Byron Leslie Dorgan (born May 14, 1942) is the junior United States Senator from North Dakota. He is a member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, the North Dakota affiliate of the Democratic Party. In the Senate, he is Chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee and Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs. Dorgan announced on January 5, 2010 that he would not seek re-election in the 2010 North Dakota senate election.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Early life and career
2 United States Senate
2.1 Committee assignments
3 News and notes
4 Controversy
5 Writings
6 Electoral history
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
[edit] Early life and career
Dorgan was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, the son of Dorothy (née Bach) and Emmett Patrick Dorgan, and was raised in Regent, North Dakota.[2] He graduated from Regent High School and earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Dakota in 1964 and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver in 1966.
Dorgan worked in management for a Denver aerospace firm, eventually earning a position training others for high ranking company positions.
Dorgan’s public service career began at age 26, when he was appointed North Dakota State Tax Commissioner. He was the youngest constitutional officer in North Dakota’s history. He was re-elected to that office by large margins in 1972 and 1976, and was chosen one of “Ten Outstanding State Officials” in the United States by the Washington Monthly magazine. Dorgan served as tax commissioner of North Dakota from 1969 until 1980. His future Senate colleague Kent Conrad worked in the same office before succeeding Dorgan at this post. Dorgan ran unsuccessfully for a seat in Congress in 1974. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in his second bid in 1980. He was a member from 1981 until 1992 (being re-elected every two years).
[edit] United States Senate
In 1992, the Democratic incumbent, Kent Conrad opted not to run for re-election because of a campaign promise. Dorgan won the election for the seat. However, that September the state’s other senator, Quentin Burdick, died and Conrad ran for the seat in the special election. Conrad took the new seat in 1992 and Dorgan assumed Conrad’s old seat a few weeks early. Dorgan was re-elected in 1998 and 2004. Conrad later was elected for a full term from North Dakota’s other Senate seat.
As chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, Dorgan is one of the most powerful Democrats in the Senate. In recent years he has been increasingly sought by the national media for comment on political issues. He is a strong opponent of U.S. policy toward Cuba. He has introduced, with varying levels of success, several amendments to end the U.S. prohibition on travel to Cuba, and to terminate funds for anti-Castro broadcasting. Dorgan has also opposed most bills “liberalizing” trade policies between the USA and other countries. He has a mixed record on tort reform issues, voting against the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and the Class Action Fairness Act, but voting in favor of the vetoed Common Sense Product Liability and Legal Reform Act and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
In 2007 he was a major supporter of Net Neutrality legislation in the Senate. He sees this as essential to keeping the Internet open and democratic.[3]
In 2007, he was a major opponent of the McCain-Kennedy Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1639) saying that the legislation would continue the downward push of illegal aliens on the wages of American workers.[4]
In 2009, he voted against the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009. He joined all 39 voting Republican senators and 11 Senate Democrats.[5]
Dorgan has three times[6] introduced a bill forming a Truman committee to oversee Government waste, fraud, and corruption in the giving of governmental contracts.[7]
In 2009, Dorgan voted to approve the 838 billion dollar stimulus package. This vote passed 67-31 in the United States Senate.[8]
In 2009, Dorgan sided with fellow Democrats to make funds available to modify or build facilities to allow Guantanamo detainees to be brought to the United States. This was a reversal from a previous vote to not allow federal funds to be used to transfer or incarcerate Guantanamo inmates.[9]
On January 5, 2010, Senator Dorgan issued a statement in which he announced he would not run for re-election. In it, he insisted that the “…decision [was] not a reflection of any dissatisfaction with my work in the Senate, nor [was] it connected to a potential election contest [in the fall of 2010] (frankly, I believe if I were to run for another term I would be reelected).”
[edit] Committee assignments
Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee on Defense
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development (Chairman)
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security (Chairman)
Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance
Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Subcommittee on Energy
Subcommittee on National Parks
Subcommittee on Water and Power
Committee on Indian Affairs (Chairman)
[edit] News and notes
Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (January 2010)
He is briefly featured in Michael Moore’s documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, in which he discusses the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. He was not being interviewed by Moore.
His book Take This Job and Ship It: How Corporate Greed and Brain-Dead Politics Are Selling Out America, about the impact of outsourcing on the economy of the United States, was published in 2006. On October 4, 2006, he appeared on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central to discuss his book, and his views on American labor. On February 27, 2008 he announced he would be endorsing Barack Obama for President of the United States, becoming the 10th senator to officially endorse the Illinois senator’s bid for the Democratic nomination.
On September 26, 2008, against a backdrop of growing economic turmoil caused by the Credit Crunch, an article written by David Leonhardt of The New York Times singled out a quotation made by Dorgan in 1999[10] during the US Senate’s repeal of the Glass-Steagall act. “I think we will look back in 10 years’ time and say we should not have done this, but we did because we forgot the lessons of the past, and that that which is true in the 1930s is true in 2010”. Dorgan was one of only 8 senators who voted “No” on the deregulation bill in 1999[10]
Dorgan is married to the former Kimberly Olson, an Executive Vice President and lobbyist for The American Council of Life Insurers.[11]. Together they have two children, Brendon and Haley, and from his first marriage Dorgan has a son Scott and a daughter Shelly, who is deceased.
[edit] Controversy
This article’s Criticism or Controversy section(s) may mean the article does not present a neutral point of view of the subject. It may be better to integrate the material in those sections into the article as a whole. (January 2010)
In November 2005, Dorgan was accused of receiving campaign contributions from people who worked for companies connected to lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Because Dorgan is the top Democrat on the committee investigating Abramoff, questions were raised about a possible conflict of interest.
In a statement released on November 28, 2005,[12] Dorgan responded by asserting that he has never personally met Jack Abramoff, nor has he ever received money from Abramoff. Dorgan did acknowledge receiving money from Abramoff’s clients, but the donations began prior to their involvement with Abramoff. Dorgan’s statement went on to say that he has supported the programs that benefited Abramoff’s clients years prior to the contribution.
Dorgan’s statement pointed out other errors in the news reports, such as correcting who made a call to the Department of the Interior and for what purpose. The news reports claimed that one of Dorgan’s staff members made the call in order to express support for the program that benefited Abramoff’s clients, whereas in reality it was a staff member for the Chairman of the Interior Subcommittee who made the call, and the call was made in opposition to the program.
On December 13, 2005 Dorgan announced that he was returning all donations from Abramoff’s clients as a precaution that the contributions may have been directed or requested by Abramoff.[13]
[edit] Writings
Dorgan, Byron Reckless!: How Debt, Deregulation, and Dark Money Nearly Bankrupted America (And How We Can Fix It!) Thomas Dunne Books (2009) ISBN 0-312-38303-7
Dorgan, Byron Take This Job and Ship It: How Corporate Greed and Brain-Dead Politics Are Selling Out America Thomas Dunne Books (July 25, 2006) ISBN 0-312-35522-X
Dorgan, Byron (editor) Electric Transmission Infrastructure and Investment Needs: Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate Diane Pub Co (January 2003) ISBN 0-7567-2997-1
[edit] Electoral history
North Dakota Senator (Class III) results: 1992–2004[14] Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
1992 Byron L.
Dorgan 179,347 59% Steve Sydness 118,162 39% Tom Asbridge Independent 6,448 2%
1998 134,747 63% Donna Nalewaja 75,013 35% Harley McLain Reform 3,598 2%
2004 212,143 68% Mike Liffrig 98,553 32%
[edit] See also
North Dakota United States Senate election, 1986
North Dakota United States Senate election, 1992
North Dakota United States Senate election, 1998
North Dakota United States Senate election, 2004
[edit] References
^ http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2010/01/north-dakota-sen-byron-dorgan-to-retire.html
^ RootsWeb
^ http://dorgan.senate.gov/about/biography/
^ Lou Dobbs’ website: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/
^ http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00174
^ C-Span: http://www.wimp.com/awfultruth/
^ Senate Resolution 437
^ http://ictsd.org/i/news/bridgesweekly/40503/
^ http://www.ndgop.org/NewsBack.aspx?guid=4ca3ff88-4534-4adf-8bb4-2eacc34b7480
^ a b Congress Passes Wide-Ranging Bill Easing Bank Laws, Stephen Labaton, New York Times, November 5, 1999
^ http://www.acli.com/ACLI/About+ACLI/ACLI+Leadership/
^ Press Release | Byron L. Dorgan — United States Senator, North Dakota
^ Democrat Returning Donations From Abramoff’s Tribal Clients
^ “Election Statistics”. Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Byron Dorgan
United States Senator Byron Dorgan official Senate site
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge.com
Congressional profile at GovTrack.us
Collected news and commentary from The New York Times
Sen. Byron_Dorgan at Metavid
Political offices
Preceded by
Edwin O. Sjaasstad Tax Commissioner of North Dakota
1969 – 1980 Succeeded by
Kent Conrad
Preceded by
John McCain Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee
2007 – present Incumbent
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Mark Andrews Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Dakota’s At-large congressional district
1981 – 1992 Succeeded by
Earl Pomeroy
United States Senate
Preceded by
Kent Conrad United States Senator (Class 3) from North Dakota
December 14, 1992 – present
Served alongside: Kent Conrad Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Harry Reid Chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee
1999 – present Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Dianne Feinstein
D-California United States Senators by seniority
27th Succeeded by
Barbara Boxer
D-California
[show]v • d • eUnited States Senators from North Dakota
Class 1 Casey • Roach • McCumber • Frazier • Langer • Brunsdale • Q. Burdick • J. Burdick • Conrad
Class 3 Pierce • Hansbrough • Johnson • Thompson • Purcell • Gronna • Ladd • Nye • Moses • Young • Andrews • Conrad • Dorgan
[show]v • d • eNorth Dakota’s current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators Kent Conrad (D), Byron Dorgan (D)
Representative(s) Earl Pomeroy (D)
State delegations Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
Non-voting delegations American Samoa • District of Columbia • Guam • Northern Mariana Islands • Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands
[show]v • d • eChairmen and Ranking Members of United States Senate committees
Chairmen (Democratic) Ranking Members (Republican)
Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas) – Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Daniel Inouye (Hawaii) – Appropriations
Carl Levin (Michigan) – Armed Services
Chris Dodd (Connecticut) – Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Kent Conrad (North Dakota) – Budget
Jay Rockefeller (West Virginia) – Commerce, Science and Transportation
Jeff Bingaman (New Mexico) – Energy and Natural Resources
Barbara Boxer (California) – Environment and Public Works
Max Baucus (Montana) – Finance
John Kerry (Massachusetts) – Foreign Relations
Tom Harkin (Iowa) – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Joe Lieberman (Connecticut) – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Byron Dorgan (North Dakota) – Indian Affairs
Patrick Leahy (Vermont) – Judiciary
Chuck Schumer (New York) – Rules and Administration
Mary Landrieu (Louisiana) – Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Daniel Akaka (Hawaii) – Veterans’ Affairs
Barbara Boxer (California) – Ethics (Select)
Dianne Feinstein (California) – Intelligence (Select)
Herb Kohl (Wisconsin) – Aging (Special)
Saxby Chambliss (Georgia) – Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Thad Cochran (Mississippi) – Appropriations
John McCain (Arizona) – Armed Services
Richard Shelby (Alabama) – Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Judd Gregg (New Hampshire) – Budget
Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) – Commerce, Science and Transportation
Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) – Energy and Natural Resources
Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma) – Environment and Public Works
Chuck Grassley (Iowa) – Finance
Richard Lugar (Indiana) – Foreign Relations
Mike Enzi (Wyoming) – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Susan Collins (Maine) – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
John Barrasso (Wyoming) – Indian Affairs
Jeff Sessions (Alabama) – Judiciary
Bob Bennett (Utah) – Rules and Administration
Olympia Snowe (Maine) – Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Richard Burr (North Carolina) – Veterans’ Affairs
Johnny Isakson (Georgia) – Ethics (Select)
Kit Bond (Missouri) – Intelligence (Select)
Bob Corker (Tennessee) – Aging (Special)
[show]v • d • eCurrent members of the United States Senate
AL: Shelby (R), Sessions (R)
AK: Murkowski (R), Begich (D)
AZ: McCain (R), Kyl (R)
AR: Lincoln (D), Pryor (D)
CA: Feinstein (D), Boxer (D)
CO: M. Udall (D), Bennet (D)
CT: Dodd (D), Lieberman (ID)
DE: Carper (D), Kaufman (D)
FL: C. W. Nelson (D), LeMieux (R)
GA: Chambliss (R), Isakson (R)
HI: Inouye (D), Akaka (D)
ID: Crapo (R), Risch (R)
IL: Durbin (D), Burris (D)
IN: Lugar (R), Bayh (D)
IA: Grassley (R), Harkin (D)
KS: Brownback (R), Roberts (R)
KY: McConnell (R), Bunning (R)
LA: Landrieu (D), Vitter (R)
ME: Snowe (R), Collins (R)
MD: Mikulski (D), Cardin (D)
MA: Kerry (D), Kirk (D)
MI: Levin (D), Stabenow (D)
MN: Klobuchar (D), Franken (D)
MS: Cochran (R), Wicker (R)
MO: Bond (R), McCaskill (D)
MT: Baucus (D), Tester (D)
NE: E. B. Nelson (D), Johanns (R)
NV: Reid (D), Ensign (R)
NH: Gregg (R), Shaheen (D)
NJ: Lautenberg (D), Menendez (D)
NM: Bingaman (D), T. Udall (D)
NY: Schumer (D), Gillibrand (D)
NC: Burr (R), Hagan (D)
ND: Conrad (D), Dorgan (D)
OH: Voinovich (R), Brown (D)
OK: Inhofe (R), Coburn (R)
OR: Wyden (D), Merkley (D)
PA: Specter (D), Casey (D)
RI: Reed (D), Whitehouse (D)
SC: Graham (R), DeMint (R)
SD: Johnson (D), Thune (R)
TN: Alexander (R), Corker (R)
TX: Hutchison (R), Cornyn (R)
UT: Hatch (R), Bennett (R)
VT: Leahy (D), Sanders (I)
VA: Webb (D), Warner (D)
WA: Murray (D), Cantwell (D)
WV: Byrd (D), Rockefeller (D)
WI: Kohl (D), Feingold (D)
WY: Enzi (R), Barrasso (R)
Democratic (58) • Republican (40) • Independent (2)
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Dorgan”
Categories: 1942 births | Living people | People from Stark County, North Dakota | Members of the United States House of Representatives from North Dakota | North Dakota Tax Commissioners | United States Senators from North Dakota | University of Denver alumni | University of North Dakota alumni | American Lutherans | American anti-illegal immigration activists
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