Jason's Record in Congress (2007-2013)
29 Legislative Initiatives Signed Into Law:
Jason saw 29 of his legislative initiatives signed into law during his three terms in Congress. Some examples:
- Guaranteeing the enlistment bonuses of combat-wounded veterans.
- Increased screening and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for veterans.
- Amending the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to allow military guard and reserve families to use FMLA time off to care for a wounded veteran.
- Making it easier for disabled veterans to access higher education.
- Tax relief for small businesses employing military guard and reservists.
- Expanding the textbook rental program for college students.
- Assistance for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to recruit and train future teachers.
- Incentives for partnerships between businesses and colleges to match curriculums to future workforce needs.
- Protecting access to the shooting sports on millions of acres of public lands.
- Created a new hospital-based reimbursement program to link Medicare payments to quality outcomes.
- Eliminated the Medicare Part D late enrollment penalty for low-income seniors.
- Improved communications technology along the U.S. - Mexico border.
Most Centrist Voting Record in the U.S. House
The nonpartisan National Journal rated Jason's partisan voting record to be at the exact midpoint of the House. When ranking the members of the House from Most Liberal (1) to Most Conservative (435), Jason's voting record was ranked 218, giving him the most moderate voting record in the House.
Introduced a Bill With the Most Cosponsors in U.S. History
Jason's work to cross the aisle and achieve compromise is best exemplified by his 2011 bill to modernize the charter of the American Legion. The bill gained 432 cosponsors, which remains the most cosponsors ever to sign on to a congressional bill in American history.
Speaker Pro Tempore
Jason regularly served as Speaker Pro Tempore, the presiding officer of the House. In all, he served 160 hours in the Speaker's Chair presiding over House debates during his time in office.
Subcommittee Chairman
Jason served two terms as Chairman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. As chair, he presided over numerous hearings related to issues important to small businesses, such as health care, government regulations, taxes, and energy costs. He twice introduced and won passage in the House major legislation providing small businesses increased access to venture capital and angel investment funding.
Fiscal Responsibility & Taxpayer Benefit
House members are allotted an annual budget to run their offices in Washington, DC and in their home districts. Many members choose to spend every penny in administering their offices. Not Jason. Over the course of his three terms in office, Jason ran his offices so efficiently that he returned $1 million in unused funds to the American taxpayers.
Haiti Rescue Mission
Following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Jason was contacted by the family of two constituents who ran an orphanage in Haiti. They wanted to leave the country to ensure the safety of the 54 orphans under their care who were scheduled to be American adoptees. Jason worked with the White House, State Department, government of Haiti, and a team of medical personnel to travel to Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. He joined the governor of Pennsylvania in leading a rescue mission resulting in the safe return of Jason's constituents and all 54 orphans under their care. All 54 are now American citizens.
Questioning a witness at a hearing of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Jason traveled to Baghdad for a 2007 discussion with General Petraeus about the Iraq War.
Jason greets President Obama outside Air Force One in 2010.
Speaker Boehner swears-in Jason to the 112th Congress.
Jason with civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis at the legendary Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.
Jason during an appearance on CNN’s ”State of the Union” program in 2011.
Jason at the White House with congressional leaders for a bill signing ceremony with President Obama in 2010.
During his 3 terms in Congress, Jason spoke on the House Floor more than 200 times.
Jason at the presidential palace in Yemen for a 2012 congressional delegation meeting with Yemeni President Hadi.
While in office, Jason worked with legendary businessman T. Boone Pickens to promote American energy independence.
Jason with Sen. Edward Kennedy and Speaker Pelosi to celebrate passage of the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007.
In Port-au-Prince, Haiti negotiating the release of 54 Haitian orphans to the U.S. following the devastating 2010 earthquake.
A Centrist Leader
The nonpartisan group GovTrack complies statistical data evaluating Congress and its members. This chart shows Altmire’s Ideology-Leadership rating for his entire tenure in office, compared to the individual Democrats (blue) and Republicans (red) with whom he served.