Kentucky Congressmen Hal Rogers and Ed Whitefield endorsed Mitt Romney for president on Monday, giving the former Massachusetts governor two more GOP lawmakers in his bid for the Republican nomination.Whitfield represents the 1s District while Rogers represents the 6th District and chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Their nods of approval give Romney 31 endorsements from GOP elected members of Congress, which is a sign that he remains the establishment candidate.From Politico:Rogers says he’s impressed by the comprehensiveness of Romney’s economic plan, and the depth of his private sector experience. Whitfield plans to praise two elements of Romney’s Massachusetts record: balancing the budget with no tax increases and leaving the state with a Rainy Day Fund.
"They share my goals of lessening the regulatory burden on small business and getting our exploding deficits under control. They also share my goal of making our country energy independent," Romney says in a statement.
Before Rogers and Whitfield, the only member of the state's federal delegation to endorse a presidential candidate was U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who is supporting his father, Congressman Ron Paul, R-Tx., in the GOP primary.The two congressmen also backed Romney for president in 2008.