Doug Lamborn: Difference between revisions
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==Voice mail controversy== |
==Voice mail controversy== |
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On [[August 24]], Jonathan Bartha, who works for [[Focus on the Family]] (headquartered in Colorado Springs), and his wife Anna wrote a letter to the editor in a community newspaper expressing concerns about Lamborn's |
On [[August 24]], Jonathan Bartha, who works for [[Focus on the Family]] (headquartered in Colorado Springs), and his wife Anna wrote a letter to the editor in a community newspaper expressing concerns about Congressman Lamborn's taking several campaign contributions from the gaming industry. Congressman Lamborn returned said donations and it was later shown that the Bartha’s misunderstanding came because they did not know how Federal Election Committee finance reports work. “Federal Elections Commission records aren’t clear enough for the average person” said El Paso Country GOP Chairman Greg Garcia. Garcia also added that he’s convinced Lamborn did not accept campaign contributions from gaming companies.<ref>[http://www.gazette.com/articles/lamborn_27023___article.html/gambling_couple.html GOP calls spat just a misunderstanding] Retrieved September 8, 2007</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 01:00, 22 January 2008
Doug Lamborn | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 5th district | |
Assumed office January 4, 2007 | |
Preceded by | Joel Hefley |
Personal details | |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Jeanie Lamborn |
Doug Lamborn (born May 24, 1954, Leavenworth, Kansas) is a Republican politician for the U.S. state of Colorado. He currently serves in the United States House of Representatives as the Congressman for Colorado's 5th congressional district, based in Colorado Springs.
Lamborn attended the University of Kansas as a National Merit Scholar, where he received a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1978 and graduated with his Juris Doctor in 1986. Lamborn practiced law as an attorney before entering politics. In 1995, he was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives and was elected Republican Whip in 1997. He successfully ran for a Colorado Senate seat in 1998, where he was elected President Pro-tem in 1999. Lamborn served in the Colorado Senate until winning a seat in Congress.[1] Lamborn was the ranking Republican on the Colorado State Military and Veterans Affairs, and Appropriations committees. While in the State Senate Lamborn sponsored the largest tax cut in Colorado State History, [2] and was named the highest-ranking tax cutter in the Senate five times, by the Colorado Union of Taxpayers.[1]
Lamborn has a conservative voting record [3] and opposes gun control, abortion except when the mother's life is threatened, federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, providing public benefits to illegal immigrants, and is an opponent of the new eminent domain rulings.[4]
2006 Election
On February 16, 2006, Joel Hefley announced he would retire after 10 terms in Congress.[5] In the August 8 2006 Republican primary, Lamborn defeated five other candidates to win the party nomination. Outside organizations ran ads for and against the candidates in the race, some of whose claims were disputed in the close contest, creating contention. One of the most controversial came when, just before the election, the Christian Coalition of Colorado, which supported Doug Lamborn, sent out mailers claiming that Jeff Crank supported the "radical homosexual lobby." Lamborn denied any personal involvement, saying, "The strongest thing I ever said about my opponents in debate was that some tried to raise taxes,"[6]
Lamborn earned the endorsement in the primary of numerous national organizations, including National Right to Life, National Pro-life Alliance, [7] National Rifle Association, Gunowners of America, [8] Club for Growth, National Right to Work, Eagle Forum, and Minuteman PAC. [9] The Democratic nominee for the open seat in Colorado's 5th congressional district was Jay Fawcett. Lamborn won the election on November 7 2006 with 59% voting for Lamborn and 40% voting for Fawcett.
2008 Election
Jeff Crank and Bentley Rayburn have both announced that they will challenge Lamborn in the 2008 Republican primary. Both lost to Lamborn in the 2006 primary.
The Colorado Republican Party does not endorse candidates in primaries. However, lingering hurt feelings and “sour grapes” from the last primary has caused some division in the local GOP. Colorado GOP Chairman Dick Wadhams will remain neutral, "It's one of those situations where the party is so divided...that there's no advantage getting involved one way or another."[10]
Accomplishments
In the 110th Congress, Lamborn is serving on the Armed Services, Natural Resources and Veterans Affairs committees. He is the only freshman Republican to gain a seat on the Armed Services Committee. As well, Lamborn is one of only nine freshmen out of more than 50 to be given either a chairmanship or ranking member status of a subcommittee. [11]
After more than two years of hard work and leadership, Congressman Lamborn and other elected officials successfully landed an office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in Colorado Springs. The office is expected to open in February 2009 and will increase immigration enforcement agents in the area from two to ten. “The immediate need is to address those that have committed a crime and make sure they’re sent out of the country,” Lamborn said.[12]
Congressman Lamborn was instrumental in bringing a Brigade Combat Team to his district in December, 2007. The Brigade Combat Team consisting of almost 5,000 soldiers, their families, support personnel as well as increased military construction.[13]
Lamborn has accumulated a conservative voting record. Congressional quarterly said that through the first August recess, Lamborn had voted against the Democratic agenda in the U.S. House more than any other Republican.[3] Lamborn led an effort among conservative Republicans to force the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to discard proposed regulations that would have affected accessibility to small arms ammunition, which were opposed by Second Amendment groups.[14]
Voice mail controversy
On August 24, Jonathan Bartha, who works for Focus on the Family (headquartered in Colorado Springs), and his wife Anna wrote a letter to the editor in a community newspaper expressing concerns about Congressman Lamborn's taking several campaign contributions from the gaming industry. Congressman Lamborn returned said donations and it was later shown that the Bartha’s misunderstanding came because they did not know how Federal Election Committee finance reports work. “Federal Elections Commission records aren’t clear enough for the average person” said El Paso Country GOP Chairman Greg Garcia. Garcia also added that he’s convinced Lamborn did not accept campaign contributions from gaming companies.[15]
References
- ^ a b About Rep. Lamborn Retrieved May 10, 2007
- ^ The Club For Growth — Doug Lamborn — Colorado's 5th District Retrieved May 11, 2007
- ^ a b Giroux, Greg (August 10, 2007). "CQPolitics.com Candidate Watch". Congressional Quarterly.
- ^ Rep. Elect Doug Lamborn Congressional Quarterly November 8, 2006
- ^ Sprengelmeyer, M.E. (17 Feb 2006). "Hefley calls it a career". Rocky Mountain News.
- ^ Foster, Dick (October 18, 2006). "Reagan's vision drew Lamborn to political life". Rocky Mountain News.
- ^ Rep. Doug Lamborn on Pro Life Issues Retrieved November 3, 2007
- ^ Rep. Doug Lamborn on Guns and the Second Amendment Retrieved November 3, 2007
- ^ Doug Lamborn: More Support for Doug Lamborn Retrieved November 3, 2007
- ^ http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/1107/Colorado_GOP_not_endorsing_Lamborn_for_reelection_in_primary.html
- ^ Congressman Doug Lamborn To Serve As Acting Ranking Member Of The Water And Power Subcommittee Representative Doug Lamborn. May 23, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007
- ^ ICE Office, More Agents Slated For Springs Retrieved January 19, 2007
- ^ [http://www.gazette.com/articles/fort_31061___article.html/carson_troops.html Post heads for 30,000 ] Retrieved December 21, 2007
- ^ Labor Department Announces It Will Revise Overreaching OSHA Explosives Rule Retrieved September 24, 2007
- ^ GOP calls spat just a misunderstanding Retrieved September 8, 2007
External links
- U.S. Representative Doug Lamborn, U.S. House site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Profile at Vote Smart
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Doug Lamborn profile
- Doug Lamborn for Congress, Campaign site
- Lamborn’s record bears out his conservative talk Ed Sealover, Daily Gazette, July 13, 2006
- In 5th, Lamborn offers specifics editorial, Rocky Mountain News, October 20, 2006
- War path — Lamborn backs Bush Colorado Springs Independent Examines Lamborn's Pro-War Stance