Richard Baker (politician)

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Richard Baker

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 6, 1987 –
Preceded by	Henson Moore
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	May 22, 1948 (age 58) New Orleans, Louisiana
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Kay Baker
Religion	Methodist

Richard Hugh Baker (born May 22, 1948), an American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1987, representing the 6th District of Louisiana (map). The district is based in the state capital, Baton Rouge, and includes much of that city's metropolitan area.

The son of a Methodist Minister, he was born in New Orleans and graduated from Louisiana State University. He stayed in Baton Rouge after graduation and founded a real estate agency there. In 1971, just a year out of school, he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives as a Democrat from a predominantly blue-collar district in Baton Rouge and served eight terms, eventually becoming chairman of the Transportation Committee.

In 1986, Baker switched to the Republicans because of a long-running feud with Governor Edwin Edwards. Soon afterwards, 6th District Republican Congressman Henson Moore, announced that he was running for the Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Russell B. Long. (Moore was defeated in that race by 7th District Democratic Congressman John Breaux). Moore encouraged Baker to run for the seat. Baker (51%) defeated Democrats, Tommy Hudson (45%) and Willis Blackwell (4%). He was reelected without opposition in 1988 and 1990. Baker quickly compiled a very conservative voting record, in marked contrast to his Democratic roots.

In 1992, however, Louisiana lost a congressional seat as a result of reapportionment after the 1990 Census. Clyde C. Holloway of Forest Hill, who had represented the Alexandria-based 8th District, was placed into Baker's district. Holloway had been elected along with Baker in 1986. The two Republicans had been the fourth and fifth members of their party to represent Louisiana in Congress since Reconstruction, but Holloway was only the second Republican to win an undisputed victory against a Democratic opponent. Holloway won the jungle primary with 37 percent. Baker received 33% and Democrat Ned Randolph received 30%. In the November runoff, Holloway won 15 of the district's 17 parishes. Baker, however, crushed Holloway in the two largest parishes, Livingston Parish and his home base, East Baton Rouge Parish. This was enough to defeat Holloway by some 2,700 votes overall.

After being unopposed in 1994 and 1996, Baker faced Marjorie McKeithen, daughter of longtime Republican Louisiana Secretary of State Fox McKeithen and granddaughter of former Democratic Governor John McKeithen. Court-ordered redistricting before the 1996 elections had drawn considerably more blacks into the district than Baker had previously represented. Amid a nationwide backlash against Republicans for what was seen as overzealous behavior during the impeachment of Bill Clinton, Baker just barely held onto his seat by over 1,000 votes. He had a much easier time in 2000, winning 68 percent of the vote. Redistricting took some Democratic voters out of his district, including part of Pointe Coupee Parish, which helped Baker win against no major-party opposition in 2002 and two weak Democrats in 2004.

Baker is ranking member of the House Financial Services Capital Markets Subcommittee, and is also a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Baker caused some controversy in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when he was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did." Baker, a long time critic of the Housing Authority of New Orleans and the living conditions in New Orleans public housing, confirmed the quote and explained that his commment reflected his hope that the storm will provide an opportunity to move New Orlean's poor from decrepit public housing and into clean and safe housing. [1]

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Baker proposed a plan to rebuild Louisiana. Commonly known as "The Baker Plan," Baker introduced legislation to create the Louisiana Recovery Corporation. The LRC would have been initially financed by the issuance of federal government bonds and would use the funds to buy properties from homeowners and business in the most devastated areas of the state. The LRC would then clean the property and sell clean titles to developers, who would then redevelop the properties in accordance with plans developed by the local governments and civic groups. The proceeds of the sales to the developers would have been used to repay the bonds used to initial finance the LRC, paying the government back for their initial loan. The homeowners would have had the option to accept the buyout and walk away, accept the buyout and retain an option to return, or refuse to sell and repair their property themselves. On the advice of Recovery Tsar Don Powell, President Bush killed the LRC when he publicly announcing his opposition to the bill.