Larry Craig
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| Larry Craig | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1991– Serving with Mike Crapo |
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| Preceded by | Jim McClure |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbent (2009) |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from
Idaho's 1st district |
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| In office January 5, 1981–January 3, 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Steve Symms |
| Succeeded by | Larry LaRocco |
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| Born | July 20, 1945 (age 61) Midvale, Idaho |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Suzanne Thompson |
| Profession | Rancher |
| Religion | Methodist |
Larry Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is the senior United States Senator from Idaho. He is a member of the Republican Party, and has been a Senator since 1991; he was a U.S. Representative from 1981 to 1991.[1]
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[edit] Early life and education
Craig was born in Council, Idaho to Dorothy Lenore McCord and Elvin Oren Craig.[2] In 1969, he earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Idaho, where he served as student body President and was a member of the Delta Chi fraternity. He pursued graduate studies at George Washington University before returning to his family's ranching business in 1971, and was a member of the Idaho National Guard from 1970 to 1972, attaining the rank of E3.[3]
[edit] Idaho legislature
Craig was elected to the Idaho State Senate in 1974 and reelected in 1976 and 1978.[4]
[edit] U.S. Congress
Including his service in the House of Representatives, as of 2007 Craig is the second-longest serving member of the United States Congress in Idaho history, trailing only William E. Borah. If reelected in 2008 Craig would pass Borah in November 2013.
[edit] House of Representatives
In 1980, Craig was elected to an open seat in the United States House of Representatives; he succeeded Steve Symms, who stood for the United States Senate, as representative for the first congressional district of Idaho. He was re-elected four times, serving until 1991. While in the House, he supported Ronald Reagan's push to expand vocational education.
[edit] U.S. Senate
[edit] Elections
In 1990, Craig announced his candidacy for the United States Senate seat to be vacated by the retiring Jim McClure. Craig defeated Idaho Attorney General Jim Jones in the Republican primary and former state legislator Ron J. Twilegar in the general election, getting 57 percent of the vote. Craig was reelected in 1996 with 57 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Walt Minnick, and in 2002, when he spent $3.2 million to defeat Alan Blinken, winning with 65 percent of the vote.
Craig has not indicated if he will run for reelection in 2008. Announced candidates include Republican Robert Vasquez, a former Canyon County commissioner, and Democrat Larry LaRocco, a former Congressman[5].
[edit] Committees
Craig was chairman of the Republican Policy Committee from 1997 until 2003.[1] He then became chairman of the Special Committee on Aging. He is currently the ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
[edit] Political positions and actions
Craig is a long-time, leading advocate for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
In May 2003, Craig put a hold on more than 200 Air Force promotions in an attempt to pressure the Air Force to station four new C-130 cargo planes in Idaho, saying that he received a commitment from the Air Force almost seven years earlier that the planes would be delivered. Defense officials said the reason the C-130s had not been sent to Idaho was that no new aircraft were being manufactured for the type of transport mission done by the Idaho Air National Guard unit where Craig wanted the planes delivered.[6]
Craig is a supporter of the guest-worker program proposed by President George W. Bush. In April 2005, Craig attempted to amend an Iraq War supplemental bill with an AgJOBS amendment that would have granted legal status to between 500,000 and 1 million illegal immigrants in farm work. The amendment received 53 votes; 60 were needed because the amendment was not relevant to the matter at hand.[7] A version of the AgJOBS bill legislation was included in the Senate-passed immigration reform bill in 2006.
In October 2005, Craig suggested that flooded sections of New Orleans should be abandoned after Hurricane Katrina had hit. "Fraud is in the culture of Iraqis. I believe that is true in the state of Louisiana as well," Craig was quoted as saying in a local paper.[8]
On December 16, 2005, Craig voted against a cloture motion filed relative to the USA PATRIOT Act; the motion ultimately earned only 52 votes, and so a Democratic filibuster against extension of the Act (due to expire at the end of 2005) was permitted to continue.[9] On December 21, 2005, Craig backed a six-month extension of the Act while further negotiations took place.[10] On February 9, 2006, Craig announced an agreement between himself, the White House, and fellow Senators John E. Sununu, Arlen Specter, Lisa Murkowski, Chuck Hagel, and Richard Durbin to reauthorize the Act.[11]
In 2006, Craig posted to his Senate website all the earmarks he had inserted into federal spending bills since joining the Senate Appropriations Committee in 1998.
The American Conservative Union gave Craig's 2005 voting record 96 points out of 100. The liberal Americans for Democratic Action gave him 15. Considered a social conservative, Craig has long been an advocate of adoption. He supports the Federal Marriage Amendment, voting for cloture on the amendment in both 2004 and 2006. He voted against cloture on a bill in 2002, which would have extended the federal definition hate crimes to cover sexual orientation.[12]
[edit] Personal
Craig and his wife Suzanne have two sons, Mike and Jay, and a daughter, Shae; the children are from her previous marriage and were adopted by Craig.[13] They have nine grandchildren.[14]
In 2000 Craig formed a barbershop quartet called The Singing Senators with Senators Trent Lott, John Ashcroft, and James Jeffords.[15]
[edit] Other
Prior to the nomination of Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne, Craig was mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Gale Norton as United States Secretary of the Interior in March 2006.[16]
Craig has been on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association since 1983.[17]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b Congressional biography
- ^ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/senators/craig.htm
- ^ Official biography
- ^ LaRocco to run for Senate; Craig mum on future Accessed 6 April 2007
- ^ "Idaho senator holds up Air Force promotions: Dispute over cargo planes at issue", Kate Snow, Steve Turnham and Trish Turner, CNN, June 10, 2003
- ^ San Diego Tribune Legal status for undocumented farmworkers fails April 20, 2005
- ^ "Senator: LA is as Corrupt as Iraq", WAFB (Louisiana), October 18, 2005
- ^ CNN.com Patriot Act renewal fails in Senate. December 17, 2005.
- ^ USA TODAY Senate strikes deal to extend Patriot Act, December 21, 2005.
- ^ CBS News Agreement Reached on Patriot Act Changes, February 10, 2006.
- ^ Senate: Roll Call
- ^ Associated Press Election Coverage, October 18, 2006. Retrieved 10/18/2006
- ^ [1]. Retrieved 03/23/07
- ^ Wired News They Put the Party in GOP 19 April, 2000.
- ^ Red Orbit Kempthorne, Craig Could Be Nominees, March 11, 2006.
- ^ NRA 2007 Official Ballot, up for re-election of a three year term
[edit] External links
- United States Senator Larry Craig official Senate site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Federal Election Commission - Larry E. Craig campaign finance reports and data
- New York Times - Larry E. Craig News collected news and commentary
- On the Issues - Larry Craig issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org - Larry Craig campaign contributions
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Larry E. Craig (ID) profile
- SourceWatch Congresspedia - Larry Craig profile
- Washington Post - Congress Votes Database: Larry Craig voting record
| Preceded by Steve Symms |
United States House of Representatives, Idaho First Congressional District January 5, 1981–January 3, 1991 |
Succeeded by Larry LaRocco |
| Preceded by Jim McClure |
Republican Party nominee, U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Idaho 1990 (won), 1996 (won), 2002 (won) |
Succeeded by (none) |
| Preceded by Jim McClure |
United States Senator (Class 2) from Idaho January 3, 1991–present Served alongside: Steve Symms, Dirk Kempthorne, Mike Crapo |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| United States Senators from Idaho |  |
|---|---|
| Class 2: Shoup • Dubois • Borah • Thomas • Gossett • Dworshak • Miller • Dworshak • Jordan • McClure • Craig Class 3: McConnell • Dubois • Heitfeld • Heyburn • Perky • Brady • Nugent • Gooding • Thomas • Pope • Clark • Taylor • Welker • Church • Symms • Kempthorne • Crapo |
| United States Representatives from Idaho |
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|---|---|
| One At-Large Seat (1890-1913): Sweet • Wilson • Gunn • Wilson • Glenn • French • Hamer • French
Two At-Large Seats (1913-1919): Smith / French • McCracken • French 1st District (1919-present): French • C. White Sr. • Goff • C. White Sr. • Wood • Pfost • C. White Jr. • McClure • Symms • Craig • LaRocco • Chenoweth • Otter • Sali 2nd District (1919-present): Smith • Coffin • Clark • Dworshak • Sanborn • Budge • Harding • G. Hansen • O. Hansen • G. Hansen • Stallings • Crapo • Simpson |
| Idaho's current delegation to the United States Congress |
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| Senators: Larry Craig (R), Mike Crapo (R)
Representative(s): Bill Sali (R), Mike Simpson (R) All delegations: Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming — American Samoa • District of Columbia • Guam • Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands |
