Joe Donnelly

Infobox_Congressman
name =Joe Donnelly

---

date of birth=birth date and age|1955|09|29
place of birth =Massapequa, New York
state = Indiana
district = 2nd
term_start =January 4, 2007–
preceded=Chris Chocola
succeeded=Incumbent
party =Democratic
spouse = Jill Donnelly
religion =Roman Catholic
residence= Granger, Indiana
alma_mater=University of Notre Dame
occupation= attorney

Joseph Simon "Joe" Donnelly, Sr. [ [http://csd.cqpress.com/Elections/house_mem/hin02donnelly.html U.S. Senate ] ] , (born September 29, 1955 [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/pre-election/state_districts/IN.html?SITE=OKTULELN&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT] ) is an American politician who in 2006 was elected to Congress as a Democrat in ushr|Indiana|2|. He defeated the Republican incumbent, Chris Chocola, in a rematch of their 2004 race.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Notre Dame Law School, Donnelly lives in Granger, Indiana.

Early life, education, and career

Joe Donnelly was born in Flushing, New York.http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/pre-election/state_districts/IN.html?SITE=OKTULELN&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT#2] He graduated from Notre Dame in 1977 and remained in South Bend to obtain his law degree, which he did in 1981. He practiced law until 1996, when he opened Marking Solutions, a printing and rubber stamp company. [http://www.donnellyforuscongress.com/index.php?about Joe Donnelly for Congress | About Joe | About Joe ] ]

Donnelly and his wife, Jill, and have a son and a daughter. They reside in Granger, Indiana.

Early political career

Donnelly held two public positions before deciding to run for Congress. From 1988 to 1989 he served on the Indiana State Election Board, which was charged with ensuring accurate election results. He served on a local school board from 1997 to 2001, serving as president of the board from 2000 to 2001.

He ran a campaign for Indiana attorney general in 1988, but lost at the Democratic state convention. He also ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Indiana State Senate in 1990.

Committee Assignments

*Agriculture Committee
**Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research
**Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
*Financial Services Committee
**Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises
**Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
*Veterans’ Affairs Committee
**Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity

On the issues

Middle Class

Donnelly campaigned on a platform of seeking to improve the lot of the middle-class citizens of his district, promising to revise trade agreements to make them more fair to American workers, to raise the minimum wage, and to allow Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices. He has supported attempts to patch the Alternative Minimum Tax in order to protect middle class earners. Additionally, he has been a consistent advocate for the interests of small business owners, co-sponsoring HR 976, The Small Business Tax Relief, Act, has supported many other reforms that benefit small businesses. [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/SmallBusinessTaxRelief.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Congressman Joe Donnelly Visits Mishawaka Farm To Highlight The Recent House Passage Of The Small Business Tax Relief Act ] ] [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/082107MCSmallBusiness.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Congressman Donnelly Visits Entrepreneur Center To Discuss Small Business Tax Cuts ] ] [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/052507MinWageSmallBizTaxCuts.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Congressman Donnelly Hails Minimum Wage Increase And Small Business Tax Cuts ] ]

Foreign Policy

In July 2007, Donnelly (D) and 221 other House members in [voting for HR 2956] , the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act. This legislation contained a deadline by which all U.S. forces must be redeployed from Iraq. One of the arguments used by proponents of the measure is that the controversial surge plan-instituted by President Bush-is not working. While Donnelly stated that he was against a timetable for withdrawal, the bill contained many important provisions for funding for active military and veterans. "Though I do not like the idea of setting a timeline for the redeployment of our troops, I will not vote against our troops in the field, period...This funding bill extends our offensive mission beyond the president’s own transition date. We are essentially asking the Iraqis to take ownership of their own country again while fully funding and protecting our servicemen and women in their mission." [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/FundingTroops.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Congressman Joe Donnelly’s Statement In Support Of Requiring Iraqi Accountability And Continued Funding For Our Troops ] ]

Veterans Affairs

Veterans affairs was a centerpiece of Donnelly's campaign. Serving on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, he helped pass the largest increase in funding for veterans in history(Fiscal Year 2008 Military Construction and Veterans’ Affairs Appropriations). [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/061507MilConApprops.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Donnelly Joins House In Passing Historic Funding Increase For Veterans Health Care ] ] Since taking office, he has worked to improve the conditions at Walter Reed Hospital [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/pr_070326_walterreedhospital.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Congressman Joe Donnelly Discusses Conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Announces His Veterans Advisory Board ] ] by supporting H.R.1538, The Wounded Warrior Assistance Act. [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/WoundedWarriorAssistanceAct.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Congressman Joe Donnelly Votes In Favor Of Wounded Warrior Assistance Act ] ] . He has worked across the aisle with Republican Congressman Fred Upton to introduce H.R. 1490, The Fairness in Veterans Disability Benefits Act, which reduces waiting time for veterans deserving disability benefits. [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/FairVetDisability.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Congressmen Donnelly And Upton Introduce Legislation To Reduce Veteran Wait Time In Receiving Disability Benefits ] ] Donnelly has introduced legislation to create a rural advisory board for veterans [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/050907ruralvetsrelease.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Congressman Joe Donnelly Introduces Legislation To Create Rural Veterans Advisory Board ] ] and fought to improve private-care options for veterans struck with traumatic brain injury. [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/121207_TBI.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Donnelly-Championed Private Care Options for Vets Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injury Included in House-Passed Defense Bill ] ] He has also worked to open an outpatient clinic in Elkhart, IN and an inpatient hospital in South Bend, IN. [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/052507ElkhartCBOC.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Congressman Donnelly Announces New Veterans' Community-Based Outpatient Clinic To Open In Elkhart County ] ] [ [http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/11221711.html Congressman Says Local VA Hospital Needed; Mishawaka Hospital Site A Potential Location | WSBT South Bend - Your Local News Leader | Local News ] ] .

Blue Dog Democrat

Donnelly breaks with the mainstream of the national Democratic Party on some social and fiscal issues, holding pro-life and pro-gun rights positions. Donnelly is a member of Blue Dog Coalition, a group of conservative Democrats in Congress. In March 2007, he was recognized as "Blue Dog of the Week" for his work on helping small businesses. [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/BlueDogoftheWeek.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Donnelly Named “Blue Dog of the Week” ] ] He has also broken with the Democratic leadership on several budgetary issues, including the 2008 fiscal budget proposal. [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/Budget.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Congressman Joe Donnelly Opposes Democratic Budget ] ] . In June of 2007, he was ranked as one of the ten most independent Democrats by a nonpartisan Congressional Quarterly report. [ [http://donnelly.house.gov/list/press/in02_donnelly/morenews/061007CQReport.shtml News Releases: Donnelly (IN02): Donnelly Among Top Ten Most Independent Democrats In Congress ] ]

In 2008 Donnelly voted with the Republicans in the House to expand the power of the federal government to wiretap and surveil American citizens without having to obtain a search warrant, and to grant retroactive and prospective immunity to telecommunications companies who provided confidential information on customers to the federal government.

Congressional elections

2004

Donnelly ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the second district, where he faced off against incumbent Chris Chocola. [http://www.in.gov/serv/sos_primary04?page=office&countyID=-1&partyID=-1&officeID=5&districtID=2&districtshortviewID=2&candidate=] Chocola was helped by several fundraising visits from President George W. Bush, and was able to outspend Donnely by a two to one margin, $1.4 million to $700,000. Donnelly lost the election, 54%-45%. [http://www.thepeoplechoose2006.org/site/race/show/31] . Due to his relatively late entrance into the contest, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) did not offer much support to Donnelly's 2004 campaign. This would change in 2006, when the race was identified by the DCCC as a "Red-to-Blue" contest and sent extra funds were sent from out of the district in an effort to win back control of the House of Representatives.

2006

On May 2, 2006, Donnelly defeated Steve Francis for the Democratic nomination, setting up a rematch against Chris Chocola. [http://www.in.gov/serv/sos_primary06?page=office&countyID=-1&partyID=-1&officeID=5&districtID=2&districtshortviewID=2&candidate=]

Because Chocola was a strong supporter of George W. Bush, the race was expected to be more competitive than in 2004 in light of Bush's waning popularity. The website Moveon.org identified Donnelly as a top contender to defeat a Republican incumbent in the house, and began running its "Red-Handed" ads against Chocola early in the campaign. [https://pol.moveon.org/give/keyraces1.html?id=8700-7216514-4wQVDjbBak387vHpmPiiJw&t=2] Chocola still maintained a significant money advantage over Donnelly, but in 2006, Donnelly had enough to maintain a competitive advertising presence throughout the campaign.

The campaign was heated, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sponsoring ads attacking Chocola as being beholden to monied interests in the insurance, pharmaceutical, and energy industries. Chocola returned fire by attacking Donnelly over a late tax filing and by attempting to link him to liberal House leader Nancy Pelosi. [http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060804/News01/608040340/-1/NEWS01/CAT=News01]

On November 7, 2006, Donnelly defeated Chris Chocola by 15,145 votes, or 8% of a substantially larger total of votes relative to 2004. [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/IN/H/02/index.html] The key difference between the 2006 and 2004 elections for Donnelly lay in the results within St. Joseph County, the location of South Bend and by far the largest county in the district. Traditionally reliably Democratic, voters in the county chose Donnelly over Chocola by only a few hundred votes in the 2004 election. In 2006, however, Donnelly amassed 58% of the county's votes, generating a 14,000-vote margin.

Donnelly has been named to the House Financial Services Committee for the 110th Congress. [ [http://democraticleader.house.gov/press/releases.cfm?pressReleaseID=1962 Democratic Party in the House of Representatives] ]

2008

References

External links

* [http://donnelly.house.gov/ U.S. Congressman Joe Donnelly] "official House website"
* [http://www.donnellyforuscongress.com/ Joe Donnelly for Congress] "official campaign website"
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Joe_Donnelly Profile] from SourceWatch Congresspedia