WASHINGTON — The newest member of the U.S. House, Everton Blair, had little time to celebrate with his family after being sworn into office.
After taking pictures and having a brief chat with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Blair hustled back to the House floor where a vote was underway to extend government funding through December and avoid a September shutdown.
Blair, who is 34, is Georgia’s first openly gay member of Congress. He is also the second youngest member currently serving in the House.
His time in Washington will be brief; he finishes the term of U.S. Rep. David Scott, who died in April. In his inaugural floor speech, Blair said he will use his brief tenure to try to make life better for his constituents.
“It’s getting a lot harder for way too many of us, especially in younger generations, to fulfill that American dream,” the Lilburn Democrat said. “And so, my mandate here is clear: I will do everything in my capacity to make life more affordable for the hardworking Americans in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District.
Blair, the former chairman of the Gwinnett County School Board, is the son of Jamaican immigrants. His parents and other family members traveled with him to Washington on Tuesday.
Blair defeated Marcye Scott, the late congressman’s daughter, in last week’s special election to decide who would finish Scott’s term through the end of the year.
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