Background

Justin Amash was born on April 18, 1980, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics with a focus on finance from the University of Michigan, followed by a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. After completing his education, he worked as a corporate attorney before entering public service as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. In 2010, he was elected to the U.S. Congress and began his term in 2011. Amash is a member of the St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church.

His father, Attalah Amash, was a Palestinian Christian who spent part of his early life as a refugee in the West Bank. In 1956, a U.S. church sponsored him to emigrate to the United States. Arriving in Michigan with just $17, Attalah later married Mimi, a Syrian immigrant. Together, they successfully operated a home improvement business. Justin is the middle of their three sons.

Congressional Career and Advocacy

On May 18, 2019, Justin Amash publicly stated that he believed President Donald Trump had engaged in impeachable conduct. He also criticized Attorney General William Barr, asserting that Barr deliberately misrepresented the findings of the Mueller Report to the public.

Earlier that year, following President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to fund a border wall, Amash took to Twitter to oppose the action. He wrote, “A national emergency declaration for a non-emergency is void. A prerequisite for declaring an emergency is that the situation requires immediate action and Congress does not have an opportunity to act.” He argued that the president was attempting to bypass the constitutional separation of powers.

In a series of tweets, Amash clarified his position, emphasizing that while presidents have the authority to declare national emergencies, such declarations should be limited to truly urgent situations—such as attacks on the nation—where legislative intervention is not feasible. His criticisms underscored concerns about adherence to constitutional principles and the role of checks and balances in American governance.