August 13, 2012 (Washington, DC) – On Saturday, Presidential candidate Mitt Romney chose former co-chair and current Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) member Representative Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate for President of the United States. Romney’s decision to name Representative Ryan as the vice presidential candidate comes as a noteworthy occurrence for the American sportsman.
From 2007 to 2011, Representative Ryan served as co-chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, one of the largest bi-partisan caucuses in the US Congress with over 300 members representing almost all 50 states. Representative Ryan worked with fellow democratic co-chairs on a number of bi-partisan sportsmen’s issues during his two-term tenure as co-chair of the CSC. In the 110th Congress, Representative Ryan worked with his Wisconsin House colleague Representative Ron Kind as he did with co-chair Representative Dan Boren of Oklahoma during the 111th Congress.
Representative Boren showed his admiration for Representative Ryan from the other side of the aisle and gave praise to his CSC colleague’s announced candidacy, “Paul has a firm moral compass and has always approached his job as a congressman with diligence and honesty. Having many friends on both sides of the aisle, he is an effective and talented leader. Although we belong in different political parties, I see Paul as a friend, a fellow hunter, and most importantly, a family man.”
A self-described sportsman and an avid archery hunter, Representative Ryan understands the importance of bi-partisanship as a means of protecting and pursuing issues significant to the sportsmen’s heritage. During his time as CSC co-chair, Representative Ryan supported legislation that achieved many victories for hunting, trapping, and recreational shooting and angling, along with other conservation and fish and wildlife habitat initiatives.
Upon his introduction as CSC co-chair for the 111th Congress, Representative Ryan showed his appreciation during a Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation breakfast briefing welcoming CSC members to Washington, “It is great to see the leaders in this room who have done so much to preserve and protect hunting and fishing rights and habitat. It is an honor to be a part of the largest bi-partisan caucus of any kind in Congress. I’m excited about co-chairing this caucus and working in a bipartisan way on issues that impact my fellow hunters, fishers, and all who enjoy the outdoors,” said Ryan.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
