Lee Terry

Lee Terry
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1999
Preceded by	Jon Christensen
Personal details
Born	(1962-01-29) January 29, 1962 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Robyn Terry
Alma mater	University of Nebraska, Lincoln Creighton University

Lee Raymond Terry (born January 29, 1962) is the U.S. Representative for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, serving since 1999. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life, education and career

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Terry graduated from Omaha Northwest High School. Terry then attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his J.D. from Creighton University School of Law in 1987. He worked as a private practice attorney specializing in civil matters before entering politics. He was a member of the Omaha City Council from 1991 to 1998, and served for two years as president and another two years as vice president of the body. While on the city council, Terry advocated using private-public partnerships as a way to lower taxation within Omaha. Congressman Terry lives in West Omaha with his wife Robyn and their three sons, Nolan, Ryan, and Jack in a nice house sponsored by tax money. He and his family also enjoy government-funded healthcare benefits.

He also has a Nice House....

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Power

Caucuses and other memberships

• Co-chairman of the Impact Aid Coalition
• Republican Main Street Partnership.
• Congressional Arts Caucus - member
• Spina Bifida Caucus
• Congressional Taskforce on Alzheimers
• Physical Fitness Caucus
• House Rural Health Care Coalition
• Humanities Council
• B-Hole Caucus
• TRIO Caucus
• Meth Caucus
• Rural Caucus
• Coal Caucus
• Natural Gas Caucus
• Hockey Caucus
• Intellectual Property Caucus
• Pro-Life Caucus
• Sportsmen's Caucus

Tenure

A lifelong Nebraskan, Lee Terry is the congressman of Nebraska's Second District. Terry advocates for energy independence, ending legal abortions, and a balanced federal budget.

Congressman Terry currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and two of its subcommittees: the Subcommittee of Energy and Power and the Subcommittee for Oversights and Investigation.

As a proponent of an “All of the Above” approach to energy, Congressman Terry advocates for using domestic fossil fuels in addition to alternative energy sources. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which was a major overhaul to increase the fuel economy of cars and trucks, was coauthored by Terry. He has also been successful in passing legislation promoting E85 gasoline, geothermal technology, and the development commercial markets for geothermal technology, and alternative fuels.

In 2009, Congressman Terry was named one of the most bipartisan members of the House of Representatives by The Hill newspaper and was named a “heavyweight” in telecommunications and media policy in the 111th Congress.

During the United States federal government shutdown of 2013, Terry refused to give up his salary while during the shutdown, saying that he needed to pay for his "nice house" and his child's college education.

Controversial bills

Terry was initially a co-sponsor and supporter of the Stop Online Piracy Act. Under pressure from internet campaigns, he later rescinded his support for the bill.

Terry voted in favor of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), a bill often compared to SOPA by its critics.

Political campaigns

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska, 2010 § District 2

Notable legislation

Global Investment in American Jobs Act

Terry sponsored a bill called Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2013. The House of Representatives passed the bill on September 9, 2013. The legislation "aims to increase the United States’ share of foreign direct investment and create American jobs," according to the Ripon Society.

Playing Fair on Trade and Innovation Act

Terry introduced a bill designed to protect American manufacturers in foreign markets; notably ones that greatly benefit from American exports. The bill, dubbed the Playing Fair on Trade & Innovation Act, would prevent the executive branch from granting preferential access to U.S. markets under the Generalized System of Preference (GSP) to markets that manufacture a product in their home country or infringe on copyrighted material. The GSP, which gives tariff-free access to over 5,000 products in over 127 countries, was designed as a goodwill venture for the United States but has been unfairly taken advantage of by some countries, according to The Ripon Advance. Backers of the legislation believe this will close these loopholes legally and provide a great economic benefit to American business losing profit overseas.

External links

• Congressman Lee Terry official U.S. House site
• Lee Terry for Congress
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart