By Rick Manning
Senator Jeff Sessions is not as famous as Ted Cruz among limited government circles, but he is every bit as important.
This is not to minimize the work done by Senator Cruz, but rather to extol the efforts of Mr. Sessions.
It is Sessions, as the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, who provides in depth budget analysis in almost real time to people, like myself, who write on these issues. As with everything, an analyst needs to trust but verify data, but it is Sessions’ information that provides the greatest insight into the varying nuances of the budget.
In this regard, the Senator has taken an almost thankless job, being in the minority on a Committee that the Democrats have effectively shut down for the past five years, and turned it into an opportunity to educate the public about the fiscal crisis facing our nation.
Sessions is also a font of information about the immigration issue, breaking down barriers between the House and Senate to provide in-depth analysis on the Senate immigration bill to House members who are opposing it. This almost unprecedented step to break down the walls of information between the House and Senate and effectively providing the equivalent of staffing for his House allies is game changing.
A quiet, friendly man, Jeff Sessions seems almost out of place on Capitol Hill where personalities clash for coveted weekend talk show spots whether they have anything to say or not. Instead, Sessions and his staff, are workhorses. They quietly and competently provide good information, answer questions and effectively resource many in the limited government movement on a variety of issues.
And it is this willingness to allow others to shine in the spotlight, while just getting the job done, that makes the Alabama Senator so effective and respected.
Ronald Reagan once said, “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.”
Senator Jeff Sessions embodies this spirit. At a time when it is all too rare to find elected officials willing to allow their work make others look better, Sessions is a throwback to a time when getting the job done was more important than getting the glory.
America is a better place for his service. Thank you, Mr. Sessions, and keep up the great work for our nation.
The author is vice president of public policy and communications for Americans for Limited Government.
