From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Evan Bayh
United States Senator from Indiana
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 1999 Serving with Richard Lugar
Preceded by	Daniel Ray Coats
46th Governor of Indiana
In office January 9, 1989 – January 13, 1997
Lieutenant	Frank O'Bannon
Preceded by	Robert D. Orr
Succeeded by	Frank O'Bannon
56th Secretary of State of Indiana
In office December 1, 1986 – January 9, 1989
Governor	Robert D. Orr
Preceded by	Edwin J. Simcox
Succeeded by	Joe Hogsett
Born	December 26, 1955 (1955-12-26) (age 54) Shirkieville, Indiana
Nationality	United States
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Susan Bayh
Children	Birch Evans Bayh IV Nicholas Harrison Bayh
Residence	Indianapolis, Indiana
Alma mater	Indiana University University of Virginia School of Law
Occupation	Lawyer, politician
Religion	Episcopalian
Signature
Website	Senator Evan Bayh

Birch Evans "Evan" Bayh III (pronounced /ˈbaɪ/, like "by"; born December 26, 1955) is an American Democratic politician who has served as the junior U.S. Senator from Indiana since 1999 and earlier served as Governor of Indiana.

Bayh first held public office as the Secretary of State of Indiana, elected in 1986. He held the position for only two years before being elected Governor where he successfully advocated for state welfare reform, tax cuts, and fiscal discipline. He left his office after completing two terms and briefly took a job lecturing at Indiana University Kelley School of Business, before being elected to the U.S. Senate seat previously held by his father, Birch Bayh.

Personal

Bayh was born in Shirkieville, Indiana, to Marvella Belle Hern and Birch Bayh, who was a U.S. Senator from 1963 to 1981. Bayh attended high school at St. Albans School in Washington, DC, and went on to graduate with honors in business economics and public policy from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in 1978, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. He has an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in California.

He received his J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1981. Bayh clerked for a federal judge and entered private law practice in Indianapolis.

He and his wife Susan have twin sons born in 1995.^[1] His wife is on numerous corporate boards and was for many years a law professor.^[2]

Indiana state politics

Bayh was elected Secretary of State of Indiana in 1986 and served from 1987 to 1989.

As Governor, Bayh implemented a $1.6 billion dollar tax cut, the largest in state history

Bayh was first elected Governor of Indiana in 1988, defeating former Kokomo Mayor Steve Daily in the Democratic primary. (Frank O'Bannon's name also appeared on the ballot, but he had previously withdrawn to accept the lieutenant governor nomination.) Bayh defeated Republican John Mutz in the general election. Bayh was re-elected governor in 1992 with the highest percentage of the vote in a statewide election in modern Indiana history. He defeated State Attorney General Linley E. Pearson, a Republican, to win his second term. His administration was considered cautious but successful by Republicans as well as Democrats, creating a large budget surplus and permitting him to cut taxes. "Mr. Bayh's record is one of a genuinely fiscally conservative Democrat," reported the Wall Street Journal in 1992.^[3]

Stressing fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, job creation and lean government, Bayh's tenure as governor was highlighted by eight years without raising taxes, the largest single tax cut and largest budget surplus in state history, "welfare-to-work" policies, increasing annual school funding, high academic standards and new college opportunities, the creation of over 350,000 new jobs, the strengthening of law enforcement and improved environmental quality. He signed the 21st Century Scholars Act in 1992, legislation that states that every child in Indiana who is eligible for the free lunch program in a public school, graduates from high school and signs a pledge not to experiment with illegal drugs is entitled to a full tuition scholarship to an Indiana public university of his or her choice. By the end of his second term, Bayh had an approval rating of nearly 80 percent.^[4]

Bayh was a vocal supporter of capital punishment.

When his second term as governor ended in 1997, he accepted a lecturing position at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloomington.^[5] From 1997 to 1998, while he was campaigning for U.S. Senate, Bayh was also hired as a partner at Indianapolis law firm Baker and Daniels. In 1998, his Baker and Daniels salary was $265,000, according to Senate financial records. Indiana University paid him an additional $51,000 that year.^[6]

United States Senator from Indiana

2004 campaign logo

Bayh was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998 to the seat that was once held by his father. He won with 64% of the vote, the largest ever Democratic victory margin in a U.S. Senate race in Indiana, defeating former Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke. He easily won reelection in 2004 defeating Prof. Marvin Scott, receiving 62% of the vote. He currently serves on five Senate committees: Banking Housing and Urban Affairs, on which he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance; Armed Services; the Select Committee on Intelligence; the Special Committee on Aging; and the Small Business Committee.

Bayh released an autobiography in 2003 entitled From Father to Son: A Private Life in the Public Eye. He describes growing up as the son of Senator Birch Bayh and emphasizes the importance of active, responsible fatherhood.

From 2001 to 2005, Bayh served as Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC). He is also a member of the Senate Centrist Coalition, helped establish the New Democrat Coalition, and founded the Moderate Dems Working Group.^[7] Bayh serves on the Board of Directors of the National Endowment for Democracy.

Bayh has voted against confirming United States Attorney General John Ashcroft, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

Bayh was an early supporter of the Bush administration's policies on Iraq.^[8] On October 2, 2002, Bayh joined President George W. Bush and Congressional leaders in a Rose Garden ceremony announcing their agreement on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War, and was thanked by Bush and Senator John McCain for co-sponsoring the resolution.^[9]

Senator Bayh began asking for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation in 2004 for his mistakes in the Iraq war. Bayh made it clear that he had lost confidence in Rumsfeld.

He voted yes on reauthorizing the Patriot Act in 2006.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Airland
  • Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
  • Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support (Chairman)
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
  • Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance (Chairman)
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy
  • Subcommittee on National Parks
  • Subcommittee on Water and Power
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Select Committee on Intelligence
• Special Committee on Aging

Relationship between his Senate office and wife's corporate career

His wife Susan Bayh has been described by the Fort Wayne, Indiana Journal Gazette as a "professional board member" or "professional director", having been a director of fourteen corporations since 1994 and being a director of eight as of 2006. The Journal Gazette reported that since Susan Bayh began her career as a corporate director, “Sen. Evan Bayh [has] cast more than 3,000 votes, including some on issues of keen interest to the pharmaceutical, broadcast, insurance, food-distribution and finance industries",^[10] Since 2003, Sen. Bayh has prohibited his staff from having lobbying contacts with his wife or representatives of the companies she directs. Mrs. Bayh makes very few public statements and has not commented on any perceived conflicts of interest. Sen. Bayh, however, has insisted his wife’s ties have had no bearing on his Congressional actions. “The reality is I don’t even know the people who run the vast majority of her companies. I’ve never even spoken to them,” Bayh told the Journal Gazette. “The reality is, we don’t talk about stuff that she’s involved with.”^[10]

2008 U.S. presidential election

Bayh speaks during the third night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado

On December 1, 2006, news sources revealed that Senator Bayh was creating a presidential exploratory committee.^[11] Bayh confirmed these reports on December 3.^[12] On December 15, 2006, Bayh announced that he would not run for president in 2008. He later endorsed Hillary Clinton.

During the 2008 United States Presidential campaign, Bayh stated that he would accept an offer to be Barack Obama's running mate.^[13] According to a book by Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, it was about a coin toss between Bayh and Joe Biden for Obama's pick for Vice President.^[14]

Political positions

Abortion

Bayh has a 100% rating by the NARAL^[15]. He ultimately voted in favor of banning dilation and extraction abortion procedures in 2003, but he did vote for substitute measures supported by Democrats. His stance on other issues relating to abortion have been mixed also^[16]. He voted with mainly Democrats against Laci and Conner's Law, but voted with mainly Republicans in 2006 on legislation to notify parents on abortions performed on minors that involve crossing state lines^[16].

Agriculture

Bayh voted for the 2002 Farm Bill that provided financial support accessible to rural communities. The bill provides funds for rural water and waste infrastructure. The Farm Bill also provides technology for rural residents' technical skills.^[17] Bayh encouraged farmers to share their input into the 2007 Farm Bill.^[18]

Civil Rights

Bayh has a mixed but left-leaning record on civil rights, having earned a 60% by the ACLU (2002), and 89% by the HRC (2006), and a 100% by the NAACP (2006). Some of his votes include a 1998 vote where Bayh voted to continue nonquota affirmative action programs. He voted to add sexual orientation under hate crime rules in both 2000 and 2002. In 2001, he voted yes to ease wiretapping restrictions. In 2006, he voted yes on a flag-burning constitutional amendment and no on an amendment to ban same-sex marriage.^[16]

Economy

As a member of the Small Business Committee, Senator Bayh has made more resources and tools available to Indiana's small businesses. Bayh supports small business in Indiana by co-hosting job fairs throughout the state of Indiana. Several thousand jobs are made available to those who attend.^[19][20][21] In 2003, Bayh introduced legislation to further expand Small Business Administration loans to small manufacturers. The legislation was enacted into law in 2004.

At a speech to the Commonwealth Club of California, Bayh said:

What concerns me most about President Bush's tax and budget proposals, is that they threaten to undermine the foundation of the '90s' prosperity – replacing the "virtuous cycle" created by fiscal responsibility with a "vicious cycle" of deficits and debt, rising interest rates, and disinvestment. His proposals constitute a narrow ideological agenda, not an effective economic strategy, and completely fail to grasp the realities of the New Economy and the many requirements for economic success in the 21st Century.^[22]

Education

As governor, Bayh created the 21st Century Scholars program, which promises at-risk middle school students full tuition scholarships in return for being drug, alcohol and crime-free and maintaining decent grades. Iowa and Wisconsin have both introduced legislation modeling Bayh's program.^[23][24] Bayh has worked to increase the college tuition tax deduction, and protect and increase financial aid programs that thousands of students depend on to attend college. In 2000, Senator Bayh authored a bill titled "The Three R's," which was designed to improve the ability of our nation's public schools to meet the needs of each student.^[25]

At the 1996 Democratic National Convention Keynote Speech, Bayh said:

I come from teachers. My great, great grandfather Christopher Bayh came to Indiana with a yellow tag in his overalls that said, railroad. Because he couldn't speak any English, that's where he went to work. But his first grandson became a teacher and he married a teacher, my grandmother. No one here tonight would have traveled half as far if it weren't for our teachers. They're the real American heroes.^[26]

Energy

On September 11, 2008, Bayh joined the Gang of 20, a bipartisan group designed to promote comprehensive energy reform. During the announcement, Bayh said:

“On the seventh anniversary of September 11th, it is deeply troubling that we import more oil from the Middle East today than we did on the day of the attacks. Ensuring families have access to affordable energy is one of the defining challenges of our time, but Washington is stuck. The process to fix this problem has broken down, and we just can’t afford that anymore. I’m joining this substantial group of Republicans and Democrats to make progress and actually get something done for struggling Hoosier motorists.”^[27]

Environment

Voted No on prohibiting eminent domain for use as parks or grazing land (Dec 2007).^[16]

Voted Yes on including oil and gas smokestacks in mercury regulations (Sep 2005).^[16]

Rated 74% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes (Dec 2003).^[16]

Voted No on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior (Jan 2001).^[16]

Voted No on more funding for forest roads and fish habitat (Sep 1999).^[16]

Voted to strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting (Jan 2007).^[16]

Healthcare

Bayh introduced the Medicare Prescription Drug Emergency Guarantee Act of 2006 to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to assure uninterrupted access to necessary medicines under the Medicare prescription drug program.^[28] Senator Bayh is proposing legislation he says could help cut health care insurance premiums by at least 20 percent for small businesses and individuals.^[29] To help small businesses provide health care for their employees, Bayh reintroduced legislation in 2005 to provide up to a 50 percent tax credit to small businesses that offer health benefits.

Israel

Speaking to 2002 luncheon hosted by AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby group, Bayh "described his lifelong affection for the state of Israel, beginning with a boyhood vacation there, and deepening with his many official visits as a governor and senator."^[30] A report of the luncheon continued:

The senator also stated his support for increased foreign aid to Israel. "We have to make the kind of investments necessary to prevent loss of life," he said. "Israel is in jeopardy, they're a strong ally of ours, and I think there would be congressional support for further aid to Israel, particularly regarding security issues."

On the subject of the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, he said, "Yasser Arafat is no partner for peace. Not until there is new and better leadership within the Palestinians will there be a chance for peace."^[30]

Iran

Evan Bayh appeared on CNN's Late Edition in January 2006^[31] and referred to the "radical, almost delusional nature of the Iranian regime" and recent comments of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the Holocaust is a "myth. [...] To deny history like this, this virulent anti-Semitism, their sponsoring of terrorism, their search for a nuclear weapon – ought to be a wake-up call to every American. Appeasement won't work. [...] We need to use diplomacy, economic sanctions, other means, so we won't have to resort to military action."^[31]

Bayh introduced legislation in January 2006 that would impose sanctions on Iran. According to the Washington Post^[32]:

"Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.) said yesterday that he plans to introduce a resolution in the Senate calling on the administration to work with the United Nations to sanction the country. Bayh said the sanctions should include shutting off supplies of refined gasoline, a worldwide ban on arms sales, and a possible ban on participation in the Olympics and the World Cup soccer tournament."^[32]

On January 20, 2006, Bayh introduced a resolution calling for economic sanctions on Iran, with the goal of deterring Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Such sanctions include:

• Cutting off supplies of refined gasoline to Iran which the United States currently does not supply
• Cutting assistance to countries whose companies invest in Iran's energy sector,
• Enacting a worldwide, comprehensive ban on arms sales to Iran,
• Withdrawing U.S. support for Iran's accession to the WTO, and
• Calling on the UN Security Council to limit travel of some Iranian officials, reduce diplomatic exchanges with Iran, and ban Iran from participating in world events such as the World Cup and the Olympics.^[33]

In 2007, Bayh "supported the Kyl-Lieberman amendment that Obama made a key part of his critique of Clinton."^[34][35]

Iraq

Bayh was an early supporter of the idea of removing Saddam from power for humanitarian reasons.^[8] On October 2, 2002, Bayh joined President George W. Bush and Congressional leaders in a Rose Garden ceremony announcing their agreement on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War, and was thanked by Bush and Senator John McCain for co-sponsoring the resolution.^[9] Later, in 2006, Bayh criticized the conduct of the Iraq War:

It is clear to just about everyone but the die-hard neoconservatives within this administration that shifting our focus away from Osama bin Laden to Saddam Hussein was perhaps the biggest strategic blunder in our nation's history. And while we have been preoccupied with Iraq, under this President, North Korea has gone nuclear and Iran is on the verge of doing so.^[36]

A blog from The Washington Post reported that in February 2006 Bayh was quoted saying: "We've got to be somewhere between 'cut and run' ... and mindlessly staying the course. You've got to have a sensible middle ground."^[37]

National debt

In a speech entitled "The American Middle Class: Future of the Nation, Future of the Democratic Party," Bayh said:

The [Bush] Administration has increased the national debt by nearly $3 trillion, money our middle class and children must repay with interest. They borrow from Japan, China, Persian Gulf countries, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, even Mexico. They are mortgaging our future. This is not how great leaders act.^[38]

National security

Bayh is a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Select Intelligence Committee and is continually monitoring the progress of national security abroad, as U.S. troops continue operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bayh has emphasized national security as an important issue:

In a post-September 11th world, our first responsibility is to keep the American public as safe as possible and to be prepared for every possible threat...Preventing and responding to biological attacks will require us to mobilize all available resources at the federal and state level, and the first line of defense is often state governments.^[39]

He has criticized the Bush administration on national security:

The sad truth is that nearly five years after 9/11, this president has made the country less secure than we were before the attacks. We have tinkered around the edges of homeland security without making the tough decisions and investments needed to make us truly safe. And perhaps worst of all, we have taken our eye off the ball in the war on terror.

At the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Bayh said:

As an American, I welcome this debate on national security because in an age of global terror, there is nothing more important than protecting the American people. It is a dangerous world – 3,000 Americans were killed on September 11th. Suicidal terrorists have pledged to attack again – and they have in London, Madrid, Amman, Bali, and across Iraq. North Korea has expanded its nuclear arsenal. Hamas will soon be in charge of the Palestinian Authority. And the radical leader of Iran who is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons – has pledged to destroy Israel and asked his people to imagine a world without the United States.^[40]

Trade

During his time in the Senate, Bayh has criticized trade policies of some countries, including China. Bayh's bipartisan Stopping Overseas Subsidies (SOS) Act was intended to allow the United States to enforce its antisubsidy laws abroad. He voted against CAFTA.^[41]

Bayh placed a hold on the President's nominee to be the U.S. Trade Representative. After receiving several key commitments from Portman to get tough on China trade, Bayh agreed to release his hold.^[42]

Electoral history

Books by Evan Bayh

• From Father to Son

See also

Indiana portal

• List of Governors of Indiana

References

External links

• United States Senator Evan Bayh, U.S. Senate site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• GovTrack – B. Evan Bayh profile
• New York Times – Evan Bayh News collected news and commentary
• SourceWatch Congresspedia – Evan Bayh profile
• Evan Bayh at the Huffington Post
• DePauw University Commencement Speech – May 21, 2006
• Indiana Historical Bureau state portrait
• President Clinton's Speech honoring Governor Bayh
• 21st Century Scholars program
• Senior Citizens Relief Act
• Congress Passes Bayh's Long-Term Care Initiatives
• IndyStar Library: Evan Bayh
• Sen. Evan Bayh Calls on DePauw's Class of 2006 to Build Unity and Restore Patriotism – May 21, 2006
• University of Virginia Commencement Speech  – May 24, 2005
• Honoring Our Armed Forces – December 7, 2004
• Works by or about Evan Bayh in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Biography and issue positions at Votimus.com

Governors of Indiana Territorial (1800–1816) Harrison · Posey State (since 1816) Jennings · Boon · W. Hendricks · Ray · Noble · Wallace · Bigger · J. Whitcomb · Dunning · Wright · Willard · Hammond · Lane · Morton · Baker · T. Hendricks · Williams · Gray · Porter · Gray · Hovey · Chase · Matthews · Mount · Durbin · Hanly · Marshall · Ralston · Goodrich · McCray · Branch · Jackson · Leslie · McNutt · Townsend · Schricker · Gates · Schricker · Craig · Handley · Welsh · Branigin · E. Whitcomb · Bowen · Orr · Bayh · O'Bannon · Kernan · Daniels See also: Governor of Indiana

United States Senators from Indiana Class 1 Noble • Hanna • Tipton • White • Bright • Wright • Turpie • T. Hendricks • Pratt • McDonald • Harrison • Turpie • Beveridge • Kern • New • Ralston • Robinson • Minton • Willis • Jenner • Hartke • Lugar Class 3 Taylor • W. Hendricks • Smith • Hannegan • Whitcomb • Cathcart • Pettit • Fitch • Lane • Morton • Voorhees • Fairbanks • Hemenway • Shively • Taggart • Watson • Van Nuys • Jackson • Jenner • Capehart • Bayh II • Quayle • Coats • Bayh III