Amash casts himself in Paul's mold

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As Rep. Ron Paul prepares to leave Congress after 2012, there is a man waiting in the wings to carry on his constitutional crusade: Michigan freshman Rep. Justin Amash.

“[Paul] has been a big supporter of mine from the very beginning. I don’t think there’s anyone out there who has championed the Constitution, limited government, economic freedom and individual liberty to the extent that he has over the last few decades,” Amash said.


Paul, a Texas Republican who is retiring at the end of the current Congress, told POLITICO: “He impresses me by showing he truly understands what individual liberty is all about, and he is working hard to protect those liberties that I consider so important.”

The two congressmen share not only mutual admiration but also the same line of ideological purity. Both flaunt a feverish desire to “end the Fed,” devote themselves to constitutionally limited government and preach caution about military action abroad.

By standing with Paul, Amash has found a legacy to continue but has also consigned himself to a sort of lonely wilderness. With an unconventional approach to politics, Amash has chosen personal preferences over fealty to the Capitol Hill “community” — alienating and isolating him from House leadership, his state’s delegation and special interest groups.

Even at home in his district, the 31-year-old Amash went unnoticed in a downtown Grand Rapids coffee shop during an interview with POLITICO.

For Amash, against principle comes pressure — to toe the party line, to give lobbyists an audience and to be a “team player” on tough votes.

As a congressman and earlier as a state representative, he made a name for himself as a contrarian who bucks party leadership based on inviolable personal beliefs. Because of this, libertarians, usually concerned more with philosophy and policy than with politics, have taken notice.

“Whenever people from the libertarian point of view talk about who out there is worth a flying fig, he’s on the shortlist of people who actually hold elected office who comes up,” said Matt Welch, editor of the libertarian Reason magazine.

Amash prides himself on actually reading every bill before he votes and then explaining each of his votes on Facebook — referring back frequently to the Constitution as the basis for his position.

“I like most of his ideas because I’ve heard them before, you know, the same things Ron talks about,” said David Paul, Ron Paul’s brother, who used to work as an assistant pastor in Amash’s district and played a role in introducing the two.

Ron Paul, who is running for president, dismissed notions that he could name an heir but made it clear how much he liked Amash.

“It’s not for me to say who will follow in my footsteps,” he said. “I think it’s presumptuous for me to pick and choose, and make those decisions. I think [Amash] is doing an extremely good job at what he’s doing, and I know he’s going to do very well.”

Likewise, Amash said that while he is flattered by the comparison with Paul, he could never fully fill the void that will be left by the congressman.

“I don’t think anyone can completely replace Ron Paul in terms of his messaging and impact. He’s been doing it for many years, and I’m just starting,” Amash said. “I am flattered [by the comparison] … there are some differences in our style, so it’s not a perfect analogy.”

But one high-ranking staffer in the Michigan delegation said Amash takes a different tack in private. “He wants to be the next Ron Paul, that’s what he’s told people,” said the official, who has heard it firsthand and sees it as a negative for Amash.

Indeed, the mantle of Paul and the image that he carries can lead to problems.

Amash’s pedantic preference of voting “no” or “present” when he finds even a minor flaw in legislation has led to some controversial optics. As a state legislator, he opposed a bill tightening laws against human trafficking; as a congressman, he voted against affirming the motto, “In God We Trust.”

His “present” votes on defunding NPR and Planned Parenthood, both because they singled out specific entities, which Amash views as unconstitutional, have also put him at odds with Republican leadership and conservative colleagues. Amash also voted against the debt ceiling increase this August, a key test of whether one was willing to bend to leadership’s will.

“The biggest similarity between [Ron Paul and me] is that we are two people who will vote our conscience. We are not there to please the system, please the establishment,” Amash told POLITICO.

Of course, the establishment has some serious problems with this — and that could threaten Amash’s political future.

Republicans who dislike Amash said that Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor are disgruntled about his “holier-than-thou” approach, and colleagues have frequently accused Amash of grandstanding.

“Most members in the [Michigan] delegation realize that when you’re in the majority, sometimes you have to take votes that stink to move the agenda forward. He’s not a team player,” said a high-ranking official in the Michigan delegation.

Rep. Candice Miller, who oversees the whip operation for the delegation, is said to have given up counting on Amash as a reliable vote. “That’s not the first time I’ve heard that,” she remarked once, when told that Amash would be a “no” on yet another vote, according to a staffer who was present.

Nor have advocacy organizations found a reliable partner in Amash’s office.

One of the founding families of Amway, a large corporation based in Amash’s district, played a major role in Amash’s congressional bid. So when an Amash fundraiser called up Amway’s primary lobbyist in Washington, it seemed like an easy pitch. But when the Amway lobbyist asked for some face time with Amash before committing to any support, the fundraiser replied that Amash was too busy to see him. The lobbyist was appalled.

Further, members of AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby, doubt Amash’s commitment to Israel’s security and point specifically to a no vote on a pedestrian pro-Israel resolution. Based on Amash’s professed support for the policies advanced by the resolution, they believed he would be a yes – or at worst, vote present — but he stunned AIPAC leadership by voting no. Amash, along with Paul, was one of only six votes against the bill, which passed with 407 members in support.

“I felt that the tone was very one-sided, and didn’t believe that it was constructive, given that the tone was very strongly against the Palestinians,” said Amash, whose Palestinian father immigrated to the United States in 1956. Asked if the existence of Israel was a national security priority, he said, “I think they’re certainly helpful” and said he was for a two-state solution.

Though his national profile is growing, he faces threats from his own district. Some local Republicans are looking around for a candidate that could challenge Amash in time for this cycle’s primary.

In the end, Amash has taken a risk based on his insistence on principle, trading the consequences of alienating congressional leaders and interest groups for a shining record of ideological purity.

Sound familiar? Justin Amash might just be the next Ron Paul — if he survives long enough.