Peter Sessions - OpenCongress Wiki
Peter Sessions
From OpenCongress Wiki
| U.S. Representative Peter Sessions (R) | ||
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| TX-32 | ||
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| Leadership: | Chairman of NRCC | |
| Committees: | House Committee on Rules | |
| (subcommittees and past assignments) | ||
| Next election: Nov. 6, 2012
Primary challenge: No Incumbent running: Yes | ||
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2012 candidates for TX-32 | ||
| Confirmed: | Seth Hollist, Katherine McGovern, Peter Sessions | |
| Possible: | None so far | |
| Out: | None so far | |
| (more info & editing for TX-32) | ||
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| Official website | ||
Pete Sessions, a Republican, has represented the Thirty-Second Congressional District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1996.
Sessions became the chairman of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee following the 2008 congressional elections. In this post, Sessions is responsible for leading efforts to get more Republicans elected to the House of Representatives.
Contents |
Record and controversies
Congressional scorecards
| Click through the score to see the records of other members of Congress and full descriptions of the individual votes.
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Iraq War
Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal
Oil
Pete Sessions has voted in favor of big oil companies on 90% of important oil-related bills from 2005-2007, according to Oil Change International. These bills include Iraq war funding, climate change studies, clean energy, and emissions.[1] See below for oil money in politics.
Ties to Jack Abramoff
- Ties to Jack Abramoff and a scandal involving earmarks benefitting campaign contributors resulted in Sessions being named in 2006 by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington as one of the twenty most corrupt US legislators. [1][2]
Positions on bankruptcy legislation
Sessions, in a floor debate on the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2003 on January 28, 2004, said the following:
"This bill is crafted to ensure the debtor's right to a fresh start while protecting the system from flagrant abusers by those who can, should, and, we believe, will be paying their own bills. Bankruptcy should not be a convenience or just another financial planning tool, and this legislation will ensure that it will remain a safety net for those who genuinely need it while trying to prevent bad actors from imposing their costs on everyone else...By tightening our current laws and making it more difficult to escape fraud by declaring bankruptcy, we are expressing no tolerance for those who would game the system to make up for their own wrongdoing."[2]
In February 2005, Sessions provided an affidavit recounting a cell phone conversation with a long-time constituent and campaign contributor Ahron Katz about transferring assets to his wife in order to avoid scrutiny from a judgement creditor regarding an ongoing stock fraud investigation. The Katzes sought Sessions’ opinion about their plan to dodge the court deadline by transferring the remainder of Ahron Katz’s assets to his wife. In his deposition, Sessions expressed concern about Katz losing his nest egg, while neglecting to express concern over the ethical ramifications of the perjurious plan.[3]
Bio
Background
Sessions was born March 22, 1955 in Waco, Texas and he graduated from Southwestern University. Sessions worked with Southwestern Bell. He is an Eagle Scout.
In 1991, he finished third in a special election for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Congressional Career
Sessions ran for Congress again in 1994 against 5th District incumbent Democrat John Bryant. Sessions made a tour of the district with a livestock trailer full of horse manure, claiming that the Clinton Health Care plan stunk more than the manure. Sessions lost by a 50%-47% margin.
When Bryant decided to seek a Senate seat in 1996, Sessions was elected to succeed him as a Republican. Sessions faced some close campaigns in 1998 and 2000, but when new redistricting placed Sessions in a district that was slightly more Democratic, he moved to the new 32nd District. In 2004, Sessions defeated fellow Congressman Martin Frost, who had also moved to the 32nd after Republican-engineered redistricting eliminated Frost's former district.
2006 elections
In 2006, Democrats nominated Will Pryor to face Sessions in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) [3] Sessions retained his set.
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.
| Top Contributors to during the 2008 Election Cycle | |
|---|---|
| Donor | Amount (US Dollars) |
| Cash America International | $ 28,150 |
| Bass Brothers Enterprises | $ 12,500 |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co | $ 12,300 |
| American Bankers Assn | $ 11,000 |
| Abbott Laboratories | $ 10,000 |
| American Academy of Ophthalmology | $ 10,000 |
| American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons | $ 10,000 |
| American College of Cardiology | $ 10,000 |
| American College of Emergency Physicians | $ 10,000 |
| American College of Radiology | $ 10,000 |
| Source: The Center for Responsive Politics' www.OpenSecrets.org site. Note: Contributions are not from the organizations themselves, but are rather from the organization's PAC, employees or owners. Totals include subsidiaries and affiliates. | |
| Links to more campaign contribution information for Peter Sessions from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org site. |
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|---|---|---|
| Fundraising profile: | 2008 election cycle | Career totals |
| Top contributors by organization/corporation: | 2008 election cycle | Career totals |
| Top contributors by industry: | 2008 election cycle | Career totals |
- Revolving door profile for Peter Sessions from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org website.
- 2006 privately funded travel profile for Peter Sessions from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org website.
- Personal finance profile for Peter Sessions from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org website.
Oil Money in Politics
Pete Sessions has received $71,350 in oil contributions during the 110th congress. $37,800 of those dollars were from industry PACS. In total, Sessions has accepted $452,577 from oil companies between 2000 and 2008, which makes him one of the top recipients of oil money.[4] See above for oil and energy voting record.
Committees and Affiliations
Committees
Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)
Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)
- House Committee on Budget
- House Committee on Rules
- Subcommittee on the Legislative and Budget Process
Coalitions and Caucuses
- Chair, Results Caucus, 1997-present
Boards and other Affiliations
- Executive Committee, White Rock District, Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America, 2000
- Board Member, East Dallas Young Men's Christian Association, 1989-2000
- Chair, Northeast Dallas Chamber of Commerce, 1994
- Former Chair, White Rock District, Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America
- Former Treasurer/Secretary, East Dallas Rotary Club
- Team Leader/Volunteer, Adopt-A-Shoreline
More Background Data
Wikipedia also has an article on Peter Sessions. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the GFDL.
Contact
| DC office |
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| District offices |
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| On the Web |
| Campaign office |
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Articles and resources
References
- ↑ Vote Tracker, Oil Change International.
- ↑ Pete Sessions, "Providing for Consideration of S. 1920, Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2003," House of Representatives Floor Speech, January 28, 2004.
- ↑ Allen Pusey, "What, Me Worry?" The Texas Observer, April 20, 2007.
- ↑ See "Follow the Oil Money," "Follow the Coal Money," and vote tracker from Oil Change International and Appalachian Voices.
Articles
- "CREW releases second annual most corrupt members of Congress report," Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, September 20, 2006.
Resources
- Official website
- Campaign website
- Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database
- Follow the Oil Money
- Vote Tracker
- Follow the Coal Money
- Appalachian Voices
Local blogs and discussion sites
Semantic data (Edit data)
| From the Sunlight Foundation API | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Office: U.S. House of Representatives | |||
| Title: Rep | First name: Pete | Middle name: A. | Last name: Sessions |
| Suffix: | Nickname: Pete | ||
| Party: R | State: TX | District:
32 District short: 32 |
Currently in office? True |
| Gender: M | |||
| Phone: 202-225-2231 | Fax: 202-225-5878 | Website: http://www.house.gov/sessions | Webform email: http://www.house.gov/sessionsform/emailform.htm Email address: |
| DC office: 2233 Rayburn House Office Building | |||
| Bioguide ID: S000250 | Votesmart ID: 288 | FEC ID: H2TX03126 | Govtrack ID: 400367 |
| CRP ID: N00005681 | Eventful ID: | Old Sunlight ID: | Twitter ID: petesessions |
| OpenCongress Wiki URL: http://www.opencongress.org/wiki/Peter_Sessions | YouTubeID: http://youtube.com/PeteSessions | Senate class: | |
| Entered manually within the Template:Politician | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. House of Representatives | |||
| 111th Congress | |||
| Leadership Position: Chairman of NRCC |
Committees Chaired: |
Committees, Ranking Member On: |
Caucuses: |
| 110th Congress | |||
| Leadership Position: None |
Committees Chaired: |
Committees, Ranking Member On: |
Caucuses: |
| Committees: | |||
| Congressional Career | |||
| First Elected to Current Office: November 5, 1996 |
First Took Current Office: January 3, 1997 |
Next Election: November 2, 2010 |
Term Ends: |
| Freshman Member? False |
Previous Political Work? None or not available |
Other Party Membership: | |
| District Offices: | |||
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| Campaign Contact: | |||
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Website: Campaign Offices:
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| Misc: | |||
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Date of Birth: March 22, 1955 November 5, 1996 | |||
