Thomas Allen

Thomas H. Allen, a Democrat, represented the 1st Congressional District of Maine, in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1995-2009. Allen was also the Democratic nominee in the 2008 congressional elections for the Senate in Maine. He won primary elections which took place on June 10, 2008. Allen lost to Sen. Susan Collins (R) in the November 4, 2008, general election.

Iraq War
Allen voted against 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

Background
Tom Allen was born April 16, 1945, in Portland, Maine. He received a B.A. from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, in 1967 before winning a Rhodes Scholarship to Wadham College at the University of Oxford, where he received a B.Phil. in 1970. After Oxford, he went on to Harvard University, where he received a J.D. in 1974.

Allen was an attorney with Drummond Woodsum Plimpton & MacMahon, 1974-1994. He was a staff member for Governor Kenneth B. Curtis and worked on the political campaign and served on the staff of Senator Edmund S. Muskie, 1970-1971. He was the Mayor of Portland, Maine, 1991-92. Allen served as Chair of the Maine Clinton-Gore Campaign and was a member of the Presidential Transition Team, Agriculture Department in 1992. Allen was also Chair for the Governor's Task Force on Foster Care for Children, 1979-80. 

Allen was President of the Greater Portland Council of Governments 1992-1993 and President of the Board of the Portland Stage Company 1987-89. He has served as an Overseer at Bowdoin College from 1965 until Present. 

Congressional Career
Allen was first elected to the House in 1996, defeating Republican incumbent James Longley Jr. 55%-45%. Since then Allen has been reelected with 60% in 1998 over Ross Connolly, 60% in 2000 over Jane Amero, 64% in 2002 over Steven Joyce, and 60% in 2004 over Charlie Summers.

Allen "has become a nationally recognized leader on prescription drug prices through his ground-breaking legislation to prevent drug price gouging of senior citizens" and has introduced legislation to: "fund studies on the comparative effectiveness of drugs" and "fix the flaws in the new Medicare Part D program and to authorize the government to negotiate better prices on behalf of seniors. He has developed legislation to reduce health care costs for small business owners and their employees." 

Allen is an advocate for "clean air and reliable, affordable energy" and "supports a new national energy policy that would decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and foreign oil and encourage innovation and conservation. He has introduced bipartisan legislation to provide relief to small businesses to offset rising energy costs, and bipartisan legislation to promote energy efficiency across many sectors of our economy." 

Allen is "an outspoken critic of the proposed New Source Review rule to exempt aging power plants and other factories from Clean Air Act requirements" and "fought initiatives to exempt the Department of Defense from environmental regulations." Allen also "led the effort to remove provisions to waive liability from lawsuits for manufacturers of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), to weaken Clean Air Act ozone regulations, and to limit the rights of communities to participate in hydropower licensing proceedings." 

2006 elections
In 2006, the Republicans nominated Darlene J. Curley to challenge Allen in his November 2006 bid for reelection. In addition, Dexter J. Kamilewicz entered the race as an independent candidate. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) Allen retained his seat.

2008 elections
On May 8, 2007, Allen officially announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in the 2008 elections. He won primary elections which took place on June 10, 2008.

Money in politics
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Committees

 * House Committee on Energy and Commerce
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality
 * Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials
 * Subcommittee on Health
 * House Committee on Budget

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

 * House Committee on Budget
 * House Committee on Energy and Commerce
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality
 * Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials
 * Subcommittee on Health

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * Co-chair of the House Affordable Medicines Task Force
 * Co-chair, bipartisan House Oceans Caucus.

Affiliations

 * Public Advisory Committee, Population Institute
 * National Advisory Board, Roosevelt Institution
 * National Advisory Board, AmericaSpeaks

Contact
DC Office: 1127 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-6116 Fax: 202-225-5590 Email: rep.tomallen AT mail.house.gov Website

District Office- Portland 57 Exchange Street Suite 302 Portland, ME 04101 Phone: 207-774-5019 Fax: 207-871-0720

District Office- Saco 209 Main Street Suite 103 Saco, ME 04072 Phone: 207-283-8054 Fax: 207-283-1725

External resources

 * Official website
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database
 * 2008 Race Tracker page on Maine's Senate Race
 * Official Tom Allen for Senate website

External articles

 * Joe Sudbay, "In Maine, it's official. Tom Allen is running for Senate against Susan Collins," AMERICAblog, May 8, 2007. re Susan Collins