Freshman Rigell ready to make waves in Washington

VIRGINIA BEACH

Last Thursday, Scott Rigell hit a wall.

Two days earlier, in his first run for political office, he'd won a decisive victory over U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye in the 2nd Congressional District election. A lengthy celebration with family and close friends was dying down as out-of-town relatives departed his spacious home near Linkhorn Bay.

Phone calls continued to come in from supporters, new congressional colleagues and national political figures - too many to handle. For every two he could answer, three were waiting.

FedEx parcels arrived with sobering details of his new job. He and his wife, Teri, needed to find a place to live in Washington. He learned he'll have to hire 15 to 18 people to run his legislative offices.

Any thoughts of taking time off to hunt or to finish a long-dormant woodworking project were set aside. The election campaign had consumed his life for 16 months, and the future was looking just as intense.

More than all that, Rigell realized that becoming a member of Congress was no longer a goal - it was reality.

"That's when it physically hit me... I just had to slow down a bit," he said. He settled into a comfortable chair in his living room, gazing at the burning logs in the fireplace.

"I think I took most of that day to just kind of process... It's life-altering."

Coming to the 112th Congress as a rookie - one of 93 new legislators in the 435-member body - Rigell acknowledged in an interview this week that he has to find a way to make his presence known.

"I don't believe that I've got a big capital 'S' on my chest and I'm going to go up to Washington like this," he said, stretching out his arms in the Superman pose. "But I am an American. So I know - I know - that this wonderful institution, though broken, is the best governance model ever created by man."

Rigell, 50, divides his new job into two parts. One plays to his proven skills as a businessman - the multimillionaire owner of three car dealerships - and the other centers on the untested role of legislator.

He's confident the same marketing and customer service talents that built his company, Freedom Automotive, can be applied to the myriad of problems that people bring to their congressman's office.

It will be "a healthy outlet for my entrepreneurial business background," he said. "To me, it's so seamless. How the phone is answered. How letters are responded to."

Developing influence in Congress and pushing for change in the largely entrenched federal government will likely be a tougher nut to crack.

He leaves Sunday for a required weeklong orientation at the Capitol. While in Washington, he will request appointments to the Armed Services Committee, an important post given Hampton Roads' military assets, and to the Financial Services and Transportation committees.

Rigell ran for election promising to cut government spending, lower taxes and reduce what he considers excessive federal regulations stifling entrepreneurs.

"Job creation is number one. I wake up thinking about it. I go to sleep thinking about it," he said.

His approach to reviving the economy involves limiting federal spending. First, he said, elected leaders should determine what is needed for national defense and Social Security. Set that money aside and use what federal money remain to fund other programs. He contends there is massive waste and duplication in many parts of the federal government, including the Defense Department.

His goals, which he has outlined in campaign literature and promises to the tea party and others, include pushing for members of Congress to change their own practices by spending less tax money on themselves, setting term limits and banning trips paid for by lobbyists. The changes won't make a big dent in the national debt, but they show Congress is serious about reform, he said.

"I believe that my sphere of influence may be modest, but I will have a sphere of influence. There will be a person to my left, a person to my right," he said, adding that he will live by his congressional reform plan regardless of whether Congress approves it. He expects to find allies among other new Republican House members.

"I truly believe if the other members of Congress - Republican and Democrats and a couple of independents - would live out by example true congressional reform, I think we would be better off as a country."

Rigell said he is optimistic that the new GOP majority will enact changes to lower taxes and cut federal spending and that he will speak up if they do not.

"I will become increasingly vocal. Actively vocal," he said, adding that he expects other new Republicans to do the same. "If I feel betrayed in any way, if I feel that I was misled or my trust wasn't warranted, then there will be a natural... and strong reaction from me to hold them accountable - just as I'm being held accountable."

After raising four children, accumulating a personal fortune and being involved in many community projects, Rigell said he doesn't worry about hurting his political career if he goes against his party's leadership.

"I have a full and complete life," he said. "I was brought up to respect authority... but not be intimidated by them. There's a difference."

Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com