By Michael V. Hannigan/HCN
There is something to be said for knowing when to leave.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R) has been Henderson County’s Congressman since 2003, but his time as our representative in Washington is coming to an end. Tuesday, he announced he would not run for re-election in 2018.
In a statement on Facebook, Hensarling noted a desire to spend time with his family and wrote, “Although service in Congress remains the greatest privilege of my life, I never intended to make it a lifetime commitment, and I have already stayed far longer than I had originally planned.”
Hensarling was and is a conservative voice for a conservative district and through the years he has taught many lessons, particularly when it comes to fiscal policy. In leaving, he teaches another lesson.
Being an elected official is supposed to be a service to your community, not a career.
It was interesting to me that Hensarling’s comments echoed those of another American politician who once announced he would not run for re-election: George Washington.
In 1796, after eight years as POTUS — before we even had that acronym — Washington wrote that the coming election was a chance for the country to elect a “citizen” to administer the government. He also said that he stayed longer than he had planned because of circumstances, writing that he had hoped to step down after four years.
But as soon as he was sure his personal skill set was no longer necessary, he gladly retired.
“I rejoice that the state of your concerns, external as well as internal, no longer renders the pursuit of inclination incompatible with the sentiment of duty or propriety, and am persuaded, whatever partiality may be retained for my services, that in the present circumstances of our country you will not disapprove my determination to retire,” he wrote.
Washington’s idea was simple — elected officials should be in office as a service to their countrymen, not as a career choice.
This idea is one of the main reasons President Trump was elected.
During the campaign, VP Mike Pence said, This is the difference between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kaine. They are career public servants. Donald Trump is a businessman, not a career politician. He built a business.”
And it isn’t like this is a hidden problem. In an NPR interview, Sen. Ted Cruz said, “I’ve said many times the biggest divide we have politically is not between Republicans and Democrats. It’s between career politicians in both parties and the American people.”
So thank you, Rep. Hensarling, for your service to our district and to our country. And thank you for once again reminding us of an important truth.