Evan Bayh
Birch Evans Bayh III | |
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| Junior Senator, Indiana | |
| In office January, 1999–Present | |
| Preceded by | Daniel Ray Coats |
| Succeeded by | Incumbent (2011) |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | american |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Susan Breshears Bayh |
Birch Evans "Evan" Bayh III (born December 26, 1955) is an American politician who has served as a U.S. Senator from Indiana since 1999 and a former Governor of Indiana. He is a member of the Democratic Party and is a potential Democratic candidate for the 2008 presidential election.
Early life
Bayh was born in Shirkieville, Indiana. His father, Birch Bayh, was a Senator from 1963 to 1981 and ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 1976, but lost it to Jimmy Carter. The younger Bayh graduated with honors in business, economics and public policy from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in 1978, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi, and received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Virginia in 1981. After clerking for a federal court judge and entering private law practice in Indianapolis, he was elected Indiana's Secretary of State in 1986 following a heated debate over whether he met the state's five-year residency requirement to be on the ballot.
He and his wife Susan have twin sons, Beau and Nicholas, born in 1995. She is a law professor and serves on several corporate boards.
Governor of Indiana
Bayh was first elected Governor of Indiana in 1988, defeating Frank O'Bannon in the primary, and defeating John Mutz in the general election. O'Bannon went on to become Bayh's lieutenant governor. He was re-elected governor in 1992 with the highest percentage of the vote in a statewide election in modern Indiana history. His administration was considered cautious but successful (even by Republicans in the state), creating a large state surplus and permitting him to cut taxes. "Mr. Bayh’s record is one of a genuinely fiscally conservative Democrat," reported the Wall Street Journal in 1992.
Stressing fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, job creation and lean government, Bayh's tenure as governor is highlighted by: eight years without raising taxes; the largest single tax cut and budget surplus in state history; "welfare-to-work"-type social programs; increasing annual school funding; high academic standards and new college opportunities; the creation of over 350,000 new jobs; strengthened law enforcement; and improved environmental quality. He signed the 21st Century Scholars Act in 1992, legislation which says that every child growing up in Indiana who is eligible for the free lunch program in a public school, graduates from high school with passing grades, and signs a pledge not to experiment with illegal drugs, is entitled to a full college scholarship to a public university of his or her choice. By the end of his second term, Bayh had an approval rating of nearly 80 percent [1].
When his second term as governor ended in 1997, he became a private citizen again. He bought a house in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood not far from the Governor's Mansion and accepted a lecturing position at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloomington.
During his tenure as Governor lethal injection became the only method of execution in Indiana, replacing electrocution. Bayh oversaw two executions - one via electric chair and one by injection.
Senate career
Bayh was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998 to the seat that was once held by his father. He won with 64% of the vote, the largest victory margin ever by a Democrat in a U.S. Senate race in Indiana, defeating former Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke. He easily won reelection in 2004, receiving 62% of the vote. He currently serves on five Senate committees: Banking Housing and Urban Affairs, on which he is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on International Trade and Finance; Armed Services; the Select Committee on Intelligence; the Special Committee on Aging; and the Small Business Committee.
Bayh released a biography in 2003 entitled From Father to Son: A Private Life in the Public Eye. He describes growing up as the son of Senator Birch Bayh and emphasizes the importance of active, responsible fatherhood.
From 2001 to 2005, Bayh served as Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), the longest term of any DLC chair (previous DLC Chairmen included Bill Clinton and Joe Lieberman). He is also a member of the Senate Centrist Coalition and helped establish the New Democrat Coalition. Bayh serves on the Board of Directors of the National Endowment for Democracy.
Bayh has voted against confirming United States Attorney General John Ashcroft, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.
Although originally voting in favor of the Iraq resolution, Senator Bayh has become increasingly critical of the war in Iraq due to Bush's strategy in handling the war and because of WMD related intelligence failures; thus, Bayh asserts that he would not have voted to go to war with Iraq if he had known what is known today. He favors a flexible timeline for withdrawal. [2]
He voted yes on reauthorizing the Patriot Act in 2006.
On January 20, 2006, Bayh introduced a resolution to deal with Iran's nuclear program. The resolution calls for economic sanctions created with the goal of deterring Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Such sanctions include:
- Cutting off supplies of refined gasoline to Iran,
- Cutting assistance to countries whose companies invest in Iran's energy sector,
- Enacting a worldwide, comprehensive ban on arms sales to Iran,
- Withdrawing U.S. support for Iran's accession to the WTO, and
- Calling on the UN Security Council to limit travel of some Iranian officials, reduce diplomatic exchanges with Iran, and ban Iran from participating in world events such as the World Cup and the Olympics. [3]
Candidacy for National Office
He was considered a possible running mate for Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election and was selected by Bill Clinton to give the keynote address at the 1996 Democratic National Convention to reinforce his efforts to cast himself and the Democratic Party with a new moderate image. He notibly attended the Bilderberg Group conference in Portugal in 1999. Some experts and pundits initially considered Bayh to be a possible running mate for presidential candidate John Kerry in the 2004 election because his native Indiana was a key state in the important Midwest. Indiana has long been a Republican stronghold in presidential races, however, and it would almost certainly not be a swing state unless Bayh were nominated.
Bayh is also considered to be a possible 2008 Presidential nominee, due to his appeal to "Red State" voters and his perceived electability. In the 2004 election he received more votes in Indiana than President Bush, a feat unheard of by a Democrat in a state as staunchly Republican as Indiana. Some believe that Bayh could be a very appealing moderate in some future presidential campaign, with many critics portraying a candidate like Hillary Clinton as too liberal and polarizing. Bayh is often mentioned as leading or complementing a ticket of other possible moderates such as Governor Mark Warner of Virginia, or Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, both of whom could
give him advantages in the South and Rockies/Southwest respectively as Vice-President. He already has a large war chest of 9.5 million dollars, making him secure financially no matter what he decides to do.
Recently, Bayh has engaged in activities that many characterize as the laying the foundation for a Presidential run in 2008. On June 9, Bayh addressed Iowa business and civic leaders and told reporters he would travel to the state in August. On July 15, Bayh spent the weekend in New Hampshire. He has spoken to groups of Democrats in the potential swing states of Wisconsin, Ohio and Colorado. In addition, Bayh has conducted fundraisers in Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and St. Louis.
In May 2000, President Bill Clinton stated, "I hope and expect some day I'll be voting for Evan Bayh for President of the United States"
[4]."
In July 2006, Evan Bayh created a profile for himself on Facebook, and has since joined several facebook groups supporting a Bayh candidacy in 2008. Bayh currently has over 2,000 Facebook friends and has been commended by netroots groups for his attempt to reach out to younger generations via the Internet.
Issue Stances
Agriculture -
In voting for the 2002 Farm Bill, Bayh demonstrated his support for the needs and rights of Hoosier farmers and rural communities. The $1 billion provided in this legislation has substantially enhanced the financial resources accessible to rural Indiana communities. The Farm Bill provides funding for rural water and waste infrastructure, as well as technological investments that will directly impact the local economy. The bill also provides new technology that will teach area resident’s new technical skills and create new job opportunities. Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be seeking public comment on provisions of the 2007 Farm Bill, and Senator Bayh encourages Hoosier farmers to participate.
Economy -
As a member of the Small Business Committee, Senator Bayh has been especially dedicated to making more resources and tools available to Indiana 's small businesses. Small businesses make up 97.5% of all Indiana companies and employ more than one million Hoosiers.
Recently, Senator Bayh tackled one of the top problems facing small businesses – the rising costs of health care. With health care costs spiraling out of control, it is becoming harder and harder for businesses to offer quality health care coverage. Bayh has introduced legislation to help small business owners offer health benefits to their workers, by providing them with a tax credit for up to 50 percent of the costs and allowing them to join purchasing pools so that they can negotiate lower rates with insurance companies. This legislation will r elieve the stress of high health care costs, which is critical to ensuring that small businesses continue to create new opportunities for economic growth across Indiana and the nation .
In addition, Senator Bayh understands that access to capital is the life-blood of small businesses and can make the difference between bankruptcy and a growing small business. In 2003, Senator Bayh introduced legislation to expand Small Business Administration loans to small manufacturers, which was enacted into law in 2004. He also introduced legislation to reduce taxes on small business investment, helping small businesses purchase cutting edge equipment and new technology to grow their business. This provision also has been enacted into law.
Education -
Today, higher education provides greater opportunity for Hoosiers to succeed in the increasingly competitive and global marketplace. Yet all too often the high cost of continued education prevents some students from pursuing a college degree. As Governor, Bayh created the 21 st Century Scholars program, which promises at-risk middle school students full tuition scholarships in return for being drug, alcohol and crime-free and maintaining decent grades. This groundbreaking program was the first of its kind in the nation to successfully graduate students. In the Senate, Bayh has continued his efforts to make higher education more affordable and accessible to families by working to increase the college tuition tax deduction and fighting to protect and increase financial aid programs that thousands of students depend on to attend college. He also has worked to eliminate taxation on companies that provide college scholarships for employee's children.
In 2000, Senator Bayh authored a bill titled “The Three R's,” which was designed to improve the ability of our nation's public schools to meet the needs of each student. The bill called for greater accountability from our schools and offered increased funding and flexibility in order to help each state meet the academic needs of their students. The legislation also called for record increases in federal funding, the streamlining of numerous federal education programs and additional help for schools most in need.
Energy -
Senator Bayh believes that a long-term energy policy aimed at reducing our dependence on foreign oil and promoting energy efficiency should be one of the nation’s top priorities, especially in a post-9/11 world. He supports the development of renewable and alternative supplies of energy as a way to achieve a secure national energy supply and ensure clean, abundant and affordable energy for Hoosier families.
After witnessing the tragedy of 9/11 and the increasing unrest in the Middle East, Senator Bayh is insisting that our country needs a new declaration of independence – a declaration of energy independence. He believes we need an aggressive plan to make America more energy independent so that we can end our reliance on unstable countries for our energy supply. Moving towards energy independence is good for the environment, the economy and our national security, and perhaps most importantly, it will set our children free from the whims of foreign countries controlling oil reserves.
“America’s dependence on foreign oil is one of the gravest threats to our economy and national security. We cannot confront the challenges of the future without a real strategy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” Senator Bayh said.
Healthcare -
Senator Bayh has also worked to make health insurance more affordable and more accessible to families. More than half of all uninsured Americans work for small businesses or depend on a family member employed by small businesses, because many business owners can't afford the rising costs of health care. To help entrepreneurs provide health care for their employees, Senator Bayh reintroduced legislation in 2005 to provide up to a 50 percent tax credit to small businesses that offer health benefits. In addition to the tax credit, Bayh's legislation also encourages small businesses to join state-run purchasing pools to increase their bargaining power with health insurance companies.
In this difficult and uncertain economic environment, Senator Bayh has fought to help those who have lost their jobs pay for health insurance. In 2002, he pushed for a 65 percent tax credit to help workers certified for Trade Adjustment Assistance pay for health insurance, through COBRA or the private market, while they look for new jobs. In addition, Bayh has introduced legislation to increase and expand access to this tax credit to other unemployed workers.
Trade -
During his time in the Senate, Bayh has led efforts to combat the illegal trade practices of foreign countries, including China, to ensure hardworking Hoosier companies who play by the rules can compete in today’s global economy. Bayh’s bipartisan Stopping Overseas Subsidies (SOS) Act allows the United States to fully enforce its antisubsidy laws and increase the ability of U.S. companies to fight unfair trade. Right now, foreign companies can outbid American companies because they receive illegal government subsidies, and yet the United States is powerless to take action because of an outdated court decision that prevents us from applying our antisubsidy laws to “nonmarket,” or state-controlled countries. Countries, such as China, have used this decision to gain an unfair advantage over American producers.
Bayh grew so frustrated with the Bush Administration’s failure to enforce trade agreements, and the devastating consequences that failure was having on Hoosier companies, that he placed a hold on the President’s nominee to be the U.S. Trade Representative, Rob Portman in early April. After receiving several key commitments from Portman to get tough on China trade and to visit Indiana manufacturers, Bayh agreed to release his hold. Bayh also was able to pressure Senate leadership into holding a hearing on unfair trade practices, which was an important step forward toward enacting his SOS Act.
National Security / War on Terrorism -
"In a post-September 11th world, our first responsibility is to keep the American public as safe as possible and to be prepared for every possible threat," Senator Bayh said. "Preventing and responding to biological attacks will require us to mobilize all available resources at the federal and state level, and the first line of defense is often state governments."
In an effort to increase the safety of Hoosiers living in West Central Indiana, Bayh has identified old stockpiles of VX nerve gas stored at the Newport Chemical Depot as a threat and taken action to remedy the situation. Immediately after September 11th, Senator Bayh began working with Army officials to increase security at the Newport facility in an attempt to deter any potential terrorist attack. Bayh also began developing plans for swift and safe neutralization of the VX agent. A recent inspection by the Army Inspector General's office proved Senator Bayh's work a success, declaring Newport safe and secure from potential terrorist threats. Bayh continues to work with Army officials to oversee the VX neutralization process.
As a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee, Senator Bayh is continually monitoring the progress of national security abroad, as U.S. troops continue to fight terrorism and help the Iraqi and Afghani people rebuild their countries.
Noteworthy Speeches
- 1996 Democratic Convention Keynote Speech - AUGUST 26, 1996
- Remarks by Sen. Evan Bayh to the Commonwealth Club of California - April 10, 2001
- Honoring Our Armed Forces - December 7, 2004
- Address to Colorado Jefferson Jackson Dinner Speech (audio) - March 7, 2005
- University of Virginia Commencement Speech - May 24, 2005
- Address to The College Democrats of America - July 25, 2006
External links
- Bayh's Senate homepage
- All America PAC - Bayh's Exploratory Committee
- 2008 Presidential Wire - Evan Bayh
- The BayhPartisan Homepage
- The BayhPartisan Blog
- Americans For Bayh
- Facts On Evan Bayh
- Bayh at DEMS4PRES
- http://www.bayh4pres.blogspot.com/
- http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=CNIP9107
- http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Evan_Bayh.htm
- http://www.opensecrets.org/1998os/detail/N00003762.htm
- http://www.indianapoliswoman.com/myhtml/covergallery/1998/dec.html
- Draft Bayh homepage
- Bayh's profile on Flickr
- Evan Bayh at the Huffington Post
- DePauw University Commencement Speech - May 21, 2006
- Indiana Historical Bureau
- 2005 Hottest U.S. Senator
- President Clinton's Speech honoring Governor Bayh
- 21st Century Scholars program
- Bayh praises Iowa & Wisconsin for introducing legislation based on the 21st Century Scholars program
- Senior Citizens Relief Act
- Congress Passes Bayh's Long-Term Care Initiatives
- Demanding Responsibility From Men by Senator Evan Bayh
- Real fathers don't abandon their children by Senator Evan Bayh & Senator Barack Obama
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