WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freshman members of Congress usually start the job with little influence on Capitol Hill, but new Ohio U.S. Representative Max Miller was elected to a leadership position before he was even sworn in.
What You Need To Know
- Freshman Ohio Rep. Max Miller spoke with Spectrum News about his first few weeks on the job
- Before getting sworn-in, Miller was elected by his fellow incoming Republicans to represent them on the panel that decides members’ committee assignments
- Miller, who campaigned as a Donald Trump conservative, said his interactions with Democrats so far has impacted how he will approach legislating
- He also discussed his thoughts on the marathon vote to elect a Speaker of the House
Miller’s first few days on the job were spent sitting through the 15 rounds of votes for House Speaker that played out on television. He consistently supported Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), but said he was left feeling concerned about how the chaotic marathon might look to voters.
“Yeah, absolutely. I understand what it looks like to the American public from the outside,” Miller (R-Ohio) told Spectrum News in an interview last week.
“I know that every once and a while people like to cut clips of what happens on the House floor and kind of embellish what actually happens, but we had civil discourse,” he added.
At 34, Miller is one of the younger members of Congress.
The former aide to then-President Donald Trump easily won election in Ohio’s 7th District, which sits in northeast Ohio. He was then elected by other incoming Republicans to represent them on the Steering Committee, which determines what committees members sit on.
On Wednesday, Republican Wesley Hunt, a new Texas congressman, praised Miller in a tweet, saying he’s been “instrumental and supportive.”
It’s been just a few weeks in Congress, but there are already a few people who have been instrumental and supportive. One of them is @MaxMillerOH. A patriot, a fighter, and someone who has become a friend.
— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) January 18, 2023
Though Miller campaigned as a Trump conservative, has already endorsed Trump’s third run for president and calls President Joe Biden’s tenure an “absolute disaster,” he said interacting with Democrats as the Steering Committee representative has impacted how he will approach legislating.
“I think we can do a lot of great work with them moving forward in a bipartisan Congress,” Miller said. “There is no doubt that I will remain conservative, but the last election showed us that we need to work with the Democrats and they need to work with us.”
Miller will also serve on the House Agriculture Committee and plans to push back on regulations as the 2023 farm bill gets drafted.
He said he’s confident the rules package Republicans ended up adopting, after Speaker McCarthy negotiated with hardliners, will help the GOP be effective. Though he said he’s slightly worried that the concessions included lowering the threshold to allow just one lawmaker to force a vote on removing the Speaker.
“The only thing that I have a little bit of hesitation with is the motion to vacate (going) from five to one,” Miller said. “And what I am telling the American people and the people of the 7th and the people of Ohio is what everyone should know, is that these rules also can be weaponized by Democrats as well.”
Miller is now Ohio’s youngest member of Congress, so how he approaches the job could determine how long he stays on Capitol Hill and whether his influence grows.