Tom Carper

Thomas Richard "Tom" Carper (born January 23, 1947) is the senior United States Senator from Delaware and a member of the Democratic Party. He was previously the 71st Governor of Delaware and a United States Representative.

A native of Danville, Carper graduated from the Ohio State University. Serving as a Naval Flight Officer in the U.S. Navy from 1968 until 1973, he saw active duty in the Vietnam War. He remained in the U.S. Naval Reserve for another 18 years and retired with the rank of Captain. Upon receiving his MBA from the University of Delaware in 1975, Carper went to work for the State of Delaware in its economic development office. He was elected state Treasurer, serving from 1977 to 1983 and leading the development of Delaware's first cash management system.

Encouraged by local politicians, Carper successfully ran for Delaware's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982. He served five terms in the House, where he chaired the Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization. In 1992 he arranged a "swap" with term-limited Governor Michael Castle, and the two were easily elected to each other's seats. Carper governed for two terms as a moderate, business-oriented "New Democrat", following the lead of the two previous Republican governors. He successfully avoided the closing of a General Motors automobile operation and won a bid for the headquarters of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. He led a tax-reduction campaign and helped improve the state's credit rating from among the worst in the nation to an excellent "AAA". He pushed for standards-based education, among other reforms.

A groundswell of Democratic turnout in 2000 ensured Carper's election to the U.S. Senate, where he is now serving his second term. As a senator he serves as one of four Deputy Democratic Whips. On the Senate Homeland Security Committee he chairs the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information and International Security, and on the Environment and Public Works Committee he chairs the Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety.

Early life and family

Carper was born in Beckley, West Virginia, the son of Mary Jean (née Patton) and Wallace Richard Carper. He grew up in Danville, Virginia and graduated from Whetstone High School in Columbus, Ohio. He then graduated from the Ohio State University in 1968, where he was in the U.S. Navy ROTC and earned a degree in economics. Also while he was in college, Carper was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Serving as a Naval Flight Officer in the U.S. Navy from 1968 until 1973, he served three tours of duty in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. He remained in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a P-3 aircraft mission commander for another 18 years and retired with the rank of Captain.^[1] Meanwhile he moved to Delaware and earned an MBA from the University of Delaware in 1975. Carper has been married twice, first in 1978, to Diane Beverly Isaacs, a former Miss Delaware, who had two children by a previous marriage. Following a 1983 divorce, he married Martha Ann Stacy in 1985, and with her he has two children, Christopher and Benjamin. They are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware.

Professional and political career

While in college at the Ohio State University, Carper worked on the presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy, the Minnesota peace candidate. Once in Delaware he was campaign treasurer for University of Delaware professor James R. Soles in his unsuccessful 1974 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Upon receiving his MBA degree in 1975, Carper went to work for the State of Delaware in its economic development office. In 1976, with his good contacts in the Democratic Party leadership, no other obvious Democratic candidate, and a $5,000 personal loan, Carper convinced the party leaders, and later the voters, that he was the right person to be Delaware State Treasurer. Defeating the favored Republican Party candidate, Theodore Jones, he served three terms, from January 18, 1977 through January 3, 1983, during which time he led the development of Delaware's first cash management system.

U.S. House of Representatives

It took a considerable amount of persuasion on the part of U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and others to convince Carper to leave his obscure, but safe, Treasurer position and compete for Delaware's only seat in the U. S. House of Representatives in 1982. Thomas B. Evans, Jr., the incumbent Republican was running again, and although he had been caught in a compromising "association" on a golfing trip with the young lobbyist Paula Parkinson, he was still a formidable and well-connected politician.

The campaign was going well for Carper until three weeks before Election Day, when the New York Post published an article claiming that the "dirtiest campaign in the country is being waged in tiny Delaware." Retelling the well-known story of Evans' golfing trip, it went on to charge Carper with abusive behavior to his wife and stepchildren. But the story actually ended up working to Carper's political advantage when it became suspected that the allegations were planted by an Evans supporter and when public opinion seemed to conclude that the allegations were inappropriately exploiting a private issue.^[2]

Carper went on to serve five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. To win his second term in 1984, he defeated Elise R.W. du Pont, the wife of former Governor Pierre S. du Pont, IV. He then had easy victories over Republicans Thomas S. Neuberger in 1986, James P. Krapf in 1988 and Ralph O. Williams in 1990. As a U.S. Representative, he was a member of the U.S. House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs and the U.S House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. He chaired the House Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization. In these positions he worked to allow banks into the securities business and to discourage the dumping of sludge into the ocean.

During his years in the U. S. House of Representatives Carper sought to gain better control of the Democratic Party organization in Delaware that he hoped someday would help him become Governor. Heavily Democratic and with over half of the population of the state, New Castle County was the key. Its Democratic organization was controlled by Eugene T. Reed, a former ironworker, and old-time political party boss, who was then among several politicians in both parties implicated in illegal money raising practices. To clean this up, along with the reputation of the Democratic Party, Carper recruited Joseph E. Reardon, a DuPont Company chemist, and worked tirelessly to see him elected New Castle County Democratic Party chairman. By early 1989, he was successful, and Reardon replaced Reed at the head of a newly reformed party organization. In 1990 Carper faced a primary challenge from a Reed ally, Daniel D. Rappa, but crushed him convincingly and went on to win election to his fifth term as U.S. Representative.

Governor of Delaware

In the small and intimate political community of Delaware important decisions are often made by a consensus of leaders in both parties. So it was in 1992, when popular incumbent Governor Michael Castle was forced to retire due to term limits. The result was what became known as "the Swap." Castle ran for Carper's seat in the U. S. House of Representatives and Carper ran for Governor. Neither faced any significant opposition and Delaware retained the services of two very popular office holders.

So, in 1992, Carper was elected Governor of Delaware, defeating the Republican candidate, B. Gary Scott and ended up serving two terms. As a moderate, business oriented Democrat and the successor to 16 years of the two very competent and popular Republican administrations of Pierre S. du Pont, IV and Michael Castle, Governor Carper chose to govern much the same way, adding his particular interest and talent in economic development and business recruitment. Two special successes were stopping the feared closing of the huge General Motors automobile operation near Newport, Delaware and winning the contest with Pennsylvania for the location of the headquarters of pharmaceutical giant, AstraZeneca.

Continuing du Pont's tax cutting policies, he led an ongoing effort to reduce income tax rates, eliminate the marriage penalty and estate tax, cut the public utility tax, and eliminate the gross receipts tax for many small businesses. By doing so, his administration improved the state's credit rating from among the worst in the nation to an excellent "AAA". In educational programs, he continued Castle's standards-based education programs, raising standards, testing students, and pushing through a teacher accountability bill. Other programs included a fully funded Head Start program and creation of a prescription drug benefit for seniors.

Carper's independent, New Democrat approach made him popular among voters, but caused grumbling among old line Democrats, particularly union leaders, who complained that not enough of them were getting patronage jobs after the many years of Republican control.^[3] In an era of increasingly bitter, partisan politics, Carper's actions and policies headed for the political center, in keeping with Delaware's consensus governing style.

The most poignant event of this time, though, was the murder of Carper's personal scheduler, Anne Marie Fahey and the eventual conviction of Thomas J. Capano for the crime. Capano was a wealthy, well-connected lawyer, known to nearly everyone in Delaware's political community. Fahey, an attractive 30 year old member of another well-known family, was attempting to end a romantic relationship with the married Capano, when he murdered her and dumped her body in the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Attorney Colm F. Connolly built the case against Capano. Capano was tried and convicted, and then sentenced by Delaware Superior Court Judge William Swain Lee.

As a tribute to Fahey, who had been a youth mentor, then-Governor Carper also became a mentor, and began actively promoting mentoring programs throughout Delaware's business community. As a result, by the end of his last term, Delaware held the highest per-capita ratio of youth mentors in the country. Carper established the Delaware Mentoring Council to help sustain this important legacy.

United States Senator

The elections of 2000 were going to bring a change in Delaware's political lineup. For 16 years the same four people had held the four major statewide positions. Because of term limits on the Governor's position Carper had to retire. Both he and U. S. Representative Michael N. Castle wanted to be U.S. Senator. Incumbent Senator William V. Roth, Jr., would not retire voluntarily and fellow Republican Castle would not force him into a primary. In a contest between two popular and respected politicians, the issue seemed to be Roth's age versus Carper's relative youth. Carper defeated Roth by over ten points. However, Roth received more votes than Presidential candidate George W. Bush, suggesting the strength of the Democratic turnout was a boon to Carper's candidacy and a key element of his victory.

Carper won reelection to a second term in 2006 against Republican candidate Jan C. Ting. He has served with the Democratic Party minority in the 108th and 109th Congresses, and is part of the Democratic majority in the 110th Congress. During the 107th Congress the Democratic Party began in the minority, but held the majority for the later part of the Congress. Carper is a member of the moderate Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), of which he presently serves as Vice-Chairman. In December 2004 Carper became a part of the Senate Democratic Leadership. As a member of a four-person "Executive Committee," he is one of four deputy whips. David Broder of the Washington Post called Carper "a notably effective and nonpartisan leader, admired and trusted on both sides of the aisle."

Carper joined in the unsuccessful attempt to tie the Bush administration tax cuts to deficit reduction and has supported additional funding for school choice programs and charter schools. He has also sought additional funding for railroad projects and for rail security. Carper has been a leader on Postal reform issues, limiting Internet taxation, and expanding emission controls. He strongly supported legislation to limit class action lawsuits and also changing the law to restrict personal bankruptcy. In addition, he is a strong proponent of free trade. Carper proposed the creation of a National Park in Delaware, the Coastal Heritage Park, in four locations along the Delaware River and Delaware Bay. In January 2009 Carper briefly chaired a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing on the Tennessee Valley Authority's coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee.

Unlike most senators, who maintain residences in both Washington, D.C., and in their home state, Carper commutes more than 100 miles by train from his home in Wilmington to the United States Capitol. Carper says this arrangement has helped his family live a normal life despite his demanding, high-profile job.^[4]

Carper co-wrote the "Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010"^[5] introduced on June 19, 2010, by Senator Joe Lieberman (Senator Susan Collins is the third co-author of this bill). If signed into law, this controversial bill, which the American media dubbed the "Kill switch bill", would grant the President emergency powers over the Internet. However, all three co-authors of the bill issued a statement claiming that instead, the bill "[narrowed] existing broad Presidential authority to take over telecommunications networks".^[6]

Committee Assignments

• Committee on Environment and Public Works
  • Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New Economy
  • Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Committee on Finance
  • Subcommittee on Health Care
  • Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-Term Growth
  • Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security (Chairman)
  • Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
  • Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight

Caucus Membership

Senate Oceans Caucus

Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. The Governor and State Treasurer take office the third Tuesday of January. The Governor has a four year term and the State Treasurer had a two year term at this time. U.S. Representatives take office January 3 and have a two year term. U.S. Senators also take office January 3, but have a six year term.

Notes

1. ^ http://carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/biography-and-pictures
2. ^ Cohen, Celia. Only in Delaware, Politics and Politicians in the First State. pp. 293–295. 
3. ^ Cohen, Celia. Only in Delaware, Politics and Politicians in the First State. 
4. ^ Ann Manser. "UD Messenger Volume 10, Number 3". http://www.udel.edu/PR/Messenger/01/3/thomas.html. 
5. ^ http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=4ee63497-ca5b-4a4b-9bba-04b7f4cb0123|pdf
6. ^ Senators Say Cybersecurity Bill Has No 'Kill Switch', informationweek.com, June 24, 2010. Retrieved on June 25, 2010.

References

• Barone, Michael; Richard E. Cohen (2005). Almanac of American Politics. Washington: National Journal Group. ISBN 0-89234-112-2. 
• Hoffecker, Carol E. (2004). Democracy in Delaware. Wilmington, Delaware: Cedar Tree Books. ISBN 1-892142-23-6. 
• Boyer, William W. (2000). Governing Delaware. Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 1-892142-23-6. 
• Cohen, Celia (2002). Only in Delaware, Politics and Politicians in the First State. Newark, Delaware: Grapevine Publishing. 

External links

• Senator Tom Carper official U.S. Senate site
• Tom Carper for Senate 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
• Collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Biography at the National Governors Association
• Delaware’s Governors
• The Political Graveyard
• Profile at SourceWatch
• Experiencing War
• Democratic Leadership Council
• Jobs for America’s Graduates

Places with more information

• Delaware Historical Society; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
• University of Delaware; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965