David Dreier

David Dreier
Chairman of the House Committee on Rules
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Louise Slaughter
Succeeded by	Pete Sessions
In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Gerald B. H. Solomon
Succeeded by	Louise Slaughter
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 26th district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Howard Berman
Succeeded by	Julia Brownley
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 28th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Julian Dixon
Succeeded by	Howard Berman
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 33rd district
In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Wayne Grisham
Succeeded by	Lucille Roybal-Allard
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 35th district
In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983
Preceded by	James F. Lloyd
Succeeded by	Jerry Lewis
Personal details
Born	(1952-07-05) July 5, 1952 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Residence	Beverly Hills, California Malibu, California [1]
Alma mater	Claremont Graduate University Claremont McKenna College
Occupation	Commission chairman; entrepreneur
Religion	Christian Science

David Timothy Dreier (born July 5, 1952) is an American entrepreneur and Republican Party politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 2013, and was Chairman of the powerful Rules Committee.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Rep. David Dreier

Before 2004

In 1978, Dreier decided to run for the United States House of Representatives at the age of 25. He ran against incumbent Democrat James Fredrick Lloyd, who had first won in an upset in a Republican-leaning district in 1974. Though unknown, Dreier ran a spirited campaign. Lloyd won that race by 54% to 46%. In 1980, Dreier ran again and defeated Lloyd 52% to 45%, winning on the coatails of former California Governor Ronald Reagan's presidential election.^[2] After the 1980 United States Census, his district was renumbered to the 33rd, and defeated U.S. Congressman Wayne Grisham in the Republican primary of 1982, 57% to 43%.^[3] He won the 1982 general election with 65%.^[4] He won re-election every two years after that with at least 57% of the vote until his 2004 re-election campaign. His district was renumbered to the 28th after the 1990 United States Census and to the 26th district after the 2000 United States Census.^[5]

2004 election

Rep. David Dreier's congress photo for the 109th Congress.

In 2004, Dreier faced strong criticism on his stances on illegal immigration from opponent Cynthia Matthews.^[6]

Dreier was not the originator of the NRCC complaint and disavowed orchestrating the complaint. The hosts continued the allegedly infringing activity through the election and on February 24, 2006, the FEC declared that the charges were without merit. In an interview on KABC's Doug McIntyre program, Dreier denied the charges regarding immigration.^[7]

Dreier won with 54% of the vote.^[8][9]

After 2004

In 2006, he won re-election in rematch against Matthews 57% to 38%, despite the fact Republicans lost the majority that year.^[10] In 2008, Dreier won re-election against Democrat Russ Warner with 53% of the vote, his worst re-election performance of his career.^[11][12] In 2010, he defeated Warner in a rematch with 54% of the vote.^[13]

After the 2010 United States Census, the voter-created California Citizens Redistricting Commission put Dreier and longtime Republican congressman Jerry Lewis, into the newly drawn 31st congressional district.^[14] He eventually decided to retire.^[15]

Tenure

Dreier served as chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee from 1999 until 2007. The Democrats gained control of the House in the 2006 midterm elections and Drier served as ranking member for the 110th and 111th Congresses. With the Republicans regaining control of the House in the 2010 midterm elections, Dreier again assumed the chairmanship during the 112th Congress.^[16]

Dreier supported the Defense of Marriage Act and against inclusion of homosexuals as a protected class in hate crime. However, he did vote for employment discrimination legislation to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation in 2007.^[17]Dreier voted against the Matthew Shepard Act and voted against the repeal of the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. In December 2010, Dreier voted in favor of repealing the policy in a standalone bill.^[18]

Dreier has served for many years as a trustee of Claremont McKenna College, his undergraduate alma mater, which falls within his Congressional district.^[19]

According to Roll Call magazine, Dreier has a personal fortune in excess of $7.5 million^[20] and as much as $29 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.^[21]

Dreier is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership. He was a leading member of the board of directors of the International Republican Institute.^[22]

Dreier also publicly supported a provision in the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 that excludes many U.S. troops and legal immigrants from receiving federal tax rebates.^[23]

Dreier has been a longstanding supporter of closer ties between the United States and countries of Latin America, and has met frequently with executive and legislative branch leaders throughout the region. On one occasion, during his visit to Colombia's lower house chamber on August 28, 2007,^[24] he drew criticism from some opposition lawmakers when he sat on the edge of a podium during informal remarks to Colombian legislators. Dreier later apologized and insisted he intended no disrespect. In comments released August 30, 2007 he said "I meant absolutely no offense ... I simply wanted to demonstrate my warm feeling and affection."^[25]

Dreier was elected to the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of Technology in 2013.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Rules (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process
  • Subcommittee on Rules and the Organization of the House

Caucus memberships

• International Conservation Caucus
• Sportsmen's Caucus
• U.S.-Mexico Congressional Caucus (Co-Chair)
• Zero Capital Gains Tax Caucus

Leadership bid

Congressman David Dreier at the Walnut Family Festival Parade in Walnut, California

Following the indictment of Tom DeLay on September 28, 2005, Dreier was widely expected to temporarily assume the position of House Majority Leader.^[26] Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert favored Dreier for the position, presumably because Dreier has consistently adhered to the views of the Republican leadership and would have been willing to relinquish the title immediately should DeLay be able to return to the Majority Leader position. However, a conference of rank-and-file Republican representatives disapproved of the choice of Dreier in such a senior position largely because many conservative Republican House members believe that Dreier is too politically moderate. According to Dreier spokeswoman Jo Maney, Dreier declined the temporary Majority Leader position because he "would have had to give up his chairmanship of the Rules Committee to move to another position, and that's not something that he wanted to do".^[27]

Rumors about Dreier's speculated homosexuality may have affected his leadership bid. When openly gay congressman Barney Frank was asked whether Dreier was passed over for the position because of his "moderate" views, told a crowd of reporters "Yes, in the sense that I marched in the `moderate' pride parade last summer and went to a `moderate' bar.”^[28][29]

The House Majority Leader position instead went to then Majority Whip Roy Blunt, though both Dreier and then Deputy Majority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia shared in some duties.^[30]

On February 29, 2012, Dreier announced that upon completion of his current term as a member of the United States Congress that he would not be seeking re-election.^[31]

Personal life

Dreier is a descendant of Richard Bland Lee, a congressman from Virginia who served on the first Rules Committee impaneled by the House of Representatives.^[32] He lived in Beverly Hills and Malibu with his chief of staff, Brad Smith.^[33] He currently resides in San Dimas, California.^[34]

Electoral history

References

External links

• U.S. Congressman David Dreier Official U.S. house site
• David Dreier for U.S. Congress Official campaign site
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Congress.org
• David Dreier at the Notable Names Database