Georgia Rep. Paul Broun bids farewell 'for now'

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga) sent out a farewell message to his constituents today, thanking them for the opportunity to serve four terms in the House of Representatives and emphasizing his fiscally conservative voting record. Broun, who represents Georgia's 10^th congressional district, ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2014 which made him ineligible to run for reelection in his congressional district.

"As we wrap up the final legislative week in the 113^th Congress, I wanted to take this moment to thank my constituents for the deep honor of serving you in Congress," said Broun in his letter. "Before my election in 2007, I promised you I would vet every piece of legislation by asking four simple questions. In voting on all bills, I ask: Is it right? Do we need it? Is it Constitutional? Can we afford it? If all four questions are yes, I vote yes. If one question is no, I vote no. In doing so, I have never voted for a tax increase, never voted for a bailout, never voted for a stimulus package, and never requested an earmark."

Broun went on to say that it has often been a "lonely fight" in spending-obsessed Washington, where he was frequently "the only one saying NO to more govement." The congressman encouraged other lawmakers to adopt his four-way test to reduce the national debt and get spending under control.

Broun, who is a member of the Tea Party Caucus, certainly did march to the beat of his own drummer since he got elected in a special election on July 17, 2007. In 2009, the conservative Republican introduced a bill in the House proclaiming 2010 as the year of the Bible. When he refused to vote for John Boehner (R-Ohio) as the speaker of the House in 2013, the congressman voted for Allen West instead, a former representatives from Florida who after the 2012 election cycle was no longer in Congress.  

The Georgia representative also gained some national attention after he called the Big Bang, evolution, and other scientific theories a bunch of "lies straight from the Pitt of Hell" in a speech at a church banquet. Broun's compared then-Senator Barack Obama to Hitler in 2008, although he did later apologize for his choice of words.

Broun voted against both the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, two financial stimulus packages that were supposed to help the plunging economy in 2009 and 2008. The congressman opposed the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) and has voted multiple times to repeal and replace the law with a more conservative approach.  He's a big proponent of the Balanced Budget Amendment and legislative proposals to audit the Board of Goveor of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Reserve banks.

Broun, who is a medical doctor, told the Atlanta-Joual Constitution (AJC) that he's looking to get involved in conservative politics outside of elected office but if an opportunity presents itself, he'd consider running for office again.

"While my time in Congress has come to an end for now, I will continue to stay in the fight. I pledge to you that I will do all in my power to restore liberty in America," said Broun in his farewell.

Broun's committee assignments include:

Committee on Homeland Security

Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security

Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence (Vice Chair)

Committee on Science and Technology

Subcommittee on Energy and Environment

Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight (Chairman)

Republican Study Committee