Devin Nunes
| Devin Nunes | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 21st district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2003 |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbents |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1, 1973 Tulare, California |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Tulare, California |
| Alma mater | California Polytechnic State University |
| Occupation | farmer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Devin Nunes (born October 1, 1973) is the U.S. Representative for California's 21st congressional district, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district, located in the San Joaquin Valley, includes all of Tulare County, as well as much of eastern Fresno County. He is also the author of the book Restoring the Republic, published by WND Books in September 2010. Time magazine named Nunes one of the rising stars of American politics under 40, in their list of ″40 under 40″; that is, the top forty civic leaders under 40 years of age.[1] Nunes is a member of two committees in the House of Representatives, Ways and Means and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.[2] He is also co-chair of the Brazil Caucus and the U.S.-Mexico Friendship Caucus.
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[edit] Early life, Education, and Career
Nunes was born in Tulare, California. His family has operated a farm in Tulare County for three generations. The Nunes family is of Portuguese descent, immigrating from the Azores to California.[3]
Nunes graduated from Tulare Union High School. He is the second Member of Congress to attend Tulare Union, following Olympic gold medalist Bob Mathias three-decades later, who served in House of Representatives from 1967-1975. After associate's work at College of the Sequoias, Nunes graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and a master’s degree in agriculture.
Nunes was first elected to public office when he was 22 years old. He unseated an 18-year incumbent for a seat on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, the College of the Sequoias, earning 65 percent of the vote.[4] He served as a trustee from 1996-2002.[5] In 2001, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as California State Director for the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development section. He left this post later in the year to run for the Republican nomination in the 21st congressional district, a new California district created through reapportionment after the 2000 United States census. Before 2002, the 21st congressional district was part of three districts represented respectively by Bill Thomas, Cal Dooley, and George Radanovich.
[edit] Elections 2002-2010
Nunes principal opponents in the crowded seven-way 2002 Republican primary were former Fresno mayor Jim Patterson and State Assemblyman Mike Briggs. Nunes was the only major candidate from Tulare County, while Patterson and Briggs were both from Fresno. This was critical; 42% of the district population is in Fresno County and 58% in Tulare County.[6] Patterson and Briggs split the vote in Fresno County, allowing Nunes to win by a four-point margin over Patterson, his nearest competitor. Nunes won 46.5% of the vote in Tulare County and 28.1% of the vote in Fresno County. In addition to Patterson and Briggs splitting Fresno County's vote, Nunes was also helped by a strong showing in the rural part of the district.[7] He won the endorsement of the California Farm Bureau and the Fresno Bee.[6] This district is heavily Republican, and Nunes coasted to victory in November. He has been reelected four times against only nominal Democratic opposition. During the June 8, 2010, California primary, Nunes actually received more write-in votes in the Democratic primary than the Democratic write-in candidate.[8][9] He ran unopposed in the 2010 general election.
[edit] U.S. Congress
[edit] Committees
During 108th Congress, Nunes' first term in Congress, he served on the House Resources Committee, where he was chairman of its National Parks Subcommittee. He was also a member of the Agriculture and Veterans Affairs committees. In the 109th Congress, Nunes was named to the House Ways and Means Committee. He has served on the committee since then, where he is 6th in seniority, and a member of the Subcommittees on Trade and Health.[10] He was also a member of the House Budget Committee during the 111th Congress. For the 112th United States Congress, Nunes was named to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
In 2003, Nunes became a founding member of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, a caucus of Republican Members of Congress of Hispanic and Portuguese descent.
[edit] Policies and Legislation
[edit] Water
On May 1, 2011, Nunes with the other members of the San Joaquin Valley’s Republican Congressional Delegation introduced The San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act to restore the flow of water to the San Joaquin Valley. Water restrictions have been in place to enforce the Endangered Species Act, which has seen water allocations decline dramatically even in non-drought years. The result has been what Nunes terms a "man-made drought."[11]
[edit] Energy
In 2006, Nunes authored the "American-Made Energy Freedom Act." In July 2008, the Republican Conference introduced the American Energy Act, which included a key Nunes proposal from the American-Made Energy Freedom Act to establish a renewable energy trust fund from revenues generated by deep ocean and Arctic coastal plain exploration and invest the monies in alternative fuels and technology.[12]
On July 28, 2010, Nunes introduced H.R. 5899, "A Roadmap for America's Energy Future." It accelerates the exploration and production of fossil fuel; supports the rapid development of market-based alternative energy supplies; and expands the number of nuclear reactors from the current 104 to 300 over the next 30 years.[13] Kimberley Strassel of The Wall Street Journal wrote that "It's a bill designed to produce energy, not restrict it. It returns government to the role of energy facilitator, not energy boss. It costs nothing and contains no freebies. It instead offers a competitive twist to government support of renewable energy."[14]
[edit] Federal Spending, Healthcare, State Pensions
On January 27, 2010, Nunes became an original cosponsor of H.R. 4529, "A Roadmap for America's Future", sponsored by Paul Ryan.[15] H.R. 4529 proposes major reforms of the U.S. health care system, Social Security, the federal tax code, job training, and the budget process. A key feature of the "Roadmap" is that the legislation solves the problem of the unfunded liabilities of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and provides for their long-term financial solvency. On January 29, 2010, President Obama said that the "Roadmap" is a "legitimate" plan to solve the fiscal crisis facing the United States due to the unfunded liabilities of Medicare and Medicaid.[16] Nunes was also a co-sponsor of "Roadmap for America's Future Act of 2008," an earlier version of H.R. 4529.
Also in 2009, Nunes co-authored the "Patients' Choice Act" with Paul Ryan (R-WI) in the House, and Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Richard Burr (R-NC) in the Senate. The Patient's Choice Act would establish a system of state health insurance exchanges and amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for qualified health care insurance coverage. The bill also proposes to adsorb Medicaid programs to the exchange system.[17] The Patients' Choice Act was incorporated into A Roadmap for America's Future.
On December 2, 2010, Nunes introduced H.R. 6484 the "Public Employee Pension Transparency Act."[18] Paul Ryan and Darrell Issa (R-CA) are cosponsors. H.R. 6484 enhances transparency for state and local pensions, and would establish a clear federal prohibition on any future public pension bailouts by the federal government.
[edit] Transportation
California State Route 99 is a highway running north and south that breaks off from Interstate 5 at Wheeler Ridge in Kern County and continues through the Central Valley until it connects with I-5 again at Red Bluff in Tehama County. In 2005, Nunes introduced H.R. 99, which designated State Route 99 as a congressional High Priority Corridor. The bill also provided federal authorization for Highway 99 to become part of the Interstate Highway System. The bill became law as part of H.R. 3 in August 2005. On February 17, 2011, Nunes introduced H.R. 761, the "San Joaquin Valley Transportation Enhancement Act", which would give the State of California the option to redirect federal high speed rail funds to finance improvements to Highway 99.[19] H.R. 761 was cosponsored by Jeff Denham (R-CA) and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).[20]
[edit] Veterans
The Hubbard Act of 2008, H.R.5825, was named in honor of the Hubbard brothers of California, Jared, Nathan, and Jason. Jared and Nathan lost their lives serving in Iraq. Jason Hubbard was discharged as a sole survivor, but denied separation benefits on leaving the Army. The Hubbard Act provides sole survivors a number of benefits already offered to other soldiers honorably discharged. Sole survivors also do not have to repay any portion of their enlistment bonus, are entitled to the educational benefits of the Montgomery GI Bill, and can receive separation pay and transitional healthcare coverage.
[edit] National Security
As a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Nunes would have oversight over 17 military and national intelligence programs, including the CIA and other clandestine activities. He appears to travel extensively as a committee member. Unlike most congressional travel, in the highly secretive world of intelligence little is disclosed where Members of Congress travel unless reported by the House intelligence committee, foreign governments, or international media. Committee records indicate that Nunes has traveled to Europe, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia during 2011-2012.[21] Foreign country news reports reveal that Nunes was in Kashmir in November 2011 with Mac Thornberry (R-TX) also a member of the House intelligence committee and vice-chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, as part of a larger trip to India. It was further reported (and photographed) that they met with Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.[22]
As co-chair of the Brazil and Mexico caucuses, Nunes was selected by Speaker John Boehner to be a member of a well-publicized congressional delegation that the Speaker led to Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico in January 2012. Members of the delegation were Reps. Dave Camp (R-MI), Ways and Means Committee chairman; Doc Hastings (R-WA), Natural Resources Committee chairman; John Kline (R-MN), Education and the Workforce Committee chairman; Greg Walden (R-OR); and Dan Boren (D-OK). Boren was the sole Democrat on the trip.
[edit] Author
On September 13, 2010, Nunes' book, Restoring the Republic: A Clear, Concise, and Colorful Blueprint for America's Future was published by WND Books, an imprint of WorldNetDaily.
[edit] Committees 112th Congress
[edit] References
 |
Constructs such as ibid., loc. cit. and idem are discouraged by Wikipedia's style guide for footnotes, as they are easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated title. (January 2011) |
- ^ http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2023831_2023829_2025225,00.html
- ^ http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/government/7612-boehner-appoints-nunes-to-intelligence-committee
- ^ http://thehill.com/capital-living/23845-i-broke-so-many-tractors-they-made-me-work-with-the-cows
- ^ http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/candidate/devin-g-nunes/
- ^ http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20021109_41.php
- ^ a b http://www.nationaljournal.com/pubs/almanac/2008/people/ca/rep_ca21.htm
- ^ http://primary2002.sos.ca.gov/Returns/usrep/2154.htm
- ^ http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2010-primary/pdf/85-95-cd.pdf
- ^ http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/DepartmentPage.aspx?id=43518
- ^ http://waysandmeans.house.gov/
- ^ http://www.kmjnow.com/pages/landing_news?Valley-GOP-Reps-Introduce-Water-Legislat=1&blockID=520842&feedID=806
- ^ http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-5890
- ^ http://nunes.house.gov/_files/NUNES_038_xml.pdf
- ^ http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703578104575397652539348486.html
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/user/RepDevinNunes#p/u/1/j5i9fHP7Wzo
- ^ http://devinnunes.blogspot.com/2010/01/obama-admits-roadmap-reform-is.html
- ^ http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h2520ih.txt.pdf
- ^ http://nunes.house.gov/_files/BILLS111hr6484ih.pdf
- ^ http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-761
- ^ http://www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x1248562259/McCarthy-backs-plan-to-redirect-bullet-train-money-to-improve-Highway-99
- ^ http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/12/23/134023/job-of-a-lawmaker-includes-world.html
- ^ http://www.kashmirmediawatch.com/jammu/us-codel-led-by-mac-thornbery-calls-on-omar
[edit] External links
- U.S. Congressman Devin Nunes official House site
- Congressman Devin Nunes official campaign site
- Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Congressional profile at GovTrack
- Congressional profile at OpenCongress
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
- Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Appearances on C-SPAN programs
- Profile at SourceWatch
- Smart Voter's congressional district 21 results for 2002 2004 2006
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bill Thomas |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 21st congressional district 2003–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Tim Murphy R-Pennsylvania |
United States Representatives by seniority 218th |
Succeeded by Mike D. Rogers R-Alabama |
