Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) Senator Jon Tester is a third-generation Montana farmer, a proud grandfather, and a former school teacher who has deep roots in hard work, responsibility and accountability. Jon and his wife Sharla still farm the same land near the town of Big Sandy, Mont. that was homesteaded by Jon’s grandparents in 1912. Jon’s parents believed public education and family agriculture are the cornerstones of democracy—and those values had a tremendous role in shaping Jon’s leadership. After earning a degree in music from the College of Great Falls, Jon took over the Tester farm in 1978. He also taught music at F.E. Miley Elementary and eventually was elected to the Big Sandy School Board. Fired up by the Montana Legislature’s decision to deregulate Montana’s power industry (resulting in higher power costs), Jon ran for and was elected to the Montana Senate in 1998. In 2005, Jon’s colleagues chose him to serve as Montana Senate President. The people of Montana then elected Jon to the United States Senate in 2006. Date of Birth: August 21, 1956 They voted to send him back in 2012 and again in 2018. Year Elected to Seat: 2007 Jon believes in holding himself accountable to the highest standards possible, and he has improved transparency at all levels of government. In fact, Jon was the first senator to post his daily public schedule online. Up for Reelection: 2024 In the U.S. Senate, Jon is an outspoken voice for rural America. He is an advocate for small businesses who has hosted numerous Small Business Opportunity Workshops across Montana to serve thousands of business owners and entrepreneurs. He is a champion of responsible energy development, Education: University of Great Falls sportsmen’s issues, clean air and water, Indian nations, women’s access to care, and quality health care for all of America’s veterans—no matter where they live. Committees Assignments: In the Senate, Jon serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. He is also a member of the Senate Commerce, Indian Affairs, • Appropriations Banking, and Appropriations Committees. • Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs • Veterans Affairs, Ranking Member • Indian Affairs • Commerce, Science, and Transportation Notes: Biographical information derived from the Congressional website of the legislator referenced above. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) A fifth-generation Montanan, Steve Daines brings 28 years of private-sector business experience to Washington, D.C. as he serves the people of Montana in the U.S. Senate. Steve is a lifelong sportsman and grew up in Bozeman, Montana. After attending public schools (K-12) in Bozeman, Steve worked his way through college at Montana State University and graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He spent thirteen years in a management role for Procter & Gamble, and then returned to Bozeman in 1997 to work in a family construction business. In 2000, Steve took on the role of VP at RightNow Technologies, a Bozeman-based cloud computing start-up company. The company grew rapidly and became a publicly traded software company with 17 offices around the world, and products in over 30 languages. The company was acquired by Oracle in 2012 and remains one of Montana's largest commercial employers. Steve was elected to serve as Montana’s United States Representative in 2012. During his time in the House, Daines championed legislation to expand responsible development of Montana’s energy resources, move forward meaningful forest Date of Birth: August 20, 1962 management reform, increase transparency and accountability in government, and require members of Congress to balance the budget – or see their pay terminated. Additionally, he passed the most significant public lands bill for Montana in over 30 years. He was ranked the most effective first-term House member in 2013 and again in 2014. Year Elected to Seat: 2015 In the U.S. Senate, Daines is working on issues of critical importance to growing good-paying Montana jobs, developing our state’s energy resources, Up for Reelection: 2020 managing and protecting our public lands and supporting the needs of Montana’s veterans and tribes. He serves on numerous Senate Committees including Finance, Appropriations, Energy and Natural Resources, and Indian Affairs. Education: Montana State University Steve has been married to his wife, Cindy, for 31 years. They live in Bozeman and are the parents of four children: David, Annie, Michael and Caroline. Steve and his family are actively involved in their church and community volunteer organizations and enjoy backpacking, hunting, skiing and fishing. Committees Assignments: • Appropriations • Energy and Natural Resources • Indian Affairs • Finance Notes: Biographical information derived from the Congressional website of the legislator referenced above. Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, Richard served five terms in the House and is currently serving North Carolina in his third term in the U.S. Senate. He is a vocal advocate for our men and women in the military and their families, and for the growing population of veterans across North Carolina. In the Senate, Richard serves as Chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence where he puts the security of the American people first, while providing rigorous oversight of our intelligence community. He also sits on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the Finance Committee. The son of a minister, Richard and his family moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina when he was a young child. After graduating from Wake Forest University, he began his career far from the halls of Congress by spending seventeen years in business with Carswell Distributing, a wholesale commercial products company. Date of Birth: November 30, 1955 He also serves as a Board Member of Brenner Children’s Hospital and on the West Point Board of Visitors. Richard and his wife, Brooke, have two sons. Year Elected to Seat: 2005 Up for Reelection: 2022 Education: Wake Forest University Committees Assignments: • Finance • Health, Education, Labor and Pensions • Intelligence, Chairman • Special Committee on Aging Notes: Biographical information derived from the Congressional website of the legislator referenced above. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis is committed to preserving the American Dream for younger generations and supports commonsense policies that will generate economic growth and opportunities for working families. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Thom directly advocates for North Carolina’s rich military tradition, our veterans, and men and women currently in uniform. Thom also sits on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, Judiciary Committee, and the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Thom was born into a working-class family with his father and mother and five siblings. During his childhood, his family was frequently forced to relocate depending on where his parents could find work. After graduating from high school, Thom was unable to afford college, so he took a job as a warehouse records clerk earning minimum wage. He knows firsthand how difficult it is to raise a family while attending school at night, struggling to make ends meet. Through hard work and dedication Thom quickly moved up the corporate ladder, earning his degree at 36 and becoming a top-level executive at Date of Birth: August 30, 1960 PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM. Thom’s 22-year private sector career in technology and management consulting has provided him with a deep understanding of policy-making and the management of complex organizations. Year Elected to Seat: 2015 Fueled by a desire to make a difference in his local community, Thom’s involvement in public service began by serving as the PTA president of his Up for Reelection: 2020 daughter’s high school and as a member of the Town of Cornelius Board of Commissioners. In 2006, he was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives and was selected by his peers to serve as Speaker of the House from 2011 to 2014. As Speaker, Thom played an instrumental role in enacting job-creating policies and reforming North Carolina’s tax and regulatory codes. Education: University of Maryland Thom lives with his wife Susan in Huntersville, North Carolina, and they are the proud parents of two grown children. Committees Assignments: • Armed Services • Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs • Judiciary • Veterans’ Affairs Notes: Biographical information derived from the Congressional website of the legislator referenced above. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) Kevin John Cramer is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for North Dakota's at-large congressional district since 2013. Cramer previously chaired the North Dakota Republican Party (1991–1993) and served as State Tourism Director (1993–1997) and Economic Development Director (1997–2000). He served on the North Dakota Public Service Commission from 2003 to 2012.On November 6, 2018, Cramer defeated incumbent Senator Heidi Heitkamp in the 2018 U.S. Senate race in North Dakota. Cramer was born in Rolette, North Dakota, the first of five children of Clarice (Hjelden) and Richard Cramer. He was raised in Kindred, North Dakota, in Cass County. Cramer graduated from Kindred High School. He received a B.A. degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, in 1983. He earned a master's degree in management from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 2003. In addition to political work, Cramer is an adjunct instructor of business and management at the University of Mary and a university trustee. A popular master of ceremonies, Cramer carries his message of the call to be “servant leaders” to campuses and conferences across the United States. He serves on many boards and commissions and also chairs the Roughrider Honor Flight Committee, which raises funds and organizes flights for WWII Veterans to Date of Birth: January 21, 1961 visit the memorial built in their honor on the U.S.