GREENFIELD — After a trip to Hancock County, U.S. House Representative for Indiana’s 6th District Greg Pence stopped by the Daily Reporter last Friday to talk about his choice to not run for reelection, highlights of his three terms and his plans once he leaves D.C.
Pence said when he first started in 2019 that he would commit to six years of service — a total of three terms. Now with his third term ending in 2024, he has decided to not run for reelection, doing what he said he wanted to commit to.
“I’m gone 155 nights a year,” said Columbus native Pence. “It’s time for me to get on with the rest of my life.”
Pence said that friends in congress ask what he plans to do after he returns home, and he replied with a laugh, “Whatever I want.”
Married for 42 years, Pence describes himself as a family man with four children, two son-in-laws, a daughter-in-law and 10 grandchildren. He wants to be able to spend more time with his large family, which also includes his 91-year-old mother, who lives close by.
Pence said that, even before running for office, he and his wife have been involved in government and politics behind the scenes, and in some fashion will still be part of the Republican party in Indiana.
Pence said that serving six years is close to the average for those who serve in the House of Representatives.
In regard to if there should be term limits, Pence said he believes that there shouldn’t be limits, but more so limits when it comes to age.
Pence said that having to run every two years brings many of his peers back home instead of staying out in D.C., and it’s up to the people in the district whether they want to send that congressman back to D.C. for another two years.
“There definitely are people who maybe don’t have the life experiences or the maturity that are out in D.C and then there are people who have been out there too long and maybe aren’t as sharp,” said Pence, adding that it can be physically exhausting working in D.C.
Pence said that, every day, they work from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and that flying back and forth can take a toll.
Pence said that when he first joined the House of Representatives, his brother was vice president for the United States. With that, Pence felt he could be very effective and was able to get many bills passed.
The following two years, the Republican party was in the minority but was able to challenge bills. Pence said that this last year, despite being the majority, they haven’t been able to get much done, and so far this year they haven’t been able get much done either.
Pence said that, once he leaves, he hopes that constituent services remain the number one issue. Of his 434 peers in D.C., Pence said that not everyone has the focus of their constituents, and more so focuses on their own ambitions.
“There’s nothing more important than going out to D.C. and representing your constituents,” Pence said. “It’s just the job.”
Pence said that he hopes that whoever takes his seat has similar Hoosier values like him and his predecessors because the new representative will be his congressman as well.
Policies that Pence said need worked on include the border, and that a policy agenda addressing it needs to be put in place. Pence said the three things that need to be fixed about the border are “fentanyl, fentanyl, fentanyl.”
“That’s all I hear from law enforcement, from coroners,” Pence said. “It’s a huge problem and it can only be fixed if we address the border right now.”
Pence said that with everyone else he talks to, they are frustrated that they can get a border bill to the floor of the House of Representatives and figure out a way to get on the road to closing the fentanyl flow into the country.
Pence said he’s not opposed to immigrants coming into the country, that it is fine and that the country often needs more immigrants, but they need to know who they are.
Being in the energy and commerce committee, Pence said he thinks that federal government spending has created the inflationary environment but it also is where they spent the money. Pence said that the electrification of the entire transportation industry or generation industry is money that is not well spent.
“The technology does not, is not keeping up with the government’s agenda,” Pence said. “We don’t have enough — you can’t close coal plants and put solar up — it’s not reliable, it’s not economic. We don’t have the equipment to do it, the grid doesn’t exist.”
Pence also said they are seeing carmaker after carmaker talk about making hybrids.
“All of the government investment in that has added fuel to the inflation fire,” Pence said. “Maybe we outta take a time out and be more prudent where we’re spending government money.”
Pence’s preference on where the money should go would be toward infrastructure, such as roads and bridges — traditional infrastructure.
Pence said that with the divide between the Republican party in the House of Representatives, something that has been in flux since last July, it is why it is difficult to get anything done at the moment.
Despite the unknown on some policies, Pence said that he is going to finish his term strong, being out and about speaking with constituents.
“I want to work hard, doing a good job representing the people between now and when I’m no longer in office,” Pence said.
Being U.S. Representative for the sixth congressional district, Pence serves Fayette, Hancock, Henry, Johnson, Rush, Shelby, Union and Wayne while also serving parts of Bartholomew, Marion and Randolph.
For more information about Greg Pence and his work in D.C., visit pence.house.gov.
