People in the news

Charlie Melancon

Former U.S. Representative (January 2005-2011)

(Congress Bio Directory)

Why He Matters

Melancon (pronounced meh-LAW-sawn) represents the 3rd district in Louisiana, which spans much of the southeastern part of the state outside of New Orleans. Melancon was narrowly elected in 2004 on a conservative platform and is one of the most right-leaning members of the Democratic Caucus, especially on social issues. He challenged Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) in 2010 in what Senate Democrats saw as a major pick-up opportunity, but lost in the November general election.

He was chosen co-chair of communications for the Blue Dog Coalition after the 2008 election, a position that gives him influence over the message of an increasingly powerful group in Congress. The fiscally conservative Blue Dogs grew to more than 60 members in the 2008 election.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Co-chair for Communications for the Blue Dog Coalition (November 2008-January 2011); President and General Manager of the American Sugar Cane League (1993 to 2004); Owner of Melancon Insurance Agency (1980 to 1993)
Birthday: Oct. 3, 1947
Hometown: Napoleonville, La.
Alma Mater: University of Southwest Louisiana, B.S. (Agribusiness), 1971
Spouse: Peachy

Religion: Catholic
DC Office: 404 Cannon House Office Building, 202-225-4031
District Offices: Houma, 985-876-3033; Chalmette, 504-271-1707; Gonzales, 225-621-8490; New Iberia, 337-367-8231
Email
Web site

Path to Power

Melancon grew up in Napoleonville, a farming town of 600 in south-central Louisiana. He was born into a family that has farmed for generations. His great-great-grandfather raised sugar cane and passed the business down. His uncle was a sugar farmer and his father ran a sugar co-op. Melancon said he remembers joining his dad at the co-op every Saturday and working every summer at the sugar mills.

Melancon graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana with a degree in agribusiness, but did not become a farmer himself. Right after college, he joined Edwin Edwards' (D) gubernatorial campaign and later worked on Edwards' transition team. He returned to Napoleonville, where he ran an insurance agency and bought three Baskin-Robbins ice cream franchises. He ran for the Louisiana state House in 1975 and lost. He didn't run again until 1985, when he won the first of three terms in the legislature. In 1993, he resigned and became president of the American Sugar Cane League.

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The Issues

Melancon is one of the least reliable Democrats. During the 109th Congress, Melancon voted with the Democrats just just 67 percent of the time. He supported President George W. Bush's proposals 72 percent of the time in 2006 (by comparison, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) supported the president in 25 percent of 2006 votes). In 2006, Melancon had a higher rating from the American Conservative Union (76 percent) than he does from the liberal Americans for Democratic Action (40 percent).

Melancon votes with conservatives on most social issues. He supports gun owners' rights, wants to define marriage as being between a man and a woman, and introduced failed legislation during the 109th Congress expressing the sense of the Congress that displaying the Ten Commandments in public buildings does not violate the First Amendment.

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He is anti-abortion rights, but he breaks with conservatives on stem-cell research and supports the use of embryonic stem cells. "This is pro-life in that it will give people a better quality of life," he said. "Anyone who says this is anti-pro-life doesn't want to take a real look at it."

Gulf Coast Restoration

Even before Hurricane Katrina made landfall midway through Melancon's first term, the Louisiana congressman spent a lot of time working on Gulf Coast restoration. In May 2005, he proposed a tax credit for people who spend their own money to protect their property.

After the hurricane, Melancon was consumed by constituent services and providing funding for coastal restoration projects in his district. Melancon said after Katrina and Rita he became frustrated with the federal bureaucracy, saying it tried to use old solutions to address a problem that was bigger than the old problems.

"A lot of people in Washington don't have a clue what's going on," he said. Melancon gave passionate floor speeches about the need for more federal funding and spent considerable time in his district, including a trip he took with the Democratic leadership in 2006. He helped secure more than $60 billion in federal aid for the area.

Agriculture

Melancon landed a seat on the House Agriculture Committee in his first year, the same year President Bush's proposed budget slashed 10 percent of the agriculture budget. The president wanted to cut federal subsidies for farmers, which would have negatively impacted the sugar farmers in Melancon's district. "It's going to affect these rural districts," Melancon said.

Melancon also voted against the Central American Free Trade Agreement because the domestic sugar lobbyists were strongly opposed to a deal that could flood the market with cheaper sugar. Melancon had promised his supporters that he would oppose the trade agreement, but it passed anyway.

Oil Exploration

Part of his work to restore the Gulf Coast has been devoted to increasing oil revenue for the state. In 2006, he worked for a bill that opened an area in the Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil drilling and increased the amount of federal royalties that went to the states. The bill was considered a huge win for offshore drilling and for Louisiana.

After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Melancon got a seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where his predecessor, Billy Tauzin, had served as chairman. The seat will allow Melancon to continue to keep his eye on the oil industry, which is so important to his district.

The Network

Melancon was elected co-chair for communications of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition in November 2008. He will work with the other two co-chairs, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) and Baron P. Hill (D-Ind.), to lead the influential group.

Additional Resources

Courreges, Patrick, "Melancon ad touts his role after hurricane," The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), Sept. 12, 2006
"Rep. Melancon recognizes second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina," States News Service, Aug. 29, 2007
The Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition
Courreges, Patrick, "Storms test Boustany, Melancon," The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), Jan. 3, 2006
Hebert, H. Josef, "House lifts offshore drilling ban," Associated Press Online, July 1, 2006
CQ Staff, "There's a new team for the Blue Dogs," Congressional Quarterly Today, Nov. 19, 2008
Walsh, Bill, "Stem-cell spending OK'd by House; But president vows 2nd veto of the measure," Times-Picayune (New Orleans), Jan. 12, 2007
Shields, Gerard, "La. Lining up to fight ag cutback," The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), Feb. 27, 2005
CQ's Politics in America 2008
Petrash, Jeffrey M., Cooper, William S. III, Baserville, Sonya L., Blanton, M. Stanford, et al, "Report of the legislation and regulartory reform committee," Energy Law Journal, 2007
Shields, Gerard, "La. Lining up to fight ag cutback," The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), Feb. 27, 2005
"Decision 2010: Louisiana results," MSNBC, November 2, 2010
Radelat, Ana, "Melancon wins new committee job," Gannett News Service, Dec. 14, 2006
Courreges, Patrick, "Melancon offers aid on coastal projects; Tax credits proposed for landowners' work," The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), May 7, 2005
Shields, Gerard, "$51.8 billion more approved; House OKs aid package for Hurricane Katrina victims," The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), Sept. 9, 2005
Cillizza, Chris, "Meet the winners of the two Louisiana runoff elections," Roll Call, Dec. 13, 2004