A new Congress starts today and for Stephens County and northeast Georgia, that means a new Congressman.
Doug Collins will be sworn in to office today to represent the Ninth Congressional District in northeast Georgia as the 113th Congress gets underway.
The new 9th District was created by Congressional re-districting following the 2010 Census. It covers all or part of 20 counties in northeast Georgia, including Stephens County.
Collins won a three-way Republican primary, eventually defeating Martha Zoller in an August run-off, then defeated Democratic challenger Jody Cooley to win what was a vacant seat.
Last month, the Hall County Republican announced his committee assignments for the 113th Congress.
Collins said he will serve on the House Committees of Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight and Government Reform.
Meanwhile, in an announcement issued on Tuesday, Collins announced his support for House Resolution 6726, the Congressional Pay Freeze and Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The legislation is a response to an Executive Order signed by the President, which enacted a pay increase for members of Congress and other persons holding positions in the federal government.
The fiscal cliff agreement passed this week froze Congressional pay but did not address others holding positions in the federal government.