Chase Tucker’s plans for the future could land him in the governor’s mansion someday or maybe even the White House.
But for now, the articulate Oxford High School sophomore is content to run for student council and hone his leadership skills.
To that end, Tucker attended the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C. last month.
There, the 16-year-old participated in a hands-on simulation of the legislative process that took him from party caucus to congressional committees to debating on the floor of a mock U.S. House of Representatives.
‘You learn so much more than from homework or a textbook,? he said. ‘This is experiencing it, not just reading about it.?
The Model Congress Tucker participated in passed the fictional ‘Keeping Americans Safe Act of 2007,? a Democratic bill designed to combat crime by dealing with gangs, drugs and sex offenders while increasing the amount of funding for free gun locks and firearms safety.
Tucker was assigned to be a member of a mock Democratic caucus in the House. It was a bit of a stretch for the teen, but he rose to the challenge.
‘I’m a Republican and I had to pretend to be a Democrat,? he said.
Tucker’s caucus was charged with amending the bill to remove a requirement mandating pseudoephedrine ? a drug found in many over-the-counter cold medicines ? be dispensed only by pharmacists.
Pseudoephedrine is one of the principal ingredients used to make methamphetamine.
The caucus argued that pharmacists are overburdened and should not have the additional responsibility of monitoring pseudoephedrine.
It was recommended the bill be amended to require any person purchasing the drug to provide two forms of identification and sign a written log indicating the date of transaction and amount of the substance purchased.
Tucker got to testify in favor of the amendment before the mock Government Reform Committee.
Unfortunately, the committee voted 10-9 against the amendment, which ultimately failed in two out of three committees, so it never saw the light of day.
‘One vote in the committee shot it down,? Tucker said. ‘It must be extremely hard to get an amendment passed if you have to go through all these subcommittees and committees to try to get to the House floor.?
Personally, he opposed the amendment, calling it ‘ridiculous.?
‘If you make the drug more accessible, they’re going to be able to get it,? he said. ‘If it’s not behind the counter, they won’t buy it, they’ll just steal it.?
But Tucker never let his feelings about the amendment, even the whole bill itself, interfere with his role as a supporter.
‘I fought my best, as hard as I could, defending something I didn’t agree with,? he said.
The experience helped Tucker learn a valuable life lesson. ‘It taught me to be more open-minded about things,? Tucker said. ‘Before I used to just listen to people more aligned with my views. Now, I’m a lot more open-minded to what other people have to say.?
In addition to the Model Congress, Tucker also participated in a Supreme Court simulation during which he got to play Justice Stephen Breyer.
‘I felt powerful being part of the decision,? he said.
The mock court decided a case in which the state of Massachusetts sued the federal Environmental Protection Agency for not doing its job.
To help formulate a ruling, each justice was assigned a different legal precedent to read.
In the end, Tucker said, ‘Massachusetts had the better argument? and won.
When he wasn’t helping to decide the fate of the mock free world, Tucker got a chance to visit the memorials to Thomas Jefferson and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Capitol Building, Supreme Court and the Library of Congress.
He also had the opportunity to briefly meet Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow for a handshake and photo op. ‘I was very lucky to meet a senator,? he said. ‘Most of the people I talked to didn’t get to meet anybody, just staff members.?
Overall, Tucker felt the leadership conference had a real positive effect on him. ‘This conference inspired me to be more active,? he said. ‘I’m running for student council this year. I just joined peer mediation. They encouraged me to be more active.?
It also inspired Tucker to run for some of the highest offices in the land. ‘Before I went to the conference, I had an idea that maybe in the future I might run for House or Senate. Now, for sure I want to,? he said. ‘People say you can do that by voting, but I think I can do much more if I’m actually part of the system.?
Tucker said it’s ‘always? been his ‘dream and ambition to make history.? One of his favorite quotes is from Winston Churchill who said, ‘History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.?
After high school, he plans to attend the Air Force Academy, spend a few years in the service, then earn his law degree and begin a career in politics.
Tucker said he would like to run for governor and maybe take a shot at the presidency. ‘I think it’s farfetched, but that’s my ultimate goal,? he said.
Tucker is very grateful to American Legion Post 108 which held a spaghetti dinner and raised about $1,300 to help him pay the conference tuition.
Family, friends, neighbors and local public figures all attended the fund-raiser. ‘It made me feel so happy that all these people did this for me,? Tucker said.