Press Releases

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement after joining the Civility and Respect Caucus, which promotes constructive dialogue and debate in Congress:

“Last weekend I read the book, ‘Back in the Game’ by my friend and colleague Rep. Steve Scalise, who was severely wounded when a crazed gunman, enraged by politics, opened fire at the Republican baseball practice in 2017. I was one of several on the field that day who dodged bullets as we ran for our lives. As I read Steve’s account of that day, I was taken back to relive the horror of the day over again. While nothing can be done to erase the evil that took place that day, we, in Congress, can hold ourselves to a higher standard of civility and respect, and hopefully set a better tone than the very divided current political climate in America.

"The solution is a simple formula that has been around for over two thousand years, ‘love your neighbor as yourself…and treat others the way you want to be treated.' Over the past few years, it seems many have been so blinded by political partisanship, we have forgotten the ‘Golden Rule,’ and have allowed the rhetoric of an overzealous media, and ‘scorched earth’ policies of political campaigns, to guide our behavior toward others. I believe we can set a new path in political discourse; but it requires those of us engaged in the day-to-day policy-making to rise above the hype and set a new standard of civility.

"In order to participate in this caucus, members of Congress are required to join with a member from the other party, and I am very pleased to join with my friend and colleague, Congressman David Scott of Georgia.”