Joseph R. Pitts

Joe Pitts
Early portrait of Joe Pitts
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Robert Smith Walker
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 158 district
In office January 2, 1973 – November 30, 1996
Preceded by	Benjamin J. Reynolds (politician)
Succeeded by	L. Chris Ross
Personal details
Born	October 10, 1939 (1939-10-10) Lexington, Kentucky
Political party	Republican Party (United States)
Spouse(s)	Virginia Pitts (née Pratt; 1968-present)
Residence	Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Alma mater	Asbury University, West Chester University
Occupation	Teacher
Religion	Evangelicalism
Military service
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Rank	Captain (United States)
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Air Medal

Joseph R. "Joe" Pitts (born October 10, 1939) is the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district, serving since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party (United States). The district is based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and includes much of Amish country. It also includes most of Reading, Pennsylvania and the far southwestern suburbs of Philadelphia in Chester County.

Early life, education and career

Pitts was born in Lexington, Kentucky and graduated from Asbury University. Pitts served five and a half years in the United States Air Force, with three tours in Vietnam. Initially commissioned as a Second Lieutenant#United States, he was promoted to Captain (United States) by the time he left the service. He graduated second in his class from Navigator School, after which he was trained as an Electronic Warfare officer. As an EW officer, he served on B-52 Stratofortresss out of Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, with payloads of nuclear bombs. In all, he completed 116 combat missions in the Vietnam War and earned an Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters.

Pitts was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1972, representing part of Chester County, Pennsylvania.

U.S. House of Representatives

Joe Pitts

Committee assignments

• United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • United States House Energy Subcommittee on Environment and Economy
  • United States House Energy Subcommittee on Health (Chairman)
• Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Political positions

Pitts has a very conservative voting record, which is not surprising given that his district has historically been one of the most Republican districts in the Northeast (though Barack Obama barely lost it in 2008). He received 100% ratings from the American Conservative Union in 2005 and the Christian Coalition of America in 2004.

In 2002 Pitts was angered after a federal judge ordered the removal of the Ten Commandments from the Chester County courthouse, releasing a press statement that said, "I think that religion and the Ten Commandments in particular should have a role in our public life" and supported The Ten Commandments Defense Act (H.R. 2045). Since his first term Pitts has been chairman of the Values Action Team, a subgroup of the Republican Study Committee that coordinates legislation with the Christian right.

Over the years Pitts has received 100% ratings from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 0% ratings from Public Citizens Congress Watch. In 2008 the ACLU gave him an 18% rating, the Human Rights Campaign gave him a score of 0%, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights gave him a score of 4%. In 2007-08 the John Birch Society gave him a score of 67%, and the American Conservative Union gave him a 100% rating, as did the Christian Coalition. Others: American Association of University Women, 2007-8, 16%; Republicans for Environmental Protection, 7% in 2007; and the Children's Health Fund, 2007-8, 0%; National Rifle Association, 2008, A; Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, 2003, 0%; National Breast Cancer Coalition, 2007-8, 0%; Children's Health Fund 2007-8, 0%. Ratings from labor groups are consistently at or near 0%; the Alliance for Worker Freedom, 2008, 100%.

Pitts visited Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban and Pakistan in 2002. He visited Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, and Israel in 2008 as part of a Congressional Delegation. He is a leading congressional advocate of nuclear power, and "introduced a bill in 2009 to fast-track the regulatory process for approving new reactors, he called it the 'Streamline America's Future Energy (SAFE) Nuclear Act.'"

Pitts is an advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Bob Goodlatte-Jim Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.

The Stupak–Pitts Amendment is an amendment to America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 written by Pitts and Democrat Bart Stupak of Michigan, and it inserted abortion into the national health overhaul debate. This amendment continues his longtime opposition to abortion. According to Jeff Sharlet, a contributing editor for Harper's, Pitts is a documented member of the Bible-oriented Christian group "The Fellowship (Christian organization)" and the C Street group in Washington, D.C.

In the 112th Congress, Pitts introduced the Protect Life Act, which would place additional restrictions on abortion access.

In July 2011, Pitts was revealed, in course of an FBI investigation, to have accepted tainted funds traced to the intelligence services of Pakistan. These funds, were routed through the so-called Kashmiri American Council (KAC), run by Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, who was convicted of several felonies by the Federal government. Pitts later donated these funds to charity.

Political campaigns

Pitts as a representative

After 10-term Republican congressman Robert Smith Walker opted not to run for reelection in 1996, Pitts won a crowded four-way primary. This was tantamount to election in this heavily Republican district. He has been reelected six times with no substantive opposition and faced no major-party opposition in 2002.

2006 election

Pitts originally promised to serve only 10 years (five terms) in the House, but announced he would run again in 2006 amid considerable controversy. Pitts' challengers in the November 7, 2006 election were Democrat Lois Herr and independent candidate John Murphy. Pitts won reelection with 57% of the vote to Herr's 39% and Murphy's 4%.

2008 election

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2008#District 16

In November 2008, Pitts ran for reelection. His opponents were Navy veteran and construction contractor Bruce Slater (Democratic Party) and candidate Dan Frank (Constitution Party). Pitts won the election with 56% of the votes. The top contributors to his campaign were health care and communications entities.

2010 election

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2010#District 16

Pitts won reelection by a landslide. He was challenged by Democratic nominee Lois Herr.

Electoral history

Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district: Results 2000-2010

Year		Democrat	Votes	Pct		Republican	Votes	Pct		Third Party	Votes	Pct		Third Party	Votes	Pct
2000		Bob Yorczyk	80,177	33.1%		Joe Pitts	162,403	67.0%
2002						Joe Pitts	119,046	88.5%		Will Todd	8,720	6.5%		Kenneth Brenneman	6,766	5.0%
2004		Lois Herr	98,410	34.5%		Joe Pitts	183,620	64.4%		William Hagen	3,269	1.25
2006		Lois Herr	80,915	39.6%		Joe Pitts	115,741	56.6%		John Murphy	7,958	3.9%
2008		Bruce Slater	120,193	39.4%		Joe Pitts	170,329	55.8%		John Murphy	11,768	3.9%		Daniel Frank	2,877	0.9%
2010		Lois Herr	70,994	34.6%		Joe Pitts	134,113	65.4%

Personal life

After leaving the Air Force in 1969, Pitts moved to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia and the hometown of his wife, Ginny. They built a house there, where they still live today.

External links

Media related to Joe Pitts at Wikimedia Commons

• U.S. Congressman Joe Pitts official U.S. House site
• Joe Pitts for Congress 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
• Pitts cosponsor of H.R. 4411: Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Robert Smith Walker	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district 1997–Present	Succeeded by Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by Bill Pascrell D-New Jersey	List of current members of the United States House of Representatives by seniority 130th	Succeeded by Silvestre Reyes D-Texas
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Preceded by Benjamin J. Reynolds (politician)	Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 158 1973–1996	Succeeded by L. Chris Ross