", "Here are the 35 House Republicans who voted for the January 6 commission", "These are the 9 House Republicans who voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress", "House votes to repeal 2002 Iraq War authorization", "House passes bill to streamline visa process for Afghans who helped US", "House votes to evacuate more Afghan allies as US war ends", "House passes sweeping defense policy bill", "H.R. All rights reserved. [44], In June 2021, Meijer was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. Meijer, whose family founded the Meijer retail chain, has assets of at least $60 million, according to a personal financial disclosure form covering the period of January 2019 through April. "Peter Meijer ran on the fact that he's a veteran.Lots of patriots voted for him. Democratic ads often mentioned Meijer's $50 million trust fund, suggesting he couldn't understand the everyday struggles of middle-class families. I think that it is a political imperative and a moral imperative as well", he said. These investments come to light in the midst of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has prompted the US government to hit Russia with heavy sanctions and triggered boycotts of Russian products and culture, from vodka to soccer. This is a serious violation, so it looks like the donor acted quickly after getting caught, Fischer said. Thats a lot of money for those of us who dont have fifty-million-dollar trust funds. $11M of that was spent on campaigns against Biden.. At the same time, I've seen Democrats perpetuate falsehoods and exaggerate, and also miss the boat on the need to not be kind of playing with fire here. #MI03", "Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020", "House Rating Changes: 12 Races on the Move, Almost All Towards Democrats", "2020 Michigan Election Results Official", "Our Campaigns MI District 5 Race Nov 02, 1982", "Our Campaigns MI District 03 Race Nov 06, 2018", "Presidential election results by congressional district", "House Dems try to sink pro-impeachment Republican in primary", "Peter Meijer, Who Voted to Impeach Trump, Loses to Trump-Backed John Gibbs in Michigan GOP House Primary", "Defeated Rep. Peter Meijer doesn't plan to endorse Republican John Gibbs for Congress", "Democrat Scholten Wins Michigan House Race, Beating Trump-Backed Gibbs", "Congressman-elect Peter Meijer hopes to bring bipartisan spirit from MI-3 to Washington, D.C.", "Congressman Meijer says Republicans should take responsibility for 'lies' about election fraud after Capitol attack", "Live House Vote: The Second Impeachment of Donald J. Trump", "Peter Meijer, Republican who voted for impeachment, says he's buying body armor due to threats", "17 House GOP Freshmen Write To Biden About Working Together", "Two congressmen traveled to Afghanistan amid frantic evacuation efforts", "Seth Moulton and another lawmaker flew to Kabul amid the chaotic evacuation, stunning US officials there", "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden? Turkish cryptocurrency platform founder vanishes - DW - 04/22/2021 If you're not coming in with that approach, I think you're ultimately not going to be able to get the support that you need and build the trust that you need in order to make a lasting, long term positive impact. CNBC on Monday reported that Lukoil's president, Vagit Alekperov, is sailing his yacht from Spain to Montenegro as the United States and its allies mull sanctions on the property of Russian oligarchs with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Paid for by DCCC. [49][50], Meijer voted for H.R. But Peter Meijer is well aware that his vote to impeach Trump could shorten his time on Capitol Hill. The Grand Rapids area seat was held by Peter Meijer, the freshman Republican who defeated. PGIM - Wikipedia Peters father, Hank, and his uncle, Doug, the reclusive brothers who Forbes estimates are worth a combined $10.2 billion, took over the business from their father, Fred, in 1990. Statement from DCCC Spokesperson Courtney Rice: Peter Meijer just doesnt get it, and that makes sense when you remember he has a $50 million trust fund to fall back on. Similarly, Peter Meijer has stayed away from the family businessthough he has said that he stocked shelves at Meijer supermarkets as a teen. (Federal election disclosures report assets in ranges, with the highest being $50 million or more, meaning Meijers stake in the family trust could be worth considerably more.). Meijer and Gabriella have been married four years, his spokesman said. What is your assessment of that experience so far? He said he's optimistic about getting things done on Capitol Hill, despite a potentially divided government. I also really appreciate the opportunity to talk with individuals who, in good faith, have arrived at different conclusions, and be able to either defend how I arrived at my position or to gain a perspective, or getting information that maybe I didn't have. Democratic Rep. Jason Crow claimed that more Republicans would have voted to impeach the president but they were paralyzed with fear.. What we saw on Wednesday is that the President is unfit for office, Meijer said on national television on January 11. My goal is to make our government work. [36][4] The next day, Meijer stated in an interview with MSNBC that he had purchased body armor and made changes to his daily schedule due to threats against his life in reaction to his vote for impeachment. I think nothing could be further from core conservative principles. Ad Highlights Meijers Promise to Repeal the Affordable Care Act, Today, the DCCC released its first TV ad in Michigans 3rd Congressional District, Struggling, as part of a more than half a million dollar reservation in the Grand Rapids market in the weeks leading up to the election. "[5] In his primary campaign, Meijer received funding from several wealthy Michigan-based business families and outraised the other Republican candidates. "Prior to taking office, Josh turned over management of his portfolio to a third party and only receives statements of prior transactions," Gottheimer spokesperson Chris D'Aloia said. Even though many conservatives in the 3rd district had suspicions he was a moderate, they bit their lip and supported him, trusting . GRAND RAPIDS, MI Attorney Hillary Scholten, a Democrat running to replace U.S. Rep. Justin Amash in Congress, is calling on Republican candidate Peter Meijer to pledge to divest from all . I think trying to shirk responsibility is a fundamentally un-conservative position. Any regrets? And then very quickly did some polling and said, "Well, this is the easiest path.". In order to do that, you actually have to win. Have there be solid recommendations so we can improve security at the Capitol complex, that we could make sure that the violence that occurred on January 6 never happens again. An LLC like this is a legitimate tool to use to make a donation. Meijer voted Tuesday in Grand Rapids with his wife, Gabriella, and in-laws, who are new citizens and were voting in their first presidential election after immigrating from Brazil. You have to be in a position of power. That also requires being realistic about the political moment, rather than just nodding in agreement to whatever the crowd wants to hear. Meijer was deployed to Baghdad in 2010 for a little over a year as an intelligence advisor for the U.S. Army. Ep. When you speak with voters in your district, what do you tell them sets you apart from John Gibbs? Meijer didn't envision facing such a momentous decision when he ran for Congress, but he ultimately joined with nine other House Republicans and all House Democrats to vote to impeach then-President Donald Trump. [5][11] At Columbia, he was an advocate for reinstating the Reserve Officers' Training Corps on campus. [29] His primary opponent was John Gibbs, a former Trump administration official. Peter Meijer's not a RINO but might help remake the GOP I think that runs entirely contrary to any notion of leadership. The structure harkens back towhen another military veteran, Gerald Ford, first ran for Congress in 1948 to representthe Grand Rapids area. 2023 www.detroitnews.com. GRAND RAPIDS, MI U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the House of Representatives, is backing Peter Meijer in the Republican primary for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District. The family currently has no investments in these funds," Lee spokesperson Zoe Sheppard said. But Peter Meijer has a fifty-million-dollar trust fund and doesnt care about us. Peter Meijer wants voters to see him for his service . In both instances, the facts alleged involved a limited liability companymaking a six-figure donation to a super PAC just weeks after being created, he said. I'm more than happy to talk about the good. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. [59] The bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and protect the free exercise of religion. [43], On October 21, 2021, Meijer was one of nine House Republicans to vote to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress. The evidence indicates that this LLC was used to unlawfully keep voters in the dark about the true source of a $150,000 super PAC contribution, said Brendan Fischer, senior director of federal reform at the Campaign Legal Center. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Meijer also admitted that some on Capitol Hill have even purchased body armor, which is considered a reimbursable expense for members of Congress. Meijers choice to pursue a political career hasnt cost him a stake in the family fortune. The address that Montcalm used for the donation is the same Grand Rapids address for the Meijer Family Foundation at 80 Ottawa Ave., Suite 101. No law prevents members of Congress from trading stocks or financial funds listed on public exchanges, Russian or otherwise. Not only that, but also, nothing that ultimately is going to get passed into law. It's been frustrating how a lot ofnot a single American saw what happened in Uvalde and wasn't utterly heartbroken. OK. But building personal relationships, I think, is a way of trying to diffuse some tensions and find areas of common ground that maybe you hadn't anticipated. At the same time, if the Republican Party is going to be the party of limited government, of law and order, of local control, we can't only believe in that when it benefits us politically. You've been talking about the need for bipartisanship and the polarization. "[39], On August 24, 2021, Meijer and Representative Seth Moulton flew unannounced into Hamid Karzai International Airport during the 2021 Taliban offensive amid the evacuation of Americans and allies. Meijer said he spoke to Scholten, an immigration lawyer,Wednesday night and that he congratulated her on running a "strong andspirited" campaign. Not a lot of politicians get to vote on impeaching a sitting U.S. president in their first week of office. More than a name: Peter Meijer faces Hillary Scholten in competitive Those are things that we can at least make progress on in a bipartisan way. I think it was a worthwhile effort. But also, I think, frankly, view it as their responsibility as I do mine to not just throw up your hands and say, "There's nothing we can do." Another area where there's talk in the Senate of potential bipartisan agreement is on guns in the wake of these mass shootings. Do you think that this is an issue where Democrats and Republicans can find any common ground? However, he also is skeptical that the House select committee investigating the violence of that day will be successful at changing many voters' views of what occurred. Meijer's loss was made. [67][68][69], In 2022, Meijer was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior. Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they violently attack the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Representative Peter Meijer attends the 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals on March 12, 2022, in Austin, Texas.