Adrian Daily Telegram: Walberg rated among most conservative Michigan representatives

A national conservative political organization has recognized U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, for his conservative voting record in Congress in the past year.

Walberg was one of three members of the Michigan congressional delegation to score above 80 percent in the annual member rankings compiled by the Alexandria, Virginia-based American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF) — a national conservative organization known for hosting the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

The ratings, which include Congress and all 50 state legislatures, are designed by the ACUF’s Center for Legislative Accountability and rank members based on their commitment to conservative principals as demonstrated by their voting record.

Each year, the ACUF selects a number of bills that it considers indicative of political ideologies. The 25 bills chosen for the ratings cover economic, social, cultural and national security issues designed to reflect on “how lawmakers view the role of government in an individual’s life,” an ACUF news release said when the rankings were announced April 11.

For the 2018 session, Walberg was ranked as having the second most conservative record in the Michigan delegation with a rating of 92%. He places below Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, who received 96% and ahead of U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Grand Rapids, at 88%.

The next nearest Republican scored a 79% while Michigan’s Democratic House members, who were rated, all scored 4%.

Despite falling to second place in this year’s ratings, Walberg still ranks first in the ACUF’s lifetime rankings for the Michigan delegation, with a 92% average rating.

Walberg said that he is Michigan’s most conservative member because he is conservative and that he expressed those principals to his voters plainly when he was elected and reelected for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District.

Still, speaking in a phone interview, Walberg was just as interested in talking about being rated Michigan’s most effective congressman by The Center for Effective Lawmaking — a nonpartisan collaboration between Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia — in early March. The same organization also ranked Walberg as 30th most effective out of all 244 Republicans in the House.

Walberg said that he believes that the ratings are evidence of a good strategy in getting out to talk to residents through the town halls and tele-town halls he held, coming in 10th out of 435 members of the House in the number of town halls he has hosted.

“I never want to be just the most conservative member of the Michigan delegation without also showing the ability to be effective for my constituents,” Walberg said. “Understand why we vote the way we vote (on the) policy, but also being willing to find other areas where, for instance, (U.S. Rep.) Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) and I can work together and pass some key pieces of legislation that are signed into law by the president last year in a bipartisan fashion on opioid-heroin abuse, human trafficking, veterans issues.”

He also cited the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative as another issue where he’s been able to work with Democrats, “proving that there can be bipartisan work when we have bipartisan opportunities.”

Walberg said that for him, holding a seat of a more diverse congressional district than some of his Michigan Republican colleagues is an indication that the voters of the district approve of his philosophy. This includes winning by a large margin in the 2018 election, despite Democrats making significant gains in Michigan and Congress.

“They’ve elected me now five straight terms, after electing me one term and then throwing me out for a second term. And then having a do-over and putting me back in,” Walberg said. “And so if I weren’t representing the district — at least the majority — and I’ve never lied to them about me being a conservative. Win, lose or draw, that was my position. I told them I supported limited government, choice and opportunity, competition — and then other things like First Amendment liberties along with the Second Amendment.”

“The only reason I didn’t have a 96% this time is because I went with my district’s dairy farmers and supported a particular piece of legislation that said we needed to have pasteurized milk,” he said. “And if I had voted against the Farm Bill, I’d have 100 percent. But that’s not my district.” 

Now in the minority for the first time in eight years, Walberg is getting adjusted to now having less power individually, but hopes that his relationships with Democratic colleagues would help him get some legislation passed.