Straight Outta Congress

Rep. Peter Meijer
Peter Meijer was the only freshman congressman among 10 Republican members to vote for Trump’s impeachment after the January 6 riot that ransacked the Capitol. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Tara Palmeri
December 29, 2022

Peter Meijer, the fire-haired Iraq war vet, Ivy League grad, and well-heeled scion of the namesake supermarket fortune, was that rare bird when he entered Congress as a 32-year-old on January 3, 2021. Meijer evidenced little interest in building his personal brand through publicity stunts and B.S. culture war media skirmishes. Instead, he had more high-minded goals, like increasing government accountability and competitiveness for Michigan’s third district, which circles Grand Rapids, and used to be Justin Amash territory for all of the aughts.