Congressman Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) rarely goes against GOP opinion in key votes on Capitol Hill. But on Tuesday, the eight-term Congressman really found himself in the minority.
Kingston, who has represented District 1 in southeast Georgia since 1993, was the only member of Congress to oppose House Resolution 39, which commended "the University of Florida Gators for their victory in the 2006 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and for winning the national college football championship."
His reason? Kingston grew up in Athens, Ga., home of the University of Georgia, his alma mater and one of the Gators' fiercest rivals. Kingston still lives in Savannah, Ga., and flies to Washington weekly.
"Any time you can see Ohio State lose, it's a good day," said Kingston, who also attended Michigan State for two years. "However, there's just so far you can go. The Bulldog tendency in me hit and I had to vote no in a good, friendly rivalry."
The House bill passed by a vote of 414-1. Eight other congressmen from Georgia voted yes to the proposal, two voted present and two others didn't vote at all. The bill was sponsored by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and 19 other representatives from Florida.
The Gators defeated unbeaten and then-No. 1 Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS title game Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz., to win the school's second national championship in football. The Gators also won a national championship in men's basketball last season, becoming the first Division I-A school to hold both titles concurrently.
"I supported Florida in the game and wanted them to win and win big," Kingston told ESPN.com Thursday. "I'm obviously going to be partial to the SEC."
Such bills typically pass unanimously in Congress. For example, House Resolution 43, a bill that commended "the Boise State University Broncos football team for winning the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and completing an undefeated season," passed by a vote of 415-0 on Tuesday.
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