Denny Rehberg

Dennis Rehberg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana's At-large district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Rick Hill
26th Lieutenant Governor of Montana
In office January 20, 1991 – January 15, 1997
Governor	Stan Stephens Marc Racicot
Preceded by	Allen Kolstad
Succeeded by	Judy Martz
Personal details
Born	October 5, 1955 (1955-10-05) (age 56) Billings, Montana
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jan Rehberg
Children	A.J. Rehberg Katie Rehberg Elsie Rehberg
Residence	Billings, Montana
Alma mater	Washington State University
Occupation	Rancher, political assistant
Religion	Episcopalian

Dennis R. "Denny" Rehberg (born October 5, 1955) is the U.S. Representative for Montana's At-large congressional district, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life, education and career

Born in Billings, Montana, Rehberg attended Billings West High School and Montana State University. While at Washington State University he joined The Delta Upsilon Fraternity.

Since 1996, Rehberg has been managing the Rehberg Ranch near Billings. He oversees a herd of 500 cattle and 600 cashmere goats.^[1] Rehberg married his high school sweetheart, Jan, a water attorney who represents farmers and ranchers. They have been married for over 25 years and have three children, A.J., Katie, and Elsie.

Early political career

A fifth generation Montanan, Rehberg has been involved in public service and ranching most of his adult life. In 1977 he began working as an intern in the Montana State Senate, and two years later he joined the Washington, D.C. staff of Montana Congressman Ron Marlenee as a legislative assistant. In 1982, Rehberg returned to Montana and ranching.

Rehberg was elected then to the Montana State House of Representatives from 1985 to 1991, where he served three terms. In the legislature, he considered himself to be a fiscal conservative, and he advocated balancing the state budget without any tax increases. He was the only freshman member to serve on the House Appropriations Committee.

In July 1991, Rehberg was appointed Lieutenant Governor by Governor Stan Stephens. He was subsequently elected to a full term in 1992.

As Lieutenant Governor, Rehberg sought to bring government back to the local level by traveling to all 56 counties every year. He chaired the Drought Advisory Committee and the Task Force credited with reforming Worker’s Compensation, the Montana Rural Development Council, and several health care initiatives.

In 1996 he ran for a seat in the United States Senate, losing to incumbent Democrat Max Baucus.

He was succeeded as Lieutenant Governor by fellow Republican Judy Martz.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch

Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

• House Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on House Committee on House Committee on Financial Services and General Government
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education

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

• House Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies -
  • Subcommittee on Foreign Operations Export Financing and Related Programs
  • Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies

Coalitions and Caucuses

• Congressional Rural Caucus
• Former Chair, Drought Advisory Committee
• Firefighter Caucus
• Forest Caucus
• House Vice Chair, Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Congressional Caucus
• Liberty Caucus
• Northwest Energy Caucus
• Republican Study Committee
• Tea Party Caucus
• Sportsmen's Caucus
• Western Caucus
• International Conservation Caucus ^[2]

Congressional staff

• Chief of Staff, Legislative Director: Jay Martin
• Deputy Chief of Staff: Kristin Smith
• State Director: Randy Vogel
• Scheduler: Madeleine Coleman
• Communications Director: Jed Link
• Press Secretary: Tom Schultz
• Legislative Assistants: Abra Belke, Kelly Pike, Eric Bierwagen

^[3]

Comments on homosexuality

Rehberg left an "Idaho Travel Package" on the airplane seat of Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho. The contents included a stuffed sheep with gloves attached to it, a Village People CD, books on cross-dressing and sign language, and a T-shirt that reads, "My senator may not be gay, but my governor is Butch."^[4] Rehberg's travel bag was first reported by The Hill newspaper, which covers Congress. It said Rehberg was proud of the gift bag and quoted him as boasting, "I spent a bit of time putting the things together."

In the Dec. 26, 1994, issue of Newsweek, then Lt. Governor Rehberg was quoted as saying "The problem with AIDS is you get it, you die, so why are we spending [money on] any people that get it?" when discussing why he supported cutting the state's hospital budget.^[5]

Rehberg opposes gay marriage, and supports a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.^[6] He voted against the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, a bill that amends the Federal definition of a hate crime to include gender identity and sexual orientation. The bill passed, 237 to 180.^[7]

Comments Regarding Programs Benefiting the Poor

After having scrutinized the Pell Grant program as one that was 'expanding' too quickly, congressman Rehberg set his sights on the free school lunch program as a program where there was potential of taxpayers being ripped off though the state Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau expressed the real concern that not enough families that qualify request the assistance. http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/montana-gop-rep-worries-poor-people-are-bilking-the-school-lunch-program.php?ref=fpa

Iraq War

Rehberg voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.^[8]

Rehberg currently serves on the Military Quality of Life and Foreign Operations Subcommittees of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations. In 2007, he voted against the Mandatory Troop Rest Periods between Deployments to Iraq bill (creates a mandatory rest period between deployments to Iraq for members of the Armed Forces, passed) and against the Redeployment from Iraq Act (reduces the presence of the U.S. armed forces in Iraq by April 1, 2008, passed).^[9] In 2002, he voted for the Joint Resolution on the Use of Military Force Against Iraq (adopted).^[10]

Environmental record

Rehberg describes himself as “a lifelong steward of the land”. He voted against the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 and against the Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) Act of 2001.^[11] He is currently one of the foremost critics on keeping the Gray Wolf on the endangered species list.^[12] On environmental issues, Rehberg has also been given low ratings by interest groups. Environment America gave him an 8% rating in 2008, and 27% rating in 2009. Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund gave him a 13% rating. In his position statement on Economic Development, he said “Our [Montana’s] coal and natural gas reserves stretch for hundreds of years into the future, and we can turn them into much needed energy.” Dennis Rehberg states opposition to the Shays-Meehan bill from 1998, of which he says it “stripped freedom of speech rights from Montana citizens.” Aside from the bill, he makes a point to say he supports full and open disclosure laws for campaign finance reform.

Economic record

On April 15, 2011, Rehberg was one of four Republican members of congress to vote against The Path to Prosperity.^[13]

Personal finances

With a net worth of 6.5 to 56.1 million dollars, Rehberg is the fourteenth-richest U.S. Representative in the House.^[14] However, on May 1, 2011, he told an audience member at a town hall meeting that he was "struggling like everyone else."^[15]

Political campaigns

Rehberg was elected to Montana’s lone seat in the House of Representatives in November 2000, beating Democrat Nancy Keenan in a close race. In 2002 and 2004 Rehberg won reelection against Democrats Steve Kelly and Tracy Velazquez. He ran a successful campaign against Democrat Monica Lindeen and Libertarian Mike Fellows in the 2006 midterm elections, claiming 59% of the vote to Lindeen's 39% and Fellow's 2%.

2010

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Montana, 2010

2012

See also: United States Senate election in Montana, 2012

On February 6, 2011, Denny Rehberg announced he will challenge Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) in 2012. http://dennyrehberg.com/. According to Salon.com, it is "A race that pundits are saying could be a tough challenge for Tester."^[16]

Electoral history

Montana's At-large congressional district: Results 2000–2010^[17]

Year		Republican	Votes	Pct		Democrat	Votes	Pct		Libertarian	Votes	Pct
2000		Denny Rehberg	211,418	51.5%		Nancy Keenan	180,971	44.1%		James J. Tikalsky	9,132	2.2%
2002		Denny Rehberg (inc.)	214,100	64.6%		Steve Kelly	108,233	32.7%		Mike Fellows	8,988	2.7%
2004		Denny Rehberg (inc.)	286,076	64.4%		Tracy Velazquez	145,606	32.8%		Mike Fellows	12,458	2.8%
2006		Denny Rehberg (inc.)	239,124	58.9%		Monica J. Lindeen	158,916	39.1%		Mike Fellows	8,085	2%
2008		Denny Rehberg (inc.)	307,132	64.2%		John Driscoll	154,713	32.4%		Mike Fellows	16,282	3.4%
2010		Denny Rehberg (inc.)	217,696	60.4%		Dennis McDonald	121,954	33.8%		Mike Fellows	20,691	7.9%

Personal life

On the night of Thursday, August 27, 2009, while in the area for a series of town hall forums on healthcare, Rehberg was a passenger in a boating accident near Bigfork, MT on Flathead Lake. Montana State Senate Majority Whip Greg Barkus was driving the boat.^[18]

Rehberg, Barkus and his wife Kathy, and two Rehberg aides were hospitalized in Kalispell following the accident, which took place sometime between 10pm and midnight. Dustin Frost, Rehbeg's 27 year-old state director in Montana, suffered a brain injury. Frost was in a coma for more than a week.^[18][19] Rehberg sustained a broken ankle and rib fractures.^[20]

Law enforcement agents are investigating the cause of the accident, including "how fast the boat was going, who was driving, and 'whether alcohol and drugs were involved.'" ^[18] Barkus "was found to have a blood alcohol content of .16 two hours after the accident. Despite the fact that, according to a witness quoted in the criminal complaint, Barkus had been drinking scotch and wine at a lakeside restaurant that night, Rehberg later said he 'was surprised to learn the results of Greg's blood alcohol test.'"^[16] Rehberg released his BAC, measured several hours after the crash, at 0.5 but it was actually 0.055.^[21]

Barkus ultimately pleaded no contest to a felony criminal endangerment charge and was given a four-year deferred sentence.^[16]

Lawsuit Against Billings Firefighters

In July 2010, Rehberg's corporation that has developed a subdivision on his former ranch land sued the City of Billings and its Fire Department for failing to protect trees and some scrub brush.^[22] While the suit was filed in July, Rehberg and his wife did not push forward with litigation, given the political pressures of the 2010 Congressional campaign.^[23] Statewide, Fire Department officials are concerned that suits like those filed by Rehberg will hurt efforts to contain fires. As KXLH News reported, "Now, two Helena-area fire department chiefs are saying cases like this could affect their operations. "We are balancing 1,000 things and the number one priority is life safety. So, even though we are afraid of being sued and all the other things, it certainly pales in comparison to sitting across the table from someone's wife or husband and telling them that they are dead or injured,"Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bob Drake said.^[24]

Boards and other affiliations

• Member, Billings Chamber of Commerce
• Member, Billings Downtown Rotary Club
• Former Chair, Montana Rural Development Council
• Member, Montana Stockgrowers Association
• State Chair, Muscular Dystrophy Association
• National Guard and Reserve Components Congressional Members Organization.

References

1. ^ "Congressman Denny Rehberg : Biography". Rehberg.house.gov. 2010-08-17. http://rehberg.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=12&sectiontree=3,12. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
2. ^ U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus Members
3. ^ "National Federation of Independent Businesses". Capwiz.com. http://capwiz.com/nfib/bio/staff/?id=10741. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
4. ^ http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/02/16/bnews/br13.txt
5. ^ December 26, 1994 (1994-12-26). "1994 Perspectives". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/112631/page/19. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
6. ^ "Project Vote Smart - Representative Dennis 'Denny' Rehberg - Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)". Vote-smart.org. http://www.vote-smart.org/npat.php?can_id=BC033113. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
7. ^ "Project Vote Smart - Representative Rehberg on HR 1592 - Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007". Vote-smart.org. http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=12684&can_id=404. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
8. ^ Roll call vote, Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.
9. ^ "Project Vote Smart - Representative Dennis 'Denny' Rehberg - Voting Record". Vote-smart.org. http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=404&type=category&category=47&go.x=9&go.y=9. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
10. ^ http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=V3202&can_id=404
11. ^ "Project Vote Smart - Representative Dennis 'Denny' Rehberg - Voting Record". Vote-smart.org. http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=404&type=category&category=30&go.x=3&go.y=8. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
12. ^ "Listening is first step in crafting wolf legislation". http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/opinions/article_ed8bbe20-bd31-11df-b783-001cc4c03286.html. Retrieved 2010-09-13. 
13. ^ www.house.gov (2011-04-15). "Final vote results for roll call 277". Clerk of the House of Representatives. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll277.xml. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
14. ^ "Denny Rehberg (R-Mont), 2008". OpenSecrets. http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/CIDsummary.php?CID=N00004645&year=2008. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
15. ^ "Wealthy Lawmaker Claims to be Struggling". Political Wire. http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/05/01/wealthy_lawmaker_claims_to_be_struggling.html. Retrieved 05/02/2011. 
16. ^ ^{a b c} Elliott, Justin (2011-02-02) Senate hopeful was involved in drunken boat crash, Salon.com
17. ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html. Retrieved 2007-08-08. 
18. ^ ^{a b c} Ann, Mary. "The Sleuth - Rep. Rehberg Hospitalized, Boat Crash Under Investigation". Voices.washingtonpost.com. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/08/rep_rehberg_hospitalized_boat.html?hpid=topnews. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
19. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
20. ^ "Campers recount Montana boat crash, rescue - KXXV-TV News Channel 25 - Central Texas News and Weather for Waco, Temple, Killeen |". Kxxv.com. http://www.kxxv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11127253. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
21. ^ By TRISTAN SCOTT Missoulian (2009-09-24). "Rehberg irresponsible for crash role, challenger says". Billingsgazette.com. http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_a9be2c7e-a94a-11de-9077-001cc4c03286.html. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
22. ^ "Rehberg Ranch Estates sues city of Billings". Billings Gazette. 2010-07-04. http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_e10d846e-87e2-11df-8042-001cc4c002e0.html/. Retrieved 2011-03-25. 
23. ^ "Rehberg lawsuit against city firefighters sits idle". Billings Gazette. 2010-10-27. http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_d5ca1048-e225-11df-ba55-001cc4c002e0.html/. Retrieved 2011-03-25. 
24. ^ "Helena-area fire officials comment on Rehberg lawsuit against Billings". KXLH.com. 2010-07-28. http://www.kbzk.com/news/helena-area-fire-officials-comment-on-rehberg-lawsuit-against-billings/. Retrieved 2011-03-25. 

External links

• U.S. Congressman Denny Rehberg official U.S. House site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Profile at SourceWatch

Political offices
Preceded by Allen Kolstad	Lieutenant Governor of Montana 1991–1996	Succeeded by Judy Martz
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Rick Hill	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana's At-large congressional district 2001–present	Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by Todd Platts R-Pennsylvania	United States Representatives by seniority 184th	Succeeded by Mike Rogers R-Michigan

Persondata
Name	Rehberg, Denny
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1955-10-05
Place of birth	Billings, Montana
Date of death
Place of death