Judd Gregg
Encyclopedia
Judd Alan Gregg is a former Governor of New Hampshire
and former United States Senator from New Hampshire
, who served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee
. He is a member of the Republican Party
and was a businessman and attorney
in Nashua
before entering politics. He currently serves as the Chair of the Public Advisory Board at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College
. Gregg was nominated for Secretary of Commerce
in the Cabinet
by President
Barack Obama
, but withdrew his name on February 12, 2009. He would have been up for re-election in 2010, but chose not to run. In the November 2010 elections, former State Attorney General Kelly Ayotte
, also a Republican, was elected to succeed Gregg in the Senate
. On May 27, 2011, Goldman Sachs
announced that Gregg had been named an international advisor to the firm.
, who was Governor from 1953 to 1955. Gregg graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy
in 1965. Gregg received his baccalaureate
from Columbia University
in 1969 and, from Boston University School of Law
, a Juris Doctor
in 1972 and a Master of Laws
in 1975.
The first elective office held by Gregg was a seat on the Executive Council of New Hampshire
, a post which he held from 1978 to 1980. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives
in 1980, and was reelected in 1982, 1984 and 1986.
He declined to run for re-election in 1988, and ran for Governor of New Hampshire
instead. He won that election and was re-elected in 1990, New Hampshire being one of two states (Vermont
is the other) that continues to elect its governors to two-year, rather than four-year, terms. As Governor, he balanced the budget, leaving the office in 1993 with a $21 million surplus. Although, his political opponents in the 1990s attacked Judd for the state's weak economy and his Vietnam War deferments.
. That year, 2004, he defeated campaign finance
activist Doris "Granny D" Haddock, the then 94-year-old Democratic nominee, by 66% to 34%.
After withdrawing from his nomination to become United States Secretary of Commerce
in the presidential administration
of Democrat Barack Obama
on February 12, 2009, Gregg said he would "probably not" seek reelection in 2010
, when his term of office is set to expire.
On November 14, 2008 Gregg was appointed by United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
to serve on the five-member Congressional Oversight Panel created to oversee the implementation of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. Gregg "stepped aside" on December 1, citing his Senate workload:
", and "would perpetuate America's dangerous oil dependence and damage the most scenic, wildlife-rich reserve in the circumpolar
north." The organization also praised Gregg, together with John E. Sununu
, for their work to pass the New England Wilderness act, which classified nearly 100000 acres (404.7 km²) of New Hampshire and Vermont as wilderness
. In 2006, Gregg received a score of 43% from the nonpartisan League of Conservation Voters
.
The University of New Hampshire
renamed its Environmental Technology Building Gregg Hall, because Gregg used earmarks to secure $266 million of federal funds for research and development projects for the university. The Judd Gregg Meteorology Institute
(JGMI), established in 2003, is the center of meteorological and atmospheric research at Plymouth State University
in Plymouth, NH, which offers the only meteorology degree program in the state. The Senator was also instrumental in the establishing of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College
in 1999.
The libertarian
Cato Institute
classifies Gregg as a "Free Trader", voting against trade barriers and trade subsidies 81% and 86% of the time, respectively.
In 2007, Gregg voted for the Clean Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6) and the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007
(S. 1639).
In October 2009, Gregg said, "You talk about systemic risk
. The systemic risk today is the Congress of the United States...we’re creating these massive debts which we’re passing on to our children...(the figures) mean we’re basically on the path to a banana republic
-type of financial situation in this country. "
Gregg has a moderate
record on social issues. In June 2006, he joined six of his fellow Republicans in voting against the Federal Marriage Amendment
. In April 2007, he was among the breakaway Republicans to support the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act
. However, his record on the issue of abortion is a solidly pro-life
one. Gregg has voted for some gun control measures and against others. He voted against the Brady Bill, but in recent years has voted for trigger control locks on firearms and in favor of the ban on assault weapons.
On December 17, 2009, Gregg voted to extend Chairman Ben Bernanke
's term.
during practice sessions held by George W. Bush
in preparation for the 2004 United States Presidential Election Debates. Four years earlier he had played the part of Al Gore
for the same purpose.
On October 29, 2007, Gregg endorsed Mitt Romney
, former Governor of Massachusetts
, to be the Republican nominee for President of the United States.
Gregg has not foreclosed the possibility of running for President himself after he leaves the Senate but he has said it’s “not likely”:
, David Addington
, William Haynes
, Douglas Feith
, Jay Bybee
, and John Yoo
. A summary of the meeting as recorded in a confidential diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks stated:
Senator Mel Martinez had a similar diplomacy meeting during the same period with the same agenda discussed. Martinez noted that "the prosecutions would neither be understood nor accepted in the U.S. and would have an enormous impact on the bilateral relationship". Spanish Foreign Minister Angel Lossada retorted, "the National Court had broad jurisdiction for universal justice and that there was no political influence on the judicial process."
In an earlier cable days before the Senators arrived, a US diplomat commented:
. After leaving the Senate Gregg became a highly paid employee of the investment bank Goldman Sachs.
In February 2009, the Associated Press
reported that Gregg and his family had profited personally from federal earmarks
secured by the Senator Gregg for the redevelopment of the Pease Air Force Base
in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
into an industrial park. According to Senate records, Gregg has collected from $240,017 to $651,801 from his investments in Pease Air Force Base
, while helping to arrange at least $66 million in federal aid for the former base. Gregg has denied any wrongdoing in the matter and claimed that his withdrawal from consideration for the Commerce Secretary was unrelated to the White House's discovery during the vetting process of his involvement in his family's real estate investments in Pease. Gregg explained away his actions by saying, "I've throughout my entire lifetime been involved in my family's businesses and that's just the way our family works. We support each other and our activities."
Gregg as a member of President Barack Obama's deficit commission defended cutting Social Security by quoting Willie Sutton
who, when asked why he robbed banks, replied, "because that's where the money is."
and CNN
reported that Gregg accepted President Obama's offer to be the next United States Secretary of Commerce
. If Gregg had been confirmed by the Senate
, he would have had to resign his Senate seat and be replaced with an appointment by Democratic Governor
John Lynch. Sources from both parties confirmed that Gregg's former chief of staff, Republican Bonnie Newman
, would have been chosen to replace him. The Washington Post
had alleged that Gregg would not accept the appointment unless Gov. Lynch agreed to appoint a Republican to fill his seat until 2010. In February 2009 many news outlets noted that Gregg had, in 1995, voted to abolish the United States Department of Commerce
. Although he has stated that he supports the stimulus package
promoted by President Obama, he has stated that he will recuse himself from voting on the package.
With reports that the Obama Administration would move the United States Census Bureau
, typically run by the Commerce Department, out of Gregg's jurisdiction, Republican leaders urged Obama to allow Gregg to run the census or withdraw Gregg's nomination. On February 12, 2009, Gregg withdrew his name from consideration for the position of United States Commerce Secretary, citing disagreements with issues surrounding the census and the stimulus bill. White House Press Secretary
Robert Gibbs
issued a statement regarding Gregg's withdrawal in which he accused the senator of not following through on his alleged statements of support for Obama's economic agenda made during the vetting process:
While speaking to press afterward, Gregg acknowledged responsibility for his decision and accepted the blame for accepting and then rejecting the Commerce Secretary nomination.
In an interview response to the AP
, Gregg was quoted as saying, "For 30 years, I've been my own person in charge of my own views, and I guess I hadn't really focused on the job of working for somebody else and carrying their views, and so this is basically where it came out."
In February 2009, the Associated Press reported that Gregg and his family had profited personally from federal earmarks secured by the Senator Gregg for the redevelopment of the Pease Air Force Base into an industrial park. According to Senate records, Gregg has collected from $240,017 to $651,801 from his investments in Pease Air Force Base, while helping to arrange at least $66 million in federal aid for the former base. Gregg claimed that his withdrawal from consideration for the Commerce Secretary was unrelated to the White House's discovery during the vetting process of his involvement in his family's real estate investments in Pease.
Church. He is married to Kathleen MacLellan Gregg. The couple have two daughters, Molly and Sarah, and a son, Joshua.
Gregg won more than $850,000 in 2005 after buying $20 worth of Powerball tickets at a Washington, D.C.
convenience store.
Governor of New Hampshire
The Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold...
and former United States Senator from New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, who served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee
United States Senate Committee on the Budget
The United States Senate Committee on Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal Government. The committee has jurisdiction over the...
. 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...
and was a businessman and attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Nashua
Nashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
before entering politics. He currently serves as the Chair of the Public Advisory Board at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College is a nationally ranked, private, Benedictine, Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Founded in 1889 by Abbot Hilary Pfrängle, O.S.B. of Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, at the request of Bishop Denis M. Bradley of Manchester, New Hampshire, the...
. Gregg was nominated for Secretary of Commerce
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
in the Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, but withdrew his name on February 12, 2009. He would have been up for re-election in 2010, but chose not to run. In the November 2010 elections, former State Attorney General Kelly Ayotte
Kelly Ayotte
Kelly A. Ayotte is the junior United States Senator from New Hampshire and a member of the Republican Party. She earlier served as the Attorney General of New Hampshire.-Early life, education and career:...
, also a Republican, was elected to succeed Gregg in the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. On May 27, 2011, Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
announced that Gregg had been named an international advisor to the firm.
Early life
Born in Nashua, New Hampshire, he is the son of Hugh GreggHugh Gregg
Hugh Gregg was governor of the U.S. state of New Hampshire from 1953 to 1955, and was the youngest person ever elected to that office. He is the father of former U.S. Senator, former governor, and former U.S. Congressman Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.A native of Nashua, New Hampshire, Gregg...
, who was Governor from 1953 to 1955. Gregg graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
in 1965. Gregg received his baccalaureate
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1969 and, from Boston University School of Law
Boston University School of Law
Boston University School of Law is the law school affiliated with Boston University, and is ranked #22 among American law schools by US News and World Report magazine. It is the second-oldest law school in Massachusetts and one of the first law schools in the country to admit students regardless...
, a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1972 and a Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
in 1975.
Early political career
Executive Council of New Hampshire
The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire is the executive body of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The Executive Council advises the Governor on all matters and provides a check on the governor's power. New Hampshire is one of the few states that has an Executive Council, and is the...
, a post which he held from 1978 to 1980. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives
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...
in 1980, and was reelected in 1982, 1984 and 1986.
He declined to run for re-election in 1988, and ran for Governor of New Hampshire
Governor of New Hampshire
The Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold...
instead. He won that election and was re-elected in 1990, New Hampshire being one of two states (Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
is the other) that continues to elect its governors to two-year, rather than four-year, terms. As Governor, he balanced the budget, leaving the office in 1993 with a $21 million surplus. Although, his political opponents in the 1990s attacked Judd for the state's weak economy and his Vietnam War deferments.
Elections
In 1992, Gregg decided to run for a Senate seat. He successfully defeated Democrat John Rauh, and took his seat as a United States Senator in 1993. He was re-elected to a second term in 1998 after defeating George Condodemetraky, and ran for a third termUnited States Senate election in New Hampshire, 2004
The 2004 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held November 2, 2004. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Judd Gregg won re-election to his third term.-Results:...
. That year, 2004, he defeated campaign finance
Campaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
activist Doris "Granny D" Haddock, the then 94-year-old Democratic nominee, by 66% to 34%.
After withdrawing from his nomination to become United States Secretary of Commerce
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
in the presidential administration
Presidency of Barack Obama
The Presidency of Barack Obama began at noon EST on January 20, 2009 when he became the 44th President of the United States. Obama was a United States Senator from Illinois at the time of his victory over Arizona Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election...
of Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
on February 12, 2009, Gregg said he would "probably not" seek reelection in 2010
United States Senate election in New Hampshire, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held on November 2, 2010, alongside other midterm elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as to the United States House of Representatives. A primary election was held on September 14th. Incumbent Republican U.S....
, when his term of office is set to expire.
Leadership
In January 2005, Gregg was elected to chair the U.S. Senate Committee on Budget by the Senate Republican Conference. While chairman of this committee Gregg has been a steadfast supporter of lower spending. Throughout his Senate career he has been highly supportive of lower taxes as well.On November 14, 2008 Gregg was appointed by United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...
to serve on the five-member Congressional Oversight Panel created to oversee the implementation of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. Gregg "stepped aside" on December 1, citing his Senate workload:
Platform
Republicans for Environmental Protection issued Gregg an "environmental harm demerit" for sponsoring the 2006 S.C. Resolution 83, which according to REP "included only one revenue-raising instruction to Senate appropriations committees, an abuse of the congressional budget process in order to force oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife RefugeArctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States. It consists of in the Alaska North Slope region. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge...
", and "would perpetuate America's dangerous oil dependence and damage the most scenic, wildlife-rich reserve in the circumpolar
Circumpolar
The term circumpolar may refer to:* circumpolar navigation: to travel the world "vertically" traversing both of the poles* Antarctic region** Antarctic Circle** the Antarctic Circumpolar Current** Subantarctic** List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands...
north." The organization also praised Gregg, together with John E. Sununu
John E. Sununu
John Edward Sununu is a former Republican United States Senator from New Hampshire, of Lebanese and Palestinian Christian ancestry. Sununu was the youngest member of the Senate for his entire six year term. He is the son of former New Hampshire Governor John H...
, for their work to pass the New England Wilderness act, which classified nearly 100000 acres (404.7 km²) of New Hampshire and Vermont as wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
. In 2006, Gregg received a score of 43% from the nonpartisan League of Conservation Voters
League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters is a political advocacy organization founded in 1969 by American environmentalist David Brower in the early years of the environmental movement. LCV's mission is to "advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt...
.
The University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
renamed its Environmental Technology Building Gregg Hall, because Gregg used earmarks to secure $266 million of federal funds for research and development projects for the university. The Judd Gregg Meteorology Institute
Judd Gregg Meteorology Institute
Judd Gregg Meteorology Institute , established in 2003, is the center of meteorological and atmospheric research at Plymouth State University, which offers the only meteorology degree program in the state of New Hampshire. The institute, named for U.S...
(JGMI), established in 2003, is the center of meteorological and atmospheric research at Plymouth State University
Plymouth State University
Plymouth State University, formerly Plymouth State College, is a regional comprehensive university located in Plymouth, New Hampshire and part of the University System of New Hampshire....
in Plymouth, NH, which offers the only meteorology degree program in the state. The Senator was also instrumental in the establishing of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College is a nationally ranked, private, Benedictine, Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Founded in 1889 by Abbot Hilary Pfrängle, O.S.B. of Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, at the request of Bishop Denis M. Bradley of Manchester, New Hampshire, the...
in 1999.
The libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
Cato Institute
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
classifies Gregg as a "Free Trader", voting against trade barriers and trade subsidies 81% and 86% of the time, respectively.
In 2007, Gregg voted for the Clean Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6) and the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, or, in its full name, the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 was a bill discussed in the 110th United States Congress that would have provided legal status and a path to citizenship for the approximately 12 to...
(S. 1639).
In October 2009, Gregg said, "You talk about systemic risk
Systemic risk
In finance, systemic risk is the risk of collapse of an entire financial system or entire market, as opposed to risk associated with any one individual entity, group or component of a system. It can be defined as "financial system instability, potentially catastrophic, caused or exacerbated by...
. The systemic risk today is the Congress of the United States...we’re creating these massive debts which we’re passing on to our children...(the figures) mean we’re basically on the path to a banana republic
Banana republic
In political science, the pejorative term Banana Republic denotes a politically unstable country dependent upon limited primary productions , which is ruled by a plutocracy, a small, self-elected, wealthy group who exploit the country by means of a politico-economic oligarchy...
-type of financial situation in this country. "
Gregg has a moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
record on social issues. In June 2006, he joined six of his fellow Republicans in voting against 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...
. In April 2007, he was among the breakaway Republicans to support the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act was the name of two similar bills that both passed through the United States House of Representatives and Senate, but were both vetoed by President George W. Bush and were not enacted into law...
. However, his record on the issue of abortion is a solidly pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
one. Gregg has voted for some gun control measures and against others. He voted against the Brady Bill, but in recent years has voted for trigger control locks on firearms and in favor of the ban on assault weapons.
On December 17, 2009, Gregg voted to extend Chairman Ben Bernanke
Ben Bernanke
Ben Shalom Bernanke is an American economist, and the current Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States. During his tenure as Chairman, Bernanke has overseen the response of the Federal Reserve to late-2000s financial crisis....
's term.
Presidential politics
During the 2004 Presidential Election, Gregg stood in for John KerryJohn Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
during practice sessions held by George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in preparation for the 2004 United States Presidential Election Debates. Four years earlier he had played the part of Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
for the same purpose.
On October 29, 2007, Gregg endorsed Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, former Governor of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, to be the Republican nominee for President of the United States.
Gregg has not foreclosed the possibility of running for President himself after he leaves the Senate but he has said it’s “not likely”:
"In New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
we like to have a variety of candidates, so I would seriously doubt that. I expect to be actively involved in the presidential primary. That’s the fun on coming from New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and being in office,” Gregg said.
“I don't rule out anything in my future. Let's face it -- that's not likely and I wouldn't expect to be doing that,” he added.
Attempted Interference with Spanish Justice System
In April 2009, Senator Senator Gregg was sent to accompany a US Diplomat to speak with Spanish Diplomat Luis Felipe Fernández de la Peña after a war crimes case was filed by Spanish NGO Association for the Dignity of Spanish Prisoners to the Spanish National Court for crimes alleged in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. The case targeted six former US Government Officials for violating the Geneva Convention, the 1984 Convention Against Torture, and the 1998 Rome Statute. The six accused were: Alberto GonzalesAlberto Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Gonzales was the first Hispanic Attorney General in U.S. history and the highest-ranking Hispanic government official ever...
, David Addington
David Addington
David Spears Addington , was legal counsel and chief of staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney, and is now vice president of domestic and economic policy studies at The Heritage Foundation....
, William Haynes
William Haynes
William Haynes may refer to:* William J. Haynes, II , American lawyer, General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense* William S. Haynes, American silversmith and flute maker* William E. Haynes , United States Representative for Ohio...
, Douglas Feith
Douglas Feith
Douglas J. Feith served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy for United States President George W. Bush from July 2001 until August 2005. His official responsibilities included the formulation of defense planning guidance and forces policy, United States Department of Defense relations...
, Jay Bybee
Jay Bybee
Jay Scott Bybee is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has published numerous articles in law journals and taught law school; his primary interests are in constitutional and administrative law....
, and John Yoo
John Yoo
John Choon Yoo is an American attorney, law professor, and author. As a former official in the United States Department of Justice during the George W...
. A summary of the meeting as recorded in a confidential diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks stated:
Senator Gregg expressed his concern and dismay about reported Spanish judiciary desire to indict six former Bush administration officials for allegedly creating a legal framework that permitted torture. Fernandez de la Pena lamented this development, adding that judicial independence notwithstanding, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disagreed with efforts to apply universal jurisdiction in such cases.
Senator Mel Martinez had a similar diplomacy meeting during the same period with the same agenda discussed. Martinez noted that "the prosecutions would neither be understood nor accepted in the U.S. and would have an enormous impact on the bilateral relationship". Spanish Foreign Minister Angel Lossada retorted, "the National Court had broad jurisdiction for universal justice and that there was no political influence on the judicial process."
In an earlier cable days before the Senators arrived, a US diplomat commented:
We do not know if the [Spanish] government would be willing to take the risky step of trying behind the scenes to influence the prosecutor's recommendation on this case or what their reaction to such a request would be.
Controversies
In the Senate, Gregg was the leading Republican negotiator and author of the TARP program, which bailed out financial institutions, while he had a multi-million dollar investment in Bank of AmericaBank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
. After leaving the Senate Gregg became a highly paid employee of the investment bank Goldman Sachs.
In February 2009, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that Gregg and his family had profited personally from federal earmarks
Earmark (politics)
In United States politics, an earmark is a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees...
secured by the Senator Gregg for the redevelopment of the Pease Air Force Base
Pease Air National Guard Base
Pease Air National Guard Base is a New Hampshire Air National Guard base located at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. Formerly, the base was open as Pease Air Force Base until it was closed in 1991. Before it was closed, it was under the control of the United States Air Force's Strategic...
in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
into an industrial park. According to Senate records, Gregg has collected from $240,017 to $651,801 from his investments in Pease Air Force Base
Pease Air National Guard Base
Pease Air National Guard Base is a New Hampshire Air National Guard base located at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. Formerly, the base was open as Pease Air Force Base until it was closed in 1991. Before it was closed, it was under the control of the United States Air Force's Strategic...
, while helping to arrange at least $66 million in federal aid for the former base. Gregg has denied any wrongdoing in the matter and claimed that his withdrawal from consideration for the Commerce Secretary was unrelated to the White House's discovery during the vetting process of his involvement in his family's real estate investments in Pease. Gregg explained away his actions by saying, "I've throughout my entire lifetime been involved in my family's businesses and that's just the way our family works. We support each other and our activities."
Gregg as a member of President Barack Obama's deficit commission defended cutting Social Security by quoting Willie Sutton
Willie Sutton
William "Willie" Sutton was a prolific U.S. bank robber. During his forty-year criminal career he stole an estimated $2 million, and eventually spent more than half of his adult life in prison...
who, when asked why he robbed banks, replied, "because that's where the money is."
Commerce Secretary nomination and withdrawal
On February 2, 2009, PoliticoPolitico (newspaper)
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
reported that Gregg accepted President Obama's offer to be the next United States Secretary of Commerce
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
. If Gregg had been confirmed by the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, he would have had to resign his Senate seat and be replaced with an appointment by Democratic Governor
Governor of New Hampshire
The Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold...
John Lynch. Sources from both parties confirmed that Gregg's former chief of staff, Republican Bonnie Newman
Bonnie Newman
Jane Ellen "Bonnie" Newman is an American administrator and business executive who was selected to be the United States Senator from New Hampshire but did not take office when the vacancy she was to fill did not materialize....
, would have been chosen to replace him. The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
had alleged that Gregg would not accept the appointment unless Gov. Lynch agreed to appoint a Republican to fill his seat until 2010. In February 2009 many news outlets noted that Gregg had, in 1995, voted to abolish the United States Department of Commerce
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
. Although he has stated that he supports the stimulus package
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
promoted by President Obama, he has stated that he will recuse himself from voting on the package.
With reports that the Obama Administration would move the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, typically run by the Commerce Department, out of Gregg's jurisdiction, Republican leaders urged Obama to allow Gregg to run the census or withdraw Gregg's nomination. On February 12, 2009, Gregg withdrew his name from consideration for the position of United States Commerce Secretary, citing disagreements with issues surrounding the census and the stimulus bill. White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
Robert Gibbs
Robert Gibbs
Robert Lane Gibbs was the 28th White House Press Secretary. Gibbs was the communications director for then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama and Obama's 2008 presidential campaign...
issued a statement regarding Gregg's withdrawal in which he accused the senator of not following through on his alleged statements of support for Obama's economic agenda made during the vetting process:
While speaking to press afterward, Gregg acknowledged responsibility for his decision and accepted the blame for accepting and then rejecting the Commerce Secretary nomination.
In an interview response to the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Gregg was quoted as saying, "For 30 years, I've been my own person in charge of my own views, and I guess I hadn't really focused on the job of working for somebody else and carrying their views, and so this is basically where it came out."
In February 2009, the Associated Press reported that Gregg and his family had profited personally from federal earmarks secured by the Senator Gregg for the redevelopment of the Pease Air Force Base into an industrial park. According to Senate records, Gregg has collected from $240,017 to $651,801 from his investments in Pease Air Force Base, while helping to arrange at least $66 million in federal aid for the former base. Gregg claimed that his withdrawal from consideration for the Commerce Secretary was unrelated to the White House's discovery during the vetting process of his involvement in his family's real estate investments in Pease.
Personal life
Gregg belongs to the CongregationalistCongregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
Church. He is married to Kathleen MacLellan Gregg. The couple have two daughters, Molly and Sarah, and a son, Joshua.
Gregg won more than $850,000 in 2005 after buying $20 worth of Powerball tickets at a Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
convenience store.
External links
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Gregg as governor at New Hampshire's Division of Historic Resources
- Environmental Technology building named for Senator Gregg The New Hampshire
- Judd Gregg Meteorology Institute