituents. He smiled uncomfortably when he was not answering questions from pushy constituents. This is Harper’s five-year term: long travel times between Washington and Jackson, few hours with his family on weekends, and the hectic pace of Capitol Hill politics. Harper released a statement on Thursday, saying that they had been considering for nearly two years whether it was time to not run again. “After spending Christmas and New Years with my family, we made the difficult decision to say that ten years would be enough.” Harper says that the political grind has intensified in recent weeks. Harper, who for many years had been a lowly figure in the Republican leadership, was elected chairman of the House Administration Committee in December 2016. His committee has been the subject of more national headlines as a result of allegations of sexual harassment in Congress. In recent weeks, Harper has been repeatedly pressed by reporters to answer questions about reports that the House secretly used taxpayer funds to settle harassment claims. Harper, with his new platform, has condemned the use of public funds to settle harassment claims and called for reform in harassment handling. In December, Harper was elected chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. This committee has been working to combat the opioid epidemic. Harper spoke with Mississippi Today about the state of Washington in December’s interview in his D.C. Office. Harper stated that while I don’t believe the Trump election has changed the work we do, it does change the dynamics. “When I started, everything was controlled by the Democrats. He said that this was his first term in which Republicans have control of everything. There is an additional responsibility. It comes with its own challenges.” Harper is the hardest of Congress members to be away from their families. Livingston, his first child with Sidney, was born with Fragile X Syndrome. This genetic condition is similar to autism and causes behavioral and learning difficulties. Sidney Harper, the congressman’s son-in-law, has taken over his political duties as he has moved through his career. Fifth-term Congressman Sidney Harper is now facing the reality that he will be a grandfather for first time. Maggie, Maggie’s daughter, is due to give birth to her first child with her husband. He will leave Washington a legacy of an internship program that he established for students with intellectual disabilities. Mississippi Today reported that the program has been used by more than 150 Senate and House offices. In January 2017, Harper was appointed chairman of House Administration. He directed staff to hire one of the interns full-time when he began his tenure. Harper said to Mississippi Today that Harper is now working full-time, earning full-time pay for full-time work and that it has changed his life. Harper’s surprise announcement that Harper will not seek re-election is a major blow to the already turbulent short-term political landscape in Mississippi. The state’s junior senator Roger Wicker is up for re-election this year. His colleagues and Sen. ThadCochran privately stated that Wicker will be retiring this year because of health concerns. Harper was widely believed to be the favorite to fill Cochran’s seat if there were vacancies. However, several people close to Gov. Phil Bryant, the person who would make the appointment has told Mississippi Today that Harper is not being seriously considered. Harper introduced Cochran before the assembled crowd, the night Chris McDaniel was defeated by Cochran in the controversial 2014 Republican presidential runoff. Harper publicly supported the campaign of the veteran senator, knocking on doors just days before the wild-runoff election. Harper was expected to be unopposed in this year’s election. Harper was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2008. He defeated a large Republican primary field and won the general election. In the two years that followed, no general election challenger has come closer to defeating the incumbent congressman by more than 25 points. Harper was a practicing lawyer before he was elected to Congress. He was also a prosecutor in Brandon, Richland, as well as the chairman of the Rankin County Republican Party, for seven years.