Larry Bucshon

Larry Bucshon
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Indiana's 8th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2011
Preceded by Brad Ellsworth
Personal details
Born Larry Dean Bucshon
(1962-05-31) May 31, 1962
Taylorville, Illinois, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Kathryn Bucshon
Children 4
Residence Newburgh, Indiana
Alma mater University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Medical School at Chicago
Occupation Heart Surgeon
Religion Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Military service
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy Reserve
Years of service 1989–1998

Larry Dean Bucshon /buːˈʃɔːn/ (born May 31, 1962) is an American politician and heart surgeon who has been the U.S. Representative for Indiana's 8th congressional district since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life, education, and early career

Bucshon was born in Taylorville, Illinois on May 31, 1962[1] and raised in Kincaid, Illinois. His father, Ronald, was a coal miner, Navy serviceman, and lifelong Democrat while his mother, Barbara, was a nurse.[2]

Bucshon graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and got his medical degree from the University of Illinois Medical School at Chicago. Following medical school, Bucshon completed a residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he served as chief resident in surgery and remained there to complete a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery. He also received training at the Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Hospital.[2] During this time, he enlisted with the United States Navy Reserve, where he served for almost a decade.

Medical career

Bucshon specialized in cardiothoracic surgery and has performed hundreds of heart surgeries. From 1995 to 1998, he was in private medical practice in Wichita, Kansas.[2] Bucshon joined Ohio Valley HeartCare in 1998, where he served as the group's president. He was named St. Mary’s Medical Staff Physician of the Year in 2007. He also served as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Medical Director of the open heart recovery intensive care unit at St. Mary’s Hospital.[3]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2010

Bucshon faced Democratic nominee State Representative Trent Van Haaften in the race to fill the seat vacated by Congressman Brad Ellsworth, who was running for Senate.[3]

Bucshon received support from the National Republican Congressional Committee and was named a GOP Young Gun.[4] During the campaign, Bucshon was endorsed by several conservative interest groups and elected officials, including the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Congressional Action Committee, United States Chamber of Commerce, National Right to Life Committee, Indiana Right to Life, Indiana Manufacturers Association, Campaign for Working Families, House Minority Leader John Boehner, U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.[5] Bucshon received significant campaign contributions from medical groups.[6]

Bucshon defeated van Haaften by a margin of 21 points, winning all 18 counties in the district.[7]

2012

Bucshon again faced Kristi Risk in the 2012 Republican primary.[8] Buschon edged out Risk in the 2010 GOP primary, with 16,262 votes to Risk’s 14,273.[9]

In the general election, Bucshon defeated former state Rep. Dave Crooks.[10]

2014

The conservative Club for Growth announced that it would target Bucshon for defeat in the 2014 Republican primary,[11] but he was re-elected nonetheless.

Tenure

Taxes and spending

Bucshon supports lower corporate and individual taxes. He has called for freezing spending at 2008 levels, extending the Bush tax cuts for all income brackets, and reviewing all government programs for places to reduce spending.[2] He has stated that Republicans need to "first admit we were partially to blame for the increased government spending over the past decade."[2][12] Bucshon supports simplifying the personal and corporate tax codes.[13]

Bucshon voted for the Budget Control Act of 2011, which created a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. Bucshon also supported a balanced budget amendment that would require the federal government to spend no more than it collects in revenue each year. During his 2010 campaign, Bucshon said one of his campaign goals was to lower taxes for all Americans.[13]

In 2010 Bucshon signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity promising to vote against any Global Warming legislation that would raise taxes.[14]

Health care

Bucshon supports the repeal of the Affordable Health Care for America Act. He does not believe in researching climate change.[2] Bucshon supports reforms that expand and reform high-risk pools and federal reinsurance programs and lower costs.[2] Bucshon wants to increase transparency in medical care costs.[12] Bucshon has called for cuts in health care programs.[15][16]

Gun laws

Bucshon, who describes himself as "an ardent supporter of protecting the Second Amendment", has supported several bills that loosen restrictions on gun ownership. Bucshon co-sponsored the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, which requires all states to honor concealed carry permits from other states within their borders, irrespective of their own gun laws. The National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America have both given Bucshon an “A” rating.[16]

Abortion

Bucshon is pro-life. During his time in Congress, he has supported bills that seek to establish a legal framework for challenging the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. He has said he believes that abortion should be legal in cases where the mother's life may be in danger. Bucshon co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act, which declares that life begins at the moment of conception and is entitled to legal protection from that point forward.[16]

In October 2015, Bucshon was named to serve on the Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood.[17]

Social Security

Bucshon supports a comprehensive strategy to ensure the long-term sustainability of Social Security for current and future beneficiaries.[2]

Energy

Bucshon describes himself as a "long term friend of coal." His biggest contributors include Koch brothers, Murray energy. [18] He supports the Keystone XL pipeline project.[19]

Transportation

On November 2, 2011 the Evansville Courier & Press reported that Bucshon planned to introduce an amendment to the transportation funding bill that would allow governors to re-allocate federal transportation funding from designated programs to projects they designate as emergencies.[20]

Federal grants

On July 10, 2014, Bucshon introduced the Research and Development Efficiency Act (H.R. 5056), a bill that would instruct the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a working group under the authority of the National Science and Technology Council to review federal regulations affecting research and research universities and make recommendations on how to streamline them and reduce the regulatory burden on such researchers.[21][22] Bucshon said that his goal is "to alleviate some of the burden placed on our research universities so they can get back to their main goal of conducting basic science research."[23]

Climate change

During a September 17, 2014 hearing of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Bucshon was questioning John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. When Holdren encouraged Bucshon to read the scientific literature on global warming, rather than simply citing public comments to the committee, Bucshon replied "Of all the climatologists whose careers depends on the climate changing to keep themselves publishing articles? Yes, I could read that, but I don’t believe it."[24][25]

Committee assignments

Personal life

Bucshon met his wife Kathryn, who is also a physician and a practicing anesthesiologist in Evansville, during his medical residency.[26] They now live in Newburgh,[27] Warrick County, Indiana with their four children.He is a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Evansville.[28]

Electoral history

2010 8th Congressional District of Indiana Elections[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Larry Bucshon 117,259 58
Democratic Trent Van Haaften 76,265 37
Libertarian John Cunningham 10,240 5
2012 8th Congressional District of Indiana Elections[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Larry Bucshon 151,533 56
Democratic David Crooks 122,325 43
Libertarian Bart Gadau 10,134 4
2014 8th Congressional District of Indiana Elections[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Larry Bucshon 103344 60
Democratic Thomas R. Spangler 61384 36
Libertarian Andrew Horning 6587 4

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). CQ Roll Call. November 4, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Langhorne, Thomas (September 26, 2010). "2010 Vote: 8th District Profile of Larry Bucshon, Voters in the 8th District will choose between state lawmaker and heart surgeon". Evansville Courier Press. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  3. 1 2 "About". Bucshon for Congress. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Candidates". GOP Young Guns. NRCC. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  5. ↑ CQ Politics
  6. ↑ Isenstadt, Alex (October 6, 2010). "Doc groups helping their own". Politico. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Election Results, United States Representative". Indiana Secretary of State. November 22, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  8. ↑ "RISK SAYS FORMER CARDIOLOGIST, CONGRESSMAN BUCSHON CONTINUALLY DEMONSTRATES A CHANGE OF 'HEART' IN WASHINGTON". Kristi Risk for Congress. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  9. ↑ Langhorne, Thomas (August 17, 2011). "Bucshon to face GOP opponent Kristi Risk for 8th District seat". Evansville Courier Press. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  10. ↑ Bradner, Eric (November 6, 2012). "Bucshon wins re-election to 8th District seat in Indiana". Courier Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  11. ↑ Howey, Brian (March 18, 2013). "HOWEY: Clowning around with Chocola and Mourdock". News and Tribune. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Foulkes, Arthur (September 24, 2010). "8th District candidate meets with biz leaders". Terre Haute Tribune Star. Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  13. 1 2 Gootee, Richard (April 18, 2011). "Rep. Larry Bucshon addresses spending at town hall meeting". Evansville Courier Press. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  14. ↑ http://americansforprosperity.org/files/Bucshon_Larry.pdf
  15. ↑ Foulkes, Arthur. "Bucshon warns against ‘unsustainable’ health care programs." The Tribune-Star, April 22, 2011.
  16. 1 2 3 url = http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/120335/larry-bucshon
  17. ↑ Paul Kane (October 23, 2015). "Boehner's next select committee, focusing on Planned Parenthood, to be led by Marsha Blackburn". Washington Post. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  18. ↑ Barniak, Janice (November 24, 2011). "New mine to create 330 new jobs". Princeton Daily Clarion. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Congressman Larry Bucshon Comments on Keystone XL Pipeline Announcement". bucshon.house.gov. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  20. ↑ Bradner, Eric (November 2, 2011). "Bucshon proposal would allow access to federal dollars in transportation crisis". Evansville Courier Press. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Text of the Research and Development Efficiency Act". govtrack.us. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  22. ↑ "H.R. 5056 – All Actions". United States Congress. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Dr. Bucshon Urges Colleagues to Support Bill to Alleviate Burden on Research and Research Universities". House Office of Rep. Bucshon. July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  24. ↑ http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/09/17/3568923/bucshon-climate-scientists-money/
  25. ↑ http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/8q3nmm/burn-noticed
  26. ↑ "Larry Bucshon Full Biography". Larry Bucshon Congressman. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  27. ↑ Three Indiana U.S. House races could help determine control, Louisville Courier Journal
  28. ↑ Vote Smart.
  29. ↑ United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana, 2012
  30. ↑ United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana, 2014
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Brad Ellsworth		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Indiana's 8th congressional district
January 3, 2011 – present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Mo Brooks		 United States Representatives by seniority
233rd 		Succeeded by
John Carney
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