GSPM Blog

(This article was written and done by Evan Beal)

Last week we got the chance to catch up with Congressman Kendrick Meek (FL-17^th). Here’s what he had to say about work and family, his bid for the Senate, and ideas he’s received from young people.

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You’ve cited your mother (former Rep. Carrie Meek) as the biggest influence in your life. What did she teach you about politics? In what ways has she most helped you in your political career? My mother is a driving force in my life. She inspires me every day to work just a little bit harder, spend a little more time with my family, and go the extra length. She taught me a few important lessons, not least among them to always stay connected to your community. I know it sounds simple, but politicians get detached sometimes. They forget about their roots, spend too many weekends in Washington, and forget where they come from and who they’re fighting for. I guess what I want to say is that my mother taught me how to stay grounded. She also taught me to view public service through a broad lens. For example, before she entered elected official, my mother worked at a community college. That counts as public service, too! Yes, elected officials are public servants, but you can engage your community in so many ways. It makes perfect sense that so many young people these days are applying for Teach for America, City Year, etc. It’s no coincidence that you now see Teach for American alums now running for higher office. They have a certain work ethic and commitment that carries over well into the public sphere.

How has your time in office been similar to your mother’s? Well, we were both elected to represent the same District in Congress – the 17^th District of Florida. The landscape of the District has changed over the years. For me, the District includes Southeast Broward County, whereas Broward wasn’t included when my mother was in office. We served during different times, but overall, had to deal with many of the same issues – affordable housing, immigration (our district has the highest number of Haitian Americans in the nation), and senior issues. One thing to note is that over the years we’ve consistently had a bipartisan South Florida delegation. Both my mother and I regularly worked with our Republican colleagues – Reps. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart and Rep. Ros-Lehtinen – on issues important to our area of the country. Just a few months ago, I led a trip to Haiti with them and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz to meet with President Prevail and discuss issues important to both South Florida and Haiti.

How has your degree in Criminal Justice and your career as a Florida State Trooper affected your priorities as a Congressman? Studying Criminal Justice gave me a very practical outlook on life and very naturally led me to the Florida Highway Patrol. Joining the Florida Highway Patrol was one of the best decisions I ever made. I gave me a greater appreciation for living in a nation of laws. In my early years on the job, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) awarded me their Outstanding Service Award for getting the second most DUI arrests in the state of Florida. Over time, I realized that I wanted to write laws, not just enforce them. As one of the few congressmen with a background in law enforcement, I bring an on-the-ground understanding of how laws actually affect lives that others may not have.

You currently hold a seat in the House of Representatives, but you are running for Senate. Why? Moving from representing a district of nearly 650,000 to a state of over 18 million people allows for a real opportunity to affect change for the good in a much greater way. Too often, good policy dies in Congress because elected officials don't have the political will to make tough decisions. Serving in the Senate would afford me a larger platform to advocate for the interests of Floridians. My decision to run is about giving Florida the type of representation it deserves. The state that has given me and my family so much, a state that has allowed me to serve it proudly, is facing tough, challenging times and I want to help move Florida forward. For Florida to receive critical stimulus dollars for our future, for our citizens to receive the quality, affordable health care we deserve, for our economy to move from recession to recovery, Florida needs the best advocate it can have in the U.S. Senate and that is why I am offering myself to Florida.

How have you been able to not only be an active member of Congress, but also a husband and father of 2? How do you balance your family and public lives? I’m not going to lie – it’s no walk in the park. Whenever possible, my family joins me on trips to Florida. During the day, I tell my staff to carve out time on my schedule so I can spend time with my kids and take them to their after-school activities. These are my responsibilities as a father and husband. Congress or not, there’s really no excuse for me not being there for my wife and children.

What are the most important things you would tell people to learn or experience before getting into politics? Gain experience outside the political sphere. Let me explain: it is important to ground yourself in your community before immediately diving into elected office. I can’t tell you enough about how my years in law enforcement affect my work as a legislator. It’s one thing to write laws about public safety. It’s another thing to make an arrest for DUI.

What were the most important connections you made in fostering your political career? How did these connections help you? I come from a family of public servants, so many of my friends and mentors I met while growing up. When I was a Trooper, I was assigned for a time to the security detail for Florida Lieutenant Governor Buddy MacKay. It was a tremendous opportunity to learn first-hand from a dedicated public servant. I got a chance to pick up and meet a candidate named Bill Clinton at the airport one time. The rest is history.

What do you find most frustrating about the legislative process and why? If you could, how would you change it? There is a lot of gridlock in Congress. Part of it is the nature of the institution – when you have 435 members pulling and tugging on a piece of legislation, it’s challenging to get things done. Since the election of President Obama, however, there’s been a noticeable paradigm shift. The health care debate is a case in point: we brought all the stakeholders together, incorporated ideas from across the political spectrum, and kept our eye on the prize of reducing costs and providing the American people affordable health care options. Too often, people are too focused on solely on their own slice of the pie and narrow interests. In working on big pieces of legislation, we need to rise above that and focus on the big picture.

How has "30 Something" changed the way you interact with the public? What has the group taught you about the upcoming generation of politicians? Do your events help you come up with new ideas for legislation? The “30 Something” group is a great platform for reaching out to younger Americans. I co-chair the group with my good friend Tim Ryan (D-OH). In many ways, the group elevated Democratic messaging by leveraging the power of social media. We put our chats on YouTube, tweeted about the policies of the Bush Administration, and scheduled Special Order hours on the House floor late at night to talk about issues important to the Millennial Generation. We really succeeded on that front in reaching younger Americans on their own terms. If anything, the group has taught me that Generation Y is deeply concerned about issues affecting the future of our country and demands a high level of engagement from its elected officials. There’s been all this unfounded talk about voter apathy among young people. That hasn’t been my experience. The 2008 election should have put those arguments to rest once and for all. My staff and I are always brainstorming new ideas for legislation. Two years ago, at one of my Ways and Means Subcommittee hearings, I met a young man from Florida named Tyler Bacon who must have been only 21 or 22 years old at the time. Tyler had become an advocate for strengthening the support network for foster care youth. After talking with this young man, I came with the idea of introducing a bill to provide tax credits to individuals who provide housing and mentoring to foster care youth between 18 and 21 who have aged out of the system. Tyler is a little older now, but his passion for the cause hasn’t relented. He visits Washington, DC at least once a year and we always try to meet up whenever he’s in town.

What advice would you gave a young person looking to start their political careers? Rarely will anything ever land in your lap. You need to create opportunities for yourself by getting involved in your community at a grassroots level. Don’t think politics is all glitz and glamour. It’s not. It’s about assuming leadership where none exists.

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