Patrick McHenry
Patrick McHenry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 10th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Cass Ballenger |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Single |
Patrick Timothy McHenry (born October 22, 1975) is a Republican United States Representative from North Carolina, representing the state's 10th Congressional district (see map). He previously was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for a single term.
Early years
McHenry was born and raised in Gastonia, North Carolina and attended Ashbrook High School. A Catholic, McHenry was the youngest of five children. His parents are now deceased.
While a student at North Carolina State University and Belmont Abbey College, McHenry chaired the North Carolina Federation of College Republicans and served as treasurer for the College Republican National Committee. His first run for public office was for the N.C. House of Representatives in 1998, while still a college student; his Democratic opponent was the father of a high school classmate.
After earning a B.A. in history in 1999, McHenry worked for a media consulting firm DCI/New Media, overseeing Rick Lazio's campaign against Hillary Clinton during her 2000 Senate bid. His main project there was running a Web site, NotHillary.com.
In the summer and fall of 2000, McHenry worked on George W. Bush's successful 2000 presidential campaign; he was a volunteer coordinator for Bush's inaugural committee. After six months working as a special assistant to the United States Secretary of Labor in Washington, D.C., McHenry returned to North Carolina and ran again for the state legislature, this time successfully.
Political career
A resident of Cherryville, North Carolina, McHenry represented the state's 109th House district, including constituents in Gaston County, for the 2003-2004 session. While in the legislature, he sat on the House Appropriations Committee.
After one term in the North Carolina General Assembly, McHenry successfully ran for Congress in the 10th Congressional District, which had come open when nine-term incumbent Cass Ballenger retired. McHenry faced a heavily contested primary in the 10th and bested his closest opponent, Catawba County Sheriff David Huffman, in a primary runoff by only 85 votes. In the general election, McHenry earned 64% of the popular vote, defeating Democrat Anne Fischer. However, it was generally thought McHenry's victory in the primary runoff was tantamount to election in November. His district is considered North Carolina's most Republican district, having sent Republicans to represent it since 1963.
In the 2006 election, McHenry defeated Democrat Richard Carsner, gaining almost 62% of the vote on the way to a second term representing the 10th District.
In 2008, McHenry defeated Lance Sigmon in the Republican primary, winning 67% of the vote, and will face Democrat Daniel Johnson in the general election.
Political positions
Committee Assignments
- Budget Committee
- Financial Services Committee
- Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
- Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
- Deputy Republican Whip
- Vice Chairman of Finance for the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Executive Committee
At age 49 years, 11 days, McHenry is the youngest member of the 110th United States Congress; he was also the youngest member of the North Carolina General Assembly during his term in the state House. His voting record is among the most conservative in the United States Congress.
He currently serves on three House Committees: Budget, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform. In the Committee on Financial Services, McHenry is working with Rep. Al Green (D-TX) on legislation requiring mortgage lenders to simplify their mortgage disclosure forms for home buyers. [1]
McHenry occupies two House Republican leadership positions, serving as a Deputy Whip and as Vice Chairman of Finance for the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Executive Committee.
In the 110th Congress, McHenry gained notoriety for his strong opposition to the new Democratic Majority and its leadership by proposing a "minority bill of rights," similar to a blocked 2004 plan by the then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to protect her own party [2].
Political Controversy
In August of 2007, McHenry raised a minor amount of attention when he mocked a $20 per month tax credit proposed in a Democratic energy bill [H.R. 2776] for persons who commute via bicycle:
"A major component of the Democrats' energy legislation and the Democrats' answer to our energy crisis is, hold on, wait one minute, wait one minute, it is promoting the use of the bicycle.
Oh, I cannot make this stuff up. Yes, the American people have heard this. Their answer to our fuel crisis, the crisis at the pumps, is: Ride a bike.
Democrats believe that using taxpayer funds in this bill to the tune of $1 million a year should be devoted to the principle of: "Save energy, ride a bike." Some might argue that depending on bicycles to solve our energy crisis is naive, perhaps ridiculous. Some might even say Congress should use this energy legislation to create new energy, bring new nuclear power plants on line, use clean coal technology, energy exploration, but no, no. They want to tell the American people, stop driving, ride a bike. This is absolutely amazing." [3]
McHenry stirred further controversy with his remarks on April 1, 2008 regarding a recent trip to Iraq. During his remarks to 150 Republicans attending the Lincoln County GOP Dinner, he called a contractor -- reported first by liberal blogs as a "U.S. soldier"[4] -- performing security duties in Iraq as "a two-bit security guard" because the contractor denied McHenry access to a gym.
"We spent the night in the Green Zone, in the poolhouse of one of Saddam’s palaces. A little weird, I got to be honest with you. But I felt safe. And so in the morning, I got up early — not that I make this a great habit — but I went to the gym because I just couldn’t sleep and everything else. Well, sure enough, the guard wouldn’t let me in. Said I didn’t have the correct credentials. It’s 5:00 in the morning. I haven’t had sleep. I was not very happy with this two-bit security guard. So you know, I said, “I want to see your supervisor.” Thirty minutes later, the supervisor wasn’t happy with me, they escort me back to my room. It happens. I guess I didn’t need to work out anyway."[5][6]
He later apologized, saying "[i]t was a poor choice of words to describe a foreign contractor."[7]
McHenry was also the subject of discussion regarding a video posted on his Congressional Campaign website that featured the Congressman in the Green Zone in Baghdad, pointing out landmarks and destruction after the missile attack(s) mentioned above. Veteran's affairs blog VetVoice posted a scathing attack[8], claiming that Patrick McHenry's video violated OPSEC, Operational Security. McHenry later removed the video after discussing the information with the Pentagon, whom requested McHenry not place the video back online[9]. Lance Sigmon, McHenry's opponent, later went on to call a press conference to demand an investigation regarding the full nature of the video's effect on Green Zone Troops[10]. Sigmon attacked McHenry in a campaign ad regarding this controversy, which prompted McHenry to threaten legal action, claiming that the ad was false. [11]
On April 16, 2008, Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call revealed that Patrick McHenry used funds from his PAC, "More Conservatives", in order to fund the defense of former aide Michael Aaron Lay's Voter Fraud charges incurred during McHenry's 2004 race[12].
Thanks, Boss. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) recently gave Michael Aaron Lay $10,000 to beat back voter fraud charges brought while the former campaign aide worked for the now-Member.
According to recent Federal Election Commission filings, McHenry gave Lay $5,000 out of his political action committee, More Conservatives PAC, in two payments during February and March.
The contributions were labeled “legal expense donation[s].” McHenry had given Lay another $10,000 in July 2007.[13]
Lay, who lived in McHenry's house during a 2004 election, was indicted for Voter Fraud in McHenry's election, having voted illegally in two separate instances[14]. In the primary runoff, McHenry only won by 86 votes.
References
- ^ REALTOR Magazine-Daily News-Bill Brings Clarity to Complex Mortgage Disclosures
- ^ TheHill.com - The anti-Pelosi
- ^ http://recap.fednet.net/archive/Buildasx.asp?sProxy=80_hflr080407_009.wmv&sTime=00:02:09.4&eTime=00:04:13&duration=00:02:05.0&UserName=repmc&sExpire=1
- ^ http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/04/rep-mchenry-calls-us-soldier-in-iraq-a-two-bit-security-guard/
- ^ McHenry Refers to Soldier as "Two Bit Security Guard", Carolina Politics Online, April 3, 2008
- ^ Video of Patrick McHenry's "two-bit soldier" remark on YouTube
- ^ http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/04/military_congressman_guardinsult_040408w/
- ^ http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=947
- ^ http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/NRSTAFF/472848578
- ^ http://www.charlotte.com/politics/story/587606.html
- ^ http://www.newstopic.net/articles/2008/04/22/news/75ad.txt
- ^ http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_121/money_matters/23041-1.html
- ^ http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_121/money_matters/23041-1.html
- ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/05/11/primarysource/entry2793560.shtml
External links
- Congressman Patrick McHenry official U.S. House site
- Patrick McHenry for Congress official campaign site