Thomas M. Davis

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Tom Davis
Thomas M. Davis
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 11th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 3, 1995
Preceded by Leslie Byrne
Born January 5, 1949 (1949-01-05) (age 59)
Minot, North Dakota
Political party Republican
Spouse Jeannemarie Devolites Davis
Religion Christian Science

Thomas M. "Tom" Davis III (born January 5, 1949 in Minot, North Dakota) is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Virginia's 11th congressional district in Northern Virginia. Davis was considering a run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by five-term incumbent and fellow Republican John Warner in the 2008 election, but decided against it.[1] He announced by January 30, 2008, that he will not seek reelection to an eighth term. [2][3]

Contents

[edit] Early years and initial political career

Davis moved to Fairfax County at an early age. He was a U.S. Senate Page and graduated as president of Fairfax high school class. He is a graduate of Amherst College, in political science, and the University of Virginia, in law. He attended Officer Candidate School of the U.S. Army, served on active duty, and spent eight years with the Virginia National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve.

Davis was a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from 1980 to 1994, serving as chairman of the Board of Supervisors from 1991 until his election to the House. During his service as board chairman, Fairfax County was ranked first financially by City and State magazine in their list of Top 50 Counties.[4]

[edit] As a congressman

Davis won election to the House in 1994, the year of the Republican Contract with America. Davis defeated one-term incumbent Leslie Byrne. The Contract with America called for citizen-legislators who would retire after 12 years, instead of career politicians. Davis signed the Contract and voted in favor of the Citizens Legislature Act; however, the bill did not achieve support from the 2/3 majority needed for the amendment to pass.

Davis sought and won re-election in 2006, and has begun fundraising for a Senate race in 2008.[5] In his 2004 term, on what the Washington Post deems to be most recent "key votes", Davis voted 10 times out of the last 13 times (77 percent) for the Republican party position. Since 2003 on all 1,700 votes, Davis voted over 89 percent in favor of the Republican position.[6]. Nevertheless, Davis is sometimes described as a moderate; he supports some abortion rights and voting rights for the District of Columbia, and opposes the state car tax phase-out as he expressed in the Washingtonian in 2006.

Davis was chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) from 1998 to 2002. According to The Federal Paper, he then sought the chairmanship of the House Government Oversight and Reform Committee. Davis had less seniority than the other contenders for this chairmanship, but some Republicans wanted to reward him for his work as NRCC chairman, including his supervision of a $160 million fundraising effort.[7] Davis's deputy on the NRCC, Tom Reynolds of New York, became the next NRCC chairman.

[edit] House Committee on Government Reform

Davis chaired the House Government Reform Committee from 2003 to 2007 when Democrats became the majority and Henry Waxman became chair. Davis had renamed the committee, removing "Oversight" from the title; one of Waxman's first acts as Chair was to reinstitute the name as the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The Committee is the chief investigative and oversight committee of the House, and has been granted broad jurisdiction. This committee was very active during the Clinton administration. It issued 1,052 subpoenas to probe alleged misconduct by the administration and the Democratic Party between 1997 and 2002. By contrast, Davis and the majority has permitted three subpoenas to the George W. Bush administration, including one to the Defense Department over documents related to Hurricane Katrina.[8][9]

[edit] Walter Reed Army Medical Center

The Washington Post revived a story in 2007 from Salon magazine published in 2004 about conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center that deteriorated rapidly when the operations were transferred to the private contractor IAP. Committee members told Congressional Quarterly they did not want to "embarrass" the Army by publicizing the matter.[10]

[edit] ICG government

Davis' second wife, Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis, was one of the first hires (as a part-time consultant) for ICG, a firm that assists businesses in obtaining government contracts. Their financial relationship, along with financial ties that benefit family members of 64 of the 435 voting members of Congress, was highlighted in the June 2007 ethics report, "Family Affair" by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

At the time of her hire at ICG, Davis was her mentor and campaign manager. After being hired, Devolites married Davis. On July 28, 2006, the Washington Post reported that the Defense Information Systems Agency had reviewed its satellite contract with Artel, Inc., and the agency had preliminarily determined that the contract was ineffective and expensive. Artel then hired ICG for lobbying services. ICG drafted a letter Davis signed to the agency threatening an investigation by his committee if the contract was not awarded. After the Post articles appeared, Davis sought an opinion from the House Ethics Committee. They advised him to be careful to avoid the appearance of any conflict in this matter. The Post published an extensive article on the issue, the company had to register as a lobbyist, and ICG removed a picture from the front page of its website of Davis speaking to ICG clients.[11][12] His wife continues to work for ICG, which paid her $78,000 in 2005 for working 10 to 20 hours a week, primarily at home on her cell phone. She makes $18,000 a year as a Virginia legislator. Her bio continues as the only one on the ICG site to name her spouse.[13]. The same Post writers [14] [15] are continuing the investigation of oversight of contractual influence by the committee and its chair in November [16] and December 2006.[17] [18] [19]

[edit] Major League Baseball team in Washington

Davis was accused of threatening Major League Baseball with an investigation when a consortium that included George Soros offered to buy the Washington Nationals.[20] "I think Major League Baseball understands the stakes", Davis told Roll Call magazine. "I don't think they want to get involved in the political fights." Davis, who convened the recent congressional hearings on steroids, added, "I don't think it's the Nats that get hurt. I think it's Major League Baseball that gets hurt. They enjoy all sorts of exemptions from antitrust laws."[21]

[edit] Smart growth development

Davis also appeared at a local zoning meeting to oppose a smart growth plan near the Vienna Metro station. Approval of the project, to build what was called a "mini-city" within walking distance of the Metro, was considered routine. Some of the longest commutes to work in the nation begin in Virginia — second only to New York City — and in Prince William County in particular.[22] The project was a key resolution to congestion in the congressional district. Davis' pledge to approve the legislation led several county supervisors to accuse him of meddling in a local land-use issue. [23][24]

One politician who spoke to Davis says the congressman told him that he opposes Pulte Homes' MetroWest project because "all it does is produce Democrats."[25]

In July 2006, Davis wrote a letter to Virginia Governor Tim Kaine discouraging the state from constructing an underground Metrorail through Tysons Corner. According to a July 17, 2006 story in The Washington Post, Davis said switching to a tunnel in Tysons would require reviews that could delay the rail line by as much as two years. On February 26, 2007, The Post reported that Davis switched positions.

[edit] Jennifer and David Safavian

One of 12 counsels for oversight and investigations on the House Government Reform Committee is Jennifer Safavian, wife of David Safavian, the first person convicted in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. A former legislative director for Davis submitted a request that he receive no jail time,[26] but the judge ruled Safavian's conduct merited incarceration.[27]

David Safavian had replaced Angela Styles, who was forced from the General Services Administration after Davis wrote letters to her bosses at the Office of Management and Budget. He had written to Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. and Joshua Bolten, Styles' superiors at the Office of Management and Budget, a.[28] Prior to his GSA job, Safavian had no government contracts experience. He did have connections to Davis, as a lobbyist with Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), he worked closely with the NRCC when Davis was chair, and presented Davis with an ATR award."[29] ATR has been found to have operated as tax-exempt despite not qualifying for tax-exempt status.[30]

[edit] Schiavo subpoena

Among notable recent controversies involving the committee under Davis was in the Terri Schiavo case. The committee subpoena, signed by Davis, ordered the appearance of Schiavo, her husband, Michael, and her doctors. The subpoenas specified that the witnesses bring to the hearing "all medical and other equipment that provides nutrition and hydration...in its current and continuing state of operations." Davis issued a joint statement with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) that stated: "This inquiry should give hope to Terri, her parents and friends, and the millions of people throughout the world who are praying for her safety. This fight is not over."[31][32] Many legal scholars criticized this action as an inappropriate congressional interventions in an ongoing court case that defied the rule of law and amounted to a bill of attainder — not against the party the politicians are attempting to aid, but against the party on the other side of the courtroom.[33][34]

[edit] K Street Project and NRCC fundraising

As chairman of the NRCC, Davis' chief responsibility was fundraising for members of Congress, and his work overlapped with the financial efforts of the Republican Party's K Street Project and the fundraising scandals involving Abramoff and DeLay. Davis himself signed an RNCC check for $500,000 in 1999, the largest amount donated by the RNCC, while he was chair of the committee. The RNCC was fined by the Federal Elections Commission for transferring the funds because it was transferred between political action committees for the same candidates in violation of contribution limits.[35] The PAC involved, the U.S. Family Network, is connected with Abramoff, Bob Ney, and Willie Tan, a businessman in the Northern Mariana Islands, all currently associated with a political scandal.

[edit] Political positions

Davis' district is in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. He has been active in recent effort to change federal procurement and contracting practices that make it faster to award contracts but also easier to award no-bid, "cost-plus" and "share in savings" contracts. These contracts have especially involved the GSA and the Department of Homeland Security.[36] Critics of the reforms point to the increasing campaign contributions from beneficiaries of the contracts and a reduction in audit and auditors, oversight, and performance by contractors after the changes.[37]

Tom Davis was one of only eleven Republicans to vote against the Contract with America Tax Relief Act [38] that cut taxes by $189 billion over five years, including lowering the capital gains tax rate and easing the "marriage penalty,"[39] and supported a tax hike referendum to raise sales taxes in northern Virginia by 4.5 to 5%.[40]

Davis supports Virginia's Right-to-work law, which is opposed by organized labor.[41]

Davis now opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants and supported H.R. 4437, the immigration reform bill sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner. In June 2006 his criticism of the immigration response included the same ideas that were key provisions in the House bill he supported four months later.[42]

Davis has voted to support stem cell research. He is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a group of Republicans who describe themselves as "mainstream".

In 2007, expressing disapproval [43] with the Democratic Party resolution disapproving of the Iraq troop surge, Davis nevertheless broke with his party line to vote for the resolution. [44]

Project Vote Smart reports that Davis has high approval ratings from business groups, but significantly lower ratings from groups that support abortion rights, environmental protection, and civil liberties.[45]

Davis was supportive of his wife's efforts for harsher gun laws in Virginia.

[edit] Legislative activity

Davis was chair of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina. Democrats, who had proposed an independent investigation, objected and did not officially take part in the committee. The committee proceeded, eventually producing a stinging report critical of government's response to the disaster. [46]

Davis introduced the Elizabeth Morgan Act, passed in 1996. In 2003, a federal appeals court ruled that the act was an unconstitutional bill of attainder.[47]

Davis has been instrumental in getting federal funding for the replacement of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.[48][49]

Davis sponsored legislation creating a Financial Control Board for Washington, D.C. He was in charge, until 2000, of the Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on the District of Columbia, generally favoring allowing the District government more autonomy.

Apparently in a surprise to the House Judiciary Committee, the Reform Committee passed HR 2043 (the DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act), a bill Davis introduced to provide the District of Columbia with voting representation in Congress.[50][51] This bill differs from other bills that would grant the district the right to elect Representatives. HR 2043 requires the addition of two representatives, one in Washington, D.C., and one in Utah, by raising the number of Representatives from 435 to 437. Originally, the number of House seats would return to 435 after the 2010 Census, with Washington, D.C. retaining a full vote in the House.[52][53][54], but later versions of the bill make the expansion to 437 seats permanent. The bill did not make it to the House floor, however.

The bill was reintroduced, cosponsored by Davis, as the "District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007", as H.R. 1433 in the 110th Congress. The bill permanently increases the size of the House by two members. One seat will go to the District of Columbia and the other seat will go to the next state in line to get a congressional seat. Based on the 2000 decennial census and apportionment calculations, Utah will get the second seat until the reapportionment taking place after the 2010 Decennial Census.[55] On March 13, 2007 it passed the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform with a vote of 24-5.[56]

[edit] 2004 and 2006 election campaigns

Davis' congressional district was redistricted after the 2000 census, which increased the percentage of Republicans in the district. In 2004, he defeated his relatively unknown Democratic challenger, Ken Longmyer, by a 60 percent to 39 percent margin. In the race, Davis outspent Longmyer, $1,835,000 to $72,000.[57]

In the November 2006 election, Davis defeated Democrat Andrew Hurst by 11 percentage points. It was the closest and costliest race Davis faced in 12 years. In financing his campaign, Davis outspent Hurst almost 9-to-1, $2,607,125 to $310,561.[58]

[edit] Senate campaign

Main article: United States Senate election in Virginia, 2008

On September 15, Davis told WTOP's "Politics Program" that he was running for the Senate seat being vacated by John Warner. He said that he has been assembling money and staff for the contest, but was delaying a formal announcement until November. It had been presumed that he would face former Governor Jim Gilmore.

However, Davis announced in October 2007 that he would not be running after all, in part due to the state Republican Party's decision to choose its nominee at a nominating convention rather than in a primary.

Davis argued that a primary would expose the candidates to the kind of environment they would face in November. It was also thought that a primary would have favored Davis due to his popularity in voter-rich Northern Virginia. In contrast, the delegates at the nominating convention will be made up mostly of party activists; the state's Republican activist base is tilted heavily to the right. Gilmore had argued strongly for a convention, claiming that a primary would leave the winner short of cash--no small consideration, since the presumed Democratic nominee, former Governor Mark Warner, has the ability to self-finance.

Davis told the National Press Club that he is considering a challenge to Virginia's other Senator, Jim Webb, in 2012.[59]

[edit] Personal

Davis is a member of the Christian Science Church.

In 1973, Davis married Margaret "Peggy" Rantz, a medical doctor. They have three children together: Carlton, Pamela, and Shelley. He divorced her in late 2003 and announced his intention to marry Jeannemarie Devolites, in February 2004.[60] They married in June of that year. Davis' first public involvement with Devolites was in 1997 when he managed her fourth campaign, her first successful one, and was her biggest campaign contributor. Over the next decade she moved from being a delegate to a member of the Virginia Senate. Davis' political action committees gave her more than $172,000 by mid-2006.[11] He has four stepdaughters from this marriage.

[edit] Electoral history

Virginia's 11th congressional district: Results 1994–2006[61]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
1994 Leslie L. Byrne 84,104 45% Tom Davis 98,216 53% Gordon S. Cruickshank Independent 3,246 2% *
1996 Thomas J. Horton 74,701 35% Tom Davis 138,758 64% C. W. Levi Levy Independent 2,842 1% *
1998 (no candidate) Tom Davis 91,603 82% C. W. “Levi” Levy Independent 18,807 17% Write-ins 1,701 2%
2000 M. L. “Mike” Corrigan 83,455 34% Tom Davis 150,395 62% Robert K. McBride Independent 4,774 2% C. W. “Levi” Levy Independent 4,059 2% *
2002 (no candidate) Tom Davis 135,379 83% Frank W. Creel Constitution 26,892 16% Write-ins 1,027 1%
2004 Ken Longmyer 118,305 38% Tom Davis 186,299 60% Joseph P. Oddo Independent 4,338 1% *
2006 Andrew L. Hurst 102,511 44% Tom Davis 130,468 55% Ferdinando C. Greco Independent Green 2,042 1% *
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1992, write-ins received 145 votes. In 1994, write-ins received 114 votes. In 1996, write-ins received 181 votes. In 2000, write-ins received 285 votes. In 2004, write-ins received 291 votes. In 2006, write-ins received 259 votes.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Davis Confirms He Won't Seek Senate Seat
  2. ^ Another Republican congressman to retire
  3. ^ Amy Gardner, U.S. Rep. Davis to Retire, Ending 14-Year Tenure in Congress, 2008-01-30.
  4. ^ Final Board Summary, July 12, 1993
  5. ^ Post Politics Hour
  6. ^ Key votes by Tom Davis Washington Post
  7. ^ Hill Oversight Committees to Get New Chairs The Federal Paper, November 18, 2002, Vol. 1 No. 5
  8. ^ Washingtonpost.com
  9. ^ Boston Globe
  10. ^ CQ Today - Members Were Aware of Lapses at Walter Reed
  11. ^ a b Wife, Friend Tie Congressman to Consulting Firm
  12. ^ ICG Government via Internet Archive
  13. ^ Devolites Davis ICG biography, retrieved 1/1/2007
  14. ^ Articles by Scott Hingham at the Washington Post
  15. ^ Articles by Robert O'Harrow at the Washington Post
  16. ^ "Report Finds DHS Lax on Contracting Procedures"
  17. ^ "GSA Chief Seeks to Cut Budget For Audits"
  18. ^ "Trio From Hill Ask GSA Head Not to Shift Audit Burden"
  19. ^ "Interior, Pentagon Faulted In Audits"
  20. ^ Washington Post, Taking Aim At Soros Is Hardly Politic
  21. ^ USA Today, Soros' bid for Nationals gets political, 6/28/2005
  22. ^ Average Travel Time to Work
  23. ^ Lawmaker Steps In on Va. Growth
  24. ^ Metro Postpones Vienna Land Sale
  25. ^ Welcome to Fairfax — if You Vote Red
  26. ^ Abramoff Figure Argues for No Jail Time cached here: archive
  27. ^ Official in Abramoff Case Sentenced to 18 Months
  28. ^ "Are We Better Off: Contracts With America" MotherJones.com
  29. ^ ATR photos
  30. ^ "Senate report questions tax status of groups linked to Abramoff" USA Today
  31. ^ House to Issue Subpoena Stopping Removal of Feeding Tubes from Terri Schiavo
  32. ^ Republicans flex subpoena muscle
  33. ^ Law and Politics in Schiavo Case
  34. ^ The Constitution and Terri Schiavo
  35. ^ News Release, Party Misuse of Soft Money To Pay for Issue Ads Results in $280,000 Civil Penalty
  36. ^ 9/11 Bill's Provision on Homeland Security Unions Raises Questions of Its Purpose, Parentage
  37. ^ See the series on contractor oversight scandals at the Washington Post
  38. ^ FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 295 Office of the Clerk U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved September 2, 2007
  39. ^ Tom Davis is No Economic Conservative The Club For Growth. Press Release August 31, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2007
  40. ^ Virginia's Newest Bad Tax The Daily Standard November 4, 2002
  41. ^ Labor Day Message from MTD President, Ron Ault
  42. ^ Tom Davis on Immigration
  43. ^ http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w070212&s=fairbanks021507
  44. ^ http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll099.xml#N
  45. ^ Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings for Rep. Davis
  46. ^ A Failure of Initiative (PDF).
  47. ^ Foretich v. United States 2003 striking down the Elizabeth Morgan Act (PDF).
  48. ^ H.R. 2563 (106th Cong.): Woodrow Wilson Bridge Financing Act of 1999
  49. ^ Wilson Bridge Deadlock Broken
  50. ^ Bill to Give D.C. Vote in House Advances
  51. ^ House Panel Endorses D.C. Vote
  52. ^ DC FAIR Act (DC Fairness in Representation Act, H.R. 2043)
  53. ^ LWV: Support and Cosponsor H.R. 2043, the DC Fairness in Representation Act
  54. ^ Cosponsor list for H.R.2043
  55. ^ [http://oversight.house.gov/Documents/20070312120808-52420.pdf Text of H.R.1433 (110th Congress)
  56. ^ Mary Beth Sheridan. "Bill to Give D.C. Full House Vote Advances", Washington Post, March 14, 2007, p. B01. 
  57. ^ Congressional Races: Total Raised and Spent for Va 11th, 2004
  58. ^ Congressional Races: Total Raised and Spent for Va 11th, 2006
  59. ^ TheHill.com - Davis expresses doubt on Va. Senate race as Warner gains
  60. ^ Va. Republicans Devolites, Davis to Marry
  61. ^ Election Statistics. Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.

[edit] External links

Video
Preceded by
Leslie L. Byrne		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 11th congressional district
1995 – present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Bill Paxon
New York
 Chairman of National Republican Congressional Committee
1997–2003		 Succeeded by
Thomas M. Reynolds
New York
Preceded by
Dan Burton
Indiana
 Chairman of House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
2003–2007		 Succeeded by
Henry Waxman
California
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