POSITION: SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

 

NOMINEE: Ray LaHood

BIRTH DATE: December 6, 1945 in Peoria, IL

EDUCATION: B.S. in Education 1971, Bradley University, Peoria, IL

FAMILY: Wife Kathy; four children: Darin, Amy, Sam, and Sarah

FRC SCORECARD:

110th Congress: 64%

Lifetime Average: 78%

 

 

EXPERIENCE:

1995-2009  Member of the U.S House of Representatives, Illinois, 18th District

1983-1994  Aide to U.S. Representative Robert Michel of Illinois

1982-1983  Member of the Illinois state House of Representatives

1977-1982  Aide to U.S. Representative Thomas Railback of Illinois

1974-1977  Chief planner, Bi-States Metropolitan Planning Commission

1972-1974  Teacher, director; Rock Island County Youth Services

 

Member of the Republican Main Street Partnership

One of only three Republican candidates in 1994 who did not sign on to the Contract with America

 

ON OBAMA'S STIMULUS PACKAGE

LaHood supports Obama's stimulus package and urged other Republicans to vote for it.

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ON TRANSPORTATION ISSUES

Voted YES on expanding fund for passenger rail services.

Voted YES in favor of the Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008, a bill that promoted public transportation.

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His most recent approval rating from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, the transportation construction industry's representative in Washington DC, is 66%.

[Source]

 

ON GLOBAL WARMING and ENVIRONMENT

Had 25% rating on critical environmental issues from League of Conservation Voters for 2006.

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First Steps:

Legislatively provide the EPA with a clear mission statement

Simplify environmental reporting requirements to focus on results, not regulations

Establish environmental improvement pilot programs at the state level

Devote increased resources to researching the causes and effects of global warming

Better understand -- and begin addressing -- the causes of and remedies to global warming

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LaHood told a Senate panel that all transportation, from roads to rails, must be "sustainable" to "acknowledge the new reality of climate change."

[Source]

 

ON EARMARKS and PORK SPENDING

Received a 0% rating from the anti-earmark Club for Growth 2007 RePORK Card

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Received an 11% rating from Citizens Against Government Waste for 2007 and holds a lifetime 49% rating from the group

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ON ABORTION

Voted YES on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions. (Apr 2005)

Voted YES on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. (Feb 2004)

Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother's life. (Oct 2003)

Voted YES on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research. (Feb 2003)

Voted YES on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info. (Sep 2002)

Voted YES on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad. (May 2001)

Voted YES on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes. (Apr 2001)

Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortions. (Apr 2000)

Voted YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion. (Jun 1999)

[Source]

 

LaHood co-sponsored granting the pre-born equal protection under 14th Amendment.

Bill would implement equal protection under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and pre-born human person. The Right to Life Act declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being, and defines "human being" to encompass all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization or cloning.

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ON CLONING

Voted YES on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research. (Feb 2003)

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ON STEM CELLS

Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Jan 2007)

Voted NO on expanding human embryonic stem cell research. (May 2005)

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ON GAY MARRIAGE

Voted YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman. (Jul 2006)

Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. (Sep 2004)

Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)

[Source]