WASHINGTON, D.C. — The friends and supporters crowded into the bare-walled offices of newly elected Rep. Frank Kratovil raised a cheer as the new congressman’s name was called out in the roll call for the election of speaker of the House Tuesday, drowning out his support for the re-election of Nancy Pelosi.
But in what he called his “first official act” as a member, Kratovil signed on with 58 others as an original co-sponsor of a bill to stop the automatic raise of $4,700 for members of Congress who now make $167,000 a year. It was a bipartisan group of sponsors that included Texas Republican Ron Paul, who ran for president this year.
As his Republican opponent sourly had predicted, Kratovil’s first vote was to support the Democratic leader of the House. But his first bill showed the kind of fiscally conservative, bipartisan representative Kratovil has promised to be for the 1st Congressional District, which includes the Eastern Shore and parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Harford counties.
“With middle class families struggling as they are, it’s a bad time for Congress to be taking a pay raise,” Kratovil told The Examiner. “I think Congress ought to put its money where its mouth is.”
As a so-called Blue Dog Democrat – the moderate to conservative coalition in the House – Kratovil said he’s worried about aspects of the proposed economic stimulus package.
“I’m concerned about the deficit and continuing to increase it,” Kratovil said. “I think that’s a concern for all of the Blue Dogs.”
“The other issue is whether the package is actually going to help the middle class,” he said. “The initial bailout [of financial institutions] was supposed to help the middle class, but I don’t think it really has.”
Reflecting Kratovil’s close ties to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who has known the family for decades, Hoyer spoke at a reception for the new congressman in an elegant room just down the hall from his Capitol office. “Frank Kratovil, the new congressman, is the number 1 target for Republicans to retire in two years,” Hoyer said. “I would urge all of you to work just as hard to re-elect him” as they did to get him in office.
Hoyer said Kratovil would receive three committee assignments that would help both his district and Maryland. The speaker’s office announced one of them would be Armed Services. Kratovil has also sought to be on the Agriculture Committee.
Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, who came to Kratovil’s open house and reception, said the new congressman is “going to represent the 1st District in a way that is going to please a lot of people. They’re going to like him. You really can’t dislike him.”
