James O. McCrery III
Former U.S. Representative (April 1988 to January 2009)
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In 2007 McCrery, the former ranking minority member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and popular Republican congressman from Louisiana, announced that he would retire at the start of 2009, after more than 20 years in Washington. If he chooses to become a lobbyist, as many retired members do, he has strong experience in tax-writing, Social Security and Medicare, subjects certain to provide employment to the well-connected.
McCrery represented Louisiana's 4th District, which includes the politically undecided northwest corner of the state, but he never faced real trouble defending his seat. His district voted for President Bill Clinton and Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu in 1996, George W. Bush in 2000, Landrieu again in 2002, Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco over current Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal in 2003, and Bush again in 2004.
- Career History: U.S. Representative (1988 to 2009); In-house Counsel and Regional Manager for Governmental Affairs, Georgia-Pacific Corporation (1984 to 1988); Legislative Director for U.S. Representative Buddy Roemer (1981 to 1984)
- Birthday: Sept. 18, 1949
- Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana
- Alma Mater: Louisiana Tech University, B.A., 1971; Louisiana State University, J.D., 1975
- Spouse: Johnette
- Religion: Methodist
- DC Office: Not Available
- State/District Office: Not Available
- Web site
McCrery was born in Shreveport, La., on Sept. 18, 1949, and grew up in Leesville. He earned his B.A. from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston in 1971 and his J.D. from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in 1975.
He began his career as a practicing lawyer in Leesville from 1975 to 1978 before becoming as assistant city attorney in Shreveport from 1979 to 1980.
McCrery voted with the majority of his Republican colleagues 93.5 percent of the time in the 110th Congress, although he broke with his party to vote for the $700 billion bailout package in October 2008.
Taxation
McCrery played a major part in passing the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts.
McCrery is close to Republican Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, one of the GOP's rising stars. After graduating from college, Jindal interned in McCrery's House office before McCrery helped place him in a government job back home. McCrery is godfather to Jindal's son, and the governor calls the representative "a mentor" who has "left a permanent impression on the history of our state."
In the 2008 presidential race, McCrery provided one of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's first endorsements, in January 2007. When Senator John McCain won the party's nomination, McCrery switched his allegiance.
- Pursnell, Allan, "Senate revives 1, tables 2 bills to modify state liability laws," The Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, June 10, 1987
- http://www.nationaljournal.com/almanac/2008/people/la/rep_la04.php
- http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000388
- http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1227939798172780.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
- http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1227939798172780.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
- http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000388/
- Opensecrets.org
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