Christie pumps up new House freshmen
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) came to Capitol Hill on Monday to rally the freshman class of House Republicans.
The governor and potential 2016 contender addressed the members-elect during a luncheon on the first floor of the Capitol, which was hosted by House Administration Committee Chairwoman Candice Miller (R-Mich.).
{mosads}Rep.-elect Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) said that Christie encouraged the freshmen to show they can govern.
“It was not a policy discussion. This was about our attitude in governing, about being bold in leadership and doing the right thing by people,” MacArthur said. “We talked about the importance of winning and then governing.”
Rep.-elect Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) said it was an “inspirational” message about bipartisanship from Christie.
“It was just a very inspirational message about how successful and how bipartisan he is and to reach out to everybody,” Grothman said.
Christie has indicated he isn’t a fan of Congress. Last month, Christie said he’d “rather die” than serve in the Senate.
But MacArthur said Christie didn’t crack any jokes about Congress during the luncheon with the incoming House freshmen.
“Many things get said with humor. He certainly was honoring every person in that room,” MacArthur said. “He was here encouraging us to do our best.”
Democrats also held a luncheon for their freshmen at the same time on Monday. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, was the keynote speaker.
Immediately after lunch, members-elect headed to a basement room in Capitol Visitors Center to attend briefings on ethics guidelines and support offices as they enter their second week of orientation.
The House GOP’s freshman class is significantly larger than the Democrats’, given the party’s double-digit gains in the midterm elections.
At least one potential new GOP member showed up for the Christie luncheon even though her race hasn’t been called yet. Retired Air Force Col. Martha McSally (R), who has a narrow lead over Rep. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.) and is awaiting a recount, was seen entering the members-only dining room for the luncheon.