A Whirlwind Orientation

Rep.-elect Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican from Pennsylvania, describes the experience of entering office as a “whirlwind.” As he prepares to take on his duties in the U.S. House of Representatives, Mackenzie reflects on the swift pace at which new lawmakers must acclimate to their roles, particularly with 57 fresh faces joining Congress this cycle.

Having successfully ousted Democratic incumbent Rep. Susan Wild, Mackenzie is keenly aware of the steep learning curve ahead. He recently spoke with Fox News Digital, emphasizing that his previous experience in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has been instrumental in navigating these early days.

Essential Training for New Lawmakers

New members of Congress arrive in Washington shortly after their election wins for a series of orientation activities. For Mackenzie, this experience underscores the reality of their new roles. “It’s just like it’s any other job,” he remarked, highlighting the comprehensive nature of their training.

The orientation includes crucial sessions on ethics, human resources, and cybersecurity. According to Mackenzie, these trainings are vital for safeguarding personal and constituent information, which he describes as “critical and sensitive.”

Building Congressional Offices from Scratch

Mackenzie explained that part of the challenge for new lawmakers is quickly becoming familiar with pending legislation while simultaneously establishing their congressional offices. “Some people have called it that you’re building a small business when you’re running a congressional staff and office networked across your district and in Washington, D.C., but you’re building that in a very short period of time,” he noted.

Republican Strategy for the New Congress

Looking ahead, Mackenzie provided insights into the Republican strategy as they prepare to take control of Congress in January. He believes the party will perform more effectively than during the initial months of the Trump administration, having gained lessons from past experiences.

As Republican lawmakers engaged in discussions with congressional leadership and President-elect Trump, Mackenzie indicated that the party’s priorities are already clear. “With the House, the Senate, and the White House all lined up, we have a great opportunity, but it’s still incredibly difficult to get things done,” he warned.

Key Issues on the Agenda

Mackenzie identified the major issues that Republicans need to address, particularly the rising cost of living and illegal immigration. “Lawmakers have to come to an agreement on the specific solutions to the campaign issues they ran on,” he stated. As various polls have shown, lowering costs remains the top priority for voters, closely followed by concerns surrounding immigration.

“Handling the issues of cost of living and illegal immigration go hand-in-hand in a lot of ways,” he argued, elaborating that mass illegal immigration exacerbates housing and healthcare costs. “We need to make sure we’re addressing these things in tandem,” Mackenzie urged. “It’s about how we can best get both of these things actually across the goal line and through a House, a Senate, and signed into law by the president.”

Prepared for Action

Mackenzie expressed optimism about the coming months, noting, “I feel very confident that we’re going to hit the ground running in those first 30–100 days in Congress.” He is adamant that the current Republican team is better prepared than its predecessors. “It’s not going to be like it was the first time when Donald Trump came into office, and people were maybe shocked and didn’t really have their act together. It’s much different this time around,” remarked Mackenzie.