Kristi Noem
Encyclopedia
Kristi Lynn Arnold Noem (born November 30, 1971) is the U.S. Representative
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 January 2011. She 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 has been elected to the Republican Leadership for the 112th Congress
112th United States Congress
The One Hundred Twelfth United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 2011, and will end on January...

 as one of its two freshman representatives. She previously represented the 6th District in the South Dakota House of Representatives
South Dakota House of Representatives
The South Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Dakota State Legislature. It is made up of 70 members, two from each legislative district...

 for four years, serving as an Assistant Majority Leader during her final year. She is a farmer, rancher and small business owner by profession.

Early life, education, and career

She was born to Ron and Corinne Bergan Arnold in Watertown, South Dakota
Watertown, South Dakota
Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 21,482 at the 2010 census. It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties...

 and was raised with her three siblings on the family ranch and farm in rural Hamlin County
Hamlin County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,540 people, 2,048 households, and 1,452 families residing in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 2,626 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...

. Growing up, she participated in rodeo queen events, learning horsemanship and interview skills. She graduated from Hamlin High School in 1990, and won the South Dakota Snow Queen title which required that she enroll in a state university and promote the state during her reign. She credited the experience with helping her polish her public speaking and promotional skills. Enrolling in Northern State University, she married, then left college at age 22 to help run the ranch after her father was killed in a tragic farm machinery accident. Though her college career was interrupted, she has, over the years, taken classes at Mount Marty College
Mount Marty College
Mount Marty College, an academic community in the Roman Catholic Benedictine liberal arts tradition, is located in Yankton, South Dakota. Mount Marty is a private, Roman Catholic, Benedictine co-educational liberal arts college...

, The University of South Dakota, and South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University is the largest university in the U.S. state of South Dakota, located in Brookings. A public land-grant university and sun grant college, founded under the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act, SDSU offers programs of study required by, or harmonious to, this Act...

. She is taking an online course and receiving intern credits for her work in Congress, and expects to receive her bachelors' degree before the 2012 election.

Upon her father's death, Noem has said she and her family members decided to take out a loan to pay taxes owning on the estate rather than sell off land, noting that "for 10 years that loan really impacted our ability to make a profit". The property has also received $3,058,152 in USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...

 farm subsidies
Agricultural subsidy
An agricultural subsidy is a governmental subsidy paid to farmers and agribusinesses to supplement their income, manage the supply of agricultural commodities, and influence the cost and supply of such commodities...

 from 1995 through 2009. Over the years, Noem added a hunting lodge and restaurant to the property, and all of her siblings have moved back to assist in expanding the businesses.

South Dakota legislature

Motivated by a desire to limit the destructive role of government on businesses, Noem entered political life, serving on local committees and boards. In 2006, she won a seat in the South Dakota House of Representatives representing the 6th District, (comprising Beadle
Beadle County, South Dakota
Beadle County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,398. Its county seat is Huron.Beadle County is the only county in the Huron Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

, Clark
Clark County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,143 people, 1,598 households, and 1,110 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 1,880 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...

, Codington
Codington County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,897 people, 10,357 households, and 6,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 11,324 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...

, Hamlin
Hamlin County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,540 people, 2,048 households, and 1,452 families residing in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 2,626 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...

, and Kingsbury
Kingsbury County, South Dakota
Kingsbury County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,148. It's county seat is De Smet. It was named for two brothers, George W. and T. A. Kingsbury, who were prominently involved in the affairs of Dakota Territory and members of...

 counties, but not including the city of Watertown). She served for four years, from 2007 to 2010, and was an Assistant Majority Leader during her last year.

According to the Daily Caller, Noem was noted for being a tough and knowledgeable state legislator. She publicly accused a state senator of a conflict of interest during a legislative hearing thus killing his effort to stop the construction of an Indian casino. In 2009 and 2010 she sponsored bills to lower the age of compulsory education in South Dakota to 16.(It had been raised to 18 in 2008.) She questioned whether schools can meet the needs of the struggling students, and stated that requiring school attendance until age 18 has not been proven to improve graduation rates, and interferes with a family’s choice. Supporters of the higher age argue that it increases graduation rates and provides motivation for students who would otherwise drop out.

2010 election

Republican primary
On June 8, 2010, Noem won the Republican nomination, capturing 42 percent of the vote against South Dakota Secretary of State Chris Nelson
Chris Nelson
Chris Nelson is the former Secretary of State of South Dakota. A Republican, he was a candidate to become U.S. Representative from South Dakota's At-large congressional district in 2010. Nelson lost to Kristi Noem in the Republican primary....

 and state legislator Blake Curd. According to Sabato's Crystal Ball
Sabato's Crystal Ball
Sabato’s Crystal Ball is a free, nonpartisan weekly online newsletter and comprehensive website in the United States that analyzes the current American political scene and predicts electoral outcomes for U.S House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, governors, and U.S. president races...

 blog, Noem's "victory over two A-list opponents" was impressive. Her primary opponents endorsed her in the general election.

General election
Noem's opponent, incumbent Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, emphasized her own record of independence from the Democratic caucus including her no votes on health care reform, the Wall Street bailouts and the cap-and-trade energy bill. In response, Noem repeatedly highlighted Herseth Sandlin's vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House: "I believe the U.S. House of Representatives is the people's house. It is not Nancy Pelosi's house," she said. A Washington Post story on the race described Noem as "a made-for-Fox News star" and compared her to former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...

.

During the 2010 election cycle, Noem out-raised Herseth Sandlin $2.3 million to $2.1 million. Of those totals, Noem received 84 percent of her cash from individual contributors while Herseth Sandlin received 56 percent from political action committees. 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...

's PAC
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...

 made a donation to Noem's campaign, and Romney endorsed her.

Gallup polls in June 2010 showed Republican candidates ahead of their Democratic counterparts due to dissatisfaction with President Obama. Polls conducted by Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...

 consistently gave a Noem a slight edge over Herseth Sandlin following the June GOP primary, with Noem pulling ahead 47 percent to 44 percent in early October. Critics said the Rasmussen firm's surveying methods were erratic and tended to favor Republican candidates. Noem defeated Herseth Sandlin on November 2, 2010, by 48 percent to 46 percent.

Tenure

Noem and fellow freshman congressman Tim Scott
Tim Scott (politician)
Timothy Eugene "Tim" Scott is the U.S. Representative for . Elected in November 2010 to the 112th Congress, he and Allen West of Florida are the first Republican African-American Representatives from the South since Reconstruction, and the first Republican African-American members of Congress...

 of South Carolina, were elected by acclamation
Acclamation
An acclamation, in its most common sense, is a form of election that does not use a ballot. "Acclamation" or "acclamatio" can also signify a kind of ritual greeting and expression of approval in certain social contexts in ancient Rome.-Voting:...

 of the 2011 House Republican 87-member freshman class to be liaisons to the House Republican leadership—making Noem the second woman member of House GOP leadership. According to The Hill Noem's role was to push the leadership to make significant cuts to federal government spending and to help Speaker John Boehner
John Boehner
John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...

 manage the expectations of the freshman class.

On March 2, 2011, Republican Congressman Pete Sessions
Pete Sessions
Peter Anderson Sessions is a politician from the state of Texas. He is a Republican, and currently represents the 32nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the current Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee-Personal:Sessions was born in Waco,...

 of Texas named Noem one of the twelve regional directors 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....

 during the 2012 election campaign.

Fundraising
Since her election, Noem has raised 56 percent of donations from individuals and 44 percent from political action committees.

On March 8, 2011, Noem announced the formation of a leadership political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...

 called KRISTI PAC. Noem said she will use the PAC to pay expenses and support other Republican candidates. Former South Dakota Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota
The Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota is the lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of South Dakota.He or she is the second-ranking member of the executive branch of South Dakota state government and also serves as presiding officer of the South Dakota Senate...

 Steve Kirby
Steve T. Kirby
Steve T. Kirby was the thirty-fifth Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota. He is a member of local, state, and national boards of directors.-Biography:...

 is the treasurer of the PAC.

Noem was among the top freshman Republicans in PAC fundraising in the first quarter of 2011, raising $169,000 from PACs and hosting at least 10 Washington fundraisers.

She is a member of 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...

. She has said she has no plans to join the House Tea Party Caucus
Tea Party Caucus
The Tea Party Caucus is a caucus of the United States House of Representatives and Senate launched and chaired by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on July 16, 2010. The caucus is dedicated to promoting what it considers fiscal responsibility, adherence to the movement's interpretation of...

.
Health care
Noem fulfilled a campaign promise by voting in January 2011 to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...

, Though the repeal was not signed into law, she has stated that she will work with the House members to defund the health care reform, retaining measures she supports such as the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the provision allowing parents to keep their children on their health insurance plan into their 20s and the high-risk pools. New provisions that Noem wants to add to federal law include limits on medical malpractice
Medical malpractice
Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which the treatment provided falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient, with most cases involving medical error. Standards and...

 lawsuits and allowing patients to buy health insurance plans from other states. She supports cuts to Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...

 funding proposed by Republican Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan may refer to:* Paul Ryan , member of the U.S. House of Representatives* Paul Ryan , music agent for The Agency, former Cradle of Filth guitarist* Paul Ryan , comics artist...

 that would reduce benefits for South Dakota Medicaid recipients by 55 percent.

Spending and taxes
Noem calls the budget deficit one of the most important issues facing Congress, and is a cosponsor of H.J.Res. 2, which would require that total spending for any fiscal year not exceed total receipts. She cites the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans Affairs may refer to:*Department of Veterans' Affairs, Australia*United States Department of Veterans Affairs*Veterans Affairs Canada*Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affairs...

, Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...

, high-speed rail projects
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...

, cap-and-trade
Emissions trading
Emissions trading is a market-based approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants....

 technical assistance, and subsidies for the Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...

 rapid transit system as examples of a federal programs where she would like to see spending cuts.

She has indicated that she would vote to raise the federal spending limit.

Noem wants to eliminate the estate tax, lower the corporate tax rate, and simplify the tax code to make it less cumbersome. She has also stated that she would not raise taxes to balance the budget.

Social issues
On the issue of abortion, Noem is 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...

. She has the support of Susan B. Anthony List
Susan B. Anthony List
The Susan B. Anthony List, or simply SBA List, is a 501 non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to eliminate abortion in the U.S. by supporting pro-life politicians, primarily women, through its SBA List Candidate Fund political action committee...

. She stated after her election that she hopes to maintain a 100 percent pro-life voting record. During her career in South Dakota State Legislature, Noem opposed various attempts to end capital punishment in the state.

She disagrees with gun regulation.

Energy and environment
Noem has stated that the U.S. must end its dependence on foreign oil
North American energy independence
North American energy independence is a stated goal of those who believe that the North American nations - the USA, Canada and Mexico - must reduce their reliance on oil purchased from outside the continent....

. To achieve that goal, Noem says Congress should encourage conservation
Energy conservation
Energy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources...

 of existing resources. Noem believes the U.S. government should also offer incentives for new ideas. She also supports continuing ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...

 subsidies that benefit her state. Noem opposes ending federal subsidies for oil companies.

Noem opposes a bill introduced by South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson that would designate over 48000 acres (194.2 km²) of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland
Buffalo Gap National Grassland
Buffalo Gap National Grassland is a National Grassland located primarily in southwestern South Dakota, United States. It is also the second largest National Grassland. Characteristics of the grasslands include mixed prairie and chalky badlands. The grassland is managed by the U.S. Forest Service...

 as protected wilderness
National Wilderness Preservation System
The National Wilderness Preservation System of the United States protects federally managed land areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. It was established by the Wilderness Act upon the signature of President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964...

. Noem supports the current designation of the land as a national grassland
United States National Grassland
National Grasslands are authorized by Title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act. For administrative purposes, they are essentially identical to U.S. National Forests, except that grasslands are areas primarily consisting of prairie. Like National Forests, National Grasslands may be open for...

. She points out that the land is already managed as roadless areas similar to wilderness. Noem argues that raising the land's designation from protected grassland to wilderness will further limit leaseholders access to the land and further imperil grazing rights
Grazing rights
Grazing rights is a legal term referring to the right of a user to allow their livestock to feed in a given area.- United States :...

.

Noem supports off-shore oil drilling
Offshore drilling
Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently produce hydrocarbons which lie in rock formations beneath the seabed...

. Noem has co-sponsored three bills that she argues will reduce American dependence on foreign oil by ending the 2010 United States deepwater drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

 and re-opening sales on oil leases in the Gulf and off the coast of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

.

Foreign affairs
Noem supported the American military
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...

 intervention in 2011 conflict in Libya
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...

, but questioned whether America intervened to protect civilians, or whether the U.S. military will try to remove Libya's leader, Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...

. In March 2011, Noem called on the President to provide more information about America's role in the conflict, characterizing his statements as vague and ambiguous.{

Committee assignments

  • Committee on Education and the Workforce
    United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce
    The Committee on Education and the Workforce is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. From 1947 until 1994 and again from 2007 to 2011, during Democratic control of the House, it was known as the Committee on Education and Labor.-History of the Committee:Attempts were...

    • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
      United States House Education Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
      The House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce...

    • Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
      United States House Education Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
      The House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce.-Jurisdiction:The Subcommittee's jurisdiction includes:...

    • Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
      United States House Education Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
      The House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce...

  • Committee on Natural Resources
    • Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs
      United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs
      The United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs is one of the five subcommittees within the House Natural Resources Committee-Members, 112th Congress:- External links :*...

    • Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
      United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
      The United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands is one of the five subcommittees within the House Natural Resources Committee-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:*...

    • Subcommittee on Water and Power
      United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power
      The United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power is one of the five subcommittees within the House Natural Resources Committee-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:*...

  • 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...


Electoral history

Personal life

Noem lives with her husband and their three children on the Racota Valley Ranch near Castlewood
Castlewood, South Dakota
Castlewood is a city in Hamlin County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Watertown, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 627 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...

. As of 2009, she had a 16.9 percent ownership stake in the ranch. Her recreational interests include hunting.

From 1989 to 2010, Noem received 27 traffic citations, including 20 for speeding, as well as several for stop sign and seat belt violations, and no driver's license. She also received failure to appear
Failure to appear
Failure to appear is the legal term for the failure of a defendant or respondent to appear at the stated time before a tribunal as directed in a summons. Where the conduct alleged in the summons or complaint is an infraction or summary offence, failure to appear is a crime for which a...

 notices, and two arrest warrant
Arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....

s were issued. Noem said, "I'm not proud of my driving record, but [I've] been working hard to be a better example to young kids and young drivers out there." She had paid her fines and penalties by August 2010.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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