Mark Amodei

Mark Amodei
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nevada's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office September 13, 2011
Preceded by	Dean Heller
Member of the Nevada Senate from the Capital district
In office 1999–2010
Preceded by	Ernie Adler
Succeeded by	James Settelmeyer
Member of the Nevada Assembly from the Capital district
In office 1997–1999
Personal details
Born	Mark Eugene Amodei (1958-06-12) June 12, 1958 Carson City, Nevada, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	divorced; 2 children
Residence	Carson City, Nevada
Education	McGeorge Law School
Profession	Attorney
Religion	Christian[1]
Awards	Army Achievement Medal Army Commendation Medal Meritorious Service Medal
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1983–1987
Rank	Captain

Mark Eugene Amodei (born June 12, 1958) is an American politician who has been the United States Representative for Nevada's second congressional district since 2011. Amodei, a Republican, previously served in the Nevada Assembly from 1997 to 1999 and in the Nevada Senate, representing the Capital District, from 1999 to 2010. After public office as state Senator, he served as chairman of the Nevada Republican Party until May 2011, when he stepped down in order to pursue the Republican nomination for Congress. Amodei was the Republican candidate for the special election held on September 13, 2011, to replace Dean Heller in Nevada's second congressional district.

Early life, education, and military service

Amodei was born in Carson City, Nevada, the son of Joy LaRhe (née Longero) and Donald Mark Amodei. His father was of half Italian and half Irish descent, and one of his maternal great-grandfathers was Italian.^[2] Amodei graduated from Carson High School in 1976, where he was student class president. He attended the University of Nevada before enrolling at University of the Pacific's McGeorge Law School, where he received his J.D. in 1983.

When Amodei entered the U.S. Army, he had not yet passed the bar exam. So, he was assigned to an artillery division. Upon passing the bar, he became an Army JAG Corps officer prosecuting criminal matters, an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Assistant Post Judge Advocate. He was awarded the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service Award. Upon receiving an honorable discharge, he returned home to become an attorney with the law firms Allison MacKenzie in Carson City and Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw and Ferrario (now Kaempfer Crowell) in Reno, Nevada.

Nevada legislature

Elections

In 1996, he was elected to the Nevada Assembly, representing Carson City, the state capital. In 1998, he ran for the Nevada Senate in the Capital District. He defeated incumbent Democrat State Senator Ernie Adler 52%-48%.^[3] In 2002, he won re-election to a second term with 84% of the vote.^[4] In 2006, he won re-election to a third term with 78% of the vote.^[5]

Tenure

He was named the Outstanding Freshman Legislator in 1997.^[6]

He was selected to serve as the President pro tempore of the Nevada State Senate.

2003 tax increase

Amodei was the co-author, with Democratic Senator Terry Care, of a plan in 2003 to increase taxes in Nevada by $1 billion. The plan was offered as an alternative to governor Kenny Guinn's tax plan, which called for over $1 billion in revenue increases.^[7] The final plan raised taxes by $873 million.^[8]

Collective bargaining

In 2009, Amodei supported a proposal to expand collect bargaining rights for state workers, whom he believed were unfairly treated during the budget process.^[9]

Gas tax

In 2009, Amodei sponsored a bill that would have allowed for a gas tax increase in Washoe County; the plan gained public approval in an advisory vote.^[10]

Medical liability reform

In 2003, Amodei voted against a tort reform bill that would have changed Nevada's medical liability law.^[11] He was the only Republican Senator to vote against the bill.

Committee assignments

He has served on the Legislative Commission, Vice Chair of the Governor's Task Force on Access to Public Health Care, Education Commission of the States, Public Lands committee, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Legislative Oversight committee, Chairman of the Education Technology committee, and was a member of the Nevada Supreme Court's committee on Court Funding.

2010 U.S. Senate election

Amodei ran for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate against Democrat Harry Reid, the Majority Leader. He dropped out before election day, as State Assemblywoman Sharron Angle won the primary and lost the general election to Reid.

U.S House of Representatives

Amodei being sworn-in by Speaker of the House John Boehner.

Elections

2011

On September 13, 2011, Nevada's second Congressional district elected Amodei to replace Congressman Dean Heller. Heller had been appointed to fill John Ensign's seat the U.S. Senate, following Ensign's resignation from the position. Amodei announced his bid for the congressional seat in May 2011. The next month, he won the Republican nomination by taking 221 out of 323 ballots. In the primary, he defeated State Senator Greg Brower, who received 56 votes, and prominent U.S. Navy Veteran Kirk Lippold, who received 46 votes.^[12]

Amodei defeated Democrat Kate Marshall 58%-36%. He won every county in the district, including Washoe and Mineral counties both with 52% of the vote.^[13]

2012

Amodei, who has represented Nevada's 2nd congressional district since being elected in a special election in September 2011, ran for re-election against Democrat Samuel Koepnick, an information technology employee for the state of Nevada. Amodei has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association.^[14]

Amodei defeated Koepnick 58%-36%. He won every county in the district, including Washoe with 52% of the vote.^[15][16]

Tenure

Mark Amodei was sworn in on September 15, 2011.^[17]

Amodei voted against the bill to end the United States federal government shutdown of 2013. Regarding the vote, Amodei stated: "During two campaigns, I told Nevadans I would give my full attention to such issues as reining in runaway federal spending, debt, and the harmful aspects of the Affordable Care Act. Unlike many in this town, I will not test your memories and hope you have forgotten. I will continue to pursue these necessary goals. Nothing in this legislation changes the real threats to our country’s economy."^[18]

Amodei received a 0% rating from Planned Parenthood's 2014 Congressional Scorecard for supporting a nationwide abortion ban after 20 weeks and banning abortion access in the District of Columbia and through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.^[19]

Legislation

On July 25, 2014, Amodei introduced the Northern Nevada Land Conservation and Economic Development Act (H.R. 5205; 113th Congress), a bill that would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to convey certain federal lands in Nevada to other government entities.^[20] The bill is a package of numerous other bills related to land conveyance in Nevada, which make up the bulk of Amodei's legislation.^[21]

In total, Amodei has sponsored 31 bills, including:^[22]

112th Congress (2011-2012)

• H.R. 6496, a bill to make grants to states and local law enforcement agencies for programs to combat trafficking in persons, introduced September 21, 2012

113th Congress (2013-2014)

• H.R. 432, a bill to prohibit the expansion or establishment of national parks and monuments in Nevada unless approved by Congress, introduced January 29, 2013
• H.R. 1923, a bill to make the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China eligible for inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program, introduced May 9, 2013
• H.R. 3533, a bill to require state approval for a species to be designated as endangered or threatened in that state, introduced November 19, 2013
• H.R. 3647, a bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide trained guide dogs to veterans who became blind from a service-related disability, are enrolled in VA health care and medical services, and elect to receive such a dog, introduced December 4, 2013
• H.R. 4419, a bill to extend the deadline for enacting regulations to protect the Greater sage-grouse, to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of listing the sage-grouse as an endangered or threatened species, and to prohibit the designation of any species as endangered or threatened in any state in which the majority of land is managed by the federal government unless certain information is provided to state governments, introduced April 8, 2014

Committee assignments

• Committee on the Judiciary
  • Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet
  • Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
• Committee on Veterans Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity

Electoral history

Personal life

Amodei has two daughters: Erin, a nursing student at Truckee Meadows Community College, and Ryanne, a physician trainer on the DaVinci Robotic Surgical Instrument and former engineer in the U.S. Navy.

References

External links

• Congressman Mark Amodei official U.S. House site
• Amodei for Congress
• Mark Amodei at DMOZ
• 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

Members of the United States House of Representatives from Nevada Territorial (1861–1864) Seat Cradlebaugh Mott One At-large seat (1864–1983) Seat Worthington Ashley Fitch Kendall Woodburn Wren Daggett Cassidy Woodburn Bartine Newlands Van Duzer Bartlett Roberts Evans Arentz Richards Arentz Scrugham Sullivan Bunker Russell Baring Young Baring Towell Santini Districts (1983–present) (3rd district established in 2003) (4th district established in 2013) 1st district Reid Bilbray Ensign Berkley Titus 2nd district Vucanovich Gibbons Heller Amodei 3rd district Porter Titus Heck 4th district Horsford Hardy