Pickering confident of 108th Congress

By By William F. West / community editor
Nov. 20, 2002
U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering said his goal in Congress will be boosting East Mississippi, with help from U.S. Sens. Trent Lott and Thad Cochran and the White House.
In a telephone interview, Pickering said other goals include tougher bankruptcy laws, beefed up homeland security and national defense, prescription drug benefits for senior citizens, greater federal assistance to veterans and fighting the illegal drug trade.
Pickering, 39, a Republican and the state's 3rd District representative, defeated rival Democratic U.S. Rep. Ronnie Shows and four others in the Nov. 5 general election. Pickering and Shows were paired against each other in a redrawn 3rd District after slow population growth cost the state a U.S. House seat.
State Democratic Party Chairman Rickey Cole said the election outcome was not surprising because Pickering was running in a district drawn to the GOP's advantage and because the GOP had more money than Democrats could muster.
Still, Cole said, he's proud of his fellow Democrat.
Shows, 55, is completing two terms representing the state's 4th District, with his future unclear.
Meanwhile, Pickering will be beginning a fourth term in Washington.
It's anticipated that he will be working closely with Lott, who is returning to the Senate majority leader position following the GOP takeover of the Senate in the Nov. 5 election. Pickering is a former Lott aide.
Lott spokesman Lee Youngblood said Lott and Pickering share the same goal of economic development for the region.
It's also anticipated that Cochran, the state's senior senator, will be chairing a committee.
Cochran, in a statement issued by his office, said: