Steven Palazzo (R-Ms-04)
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LEGISLATOR US Representative STEVEN PALAZZO (R-MS-04) IN OFFICE CONTACT Up for re-election in 2016 Email Contact Form http://palazzo.house.gov/ 3rd Term contact Re-elected in 2014 Web palazzo.house.gov http://palazzo.house.gov Twitter @congpalazzo https://twitter.com/ congpalazzo Facebook View on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ stevenpalazzo DC Office 331 Cannon House Office Building BGOV BIOGRAPHY By Brian Nutting, Bloomberg News Steve Palazzo says he believes in limited government. On his campaign website, he proudly notes the National Journal rated him as the most conservative member of the Mississippi congressional delegation in 2013. He opposes abortion, gun control and same-sex marriage. He decries excessive government spending. “More and more of our limited resources are being spent on unlimited entitlement programs and reasonable cuts must become a reality,” he says on his campaign website. “What has our nation become when 29 million Americans depend on the government for assistance to live their lives every day?” Palazzo’s votes fit with his Tea Party-backed colleagues in the freshman class of 2010, and he joined the Tea Party Caucus and the Republican Study Committee upon his arrival on Capitol Hill. Yet his credentials have been called into question by groups such as the Club for Growth and local Tea Party organizations, who unsuccessfully sought a primary challenger in 2014 who they could view as more dependably conservative. He has supported federal spending for hurricane relief and worked to change the federal flood insurance program to avert big increases in premiums for homeowners -- actions that have made him suspect in the eyes of some former supporters. Palazzo, after initially voting against an emergency spending bill to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, visited affected areas in New Jersey. “I was reminded of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Mississippians have been through much of what the Sandy victims are experiencing.” Palazzo said in a written statement. “Now is the time for the federal government to provide immediate relief to those affected by the storm. I am fully committed to providing the relief they so desperately need.” Palazzo’s district spans the state’s entire Gulf of Mexico coastline. The Club for Growth later cited his vote for the bill when the group named him as one of 10 House Republicans it wanted to oppose in the 2014 Republican primaries. The Club said that Palazzo voted many times for wasteful spending, including Amtrak subsidies and “pork-filled ‘emergency spending’” to deal with Hurricane Sandy. Palazzo had a 69 percent rating from the Club for his votes in 2011 and 2012; however the Club said that the representative from such an overwhelmingly © 2015 Bloomberg Finance L.P. All Rights Reserved from the Club for his votes in 2011 and 2012; however the Club said that the representative from such an overwhelmingly Republican district should post a much higher score. Mitt Romney won 68 percent of the district’s vote in the 2012 presidential election. In 2013, Palazzo voted against giving the National Flood Insurance Program more borrowing authority; in 2014, however, as homeowners saw huge increases coming in their flood insurance premiums, Palazzo joined with other lawmakers in amending the program. “Congress never intended to punish responsible homeowners, yet that is exactly what FEMA is doing as it implements the law with flawed maps and procedures,” Palazzo said on the House floor, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “These actions are threatening individuals and entire communities.” Although some small-government groups depicted the flood-insurance program as a federal subsidy for wealthy owners of beachfront vacation homes, Palazzo said the vast majority of participants are middle-class homeowners. Palazzo’s committee assignments include the Science, Space and Transportation panel, where he is chairman of the Space Subcommittee -- a gavel he got as a freshman. The subcommittee oversees the National Aeronautics and Space Agency, which has its John C. Stennis Space Center in Palazzo’s district. In January 2013, his bill to support commercial space transportation was enacted, and he set to work to draft a NASA authorization bill. He also serves on the Armed Services Committee, where he can look out for large Navy and Air Force bases in his district, along with Huntington Ingalls Industries shipbuilding operation in Pascagoula. Palazzo notes that he has a more personal interest in the Armed Services panel as well -- he is a sergeant in the Mississippi Army National Guard. Palazzo supports term limits for members of Congress. In the 113th Congress he offered a constitutional amendment to limit House members to six consecutive terms and senators to two consecutive terms. Early Years Palazzo was born and grew up in Gulfport. He joined the Marine Corps Reserves and also went to college 70 miles north of there in Hattiesburg at the University of Southern Mississippi. His unit was mobilized and he served in the Middle East in both Desert Storm and Desert Shield, the Persian Gulf War. Upon his return, he finished his undergraduate studies and obtained an MBA. He opened a CPA firm, specializing in income tax work for Americans living overseas. He left the Marine Reserves in 1996 and later joined the Army National Guard. In 2006 Palazzo won a special election for the state House of Representatives to replace a Republican incumbent who had resigned. Palazzo was elected to a full term in 2007. During his tenure he sponsored a resolution affirming states’ rights under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, which reserves to the states all powers not delegated to the federal government. Palazzo characterized the federal government as “over-reaching.” In 2010, before his state House term had expired, Palazzo decided to challenge 21-year Democratic veteran Representative Gene Taylor in the 4th District race. Taylor, one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, was unable to completely blunt Palazzo’s charge that he was too cozy with national Democratic leaders. In the Republican electoral wave of 2010, Palazzo prevailed by 5 percentage points. He won with more ease in 2012. In 2014, Taylor made an unsuccessful bid to take back the seat, this time challenging Palazzo in the Republican primary. Updated Aug. 20, 2014. BIO FROM REPRESENTATIVE'S WEBSITE From the Representative's Website Congressman Steven M. Palazzo is proud to serve the people of South Mississippi's 4th Congressional District, which includes Mississippi's Gulf Coast and Pine Belt regions. As a Persian Gulf War veteran, member of the Mississippi National Guard, and former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, Steven's record of service began long before he was first sworn into office on January 5, 2011. During his first term, Steven was selected to serve on the Majority Whip team as well as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, both rare honors for a freshman member. His military service and firsthand experience with veterans issues also made him a valuable addition to the House Armed Services Committee. In these roles, he has been a consistent advocate for a strong national defense, recognition for veterans, and bringing fiscal common-sense back to Washington by supporting balanced budgets and pro-growth policies. His legislative accomplishments include passage of RESTORE Act legislation that will bring hundreds of millions of dollars © 2015 Bloomberg Finance L.P. All Rights Reserved His legislative accomplishments include passage of RESTORE Act legislation that will bring hundreds of millions of dollars back to the Gulf Coast for environmental and economic development projects, and crucial space legislation known as the 'Space Exploration Sustainability Act.' Because of these successes, Steven was also afforded the rare honor of being named to a third committee at the beginning of his second term, the Committee on Homeland Security. Steven's prior life includes experience working on oil rigs, serving on active duty overseas, and starting and owning his own small business. He also served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 2006 to 2010. A Gulf Coast native, Steven lives in Biloxi, Mississippi, with his wife, Lisa, and their three children- Barrett, Aubrey and Bennett. PERSONAL PROFILE COMMITTEES Birthdate 02/21/1970 PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS House Committee on Appropriations Birthplace Gulfport, MS Education CAUCUSES Political Party Republican Party University of Southern Mississippi House National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus Master's Degree 1996 Marital Status Married House Republican Study Committee University of Southern Mississippi House Tea Party Caucus Spouse Lisa Bachelor's Degree 1994 Residence Biloxi, MS Family 3 children 1988 - 1996 (US)Dept of Defense 2007 - 2010 State Representative, (MS)House of Representatives 2007 - Present (MS)National Guard 01-05-2011 - Present Representative:Mississippi, (US)House of Representatives © 2015 Bloomberg Finance L.P. All Rights Reserved.