LEGISLATOR US Senator ROGER WICKER (R-MS) IN OFFICE CONTACT Up for re-election in 2018 Email Contact Form http://www.wicker.senate.gov/ 2nd Term public/index.cfm/contact Re-elected in 2012 Web www.wicker.senate.gov/publi... SENIORITY RANK http://www.wicker.senate.gov/ 46 public/index.cfm Out of 100 Twitter @SenatorWicker https://twitter.com/ SenatorWicker Facebook View on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ SenatorWicker DC Office 555 Dirksen Senate Office Building BGOV BIOGRAPHY By Chris Strohm, Bloomberg News Roger Wicker describes himself as a champion of limiting government, lowering taxes and reducing federal spending. He has received generally favorable ratings from such small-government organizations as the American Conservative Union, Club for Growth and National Tax Limitation Committee. The latter group gave him its “Tax Fighter Award” in 2012, citing his opposition to the 2010 health-care law and his votes against increasing the nation’s debt limit. “Unless current policy is changed, our national debt will continue to impede recovery and remain an unfair burden on future generations,” Wicker said in a statement accepting the award. In late 2014, Wicker defeated Dean Heller of Nevada for election as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 2015-2016 election cycle. The committee is tasked with recruiting and assisting Republican senatorial candidates. “It is a tough job and needs to be done by somebody who doesn’t mind calling around the country and asking conservatives of all stripes to contribute money,” he said after the election. On social issues, Wicker opposes abortion, same-sex marriage and gun control. The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund endorsed him in his 2012 re-election bid, giving him an A-plus rating. The group cited Wicker’s votes against confirming Obama’s nominees for the Supreme Court -- Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan -- and his opposition to international treaties that could impose restrictions on U.S. gun owners. Wicker supports a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution and regards himself as a fiscal conservative, views that haven’t prevented him from advocating for the interests of Mississippi, the poorest state in the country, according to Census Bureau figures. Wicker, who served on the Appropriations Committee when he was in the House, helped steer federal dollars to the © 2015 Bloomberg Finance L.P. All Rights Reserved Wicker, who served on the Appropriations Committee when he was in the House, helped steer federal dollars to the Magnolia State and the Gulf Coast, including funds for the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. He was co-sponsored the RESTORE Act, enacted in 2012 as part of a $105 billion bill reauthorizing surface transportation programs for two years. The law gave Gulf Coast states 80 percent of fines paid by BP Plc for ecological and economic damage caused by the 2010 oil spill. “Had Congress failed to act, these funds, which are paid by BP, would have gone to the Treasury. Now, they can be used for important recovery efforts,” Wicker said. With a seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Wicker can look out for the Army’s UH-72A Lakota helicopter, built in Columbus, Mississippi. Congress added $75 million to the budget request in early 2014, and Wicker won committee approval later that year to increase Lakota funding for fiscal 2015. Wicker is an advocate of health-care research and education. He has been instrumental in bringing research funding to Mississippi universities to conduct studies on a wide range of health-related projects. He supported cancer survivorship programs and efforts to fight heart disease, diabetes and childhood obesity. Dating from his days in the House, when he was on an Appropriations subcommittee that funded health programs, Wicker has worked to increase funds for the National Institutes of Health. He has been particularly active in pressing for funding for research into and treatment of muscular dystrophy and polio. He sponsored legislation to improve health care for Medicare beneficiaries in underserved areas, including an increased usage of “telehealth” programs. He also has pushed for wiping out polio worldwide and is co-founder of the Senate Malaria Caucus. The Children’s National Medical Center in Washington created the Wicker Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research in 2006 in honor of the lawmaker’s efforts to secure federal research dollars. In 2013, postal and law enforcement authorities intercepted a ricin-laced letter addressed to Wicker. The Mississippi man initially arrested in the case had once worked as an Elvis impersonator at a party Wicker and his wife threw. The charges were dropped and another man was charged. Early Years Wicker, the son of a lawyer who got involved in local politics and served for 20 years as a judge, had his own debut in the political arena at an early age. While in high school in 1967, he got an appointment as a House page through his congressman, Democrat Jamie Whitten. When he arrived in Washington, he was assigned instead to the Republican side of the aisle and observed the party’s lawmakers in action. In 1980, after obtaining a law degree and serving four years in the Air Force, he returned to Capitol Hill as an aide to Republican Trent Lott, then a House member. Wicker has been a Republican trailblazer in a variety of venues, starting with his election as the first Republican student body president at the University of Mississippi. In 1987, he was the first northern Mississippi Republican since post-Civil War reconstruction to win election to the state Senate. And when he was elected to the House in 1994, he succeeded Whitten, who had held that seat for 53 years. That 1994 election resulted in 73 new Republican House members, putting the party in charge the chamber after 40 years in the minority. Wicker was elected president of the freshman class and was given a seat on the Appropriations Committee -- one of six freshmen so honored. He easily won his subsequent House re-election contests. In 2007, Lott -- who had moved to the Senate in 1988 -- resigned to become a lobbyist and Wicker was appointed to the seat. Wicker defeated former Mississippi Governor Ronnie Musgrove in a 2008 special election to serve the last four years of Lott’s term. In 2012, Wicker won election to a full six-year term by 17 percentage points. Updated Nov. 26, 2014 BIO FROM REPRESENTATIVE'S WEBSITE From the Senator's Website Roger F. Wicker has represented Mississippi in the United States Senate since December 2007. During his time in the Senate, Wicker has championed pro-growth policies to create jobs and has worked to reduce spending, limit federal overreach, and maintain a strong national defense. Wicker serves as Deputy Whip and is a member of the Armed Services Committee; the Budget Committee; the Commerce, © 2015 Bloomberg Finance L.P. All Rights Reserved Wicker serves as Deputy Whip and is a member of the Armed Services Committee; the Budget Committee; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; the Environment and Public Works Committee; and the Joint Economic Committee. As Deputy Whip, Wicker works alongside Republican Whip John Cornyn to promote a conservative agenda and build support for the legislative plan. Senator Wicker has been a strong advocate for economic development initiatives to help keep Mississippians competitive in a global marketplace. He has been honored by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for his work on pro- growth, pro-manufacturing policies in Congress. Senator Wicker has actively supported cancer survivorship programs and efforts to fight heart disease with the American Heart Association, diabetes, and childhood obesity. He has been recognized as a "champion" of polio eradication for his work to wipe out polio worldwide. Senator Wicker is the co-founder of the Senate Malaria Caucus and has worked to eliminate this preventable disease. He has been instrumental in bringing more research funding to Mississippi universities for a wide range of health-related projects to fight disease and improve quality of life. Most notably, Wicker authored the Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research, and Education (MD CARE) Act of 2001, which created NIH centers of excellence to coordinate and enhance muscular dystrophy research. The Wicker Project at Children's National Medical Center is a leader in muscular dystrophy research. Prior to his service in the Senate, Wicker was elected seven times, beginning in 1994, to represent Mississippi's First Congressional District in the House of Representatives. Before being elected to Congress, he served in the state Senate on behalf of Lee and Pontotoc counties. Senator Wicker served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and then joined the Air Force Reserve. He retired from the Reserve in 2004 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. A native of Pontotoc, Mississippi, the Senator is the son of former Circuit Judge Fred Wicker and the late Mrs. Wordna Wicker. He was educated in the public schools of Pontotoc and received his B.A. and law degrees from the University of Mississippi. Wicker is a member of the First Baptist Church Tupelo, where he sings in the choir. Senator Wicker is married to the former Gayle Long of Tupelo. They have three children- Margaret and son-in-law Manning McPhillips; Caroline and son-in-law Kirk Sims; and McDaniel Wicker and his wife Kellee; and four grandchildren- Caroline, Henry, Maury McPhillips, and Evelyn Sims.