By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
In consideration of constituents who elected him, and were not able to be at his swearing in, or who may have traveled to the inauguration, only to have it moved indoors, U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-3rd District, invited people to the U.S. District Court house on Monday, Jan. 27, to attend a ceremonial swearing into office.
The Hon. Gordon Gallagher presided over the ceremony, where there was a standing-room only crowd.
“We are here today for the ceremonial swearing in of Congressman Jeff Hurd. I say ceremonial because the 119th Congress was officially sworn in several weeks ago in Washington, D.C., and he is already hard at work,” Gallagher said.
Judge Gallagher had obviously given a great deal of thought to his ceremonial speech, as he focused on the responsibility and sacrifice that Hurd, and any other elected official experiences when they are elected to serve.
“In his new role, Jeff will wear many hats and have many titles, congressman, lawmaker, legislator and the one that is my favorite, representative,” he said. “I think that title is most apt because it encapsulates the responsibility that Rep. Hurd has accepted as the 16th individual to represent this district since the district was formed in 1915,”opined Gallagher.
As the elected congressman, Hurd has taken on the responsibility for looking out for what is best for the people in the district and representing nearly 750,000 individuals interests to the federal government and the U.S. Congress, Gallagher added.
“That sacred responsibility is never an easy task, but it is made more difficult by the geography and the makeup of the 3rd Congressional District,” he said.
Gallagher described the district and its vast geographic distances. He noted that the district not only encompasses the Western Slope, but also to the south, where Colorado borders New Mexico and Oklahoma to the east and to the farthest northwest corner, where Colorado touches Wyoming and Utah.
Gallagher also noted the very different and distinct characteristics of the communities in the 3rd District.
“Most (districts) don’t have the diverse communities, significant geographic, economic and cultural differences that exist in this district,” he said, pointing out that Pueblo, Grand Junction, Aspen, Dinosaur, La Junta and Antonito, in addition to two tribal nations, the Ute Mountain Ute and the Southern Ute are all people in his district that he has sworn to represent.
Citing Hurd’s career and his service to the community, he pointed out some specifics that he thought made Hurd an excellent choice for the district. Reciting a quick biography, he said Hurd was born and went to high school in Grand Junction, then attended Notre Dame for college, graduated law school at Denver University and then clerked for Judge Tymkovich at the 10th Circuit. As if that wasn’t enough, Gallagher said, “Then Jeff pursued an LLM (master’s of law) ‘kind of like an extra law school for super students’ at Cornell University.”
Spotlighting Hurd’s service to his community, Gallagher said that Hurd has served our local electric cooperatives pushing back against federal overreaching regulation, serving as a leader in the local bar association, and our chamber of commerce.
“I think his career pivot is so crucial because it often seems we relinquish our best and brightest to the big cities and big jobs and big paychecks of our largest urban areas. It takes a special commitment to a Western Colorado way of life to choose to come back here, plant a flag, and say my family and I are here to stay and we want to serve this community and make it even better. Jeff exemplifies this commitment,” Gallagher said, with obvious pride.
Gallagher spoke for a moment about what being an elected official in such a vast district means when it comes to service and sacrifice.
“By choosing to run for office, as a result of being elected by the citizens of the district to represent us all, and by accepting the mantle of that responsibility, and swearing the oath of office, Congressman Hurd, and by extension, his family, have chosen a life of service and sacrifice. It will no doubt be an exciting life of involvement in fascinating events, meetings with interesting individuals, and contemplation of the most important issues of our time; but it will also be a significant sacrifice for Jeff, Barbora, and their five children, with him likely traveling half of his time or more, and incredibly busy representing each of us. So, while congratulations are in order, so too are the thanks and appreciation for accepting this great responsibility,” said Gallagher.
Gallagher then issued the oath in ceremonial capacity only.
After the ceremony, Hurd took the opportunity to speak to attendees. He talked about his first days at the capitol and some of the things that impacted him the most as he assumed his new role for 3rd District residents. With perfect pitch and self-deprecating humor; he spoke about a pin that is given to all congressional members. Then he told a story of how he looked at the back of that pin, and found the number 401.
“I later found out that the number is given in order of seniority. Of the 435 members of congress, I rank at 401, although recently two members have taken roles in the Trump Administration, so I have moved up into the high three hundreds now. I’m moving right up,” he said, with humor.
He also said he was very proud to have been placed on the House Natural Resources Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and The Science and Space Committee — a non-Department of Defense committee that works with NASA and other non DoD space programs.
In addition to those main committees, he also has been appointed to the subcommittee on Energy and Minerals, Indian and Insular Affairs, Aviation, Roads and Bridges, and Water infrastructure subcommittees.
To finalize his speech to attendees, he quoted a plaque that hangs in the House chamber written by a congressman from Massachusetts.
“Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, call up all its great interests, and see whether we also in our day and generation may not perform something worthy to be remembered,” reads the quote from Daniel Webster.
“Reading that quote struck me and is an inspiration to me. I will carry that with me, “ Hurd said.