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Frank R. Lautenberg

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Frank Lautenberg currently serves as the Sr. Senator for New Jersey

Frank Raleigh Lautenberg is the Senior Senator from New Jersey. He is a Democrat, and served from 1983 to 2001 and again since 2003.

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

Michael Mukasey nomination

Sen. Frank R, Lautenberg voted AGAINST the confirmation Bush appointee Michael Mukasey as Attorney General of the U.S. on Nov. 8, 2007. Six Democrats and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) joined most Republicans in the 53-40 vote confirming Mukasey. No Republicans voted against him. [1] Mukasey's nomination was surrounded by controversy after he called waterboarding "repugnant" but refused to say whether it was illegal under anti-torture laws.

Main article: Michael Mukasey

Environmental record

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

Chemical security legislation

On March 30, 2006, Lautenberg introduced the Chemical Security and Safety Act (S.2486). The bill would have required the following [1]:

  • That IST (inherent safer technology) be used whenever possible (President Bush had been strongly opposed to the idea).
  • That state authority be protected in instances where the state had adopted stronger protections than federal law.
  • That site security at chemical plants be improved to the maximum extent possible.
  • That workers be guaranteed a role in ensuring the security and safety of facilities.
  • That strong protections for whistleblowers be implemented.[2] [3]
Main article: Chemical security legislation (U.S.)#Sen. Lautenberg introduces bill to strengthen security requirements for chemical plants, protect state laws

Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act

The Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act was introduced on February 14, 2007 by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). The Act would undo reporting requirement roll-backs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented in a January 2007 rule change, which allows up to ten times more pollution before requiring detailed reporting. The Act returns the thresholds requiring polluting facilities to provide more complete information about their toxic releases to the earlier lower levels.[4]

Main article: Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act

Lautenberg on Tobacco Issues

This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation. Help expose the truth about the tobacco industry.

Lautenberg held a hearing on second-hand smoke on May 11, 1994 and also authored a bill on a smoke free environment, circa 1994. [1]

Chickenhawk Speech

On April 28, 2004, in response to the recent rhetoric regarding presidential candidate Senator John Forbes Kerry's military service during the Vietnam War, Lautenberg made a lengthy speech in the U.S. Senate entitled "An Illustrated Guide to Chickenhawks."

As reported by Carl Hulse in the April 29, 2004, edition of the New York Times, Lautenberg, "In a take-no-prisoners display, ... lashed out at Republicans critical of Mr. Kerry, calling them chickenhawks."

An "enlargeable" copy of the chickenhawk poster he used, as well as an audio transcript of his speech is available on Lautenberg's web site.

HUD Secretary

Bio

Background

Lautenberg was born on January 23, 1924 in Paterson, New Jersey and served overseas in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in World War II after graduating high school. Then, financed by the GI Bill, he graduated from Columbia University with a degree in economics in 1949. He co-founded the successful Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) and was its president. He was commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 1978 to 1982.

In 1982 he received the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat from New Jersey. The seat had been occupied by Democrat Harrison Williams, who resigned on March 11, 1982 after being implicated in the Abscam scandal.Lautenberg won the election and took office several days before the traditional swearing-in of senators.

He announced his retirement in 2000, and his fellow Democrat and businessman, Jon Corzine, was elected to replace him.

Second Senate Career

Lautenberg unexpectedly returned to politics in 2002, when the other New Jersey senator, Democrat Robert Torricelli, withdrew his candidacy for reelection because of corruption charges. The New Jersey Republican Party challenged the replacement of Torricelli's name on the ballot with Lautenberg's, arguing that it came too late according to state election laws. The ballot name change was upheld by the New Jersey State Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case.

Lautenberg is considered to be one of the Senate's most liberal members. He is pro-choice, supports gun control, has introduced many bills increasing penalties for carjacking and car theft, and has criticized the Bush administration on national security issues. He is probably best known for being involved with, and authoring some of, the legislation that banned smoking from most commercial airline flights. He has been very involved in various anti-smoking legislation, as well as airline safety legislation. He also is known for authoring the Ryan White Act which provides services to AIDS patients. His name is also associated with the Lautenberg Amendment, which prohibits any persons convicted of misdemeanor or felonious domestic violence from possessing firearms or ammunition.

In 2005, he became a leading voice within the Senate in calling for an investigation into the Bush administration payment of news columnists. [3]

In January 2006 SurveyUSA listed him as having the lowest approval rating of any US Senator.[4] Despite this, in February 2006, Lautenberg announced that he intends to run for reelection in 2008, saying that deciding not to run for reelection in 2000 "was among the worst decisions of his life". [5]

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=N00000659&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata>

Links to more campaign contribution information for Frank R. Lautenberg
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

  • Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
    • Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
    • Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security - Chairman
    • Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
    • Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety
  • Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
    • Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection
    • Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health
    • Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security and Water Quality
  • Senate Committee on Appropriations
    • Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science
    • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
    • Subcommittee on Energy and Water
    • Subcommittee on Homeland Security
    • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
    • Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development

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

  • Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
    • Subcommittee on Aviation
    • Subcommittee on Fisheries and the Coast Guard
    • Subcommittee on Global Climate Change - Ranking Minority Member
    • Subcommittee on National Ocean Policy Study
    • Subcommittee on Trade Tourism and Economic Development
    • Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine
  • Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
    • Subcommittee on Clean Air Climate Change and Nuclear Safety
    • Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management
    • Subcommittee on Fisheries Wildlife and Water
  • Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
    • Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
    • Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia
    • Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management Government Information and International Security

Contact

DC Office:
Hart Senate Office Building, Suite 324
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-3224
TTYD Number: 202-224-2087
Fax: 202-228-4054
Web Email
Website

District Office - Camden:
One Port Center
Suite 505, Fifth Floor
2 Riverside Drive
Camden, NJ 08101
Phone: 856-338-8922
Fax: 856-338-8936

District Office - Newark:
One Gateway Center, Twenty-Third Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
Phone: 973-639-8700
TollFree: 1-888-398-1642
Fax: 973-639-8723

Articles and Resources

Sources

  1. ↑ From the TobaccoDocuments.org profile of Frank Lautenberg. Originally from the Wall Street Journal, May 13, 1994.

External resources

Articles

Local blogs and discussion sites

More Background Data

Wikipedia also has an article on Frank R. Lautenberg. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the GFDL.

This article may include information from Tobacco Documents Online.

Search the Documents Archives of the Tobacco Industry
Legacy Tobacco Documents Library:

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:
None		 Committees Chaired:
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation/Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security		 Committees,
Ranking Member On:
 Caucuses:
Committees: Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Commerce Justice and Science and Related Agencies, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on the Financial Services and General Government, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services Education and Related Agencies, Senate Committee on Appropriations/Subcommittee on Transportation Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies, Senate Committee on the Budget, 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 Consumer Affairs Insurance and Automotive Safety, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Oceans Atmosphere Fisheries and Coast Guard, Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation/Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure Safety and Security, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works/Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works/Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works/Subcommittee on Transportation Safety Infrastructure Security and Water Quality
Congressional Career
First Elected to Current Office:
November 5, 2002		 First Took Current Office:
January 7, 2003		 Next Election:
November 4, 2014		 Term Ends:
Freshman Member?
No		 Previous Political Work?
U.S. Senate, 1982 - 2000		 Other Party Membership:
District Offices:
1. One Port Center Suite 505, Fifth Floor 2 Riverside Drive Camden, NJ 08101
Phone: 856-338-8922 / Fax: 856-338-8936
2. One Gateway Center, Twenty-Third Floor Newark, NJ 07102
Phone: 973-639-8700 / Fax: 973-639-8723
Campaign Contact:

Website:
Webform Email: / Email:

Campaign Offices:

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

Date of Birth: January 23, 1924







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