Steve Buyer
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Steve Buyer
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Souder |
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| Born | November 26, 1958 Rensselaer, Indiana |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Joni Buyer |
| Residence | Monticello, Indiana |
| Alma mater | The Citadel, Valparaiso University |
| Occupation | attorney |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1984 – 1987 (active) 1980 – present (reserve) |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Judge Advocate General's Corps |
| Battles/wars | Gulf War |
Stephen Earle Buyer (born November 26, 1958) has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993 for Indiana's 4th congressional district. He was born in Rensselaer, Indiana, was educated at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina and the Valparaiso University School of Law, served in the United States Army, and was a lawyer, Indiana state deputy attorney general, and legal counsel for the 22nd Theater Army in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm before entering the House. He served in the Gulf War as a lieutenant colonel in the Army.[1]
In 2004, Buyer received a promotion to Colonel in the United States Army Reserve at a White House ceremony by President George W. Bush, along with South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who was promoted to Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.
Contents |
[edit] U.S. Representative
[edit] Committee Assignments
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs (Ranking Member)
- National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus, Co-Chairman
In 1992 he supported bringing to a vote on the House floor regarding term limits on Congress in 1994. He voted for the measure and it received a majority of vote but not the 2/3 votes needed to pass.[2] However he has never voted in favor of personal term limits as long as members of the other party do not agree to them as well. This would put his and other districts at a huge disadvantage because of the seniority based system that exists in Congress.
On March 20, 2003 the following letter from Rep. Buyer to Rep. Hastert was included in the Congressional Record: "Dear Mr. Speaker: I have been called to active duty in the United States Army. Pending further orders, I request immediate indefinite leave of the United States House of Representatives to accommodate my military duties. Respectfully, Steve Buyer, Member of Congress"[3] Rep. Buyer was granted a paid leave of absence, which he spent in his home in Monticello, IN, according to the Gannett news article source the Department of Defense was able to fill the requirement for a JAG officer with someone else. [4]
Buyer, who interrogated captured Iraqis during the Gulf War, voted against the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, specifically the "no torture" amendment offered by Senator John McCain. He reasoned that torture was already unlawful. He stated, "I think the people of Indiana need to know that there's a lot of grandstanding going on here, there's a lot of self-projection."[5]
He served one of the House managers (prosecutors) in the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton.
In June 2009, he became the subject of some prime-time TV news jest after taking the floor against the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act when he likened the physical effects of smoking tobacco to that of smoking lettuce (in addition to claiming that the nicotine in cigarettes is not what makes them physically dangerous). Some facets of his argument were ridiculed by political pundits and news anchors around the nation.[6][7] Buyer was also featured in one of the satirical "Auto-Tune the News" videos by the Gregory Brothers.
[edit] References
- ^ "Reuters Veterans' defiance a nightmare for Bush". 2006-09-15. http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-09-15T190635Z_01_N15407865_RTRUKOT_0_TEXT0.xml&src=091506_1515_TOPSTORY_bush_argues_terror_case Reuters.
- ^ http://www.ontheissues.org/IN/Steve_Buyer.htm#Government_Reform
- ^ http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r108:H20MR3-0030:
- ^ AII POW-MIA InterNetwork
- ^ "Buyer has unique perspective on torture ban", Tom Walker/Washington Bureau Chief, WTHR, Channel 13, Indianapolis
- ^ MSNBC report
- ^ TDS report
[edit] External links
- U.S. Congressman Steve Buyer official House site
- Steve Buyer for Congress official campaign 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
- Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
- Profile from SourceWatch Congresspedia
| United States House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by Jim Jontz |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 5th congressional district 1993 – 2003 |
Succeeded by Dan Burton |
| Preceded by Mark Souder |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 4th congressional district 2003 – present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Chris Smith New Jersey |
Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee 2005 – 2007 |
Succeeded by Bob Filner California |
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