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Byron L. Dorgan

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Byron Dorgan is a former Senator for North Dakota

Byron Leslie Dorgan, a Democrat, is a former U.S. Senator for North Dakota, having served 1993 to 2011. (map) Dorgan decided to retire. Republican John Hoeven beat Democrat Tracy Potter to win the Senate seat.[1]

Contents

Record and controversies

General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia's articles on legislation. You can add information you find on how Byron L. Dorgan voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to cite your sources!

Iraq War

Dorgan voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq in Oct. 2002.

For more information see the chart of U.S. Senate votes on the Iraq War.

Amendment to the FY2004 Defense Appropriations bill

In 2003, during the debate over the FY2004 Defense Appropriations bill, Dorgan introduced an amendment (S.AMDT.1264) requiring President Bush to submit to Congress a cost estimate of military operations in Iraq. As he did with similar Democratic amendments to the bill, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) effectively motioned to table (kill) the amendment.

Main article: Congressional actions on the Iraq War following the 2003 U.S. invasion

Environmental record

For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal

Dorgan was named June 3, 2005, by the Washington Post's Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Derek Willis as one of "the 18 largest recipients" of Indian tribe contributions "directed by" Jack Abramoff's group. Dorgan is the top Democrat on the committee investigating Abramoff, leading to questions about a possible conflict of interest.

In a statement released on November 28, 2005, Dorgan asserted 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.

In December 2005, The Washington Post reported, that although Dorgan "has asked some of the toughest questions in the committee hearings probing the $82 million Abramoff and Michael Scanlon charged their tribal clients," James V. Grimaldi and Susan Schmidt reported in the December 4, 2005, Washington Post, "Dorgan had his own dealings with Abramoff's circle. Dorgan acknowledged to the AP that in the fall of 2003 he pushed Congress to approve legislative language urging government regulators to decide whether the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe of Massachusetts deserved federal recognition. About the same time, Dorgan met with the tribe's representatives and Michael D. Smith, an Abramoff associate."

"Dorgan's spokesman said the tribe asked him to be involved and that Massachusetts senators supported his taking action," Grimaldi and Schmidt wrote. "In 2001, Dorgan held a fundraising event in an MCI Center skybox during a hockey game. The fundraiser was organized by Smith and the skybox was leased by an Abramoff company. The senator said he believed that the box was controlled by the Greenberg Traurig lobbying firm, not by Abramoff," Grimaldi and Schmidt wrote. "Dorgan also signed a letter to the Interior Department urging the continuation of a program that would have the federal government and tribes share the cost of building tribal schools, a program pushed by Abramoff's clients."

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 [1]. Dorgan did not receive any money from Abramoff directly.

Committee work

In January 2007, Dorgan stated that the agenda for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will focus on "healthcare, law enforcement and other issues that spring from a 'trust responsibility' between the U.S. government and the Indian peoples." [2]

Prescription drug plan

Dorgan introduced an amendment to a comprehensive prescription drug bill that would allow drug importation from certain foreign countries (most notably Canada, where many Americans had already been purchasing drugs).

A vote on the amendment passed 63-28. Later on, however, another amendment passed that required the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to certify that imported drugs were safe. The FDA, however, had already said that it was bureaucratically impossible to do this.[2]

Main article: U.S. prescription drug legislation#Dorgan amendment to allow importation

Bio

Dorgan was born in Regent, North Dakota on May 14, 1942. He earned a B.S. from the University of North Dakota in 1964 and an M.B.A. from the University of Denver in 1966. He served as tax commissioner of North Dakota from 1969 until 1980, until he was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives, where he served until 1993.

In 1992 he ran successfully for the open Senate seat. He took office a few weeks early, in December 1992, when the governor appointed him to fill the rest of the term of Kent Conrad, who had won a special election to fill the rest of the term of deceased senator Quentin N. Burdick. Dorgan was reelected in 1998 and 2004.

As chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, Dorgan was one of the most powerful Democrats in the Senate. In recent years he had been increasingly sought by the national media for comment on political issues. He is a strong opponent of the U.S. policy towards Cuba. He has introduced, with varying levels of success, several amendments to end the prohibition on travel to Cuba and to terminate funds for anti-Castro broadcasting. Dorgan has also opposed most bills liberalizing trade policies between the United States and other countries. He has a mixed record on lawsuit reform, voting against the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and the Class Action Lawsuit Fairness Act of 2005, but voting in favor of the failed Common Sense Product Liability and Legal Reform Act and legislation to shield gun manufacturers and distributors from lawsuits.

Money in politics

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00004615&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata>

Links to more campaign contribution information for Byron L. Dorgan
from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org site.
Fundraising profile: 2006 election cycle Career totals
Top contributors by organization/corporation: 2006 election cycle Career totals
Top contributors by industry: 2006 election cycle Career totals


Committees and affiliations

Committees

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

More background data

Wikipedia also has an article on Byron L. Dorgan. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the GFDL.


Contact

DC Office:
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-3405
Phone: 202-224-2551
TTYD Number: 202-224-9378
Fax: 202-224-1193
Email: senator AT dorgan.senate.gov
Website

District Office - Bismarck:
312 Federal Building
Post Office Box 2579
Bismarck, ND 58502
Phone: 701-250-4618
TollFree: 1-800-666-4482
Fax: 701-250-4484

District Office - Fargo:
1802 32nd Avenue South, Suite B
Post Office Box 9060
Fargo, ND 58106
Phone: 701-239-5389
TollFree: 1-800-666-4482
Fax: 701-239-5112

District Office - Grand Forks:
102 North Fourth Street
Grand Forks, ND 58201
Phone: 701-746-8972
TollFree: 1-800-666-4482
Fax: 701-746-9122

District Office - Minot:
Suite 105
100 First Street, Southwest
Minot, ND 58701-3846
Phone: 701-852-0703
TollFree: 1-800-666-4482
Fax: 701-838-8196

Articles and resources

Resources

References

  1. ↑ North Dakota Election Results, The New York Times, access January 2011.
  2. ↑ Robert McElroy, "Managing America: Authorizations," TheWeekInCongress, May 4, 2007.

Local blogs and discussion sites

Articles

From Senator Dorgan

Corresponding article on Wikipedia and Cause Caller. (If Cause Caller link does not work, pick from its list of senators and representatives.)

Current Office: U.S. Senate
111th Congress
Leadership Position:
 Committees Chaired:
 Committees,
Ranking Member On:
 Caucuses:
Committees:
110th Congress
Leadership Position:
Chairman of Policy Committee		 Committees Chaired:
 Committees,
Ranking Member On:
 Caucuses:
Committees: Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Agriculture Rural Development Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Commerce Justice and Science and Related Agencies, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Defense, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Interior Environment and Related Agencies, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Transportation Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Aviation Operations Safety and Security, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce Trade and Tourism, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Science Technology and Innovation, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Space Aeronautics and Related Sciences, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure Safety and Security, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources/Subcommittee on Energy, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources/Subcommittee on National Parks, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources/Subcommittee on Water and Power, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
Congressional Career
First Elected to Current Office:
November 3, 1992		 First Took Current Office:
December 15, 1992		 Next Election:
November 2, 2010		 Term Ends:
Freshman Member?
 Previous Political Work?
U.S. House of Representatives, North Dakota Tax Commissioner		 Other Party Membership:
District Offices:
1. 312 Federal Building, Post Office Box 2579, Bismarck, ND 58502
Phone: 701-250-4618 / Fax: 701-250-4484
2. 1802 32nd Avenue South, Suite B, Post Office Box 9060, Fargo, ND 58106
Phone: 701-239-5389 / Fax: 701-239-5112
3. 102 North Fourth Street, Grand Forks, ND 58201
Phone: 701-746-8972 / Fax: 701-746-9122
4. Suite 105, 100 First Street, Southwest, Minot, ND 58701-3846
Phone: 701-852-0703 / Fax: 701-838-8196
Campaign Contact:

Website:
Webform Email: / Email:

Campaign Offices:

1.
Phone: / Fax:
Zip Code Affiliations:
Misc:

Date of Birth: May 14, 1942
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