Brian Bilbray
Encyclopedia
Brian Phillip Bilbray is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2006, and previously for the 49th district from 1995 to 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party
. Bilbray is Chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus and a member of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee. His subcommittee assignments on the Energy and Commerce Committee are as follows: Oversight and Investigations, Communication and Technology, and Energy and Power.
On June 6, 2006, Bilbray won a special election as representative for to serve out the remaining seven months of the term of fellow Republican former Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham
, who resigned after pleading guilty to accepting $2.4 million in bribes. Bilbray won re-election in the November 2006 general election
and has been representing the 50th district ever since.
, and grew up in Imperial Beach, California
. He graduated from Mar Vista High School
and attended Southwestern College
, a community college
in Chula Vista, California
. He worked as a tax consultant before entering politics.
He and his wife, Karen Walker Bilbray, have five children. One of his sons, Brian Jr., is a current member of the Imperial Beach city council. He is a cousin of former Nevada
Democratic
Representative James Bilbray
.
Bilbray is an avid surfer, who compares surfing to politics.
. He ran successfully for the city council as a populist
, serving during 1976–1978, and was mayor during 1978–1985.
As mayor, Bilbray attempted to build a yacht marina in the Tijuana Estuary and to build a 1.5 mile breakwater off the beach of Imperial Beach. Both projects were stopped by the opposition of local surfers and environmentalists. 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 1985 to 1995, Bilbray was a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
in the Republican landslide of that year. The 53rd was one of several marginal districts to go Republican in that cycle.
Bilbray was reelected twice. In 2000, he was defeated by State Assemblywoman
Susan Davis.
, the San Diego Regional Airport Authority, Conquer Cancer and Alzheimer's Now, Los Angeles County
, San Diego Gas and Electric Company
.
From May 2002 until July 2005, Bilbray was a consultant for the Federation for American Immigration Reform
, a conservative anti-immigration lobbying group founded by John Tanton
. He is currently on the federation's board of advisers. In 2006, Bilbray received nearly $10,000 in campaign contributions from members of the federation's board of directors: Nancy Anthony, Sharon Barnes, General Douglas E. Caton, Sarah Epstein, Stephen Swensrud and Alan Weeden.
, who pleaded guilty to felony charges of conspiracy and tax evasion, and subsequently went to jail. In March 2005, Bilbray moved to Carlsbad, California
, to take care of his mother, who owns a home there.
The race to assume Cunningham's seat was highly contested, especially on the Republican side, with 14 Republicans (compared with only 2 Democrats) officially running for the position. Leading up to the initial all-candidate election that would determine the parties' candidates in a runoff election, Bilbray was in a virtual tie with Republican businessman Eric Roach, slightly ahead of former State Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian
. Four days prior to the election, businessman Alan Uke, one of the major Republican candidates, ran an attack ad accusing Roach of outsourcing
thousands of jobs at the expense of American workers. In the initial all-party special election on April 11, 2006, Bilbray was the Republican candidate with the most votes, receiving 15.26% of the total vote to Roach's 14.50%. He then faced the top vote getters of all the other parties in a runoff election on June 6, 2006: Democrat Francine Busby
, Libertarian
Paul King, and William Griffith, an independent.
During the campaign, Arizona Senator John McCain
canceled a planned fundraiser for Bilbray at the last minute, after Bilbray called McCain's immigration bill "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. McCain later contributed money to Bilbray's campaign and voiced a radio commercial for the National Republican Congressional Committee
in support of Bilbray's race against Busby.
Bilbray won the runoff with 49% of the vote, and was sworn in on June 13, 2006 as a member of the Congress. The Republican Party considered this a bellwether
race because this district had "the perfect storm in favor of the Democrats" according to Ken Mehlman
, the RNC Chairman at the time of the special election. The Democratic National Committee
's Voting Rights Institute raised several concerns about the fairness and accuracy of the vote count. An election contest lawsuit sought a hand recount. However, Bilbray was sworn in before the vote count was official. The court dismissed the suit on the basis that, once the House of Representatives had sworn in Bilbray, the court lacked jurisdiction
to hear the challenge.
With the advantage of incumbency and the Republican edge in registrations in the district, Bilbray was initially a clear favorite to win in November. Both the Cook Political Report and CQPolitics first rated the race as Republican Favored. But Busby gained in October, with a late-October poll by SurveyUSA showed Bilbray ahead by just 3 points, for a number of reasons: the general political climate seen as disadvantageous to the GOP, Busby's outraising Bilbray, and Bilbray's low profile campaign. On October 23, CQPolitics changed their rating to Leans Republican.
In the 2006 midterm election, Bilbray defeated Busby by a margin of 54.2%-43.5%. Bilbray ran as an opponent of illegal immigration.
and $1 million in donations, Leibham ran a string of TV attack ads against Bilbray. Democrats thought they had a chance at winning the district due to the hostile environment plaguing Republicans in general, and shifting demographics locally. Bilbray won, 50% to 46%, with 4% of the vote going to Libertarian candidate Wayne Dunlap.
; Alexandria, Virginia
; and Carlsbad, California
. In response to requests to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis
, by the local Democratic Party and neighbors of the congressman, a San Diego County grand jury
was convened to investigate claims against Bilbray's declared residency for the special and general elections in 2006. The investigation was dropped in May 2007.
Questions about Brian Bilbray's residency again arose after his reelection on November 6, 2010, when he personally, as well as his children Briana and Patrick, claimed to not live in California and not qualify for in-state tuition in a class-action lawsuit against the University of California. Brian Bilbray appeared as a named plaintiff residing in Virginia.
During his second run for Congress in the 50th district, Bilbray won over many of the district's most conservative voters with his hard line stance on illegal immigration. Since returning to Congress, Bilbray's voting record has been considerably more conservative than it was during his first stint. He is a member of both the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership
and the conservative Republican Study Committee
, two groups with conflicting positions on policy. For example, the RMSP supports embryonic stem cell research and opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment
, while the RSC opposes embryonic stem cell research and supports the FMA. He is also a member of Republicans for Choice
.
Bilbray voted in agreement with President Bush 93% of the time, and as a result was given a 93% Presidential Support Score by CQ Politics in 2006.
In October 2011, Bilbray voted for a bill that would prohibit public funding for abortions. It passed 251-172 in the House. Bilbray is a Roman Catholic, and voted in favor of a bill in early November 2011 that would encourage “In God We Trust” to be displayed in schools and other public buildings. This Resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority in the House, 396-9. Bilbray almost always has voted for free trade agreements in the past years, namely with Korea, Columbia, and Panama, all of which passed. The Republican is also a strong believer in pro-life policy, as well is the traditional American family.
Bilbray in November 2011 introduced a new bill, which would benefit veterans. It provides job training and internships paid for by federal grants. Bilbray is also co-sponsoring a law for the US economy. It is aimed at creating jobs by taking action against China manipulating currency. However, now Bilbray and other former supporters of the bill are now blocking it from passage. Some speculate he is trying to stick with his party but others argue it was simply for show that he sponsored the bill. Bilbray is currently not holding the majority of the vote in his 52nd district, with only 42 percent of voters polling that they would re-elect him.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 2006, and previously for the 49th district from 1995 to 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Bilbray is Chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus and a member of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee. His subcommittee assignments on the Energy and Commerce Committee are as follows: Oversight and Investigations, Communication and Technology, and Energy and Power.
On June 6, 2006, Bilbray won a special election as representative for to serve out the remaining seven months of the term of fellow Republican former Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham
Duke Cunningham
Randall Harold Cunningham , usually known as Randy or Duke, is United States Navy veteran, convicted felon, and former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 50th Congressional District from 1991 to 2005.Cunningham resigned from the House on November 28,...
, who resigned after pleading guilty to accepting $2.4 million in bribes. Bilbray won re-election in the November 2006 general election
United States House elections, 2006
- House of Representatives prior to the election :As of November 7, 2006, the U.S. House of the 109th Congress was composed of 229 Republicans, 201 Democrats and 1 Independent . There were also four vacancies...
and has been representing the 50th district ever since.
Personal life
Bilbray was born in Coronado, CaliforniaCoronado, California
Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, 5.2 miles from downtown San Diego. Its population was 24,697 at the 2010 census, up from 24,100 at the 2000 census. U.S. News and World Report lists Coronado as one of the most expensive...
, and grew up in Imperial Beach, California
Imperial Beach, California
Imperial Beach is a residential beach city in San Diego County, California, with a population of 26,324 at the 2010 census. The city is the most southern beach city in Southern California and the West Coast of the United States...
. He graduated from Mar Vista High School
Mar Vista High School
Mar Vista Senior High , in Imperial Beach, California, United States, is a high school established in 1951. Part of the Sweetwater Union High School District, the school serves students living in Imperial Beach, and San Diego, California...
and attended Southwestern College
Southwestern College (California)
Southwestern College is a public, two-year community college located in the city of Chula Vista, California. Southwestern College's football stadium hosts Bonita Vista High School's football games...
, a community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
in Chula Vista, California
Chula Vista, California
Chula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....
. He worked as a tax consultant before entering politics.
He and his wife, Karen Walker Bilbray, have five children. One of his sons, Brian Jr., is a current member of the Imperial Beach city council. He is a cousin of former Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Representative James Bilbray
James Bilbray
James Hubert Bilbray is an American politician and lawyer from Nevada.Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, Bilbray graduated from Las Vegas High School and attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, from 1959 to 1960. He received a B.A. in government and public administration from American University in...
.
Bilbray is an avid surfer, who compares surfing to politics.
Mayor and supervisor
Bilbray became interested in politics when an extensive program of eminent domain was proposed for Imperial BeachImperial Beach, California
Imperial Beach is a residential beach city in San Diego County, California, with a population of 26,324 at the 2010 census. The city is the most southern beach city in Southern California and the West Coast of the United States...
. He ran successfully for the city council as a populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
, serving during 1976–1978, and was mayor during 1978–1985.
As mayor, Bilbray attempted to build a yacht marina in the Tijuana Estuary and to build a 1.5 mile breakwater off the beach of Imperial Beach. Both projects were stopped by the opposition of local surfers and environmentalists. The Tijuana River
Tijuana River
The Tijuana River is an intermittent river, 120 mi long, on the Pacific coast of northern Baja California in Mexico and southern California in the United States.-Location:...
Estuary is now a National Estuarine Research Reserve
National Estuarine Research Reserve
The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a program of the United States government. The program establishes federal-state partnerships under the Coastal Zone Management Act to create a system of estuarine research reserves representative of the various regions and estuarine types in the...
and California State Park. The breakwater project was halted with the help of the then fledgling Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation USA is a U.S. 501 grassroots non-profit environmental organization that works to protect and preserve the world's oceans, waves, and beaches...
.
From 1985 to 1995, Bilbray was a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
Member of Congress, 1995–2001
In 1994, Bilbray won the Republican nomination for the , now the 53rd district, which included most of San Diego, and defeated freshman Democrat Lynn SchenkLynn Schenk
Lynn Schenk is a former American Democratic politician from the state of California. She served one term in the United States House of Representatives, from 1993 to 1995....
in the Republican landslide of that year. The 53rd was one of several marginal districts to go Republican in that cycle.
Bilbray was reelected twice. In 2000, he was defeated by State Assemblywoman
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
Susan Davis.
Lobbyist Activities
In 2001, Bilbray registered as a federal lobbyist. His clients included the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and Federation for American Immigration ReformFederation for American Immigration Reform
The Federation for American Immigration Reform is a non-profit tax exempt educational organization in the United States that advocates changes in U.S. immigration policy that would result in significant reductions in immigration, both legal and illegal...
, the San Diego Regional Airport Authority, Conquer Cancer and Alzheimer's Now, Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, San Diego Gas and Electric Company
Sempra Energy
Sempra Energy is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego, California. It divides its interests into two broad categories: Sempra Utilities, including Pacific Enterprises/Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric; and Sempra Global, a holding company for...
.
From May 2002 until July 2005, Bilbray was a consultant for the Federation for American Immigration Reform
Federation for American Immigration Reform
The Federation for American Immigration Reform is a non-profit tax exempt educational organization in the United States that advocates changes in U.S. immigration policy that would result in significant reductions in immigration, both legal and illegal...
, a conservative anti-immigration lobbying group founded by John Tanton
John Tanton
John H. Tanton, M.D., is a retired ophthalmologist from Petoskey, Michigan, and an influential activist in efforts aimed at reducing immigration levels in the United States. He was organizer and first chairman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform , a non-profit educational group that...
. He is currently on the federation's board of advisers. In 2006, Bilbray received nearly $10,000 in campaign contributions from members of the federation's board of directors: Nancy Anthony, Sharon Barnes, General Douglas E. Caton, Sarah Epstein, Stephen Swensrud and Alan Weeden.
2006 special congressional election
Bilbray ran in the 2006 special election to fill the vacancy in caused by the resignation in December 2005 of fellow Republican Duke CunninghamDuke Cunningham
Randall Harold Cunningham , usually known as Randy or Duke, is United States Navy veteran, convicted felon, and former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 50th Congressional District from 1991 to 2005.Cunningham resigned from the House on November 28,...
, who pleaded guilty to felony charges of conspiracy and tax evasion, and subsequently went to jail. In March 2005, Bilbray moved to Carlsbad, California
Carlsbad, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
, to take care of his mother, who owns a home there.
The race to assume Cunningham's seat was highly contested, especially on the Republican side, with 14 Republicans (compared with only 2 Democrats) officially running for the position. Leading up to the initial all-candidate election that would determine the parties' candidates in a runoff election, Bilbray was in a virtual tie with Republican businessman Eric Roach, slightly ahead of former State Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian
Howard Kaloogian
Howard J. Kaloogian is an American politician and a former member of the California State Assembly. A Republican, he failed in 2004 to be elected to the United States Senate and in 2006 to be elected to the House.-Biography:...
. Four days prior to the election, businessman Alan Uke, one of the major Republican candidates, ran an attack ad accusing Roach of outsourcing
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of contracting a business function to someone else.-Overview:The term outsourcing is used inconsistently but usually involves the contracting out of a business function - commonly one previously performed in-house - to an external provider...
thousands of jobs at the expense of American workers. In the initial all-party special election on April 11, 2006, Bilbray was the Republican candidate with the most votes, receiving 15.26% of the total vote to Roach's 14.50%. He then faced the top vote getters of all the other parties in a runoff election on June 6, 2006: Democrat Francine Busby
Francine Busby
Francine Pocino Busby was the 2010 Democratic Candidate for Congress in California's 50th district, in North San Diego County. She defeated Tracy Emblem in the June primary and lost to Republican incumbent, Brian Bilbray in the general election. She was also a 2006 Democratic candidate for...
, Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
Paul King, and William Griffith, an independent.
During the campaign, Arizona Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
canceled a planned fundraiser for Bilbray at the last minute, after Bilbray called McCain's immigration bill "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. McCain later contributed money to Bilbray's campaign and voiced a radio commercial for the National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
in support of Bilbray's race against Busby.
Bilbray won the runoff with 49% of the vote, and was sworn in on June 13, 2006 as a member of the Congress. The Republican Party considered this a bellwether
Bellwether
A bellwether is any entity in a given arena that serves to create or influence trends or to presage future happenings.The term is derived from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram leading his flock of sheep.The movements of...
race because this district had "the perfect storm in favor of the Democrats" according to Ken Mehlman
Ken Mehlman
Kenneth Brian Mehlman is an American businessman, attorney, and political figure who served as the campaign manager for the 2004 re-election campaign of George W. Bush and Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2005 to 2007. In 2007, President Bush appointed Mehlman to the U.S...
, the RNC Chairman at the time of the special election. The Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
's Voting Rights Institute raised several concerns about the fairness and accuracy of the vote count. An election contest lawsuit sought a hand recount. However, Bilbray was sworn in before the vote count was official. The court dismissed the suit on the basis that, once the House of Representatives had sworn in Bilbray, the court lacked jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
to hear the challenge.
109th Congress
During the 109th Congress Congressman Brian Bilbray served on the House Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Government Reform Committees. Since his swearing in June Congressman Bilbray co-authored legislation that led to the transfer of the Mount Soledad Veteran's Memorial from the City of San Diego to the federal government. He also authored legislation that would have reformed the federal budget process.2006 general election
Bilbray and Busby each won their party's primary, and faced each other again in the November general election.With the advantage of incumbency and the Republican edge in registrations in the district, Bilbray was initially a clear favorite to win in November. Both the Cook Political Report and CQPolitics first rated the race as Republican Favored. But Busby gained in October, with a late-October poll by SurveyUSA showed Bilbray ahead by just 3 points, for a number of reasons: the general political climate seen as disadvantageous to the GOP, Busby's outraising Bilbray, and Bilbray's low profile campaign. On October 23, CQPolitics changed their rating to Leans Republican.
In the 2006 midterm election, Bilbray defeated Busby by a margin of 54.2%-43.5%. Bilbray ran as an opponent of illegal immigration.
2008 general election
Running unopposed in the June primary, Bilbray overcame a strong challenge from Democrat Nick Leibham in the November 2008 general election. With help from the DCCCDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
and $1 million in donations, Leibham ran a string of TV attack ads against Bilbray. Democrats thought they had a chance at winning the district due to the hostile environment plaguing Republicans in general, and shifting demographics locally. Bilbray won, 50% to 46%, with 4% of the vote going to Libertarian candidate Wayne Dunlap.
Residency
Since his loss to Congresswoman Susan Davis in 2001 Congressman Bilbray has maintained residences and properties in Imperial Beach, CaliforniaImperial Beach, California
Imperial Beach is a residential beach city in San Diego County, California, with a population of 26,324 at the 2010 census. The city is the most southern beach city in Southern California and the West Coast of the United States...
; Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
; and Carlsbad, California
Carlsbad, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
. In response to requests to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis
Bonnie Dumanis
Bonnie M. Dumanis is currently the District Attorney of San Diego County. Dumanis has been the District Attorney since 2003, when she defeated incumbent Paul Pfingst. Dumanis is currently running for Mayor of San Diego.Dumanis, a Republican, is the first openly gay or lesbian DA in the country...
, by the local Democratic Party and neighbors of the congressman, a San Diego County grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
was convened to investigate claims against Bilbray's declared residency for the special and general elections in 2006. The investigation was dropped in May 2007.
Questions about Brian Bilbray's residency again arose after his reelection on November 6, 2010, when he personally, as well as his children Briana and Patrick, claimed to not live in California and not qualify for in-state tuition in a class-action lawsuit against the University of California. Brian Bilbray appeared as a named plaintiff residing in Virginia.
Political Positions
Bilbray positioned himself as moderate on some social issues while conservative on immigration and fiscal matters. He is a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.During his second run for Congress in the 50th district, Bilbray won over many of the district's most conservative voters with his hard line stance on illegal immigration. Since returning to Congress, Bilbray's voting record has been considerably more conservative than it was during his first stint. He is a member of both the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership
Republican Main Street Partnership
The Republican Main Street Partnership is a group of moderate members of the United States Republican Party. They tend away from the dominant social conservatism of many Republicans and towards a moderate fiscal conservatism and limited government to a degree. The group is the rough equivalent of...
and the conservative Republican Study Committee
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
, two groups with conflicting positions on policy. For example, the RMSP supports embryonic stem cell research and opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment
Federal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment H.J. Res. 56 was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...
, while the RSC opposes embryonic stem cell research and supports the FMA. He is also a member of Republicans for Choice
Republicans for Choice
Republicans for Choice, an organization based in the Washington, D.C. area is a political action committee composed of members of the United States Republican Party who support legalized abortion.-History of Republicans for Choice:Republicans for Choice was founded in 1989 by Ann Stone...
.
Bilbray voted in agreement with President Bush 93% of the time, and as a result was given a 93% Presidential Support Score by CQ Politics in 2006.
In October 2011, Bilbray voted for a bill that would prohibit public funding for abortions. It passed 251-172 in the House. Bilbray is a Roman Catholic, and voted in favor of a bill in early November 2011 that would encourage “In God We Trust” to be displayed in schools and other public buildings. This Resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority in the House, 396-9. Bilbray almost always has voted for free trade agreements in the past years, namely with Korea, Columbia, and Panama, all of which passed. The Republican is also a strong believer in pro-life policy, as well is the traditional American family.
Bilbray in November 2011 introduced a new bill, which would benefit veterans. It provides job training and internships paid for by federal grants. Bilbray is also co-sponsoring a law for the US economy. It is aimed at creating jobs by taking action against China manipulating currency. However, now Bilbray and other former supporters of the bill are now blocking it from passage. Some speculate he is trying to stick with his party but others argue it was simply for show that he sponsored the bill. Bilbray is currently not holding the majority of the vote in his 52nd district, with only 42 percent of voters polling that they would re-elect him.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and CommerceUnited States House Committee on Energy and CommerceThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
- Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
- Subcommittee on Energy and Power
- Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsUnited States House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsThe U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.-Jurisdiction:...
External links
- U.S. Congressman Brian Bilbray official U.S. House site
- Bilbray for Congress official campaign site
- Surfing Congressmen Gut Environmental Laws Swing magazine, March 1996
- http://www.republicansforchoice.com/
- http://www.republicanmainstreet.org/index.php/ElectedMembers