SourceWatch needs your financial support to survive and thrive. If you've found this information on the people, organizations, and issues shaping the public agenda helpful, please make a tax-deductible donation now.

Jo Bonner

From SourceWatch

Jump to: navigation, search
This is a profile of a U.S. Representative. (See the Alabama portal for all incumbents, candidates and blogs.)

Things you can do:
Jo Bonner currently serves the First Congressional district of Alabama

Josiah Robins Bonner, Jr., a Republican, has represented the 1st District of Alabama in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003. (map)

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 Jo Bonner voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to cite your sources!

Voted for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 [1]

Abortion

Bonner has consistently been given a low approval rating by NARAL Pro-Choice America and high approval from the National Right to Life Committee, indicating he favors restrictions on reproductive services. [2] Twice (2005 &2007) Bonner also voted in favor of banning "partial-birth abortion" -- vague, non-medical term referring to later-term abortions -- except to save a mother's life. (2003)[3]

Stem Cell Research

Bonner voted against human embryonic stem cell research and also voted yes (2003) on forbidding human cloning for reproduction and medical research.[citation needed]

Fetal rights

Bonner voted yes on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime (2004).[citation needed].

Civil Rights & Liberties

The Human Rights Campaign has consistently given Bonner an extremely low rating, implying he is anti-gay rights. [4]In 2006, Bonner voted yes on constitutionally defining marriage as an union between a man and a woman and he voted yes in 2004 to the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. [5] Bonner has also has gotten fairly low ratings (17% in 2005 and 2006 and 32% in 2007), suggesting he is anti-affirmative action. [6]

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

Education

Bonner takes a very conservative position on education. From 2005 to 2007, The National Education Association has given Bonner a grade of F and a rating score of 0. Among other interest groups that consistently have given him a low rating are National Association of Elementary School Principals,Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and National Parent Teacher Association. [7] In 2007, Bonner voted no on giving an additional $10.2B for federal education & HHS projects and in 2006 voted no on giving $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges. These low ratings and opposition votes show Bonner usually does not support grants to public schools. Bonner also takes a conservative position on the presence of religion in school. In 2006 he voted no on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance. [8]

Environmental record

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

Bio

Bonner was born November 19, 1959 in Selma, Alabama. He was educated at the University of Alabama and recieved a B.A. in journalism in 1982. Later, he served as chief of staff and press secretary to former Congressman H. L. "Sonny" Callahan prior to winning his seat in 2002. He resides in Mobile, Alabama.

Bonner writes a weekly news column, and does weekly radio and televesion shows on events and issues in Washington. Bonner is the current hose of "Congressional Report," which started in the 1970s and is the "longest-running public affairs program of its kind in the country." The "Congressional Report" airs on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. on WKRG-TV5. [9]

Majority Whip Roy Blunt named Bonner an Assistant Whip in the 108th Congress.

2006 elections

In 2006, the Democrats nominated Vivian Sheffield Beckerle to face Bonner in his bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) [10] Bonner won the election.

2008 elections

Bonner decided to run in the 2008 elections to keep his seat.[1]

Money in politics

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. For specific controversies, see this article's record and controversies section. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00025330&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata>

Links to more campaign contribution information for Jo Bonner
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 Jo Bonner. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the GFDL.

Contact

DC Office:
315 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-4931
Fax: 202-225-0562
Web Email
Website

District Office- Baldwin County:
1302 North McKenzie Street
Foley, AL 36535
Phone: 251-943-2073
Fax: 251-943-2093

District Office- Mobile:
1141 Montlimar Drive Suite 3010
Mobile, AL 36609
Phone: 251-690-2811
TollFree: 1-800-288-8721
Fax: 251-342-0404

2008 Campaign Contact Information

Official Bonner for Congress website

Phone: 251-460-2500

Fax: 251-460-4161

info@jobonner.com

Articles and resources

Local blogs and discussion sites

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. House of Representatives
111th Congress
Leadership Position:
 Committees Chaired:
 Committees,
Ranking Member On:
 Caucuses:
Committees:
110th Congress
Leadership Position:
None		 Committees Chaired:
 Committees,
Ranking Member On:
 Caucuses:
Committees: House Committee on Agriculture, House Committee on Agriculture/Subcommittee on Conservation Credit Energy and Research, House Committee on Agriculture/Subcommittee on Department Operations Oversight Nutrition and Forestry, House Committee on Budget, House Committee on Science and Technology, House Committee on Science and Technology/Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
Congressional Career
First Elected to Current Office:
November 5, 2002		 First Took Current Office:
January 3, 2003		 Next Election:
November 2, 2010		 Term Ends:
Freshman Member?
No		 Previous Political Work?
None		 Other Party Membership:
District Offices:
1. 1302 North McKenzie Street, Foley, AL 36535
Phone: 251-943-2073 / Fax: 251-943-2093
2. 1141 Montlimar Drive Suite 3010, Mobile, AL 36609
Phone: 251-690-2811, 1-800-288-8721 / Fax: 251-342-0404
Campaign Contact:

Website: http://www.jobonner.com/
Webform Email: / Email: info@jobonner.com

Campaign Offices:

1.
Phone: 251-460-2500 / Fax: 251-460-4161
Zip Code Affiliations:
Misc:

Date of Birth: November 19, 1959







Retrieved from "http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jo_Bonner"
Personal tools

Be a SourceWatcher!

Enter your e-mail address to get the Center for Media and Democracy's free weekly e-newsletter.