Ed Royce

Ed Royce
Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 39th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Linda Sánchez
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	William Dannemeyer
Succeeded by	Linda Sánchez
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 40th district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Jerry Lewis
Succeeded by	Lucille Roybal-Allard
Member of the California State Senate from the 32nd district
In office 1982–1993
Preceded by	John Schmitz
Succeeded by	Rob Hurtt
Personal details
Born	Edward Randall Royce (1951-10-12) October 12, 1951 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Marie Therese Porter
Alma mater	California State University, Fullerton
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Edward Randall "Ed" Royce (born October 12, 1951) is an American politician who currently serves as a member of the United States House of Representatives for California's 39th congressional district, and previously the 40th, serving in Congress since 1993. A member of the Republican Party, Royce became the Chairman of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2013. The district lies in northern Orange County, including portions of Stanton, Cypress, Buena Park, Fullerton, Anaheim, Placentia, and Orange.

Early life, education, and pre-congressional career

Born in Los Angeles, California, and graduating from Katella High School in Anaheim, Royce went on to earn his B.A. in Accounting and Finance in 1977 from the California State University, Fullerton. He was a business owner and corporate tax manager for a Portland cement company before becoming a California State Senator in 1983, serving in that post until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Royce is married to the former Marie Porter.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

After redistricting following the 1990 United States Census, incumbent Republican U.S. Representative William Dannemeyer decided to retire and run for the 1992 U.S. Senate election. Ed Royce, a State Senator, won the Republican primary for California's 39th congressional district and defeated Democrat Molly McClanahan in the general election with 57% of the vote.^[1] He won re-election to the 39th district four more times with at least 63% of the vote. After redistricting after the 2000 United States Census, his district was renumbered the 40th, and won re-election five more times, with at least 63% of the vote.^[2]

2012

After redistricting, Royce ran in the 39th District. He defeated Jay Chen in the general election.^[3]

Tenure

GovTrack rates Royce as a "moderate Republican,"^[4] based an analysis of the bills he has sponsored. 58 percent of his campaign contributions come from individuals and 34 percent are from PACs. Of the PAC contributions, 96 percent were from business groups, none from labor, and 4 percent from single-issue groups.^[5] The Sunlight Foundation gave Royce's web site a 24 percent rating for transparency,^[6] with 40 percent being considered a passing score. Royce's website highlights support from conservative^[7] and business organizations such as the National Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste, and 60 Plus. Royce has also received praise from the American Share Holders Association, Citizens for a Sound Economy, and the Small Business Survival Committee.^[8] On the Issues defines Royce as a hard-core conservative and his American Conservative Union lifetime score is 98 percent.

In 2011, Royce voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 as part of a controversial provision that allows the government and the military to indefinitely detain American citizens and others without trial.^[9]

Domestic policy

Royce's voting record, his scores on VoteMatch, and ratings by Cato Institute indicate mixed or moderate positions on free trade,^[10][11] privatization of social security,^[10] campaign finance,^[10] and tax reform.^[11]

The legislation he has sponsored shows a focus on tax policy, small businesses, credit, and banking deregulation.^[12] and many of his biggest campaign contributors have been banks: his five top contributors in 2006 were Credit Union National Assn, Irvine Co., Wells Fargo, Orange County Teachers Fed Credit Union, and GUS plc. He is among the representatives receiving the largest percentage of their campaign contributions from the banking industry.^[13]

Royce is a fiscal conservative. He was co-chair of the House "porkbusters" coalition.^[14] As part of the porkbusters, he supported a deficit lockbox amendment, and he got a rules change requiring unauthorized spending to be listed separately in appropriations bills.^[15] Royce is a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.^[16] He has received 14 "Taxpayer Friend Awards" from the National Taxpayers' Union.^[17] Royce opposes funding for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).^[18] Royce feels that these overseas investments expose taxpayers to a serious potential liability, just like the S&L crisis did.^[19]

Royce is a social conservative,^[10] having voted against same-sex marriage and gay adoption, and in favor of school prayer and school vouchers.^[11] He has a 92 percent rating from the Christian Coalition in terms of his voting record on families and children.^[11] He is pro-life,^[10] his votes resulting in NARAL's most consistent possible score.^[11] He has voted in favor of a constitutional amendment forbidding flag burning, and in favor of making the USA PATRIOT Act permanent.^[11] He has an A rating from the NRA.^[11]

Royce was criticized for attending a rally in his home county, in which members of anti-Muslim groups chanted at Muslim-American families attending Islamic charity event that they should "go home." Royce replied that the anti-Muslim chants were done by a splinter group, not the main group of protesters, and he disavowed the chants, saying "those remarks and conduct were disrespectful and offensive".^[20][21]

As a state senator^[22] and US representative,^[23] Royce sponsored bills and ballot initiatives on stalking and victims' rights.^[24][25][26]

Foreign policy

In foreign policy, Royce's voting record has earned the most pro-military possible rating from SANE.^[11] In 2002, he voted in favor of authorizing President George W. Bush to use force in Iraq.^[27] In 2003, he voted yes on an emergency appropriation of $78 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.^[11] In every year from 2003 to 2006, he has voted in favor of the annual supplemental spending bill to continue funding for the Iraq war.^[27][28] In 2005, he voted against Amendment 214 to HR 1815, which called on Bush to develop a plan for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq; in favor of Amendment 488 to HR 2601 to keep troops in Iraq; and in favor of HR 612 opposing a timetable for withdrawal of troops from Iraq.^[29] In 2006, he voted for HR 861, a resolution labeling the war in Iraq as part of a global war against terrorism.^[27] Royce had a mixed voting record on the 2011 US involvement in Libya.^[30]

Royce is the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, previously serving as a Chair of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade in the 112th Congress. In previous Congresses, Royce served as chairman of the International Relations Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation. During his tenure as Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation, Royce held hearings on Islamic terrorist threats and weapons of mass destruction. Royce led efforts in the House to either secure or destroy shoulder-fired missiles around the world that otherwise may be susceptible to terrorists.^[31] In the summer of 2006, Royce held much publicized Congressional hearings in San Diego, California, and Laredo, Texas, focusing on border vulnerabilities and international terrorism.^[32]

Royce also serves as a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia. He and has been especially involved in policy regarding North Korea, working on issues such as human rights, counterfeiting of U.S. currency, nuclear proliferation,^[33] and stopping repatriation of refugees.^[34] Royce's district includes Fullerton, which has a large population of Korean immigrants. He has supported U.S. broadcasting efforts in Asia, initiating legislation to create Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Afghanistan on the model of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.^[35]

He was formerly chair of the Africa Subcommittee,^[36] Royce co-led with Colin Powell a delegation to observe Nigeria's historic elections in 1999 and led a delegation into Darfur, Sudan to bring attention to the ongoing genocide in 2005 and led efforts in the House to bring Charles Taylor, the former President of Liberia, to stand trial before the Special Court of Sierra Leone.^[37]

Legislation

On April 26, 2013, Royce introduced the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2013 (H.R. 1771; 113th Congress), a bill that would increase U.S. sanctions on North Korea.^[38] Royce said that "by shutting down North Korea's illicit activities, we deprive the Kim regime of the money he needs to pay his generals and to conduct nuclear weapons research."^[39] Royce also argued that "North Korea is undoubtedly one of the most significant security threats that we here face and our allies face."^[39]

On June 27, 2013, Royce introduced the Electrify Africa Act of 2013 (H.R. 2548; 113th Congress), a bill that would direct the President to establish a multiyear strategy to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa develop an appropriate mix of power solutions to provide sufficient electricity access to people living in rural and urban areas in order to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth.^[40]

On November 13, 2013, Royce introduced the Taiwan Relations Act Affirmation and Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2014 (H.R. 3470; 113th Congress) into the House.^[41] The bill would allow the sale of several Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates to Mexico, Thailand, and Taiwan.^[41] Four naval vessels would be sold to Taiwan for about $10 million each.^[42] Mexico and Thailand would each receive two vessels as a grant.^[41] Royce argued in favor of the bill saying that "these ships would bolster Taiwan's defense."^[43] Royce also said that "these transfers help support the priorities of the U.S. Navy while strengthening the capability of allies and our close partners to meet our share maritime security objectives."^[43]

On November 13, 2013, Royce introduced the Credit Union Share Insurance Fund Parity Act (H.R. 3468; 113th Congress) into the House.^[44] The bill would expand federal deposit insurance to include Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTAs) and similar escrow accounts housed within credit unions.^[45]

On March 21, 2014, Royce introduced the Ukraine Support Act (H.R. 4278; 113th Congress) into the House.^[46] The bill, if passed, would state U.S. policy supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a democratic Ukraine, and in condemning Russia's armed intervention into Ukraine and its illegal annexation of Crimea.^[46] The bill would offer loan guarantees, offer various types of aid, and place sanctions on people who were "responsible for or engaged in actions that undermine democratic processes in Ukraine or that threaten its peace or territorial integrity, acts of significant corruption in Ukraine, or the commission of serious human rights abuses."^[46][47]

On April 28, 2014, Royce introduced the United States International Communications Reform Act of 2014 (H.R. 4490; 113th Congress), a bill that would revise U.S. international broadcasting and communications structures, missions, and objectives.^[48] The bill would also replace the Broadcasting Board of Governors with the United States International Communications Agency.^[48]

In 2014, Royce introduced legislation to directly arm the Kurds as an independent force rather than through the governments of their countries.^[49]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
• Committee on Foreign Affairs, Chair
• Republican Study Committee

Caucus memberships

• Human Rights Caucus
• Congressional Military Family Caucus
• Congressional Internet Caucus
• House Recycling Caucus
• Victim’s Rights Caucus
• International Conservation Caucus
• Congressional Caucus on Korea
• Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans
• Congressional Caucus on Vietnam
• Taiwan Caucus
• U.S. Philippines Friendship Caucus
• Congressional Cement Caucus

Awards and honors

• Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon – Republic of China^[50]

References

External links

• Congressman Ed Royce official U.S. House website
• Ed Royce for Congress
• Ed Royce at DMOZ
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress