Dutch Ruppersberger

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Dutch Ruppersberger
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Robert Ehrlich
Born	January 31, 1946 (1946-01-31) (age 62) Baltimore, Maryland
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Kay Ruppersberger
Religion	Methodist

Charles Albert Ruppersberger III; usually known as Dutch Ruppersberger (born January 31, 1946) is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 2^nd Congressional district of Maryland (map) since 2003. The district includes parts of Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Harford County and Baltimore City. Areas in the district include Dundalk, Towson and Severn.

[edit] Early life and political career

Ruppersberger attended Baltimore City College and the University of Maryland, College Park, where he played varsity lacrosse. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law. He married in 1971 and has two grown children, Corey and Jill.^{[citation needed]}

In 1975, Ruppersberger's political career was spurred after a near-fatal car accident while investigating a drug trafficking case. With luck and the dedication of doctors at the University of Maryland's Shock Trauma center, he survived. After recovering, the young State's Attorney decided to run for public office to help others and to repay Shock Trauma for saving his life. Today, he remains an active supporter of the hospital, serving as Vice Chairman of the hospital's Board of Visitors.^{[citation needed]}

Ruppersberger began his career in public service as a Baltimore County Assistant State's Attorney. Once there, it didn't take long for a promotion to Chief of the State's Attorney Office Investigative Division, pursuing organized crime, political corruption, and drug trafficking. He was elected to the Baltimore County Council in 1985 and was twice chosen as council chairman.

In December 1994 and again in 1998, Ruppersberger was elected Baltimore County Executive.

Congressman Ruppersberger calls on Congress to create a cabinet level intelligence director on August 3, 2004.

[edit] Congressional career

Barred from a third term as County Executive, Ruppersberger opted to run for Congress in 2002 after 2nd District Congressman Bob Ehrlich made what turned out to be a successful run for governor. The Maryland General Assembly significantly altered the 2nd by shifting portions of Harford County to the 1st and 6th Districts. In their place, the legislature added a heavily Democratic portion of Baltimore City that had previously been in the 1st District. The result was to turn the 2nd from a swing district into a strongly Democratic district. He was elected with 55% of the vote. His Republican opponent was Helen Delich Bentley, who had represented the 2nd district from 1985 to 1995. He was reelected in 2004 and 2006 with no substantive Republican opposition.

In Congress, Ruppersberger was the first Democratic freshman ever to be appointed to the House Select Committee on Intelligence. He was also chosen as an Assistant Whip. In this position Ruppersberger meets regularly with the House leadership to set legislative priorities and to ensure the passage of key measures. He was handily reelected in 2004 and 2006. He founded the "Operation Hero Miles" program, which encourages people to donate unused frequent flyer miles to U.S. armed forces personnel and families.

Ruppersberger aims to create jobs and rebuild the economy in Maryland and across the country. He also aims to improve healthcare and to aide senior citizens by providing quality, affordable and accessible healthcare and prescription drugs. The Congressman considers one of his highest priorities to improve the security of the United States and to direct fiscal energies towards "first responders", such as the police and fire departments. He also voted for the Iraq war and to extend the divisive "Patriot Act".

[edit] Committee assignments

• Appropriations Committee
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
  • Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
• Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
  • Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
• Assistant Whip

[edit] Philippine Visit

On August 25, 2007, Silvestre Reyes, chairman of the permanent select committee on intelligence and the armed services committee and 4 other US Congressmen visited American troops deployed in the southern Philippines to overview the US-Philippines relationship. Reyes headed the bipartisan delegation which included New Jersey Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen , member of appropriations committee and the select intelligence oversight panel; New Mexico Rep. Heather Wilson of the committee on energy and the intelligence committee; New York Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, a Democrat, of the financial services and international relations committees; and Maryland Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger of the appropriations and intelligence committees. They drove to the base of the Joint Special Operation Task Force Philippines (JSOTFP), a US-led body, which trains Filipino soldiers against terror, in Barangay Upper Calarian.^[1]

[edit] Election history

[edit] References

• Official Congressional biography of Ruppersberger

• Dutch Ruppersberger at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Congressional Quarterly Voting and Elections Collection.
• Maryland Archives, Baltimore County elections, 1998

[edit] External links

• Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger official U.S. House website

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia