John M. Spratt, Jr.

Infobox_Congressman
name = John Spratt


date of birth = birth date and age|1942|11|01
place of birth = Charlotte, North Carolina
state = South Carolina
district = 5th
term_start = January 3, 1983
preceded = Ken Holland
succeeded = Incumbent
party = Democrat
spouse = Jane Stacy Spratt
religion = Presbyterian
alma_mater= Davidson College, Oxford University, Yale University
occupation= attorney
residence= York, South Carolina

John McKee Spratt, Jr. (born November 1 1942) is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 5th District of South Carolina since 1983 ( [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/sc05_109.gifmap] ). The dean of the South Carolina congressional delegation, Spratt is chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Budget, and the second ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, where he serves on three subcommittees: Oversight and Investigations, Strategic Forces, and Air and Land Forces. In addition to his committee work, he co-chairs the Textile Caucus, the Bearing Caucus, and the Nuclear Energy Caucus. Spratt’s district covers all or part of 14 counties in north-central South Carolina. The largest cities are Rock Hill and Sumter.

Early life and career

Spratt was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, but grew up in York, South Carolina, where he still resides. After graduating from York High School, he earned a BA degree in history from Davidson College in 1964. He served as student body president at both schools. Spratt then earned an MA degree in philosophy, politics, and economics from Oxford University (Corpus Christi College) in 1966 while studying on a Marshall Scholarship, and an LLB degree from Yale Law School in 1969.

Spratt was a captain in the Army from 1969 to 1971, serving in the Operations Analysis Group in the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) at the Pentagon, and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal [ [http://www.house.gov/spratt/about.shtml "About Representative John Spratt," spratt.house.gov, 12 June 2008. ] ] .

Spratt returned to York in 1971 to practice at the law firm of Spratt, McKeown, and Spratt. He was county attorney and school board attorney, and president of the Bank of Fort Mill. He also ran a small insurance agency and owned a farm in Fort Mill.

Family and personal life

Spratt is the son of John McKee Spratt, Sr. and Jane Love Bratton. His father founded the Bank of Fort Mill and the York law firm where Spratt would eventually practice. Spratt's only sibling is Jane Spratt McColl, wife of former Bank of America chairman Hugh McColl. [ [http://www.law.sc.edu/memory/1974/sprattjm.shtml "Memory Hold the Door: John McKee Spratt, 1907-1973," University of South Carolina School of Law, law.sc.edu, 12 June 2008. ] ]

Spratt married Jane Stacy of Filbert, South Carolina. They have three daughters and four grandchildren.

Spratt is a member of First Presbyterian Church in York, South Carolina. He has been active in the United Way and other civic and charity organizations.

Politics

Spratt became active in Democratic politics at an early age, and was elected delegate to the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Spratt was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1982, and has been re-elected every two years since then. He was challenged in the 2006 election by Republican Ralph Norman, a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives and real estate developer from Rock Hill. Spratt defeated Norman for a thirteenth term by 57%-43%.

Spratt is considered moderate to conservative in the Democratic Party. According to the 2008 edition of CQ's Politics in America, "Spratt is more conservative than the typical House Democrat, and not just on fiscal policy. In 2006, he was one of just 18 Democrats voting to authorize warrantless electronic surveillance of communications involving terrorits suspects. In both 2004 and 2006, he supported a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, and he voted in 2003 to outlaw a procedure that opponents call 'partial birth' abortion." [ [http://www.house.gov/spratt/pdf/spratt_politics_in_america_2008.pdf Jackie Koszczuk and Martha Angle, Eds., "CQ's Politics in America 2008: The 110th Congress", 1 June 2007, pp. 910-911.] ]

According to FOX News Commentator Martin Frost, "Spratt is a moderate Southerner who hates deficit spending and will force the Bush Administration to be more honest with their budget." [ [http://www.house.gov/spratt/pdf/FOX_martin_frost.pdf Martin Frost, "Democrats as House Committee Chairs, A New Era of Expertise," FOX News Network, foxnews.com, 14 April 2006.] ]

Spratt's most recent vote ratings and voting records are available at [http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings National Journal Vote Ratings] and [http://www.votesmart.org/index.htm Project Vote Smart.]

In Congress, Spratt has won praise for his skills as a negotiator and consensus builder. "The State" called him "a bridge-builder who can reach across party lines." "National Journal" featured him on its cover as "a stand-out" in Congress, comparing his legislative skills to the "best infielders in baseball." In "Washingtonian"'s 2006 survey, congressional staff voted him a "Workhorse" and "House Member I'd Like to See Win the Presidency in 2008."

One of Spratt’s proudest accomplishments was the Balanced Budget Agreement of 1997, which put the federal budget in surplus for the first time in 30 years. [ [http://spratt.house.gov/about.shtml "About Representative John Spratt," spratt.house.gov, 12 June 2008. ] ]

On June 3, 2008, Spratt announced he would be endorsing and voting for Senator Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. [ [http://www.johnsprattforcongress.com/08cn_005.htm "Spratt Endorses Barack Obama," johnsprattforcongress.com, 12 June 2008. ] ]

On August 29, 2008, aboard US Airways Flight 1526 from Denver to Charlotte, Spratt was seated across the aisle from a young couple and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler. [Office of Rep. John Spratt, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC, 31 August 2008.] Their conversations were secretly recorded by conservative blogger Caleb Howe (aka Absentee of Redstate.com), who was seated behind Spratt. [ [http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/14671/ "The Glenn Beck Program" 2 September 2008] ] In the video recording, which was edited and posted to YouTube, Fowler is seen joking about Hurricane Gustav's projected landfall near New Orleans on the first day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrBus8ORR78 "YouTube video", 30 August 2008] ] Spratt is heard on the recording trying to ascertain the path of the storm, but Spratt says the audio indicates that he did not initiate the subject, or connect the hurricane with the convention, or otherwise comment on Fowler's observation. [Office of Rep. John Spratt, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC, 31 August 2008.]

External links

* [http://spratt.house.gov/ Office of U.S Rep. John Spratt] U.S. House Congressional Office site
* [http://budget.house.gov/ U.S. House Committee on the Budget] U.S. House Budget Committee site'
* [http://www.johnsprattforcongress.com/ John Spratt for Congress] official campaign site
* [http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Spratt/26113714185/ John Spratt's Fan Page on Facebook]
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Spratt Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia

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