C.A. Ruppersberger (D-Md.)

U.S. Representative (since January 2003)

Why He Matters

Ruppersberger has a reputation as a constituent-minded moderate whose strength is in building consensus. "My job is to bring the bucks back home to the 'Land of Pleasant Living.'" He used his former position on the House Appropriations Committee to bring home millions to his native Baltimore area, paying particular interest to his district's military facilities and the medical facility where his life was saved in 1975.

Ruppersberger was also the first Democratic freshman ever to gain a seat on the House Intelligence Committee. During the 111th Congress, when Democrats were in control of the House, chaired the Intelligence subcommittee that oversees the National Security Agency, which is based at Fort Meade in Ruppersberger's district.

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At a Glance

Career History: Executive, Baltimore County (1994-2002); Council Member, Baltimore County (1985-1994); attorney and partner, Ruppersberger, Clark and Mister (1980-1994); Assistant State's Attorney, Baltimore County (1972-1980)
Birthday: Jan. 31, 1946
Hometown: Cockeysville, Md.
Alma Mater: University of Maryland B.S., 1967; University of Baltimore Law School, J.D., 1970
Spouse: Kay
Religion: Methodist
Committees: Ranking member, House Permanent Select Committtee on Intelligence (since January 2011)

DC Office: 2453 Rayburn House Office Building202-225-3061
District Office: Timonium, 410-628-2701
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Path to Power

Born as Charles Albert Ruppersberger in 1946, "Dutch" grew up in a Baltimore rowhouse with a nickname that harkened back to the big head of blond hair with which he was born. That nickname would later become an official part of his name.

He attended Baltimore City College and the University of Maryland-College Park for his undergraduate education, before finishing in 19709 at University of Baltimore School of Law. Ruppersberger joined the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office in 1972, where he worked for nine years.

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Ruppersberger traces his interest in politics to two moments in his life: visiting a murdered John F. Kennedy laying in state at the U.S. Capitol and a 1975 car crash that brought Ruppersberger to the brink of death. Grateful for his survival, Ruppersberger took the advice of the Maryland Shock Trauma Center and began his political career with the aim of helping the young medical facility obtain more government funding. His first election run against state Sen. Francis X. Kelly (D) was a defeat, but the two later joined forces as advocates for the trauma center.

In 1985, Ruppersburger was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Baltimore County Council; he won election to a full term the following year. In 1990 and 1993, he was twice elected council chairman.

Baltimore County Executive

In 1994 and again in 1998, Ruppersburger was elected Baltimore County executive. During his eight years as county executive, Ruppersberger was credited with luring major employers such as MBNA Corp. and securing money and land for schools and parks projects. In 1995, Ruppersberger was among the suburban officials who tried to limit the move of thousands of poor black Baltimore residents to the suburbs following a settlement between the city and the American Civil Liberties Union.

In 2000, he also drew detractors for his $75 million plan to expand the county detention center and for supporting a bill allowing the county to condemn residential buildings for redevelopment on the city's east side. The latter was rejected by a wide margin in a 2000 referendum. County councilmen blocked funding for the jail expansion in 2001.

U.S. House

In 2002, Ruppersberger was barred by term limits from running again for county executive and dismissed a possible gubernatorial run after it became clear he wouldn't win the party's nomination. Instead, state and national Democrats carved the mostly suburban 2nd Congressional District specifically for his benefit,and Ruppersberger settled to replace Rep. Robert Ehrlich (R-Md.), who would successfully become the governor that year.

Ruppersberger won the nomination with slightly more than 50 percent of the vote, which was somewhat troubling for Democrats considering his high name recognition. Ruppersberger faced former Rep. Helen Bentley (R-Md.) in the 2002 general election, with national Democrats investing $1 million in advertising in the campaign. The Democrat won with 54 percent of the vote.

In 2005, Ruppersberger formed an exploratory committee for a possible Senate run to replace Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), but later ruled out a bid, claiming he had unfinished business on the House Intelligence Committee.

The Issues

Ruppersberger said his greatest legislative accomplishment is creating Operation Hero Miles in 2003, which allows soldiers on leave to use donated frequent-flyer miles to return home. In 2003, the campaign collected more than 540 million miles and the following year Congress made the program permanent.,

In 2007, Ruppersberger was part of a group of pro-gun rights Democrats who blocked provisions allowing federal law enforcement officials to trace firearms sales.

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Ruppersberger voted with his party 97.4 percent of the time during the 110th Congress.

Intelligence and Homeland Security

In 2009, as chair of the subcommittee that oversees National Security Agency, Ruppersberger led at least four classified briefings concerning the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program. Ruppersberger said while the agency's excess collection of communications was "a serious failure to comply with the FISA court," the panel hasn't found evidence of deliberate lawbreaking.

A co-chair of the Port Security Caucus and a member of the Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee, Ruppersberger advocated for an increase in homeland security grants for the Port of Baltimore, which increased from $1.9 million to $6.6 million in 2008 after being slashed the previous year.

In 2006, Ruppersberger called for Congressional hearings after the Bush administration agreed to sell several ports, including Baltimore's, to the Middle East-based Dubai Ports World.That deal was eventually rescinded.

In 2008, Ruppersberger led a series of roundtables with defense contractors and federal agencies resulting in a report calling for a comprehensive strategic plan to develop spy satellites. Ruppersberger repeated the call following the 2008 elections, saying the investment in space research-and-development should be doubled.

Local Spending

Ruppersberger has also been an advocate for attracting federal funds to major facilities in his district, including the Fort Meade complex, Aberdeen Proving Grounds and the Port of Baltimore.

Ruppersberger and other Maryland officials successfully lobbied to expand area military installations as a part of the 2005 federal Base Realignment and Closure process (BRAC), bringing an estimated 30,000 jobs to the area. After state officials identified billions in infrastructure needs to handle the growth, Ruppersberger called for an influx of federal funds. "We tried to prove our case. But now that they've made the commitment, we need their help."

For the 2010 budget year, Ruppersberger requested millions in spending for Maryland, including $5.6 million to restore the oyster population in the Cheasapeake Bay for commercial harvesting, and $3 million for a brain injury simulation center at the Shock Trauma Center.

The Economy

Ruppersberger voted for both versions of the fall 2008 financial bailout plan, saying he prefers the term "rescue plan" for a proposal that was necessary to save the country from a depression.

The Baltimore County Democrat voted in favor of the February 2009 $787 billion economic stimulus package.

The Network

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) helped convince Ruppersberger to run for Congress in 2002. Upon taking the title of majority leader after the 2006 election, Hoyer relinquished his Appropriations Committee seat to Ruppersberger. Ruppersberger is also close with other members of the Maryland delegation.

Additional Resources

Wood, David "Halt Urged to Intelligence Feuds" The Baltimore Sun, Nov. 19, 2008
Palazzolo, Joe "Ruppersberger finds his home on the Hill" The Maryland Gazette, Nov. 4, 2006
Johnson, Jenna "Incumbent Points to Record of Service" The Washington Post, Oct. 27, 2008
Rothstein, Beth "Former prosecutor Ruppersberger is all or nothing" The Hill, Nov. 19, 2003
Washington Post Votes Database
Green, Andrew A. "Ruppersberger helped improve life, many say; others carry bitterness; Balto. County residents recall successes, miscues with two-term executive" The Baltimore Sun, Dec. 1, 2002
West, Paul "Congress investigating spy violation by NSA" The Baltimore Sun, Apr. 17, 2009
Carson, Larry "Ruppersberger 'not intimidated by much in life'" The Baltimore Sun, Sept. 6, 1994
Brown, Matthew Hay, Timothy B. Wheeler and Phillip McGowan "Md. Bids for Aid on BRAC Growth" The Baltimore Sun, July 23, 2007
Taylor, Andrew "Lawmakers Block Access to Gun Sales Data" The Associated Press, July 12, 2007
Wagner, John "Ruppersberger Forgoes Senate To Finish Up House Work" The Washington Post, Apr. 14, 2005
Olesker, Michael "JFK was central to Ruppersberger's journey" The Baltimore Sun, Dec. 15, 2002
Hsu, Spencer S. "Maryland's 2nd District Key Partisan Battleground; Outcome Could Affect Control of Congress" The Washington Post, Oct. 29, 2002
Green, Andrew A. "Ruppersberger facing uphill battle; Congressional primary hints at weakness in base" The Baltimore Sun, Sept. 12, 2002
Thornberry, Mac "Fiscal Year 2010 Spending Requests"
Mosher, James "Baltimore's top officials oppose sale of major port operator to United Arab Emirates based company" Maryland Daily Record, Feb. 24, 2006
Brown, Matthew Hay and Laura McCandlish "U.S. Will Triple Port Security Grants for Md." The Baltimore Sun, May, 17, 2008
Fernandez, Manny "Relatives Visiting In Military Hospitals Get Help on Airfare" The Washington Post, Dec. 31, 2003

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