CRESCENT People: Congressman Jeff Duncan on “Wow” Moments, the Fab Four’s Political Rockstar Status, and Looking Out for Each Other
You’ve been in DC for a year now. What’s the coolest thing you’ve done? Here you are, coming from South Carolina as a freshman, and I know that when you were first elected to the South Carolina House, you had the moment of, “This is really neat.” What’s the one thing that you’ve done so far that gave you that “wow” moment?
There have been a couple of things. To be there Day One when we were sworn in and see the gavel taken out of Nancy Pelosi’s hand. We elected a new Speaker that day, and to be a part of that, to realize that I was a part of history being made, that was a “wow” moment. Coming in an eighty-seven member freshman class that actually gave the leadership that power.
And the second thing… I had the opportunity to go down to the jungle areas of the Philippines, to Mindanao, a Muslim area, to meet with Special Forces, the SEALs and Rangers, Delta Force, guys who are working with the Filipinos to fight terror down there. You don’t hear about what’s going on with the Abu Sa’id terrorist faction down in the Philippines. To go down in the jungles there, to meet them, to support those guys and say, “Look, I know this isn’t one of the things that is on the news every night. That you guys probably most American don’t know what you’re doing.” But to meet with those guys and then to go out when we left the jungles and get on a Zodiac, a rubber SEAL raft, and ride out in the river and ride right up on the back of a PT boat that’s waiting on us out in the river and that Zodiac actually pulls right up on the back of that boat. And to hop out and it’s got 50 calibers up on the boat. It’s a PT boat and you go in there and ride back through the waters between the islands there to get back to Zamboanga and talking with the guys on the boat and say, “Why are you here? Why’d you sign up for the Navy? Why are you doing this?” And one of the guys looked us and he said, “On September 12, 2001, a buddy and I were so upset that American was attached on 9/11 that we went down and signed up. We wanted to never let this happen again.” And this guy’s on a boat in the jungle in a river with body armor on and it’s hot and sweaty and meeting a Congressman and saying, “I never wanted that to happen again to America and my friend and I went and signed up the day after 9/11. We joined the United States Navy and we’re down here now fighting one faction of the terrorists.” That’s a “wow” moment.
That’s sacrifice. That’s love for your country. That’s patriotic pride. That’s anger. That’s, I’d say, desire. It’s a conviction to not sit back and criticize. Not sit back and say, “We ought to be doing this.” To pick up arms, sign up and serve our country and go wherever your nation sends you to fight the threat to our liberty. That touched me and made me realize that I’m serving, but I’m not serving in that capacity.
I don’t have to pick up arms, but I need to support those guys because they’re doing it. I need to make sure our military has everything they need, and one thing our delegation’s been strong on, we want to make sure our military is not used as a pawn in this debate of raising the debt ceiling or spending money or creating a budget that they’re not going to use the military to hold over our head. They’ve used the military and I’m going to continue to fight them on…I say them…leadership and others, to fight them on their ability use the military as a pawn in this bigger game of chess with regard to spending and debt and deficits because I remember that gentleman. I remember that sailor on that PT boat in the Philippines who said he want to pick up arms to defect my liberty.
People don’t understand the sacrifice elected officials make by serving. How has your family dealt with you being away? And how have you dealt with it yourself?
That’s probably the toughest part of this job, is being away so much. I’ve got three boys. Their ages are 11, 13, and 16. They need Dad, and honestly, Dad needs them. It comes down to quality time when you are at home. Throwing a football yesterday afternoon with two of the boys in the back yard. Helping my son with his homework last night. Just spending quality time trying to maximize when I am at home that I am at home with them and I’m not…this job will keep you as busy as you will let it.
The staff will schedule you for people who want to see you in the district as much as you will let them. So we try to balance that. We try to be very good at constituent service and understand the district but also balancing that with the family time that’s so important. And I just ask that CRESCENT’s readers understand that all the congressmen are dealing with the same issues. Balancing family time with work time. And they’re gone a lot. If they would just be a little sympathetic with that. That’s the only appeal I have to them.
South Carolina congressional freshman class is portrayed pretty much as rock stars. How does that make you feel because, politicians don’t usually get the best shake, the best reputation? When you talk among yourselves, what do you think about that?
We’re not doing this for any notoriety. We’re doing this…I think we’re a good reflection of our state and the people who sent us to Washington. We’ve voted as a reflection of those we represent. I won’t say we’re rock stars with everybody. We’re vilified by some as well. I will say that leadership and others in Washington know that the South Carolina delegation is very principled, that we understand the reason we came to Washington. We understand the changes that happened in November of 2010, and we’re living that. We’re voting that conviction. I can’t say that about everybody that came to Washington, that they’ve stuck to those convictions and those principles, but I will say that about the South Carolina delegation. We can do that because we support each other.
When you know, you turn around, you’ve got four or five other guys standing behind you, standing with you, giving you that strength, it makes it a lot easier. When it’s an issue Mick or Trey or somebody’s got and he knows we’re standing right there with him, then it makes it a lot easier. So there is strength in numbers and our delegation is very unified and supporting each other.
We’ve gone into each other’s districts and talked about supporting votes and we haven’t always voted alike, but we’ve been willing to go and defend the other guys vote. If I voted differently from Tim or Trey on an issue…Mick and I probably voted alike on most issues…I think we all have. We have been willing to go into the other district and defend their vote, not to defend our vote. Not to say, “He was wrong, I voted differently.” No, to defend their vote because we get their position.
GE’s second engine for the new fighter airplane. Part of us voted against it because we believe the United States is spending too much money and we’ve got to make cuts and do we need this second engine? Well, GE is a constituent of Trey’s and he voted for it because it is a job creator and supports his district and the people who are working in his district. I get that. And also there is an argument about that engine that he can make as well, the need to make sure that we’ve got a backup engine, but from a fiscal standpoint, he can support my position – that America’s broke. We’re $15 trillion in debt, we’re spending $1.5 trillion than we’re bringing in as a nation. That’s got to stop somewhere. So he could defend my vote and I could defend his vote and we’re willing to do that. That’s the kind of delegation we’ve got.
Now you’re going to share a county, too.
We’re going to share a county, and I’m going to end up with the GE plant in my district. Most likely, I think the line comes down right there at it, right there near Donaldson Center (SCTAC). I guess, what I’m saying is that we’re willing to support each other. We do support each other. We’ve got a great delegation. I’m proud of those guys. I’m proud to serve with them. I’m proud to be in the trenches with them and I couldn’t ask for a better delegation to serve with.
