Too many times in recent days we’ve seen our elected politicians fail us as they promise one thing, yet do another. Thankfully, however, N.C. Rep. Dan Bishop is not in that category.

He has stood strong for hard-working North Carolinians since arriving in Washington. Twice during December, Bishop showed wisdom and common sense when he voted against two bills proposed by the leftist agenda. The first was the “Dis” Respect for Marriage Act. Two weeks later, he voted against the $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill, produced with less than 48 hours to read before calling for the vote. Never mind that the bill was over 4,000 pages long. But as Pelosi famously said on a prior occasion, “You have to pass the bill to know what’s in the bill.” That makes about as much sense as buying a pig in a poke!

In May 2022, Bishop made us proud again when, as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, he questioned Aimee Arrambide, the executive director of a Texas abortion advocacy group. Little did he know at that time the video of this hearing would go viral, making him a nationally known name.

When he asked Ms. Arrambide, “What do you say a woman is?” she replied, “Everyone can identify for themselves.”

Bishop then zeroed in on the truth of the matter by asking her, “Do you believe, then, that men can become pregnant and have abortions?” to which the Democrat abortion witness answered “Yes.” No doubt  Bishop’s background and skills as an attorney were useful in making this witness look like the fool she is.

But just last week, Bishop again distinguished himself during the four days and 15 votes taken to elect the new Speaker of the House. He was one of 20 Republicans who refused to rubber stamp what is often a mere formality. Business as usual is no longer the norm for the new 118th Congress.

Bishop stated, “I came into a broken and dysfunctional Congress to change it. Advancing the long-standing pecking order one notch has no prospect of doing that. Many don’t want to change it. I will.”

And thus, he battled for concessions from nominee Kevin McCarthy until he achieved his goals.

I admit that having a family feud in public may not be pretty, but as one person said, “The squeeze was worth the juice.”

The new Congress is determined not to keep doing the same thing that’s always been done and thereby getting the same results. Change requires change. It is no secret that  McCarthy is not known for the conservative views he displayed during all his years as a California representative. He is on record as having voted for same-sex marriage, VAX mandates for the military, amnesty for DACAs, the draft for women, the use of Medicare to fund USPS, support for Liz Cheney and the J6 committee, and giving billions to Ukraine while many of our veterans are homeless and our Southern border is wide open. These positions don’t sit well with conservatives.

While the left were wringing their hands and Democrat Adam Schiff was crying that the “GOP House disarray will make the U.S. go through multiple crisis,” Bishop was battling for real progress for you and me. From backroom negotiations forced by these conservative, courageous Republicans, concessions were hammered out that benefit “We, the people.” Among others, these plans included getting a vote on a border security plan, an end to COVID mandates and funding, term limits, single-subject bills, a budget that won’t allow the debt ceiling to increase, and giving members at least 72 hours to read bills. Changes to the rules of procedure, taking power from the Speaker and giving it to committees were also put in writing. Bishop said, “With the rules agreement we negotiated, we will have a powerful church-style committee to go after the weaponization of the federal government — the FBI, DOJ, DHS, and all the rest. This is a victory for the Constitutional rights of all Americans.”

Yes, things are changing in D.C. and that’s good news for Americans. Why not call Bishop’s office and say “thank you” at (202) 225-1976. Tell him you appreciate his willingness to buck the system and take ridicule from the left. Even Congressmen need encouragement, especially those willing to go out on a limb to make needed changes.

Renee Scheidt lives in Salisbury.