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==Business career==
==Business career==
Pompeo founded Thayer Aerospace.<ref>{{cite news | first = Benet | last = Wilson | title = Thayer Aerospace Founder Vies For Congress | date = 2010-03-05 | url = http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=busav&id=news/awx/2010/03/05/awx_03_05_2010_p0-209736.xml&headline=Thayer%20Aerospace%20Founder%20Vies%20For%20Congress | work = Aviation Week | accessdate = 2010-08-04}}</ref> He sold his interest in Thayer in 2006 and the company is now known as Nex-Tech Aerospace. Pompeo ran Thayer Aerospace with investment funds from Koch Industries. The Wichita Business Journal wrote on December 11, 1998, that Pompeo's "company’s capital base is drawn in part from Wichita’s Koch Venture Capital, a division of Koch Industries.” <ref> "http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/09/21/119973/koch-mike-pompeo/#" </ref>
Pompeo founded Thayer Aerospace.<ref>{{cite news | first = Benet | last = Wilson | title = Thayer Aerospace Founder Vies For Congress | date = 2010-03-05 | url = http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=busav&id=news/awx/2010/03/05/awx_03_05_2010_p0-209736.xml&headline=Thayer%20Aerospace%20Founder%20Vies%20For%20Congress | work = Aviation Week | accessdate = 2010-08-04}}</ref> He sold his interest in Thayer in 2006 and the company is now known as Nex-Tech Aerospace. Pompeo ran Thayer Aerospace with investment funds from Koch Industries. The Wichita Business Journal wrote on December 13, 1998, that Pompeo's "company’s capital base is drawn in part from Wichita’s Koch Venture Capital, a division of Koch Industries.” <ref> http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/1998/12/14/story3.html </ref>

Pompeo became the President of Sentry International, an oilfield equipment company which is a partner of Koch Industries through GTF Representacoes & Consultoria, its Brazilian distributor. <ref>http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/09/21/119973/koch-mike-pompeo/#</ref>


Pompeo serves as a trustee on the [[Kansas Policy Institute]] (originally named the Kansas Public Policy Institute and then the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy), a conservative think tank.
Pompeo serves as a trustee on the [[Kansas Policy Institute]] (originally named the Kansas Public Policy Institute and then the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy), a conservative think tank.


==Koch Industries Support==
==Koch Industries Support==
Pompeo was heavily supported by Koch Industries’ PAC, which allowed him to win his Republican primary. Koch Industries was far by the largest campaign donor to Pompeo, giving at least $31,400 through KOCHPAC. Pompeo supported and spoke on behalf of Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a Tea Party group created and funded by David Koch. On August 28, 2009, Pompeo spoke at a large Tea Party rally organized by Americans for Prosperity, denouncing what he derisively called, and has come to be known as "Obamacare", and signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity to ignore or downplay the purported dangers of climate change. <ref>http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/09/21/119973/koch-mike-pompeo/#</ref>
Pompeo was heavily supported by Koch Industries’ PAC, which allowed him to win his Republican primary. He recently (February, 2014) defended the Koch brothers as "two great men" who did not deserve to be criticized or attacked. <ref> http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=370999 </ref>


==Opposition to the Affordable Care Act==
==Opposition to the Affordable Care Act==
Pompeo fiercely opposed the Affordable Care Act, claiming in 2009 that although it had not yet been implemented, it was already driving up premiums in Kansas and costing the state jobs. He has repeatedly called it a "train wreck"<ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=330089</ref> and a "dangerous and misguided law."<ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=286355</ref> Pompeo remained extremely opposed to healthcare reform, stating that the Republicans would propose a better alternative at some point in the future. <ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=330089</ref> His Congressional web site solicited anecdotes by anyone who was negatively affected by the law (no positive feedback was solicited). Despite the estimate by the Congressional Budget Office that the ACA would lower the deficit by over $200 billion,<ref>http://www.cbo.gov/publication/22077</ref>Pompeo repeatedly asserted that the law would instead add to the deficit. He characterized the law as "having the government take over 1/6th of the U.S. economy"<ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=286355</ref> although the law largely preserves and expands private insurance. He predicted in 2011 that under the law, 88 million Americans would not be able to keep coverage they liked.<ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=286355</ref> He predicted that the law would increase rather than decrease the number of uninsured, although since then, the number of uninsured in Kansas has dropped to 12.6% from a peak of 13.5%,<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance_coverage_in_the_United_States</ref> a trend that continues. He claimed in a July 1, 2012, editorial <ref>http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=7&id=426</ref> that "Obamacare... has dramatically increased insurance costs for millions of Americans – raising the average cost of a family policy by $1,200".<ref>http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=7&id=426</ref> He gave no reference for this number which was wildly divergent from estimates by the CBO, which estimated rates would fall as much as 12% by 2016, and the Kaiser Family Foundation, which estimated a premium reduction of as much as two-thirds for those receiving subsidies.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act#Effects_on_insurance_premiums</ref> Pompeo has not explained what he would do to provide insurance millions who lacked health insurance in 2010,<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance_coverage_in_the_United_States#Estimates_of_the_number_uninsured</ref> nor has he offered any constructive criticism to improve the Act, instead vowing only to repeal it.<ref>http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=7&id=426</ref> After extolling the virtues of a Republican plan in a February 14, 2014, interview, he asserted that "It will be up in the next 90 days".<ref>http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/blog/2014/02/a-health-care-qa-with-congressman.html?page=all</ref>
Pompeo opposed the Affordable Care Act, claiming in 2009 that although it had not yet been implemented, it was already driving up premiums in Kansas and costing the state jobs. He has repeatedly called it a "train wreck"<ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=330089</ref> and a "dangerous and misguided law."<ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=286355</ref> Pompeo remained opposed to healthcare reform, stating that the Republicans would propose a better alternative at some point in the future. <ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=330089</ref> His Congressional web site solicited anecdotes by anyone who was negatively affected by the law (no positive feedback was solicited). Despite the estimate by the Congressional Budget Office that the ACA would lower the deficit by over $200 billion,<ref>http://www.cbo.gov/publication/22077</ref>Pompeo repeatedly asserted that the law would instead add to the deficit. He characterized the law as "having the government take over 1/6th of the U.S. economy"<ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=286355</ref> although the law largely preserves and expands private insurance. He predicted in 2011 that under the law, 88 million Americans would not be able to keep coverage they liked.<ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=286355</ref> He predicted that the law would increase rather than decrease the number of uninsured, although since then, the number of uninsured in Kansas has dropped to 12.6% from a peak of 13.5%,<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance_coverage_in_the_United_States</ref> a trend that continues. He claimed in a July 1, 2012, editorial <ref>http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=7&id=426</ref> that "Obamacare... has dramatically increased insurance costs for millions of Americans – raising the average cost of a family policy by $1,200".<ref>http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=7&id=426</ref> He gave no reference for this number which was wildly divergent from estimates by the CBO, which estimated rates would fall as much as 12% by 2016, and the Kaiser Family Foundation, which estimated a premium reduction of as much as two-thirds for those receiving subsidies.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act#Effects_on_insurance_premiums</ref> Pompeo has not explained what he would do to provide insurance millions who lacked health insurance in 2010,<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance_coverage_in_the_United_States#Estimates_of_the_number_uninsured</ref> nor has he offered any constructive criticism to improve the Act, instead vowing only to repeal it.<ref>http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=7&id=426</ref> After extolling the virtues of a Republican plan in a February 14, 2014, interview, he asserted that "It will be up in the next 90 days".<ref>http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/blog/2014/02/a-health-care-qa-with-congressman.html?page=all</ref>


==Opposition to Shutting Down the Prison at Guantánamo Bay==
==Opposition to Shutting Down the Prison at Guantánamo Bay==
Pompeo has long opposed granting terrorist suspects rights such as habeas corpus, an opportunity to examine the evidence against them, or even to know their charges or how they were made. He felt that respecting international law would weaken the United States in its war on terror. He has fiercely opposed closing the prison at Guantánamo Bay even though most of the 775 detainees brought to Guantanamo were released before he took office and only 155 detainees remained as of December, 2013, 50-60 of whom have been cleared for release.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Guantanamo_Bay_detainees</ref> He accuses the Obama administration of having an "obsession with closing this facility" which he predicts will lead to the loss of American lives. <ref>http://votesmart.org/public-statement/838898/pompeo-former-guantanamo-bay-detainees-role-in-benghazi-demonstrates-need-for-facility#.Uxctr4X4L5I</ref>
Pompeo has long opposed closing down the Guantánamo Bay prison even though most of the 775 detainees brought to Guantanamo were released before he took office and only 155 detainees remained as of December, 2013, 50-60 of whom have been cleared for release.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Guantanamo_Bay_detainees</ref> He accuses the Obama administration of having an "obsession with closing this facility" which he predicts will lead to the loss of American lives. <ref>http://votesmart.org/public-statement/838898/pompeo-former-guantanamo-bay-detainees-role-in-benghazi-demonstrates-need-for-facility#.Uxctr4X4L5I</ref>


==Support of Government Shutdown==
==Support of Government Shutdown==
Pompeo strongly supported the federal government shutdown in October, 2013, blaming President Obama while acknowledging that the Republican Party could take a hit from the shutdown. He stated that he believed the shutdown was necessary to avoid a predicted "American financial collapse 10 years from now." <ref> http://www.kansas.com/2013/10/07/3045466/rep-pompeo-shutdown-is-about-substantial.html#storylink=cpy </ref>
Pompeo supported and voted for the federal government shutdown in October, 2013, blaming President Obama while acknowledging that the Republican Party could take a hit from the shutdown. He stated that he believed the shutdown was necessary to avoid a predicted "American financial collapse 10 years from now." <ref> http://www.kansas.com/2013/10/07/3045466/rep-pompeo-shutdown-is-about-substantial.html#storylink=cpy </ref> In January, 2014, Pompeo voted against a two-year budget deal drafted by [[Paul Ryan]] that would avert any government shutdown until 2015 and cut deficits by $23 billion.<ref>http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/P000602/key-votes/</ref>


==Opposition to the Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court==
==Opposition to the Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court==
Pompeo urged rejection of the first Hispanic Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, stating that she "desires to make policy from the bench, not interpret the laws." <ref>url=http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=6&id=47</ref>
Pompeo urged rejection of Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, stating that she "desires to make policy from the bench, not interpret the laws." <ref>url=http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=6&id=47</ref>


==Climate Change Denial==
==Climate Change Denial==
Pompeo has consistently ridiculed climate science, implying that there is no correlation between rising CO2 levels, temperatures, and sea levels, or that the federal government has no business regulating CO2 emissions. His first response to the BP Gulf Oil spill was a statement that he “fervently” hoped the government wouldn’t “overreact”. <ref>http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/06/26/104312/clubforgrowth-radical-sucess/</ref> He dismissed President Obama's June, 2013, speech on climate change as a "grand speech... [given] to a select group of environmental activists in Washington, D.C." <ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=340454</ref> He strongly supports the Keystone XL oil pipeline. He grilled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy on September 18, 2013, interrupting her frequently as she attempted to answer his questions about whether she could prove that any heat-related deaths had been prevented from the EPA policies. He also misrepresented the 26 indicators tracked on the EPA website as "goals" then scolded her for not reaching them.<ref>http://www.globalwarming.org/2013/09/18/rep-pompeo-questions-epa-administrator-mccarthy-on-obama-climate-plan/</ref> Pompeo's exchange was later used by Republican Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee to argue against the White House climate change efforts, an argument soundly rejected by experts in climate change who pointed out that both she and Pompeo "mangled the facts and misrepresented the words of EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy."<ref>http://www.factcheck.org/2014/02/blackburn-takes-on-the-science-guy/</ref>
Pompeo has consistently ridiculed climate science, implying that there is no correlation between rising CO2 levels, temperatures, and sea levels, or that the federal government has no business regulating CO2 emissions. His first response to the BP Gulf Oil spill was a statement that he “fervently” hoped the government wouldn’t “overreact”. <ref>http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/06/26/104312/clubforgrowth-radical-sucess/</ref> He dismissed President Obama's June, 2013, speech on climate change as a "grand speech... [given] to a select group of environmental activists in Washington, D.C." <ref>http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=340454</ref> He strongly supports the Keystone XL oil pipeline. He grilled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy on September 18, 2013, interrupting her frequently as she attempted to answer his questions about whether she could prove that any heat-related deaths had been prevented from the EPA policies. He also misrepresented the 26 indicators tracked on the EPA website as "goals" then scolded her for not reaching them.<ref>http://www.globalwarming.org/2013/09/18/rep-pompeo-questions-epa-administrator-mccarthy-on-obama-climate-plan/</ref> Pompeo's exchange was later used by Republican Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee to argue against the White House climate change efforts, an argument soundly rejected by experts in climate change who pointed out that both she and Pompeo "mangled the facts and misrepresented the words of EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy."<ref>http://www.factcheck.org/2014/02/blackburn-takes-on-the-science-guy/</ref>
He has accused the administration of having a "radical environmental agenda" and alleged without offering evidence that the "Environmental Protection Agency ... has done so much damage to our economy, so much damage to our Kansas' Fourth Congressional District, our farmers, our manufacturers, and our families." <ref> http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2011-09-22/pdf/CREC-2011-09-22-pt1-PgH6349-2.pdf#page=1 </ref>


==Hostility Toward Islam==
==Hostility Toward Islam==
⚫
On June 11, 2013, Pompeo took to the House floor and said, "Mr. Speaker, it's been just under 2 months since the attacks in Boston, and in those intervening weeks, the silence of Muslim leaders has been deafening... Instead of responding, silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts, and more importantly still, in those that may well follow."<ref>http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2013-06-11/pdf/CREC-2013-06-11-pt1-PgH3258.pdf#page=1</ref>
In a pre-campaign letter sent to other West Point graduates, Pompeo implied that policies mandating tolerance and interfaith respect were responsible for the November 2009 shooting rampage by Major Nidal Malik Hasan<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hood_shooting</ref> ("And we do not deserve 'leadership' that forces our military to become so politically correct that an Army Islamic chaplain can wreak terror at our nation's largest military base.")
⚫
Pompeo (who prominently featured his Christian faith during his campaign commercials) was widely criticized for implying that American Muslims have not criticized acts of terrorism. On June 11, 2013, Pompeo took to the House floor and said, "Mr. Speaker, it's been just under 2 months since the attacks in Boston, and in those intervening weeks, the silence of Muslim leaders has been deafening... Instead of responding, silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts, and more importantly still, in those that may well follow."<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Xxgd-DQjZSo#!</ref>
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) wrote a letter to Pompeo to retract his "false and irresponsible" attacks on Muslims.<ref>http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cair-asks-kansas-rep-pompeo-to-correct-false-and-irresponsible-attack-on-muslims-211243361.html</ref>
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) wrote a letter to Pompeo to retract his "false and irresponsible" attacks on Muslims.<ref>http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cair-asks-kansas-rep-pompeo-to-correct-false-and-irresponsible-attack-on-muslims-211243361.html</ref>
Although he later apologized, Pompeo initially posted a comment on his Facebook page praising a blog post criticizing his Democratic opponent, Raj Goyle, who is of Indian descent, as a "turban topper" while calling President Obama an "evil" and "Muslim." Pompeo stated that the comment that the post was a "good read" was the mistake of a staff member.<ref>http://www.pitch.com/FastPitch/archives/2010/08/13/mike-pompeo-apologizes-for-calling-turban-topper-and-evil-muslim-communist-usurper-blog-post-a-good-read</ref> Both the comment and apology were later deleted from Pompeo's Facebook account.


==Opposition to Edward Snowden Teleconference==
==Opposition to Edward Snowden Teleconference==
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{{Main|United States House of Representatives elections in Kansas, 2010#District 4}}
{{Main|United States House of Representatives elections in Kansas, 2010#District 4}}


Pompeo's campaign commercials emphasized his West Point and Army background, describing him as a "fighting man" committed to battling "big government's fantasy world of irresponsible spending.".<ref>{{cn|date=April 2014}}</ref> (Pompeo served in the military but did not experience combat.) Antipathy towards and distrust of the federal government has been a recurrent theme for Pompeo, who he felt government had "lost its way" and was "promoting central planning." Reflecting on his election to Congress, he stated in October, 2011, that he was among 80 or 90 Republicans who reported to Congress "without fear of speaking the truth" which he believed was that the American people under President Obama "felt a tyranny upon them and they wanted out." He claimed that the military was being "used to promote ideas that do no represent our values as a nation" and that President Obama "was talking about profit as though it was evil." {{cn|date=April 2014}}On one of his first campaign appearances, he asserted "I've never seen something government gets involved in that reduced cost or made something more efficient." He predicted that a new energy bill would cost millions of jobs and make the United States a net food importer.<ref>http://www.kansas.com/news/story/964455.html</ref> When he spoke, Kansas unemployment was 7.2%; it fell to 5.5% four years later.<ref>http://www.dol.ks.gov/</ref> American agriculture, far from plunging, rose to $173 billion in 2012; the United States remains one of the largest food exporters in the world.<ref>[[Economy_of_the_United_States]]</ref>{{cn|date=April 2014}} Furthermore, domestic oil production rose during the Obama administration and the United States produced more oil than it imported.<ref>[[Petroleum_in_the_United_States]]</ref>{{cn|date=April 2014}}
Pompeo's campaign commercials emphasized his West Point and Army background, describing him as a "fighting man" committed to battling "big government's fantasy world of irresponsible spending.".<ref>{{cn|date=April 2014}}</ref> (Pompeo served in the military but did not experience combat.) Antipathy towards and distrust of the federal government has been a recurrent theme for Pompeo, who he felt government had "lost its way" and was "promoting central planning." Reflecting on his election to Congress, he stated in October, 2011, that he was among 80 or 90 Republicans who reported to Congress "without fear of speaking the truth" which he believed was that the American people under President Obama "felt a tyranny upon them and they wanted out." He claimed that the military was being "used to promote ideas that do no represent our values as a nation" and that President Obama "was talking about profit as though it was evil." <ref> https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanPompeo/posts/275547835800729 </ref> On one of his first campaign appearances, he asserted "I've never seen something government gets involved in that reduced cost or made something more efficient." He predicted that a new energy bill would cost millions of jobs and make the United States a net food importer.<ref>http://www.kansas.com/news/story/964455.html</ref>
He was harshly critical of President Obama, whom he repeatedly alleged was indecisive and not appropriately respectful of military leaders such as General McChrystal before he was fired for insubordination. Pompeo felt that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan should be expanded - he strongly supported the surge - and fought with fewer rules of engagement to protect civilian lives. He accused the president of "unforgivably fail[ing] to provide the total commitment of our national means to our servicemen in the field." <ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/index.cfm?subsec=6&id=97 | work=Pompeo Responds to President's West Point Speech}}</ref>
He was harshly critical of President Obama, whom he repeatedly alleged was indecisive and not appropriately respectful of military leaders such as General McChrystal before he was fired for insubordination. Pompeo felt that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan should be expanded - he strongly supported the surge - and fought with fewer rules of engagement to protect civilian lives. He accused the president of "unforgivably fail[ing] to provide the total commitment of our national means to our servicemen in the field." <ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/index.cfm?subsec=6&id=97 | work=Pompeo Responds to President's West Point Speech}}</ref>


Revision as of 10:04, 9 April 2014

Mike Pompeo
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Kansas's 4th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2011
Preceded byTodd Tiahrt
Personal details
Born (1963-12-30) December 30, 1963 (age 61)
Orange, California
Political partyRepublican
SpouseSusan Pompeo
ResidenceWichita, Kansas
Alma materU.S. Military Academy (West Point)
Harvard Law School
OccupationAttorney
Businessman
Military service
AllegianceUnited States of America
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1986-1991[1]
Rank Captain[1]
Unit2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division [2]

Michael Richard Pompeo (born December 30, 1963) is an American politician who has been the U.S. Representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. He has also served as a Kansas representative on the Republican National Committee.

Early life, education, and early career

Pompeo attended the U.S. Military Academy where he majored in Mechanical Engineering, graduating first in his class in 1986 and subsequently serving in the Regular Army as an Armor Branch cavalry officer from 1986 to 1991.[3] He subsequently graduated from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He then worked as a lawyer for Williams & Connolly.[4]

Early life, education, and early career

Pompeo attended the U.S. Military Academy where he majored in Mechanical Engineering, graduating first in his class in 1986 and subsequently serving in the Regular Army as an Armor Branch cavalry officer from 1986 to 1991.[5] He subsequently graduated from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He then worked as a lawyer for Williams & Connolly.[6]

Business career

Pompeo founded Thayer Aerospace.[7] He sold his interest in Thayer in 2006 and the company is now known as Nex-Tech Aerospace. Pompeo ran Thayer Aerospace with investment funds from Koch Industries. The Wichita Business Journal wrote on December 13, 1998, that Pompeo's "company’s capital base is drawn in part from Wichita’s Koch Venture Capital, a division of Koch Industries.” [8]

Pompeo serves as a trustee on the Kansas Policy Institute (originally named the Kansas Public Policy Institute and then the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy), a conservative think tank.

Koch Industries Support

Pompeo was heavily supported by Koch Industries’ PAC, which allowed him to win his Republican primary. He recently (February, 2014) defended the Koch brothers as "two great men" who did not deserve to be criticized or attacked. [9]

Opposition to the Affordable Care Act

Pompeo opposed the Affordable Care Act, claiming in 2009 that although it had not yet been implemented, it was already driving up premiums in Kansas and costing the state jobs. He has repeatedly called it a "train wreck"[10] and a "dangerous and misguided law."[11] Pompeo remained opposed to healthcare reform, stating that the Republicans would propose a better alternative at some point in the future. [12] His Congressional web site solicited anecdotes by anyone who was negatively affected by the law (no positive feedback was solicited). Despite the estimate by the Congressional Budget Office that the ACA would lower the deficit by over $200 billion,[13]Pompeo repeatedly asserted that the law would instead add to the deficit. He characterized the law as "having the government take over 1/6th of the U.S. economy"[14] although the law largely preserves and expands private insurance. He predicted in 2011 that under the law, 88 million Americans would not be able to keep coverage they liked.[15] He predicted that the law would increase rather than decrease the number of uninsured, although since then, the number of uninsured in Kansas has dropped to 12.6% from a peak of 13.5%,[16] a trend that continues. He claimed in a July 1, 2012, editorial [17] that "Obamacare... has dramatically increased insurance costs for millions of Americans – raising the average cost of a family policy by $1,200".[18] He gave no reference for this number which was wildly divergent from estimates by the CBO, which estimated rates would fall as much as 12% by 2016, and the Kaiser Family Foundation, which estimated a premium reduction of as much as two-thirds for those receiving subsidies.[19] Pompeo has not explained what he would do to provide insurance millions who lacked health insurance in 2010,[20] nor has he offered any constructive criticism to improve the Act, instead vowing only to repeal it.[21] After extolling the virtues of a Republican plan in a February 14, 2014, interview, he asserted that "It will be up in the next 90 days".[22]

Opposition to Shutting Down the Prison at Guantánamo Bay

Pompeo has long opposed closing down the Guantánamo Bay prison even though most of the 775 detainees brought to Guantanamo were released before he took office and only 155 detainees remained as of December, 2013, 50-60 of whom have been cleared for release.[23] He accuses the Obama administration of having an "obsession with closing this facility" which he predicts will lead to the loss of American lives. [24]

Support of Government Shutdown

Pompeo supported and voted for the federal government shutdown in October, 2013, blaming President Obama while acknowledging that the Republican Party could take a hit from the shutdown. He stated that he believed the shutdown was necessary to avoid a predicted "American financial collapse 10 years from now." [25] In January, 2014, Pompeo voted against a two-year budget deal drafted by Paul Ryan that would avert any government shutdown until 2015 and cut deficits by $23 billion.[26]

Opposition to the Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court

Pompeo urged rejection of Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, stating that she "desires to make policy from the bench, not interpret the laws." [27]

Climate Change Denial

Pompeo has consistently ridiculed climate science, implying that there is no correlation between rising CO2 levels, temperatures, and sea levels, or that the federal government has no business regulating CO2 emissions. His first response to the BP Gulf Oil spill was a statement that he “fervently” hoped the government wouldn’t “overreact”. [28] He dismissed President Obama's June, 2013, speech on climate change as a "grand speech... [given] to a select group of environmental activists in Washington, D.C." [29] He strongly supports the Keystone XL oil pipeline. He grilled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy on September 18, 2013, interrupting her frequently as she attempted to answer his questions about whether she could prove that any heat-related deaths had been prevented from the EPA policies. He also misrepresented the 26 indicators tracked on the EPA website as "goals" then scolded her for not reaching them.[30] Pompeo's exchange was later used by Republican Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee to argue against the White House climate change efforts, an argument soundly rejected by experts in climate change who pointed out that both she and Pompeo "mangled the facts and misrepresented the words of EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy."[31] He has accused the administration of having a "radical environmental agenda" and alleged without offering evidence that the "Environmental Protection Agency ... has done so much damage to our economy, so much damage to our Kansas' Fourth Congressional District, our farmers, our manufacturers, and our families." [32]

Hostility Toward Islam

On June 11, 2013, Pompeo took to the House floor and said, "Mr. Speaker, it's been just under 2 months since the attacks in Boston, and in those intervening weeks, the silence of Muslim leaders has been deafening... Instead of responding, silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts, and more importantly still, in those that may well follow."[33] The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) wrote a letter to Pompeo to retract his "false and irresponsible" attacks on Muslims.[34]

Opposition to Edward Snowden Teleconference

In March, 2014, Pompeo wrote a letter to the organizers of a South by South West (SXSW) forum on technology and civil liberties, asking them to cancel a planned live teleconference appearance appearance from Russia by Edward Snowden, whom Pompeo believed was a "traitor" and "common criminal" more interested in personal glory than civil liberties. Within hours of Pompeo posting his letter on his official Congressional Facebook page [35], he was inundated with comments, all negative. Pompeo was accused of having violated his oath to the Constitution, chided for not providing any references or links to the "undisputed facts" he claimed in his letter, and of "mind-numbing" hypocrisy by constituents furious about the NSA revelations Snowden brought to light.[36] The SXSW organizers ignored his request, and the March 10, 2014, appearance by Snowden was an enormous success, requiring 2 overflow halls. During his introductory remarks, Ben Wizner, an attorney with the ACLU alluded to Pompeo's letter. "One member of Congress from the great state of Kansas hoped [this event] would not occur... The letter included this very curious line, 'The ACLU would surely concede that freedom of expression for Mr. Snowden has declined since he departed American soil.' Now no one disputes that freedom of expression is stronger here than there but if there is one person for whom that is not true, it’s Ed Snowden. If he were here in the United States he would be in a solitary cell subject to special administrative measures that would prevent him from communicating to the public and participate in the historic debate that he helped launch."[37] Snowden's talk (transcript and video: [38]) was interrupted by frequent and prolonged applause.[39]

Overall Voting Record

Pompeo scored 6 out 100 on the Liberal Action Score compiled by the watchdog group "That's My Congress", a score that asserts he participated in only 6% of issues related to "respect for constitutional protections of American civil liberty, Transparency and public access in government," as well as environmental protection and opposition to militarism. [40] He is rated 0% by Environment America, 16% by National Journal (Liberal Composite) and 84% by American Journal (Conservative Composite). The League of Conservation Voters rated him at 7% and the National Education Association rated him t 0%. The American Association of University Women rated him a 0, and the National Right to Life Committee rated him 100%. [41] Heritage Action for America rates him at 86%, versus 65% for the average Republican. Sample votes that earned him this score were at least two votes to defund the Affordable Care Act, a vote to shut down the government, and a vote against food stamps and farm aid, as well as a vote against a bill to "Eliminate America’s Ability to Detain Indefinitely Members of al Qaeda and the Taliban".[42] The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund gives him an A.[43]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2010
Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Kansas, 2010 § District 4

Pompeo's campaign commercials emphasized his West Point and Army background, describing him as a "fighting man" committed to battling "big government's fantasy world of irresponsible spending.".[44] (Pompeo served in the military but did not experience combat.) Antipathy towards and distrust of the federal government has been a recurrent theme for Pompeo, who he felt government had "lost its way" and was "promoting central planning." On one of his first campaign appearances, he asserted "I've never seen something government gets involved in that reduced cost or made something more efficient." He predicted that a new energy bill would cost millions of jobs and make the United States a net food importer.[45] When he spoke, Kansas unemployment was 7.2%; it fell to 5.5% four years later.[46] American agriculture, far from plunging, rose to $173 billion in 2012; the United States remains one of the largest food exporters in the world.[47] Furthermore, domestic oil production rose during the Obama administration and the United States produced more oil than it imported.[48] He was harshly critical of President Obama, whom he repeatedly alleged was indecisive and not appropriately respectful of military leaders such as General McChrystal before he was fired for insubordination. Pompeo felt that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan should be expanded - he strongly supported the surge - and fought with fewer rules of engagement to protect civilian lives. He accused the president of "unforgivably fail[ing] to provide the total commitment of our national means to our servicemen in the field." [49]

Pompeo defeated Democratic nominee State Representative Raj Goyle, Libertarian nominee Shawn Smith, and Reform Party nominee Susan G. Ducey. Pompeo received 59% of the vote (117,171 votes), to 36% for Goyle (71,866).[50]

The Republican incumbent, Todd Tiahrt, ran for the U.S. Senate (thereby vacating his seat). In the contest to replace him, Pompeo won a five-candidate GOP primary election on August 3, 2010 with 39% of the vote. He bested State Senator Jean Schodorf (who received 24%), Wichita businessman Wink Hartman (who received 23%), and small business owner Jim Anderson (who received 13%). State Senator Dick Kelsey also ran for the nomination, but ended his campaign before the August primary and endorsed Pompeo.[51][52][53][54]

2012
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Kansas, 2012 § District 4

Pompeo defeated Democratic nominee Robert Tillman and Libertarian nominee Thomas Jefferson in the general election.

Committee assignments

Business career

Pompeo founded Thayer Aerospace.[57] He sold his interest in Thayer in 2006 and the company is now known as Nex-Tech Aerospace. Pompeo ran Thayer Aerospace with investment funds from Koch Industries. The Wichita Business Journal wrote on December 11, 1998, that Pompeo's "company’s capital base is drawn in part from Wichita’s Koch Venture Capital, a division of Koch Industries.” [citation needed]

Pompeo became the President of Sentry International, an oilfield equipment company which is a partner of Koch Industries through GTF Representacoes & Consultoria, its Brazilian distributor. [citation needed]

Pompeo serves as a trustee on the Kansas Policy Institute (originally named the Kansas Public Policy Institute and then the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy), a conservative think tank.[citation needed]

Tenure

Koch Industries

Pompeo has received substantial support from Koch Industries, one of the world's largest privately held companies, which is based in his district.[58] Pompeo received $80,000 in donations from Koch and its employees, making him the top recipient of Koch-related money in the 2010 elections.[58]

Health care

Pompeo has consistently opposed the Affordable Care Act.[59]

Guns

Pompeo is a lifetime member of and has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association.[60]

Guantánamo Bay

Pompeo opposes closing the prison at Guantánamo Bay.[61] After a 2013 visit to the prison, Pompeo said, of the prisoners who were on hunger strike, "It looked to me like a lot of them had put on weight."[62]

2013 Government Shutdown

Pompeo supported the federal government shutdown in October 2013, blaming President Obama while acknowledging that the Republican Party could take a hit from the shutdown. He stated that he believed the shutdown was necessary to avoid a predicted "American financial collapse 10 years from now."[63] In January, 2014, Pompeo voted against a two-year budget deal drafted by Paul Ryan that would avert any government shutdown until 2015 and cut deficits by $23 billion.[64]

Sotomayor nomination

Pompeo urged rejection of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, stating that she "desires to make policy from the bench, not interpret the laws." [65]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2010
Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Kansas, 2010 § District 4

Pompeo's campaign commercials emphasized his West Point and Army background, describing him as a "fighting man" committed to battling "big government's fantasy world of irresponsible spending.".[66] (Pompeo served in the military but did not experience combat.) Antipathy towards and distrust of the federal government has been a recurrent theme for Pompeo, who he felt government had "lost its way" and was "promoting central planning." Reflecting on his election to Congress, he stated in October, 2011, that he was among 80 or 90 Republicans who reported to Congress "without fear of speaking the truth" which he believed was that the American people under President Obama "felt a tyranny upon them and they wanted out." He claimed that the military was being "used to promote ideas that do no represent our values as a nation" and that President Obama "was talking about profit as though it was evil." [67] On one of his first campaign appearances, he asserted "I've never seen something government gets involved in that reduced cost or made something more efficient." He predicted that a new energy bill would cost millions of jobs and make the United States a net food importer.[68] He was harshly critical of President Obama, whom he repeatedly alleged was indecisive and not appropriately respectful of military leaders such as General McChrystal before he was fired for insubordination. Pompeo felt that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan should be expanded - he strongly supported the surge - and fought with fewer rules of engagement to protect civilian lives. He accused the president of "unforgivably fail[ing] to provide the total commitment of our national means to our servicemen in the field." [69]

Pompeo defeated Democratic nominee State Representative Raj Goyle, Libertarian nominee Shawn Smith, and Reform Party nominee Susan G. Ducey. Pompeo received 59% of the vote (117,171 votes), to 36% for Goyle (71,866).[70]

The Republican incumbent, Todd Tiahrt, ran for the U.S. Senate (thereby vacating his seat). In the contest to replace him, Pompeo won a five-candidate GOP primary election on August 3, 2010 with 39% of the vote. He bested State Senator Jean Schodorf (who received 24%), Wichita businessman Wink Hartman (who received 23%), and small business owner Jim Anderson (who received 13%). State Senator Dick Kelsey also ran for the nomination, but ended his campaign before the August primary and endorsed Pompeo.[71][72][73][74] Late in the primary, Schodorf began to surge, prompting two outside groups — Americans for Prosperity, a Koch Industries group, and Common Sense Issues, an Ohio-based political group — to enter the race, spending tens of thousands of dollars in the final campaign days to attack Schodorf and support Pompeo.[75]

2012
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Kansas, 2012 § District 4

Pompeo defeated Democratic nominee Robert Tillman and Libertarian nominee Thomas Jefferson in the general election.

Committee assignments

References

  1. ^ a b "Once a Soldier... Always a Soldier" (PDF). Legislative Agenda. Association of the United States Army. 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  2. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/biography/
  3. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/
  4. ^ Lefler, Dion (2010-07-29). "Pompeo hopes varied background gives him edge". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  5. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/
  6. ^ Lefler, Dion (2010-07-29). "Pompeo hopes varied background gives him edge". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  7. ^ Wilson, Benet (2010-03-05). "Thayer Aerospace Founder Vies For Congress". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  8. ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/1998/12/14/story3.html
  9. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=370999
  10. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=330089
  11. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=286355
  12. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=330089
  13. ^ http://www.cbo.gov/publication/22077
  14. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=286355
  15. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=286355
  16. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance_coverage_in_the_United_States
  17. ^ http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=7&id=426
  18. ^ http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=7&id=426
  19. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act#Effects_on_insurance_premiums
  20. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance_coverage_in_the_United_States#Estimates_of_the_number_uninsured
  21. ^ http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=7&id=426
  22. ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/blog/2014/02/a-health-care-qa-with-congressman.html?page=all
  23. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Guantanamo_Bay_detainees
  24. ^ http://votesmart.org/public-statement/838898/pompeo-former-guantanamo-bay-detainees-role-in-benghazi-demonstrates-need-for-facility#.Uxctr4X4L5I
  25. ^ http://www.kansas.com/2013/10/07/3045466/rep-pompeo-shutdown-is-about-substantial.html#storylink=cpy
  26. ^ http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/P000602/key-votes/
  27. ^ url=http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=6&id=47
  28. ^ http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/06/26/104312/clubforgrowth-radical-sucess/
  29. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=340454
  30. ^ http://www.globalwarming.org/2013/09/18/rep-pompeo-questions-epa-administrator-mccarthy-on-obama-climate-plan/
  31. ^ http://www.factcheck.org/2014/02/blackburn-takes-on-the-science-guy/
  32. ^ http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2011-09-22/pdf/CREC-2011-09-22-pt1-PgH6349-2.pdf#page=1
  33. ^ http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2013-06-11/pdf/CREC-2013-06-11-pt1-PgH3258.pdf#page=1
  34. ^ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cair-asks-kansas-rep-pompeo-to-correct-false-and-irresponsible-attack-on-muslims-211243361.html
  35. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=372133
  36. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=372133
  37. ^ http://blog.inside.com/blog/2014/3/10/edward-snowden-sxsw-full-transcription-and-video
  38. ^ http://blog.inside.com/blog/2014/3/10/edward-snowden-sxsw-full-transcription-and-video
  39. ^ http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/snowden-nsa-set-fire-internet-techies-are-firefighters-n48836
  40. ^ http://thatsmycongress.com/house/repPompeoKS4113.html
  41. ^ http://votesmart.org/candidate/125023/mike-pompeo#.UxcshIX4L5I
  42. ^ http://www.heritageactionscorecard.com/members/member/P000602
  43. ^ https://votesmart.org/interest-group/924/rating/5569#.UxdUioX4L5I
  44. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4nQtg2lsss&index=41&list=PLmLVHQ5JpbvygtO8479efgvh_NiUeqPzq
  45. ^ http://www.kansas.com/news/story/964455.html
  46. ^ http://www.dol.ks.gov/
  47. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_United_States
  48. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_in_the_United_States
  49. ^ Pompeo Responds to President's West Point Speech http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/index.cfm?subsec=6&id=97. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  50. ^ "House Results Map". The New York Times.
  51. ^ "Live election results". Wichita Eagle. 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2010-08-04. [dead link‍]
  52. ^ Lefler, Dion (2010-08-03). "Pompeo, Goyle to Meet in 4th District race". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 2010-08-04. Republican National Committeeman Mike Pompeo survived a bruising GOP primary and Rep. Raj Goyle of Wichita steamrolled his Democratic opponent to set up the general election battle in the Kansas 4th Congressional District. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  53. ^ Miller, Tricia (2010-08-04). "Pompeo Likely To Replace Tiahrt". CQ Politics. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  54. ^ D'Aprile, Shane (2010-08-04). "Pompeo wins GOP primary in Rep. Tiahrt's district". The Hill. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  55. ^ a b "H.R. 1900 - Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  56. ^ a b Kasperowicz, Pete (21 November 2013). "Thursday:Pipelines in the House, amendment fight in the Senate". The Hill. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  57. ^ Wilson, Benet (2010-03-05). "Thayer Aerospace Founder Vies For Congress". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  58. ^ a b Eggen, Dan (20 March 2011). "GOP freshman Pompeo turned to Koch for money for business, then politics". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  59. ^ Pompeo, Mike (3 September 2013). "The ObamaCare train wreck: Column". USA Today. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  60. ^ "National Rifle Association Endorses Pompeo". Pompeo for Congress. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  61. ^ "Senate debates Guantánamo in first hearing on closing prison since 2009". Associated Press. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  62. ^ "GOP Rep: 'No crisis' at Gitmo, detainees 'have put on weight'". MSNBC. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  63. ^ Wilson, Bill (2 October 2013). "Pompeo: For the GOP, shutdown is now about reforming entitlement programs Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/10/07/3045466/rep-pompeo-shutdown-is-about-substantial.html#storylink=cpy". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 8 April 2014. {{cite news}}: External link in |title= (help)
  64. ^ http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/P000602/key-votes/
  65. ^ url=http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=6&id=47
  66. ^ [citation needed]
  67. ^ https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanPompeo/posts/275547835800729
  68. ^ http://www.kansas.com/news/story/964455.html
  69. ^ Pompeo Responds to President's West Point Speech http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/index.cfm?subsec=6&id=97. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  70. ^ "House Results Map". The New York Times.
  71. ^ "Live election results". Wichita Eagle. 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2010-08-04. [dead link‍]
  72. ^ Lefler, Dion (2010-08-03). "Pompeo, Goyle to Meet in 4th District race". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 2010-08-04. Republican National Committeeman Mike Pompeo survived a bruising GOP primary and Rep. Raj Goyle of Wichita steamrolled his Democratic opponent to set up the general election battle in the Kansas 4th Congressional District. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  73. ^ Miller, Tricia (2010-08-04). "Pompeo Likely To Replace Tiahrt". CQ Politics. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  74. ^ D'Aprile, Shane (2010-08-04). "Pompeo wins GOP primary in Rep. Tiahrt's district". The Hill. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  75. ^ http://www.kansas.com/2010/08/03/1431486/pompeo-goyle-4th-district.html
  76. ^ http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/113/house/1/611
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