Byron Dorgan

Byron Leslie Dorgan, was a Democrat, has represented the state of North Dakota in the Senate from 1992 to 2011.

Iraq War
Dorgan voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq in Oct. 2002.

Amendment to the FY2004 Defense Appropriations bill
In 2003, during the debate over the FY2004 Defense Appropriations bill, Dorgan introduced an amendment (S.AMDT.1264) requiring President Bush to submit to Congress a cost estimate of military operations in Iraq. As he did with similar Democratic amendments to the bill, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) effectively motioned to table (kill) the amendment.

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

Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal
Dorgan was named June 3, 2005, by the Washington Post's Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Derek Willis as one of "the 18 largest recipients" of Indian tribe contributions "directed by" Jack Abramoff's group. Dorgan is the top Democrat on the committee investigating Abramoff, leading to questions about a possible conflict of interest.

In a statement released on November 28, 2005, Dorgan asserted that he has never personally met Jack Abramoff, nor has he ever received money from Abramoff. Dorgan did acknowledge receiving money from Abramoff's clients, but the donations began prior to their involvement with Abramoff. Dorgan's statement went on to say that he has supported the programs that benefited Abramoff's clients years prior to the contribution.

Dorgan's statement pointed out other errors in the news reports, such as correcting who made a call to the Department of the Interior and for what purpose. The news reports claimed that one of Dorgan's staff members made the call in order to express support for the program that benefited Abramoff's clients, whereas in reality it was a staff member for the Chairman of the Interior Subcommittee who made the call, and the call was made in opposition to the program.

In December 2005, The Washington Post reported, that although Dorgan "has asked some of the toughest questions in the committee hearings probing the $82 million Abramoff and Michael Scanlon charged their tribal clients," James V. Grimaldi and Susan Schmidt reported in the December 4, 2005, Washington Post, "Dorgan had his own dealings with Abramoff's circle. Dorgan acknowledged to the AP that in the fall of 2003 he pushed Congress to approve legislative language urging government regulators to decide whether the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe of Massachusetts deserved federal recognition. About the same time, Dorgan met with the tribe's representatives and Michael D. Smith, an Abramoff associate."

"Dorgan's spokesman said the tribe asked him to be involved and that Massachusetts senators supported his taking action," Grimaldi and Schmidt wrote. "In 2001, Dorgan held a fundraising event in an MCI Center skybox during a hockey game. The fundraiser was organized by Smith and the skybox was leased by an Abramoff company. The senator said he believed that the box was controlled by the Greenberg Traurig lobbying firm, not by Abramoff," Grimaldi and Schmidt wrote. "Dorgan also signed a letter to the Interior Department urging the continuation of a program that would have the federal government and tribes share the cost of building tribal schools, a program pushed by Abramoff's clients."

On December 13, 2005 Dorgan announced that he was returning all donations from Abramoff's clients as a precaution that the contributions may have been directed or requested by Abramoff. Dorgan did not receive any money from Abramoff directly.

Committee work
In January 2007, Dorgan stated that the agenda for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will focus on "healthcare, law enforcement and other issues that spring from a 'trust responsibility' between the U.S. government and the Indian peoples." 

Prescription drug plan
Dorgan introduced an amendment to a comprehensive prescription drug bill that would allow drug importation from certain foreign countries (most notably Canada, where many Americans had already been purchasing drugs). A vote on the amendment passed 63-28. Later on, however, another amendment passed that required the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to certify that imported drugs were safe. The FDA, however, had already said that it was bureaucratically impossible to do this.

Bio
Dorgan was born in Regent, North Dakota on May 14, 1942. He earned a B.S. from the University of North Dakota in 1964 and an M.B.A. from the University of Denver in 1966. He served as tax commissioner of North Dakota from 1969 until 1980, until he was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives, where he served until 1993.

In 1992 he ran successfully for the open Senate seat. He took office a few weeks early, in December 1992, when the governor appointed him to fill the rest of the term of Kent Conrad, who had won a special election to fill the rest of the term of deceased senator Quentin N. Burdick. Dorgan was reelected in 1998 and 2004.

As chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, Dorgan is one of the most powerful Democrats in the Senate. In recent years he has been increasingly sought by the national media for comment on political issues. He is a strong opponent of the U.S. policy towards Cuba. He has introduced, with varying levels of success, several amendments to end the prohibition on travel to Cuba and to terminate funds for anti-Castro broadcasting. Dorgan has also opposed most bills liberalizing trade policies between the United States and other countries. He has a mixed record on lawsuit reform, voting against the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and the Class Action Lawsuit Fairness Act of 2005, but voting in favor of the failed Common Sense Product Liability and Legal Reform Act and legislation to shield gun manufacturers and distributors from lawsuits.

Money in politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
 * Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
 * Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
 * Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics, and Related Sciences
 * Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism - Chairman
 * Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation
 * Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
 * Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
 * Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on Water and Power
 * Subcommittee on Energy
 * Subcommittee on National Parks
 * Senate Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies
 * Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science
 * Subcommittee on Defense
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Water
 * Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
 * Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development

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

 * Senate Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Agriculture Rural Development and Related Agencies
 * Subcommittee on Commerce Justice and Science
 * Subcommittee on Defense
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Water
 * Subcommittee on Interior - Ranking Minority Member
 * Subcommittee on Transportation Treasury the Judiciary and Housing and Urban Development
 * Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
 * Subcommittee on Aviation
 * Subcommittee on Science and Space
 * Subcommittee on Technology Innovation and Competitiveness
 * Subcommittee on Trade Tourism and Economic Development - Ranking Minority Member
 * Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine
 * Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy - Ranking Minority Member
 * Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests
 * Subcommittee on Water and Power
 * Senate Committee on Indian Affairs - Ranking Minority Member

Resources

 * Official website
 * Senator Byron Dorgan, On the Issues.
 * See how you compare to Byron Dorgan

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Dorganisms

Articles

 * "Dorgan is vice-chair of Indian Affairs Committee," Indianz.com (Source: Associated Press), January 14, 2005.
 * Susan Schmidt, "Tribal Grant Is Being Questioned. Senator Who Had Dealings With Lobbyist Abramoff Pushed for Award," Washington Post, March 1, 2005.
 * Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Derek Willis, "Democrats Also Got Tribal Donations. Abramoff Issue's Fallout May Extend Beyond the GOP," Washington Post, June 3, 2005.
 * Josephine Hearn, "Harkin pays tribe for his use of skybox," The Hill, October 20, 2005.
 * John Solomon and Sharon Theimer, "Tribe says Abramoff told them to donate," Associated Press (Boston Globe), November 28, 2005.
 * Mark Schmidt, "The Dorgan Smear," TPM Cafe, November 29, 2005.
 * James V. Grimaldi and Susan Schmidt, "Dorgan Tangled in Abramoff Web," Washington Post, December 4, 2005.


 * Kelly McCormack, "Lawmakers address problems facing American Indians", Hill News, January 30, 2007.

From Senator Dorgan

 * Dorgan Wants Taxpayer Funded Web Site That sets up Betting Parlor on Terrorism Cancelled, July 28, 2003.
 * Statement by Senator Dorgan on AP Story on Abramoff Investigation, December 1, 2005.
 * With Sherrod Brown, "How Free Trade Hurts," Washington Post, December 23, 2006. re free trade