Robert E. Andrews (D-N.J.)

U.S. Representative (since November 1990)

(House web site)

Why He Matters

An ambitious congressman from New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, Andrews received more votes in November 2008 than anyone ever elected to the U.S. House in New Jersey, breaking his own record. The victory came after a failed bid to unseat incumbent Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), a move that angered many of the state's powerful Democrats.

Andrews has been a House member since 1990 when he won the seat vacated by his mentor, former New Jersey governor and Rep. Jim Florio (D). Andrews immediately began serving on the House Education and Labor and Armed Services committees; he chaired the Armed Services' subcommittee on Defense Acquisition Reform, which was tasked with determining the causes of defense acquisition failures and suggesting solutions.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders (1986-1990); Adjunct Professor, Rutgers University College of Law (1985-86 and 1989-90); Practicing attorney (1982-90)
Birthday: August 4, 1957
Hometown: Camden, New Jersey
Alma Mater: Bucknell University, B.A. 1979; Cornell University, J.D. 1982
Spouse: Camille
Religion: Episcopalian

Committees: Armed Services , Education and the Workforce
DC Office: 2265 Rayburn House Building, Washington, D.C. 20515, Phone: 202-225-6501
District Offices: 515 Grove Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 3C, Haddon Heights, NJ 08035, Phone: 856-546-5100; 63 N. Broad St, Woodbury, NJ 08096, Phone: 856-848-3900
Email
Website

Path to Power

Andrews was born in Camden, N.J., on Aug. 4, 1957. The son and grandson of shipyard workers, he grew up in Bellmawer, N.J., and graduated from Triton High School. Andrews was the first in his family to attend college; he earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Bucknell University in 1979 and a law degree from Cornell University in 1982.

From 1982 to 1985, Andrews worked as a private practice attorney in Camden County. He then taught law as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University College of Law from 1985 to 1986.

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With the support of then-Rep. Jim Florio (D), Andrews was elected in 1986 to the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Two years later, he was elected freeholder director, a position he would hold until he was elected to Congress in 1990.

Andrews lives in Haddon Heights, N.J., with his wife Camille and the couple's two children. Andrews doesn't have an apartment in Washington D.C., but rather commutes by train to the nation's capital each day.

U.S. House

Andrews was elected to the U.S. House from New Jersey's 1st district in November 1990, at 33-years-old. He ran in a special election to replace his mentor Jim Florio (D), who had left his House seat in January to become governor.

The election proved difficult for Andrews. He received an endorsement from Florio, who had recently passed an unpopular state tax increase, and was harshly criticized for the connection. Gloucester County Freeholder Dan Mangini, the GOP challenger, called Andrews "Florio's clone" and campaigned on lower taxes. Mangini lost support, however, when he changed his position on abortion rights and claimed to have attended a college he hadn't.

Andrews won the 1990 special election with 54 percent of the vote, a relatively small total for the strongly Democratic 1st district. He's been easily reelected with no major challenges since. He's even run unopposed several times; in 2006, he won with 100 percent of the vote.

Political Ambition

Andrews has made several attempts throughout his congressional career to win election to more powerful offices, ruffling feathers in the process. In 1996, he announced he would run in New Jersey's 1997 gubernatorial election. Once again endorsed by Jim Florio (D-N.J.), Andrews was the party favorite and primary frontrunner.

He faced stiff opposition from Jim McGreevey, a relatively unknown state senator who was also mayor of Woodbridge Township. County chairmen, who are very influential in the state's primary elections, were split evenly in their support for the two men. At the last minute, one of the chairmen switched camps and supported McGreevey, who won the June 1997 primary with 39 percent of the vote. Andrews was a close second with 37 percent.

Andrews seemed poised to run for governor again in 2004, when then-Gov. McGreevey retired following a very public scandal in which he admitted to having an extramarital affair with a man. Andrews had been quietly networking and raised more than $1 million for his warchest. He wasn't well connected with state officials, however, and when then-U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) announced his candidacy, Andrews declined to run. He hoped to procure Corzine's Senate seat; that didn't happen either.

2008 Senate Primary

In 2008, Andrews announced much to the chagrin of New Jersey Democrats that he would challenge popular Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).. Andrews ran attack ads against the then-84-year-old Lautenberg, claiming the incumbent was too old for his job and wouldn't have enough energy to get things done. "Now Lautenberg will be 91 at the end of his term," one ad said. "Ninety-one."

The move against Lautenberg and the tone of Andrews' campaign infuriated state Democrats. They rallied behind Lautenberg, who would actually be 90 at the end of his term, and highlighted his consistently liberal voting record. Lautenberg focused on issues and attacked Andrews for supporting the Iraq war, deeply unpopular in the blue state. Lautenberg easily beat Andrews in the June 2008 primary, 61 to 34 percent.

Andrews was unable to run in the 1st district House primary that year. His wife Camille, an attorney and associate dean at Rutgers School of Law, ran instead and won with 85 percent of the vote. Despite charges of political scheming, Camille claimed her candidacy was legitimate, though she did say she'd step aside for another candidate if party leaders asked her to.

After Rob Andrews' crushing blow in the Senate primary, Camille abdicated her spot on the ballot and Rob Andrews ran in her place. He claimed his wife had stepped down to avoid a conflict of interest; he had been offered a position in the private financial sector with Goldman Sachs that he would take if he weren't reelected. Andrews easily won the 2008 general election with 72 percent of the vote.

Party Leadership

While Andrews' surprise 2008 challenge to Lautenberg hurt him politically in New Jersey (many in the state still don't trust Andrews and offer nothing but harsh criticism for him), it hasn't affected his growing star power in the U.S. House. Known as one of the sharpest minds and best communicators in the Democratic Party, Andrews has emerged as a go-to spokesperson for the party and one of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)'s right-hand-men.

During the 2009-2010 health-care debate, Andrews acted as chair of the House Education and Labor subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions. He was tapped by Democrats to explain policy points to his peers and to make regular national TV appearances promoting the reform measure.

In December 2010, Pelosi appointed Andrews to the powerful House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. He helped shape party policy and strategy as Democrats shifted to the minority in the 112th Congress, often going toe-to-toe with Republicans in the media. He was also chosen by former Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) to head a seven-member panel dedicated to defense contracting.

Andrews worked with Vice President Joe Biden and other leading Democrats in early 2011 to try to prevent a government shutdown over budget negotiations. Many in the party think he could have a long career should he choose.

"He's smart as hell," said Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), a House veteran of more than 50 years. "He has strong instincts as a good leader [and] he's obviously got a future in that because I know he's going to continue growing."

The Issues

A political moderate who tends to lean conservative on foreign policy, Andrews is an extremely active legislator. He introduces on average more than 100 bills every two years. His main areas of interest have been education, health-care reform, the Iraq war and 1st district issues.

Though he voted along party lines 99 percent of the time in the 111th Congress, Andrews is known as an independent-minded legislator who sometimes bucks his Democratic Party and works with Republicans. He was one of the few Democrats to support the Iraq war and often met with President George W. Bush to discuss the conflict.

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Andrews has worked on transportation, environment and energy issues important to his district. In 2009, he and then-Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) teamed to solve chronic delays at the Philadelphia International Airport. They suggested diverting 50,000 flights per year to the Atlantic City International Airport.

Along with Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), Andrews spearheaded House approval of the Employee Free Choice Act. The controversial labor-backed bill made it easier for citizens to unionize and was killed indefinitely by business allies.

Health-Care Reform

An ardent supporter of health reform, Andrews co-sponsored 2010 health-care overhaul legislation and pushed for the public option to be included in the bill's final version.

As then-chair of the Education and Labor subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions, Andrews was active in promoting the reform measure. He frequently spoke to the media and on the House floor in defense of the reform measure, bringing more level-headed arguments to the often hyperbolic health-care debate.

Andrews co-sponsored the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and the 2007 Mental Health Bill, which required insurance companies to treat mental maladies as well as physical ones.

The Iraq War

Andrews supported the 2002 invasion of Iraq and co-sponsored legislation that authorized the use of American military force. During the first few years of the war, he consistently voted to fund operations and met regularly with President George W. Bush.

As the country's opinion of the war grew more negative, Andrews stood by his decision. He said that American involvement was "better than leaving Saddam Hussein in power." In 2006, however, he began second-guessing how Bush handled the conflict and called for an increased Iraqi soldier presence.

Social Issues

Andrews leans liberal on social issues. He favors stem-cell research and co-sponsored a 2005 bill that would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct more research.

Andrews also supports abortion rights and has opopsed legislation that would restrict access to the procedure. In 1993, Andrews co-sponsored legislation that would make it a criminal offense to block entryways to abortion clinics or harass patients and doctors; the bill didn't pass the House.

Andrews typically supports LGBT rights. He voted in 2010 to repeal "Don't ask, Don't tell" and co-sponsored in 2007 legislation that bans workplace discrimination on the basis of sexuality. He voted in 2006 against a resolution that would define marriage as between a man and a woman, but supported the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which permits states to effectively ignore civil unions from other states.

Education

Andrews has pushed for education-reform legislation. He co-sponsored the 2007 College Student Relief Act, which lowers interest rates on certain student loans, and the 2009 Student Aid Program Modifications, which appropriated billions to public education modernization and early education projects.

In 2007, Andrews voted to fund Head Start, a program that helps children in low-income areas attend preschool. He also supported President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind program.

Energy and the Environment

Andrews supports legislation that moves America "from energy dependency to energy efficiency." He co-sponsored the 2007 Energy Bill, which mandated better fuel economy in motor vehicles and increased energy standards. He supported June 2009 cap-and-trade legislation, increased oil-drilling regulations and loans for energy efficiency, and has promised to work toward more stringent clean-air standards.

In New Jersey, Andrews advocated stopping a plan to deepen the Delaware River. The project has been a decade-long source of contention between New Jersey and Pennsylvania officials. Proponents argue that deepening the river will enable Philadelphia ports to import more cargo. Opponents such as Andrews say resultant dredge spoils will hurt New Jersey's environment.

Budget, Economy, Finance

Andrews voted for the 2008 financial bailout and the 2009 stimulus plan. He didn't support President Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, but voted for President Obama's 2010 tax plan, which extended many of the original cuts.

In 2007, Andrews co-sponsored the Mortgage Forgiveness and Debt Relief Act. He also co-sponsored in 2008 credit -card regulation legislation that implemented consumer-protection measures.

The Network

Andrews has a close working relationship with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). He supported her 2010 bid to retain leadership of House Democrats, and she appointed him in December 2010 to the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

In the 112th Congress, Andrews co-chairs the Congressional Wounded to Work Caucus with Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.) and Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (Guam). He sits on the Armed Services and Education and the Workforce Committees and is the ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions.

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Additional Resources