Peter DeFazio

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U.S. Representative

Peter DeFazio (D)

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OR-04

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Positions
Leadership: No leadership position
Committees: House Committee on Homeland Security, House Committee on Natural Resources, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
(subcommittees and past assignments)
Next election: Nov. 6, 2012

Primary challenge: Yes

Incumbent running: Yes

2012 candidates for OR-04

Confirmed: Art Robinson, Matthew Robinson, Peter DeFazio
Possible: None so far
Out: None so far
(more info & editing for OR-04)
On the Web
Official website


Peter Anthony DeFazio has been a Democratic U.S. Representative, representing Oregon's 4th Congressional District, since 1987.

Contents

Record and controversies

Congressional scorecards

Click through the score to see the records of other members of Congress and full descriptions of the individual votes.

Want to see someone else's scorecard added to the list? You can do it!

Organization 2007 Scorecard
Score - Agree ratio 		2008 Scorecard
Score - Agree ratio
American Civil Liberties Union not avail. not avail.
American Conservative Union 4 - 1/25 not avail.
AFSCME not avail. not avail.
Americans for Democratic Action 90 - 18/20 90 - 18/20
Club for Growth not avail. not avail.
Drum Major Institute not avail. not avail.
Family Research Council not avail. not avail.
Information Technology Industry Council not avail. not avail.
League of Conservation Voters not avail. not avail.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People not avail. not avail.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce 37 - 7/20 not avail.


Iraq War

DeFazio voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.[1]

For more information see the chart of U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Iraq War.

Support For Iraq Resolution

In February of 2007 Representative Peter DeFazio stated his support of a House resolution, H. Con. Res. 63, opposing the president's proposal for a troop surge in Iraq. In a speech he expressed disapproval with President Bush’s strategy in Iraq, which he claims is a “failed strategy that hurts our troops.” In the same speech he denounced the widely held Republican view that “if we don't fight them there, we will have to fight them here.” DeFazio pointed out that people can support the troops while at the same time opposing failed Iraq policies. He voiced a belief that all American troops should be brought home within a year of that date because “doing so would boost the Iraqi government's legitimacy and claim to self-rule, and force the Iraqi government to take responsibility for itself and its citizens.”

On February 16, 2007 DeFazio voted for the resolution which passed by 246 to 182 vote.

Environmental record

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

Budget Priorities

In May of 2006 DeFazio voted against a House budget resolution that would continue tax cuts, allow the spending of social-security surplus, and fail to sufficiently fund what he considers key priorities, such as health care, education, and Homeland Security. The resolution passed which DeFazio believes “reveals the true priorities of the Republican majority in Congress."

In February of 2007, DeFazio and Representative Greg Walden (R-Oregon) urged the Appropriations Committee to fund a one year extension on the county payments program, also known as the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. Last year, the county payments program provided nearly $280 million for Oregon counties for services like schools, roads and law enforcement. The country payments program was granted a one-year reauthorization.

Telecommunications

DeFazio voted against a telecommunications bill that favored telecom giants over small businesses and lacked adequate consumer protections. The Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006, passed by a vote of 321 to 101. An amendment offered by Representative Ed Markey, which would have ensured "net neutrality" in the bill, failed. DeFazio voted for the Markey amendment. Net neutrality is the idea that small and independent web sites should open just as easily on people's computers as sites run by large corporations do. Also the bill would grant telecom companies a national franchise, meaning that companies would not be required to provide cable TV service in rural areas or broaden service beyond the most profitable areas in cities. DeFazio voiced his opinion plainly, saying that the “only people it benefits are the bigwigs at telecom companies, who will now be able to legally discriminate against folks who cannot afford to pay higher rates for services which they now receive for free, or who happen to live in rural areas.”

Abortion

Peter DeFazio has an extremely Liberal voting record concerning abortion and related issues. He voted no on all acts attempting to prohibit partial birth abortions, those restrict the inter-state transportation of minors to obtain an abortion, and those providing funding to health care facilities which fail to offer information on abortions. He voted yes on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines and on allowing human embryonic stem cell research. NARAL has given him a rating of 100%, reflecting his voting record.


Bio

DeFazio was born May 27, 1947 in Needham, Massachusetts. He served in the United States Air Force from 1967 to 1971. He earned a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Tufts University in 1969 and an M.A. in Public Administration and Gerontology from the University of Oregon, 1977. He went on to work as a gerontologist

From 1977 to 1982 DeFazio worked for U.S. Rep. James H. Weaver (D-OR). He was elected as a Lane County, Oregon commissioner in 1983 and served as chairman from 1985 to 1986.

DeFazio was first elected to the U.S. Congress in 1986. He is dean of the Oregon House delegation, and represents southwest Oregon from Corvallis in the north, down to the California border-from the west coast to the Cascade Mountains.

In 1995, DeFazio ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator from Oregon in a special primary. He served as an Oregonian delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

Congressional career

2006 elections

In 2006, Republicans nominated James Lee Feldkamp to face DeFazio in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) [1] DeFazio retained his seat.

Money in politics

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. For specific controversies, see this article's record and controversies section.

Top Contributors to during the 2008 Election Cycle
DonorAmount (US Dollars)
Carpenters & Joiners Union$ 10,000
Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers$ 10,000
Norfolk Southern$ 10,000
National Air Traffic Controllers Assn$ 8,500
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Assn$ 5,500
Air Line Pilots Assn$ 5,000
American Assn for Justice$ 5,000
American Council of Engineering Cos$ 5,000
American Crystal Sugar$ 5,000
American Road & Transport Builders Assn$ 5,000
Source: The Center for Responsive Politics' www.OpenSecrets.org site.
Note: Contributions are not from the organizations themselves, but are rather from
the organization's PAC, employees or owners. Totals include subsidiaries and affiliates.
Links to more campaign contribution information for Peter DeFazio
from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org site.
Fundraising profile: 2008 election cycle Career totals
Top contributors by organization/corporation: 2008 election cycle Career totals
Top contributors by industry: 2008 election cycle Career totals


Committees and Affiliations

Committees

Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

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

More Background Data

Wikipedia also has an article on Peter DeFazio. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the GFDL.

Contact

DC office
  • 2134 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
    Ph: 202-225-6416 Fax: 202-225-0032
    Webform email
District offices
  • 125 Central, Suite 250 Coos Bay, OR 97420-0333
    Ph: 541-269-2609 Fax: (none entered)
  • 151 West Seventh Avenue, Suite 400 Eugene, OR 97401
    Ph: 541-465-6732 Fax: (none entered)
  • 612 Southeast Jackson Street, Room 9 Roseburg, OR 97470
    Ph: 541-440-3523 Fax: (none entered)
On the Web
Campaign office

Articles and Resources

Resources

Local blogs and discussion sites

Articles & Statements by Peter DeFazio


Semantic data (Edit data)

Retrieved from "http://www.opencongress.org/wiki/Peter_DeFazio"
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