Leonard Boswell

Leonard L. Boswell (born January 10, 1934) is the U.S. Representative for Iowa's 3rd congressional district, serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

The district is based in Des Moines.

Early life, education and career

Boswell was born in Harrison County, Missouri, and was educated at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa.

Boswell spent twenty years in the United States Army. He was first drafted in the Army in 1956 as a private. He later graduated from Artillery Officers Candidate School, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his military career he earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Bronze Stars, the Soldier's Medal, and various other awards and decorations. He served two one-year tours of duty as an assault helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He also served two NATO tours of duty in Europe, first for four years in Germany, and later three years in Portugal.

Early political career

Boswell was elected to the Iowa Senate in 1984, and served three terms in that body. In 1986, he ran for the United States House of Representatives, but was narrowly defeated in the Democratic primary. He was President of the Iowa Senate from 1993 to 1996. He was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa in 1994, as Bonnie Campbell's running mate.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit

Boswell is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition.

In the 111th Congress, Boswell voted with Democratic leadership more often than 131 members, or 49%, of the Democratic Caucus.^[1] Boswell authored H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, which was signed into law in 2007 and provides mental health services and support for veterans. Boswell has voted to double Pell Grants and supported the 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act, providing the largest increase in college aid since the GI bill. He voted for the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. Boswell voted to expand funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and voted twice to override the President's veto of SCHIP legislation. Boswell has voted for a timetable to begin withdrawal of troops from Iraq. He has supported the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the 2009 Stimulus act, cap and trade legislation for carbon emissions, and has voted for the federal Health Care reform legislation.^[2]

However, Boswell has voted with Republicans on key issues in the past. In 2000 he voted to phase out the estate tax, a bill that was later vetoed by President Clinton. In 2001 Boswell voted for the USA PATRIOT Act, and for its reauthorization in 2005. In 2002 he would authorize the invasion of Iraq. In 2005 he voted for the bankruptcy bill sponsored by Senator Grassley. In 2008 he supported passing the FISA bill granting telecommunications companies immunity from prosecution for their involvement in warrantless wiretapping of American citizens, including his sending a letter to Speaker Pelosi encouraging her not to fight the bill. He voted for the final House version of the bill once he was convinced it provided adequate protection to the telecom companies.

From 2003 through 2005, $14.7 billion in crop subsidies went to the congressional districts of members on the House Committee on Agriculture, an analysis by the non-partisan Environmental Working Group found. That was 42.4% of the total subsidies. Boswell is reported to have brought $404 million to his District.^[3]

Political campaigns

Boswell won the Democratic nomination for the 3rd District after 12-year Republican incumbent Jim Ross Lightfoot made an unsuccessful run for the United States Senate. He defeated Poweshiek County Attorney Mike Mahaffey by just over 4,000 votes. He was likely helped by Bill Clinton carrying the district, as well as the endorsement of the normally Republican-leaning Iowa Farm Bureau. He was handily reelected in 1998 and 2000.

For his first three terms, Boswell represented a sprawling district that stretched from the Illinois border almost to the Nebraska border. However, his district was dismantled in the 2000s round of redistricting (even though Iowa didn't lose any seats), and its territory was split among three other districts. Boswell's home was shifted to the heavily Republican 5th District. Rather than face almost certain defeat, Boswell moved to Des Moines in the newly created 3rd District—thus making him technically the successor to Greg Ganske, who represented a Des Moines-based district from 1995 to 2003 and ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2002.

Boswell had a non-cancerous tumor removed from his stomach in 2005. The surgery and resulting recovery period caused him to be the most-absent member of Congress for the year. Rumors circulated that Democrats were looking to replace him on the ballot for 2006's Congressional race against Iowa GOP Senate leader Jeff Lamberti, but Boswell's return to work and apparent good health have put an end to the speculation. He was reelected to his 7th term on November 4, 2008.

2010

Electoral history

1996: Defeated Mike Mahaffey 49%-48%

1998: Defeated Larry McKibben 57%-41%

2000: Defeated Jay Marcus 63%-34%

2002: Defeated Stan Thompson 53%-45%

2004: Defeated Stan Thompson 55%-45%

2006: Defeated Jeff Lamberti 52%-46%

2008: Defeated Kim Schmett 56%-42%

2010: Defeated Brad Zaun & Rebecca Williamson 51%-46%-3%

Personal life

Boswell is a member of the Community of Christ.^[4] He has been married to Dody Boswell since 1956; they have three children.^[5] Boswell operates a farm in Davis City that has been in his family for several generations. He was a member of the board of directors for the Decatur County farmer's cooperative from 1979 to 1993, serving for most of that time as president.

In July 2011, Boswell and his family were the victims of a home invasion. At about 10:45 p.m. on July 16, an armed man came through the front door of Boswell's Iowa farm house, attacked his daughter, Cindy Brown, and demanded money. The Congressman struggled with the man until his grandson, Mitchell Brown, aimed a shotgun at the intruder, at which point the intruder fled the house into the surrounding fields.^[6] During Boswell's 2010 re-election campaign, his views on gun rights and armed self-defense earned him an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund, which endorsed him over his (also "A"-rated) Republican rival.^[7]

See also

References

External links

• U.S. Congressman Leonard Boswell official U.S. House site
• Re—Elect Boswell U.S. Congressman official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs