Brian Bilbray

Brian Phillip Bilbray, a Republican, has represented the 50th congressional district of California in the U.S. House of Representatives since a special election in 2006.

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

Biography
Bilbray was born in Coronado, California, growing up in Imperial Beach, California. He worked as a tax consultant before entering politics. He and his wife, the former Karen Walker, have five children. He is a cousin of former Nevada Democratic Representative James Bilbray.

Bilbray became interested in politics during an attempt by Mayor Bert Stites to carry out an extensive program of eminent domain. He ran successfully for the Imperial Beach city council as a populist, serving during 1976–1987, and was mayor during 1978–1985. Bilbray's tenure as Mayor was marked by his attempt to build a yacht marina in the Tijuana Estuary and build a 1.5 mile breakwater off of the beach of Imperial Beach. Both projects were stopped by the opposition of local environmentalists and surfers. The Tijuana River Estuary is now a National Estuarine Research Reserve and California State Park. The breakwater project was halted with the help of the then fledgling Surfrider Foundation.

From 1995 to 2001, Bilbray represented the state's 49th district. He was defeated for reelection in 2000 by Democrat Susan Davis. On June 6, 2006, Bilbray won a special election as representative for California's 50th district following the December 2005 resignation of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

In 1994, Bilbray won the Republican nomination for the 49th district, which included most of San Diego, and defeated freshman Democrat Lynn Schenk in the Republican landslide of that year. The 49th was one of several marginal districts to go Republican in that cycle; Schenk had been the only Democrat to represent the district since its creation in 1953. Bilbray was reelected twice largely due to a moderate voting record that served him well as San Diego became increasingly Democratic. However, he was defeated by State Assemblywoman Susan Davis in 2000. Bilbray's support of a proposed airport at Brown Field in Otay Mesa cost him heavy local support in his hometown of Imperial Beach and he tearfully conceded the election to Davis.

While in Congress, Bilbray wrote letters on behalf of pill-maker Metabolife, whose dietary supplement pill with ephedrine was banned after causing over 150 deaths. Metabolife was a contributor to Bilbray's campaign.

After his defeat, Bilbray registered as a federal lobbyist in 2001. His clients included the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and Federation for American Immigration Reform, the San Diego Regional Airport Authority, Conquer Cancer and Alzheimer's Now, Los Angeles County, San Diego Gas and Electric Company, and the Bajagua sewage treatment project.

Bilbray received $35,000 from the Bajagua Project LLC for lobbying. He lobbied to help the company obtain a sole-source contract to treat sewage in Mexico with the International Boundary and Water Commission. Bilbray had been involved with the project while in office, and had received campaign contributions from the project (earlier known as Agua Clara) while in office. In 1999, he and another lawmaker crafted a bill that forced the State Department to renegotiate with Mexico to allow for the project. 

The Hill, a D.C. political newspaper, reported that several sources, including a Republican lawmaker, complained Bilbray used his "floor privileges" as a former congressman to lobby members of Congress on the House floor. Bilbray denied the charge.

2006 special congressional election
In 2006, Bilbray ran in the special election to fill the vacancy in California's 50th congressional district caused by the resignation of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and tax evasion in 2005. In preparation for the election, Bilbray moved from Alexandria, Virginia back to Imperial Beach, California. Because Imperial Beach is outside the 50th Congressional District, Bilbray listed his mother's address in Carlsbad, California when filing his candidacy papers, as Carlsbad is in the 50th Congressional District.

In the initial special election on April 11, 2006, Bilbray was the Republican candidate who received the most votes, with 15.26% of the total vote. He then faced the top votegetters of all the other parties in a runoff election on June 6, 2006. His opponents in the runoff included Democrat Francine Busby, Libertarian Paul King, and William Griffith, an independent.

During the campaign, Arizona Senator John McCain cancelled a planned fundraiser for Bilbray at the last minute, after Bilbray called McCain's immigration bill "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. Later, Senator McCain contributed money to Brian Bilbray's campaign and voiced a radio commercial for the National Republican Congressional Committee in support of Bilbray's race against Ms. Busby. 

On June 6, Bilbray defeated Busby 49% to 45% in the special election.  On July 31, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of voters Gail Jacobsen and Lillian Ritt asking a judge to toss out results of the election and call for a recount. Paul Lehto, Jacobsen and Ritt’s attorney, argued that there was no way to ensure that the voting machines used by county elections officials were not tampered with during the election. The lawsuit specifically targeted the practice of allowing poll workers to take the voting equipment home with them before the election, something which occurred in this particular election. Adding that he believes tampering occurred, Lehto stated, “The thing you've got to know about using computers in the election is that computers do whatever they're told to do, without any regard to law, ethics or morality.” In defense of the integrity of the June 6 election, Register of Voters Mikel Hass responded, “There is nothing unusual or different about the way that we distribute election supplies to supervising poll workers.” He added that poll workers are given the equipment to guarantee that the workers have the machines operational by the time polls open at 7 a.m. in the morning. 

In August 2006, Bilbray and Haas filed motions to dismiss the election contest claiming that the House of Representatives had an “exclusive jurisdiction” that prevented the San Diego Superior Court or any other person besides the House from looking into the propriety of the election or the timing of Bilbray's disputed early swearing-in. According to the North County Times reporter at the decision on the motion, Superior Court Judge Juri Hofmann ruled: "Once the House asserts exclusive jurisdiction and selects a candidate, the court no longer has jurisdiction," Hofmann said. 

2006 congressional elections
In 2006, the Democrats nominated Francine P. Busby, and the Libertarian Party nominated Paul King to face Bilbray in his November 2006 bid for reelection setting up a rematch of the special election. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) Bilbray retained his seat.

Campaign contributions
To date, Brian Bilbray has accepted $182,818 from Oil companies

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Committees and Affiliations

 * Advisory Board, Federation for American Immigration Reform

Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
 * Subcommittee on Domestic Policy
 * Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, Ranking Member
 * House Committee on Science and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Research and Science Education
 * House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Resources

 * Technorati Search: Brian Bilbray
 * Google News Search: Brian Bilbray
 * Yahoo! News Search: Brian Bilbray
 * Power Trips: How much does Brian Bilbray fly?
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Calitics
 * Tiger Beat: Music, Culture, and Politics

Articles

 * Lori Shein, "Terminal With Extreme Prejudice," Grist Magazine, October 15, 2004.
 * Lori Shein, "Fights Break Out Over River Damming," Language Arts High School Curriculum for the Tijuana Estuary (California State Parks).
 * Dani Dodge, "Conservative group takes responsibility," San Diego Union-Tribune, March 25, 2006.
 * "The Politics of Contracting: Bajagua's No-Bid Deal," Project on Government Oversight, March 31, 2006.
 * Justin Rood, "Bilbray's Bajagua Boondoggle," TPMMuckracker.com, April 12, 2006.
 * Dana Wilkie, "Ex-congressman Bilbray burdened by lobbyist label," San Diego Union-Tribune, March 6, 2006.
 * "Where does Brian Bilbray Really Live?" 10News.com, May 17, 2006.
 * Dani Dodge,"McCain Pulls out of Bilbray Fundraiser," San Diego Union-Tribune, May 31, 2006.
 * "McCain Cancels Appearance at Bilbray Event," Newsmax.com, June 4, 2006.
 * Philip J. LaVelle, "Recount demanded in 50th District vote," Union-Tribune, August 1, 2006.
 * William Finn Bennett, "Judge throws out 50th District election lawsuit," NC Times, August 29, 2006.

Contact
DC Office: 227 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: (202) 225-0508 Fax:  (202) 225-2558

District Office - Solana Beach: 462 Stevens Avenue Suite # 107 Solana Beach, CA 92075-2075 Phone: (858) 350-1150 Fax:  (858) 350-0750