Todd Tiahrt

Todd Tiahrt was a Republican member of the  United States House of Representatives representing the 4th Congressional District of Kansas, which is based in Wichita, from 1995 to 2011.

Iraq War
Tiahrt voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Oil Voting Record
Todd Tiahrt has voted in favor of big oil companies on 91% of important oil-related bills. These bills include Iraq War Funding, Climate Change Studies, Clean Energy, and Ending Oil Subsidies. See below for oil money in politics.

Sunset Commissions
Tiahrt was notable in the 109th Congress as a champion of proposals to create sunset commissions, unelected commissions with the power to recommend whether programs live, die, or get realigned. In 2006, he introduced the Commission on the Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies Act (H.R. 2470), which was supported by the Republican Study Committee.

Earmark scuffle over the NDIC
In May 2007, Rep. Tiahrt was berated by Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) for voting against appropriations for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), and responded in kind by threatening funding of a Boeing project in Tiahrt's district. In 2006 the House Government Reform Committee also called for its shutdown of the NDIC stating the "NDIC was never able to fulfill its original mission of centralizing and coordinating drug intelligence, given its remote location and the unwillingness of the other Federal agencies to contribute significant information,'."

President Bush's proposed budget called for the closing of the center, which employs nearly 400 people in Murtha’s hometown. The budget would relocate the resources to an El Paso office.

Background
Tiahrt attended Evangel College and received an M.B.A. from Southwest Missouri State University. He worked for Boeing, where he worked on numerous government contracts, from 1981 until his election to Congress.

Congressional Career
He was elected to the Kansas State Senate in 1992. After only one term, he won the Republican nomination for the 4th District and was elected to the House in an upset over 18-year  Democrat incumbent Dan Glickman. A major factor in the win was the 1990s round of redistricting, in which Hutchinson, Kansas and surrounding Reno County were shifted to the "Big 1st" District. Hutchinson was replaced with more reliably Republican Montgomery County, Kansas. After a tough reelection bid in 1996, he has been reelected four more times with little difficulty, including 68% of the vote in 2004.

Tiahrt serves as a Deputy Majority Whip. He is the only Kansan on the House Committee on Appropriations. He is one of four Pentecostals in the 109th Congress. The others--all Republicans--are Jo Ann Davis of Virginia, Marilyn Musgrave of Colorado and Tim Johnson of Illinois.

2006 elections
In 2006, the Democrats nominated Garth James McGinn to face Tiahrt in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) Tiahrt retained his seat.

Money in politics
cid=N00008144&cycle=2008

Oil Contributions
Todd Tiahrt has received $99,500 in oil contributions during the 110th congress. $25,500 of those dollars were from industry PACS. In total, Tiahrt has received $368,313 from oil companies since 2000. See above for oil voting record.

Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Defense
 * Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, Ranking Member
 * House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Defense
 * Subcommittee on Transportation Treasury and Housing and Urban Development
 * House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
 * Subcommittee on Oversight
 * Subcommittee on Terrorism/HUMINT Analysis and Counterintelligence

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * Congressional Airpower Caucus
 * Congressional Coalition on Adoption
 * Co-Chair, House Jobs Action Team
 * National Guard & Reserve Components Congressional Members Organization
 * Republican Study Committee
 * Reserve Component Caucus
 * Silk Road Caucus

External resources

 * Official website
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database
 * Follow the Oil Money
 * Vote Tracker
 * Follow the Coal Money
 * Appalachian Voices

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Red State Rabble
 * In this Moment