Phil Gingrey
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| Phil Gingrey | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2003– |
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| Preceded by | John Linder |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbent |
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| Born | July 10, 1942 (age 64) Augusta, Georgia |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Billie Ayers |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
John Phillip (Phil) Gingrey, M.D., (born July 10, 1942), an American obstetrician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, representing the 11th District of Georgia.
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[edit] Biography
Gingrey was born in Augusta. He received a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Georgia Tech, and then attended Medical College of Georgia.[1] He then worked as an obstetrician and served two terms as a member of the Georgia State Senate from 1999 to 2003.
He has been married to Billie Ayers of Newnan for 35 years, and has four children: Billy, Gannon, Phyllis, and Laura Neill.
[edit] Election to Congress
Georgia gained two districts after the 2000 Census, but the Democratic-controlled state legislature wanted to see more Democrats in the congressional delegation. They produced a map that was designed to elect seven Democrats and six Republicans; the delegation at the time consisted of eight Republicans and three Democrats. In the process, they drew Republicans Bob Barr and John Linder into the same district. The new district was numbered the 7th--Barr's former district number--but contained most of the territory in Linder's 11th District.
The remainder of Barr's former territory was renumbered the 11th and redrawn to be more Democratic. Gingrey faced Democrat Roger Kahn, who had lost to Barr in 2000, and narrowly defeated him by three points. He had a far easier time against Democrat Rick Crawford in 2004.
The Republicans won control of the state legislature in 2004, and immediately redrew the district map again. In the process, they made Gingrey's district a solidly Republican district. He won a third term with 70% of the vote.
[edit] Views
Gingrey's reputation in the Georgia State Senate was that of a social conservative and a member of the Christian right. In the Georgia Senate he supported outlawing abortion and interpreted the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution as giving individual citizens rather than state militias a right to keep and use firearms. He also strongly supported the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, as well as the tax cuts of President George W. Bush. He opposes the provision of universal national health care. He is also on record as approving the actions taken by President Bush in regard to the military prison at Guantanamo Bay. He considered sponsoring a bill to increase NASA funding coincidentally. See news report by Edward Lee Pitts, "DeLay PAC Touched Georgia, Tennessee," in The Chattanooga Times Free Press. 2005.
In March 2005 Gingrey was one of several physician members of the United States Congress who offered his medical opinion about the medical condition of Terri Schiavo based on public information. Gingrey is quoted as stating that, "The tragedy of the situation is that with proper treatment, now denied, Terri's condition can improve." What he could have meant by "proper treatment" is unknown. Schiavo's subsequent autopsy revealed — as her own physicians revealed — such massive brain injury that no treatment would have been effective.[2]
In the midst of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center scandal in March of 2007, Gingrey caused a minor furor attempting to minimize the unsanitary conditions at the military hospital. From the floor of the House, he argued, "It’s not a five-star hotel, make no mistake about it, but it’s not a flophouse. It’s not a dump. It’s not a dive. It needs some work, no question about it. I’m not making excuses, of course." He went on to state, "I was glad to know that those cockroaches were belly up. It suggested to me that at least someone was spraying for them."[3]
[edit] Media
Stephen Colbert interviewed Congressman Gingrey on his Better Know a District segment. Colbert asked, "The war in Iraq. Great War — or the greatest war?" Gingrey responded that it may be the greatest war. Colbert asked Gingrey if he was a Georgia peach. Gingrey responded he is indeed a Georgia peach.
[edit] Contributors
Gingrey depends heavily on political contributions from fellow physicians to finance his election campaigns. The American College of Radiology Association, Harbin Clinic, American Academy of Ophthalmology, and American College of Cardiology are among his largest contributors in the 2004 election cycle.
Gingrey has also received $30,000 from ARMPAC, former House Majority Leader's Tom DeLay's political action committee. In the 2004 election cycle, ARMPAC was Gingrey's third largest contributor. After the Tom Delay scandal, Gingrey returned all $30,000 to ARMPAC.
[edit] Trivia
- Prior to February 2007, Rep. Gingrey wore a thick mustache. Since the Iraq War resolution debate during the week of February 12th, 2007, the mustache has disappeared.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey, M.D. official House site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Federal Election Commission - Phillip J. Gingrey campaign finance reports and data
- On the Issues - Phil Gingrey issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org - Phil Gingrey campaign contributions
- Project Vote Smart - Representative Phil Gingrey (GA) profile
- SourceWatch Congresspedia - Phil Gingrey profile
- Washington Post - Congress Votes Database: Phil Gingrey voting record
- Congressman Phil Gingrey official campaign site
- General Election Returns
| Preceded by Bob Barr |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 11th congressional district January 3, 2003 – present |
Incumbent |
