Rick Boucher

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For the similarly named State Department spokesman, and former Ambassador and diplomat, see Richard A. Boucher.

Rick Boucher

United States Representative from Virginia's 9th district
In office 1983 - present
Preceded by	William Creed Wampler
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	August 1, 1946 Abingdon, Virginia
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Amy Boucher
Religion	Methodist

Frederick Carlyle "Rick" Boucher (born August 1, 1946) is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing Virginia's 9th Congressional District (map).

Congressman Boucher is a native of Abingdon, Virginia, where he currently lives. He earned his BA from Roanoke College and his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. He has practiced law on Wall Street in New York and in Virginia. Prior to his election to Congress, he served for seven years as a member of the Virginia State Senate.

He was first elected to Congress in 1982, defeating longtime incumbent William C. Wampler. As of 2005, Congressman Boucher is serving his 12th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, and won a 13th term in November, 2006 over Republican State Delegate Charles W. "Bill" Carrico of Grayson County. He sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee and has been an Assistant Whip since 1985.

Congressman Boucher has been active on Internet-related legislation, including a bill which became law in 1993 authorizing electronic commerce by permitting for the first time the transmission of commercial messages over the Internet. His proposals to promote competition in the cable and local telephone industries contributed to the enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Congressman Boucher originated the House Internet Caucus and is currently its co-chairman. He also created the Digital Media Consumer's Rights Act (DMCRA) legislation and co-authored the Anti-SPAM Act of 2003. He was named Politician of the Year for 2006 by Library Journal, largely due to his efforts to protect the fair use doctrine and expand Internet technologies to rural areas.

Long considered "married to his job", Boucher announced his engagement at age 59 to Amy Hauslohner, an editor of the Galax Gazette in Galax, Virginia. Said Boucher of the engagement "We have decided since I will be 60 in August and she just turned 50 last week, we probably are mature enough to handle marriage." [1] [2] [3] Boucher and Houslohner were married on June 3, 2006.