Announces committee membership to ‘Oversee Indians’
By La Cucaracha
On Saturday, Feb. 1, House Representative Jeff Hurd held a duplicate “swearing-in” ceremony in Pueblo where he spoke to some of his constituents as well as some local politicians.
Republican Jeff Hurd was elected to represent Colorado’s third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, taking Lauren Boebert’s seat. He was actually sworn into his office on Jan. 3, along with the rest of the incoming House members. This event, which was held at the Sangre de Cristo Center at 9 a.m., was a purely ceremonial affair.
The event opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, which some of those in attendance ended with “amen.” This was followed by a short introduction given by a district judge, who then called Rep. Hurd to recite his oath of office. He did so with his hand upon a Bible, and was received with much applause.
After reciting this oath, Rep. Hurd made a short speech to those assembled. He began by thanking Pueblo County Commissioner Paula McPheeters, whom he called his close friend, for attending, and followed by thanking all other local officials in attendance, who he declined to name.
Following this, he spoke about his time thus far in Congress, and warned that, “Just ’cause you see it on television doesn’t mean it shows accurately what’s happening. Remember that if you hear good things or bad things about me, there might be a little more to the story.”
He went on to describe the key goals of his term. “I want to do things that matter to the people I serve,” he said. “Things that make your lives better, make life better for your families, your children, and your grandchildren.”
He closed his statements by listing the committees and subcommittees he has been elected to. Representative Hurd is a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, the House Subcommittee on Energy and Minerals, the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs.
“I oversee the Indians in the United States,” said Rep. Hurd, presumably referring to Indigenous people, “and the island territories. Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands.”
Hurd went on to remind those assembled that his constituency (Colorado’s Third Congressional District) contains Colorado’s only two Reservations, neither of which he named.
Overall, Hurd’s choice to reenact his swearing-in ceremony almost a month after he was actually sworn in may confuse some of his constituents. Furthermore, his choice of words in regards to the Indigenous people of Colorado may strike some as outdated, though “Indian” is still the terminology used in most federal capacities.
