Congressman Peter Meijer Takes Office

3^rd District Congressman-Elect Peter Meijer is now U.S. Representative Peter Meijer.   Meijer, a Republican, was sworn in as a member of the 117^th Congress and as a member of the United States House of Representatives on Sunday.   He was joined by his wife, Gabriella.

Meijer succeeds Justin Amash, the former Republican who turned Independent after being at odds with President Trump and the Republican Party.  He ran against a large field of Republicans in the August primary election, and then easily won in the November general election.

Michigan's 3rd Congressional District includes the city of Grand Rapids. It also includes Ionia, Barry, and Calhoun counties and portions of Kent and Montcalm counties.

Meijer, from Grand Rapids, is an Iraq War veteran and grandson of the late Grand Rapids grocery store chain founder. He’s a business consultant who has specialized in urban redevelopment. The first-time candidate helped create a non-partisan veterans’ political action committee (PAC) called With Honor.

“It is a great honor to serve in the United States House of Representatives and I am humbled by the opportunity to represent the voices of Michigan’s 3rd District,” said Congressman Peter Meijer. “I was sent to Washington to be an effective and thoughtful leader who will always put my constituents first. I look forward to delivering common sense solutions to the people of West Michigan.”

The form of the oath has changed several times since that first act of Congress. The oath used today has not changed since 1966. It reads:

“I,____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

Newly elected and returning members took the oath of office and the full House of Representatives voted along party lines to reelect Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker.  House Democrats kept control of the House in the November elections, but will now have a narrower majority after suffering a string of losses, despite projections that they would win more seats. House Republicans, meanwhile, outperformed expectations and are now poised to add a significant number of GOP women to their ranks in the new Congress.