Patrick McHenry

Patrick Timothy McHenry is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing North Carolina's 10th Congressional district since 2005.

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

Anti-Bicycle Sentiments
In August of 2007, McHenry raised a minor amount of attention when he mocked a $20 per month tax credit proposed in a Democratic energy bill [H.R. 2776] for persons who commute via bicycle:

"A major component of the Democrats' energy legislation and the Democrats' answer to our energy crisis is, hold on, wait one minute, wait one minute, it is promoting the use of the bicycle.

Oh, I cannot make this stuff up. Yes, the American people have heard this. Their answer to our fuel crisis, the crisis at the pumps, is: Ride a bike.

Democrats believe that using taxpayer funds in this bill to the tune of $1 million a year should be devoted to the principle of: "Save energy, ride a bike." Some might argue that depending on bicycles to solve our energy crisis is naive, perhaps ridiculous. Some might even say Congress should use this energy legislation to create new energy, bring new nuclear power plants on line, use clean coal technology, energy exploration, but no, no. They want to tell the American people, stop driving, ride a bike. This is absolutely amazing."

Indictment of former campaign staffer for election law violation
In May 2007, Michael Aaron Lay, 26, who McHenry from February to August 2004 was indicted, on a felony count of voter fraud for violation of North Carolina's Election Law. Lay voted in the 2004 primaries, however his residency is in question. Although he lived in North Carolina at the time, his residency, may be considered temporary as he was living at McHenry's home, which was also the campaign headquarters. North Carolina law does not permit people to vote unless they intend to make their residence "a permanent place of abode."

The McHenry campaign has responded by alleging that the charges are political in nature. The current District Attorney Locke Bell and faced a close associate of McHenry, Craig Collin, in a race for District Attorney in 2006.

Calling Green Zone Security Guard a "Two Bit"
McHenry stirred further controversy with his remarks on April 1, 2008 regarding a recent trip to Iraq. During his remarks to 150 Republicans attending the Lincoln County GOP Dinner, he called a contractor -- reported first by liberal blogs as a "U.S. soldier" -- performing security duties in Iraq as "a two-bit security guard" because the contractor denied McHenry access to a gym.

"We spent the night in the Green Zone, in the poolhouse of one of Saddam’s palaces. A little weird, I got to be honest with you. But I felt safe. And so in the morning, I got up early — not that I make this a great habit — but I went to the gym because I just couldn’t sleep and everything else. Well, sure enough, the guard wouldn’t let me in. Said I didn’t have the correct credentials.

It’s 5:00 in the morning. I haven’t had sleep. I was not very happy with this two-bit security guard. So you know, I said, “I want to see your supervisor.” Thirty minutes later, the supervisor wasn’t happy with me, they escort me back to my room. It happens. I guess I didn’t need to work out anyway."

He later apologized, saying "[i]t was a poor choice of words to describe a foreign contractor."

Accused of endangering soldiers in Green Zone in Iraq
McHenry was also the subject of discussion regarding a video posted on his Congressional Campaign website that featured the Congressman in the Green Zone in Baghdad, pointing out landmarks and destruction after the missile attack(s) mentioned above. Veteran's affairs blog VetVoice posted a scathing attack, claiming that Patrick McHenry's video violated OPSEC, Operational Security. McHenry later removed the video after discussing the information with the Pentagon, whom requested McHenry not place the video back online. Lance Sigmon, McHenry's opponent, later went on to call a press conference to demand an investigation regarding the full nature of the video's effect on Green Zone Troops. Sigmon attacked McHenry in a campaign ad regarding this controversy, which prompted McHenry to threaten legal action, claiming that the ad was false.

Using PAC funds to defend accusations of Election Fraud
On April 16, 2008, Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call revealed that Patrick McHenry used funds from his PAC, "More Conservatives", in order to fund the defense of former aide Michael Aaron Lay's voter fraud charges incurred during McHenry's 2004 race. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) gave Michael Aaron Lay a total of $20,000 to pay legal bills on voter fraud charges brought while the former campaign aide worked for the now-Member. According to recent Federal Election Commission filings, McHenry gave Lay $5,000 out of his political action committee, More Conservatives PAC, in two payments during February and March, in addition to a lump sum of $10,000 given in July 2007.

These expenses were labeled as “Legal Expense Donation[s]“, according to FEC reports. Lay agreed to a deferred prosecution deal, which stipulated he complete 100 hours of community service and pay $240.50 in court fees and $250.00 in community service fees to have the charges dismissed.

Lay, an employee of the 2004 campaign, lived in McHenry's home in Cherryville which also served as the campaign headquarters during the 2004 election, was indicted for voter fraud in McHenry's election, allegedly voted illegally in two separate instances. . McHenry, in response, claimed the case was part of a "three year smear campaign" by District Attorney Locke Bell, despite Locke Bell fund raising for McHenry in previous elections. This contoversy led McHenry to be called the "World's Worst Person in the World" by Keith Olbermann, parodying McHenry's allegations.

Speaking out against John McCain
McHenry is also notable for having spoken out against Presidential Candidate John McCain during the primary cycle, reportedly asking fellow Republicans why they "shouldn't be physically ill at the prospects of a President McCain." .

Connections with Countrywide Mortgage Scandal
McHenry has also been called out by the Center for Responsive Politics' Capital Eye, who found evidence that McHenry had been taking money from Countrywide, a company now involved in the Subprime Mortgage Crisis. McHenry took $5,500 from Countrywide's PAC, and served in an investigation into CEO payout fraud, of which one of the target companies was Countrywide itself.

Name calling in 2008 Race against Daniel Johnson
McHenry has additionally been the subject of controversy after making allegations that his challenger, Daniel Johnson, was "Nancy Pelosi's Chosen Recruit" with "pockets stuffed from cash from Washington liberals". North Carolina Republican Party leaders spoke out about these comments after North Carolina Democratic Party leaders lashed back, calling it an "undue personal attack". McHenry changed the text on his press release after this backlash- the original version being saved on blogs whereas the original version now does not feature the "Nancy Pelosi" comment.

Bio
McHenry was born October 22, 1975 and was raised in Gastonia, North Carolina. While a student at North Carolina State University and Belmont Abbey College, McHenry chaired the North Carolina Federation of College Republicans and served as treasurer for the College Republican National Committee. His first unsuccessful run for public office was in 1998, while still a student. After earning a bachelor's degree in history in 1999, McHenry briefly worked for media consulting firm DCI/New Media, overseeing a campaign opposing Hillary Clinton during her 2000 Senate bid.

In the summer and fall of 2000, McHenry worked on George W. Bush's successful 2000 presidential campaign and was named volunteer coordinator for Bush's inaugural committee. After six months working as a special assistant to the United States Secretary of Labor in Washington, DC, McHenry returned to North Carolina and successfully ran for the state legislature.

Congressional career
After only one term in the North Carolina General Assembly, in 2004 McHenry ran for Congress in the 10th Congressional District, which had come open when nine-term incumbent Cass Ballenger retired. In the general election, he earned 64% of the popular vote, defeating Democrat Anne Fischer.

His voting record is very conservative even by North Carolina Republican standards; he was one of 20 members who voted against reinstating the House ethics rules in place before they were changed to protect Tom DeLay.

2006 elections
In 2006, the Democrats nominated Richard Carsner to face McHenry in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)  McHenry retained his seat.

Money in politics
cid=N00026627&cycle=2008

Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Financial Services
 * Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
 * House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
 * Subcommittee on National Security and International Relations
 * House Committee on Budget

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

 * House Committee on Budget
 * House Committee on Financial Services
 * Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
 * Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy Trade and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
 * House Committee on Government Reform
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Resources
 * Subcommittee on Criminal Justice Drug Policy and Human Resources
 * Subcommittee on Federal Workforce and Agency Organization

Resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * Technorati Search: Patrick McHenry
 * Google News Search: Patrick McHenry
 * Yahoo! News Search: Patrick McHenry
 * GovTrack Speeches: Patrick McHenry
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database
 * Republicans Against Patrick McHenry - Anti-McHenry PAC

Articles

 * Paul Chesser, "U.S. House Runoff Gets Brutal," Carolina Journal Online, August 4, 2004.
 * Elana Schor, "McHenry calls slammed," The Hill, June 29, 2005.
 * Rob Christensen, "N.C. GOP not buying trade deal," North Carolina News & Observer, July 25, 2005.
 * Joseph Lindsley, "North Carolina's big Mac: meet Patrick McHenry, the youngest man in the House," The Weekly Standard, September 5, 2005.
 * Benjamin Wallace-Wells, "Getting Ahead in the GOP," Washington Monthly, October/November 2005.
 * Ralph Z. Hallow, "DeLay looks to worthy successor," Washington Times, April 10, 2006.
 * Betsy Rothstein, "Partisan politics — how bad can it get?," The Hill, May 24, 2006.
 * Ari Berman, " All DeLay's Children," The Nation, June 5, 2006.
 * Margaret Coker, "Voting Rights Act delayed," North Carolina News & Observer, June 22, 2006.
 * Patrick O'Connor, "McHenry calls for ethics review," The Hill, September 20, 2006.
 * Nico Pitney, "McHenry Speechless When Asked To Provide Evidence That Foley Scandal Was Election Ploy," Think Progress, October 8, 2006. re Mark Foley

Articles by McHenry

 * Patrick McHenry, "'Nation of Immigrants' Needs Borders, Not Amnesty," Human Events Online, Mar 28, 2006.

Local blogs and discussion sites
]