Earl Blumenauer
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Earl Blumenauer | |
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Incumbent | |
Assumed office May 21, 1996 |
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Preceded by | Ron Wyden |
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Born | August 16, 1948 Portland, Oregon |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Margaret (Kirkpatrick) Blumenauer |
Earl Blumenauer (born August 16, 1948) is a Democratic U.S. representative from Oregon, representing Oregon's 3rd congressional district.
Born in Portland, Blumenauer graduated from Centennial High School in 1966[1] and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lewis & Clark College in 1970. He received a Juris Doctor degree from the same college in 1976.[2]
Blumenauer worked as an assistant to the president of Portland State University.[3] He then served as an Oregon state representative from 1973 to 1979, Multnomah County Commissioner (1979–87) Portland city commissioner (1987–96)[3], and was appointed by Oregon's governor to the commission on higher education (1990–91).[4] In 1992, Blumenauer was defeated by Vera Katz in an open race for mayor of Portland. He has been described as "the man who probably knows the most about how Portland works," but left local politics for a seat in the U.S. Congress in 1996.[5]
Blumenauer was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the election of then-U.S. Representative Ron Wyden to the U.S. Senate.[5]
In the 2006 election, Blumenauer won re-election to a sixth full term, defeating Republican Bruce Broussard.[6]
The Willamette Week has summarized Blumenauer's fit with the congressional district he represents:
“ | Ideologically and temperamentally, Blumenauer is an almost perfect reflection of his Portland seat, as safe a Democratic stronghold as any in the nation. He's championed light rail and the streetcar. He's the biggest bike advocate on Capitol Hill. He voted against the USA PATRIOT Act and the Iraq resolution. A super-sharp super-wonk, he's diligently seeking to export Portland's livability doctrine to Third World nations.[7] | ” |
The Wall Street Journal also noted Blumenauer's enthusiasm for bicycling:
“ | His congressional office is one of the few -- if not the only one -- that didn't even apply for a parking permit. On occasion, Mr. Blumenauer has cycled to the White House. On Mr. Blumenauer's first visit, the Secret Service, more accustomed to limousines, was flummoxed at the sight of his bike.[8] | ” |
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[edit] Activity in Congress
Among the bills that Blumenauer has sponsored that have become law are the Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004[9] and the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005.[10]
He is active in pressuring the United States to take greater action on the Darfur conflict.[11]
In the political aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Blumenauer was among those who had pointed out the vulnerability of New Orleans and encouraged Congress to help that city and the gulf coast get better prepared:
- September 15, 2004: Mr. Speaker, barely have we recovered from Hurricane Hugo and we are seeing Hurricane Ivan pose the threat that has long been feared by those in Louisiana, that this actually might represent the loss of the City of New Orleans. Located 15 feet below sea level, there is the potential of a 30-foot wall of water putting at risk $100 billion of infrastructure and industry and countless lives.[12]
- January 26, 2005: Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to view the devastation in Southeast Asia as a result of the tsunami. As appalled as I was by what I saw, I must confess that occasionally my thoughts drifted back to the United States. What would have happened if last September, Hurricane Ivan had veered 40 miles to the west, devastating the city of New Orleans? One likely scenario would have had a tsunami-like 30-foot wall of water hitting the city, causing thousands of deaths and $100 billion in damage....The experience of Southeast Asia should convince us all of the urgent need for congressional action to prevent wide-scale loss of life and economic destruction at home and abroad. Prevention and planning will pay off. Maybe the devastation will encourage us to act before disaster strikes.[13]
He and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have offered an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill for the past two years that would reform the nation's sugar quota laws with the intent of expanding free trade to the sugar market.[14]
Blumenauer's support for free trade agreements has angered many progressives and labor activists. In 2004, he voted against the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). On September 24, 2007, four labor and human rights activists were arrested in Blumenauer's office protesting the congressman's support for the Peru Free Trade Agreement,[15] but which supporters say will promote jobs, improve labor conditions, and strengthen environmental protections.[citation needed] The deal did not earn support from a single U.S. labor, environmental, interfaith or consumer group and died when a majority of congressional Democrats (117) voted in opposition. The Peru agreement received less Democratic support than the 2004 Australia FTA, the 2004 Morocco FTA, and the 2005 Bahrain FTA.
Blumenauer is expected to run for reelection in 2008.
[edit] Committee Assignments
- Committee on Ways & Means
- Subcommittee on Trade
- Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures
- Budget Committee
- Select Committee on Energy Independence and Climate Change
[edit] Electoral history
Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | 3rd Party | Party | Votes | Pct | ||||||
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1996 | Earl Blumenauer | 165,922 | 67% | Scott Bruun | 65,259 | 26% | Joe Keating | Pacific | 9,274 | 4% | Bruce A. Knight | Libertarian | 4,474 | 2% | Victoria P. Guillebeau | Socialist | 2,449 | 1% | * | |||||
1998 | Earl Blumenauer | 153,889 | 84% | (no candidate) | Bruce A. Knight | Libertarian | 16,930 | 9% | Walt Brown | Socialist | 10,199 | 6% | Write-ins | 2,333 | 1% | |||||||||
2000 | Earl Blumenauer | 181,049 | 67% | Jeffery L. Pollock | 64,128 | 24% | Tre Arrow | Pacific Green | 15,763 | 6% | Bruce A. Knight | Libertarian | 4,942 | 2% | Walt Brown | Socialist | 4,703 | 2% | * | |||||
2002 | Earl Blumenauer | 156,851 | 67% | Sarah Seale | 62,821 | 27% | Walt Brown | Socialist | 6,588 | 3% | Kevin Jones | Libertarian | 4,704 | 2% | David Brownlow | Constitution | 3,495 | 1% | * | |||||
2004 | Earl Blumenauer | 245,559 | 71% | Tami Mars | 82,045 | 24% | Walt Brown | Socialist | 10,678 | 3% | Dale Winegarden | Constitution | 7,119 | 2% | Write-ins | 1,159 | <1% | |||||||
2006 | Earl Blumenauer | 186,380 | 73% | Bruce Broussard | 59,529 | 23% | David Brownlow | Constitution | 7,003 | 3% | Write-ins | 698 | <1% |
[edit] References
- ^ Voter Guide for Oregon District 3. National Federation of Independent Business. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ "Blumenauer speaks at law commencement", Lewis & Clark Chronicle, Lewis & Clark College, Summer 2002. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ a b About Earl Blumenauer. Blumenauer for Congress. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ Members of Congress / Earl Blumenauer. The U.S. Congress Votes Database. washingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ a b Schrag, John. "Battle of the Bleeding Hearts", Willamette Week 25th Anniversary Edition, 1999. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ November 7, 2006, General Election Abstracts of Votes (pdf). Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, Elections Division. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ Editorial. "Fall Voter’s Guide 2002", Willamette Week, November 9, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
- ^ Hitt, Greg. "For Congressman, Life in Bike Lane Comes Naturally", The Wall Street Journal, December 29, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
- ^ THE FLOOD INSURANCE REFORM ACT OF 2004. Rep. Blumenauer’s office. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ President Signs Water for the Poor Act Into Law. Rep. Blumenauer’s office. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ As of December 2006, the Genocide Intervention Network gives Blumenauer a grade of A on its DarfurScores.com web site. DarfurScores.org: Earl Blumenauer. Genocide Intervention Network. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ Congressman Earl Blumenauer's Website, Representing the 3rd Congressional District of Oregon
- ^ Daily Kos: DAMNING Congressional Record: Cries for Help Ignored By The Federal Government [updated]
- ^ Reforming US Sugar Policy. Rep. Blumenauer’s office. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ Moore, Scott. "Trade Secret", Portland Mercury, 2007-09-27.
- ^ Election Statistics. Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
[edit] External links
- U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer official U.S. House site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia
- Earl Blumenauer for Congress official campaign website
- Oregon Secretary of State
- Willamette Week stories:
- November 1997: The Player
- November 2002: Fall Voter's Guide 2002, with a Blumenauer endorsement
- February 2004: The Earl of Trolleys
Preceded by Ron Wyden |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 3rd congressional district 1996 – present |
Incumbent |
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