Living abroad during 9/11, Congresswoman Jackie Walorski returned to Indiana to begin a career in politics.

Like many Americans, Indiana Congresswoman Jackie Walorski remembers exactly where she was on 9/11. She was living in Romania, wrapping up her day as a missionary at a local children’s burn unit. She and her husband, Dean Swihart, had been there less than a year. The daughter of an Air Force veteran and firefighter, Rep. Walorski grew up knowing the importance of serving one’s community, but 9/11 brought that lesson into clear focus.

“Watching my country under attack from afar changed my worldview forever,” said the member of William Tuffs DAR Chapter, Elkhart, Ind. 

When Rep. Walorski returned to the United States in 2004, a longtime state representative who was retiring suggested she run for his seat. At the time, she was preoccupied with the failing health of her father, and she brushed off the idea. But his persistence won out. 

“Our state was in great need,” she said. “Post 9/11, Indiana needed help quickly, and I wanted to be a part of the team that turned things around.”

Rep. Walorski was elected in 2004 and served three terms in the Indiana Statehouse, championing issues such as tax reform and economic growth. By 2009, “I felt like I had done what I promised my constituents,” she said. “I was in a very safe seat, and I felt like I wasn’t created just to stay in a safe seat.”

So she set her sights on Washington, D.C. After narrowly losing a congressional race in 2010, she was elected in 2012 to represent Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She currently serves on the Committee on Ways and Means. Previously, she served on the Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs committees.

“I’ve always been grateful for our liberty and freedom and the men and women who fight to protect it,” she said. “I entered this office ready to fight and undo a lot of injustices levied against our veterans. When they return home, they shouldn’t fall into a crack in the system. We’ve taken some good steps forward, but we have a long way to go.”

When Congress is in session, Rep. Walorski commutes every week from Indiana to Washington. She leaves Monday morning and returns home Friday night, sometimes working 14-hour days. Most of those hours are filled with meetings—with constituents and special interest groups—as well as House committee work and floor votes. When she’s out of session, she’s crisscrossing her district (which takes two hours by car to get from one end to the other) for town hall meetings, corporate tours, speaking engagements, ceremonies and dedications. 

“In a single day, I might meet with groups of farmers, factory workers, middle-school students and veterans,” she said. “I can’t do what I do without my staff. We are a lean machine, but I am very fortunate because they are so efficient and committed to the work we do.”

What drew her to politics also drew her to the DAR, which she joined at the urging of her mother. “She worked really hard to join and became very active in our chapter,” Rep. Walorski said. “I wanted to be a part of that, because what we do as Daughters matters. We need to continue to educate future generations on how America was founded, what it means to be American, the significant role women played in that, and how it all weaves into the fabric of this country.” 

When Rep. Walorski isn’t working, she’s spending time with her husband, Dean, a high-school teacher and professional saxophone player. Rep. Walorski has occasionally helped as his “roadie” when he’s touring. And when they lived in Romania, Dean taught the congresswoman how to play guitar.  

“I love to play, but not for anyone but him,” she said. 

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