Bart Gordon

Bart Gordon
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 6th Congressional district
In office January 3, 1985 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Al Gore, Jr.
Succeeded by	Diane Black
Chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee
In office January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Sherwood Boehlert
Succeeded by	Ralph Hall
Personal details
Born	(1949-01-24) January 24, 1949 Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Leslie
Residence	Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Alma mater	Middle Tennessee State University, University of Tennessee
Occupation	Attorney
Religion	Methodist
Military service
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1971-1972

Barton Jennings "Bart" Gordon, (born January 24, 1949) is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 6th congressional district, serving from 1985 until 2011. The district includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He announced on December 14, 2009, that he would not seek re-election in 2010.

Early life, education, and early political career

Gordon was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he has lived all of his life. He served in the United States Army Reserve in 1971 and 1972. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1971, earning a law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1973. He is a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. He then entered private practice in Murfreesboro.

Active in Democratic politics early on, he was briefly executive director of the Tennessee Democratic Party in 1979 and state party chairman from 1981 to 1983.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

When 6th District Congressman Al Gore announced in 1983 that he would run for the United States Senate in 1984, Gordon stepped down as state party chairman to run for the seat. He initially faced a hard-fought race against the brother of the publisher of Nashville's former conservative newspaper, the Nashville Banner. However, he won handily in November 1984, riding Gore's coattails in the midst of Ronald Reagan's landslide victory in that year's presidential election. Gordon is regarded as a moderate. He has favored the repeal of the inheritance tax and the "marriage tax penalty".

Gordon was re-elected by huge margins until 1994, when his Republican opponent was attorney Steve Gill, a former basketball player at the University of Tennessee who is now a radio talk show host. Gordon only won by one percentage point, but managed to defeat Gill more handily in 1996. Gordon was re-elected in 1998 and 2000 by margins similar to those he scored in the 1980s and early 1990s. He faced no significant opposition in 2002, 2004 and 2006 and was unopposed in 2008. This is largely because the 2002 reapportionment by the Democratic-controlled Tennessee General Assembly removed Williamson County, a wealthy and heavily Republican suburban area south of Nashville, from the Sixth District and added it to the already heavily Republican Seventh District. Ironically, that district is now represented by Marsha Blackburn, who in 1992 was Gordon's first well-financed Republican opponent since his initial 1984 race.

Tenure

During his tenure in Congress, Gordon "helped pass the COMPETES Act and the 2007 Energy Bill." In March 2007 it was reported that Rep. Gordon, chairman of the U.S.House science committee, said that NASA is headed for "a train wreck" if the space agency isn't better funded to finish building the international space station and develop the next-generation spacecraft.

In December 2008, Gordon came under fire from Tennessee conservatives for failing to vote on the auto bailout, stating that his failure to vote was due to a "technical glitch" in the voting system. In March 2010, Gordon announced that he will vote in favor of the Senate Health Care bill.

Gordon has been the fastest runner of foot races in Congress for 20 years. Most recently, he defeated Congressman Aaron Schock, 33 years his younger at the Capital Challenge Charity Race.

Committee assignments

• United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce (1995–2011)
• United States House Committee on Science and Technology (1985–1987; 1997–2011) (Ranking Member, 2005–2007; Chairman, 2007–2011)
• United States House Committee on the Budget (1993–1995)
• United States House Committee on Rules (1987–1995)
• United States House Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs (1985–1987)
• United States House Permanent Select Committee on Aging (1985–1987)
  • Source: Rep. Gordon's Previous Committee Assignments
  • Source: Rep. Gordon's Committees and Subcommittees

Post-congressional career

Gordon is currently a lawyer for global law firm K&L Gates, a lobbying shop "that represents the hi-tech and energy sectors," and is a distinguished fellow at the Council on Competitiveness.

External links

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Financial information (federal office) at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance (federal office) at LegiStorm.com
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Voting record at The Washington Post
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Diary at Daily Kos, about report on off-shoring jobs

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Albert A. Gore, Jr.	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 6th congressional district 1985 - 2011	Succeeded by Diane Black
Political offices
Preceded by Sherwood Boehlert New York	Chairman of House Science Committee 2007–2011	Succeeded by Ralph Hall Texas