Mike Pompeo

Mike Pompeo
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Kansas's 4th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2011
Preceded by Todd Tiahrt
Personal details
Born (1963-12-30) December 30, 1963
Orange, California
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Susan Pompeo
Children 1
Residence Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Alma mater U.S. Military Academy (West Point)
Harvard Law School
Occupation Attorney
Businessman
Religion Presbyterian
Military service
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1986–1991[1]
Rank Captain[1]
Unit 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division [2]

Michael Richard Pompeo (born December 30, 1963, Orange, California) is an American politician who has been the U.S. Representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district since 2011. He is a member of the Tea Party movement within the Republican Party.[3][4] He served as a Kansas representative on the Republican National Committee.

Education, and early career

Pompeo attended the U.S. Military Academy where he majored in Mechanical Engineering, graduating first in his class in 1986 and subsequently serving in the Regular Army as an Armor Branch cavalry officer from 1986 to 1991.[5] He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He then worked as a lawyer for Williams & Connolly.[6]

Business career

Pompeo founded Thayer Aerospace.[7] In 2006 he sold his interest in Thayer (which was renamed Nex-Tech Aerospace). He became the President of Sentry International, an oilfield equipment company.[8]

Tenure

Pompeo received $80,000 in donations from Koch Industries and its employees.[9]

Pompeo opposes the Affordable Care Act.[10]

Pompeo is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, which has endorsed him.[11]

Pompeo opposes closing Guantánamo Bay detention camp.[12] After a 2013 visit to the prison, Pompeo said, of the prisoners who were on hunger strike, "It looked to me like a lot of them had put on weight."[13]

Pompeo supported the federal Government shutdown of 2013, blaming President Obama while acknowledging that the Republican Party could take a hit from the shutdown. He stated that he believed the shutdown was necessary to avoid a predicted "American financial collapse 10 years from now."[14] In January 2014, Pompeo voted against a two-year budget deal drafted by Paul Ryan that would avert any government shutdown until 2015 and cut deficits by $23 billion.[15]

Pompeo opposes the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and supports eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency's greenhouse gas registry program.[16] He signed the Americans for Prosperity's No Climate Tax pledge.[17] He has called for the elimination of Wind power production tax credits, calling them an "enormous government handout".[18]

In a 2013 speech on the House floor, Pompeo said Muslim leaders who fail to denounce acts of terrorism done in the name of Islam are "potentially complicit" in the attacks.[19] The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Pompeo to revise his remarks, calling them "false and irresponsible".[20]

Pompeo supports the National Security Agency's surveillance programs, characterizing the agency's efforts as "good and important work."[21] In March 2014, Pompeo denounced NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden's inclusion in the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, and called for Snowden's invitation to speak via telecast at the annual Texas event be withdrawn, lest it encourage “lawless behavior” among attendees.[22]

Pompeo is strongly anti-abortion.[23] He believes that abortion should be permitted in cases when the mother's life is at risk, but should be illegal in cases of rape and incest.[24]

Pompeo opposes requiring food suppliers to label food made with Genetically modified organisms as GMO, and to that end in April 2014 introduced the "Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act" to block states from requiring mandatory GMO food labeling.[25]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2010

Pompeo predicted that a new energy bill would cost millions of jobs and make the United States a net food importer.[26] When he spoke, Kansas unemployment was 7.2%; it fell to 5.5% four years later. American agriculture, far from plunging, rose to $173 billion in 2012; the United States remains one of the largest food exporters in the world.

Pompeo has been critical of President Obama, whom he repeatedly alleged was indecisive and not appropriately respectful of military leaders such as General McChrystal, who was forced to submit his resignation for having made negative comments about the president to Rolling Stone magazine. He accused the president of "unforgivably fail[ing] to provide the total commitment of our national means to our servicemen in the field."[27]

Pompeo defeated Democratic nominee State Representative Raj Goyle, Libertarian nominee Shawn Smith, and Reform Party nominee Susan G. Ducey. Pompeo received 59% of the vote (117,171 votes), to 36% for Goyle (71,866).[28]

In the contest to replace the seat vacated by the Republican incumbent, Todd Tiahrt, Pompeo won a five-candidate GOP primary election on August 3, 2010 with 39% of the vote. He bested State Senator Jean Schodorf (who received 24%), Wichita businessman Wink Hartman (who received 23%), and small business owner Jim Anderson (who received 13%). State Senator Dick Kelsey also ran for the nomination, but ended his campaign before the August primary and endorsed Pompeo.[29][30][31]

Late in the primary, Schodorf began to surge, prompting two outside groups — Americans for Prosperity and Common Sense Issues, an Ohio-based political group — to enter the race, spending tens of thousands of dollars in the final campaign days to attack Schodorf and support Pompeo.[32]

2012

Pompeo defeated Democratic nominee Robert Tillman and Libertarian nominee Thomas Jefferson in the general election.

Committee assignments

Pompeo has been on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the following 2 subcommittees: the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade and the Subcommittee on Energy and Power. He is also on the House Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi.

Sponsored legislation

On May 9, 2013, Pompeo introduced the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act (H.R. 1900; 113th Congress).[33] The bill placed a 12-month deadline on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, requiring it to approve or reject any proposal for a natural gas pipeline within that timeframe.[34] The bill passed the House along party lines (all 226 Republicans voting voted for it along with 26 Democrats) in November 2013, was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, but not voted on.[35]

Iran side deals

On July 21, 2015, Pompeo and Senator Tom Cotton alleged the existence of secret side agreements between Iran and the IAEA on procedures for inspection and verification of Iran's nuclear activities under the Iran nuclear deal. This was denied by the Obama Administration.[36][37][38]

Application for a visa to visit Iran and letter to the Supreme Leader of Iran

On February 4, 2016, Pompeo, along with two other U.S. House representatives, applied for a visa to visit Iran, writing a letter to the Supreme Leader of Iran in order to facilitate the application process (,).

References

  1. 1 2 Staff (2011). "Once a Soldier... Always a Soldier" (PDF). Legislative Agenda. Association of the United States Army. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Biography – Congressman Mike Pompeo". house.gov.
  3. ↑ Profile, nationalreview.com; accessed October 21, 2015.
  4. ↑ Senator Roberts survives Tea Party challenge, foxnews.com; accessed October 21, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Congressman Mike Pompeo". Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  6. ↑ Lefler, Dion (2010-07-29). "Pompeo hopes varied background gives him edge". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  7. ↑ Wilson, Benet (2010-03-05). "Thayer Aerospace Founder Vies For Congress". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  8. ↑ Mike Pompeo. "Congressman Mike Pompeo Biography". house.gov. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  9. ↑ Eggen, Dan (March 20, 2011). "GOP freshman Pompeo turned to Koch for money for business, then politics". Washington Post. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  10. ↑ Pompeo, Mike (September 3, 2013). "The ObamaCare train wreck: Column". USA Today. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  11. ↑ "National Rifle Association Endorses Pompeo". Pompeo for Congress. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Senate debates Guantánamo in first hearing on closing prison since 2009". Associated Press. July 24, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  13. ↑ "GOP Rep: ‘No crisis’ at Gitmo, detainees ‘have put on weight’". MSNBC. May 26, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  14. ↑ Wilson, Bill (October 2, 2013). "Pompeo: For the GOP, shutdown is now about reforming entitlement programs". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Key Votes by Mike Pompeo – U.S. Congress Votes Database – The Washington Post".
  16. ↑ "Mike Pompeo's Issue Positions". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Pledge Takers". NoClimateTax.com. Americans for Prosperity. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  18. ↑ Pompeo, Mike (September 30, 2012). "Rep. Mike Pompeo: Wind tax credit harms economy". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  19. ↑ Kasperowicz, Pete (June 11, 2013). "GOP lawmaker: US Muslim leaders 'complicit' in terrorist attacks". The Hill. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  20. ↑ "GOP lawmaker: US Muslim call Pompeo comments leaders "false and irresponsible"" (PDF). Council on American-Islamic Relations. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  21. ↑ Lefler, Dion (November 4, 2013). "NSA is doing ‘important work’, Pompeo tells Wichita State students". Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  22. ↑ Drusch, Andrea (March 9, 2014). "SXSW 2014: Mike Pompeo wants Edward Snowden off the bill". Politico. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Election 2012: Mike Pompeo". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  24. ↑ Hegeman, Roxana (October 24, 2012). "Pompeo: No rape exception in anti-abortion view". Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  25. ↑ Gillam, Carey (April 9, 2014). "U.S. bill seeks to block mandatory GMO food labeling by states". Reuters. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  26. ↑ Pompeo predicts new energy bill would cost millions of jobs and make the United States a net food importer, kansas.com; accessed September 24, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Pompeo Responds to President's West Point Speech". Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  28. ↑ "House Results Map". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  29. ↑ Lefler, Dion; Ron Sylvester (2010-08-03). "Pompeo, Goyle to Meet in 4th District race". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 2010-08-04. Republican National Committeeman Mike Pompeo survived a bruising GOP primary and Rep. Raj Goyle of Wichita steamrolled his Democratic opponent to set up the general election battle in the Kansas 4th Congressional District.
  30. ↑ Miller, Tricia (2010-08-04). "Pompeo Likely To Replace Tiahrt". CQ Politics. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  31. ↑ D'Aprile, Shane (2010-08-04). "Pompeo wins GOP primary in Rep. Tiahrt's district". The Hill. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  32. ↑ "Pompeo, Goyle to meet in 4th District race". kansas. August 3, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  33. ↑ "H.R. 1900 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  34. ↑ Kasperowicz, Pete (November 21, 2013). "Thursday:Pipelines in the House, amendment fight in the Senate". The Hill. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Congressional Bills and Votes H.R. 1900". The New York Times.
  36. ↑ Demirjian, Karoun. "‘Secret deals’ become latest congressional complaint about Iran deal".
  37. ↑ Jordan Fabian and Kristina Wong. "White House launches Iran side deals counterattack".
  38. ↑ Schulberg, Jessica. "John Kerry's Confident The IAEA Can Handle Iran, But Congress Isn't Buying It". Retrieved September 24, 2015.

External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Todd Tiahrt		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kansas's 4th congressional district
January 3, 2011 – present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Steven Palazzo
R-Mississippi 		United States Representatives by seniority
276th 		Succeeded by
Jim Renacci
R-Ohio
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