Republican Congressman Jackie Walorski and two of her associates have died in a traffic accident in Indiana. She felt committed to her constituency throughout her life.
Politician Jackie Walorski at a hearing in October 2020.
Jackie Walorski was out and about in her home country, the American state of Indiana, on Wednesday. Also in the 58-year-old’s car were her head of communications, Emma Thomson, and one of her district directors, Zach Potts. According to the police, a woman lost control of her car on the opposite lane and hit Walorski’s car head-on. Everyone involved died in the accident.
“I’m shocked. Jackie was a close friend and confidant,” House Minority Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Twitter. Her integrity and dedication have earned her the respect of her colleagues in Congress.
This news is absolutely devastating. Jackie was a dear friend, trusted advisor, and the embodiment of integrity who achieved the admiration and respect of all her colleagues in the house.
She always put others first.
My full statement: pic.twitter.com/gJr13QuBHF
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) August 3, 2022
“She passionately brought her constituents’ voices to Congress and was admired by peers on both sides for her kindness,” said Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House.
Always on duty for the homeland
In her press texts she called herself a “lifelong Hoosier”, a proper designation for the inhabitants of Indiana. Born in 1963 to a firefighter’s daughter, Jackie Walorski grew up in the town of South Bend. In the 1980s she worked as a journalist and television reporter. During this time she became a member of the Republican Party.
In 2000, Walorski moved to Romania with her husband for four years. As a Christian missionary, she founded the Impact International Foundation with the aim of providing children in poverty with food and medical supplies.
Her career as a politician began when she returned to the United States: in 2004 she was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives. In 2012 she finally entered the US Congress, benefiting from the re-constituency redrawing in favor of the Republicans.
Mostly on party line
According to Walorski, supporting small businesses and producers in Indiana was at the center of his policies. In 2018, she spoke out against the new import tariffs introduced by then-President Donald Trump. They are a danger to American companies and workers. In 2021 she was appointed to the House Ethics Committee.
The 56-year-old also campaigned for restrictive abortion laws, strict immigration controls and relaxed gun laws. She and the Democrats clashed again and again. True to the party line, Walorski voted against a second impeachment trial against Trump and, like most Republican congressmen, did not recognize Joe Biden’s election victory.
Biden said in a press release that he and Walorski represented different camps and had different opinions on many issues, nevertheless, the politician was valued across party lines for her work and throughout her life she served her constituency to the best of her conscience. He had the flags on the White House flown at half-staff.