Todd Russell Platts
Encyclopedia
Todd Russell Platts is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party
.
The district is located in south-central Pennsylvania, encompassing all of York
and Adams
Counties, and a large portion of Cumberland
County. York
, Hanover
, Gettysburg
and Carlisle
are some of the prominent cities and towns included.
, on March 5, 1962. He graduated from York Suburban Senior High School
in 1980. He continued his education locally, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
in 1984. He then attended Pepperdine University School of Law
, and graduated Cum Laude with a Juris Doctorate degree in 1991.
in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
upon the retirement of incumbent Democrat Ruth Harper.
Source
's initiatives, tax cuts, drilling in ANWR, the Medicare
Prescription Drug Plan
, the Iraq War, and a ban on same-sex marriage
.
He opposed any version of Bush's school voucher proposal, supported offshore oil drilling, supported increasing governmently regulated fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, voted for the Matthew Shepard Act
a hate crimes prevention bill, and supported the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation
. In 2006, the National Journal
political index describes him as having a moderate
voting record despite the relatively conservative
nature of his district, although the district does include some exurbs
of Baltimore, Maryland. That journal gave him "conservative" ratings of 53% (economy), 65% (social issues) and 73% (foreign policy) in the 2004 congress. Platts' district went 64-36 for Bush in 2004.
He is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership
and supports stem-cell research. Early in his political career, after his initial election to the Pennsylvania House, Platts was pro-choice
. However, he later changed his views and became pro-life
. He remains so to this day, and he has a pro-life voting record as a Congressman.
Platts has consistently voted against bail-outs of the financial industry and the automakers. He also voted against the economic stimulus legislation, the fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, and fiscal year 2010 Budget Resolution.
Platts was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell
" ban on openly gay service members.
Platts, despite 5 terms as congressman, has failed to successfully enact any major legislation.
in 2000, after narrowly winning a crowded Republican primary, and easily defeating college professor Jeff Sanders, the Democratic nominee, in the general election. He replaced Congressman Bill Goodling, who chose not to run for re-election that year.
Platts ran unopposed by the Democratic Party during the 2002 or 2004 elections, although in 2002 he faced opposition in the Republican primary, most notably from Tom Glennon. He faced York College
professor and decorated Vietnam Veteran
Phil Avillo, Jr. the Democratic nominee, and Derf Maitland of the Green Party in the 2006 election. http://www.politics1.com/pa.htm. Platts won 64% of the vote to Avillo's 33% and Maitland's 3%. In 2008, Platts and Avillo faced off again. With 66.7% of the vote, Platts became the most electorally successful Republican Congressional candidate in the Northeast.
Platts was challenged by Democratic nominee Ryan Sanders and Independent Patriots nominee Joshua Monighan. Platts was reelected to a sixth term with 71.9% of the vote. Sanders and Monighan earned 23.3% and 4.8% of the vote, respectively.
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 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...
.
The district is located in south-central Pennsylvania, encompassing all of York
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
and Adams
Adams County, Pennsylvania
Adams County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 101,407. It was created on January 22, 1800, from part of York County and named in honor of the second President of the United States, John Adams...
Counties, and a large portion of Cumberland
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
County. York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
, Hanover
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...
, Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
and Carlisle
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
are some of the prominent cities and towns included.
Early life, education and career
Platts was born in York, PennsylvaniaYork, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
, on March 5, 1962. He graduated from York Suburban Senior High School
York Suburban Senior High School
York Suburban High School is a Middle-States Accredited, comprehensive four-year high school with an enrollment of 850 students located in Spring Garden Township in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.-History:...
in 1980. He continued his education locally, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, commonly known as Ship, or SU, is a public university located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, 40 miles west-southwest of Harrisburg...
in 1984. He then attended Pepperdine University School of Law
Pepperdine University School of Law
The Pepperdine University School of Law is a law school located on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.The school placed 54th among the nation's "Top 100" law schools according to the 2011 U.S. News and World Report rankings and is the third highest ranked law school in...
, and graduated Cum Laude with a Juris Doctorate degree in 1991.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Platts was first elected to public office in November 1992 to represent the 196th legislative districtPennsylvania House of Representatives, District 196
Pennsylvania's 196th Representative District is based in York County and includes the following areas:*Dover Township*Heidelberg Township*Jackson Township*North Codorus Township*Paradise Township*Warrington Township...
in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
upon the retirement of incumbent Democrat Ruth Harper.
Congressional committee assignments
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land ForcesUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land ForcesHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
- Committee on Education and the WorkforceUnited States House Committee on Education and the WorkforceThe 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 EducationUnited States House Education Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary EducationThe 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 Higher Education and Workforce Training
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations
Source
Political positions
As a Congressman, Platts has supported many of the President George W. BushGeorge 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....
's initiatives, tax cuts, drilling in ANWR, the Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
Prescription Drug Plan
Medicare Part D
Medicare Part D is a federal program to subsidize the costs of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries in the United States. It was enacted as part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 and went into effect on January 1, 2006.- Eligibility and...
, the Iraq War, and a ban on same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
.
He opposed any version of Bush's school voucher proposal, supported offshore oil drilling, supported increasing governmently regulated fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, voted for the Matthew Shepard Act
Matthew Shepard Act
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, also known as the Matthew Shepard Act, is an American Act of Congress, passed on October 22, 2009, and signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009, as a rider to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2010...
a hate crimes prevention bill, and supported the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 is a United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. Its chief sponsors were Senators Russell Feingold and John McCain...
. In 2006, the National Journal
National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
political index describes him as having 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....
voting record despite the relatively conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
nature of his district, although the district does include some exurbs
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
of Baltimore, Maryland. That journal gave him "conservative" ratings of 53% (economy), 65% (social issues) and 73% (foreign policy) in the 2004 congress. Platts' district went 64-36 for Bush in 2004.
He is a member of the 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 supports stem-cell research. Early in his political career, after his initial election to the Pennsylvania House, Platts was pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
. However, he later changed his views and became 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...
. He remains so to this day, and he has a pro-life voting record as a Congressman.
Platts has consistently voted against bail-outs of the financial industry and the automakers. He also voted against the economic stimulus legislation, the fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, and fiscal year 2010 Budget Resolution.
Platts was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" ban on openly gay service members.
Platts, despite 5 terms as congressman, has failed to successfully enact any major legislation.
Political campaigns
Platts was elected to the U.S. House of RepresentativesUnited 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 2000, after narrowly winning a crowded Republican primary, and easily defeating college professor Jeff Sanders, the Democratic nominee, in the general election. He replaced Congressman Bill Goodling, who chose not to run for re-election that year.
Platts ran unopposed by the Democratic Party during the 2002 or 2004 elections, although in 2002 he faced opposition in the Republican primary, most notably from Tom Glennon. He faced York College
York College of Pennsylvania
York College of Pennsylvania is a private, coeducational, 4-year college located in southcentral Pennsylvania. The school offers more than 50 baccalaureate majors in professional programs, the sciences, and humanities to its 4,600 undergraduate students...
professor and decorated Vietnam Veteran
Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or...
Phil Avillo, Jr. the Democratic nominee, and Derf Maitland of the Green Party in the 2006 election. http://www.politics1.com/pa.htm. Platts won 64% of the vote to Avillo's 33% and Maitland's 3%. In 2008, Platts and Avillo faced off again. With 66.7% of the vote, Platts became the most electorally successful Republican Congressional candidate in the Northeast.
2010
- United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2010#District 19
Platts was challenged by Democratic nominee Ryan Sanders and Independent Patriots nominee Joshua Monighan. Platts was reelected to a sixth term with 71.9% of the vote. Sanders and Monighan earned 23.3% and 4.8% of the vote, respectively.
External links
- Congressman Todd Russell Platts official U.S. House site
- Todd Platts for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...