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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]

Business career

Pompeo founded Thayer Aerospace.[5] 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]

Koch Industries Support

Pompeo was heavily supported by Koch Industries’ PAC, which allowed him to win his Republican primary. Koch Industries was by far the largest campaign donor to Pompeo, giving $31,400 through KOCHPAC, and at least $79,500 total.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]

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"[6] and a "dangerous and misguided law."[7] Pompeo remained extremely opposed to healthcare reform, stating that the Republicans would propose a better alternative at some point in the future.[6] 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,[8] 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"[7] 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.[7] 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%,[citation needed] a trend that continues. He claimed in a July 1, 2012, editorial [9] that "Obamacare... has dramatically increased insurance costs for millions of Americans – raising the average cost of a family policy by $1,200".[9] 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.[10][citation needed] Pompeo has not explained what he would do to provide insurance millions who lacked health insurance in 2010,[11][citation needed] nor has he offered any constructive criticism to improve the Act, instead vowing only to repeal it.[9] 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".[12]

Opposition to Firearm Regulation

Pompeo does not believe that regulating private ownership of firearms will decrease American firearm deaths, which were as high as 31,672 in 2010 [13]. Pompeo does not believe there is any link between the United States' highest gun ownership rate in the world (89 guns for every 100 Americans) and the 8,583 2011 gun-related homicides the FBI reported.[14] In fact, Pompeo states took to the floor of Congress to state that he "loves" his guns. [15] 11 weeks after the December 14, 2012, mass shooting at Newtown, Connecticut in which 20 children and 6 adults were shot to death[16], Pompeo opposed changing any firearm regulations, even mandating universal background checks for gun purchasers. "No law or set of laws can possibly address in a meaningful way all of the challenges that we face today with a violent America." Instead of regulating firearms, Pompeo proposed a transformation of an American "culture that degrades and cheapens life," which he considered a "much deeper, more malignant problem." He did not address a specific plan to achieve this transformation or explain why it could not be done in parallel with sensible firearm legislation. Pompeo characterized the closing of the gun show loophole as "further gun control" proposed by President Obama "to fulfill a wish list for gun control advocates." [17] He fiercely opposed American support of the "United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, also known as the Small Arms Treaty", alleging on July 26, 2011, that it was a "risk to American freedom today, [a] dangerous treaty designed to curtail our Second Amendment rights" that could involve "banning civilian possession of firearms." [18] In reality, the Arms Trade Treaty said no such thing. Adopted by the UN General Assembly on 2 April 2013, the treaty has no impact on the ownership of firearms by United States citizens, instead "regulating the international trade in conventional arms, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships" in an attempt to "foster peace and security by thwarting uncontrolled destabilizing arms flows to conflict regions" to "keep warlords, pirates, and gangs from acquiring these deadly tools." [19]

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.[20][citation needed] He accuses the Obama administration of having an "obsession with closing this facility" which he predicts will lead to the loss of American lives.[21]

Support of 2013 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." [22]

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." [23]

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. "Carbon dioxide is a basic building block of our existence," he said in the House Energy Committee on 3/14/11. "Regulating that is the height of arrogance."[24] He voted down amendments acknowledging the reality of climate change, instead voting for an Upton-Inhofe bill to override the EPA's scientific conclusion that greenhouse gases are dangerous and permanently blocking the agency's ability to implement protective measures.[25]

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." [26] His first response to the BP Gulf Oil spill was a statement that he “fervently” hoped the government wouldn’t “overreact”.[citation needed] 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." [27] 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.[28] 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."[29]

Hostility Toward Islam

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.[citation needed] ("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."[30] The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) wrote a letter to Pompeo to retract his "false and irresponsible" attacks on Muslims.[31] 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.[32] Both the comment and apology were later deleted from Pompeo's Facebook account.

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,[33] 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.[33] 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."[34] Snowden's talk (transcript and video:[34]) was interrupted by frequent and prolonged applause.[35]

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.[36] 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%.[37] 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".[38] The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund gives him an A.[39]

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.".[40] (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.[41] When he spoke, Kansas unemployment was 7.2%; it fell to 5.5% four years later.[42] American agriculture, far from plunging, rose to $173 billion in 2012; the United States remains one of the largest food exporters in the world.[43][citation needed] Furthermore, domestic oil production rose during the Obama administration and the United States produced more oil than it imported.[44][citation needed] 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." [45]

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).[46]

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.[47][48][49][50] 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.[51]

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. ^ Wilson, Benet (2010-03-05). "Thayer Aerospace Founder Vies For Congress". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  6. ^ a b http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=330089
  7. ^ a b c http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=286355
  8. ^ http://www.cbo.gov/publication/22077
  9. ^ a b c http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=7&id=426
  10. ^ Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act#Effects_on_insurance_premiums
  11. ^ Health insurance coverage in the United States#Estimates_of_the_number_uninsured
  12. ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/blog/2014/02/a-health-care-qa-with-congressman.html?page=all
  13. ^ http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_04.pdf
  14. ^ http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/jan/10/gun-crime-us-state
  15. ^ http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r112:8:./temp/~r112C4VhT1::
  16. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting
  17. ^ http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r113:116:./temp/~r113L5GVf7::
  18. ^ http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r112:8:./temp/~r112C4VhT1::
  19. ^ http://www.un.org/disarmament/ATT/
  20. ^ List_of_Guantanamo_Bay_detainees
  21. ^ http://votesmart.org/public-statement/838898/pompeo-former-guantanamo-bay-detainees-role-in-benghazi-demonstrates-need-for-facility#.Uxctr4X4L5I
  22. ^ http://www.kansas.com/2013/10/07/3045466/rep-pompeo-shutdown-is-about-substantial.html#storylink=cpy
  23. ^ url=http://www.pompeoforcongress.com/media/?subsec=6&id=47
  24. ^ https://twitter.com/climatebrad/status/47388361505259520
  25. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/03/04/04climatewire-new-anti-epa-bill-aims-to-rein-in-agencys-cl-37816.html
  26. ^ http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r112:11:./temp/~r112C4VhT1::
  27. ^ http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=340454
  28. ^ http://www.globalwarming.org/2013/09/18/rep-pompeo-questions-epa-administrator-mccarthy-on-obama-climate-plan/
  29. ^ http://www.factcheck.org/2014/02/blackburn-takes-on-the-science-guy/
  30. ^ Video on YouTube
  31. ^ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cair-asks-kansas-rep-pompeo-to-correct-false-and-irresponsible-attack-on-muslims-211243361.html
  32. ^ 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
  33. ^ a b http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=372133
  34. ^ a b http://blog.inside.com/blog/2014/3/10/edward-snowden-sxsw-full-transcription-and-video
  35. ^ http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/snowden-nsa-set-fire-internet-techies-are-firefighters-n48836
  36. ^ http://thatsmycongress.com/house/repPompeoKS4113.html
  37. ^ http://votesmart.org/candidate/125023/mike-pompeo#.UxcshIX4L5I
  38. ^ http://www.heritageactionscorecard.com/members/member/P000602
  39. ^ https://votesmart.org/interest-group/924/rating/5569#.UxdUioX4L5I
  40. ^ Video on YouTube
  41. ^ http://www.kansas.com/news/story/964455.html
  42. ^ http://www.dol.ks.gov/
  43. ^ Economy_of_the_United_States
  44. ^ Petroleum_in_the_United_States
  45. ^ 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)
  46. ^ "House Results Map". The New York Times.
  47. ^ "Live election results". Wichita Eagle. 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2010-08-04. [dead link‍]
  48. ^ 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)
  49. ^ Miller, Tricia (2010-08-04). "Pompeo Likely To Replace Tiahrt". CQ Politics. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  50. ^ D'Aprile, Shane (2010-08-04). "Pompeo wins GOP primary in Rep. Tiahrt's district". The Hill. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  51. ^ http://www.kansas.com/2010/08/03/1431486/pompeo-goyle-4th-district.html
  52. ^ "H.R. 1900 - Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  53. ^ Kasperowicz, Pete (21 November 2013). "Thursday:Pipelines in the House, amendment fight in the Senate". The Hill. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  54. ^ http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/113/house/1/611
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