| Patrick J. Toomey | |
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| In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Paul McHale |
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| Succeeded by | Charlie Dent |
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| Born | November 17, 1961 Providence, Rhode Island |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Kris Toomey |
| Residence | Zionsville, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (B.A.) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Toomey for Senate |
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Toomey, Sr. (born November 17, 1961) is an American politician. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, a Republican representing the Lehigh Valley-based 15th congressional district from January 1999 to January 2005, when he retired after running for a seat in the United States Senate. From 2005 to 2009, he served as president of the Club for Growth, a 501(c)(4) organization with an affiliated Political Action Committee, which focuses on limited government and free-enterprise advocacy.
On April 15, 2009, Toomey announced his intention to run for the Republican nomination in the Pennsylvania Republican senatorial primary. He is widely seen as a front-runner for the GOP nomination and leads incumbent Senator Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak in recent general election polling.[1][2][3]
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Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Toomey was raised by working-class Catholic parents, and was one of six children. Through scholarships and work-study, he was able to attend La Salle Academy and later, Harvard University. After graduating from Harvard with a political science degree, Toomey was hired by Chemical Bank in 1984, where he was involved in currency swap transactions. In 1986, Toomey was hired by Morgan, Grenfell & Co., where he dealt in multiple foreign currencies, interest rates, and currency-related derivatives.[4] In 1991, Toomey resigned from the firm when it was acquired by Deutsche Bank in order to avoid the decreased flexibility and entrepreneurship that the acquisition would have caused.[4] The same year, Toomey and two younger brothers, Steven and Michael, opened Rookie's Restaurant in Allentown, Pennsylvania.[4]
Toomey often cites his experience as a small-business owner in the Lehigh Valley when criticizing what he refers to as excessive government regulation and taxes.
In 1994 Toomey was elected to Allentown's newly established Government Study Commission. During his term, Toomey drafted a new charter for the Commission requiring a super-majority for any tax increase.[5] The charter was approved by Allentown voters on April 23, 1996.[6]
In November 1997, Toomey married Kris Ann Duncan. They have two children, Bridget and Patrick, Jr.
In 1998, Toomey ran for the 15th District seat being vacated by the Democratic incumbent Paul McHale against state Senator and future Allentown Mayor Roy C. Afflerbach. Toomey won by an unexpectedly wide ten-point margin.
Toomey was reelected two more times by relatively comfortable margins. While the 15th has historically been a Democratic district, it has a fairly strong tinge of social conservatism due to its predominately Catholic population.
Toomey did not run for reelection to his House seat in 2004, fulfilling a pledge that he had signed in 1998 to serve only three terms.[7]
Since his first days as a freshman Congressman, Toomey has strongly advocated for deregulation of the financial services industry.[4] While serving on the House Banking Committee, Toomey, in 1999, helped write House Resolution 10, which led to the repeal of parts of the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act.[4][5] The repeal of the Act, which had regulated the separation of banks and investment firms, allowed the creation of huge companies that combined banking and investment operations.
During the 2002 election, Toomey's website was praised as among the best of the 2002 election cycle.[8]
In 2004, he challenged incumbent Senator Arlen Specter in the Republican primary election. Aided by $2 million of advertising from the Club for Growth, Toomey's campaign theme was that Specter was not a conservative, especially on fiscal issues.
However, most of the state's Republican establishment closed ranks behind Specter. This included Pennsylvania's other Senator, Rick Santorum.
Toomey lost by a 1.7% margin after an eleventh-hour endorsement of the incumbent, Specter, by President George W. Bush.[9]
In January 2005, Toomey became president of the Club for Growth, which had greatly supported his 2004 race against Specter. In August 2007, Toomey also joined the board of the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives.
On April 15, 2009, Toomey announced his intention to once again challenge Specter in the Republican senatorial primary.[2] On April 28, 2009, Specter announced that he was switching parties and would run as a Democrat in 2010 after polls showed him losing to Toomey in the primary[10]. Specter's withdrawal left Toomey as the front runner for the 2010 Republican nomination.[11]
Polling suggests Toomey to be the front-runner for the Republican nomination.
Based on his three terms in Congress, the conservative American Conservative Union (ACU) has assigned Toomey a lifetime congressional rating of 97%,[12] and the liberal Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) a lifetime "Liberal Quotient" of 6%.[13]
Toomey has been a consistent advocate of reducing and eliminating taxes. While in Congress he voted to reduce the capital gains tax, to eliminate the estate tax, to cut small business taxes, to eliminate the "marriage penalty", to first cut federal income taxes and other taxes by $958B over 10 years (the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001) and later to make these cuts permanent, to reduce capital gains and income taxes by nearly $100 billion (the Economic Security and Recovery Act of 2002), and to expand and extend multiple tax credits to individuals and businesses.[14]
Toomey has publicly opposed the federal stimulus package of 2009. He opposes government-run or subsidized healthcare. He has supported a federal balanced budget amendment.
Toomey was rated 80% by the NTU, classifying him as what the NTU considers to be a "Taxpayer's Friend" on tax votes.[14] From 1999-2004, He received a 78% rating by the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) on its 'Liberty Index', indicating what the RLC considers to be a libertarian-leaning voting record. In 2003, Toomey was rated 90% by the United States Chamber of Commerce, indicating what the Chamber considers to be a pro-business voting record.
He has strongly supported increased school choice and charter schools.
Toomey identifies as pro-life. He disagrees with the Roe v. Wade decision, and believes that states should be free to restrict elective abortion. Toomey received a 100% by the National Right to Life Committee, indicating what the organization considers to be a anti-abortion voting record.[15] In 2003, he received a 100% by the Christian Coalition of America (CCA), indicating what the CCA considers to be a "pro-values" voting record.
Toomey advocates the reduction of gun regulations. While serving in Congress, Toomey supported bills that would prohibit suing gun makers and sellers for gun misuse and would decrease the waiting period due to background checks from three days to one for purchases made at gun shows.[14] Toomey received an "A" by the National Rifle Association (NRA), indicating what the NRA considers to be a pro-gun rights voting record.
Toomey has voted to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.[14] He was rated a 13% by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2002, indicating what the ACLU considers to be an anti-civil rights voting record.
During Toomey's tenure in Congress, he supported legislation that would speed up approval of forest thinning projects in 2003, supported opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling and development, opposed implementing the Kyoto Protocol, and opposed legislation that would increasing vehicle fuel efficiency standards and provide incentives for alternative fuels.[14] In 2003, Toomey was given a 0% rating by the League of Conservation Voters, indicating what the organization considers to be an anti-environmental voting record.
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Roy C. Afflerbach | 66,930 | 45% | Patrick J. Toomey | 81,755 | 55% | * | ||
| 2000 | Edward O'Brien | 103,864 | 47% | Patrick J. Toomey | 118,307 | 53% | |||
| 2002 | Edward O'Brien | 73,212 | 43% | Patrick J. Toomey | 98,493 | 57% | * |
2004 U.S. Senate election — Republican Primary
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Media related to Pat Toomey at Wikimedia Commons| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Paul McHale |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2005 |
Succeeded by Charlie Dent |
| Other offices | ||
| Preceded by Stephen Moore |
President of the Club for Growth 2005 – 2009 |
Succeeded by Chris Chocola |
   | Club for Growth - The Club For Growth - http://www.clubforgrowth.org |
| | npr.org, "Moon Over New Orleans" - Moon Over New Orleans : NPR |
| | Entry in the Congressional Biographical Dictionary - TOOMEY, Patrick Joseph - Biographical Information |
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