Emanuel Cleaver, II is now serving his ninth term representing Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, the home district of President Harry Truman. He is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services; Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance; member of Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets; member of Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations; member of the House Committee on Homeland Security; member of the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations; and member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.
Having served for twelve years on the city council of Missouri's largest municipality, Kansas City, Cleaver was elected as the city's first African American Mayor in 1991.
Strong government oversight strengthens our political process and improves the function of our government. It is important that the citizens of our nation always hold our government responsible for its actions, whether they are positive or negative. My duty as your Congressman is to represent you, my constituents, and your concerns. I understand that Congress's current situation can be frustrating. While partisan politics can be detrimental in some cases, strong differences of opinion have made our nation great, cultivating and nurturing different viewpoints. It is only through a respectful exchange of these ideas that we can truly engender a thriving and strong democracy.
An ethical and accountable government is imperative to keeping our country great. Transparency and strong whistleblower protection are both important in a well-functioning government.