After years of work, McIntyre succeeded in June 2009 in getting a House bill passed to grant federal recognition to North Carolina's Lumbee Tribe. Burr and Hagan introduced a similar bill in the Senate Oct. 1, 2009.

Health-Care Reform

McIntyre's Blue Dog centrism and the presence of large pharmaceutical companies in his state made him an important voice in the 2009 debate over health-care reform. He is also a former co-chair of the House Rural Health-Care Coalition. Though McIntyre supports certain reforms, he does not favor a large public-insurer option, and is concerned about the cost of any health-care legislation.

Even after Obama toned down his commitment to a public option, and listed a lower price tag in his September 2009 speech before Congress, McIntyre was unconvinced. He thought $900 billion was still too much. "My first question is always, how much is it going to cost the taxpayer?" he said.

"What I have favored is more targeted reform," McIntyre said. "We can make incremental changes in a way that's more affordable." Instead of sweeping changes, he suggests expanding the use of electronic medical records, promoting community health centers, and improving health-care in rural areas by improving Medicare reimbursement.

The Economy

In response to the loss of manufacturing jobs in his district, McIntyre has repeatedly voted against legislation that promotes freer trade, including bills establishing trade promotion authority and improving trade relations with China. He has also pushed for increased subsistence payments and job-training assistance for workers who have lost their jobs because of of the North American Free Trade Association.

Going against his Democratic colleagues, McIntyre voted against the $700 billion Wall Street bailout measure in October 2008, but he supported Obama's $787 billion federal stimulus package in February 2009.

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