Jim Jeffords

For other people named Jim Jeffords, see Jim Jeffords (disambiguation).

James "Jim" Jeffords
Junior Senator, Vermont
In office 1989–Present (retiring 2007)
Preceded by	Robert Stafford
Succeeded by	Bernie Sanders (2007)
Personal details
Nationality	American
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Elizabeth Daley

James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords (born May 11, 1934 in Rutland, Vermont) is currently the junior U.S. Senator from Vermont and the only independent in the United States Senate. He served as a Republican until 2001. He has announced that he will retire at the end of his current term, in January 2007. Though he is the only Independent Senator in the 109th Congress, the 110th Congress will have two Independents: Jeffords' successor, Bernard Sanders and incumbent Senator from Connecticut, Joseph Lieberman, who ran for reelection as an Independent and won.

Background

Jeffords is the son of Marion H. Jeffords and Olin Jeffords, who was formerly Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. Jim Jeffords holds an undergraduate degree from Yale University (1956) and a law degree from Harvard Law School (1962). After three years of active duty in the United States Navy (1956 - 1959), Jeffords served in the Naval Reserves until he retired as a Captain in 1990. He is married to Elizabeth Daley and has two children, Leonard and Laura. Jeffords' residence is in Shrewsbury, Vermont.

Political career

Jeffords (right) with fellow senator Christopher Dodd at the Pentagon speaking on defense issues, May 2000.

Jeffords entered politics in 1966, winning a seat in the Vermont State Senate. He followed that success in 1968 with a victory in the race for Vermont Attorney General. In 1974, he won Vermont's sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for fourteen years and was the ranking Republican member of the House Education and Labor Committee. In 1988, Jeffords was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he remains today.

Jeffords' work in Congress has focused on legislation involving education, job training, and individuals with disabilities. In recent years, his emphasis has shifted somewhat, as Jeffords has pushed several important pieces of environmental legislation through Congress. He was, together with Paul Simon, credited by Canadian Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire, Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) from 1993 to 1994, for actively lobbying the US administration into mounting a humanitarian mission to Rwanda during the Rwandan Genocide. According to Dallaires' book Shake Hands with the Devil, he "owe(s) a great debt of gratitude" to both senators.

Jeffords was one of the founders of the Congressional Solar Coalition and the Congressional Arts Caucus. Jeffords has been frequently recognized for his performance as a legislator, receiving Parenting Magazine's "Legislator of the Year" award in 1999, and the Sierra Club's highest commendation in 2002.

From Republican to Independent

On May 24, 2001, Jeffords left the Republican Party, with which he had always been affiliated, and announced his new status as an independent. This occurred despite, for example, Jeffords' voting for President Bush's tax cut package along with all other Republicans on May 26, 2001. Jeffords's independent status changed the Senate composition from 50-50 (with a Republican Vice President, Dick Cheney, serving as President of the Senate to break tie votes) to 49 Republicans, 50 Democrats, and one independent. Jeffords promised to vote for Democratic control after being promised a committee chairmanship by Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. He then handed his chairmanship of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which he had held since 1997, to Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and was given the chairmanship of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which would have been occupied by ranking minority member Harry Reid. Jeffords held this committee chair until the Democrats lost control of the Senate in 2003 following Congressional elections in 2002.

Jeffords made a deal with the Democrats according to which he votes with them on all procedural matters except with permission of the whip, which would be rarely asked and rarely granted, in exchange for the committee seats that would have been available to Jeffords had he been a Democrat during his entire Senate tenure. Jeffords is free to vote as he pleases on substantive matters but more often than not votes with the Democrats. Even before his party switch, his voting record was very liberal, which is typical for Republicans from Vermont. While a Republican he voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Brady Bill, the Family and Medical Leave Act, an end to the ban on gays serving in the military, and against permanent normal trade relations with China. Jeffords was also vocal in his opposition to the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush. He was one of only two Republicans to vote against confirming Thomas. He was the only prominent Republican to support President Clinton's failed attempt to establish a national healthcare plan. His position put him to the political left of many Democrats who had serious doubts about Clinton's plan.

On October 11, 2002, Jeffords was one of 23 senators to vote against authorizing the use of military force in Iraq. On this issue of foreign policy and other issues, Jeffords has strongly disagreed with the positions of the Bush administration.

Retirement

In April 2005, Jeffords announced his decision not to run for re-election in 2006. Jeffords said his wife's cancer and his own growing health concerns caused him to decide it was time to retire. On Sept. 27, 2006, Jeffords delivered his farewell speech on the Senate floor after 32 years of service. Only one Republican senator, Charles Grassley of Iowa, spoke to the floor in praise of Jeffords, whom he called "his friend." Floor speeches for retiring senators are a Senate tradition. The 70-year-old incumbent decided to retire despite consensus within the political community that he had good opportunity to win re-election in 2006. Jeffords' move has set off a domino reaction among state politicians. Congressman Bernie Sanders, currently the only independent in the U.S. House, has announced his intentions to run for the seat being vacated by Jeffords, while Republican Governor James Douglas has declared that he will not run. (See also Vermont U.S. Senate election, 2006.) Jeffords has not endorsed a successor.

Trivia

With fellow Senators Trent Lott, John Ashcroft, and Larry Craig, he formed a barbershop quartet called The Singing Senators.

He also holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Further reading

• James M. Jeffords, My Declaration of Independence (Simon & Schuster, 2001). ISBN 0-7432-2842-1
• James M. Jeffords, An Independent Man (Simon & Schuster, 2003). ISBN 0-7432-2843-X

External links

• Official site
• Voting record maintained by the The Washington Post

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