Senator Richard Shelby

Transcription

1 Alabama

2 Senator Richard Shelby Alabama senior Sen. Richard Shelby has held the top Republican slot on committees dealing with banking and spying, and in 2015 returned as chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. But the issue for which he remains best known at home is spending. Adept at securing federal money for his state, he has five buildings at Alabama s public universities named for him. Shelby grew up in Birmingham, the son of a steelworker. After earning two degrees from the University of Alabama, he stayed in Tuscaloosa and practiced law with Walter Flowers, who was later a conservative Democratic congressman. Shelby, a Democrat at that time, was elected to the state Senate in 1970 at age 36. When Flowers ran, unsuccessfully, for the U.S. Senate in 1978, Shelby ran for his House seat. In the House, Shelby had a conservative voting record, opposing the Voting Rights Act extension and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. He ran for the Senate in 1986 and won the Democratic primary with 51% of the vote after then-secretary of State (and later governor) Don Siegelman withdrew. On domestic issues, Shelby has compiled a conservative record. But he is not a free market purist. Despite his party switch, he has remained friendly with trial lawyers, who usually support Democrats in Alabama. He easily won reelection in 2010 against Democrat William Barnes, a Birmingham lawyer. Shelby easily won his primary in 2016 against his main opponent, Jonathan McConnell. Currently: Senator, AL Elected: 1986 Education: U. of AL, B.A., 1957, L.L.B., 1963 Religion: Presbyterian Family: Married (Annette), 2 children, 2 grandchildren Contact: (202) Russell Senate Office Washington, DC Strongly opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants Strongly favors expanding the military Opposes expanding Obamacare Favors privatizing Social Security Senate Committee on Appropriations Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Senate Committee on Rules and Administration Richard Shelby (R) Votes: 1,335,104 Percent: 64% Ron Crumpton (D) Votes: 748,709 Percent: 35.9% Sources: Ballotpedia, 2016; National Journal Almanac 2016.

3 Senator Doug Jones Doug Jones was born in Fairfield, Alabama. His father worked for U.S. Steel and Jones worked a union job in the steel mill during high school. After graduating from Fairfield High School, Jones studied government at the University of Alabama. He then studied law at Stamford University. After law school, Jones served as staff counsel to the US Senate Judiciary Committee for Sen. Howell Heflin. Years later Jones became an assistant US attorney in Birmingham and became the US attorney for the North District of Alabama in His biggest case was investigating the bombing of the 16 th Street Baptist Church and he was able to convict two former Klansmen for the murders of the four children that died in the incident. Doug Jones lives with his wife Louise and his three children are attending college. Currently: Senator, AL Elected: 2017 Education: U. of AL, B.A.; Samford U., J.D. Family: Married (Louise), 3 children Contact: (202) Russell Senate Office Washington, DC Supports raising the minimum wage Committed to reducing the use of fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy Supports retaining the Affordable Care Act Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Senate Special Committee on Aging 2017 Special Election Doug Jones (D) Votes: 671,151 Percent: 49.9% Roy Moore (R) Votes: 650,436 Percent: 48.4% Sources: Ballotpedia, 2017; Doug Jones for Senate, 2017.

4 Congressman Bradley Byrne Republican Bradley Byrne is a lifelong native of Alabama s Gulf Coast. He was born and raised in Mobile, just a few miles away from where his family settled in the 1780s. His family s deep roots in the area has strongly influenced many of his beliefs. After graduating law school at the University of Alabama, Byrne practiced in Mobile for over 30 years. Rep. Byrne was first elected to the Alabama State Board of Education as a Democrat in Like many other southern politicians he left the Democratic Party to join Republicans three years later. From 2003 to 2007, he was a member of the Alabama State Senate representing District 32. In the United States House of Representatives, Byrne has advocated for shrinking the federal bureaucracy. Rep. Byrne is up for reelection, but won his primary and faces no challengers in the general election. 01 Elected: 2013 Education: Duke U., B.A., 1977; U. of AL School of Law, J.D., 1980 Religion: Episcopalian Family: Married (Rebecca), 4 children, 1 grandchild Contact: (202) Cannon House Office Strongly favors education reform, namely giving authority to state and local entities Strongly favors less agricultural regulations Strongly favors repealing Obamacare Strongly favors expanding offshore energy production in the Gulf House Committee on Armed Services House Committee on House Education & the Workforce House Committee on House Rules Sources: Emily Cahn, 6 things to know about Rep.-elect Bradley Byrne, Roll Call, December 18, 2013; Ballotpedia, Bradley Byrne (R) Votes: 208,083 Percent: 96.4%

5 Congresswoman Martha Roby Alabama 2nd District Republican Martha Roby has won notice as an articulate conservative in a party trying to reach out to women voters, but she has drawn some flak from the tea party wing for being insufficiently committed to its agenda. Her votes in Congress have already garnered some criticism from the conservative wing of her party. In September 2011, Roby was the subject of a derisive blog post by Erick Erickson of the influential RedState.com. She has carried water for the leadership and betrayed her conservative constituents, he charged. But Politico named her the most underrated member of the 2010 freshman class in December of that year, saying, If she s able to win reelection, she could be a leader of her party. Recognizing her appeal to younger voters, Mitt Romney s presidential campaign brought her to North Carolina to stump on his behalf at a September 2012 rally. To buy Roby some extra insurance after her close defeat of Bright in 2010, Republican redistricters in Alabama shifted the most heavily black Montgomery precincts from the 2nd District to the 7th District. The move ensured that no Democrat, not even Bright, would ever have a chance there again, and Roby in 2012 sailed to reelection over Therese Ford, a retired state government worker, with 64%. Within a week of her victory, she made a bid to join the House Republican leadership, running for GOP conference vice chair, but lost to the slightly more senior Lynn Jenkins of Kansas. 02 Elected: 2010 Education: New York U., B.A., 1998; Samford U., J.D., 2001 Religion: Presbyterian Family: Married (Riley), 2 children Contact: (202) Cannon House Office Supports repealing the Affordable Care Act Supports defunding planned parenthood Supports building a wall on the border with Mexico Opposes gun control legislation Supports the Balanced Budget Amendment House Committee on Appropriations House Committee on the Judiciary Martha Roby (R) Votes: 134,886 Percent: 48.8% Nathan Matthis (D) Votes: 112,089 Percent: 40.5% Sources: National Journal Almanac, Ballotpedia 2017.

6 Congressman Mike Rogers Rogers is a fifth-generation resident of Calhoun County, the son of a textile worker and a fireman. At the age of 28 in 1986, he was the first Republican elected to the county commission. In 1994, he won a seat in the Alabama House, and in his second term, he became minority leader. In 2002, Rogers succeeded Republican Bob Riley as U.S. Congressman for Alabama s 3rd district. During the election, Rogers touted his working-class values, support from the National Rifle Association, opposition to abortion rights and support for a constitutional amendment permitting prayer in the public schools. On the Armed Services Committee, Rogers became chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee in He seeks to protect Anniston Army Depot as well as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base and Fort Benning in nearby Georgia. Like other Alabama Republicans, he has supported having the power to earmark spending bills to protect those and other state interests. He has been highly critical of the Transportation Security Administration, saying in May 2012 that the aviation security agency must become smarter, leaner, and tougher. In general, Rogers harbors a conservative s distrust of federal agencies, saying in a 2011 radio interview, Who says the federal government has to have an EPA? He is occasionally centrist on economic issues, but he has been a reliable Republican vote since the GOP regained the majority in Elected: 2002 Education: Jacksonville St. U., B.A., 1981, M.P.A., 1984; Birmingham School of Law, J.D., 1991 Religion: Baptist Family: Married (Beth), 3 children Contact: (202) Rayburn House Office Supports pro-life legislation Supports the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions Supports gun-control legislation Supports same-sex marriage Opposes the repeal of the Affordable Care Act Opposes increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support House Committee on Homeland Security House Committee on Agriculture House Committee on Armed Services Sources: National Journal Almanac, 2016; NY Times election results, Mike Rogers (R) Votes: 192,164 Percent: 67% Jesse Smith (D) Votes: 94,549 Percent: 33%

7 Congressman Robert Aderholt Robert Aderholt, a Republican first elected in 1996, is a mild-mannered conservative who considers obtaining federal money for the state to be an essential part of his job, though he ventures into social issues territory more often. In 1992, Aderholt was appointed Haleyville municipal judge. Three years later, he became a top aide to Republican Gov. Fob James. Aderholt s voting record is generally conservative, and he was among the first House Republicans to join the Tea Party Caucus in July But he often votes with labor on trade issues, mainly because of local imperatives. He voted against normalizing trade relations with China and opposed free-trade agreements with Chile, Morocco, and Singapore. In 2005, however, he was a crucial vote for the Central America Free Trade Agreement after he got a last-minute letter from President George W. Bush delaying the phase-out of tariffs on socks. Recognizing Aderholt s electoral vulnerability, Republican leaders put him on the Appropriations Committee. He worked his way up through the ranks, becoming ranking Republican on the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee. In 2013, he was given the chairmanship of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. He was the only House member from Alabama in 2008 to vote against the $700 billion rescue of the financial markets. He cited public discontent with the plan and the need for a more market-based approach. 04 Elected: 1996 Education: Birmingham- Southern Col., B.A., 1987; Samford U., J.D., 1990 Religion: Methodist Family: Married (Caroline), 2 children Contact: (202) Cannon House Office Strongly opposes abortion Strongly opposes pathway to citizenship Strongly opposes clean air and water regulations Opposes reducing defense spending House Committee on Appropriations Sources: National Journal Almanac, 2017; Ballotpedia. Robert Aderholt (R) Votes: 235,925 Percent: 98.5% Write-in Votes: 1,921 Percent: 1.5%

8 Congressman Mo Brooks In 2010, Mo Brooks, the 5th District congressman, became the first Republican to be elected to the seat since Brooks was born in Charleston, SC, and moved to Huntsville, AL, when he was 9. Brooks studied economics and political science at Duke University, graduating in three years. He received his J.D. from the University of AL, and moved back to Huntsville for a circuit court clerkship. In 1982, he ran for the Alabama House. Brooks was reelected three times, and says he was most proud of his No. 1 ranking from the Alabama Taxpayers Defense Fund for his efforts fighting tax increases. He left the legislature when Gov. Guy Hunt appointed him Madison County district attorney in Brooks lost a bid to keep the D.A. s job two years later. He returned to public office in 1996, when he was elected to the Madison County Commission. Brooks won his U.S. House seat following hard-fought primary and general election battles in Within four months of taking the seat, he landed in the headlines when multiple deadly tornadoes struck his district. He worked to obtain disaster funds as a member of the committees on Armed Services and Homeland Security, but drew more attention for his subsequent remarks on other issues. Notably, on a conservative radio talk show, Brooks claimed that the Republican Party was not alienating non-white voters, but that it was a part of the war on whites that s being launched by the Democratic Party. And the way they re launching this war is by claiming that whites hate everybody else. Democratic Alabama Rep. Terri Sewell said his comments "do not represent the views of the state of Alabama. Brooks was unapologetic. 05 Elected: 2010 Education: Duke U., B.A., 1975; U. of AL, J.D., 1978 Religion: Christian Family: Married (Martha), 4 children, 3 grandchildren Contact: (202) Rayburn House Office Favors repealing Obamacare Favors an absolute right to gun ownership Opposes government funding for renewable energy development Opposes federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions Favors the expansion of the military House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology House Committee on Foreign Affairs House Committee on Armed Services Mo Brooks (R) Votes: 205,647 Percent: 66.7% Will Boyd (D) Votes: 102,234 Percent: 33.2% Sources: National Journal Almanac, 2017; Ballotpedia, 2017

9 Congressman Gary Palmer Republican Gary Palmer swept to victory in 2014 over Democrat Mark Lester in Alabama's 6th District, boosted by cash from conservative groups as well as the district's strong Republican lean. He succeeded retiring GOP Rep. Spencer Bachus, a former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and ally of Speaker John Boehner, to represent a district anchored in Birmingham's suburbs. He started his early career in the private sector before cofounding the Alabama Policy Institute (API) in In 2012, API joined a coalition that successfully campaigned against a public referendum on a measure to transfer money from the Alabama Trust Fund which collects royalties from offshore gas exploration into the state's cash-strapped General Fund, which covers many social services. Palmer and other conservatives argued that a "no" vote on the transfer would force the state to downsize and allocate its spending more efficiently. Palmer also pushed a proposal to Washington Republicans that any debt-ceiling deal should contain language allowing oil and gas exploitation on federal lands as a way to pay down the national debt. Before taking office, Palmer joined a small coterie of GOP freshmen who suggested that they would not back Boehner's speakership. In a debate before the runoff, Palmer told the audience: "I cannot in good conscience support John Boehner because I think he lost his legitimacy to lead" after bringing to the floor bills that most Republicans opposed. 06 Elected: 2014 Education: U. of AL, B.S., 1976 Religion: Presbyterian Family: Married (Ann), 3 children Contact: (202) Cannon House Office Opposes abortion rights Supports making the national debt a priority Supports cutting taxes Opposes Obamacare Opposes Common Core House Committee on the Budget House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform House Committee on Science, Space & Technology Gary Palmer (R) Votes: 245,313 Percent: 74.5% David Putman (D) Votes: 83,709 Percent: 25.4% Sources: National Journal Almanac, Ballotpedia 2017.

10 Congresswoman Terri Sewell Democrat Terri A. Sewell is one of the first women elected to Congress from Alabama and the first black woman to serve her district. Congresswoman Sewell was freshman class president in the 112th Congress. She currently serves as Chief Deputy Whip. Before she was elected, Congresswoman Sewell was the first black woman partner at Maynard, Cooper & Gale s Birmingham law office. Born and raised in the Deep South after the peak of the civil rights movement, Sewell came from modest background. Her mother was a librarian and her dad was a high school teacher. As Sewell continued on to graduate from Princeton, receive a scholarship to attend Oxford, attend Harvard Law, and eventually work at a high-profile firm in New York City, she developed close friendships with influential young women. At Princeton, Sewell s assigned mentor was Michelle Robinson, who would later become first lady. The two became friends and Sewell eventually followed Michelle to Harvard Law. Sewell is also close friends with former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Sewell is up for reelection this term, but faces no opposition. 07 Elected: 2010 Education: Princeton U., B.A., 1986; Oxford U., M.A., 1988; Harvard Law School, J.D., 1992 Religion: Protestant Family: Divorced (Theodore) Contact: (202) Rayburn House Office Strongly favors job creation, workforce development, skills training, and workers rights Strongly favors preserving civil rights sites Strongly favors voting rights protections House Committee on Ways and Means House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence House Committee on Financial Services Terri Sewell (D) Votes: 229,330 Percent: 98.4% Write-in Votes: 3,698 Percent: 1.6% Sources: Abby Livingston, Six Degrees of Terri Sewell, Roll Call, December 22, 2014; Ballotpedia, 2017; National Journal Almanac, 2017.