
(Robert Giroux/Getty Images)
A longtime House GOP leader, Blunt won the 2010 election to replace Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.). He defeated Robin Carnahan (D), the state treasurer and daughter of Mel (the late governor) and Jean, the former senator.
After Republicans lost seats for the second election in a row in 2008, Blunt resigned his post as minority whip, perhaps before he was ousted. His top aide, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), replaced him.
- Career History: U.S. Representative (1997 to 2011); House Minority Whip (2002 to 2008); President, Southwest Baptist University (1993 to 1996); Missouri Secretary of State (1985 to 1993)
- Birthday: Jan. 10, 1950
- Hometown: Niangua, Mo.
- Alma Mater: Southwest Baptist University, B.A., 1970; Southwest Missouri State University, M.A., 1972
- Spouse: Abigail
- Religion: Baptist
- Committees: Appropriations (ranking member, subcommittee on Agriculture , Rural Development, Food and Drug Administratio n, and Related Agencies); Commerce, Science and Transportation ; Rules and Administration ; Select Committee on Intelligence
Blunt grew up on a dairy farm near Springfield. He was surrounded by politics at an early age; his father beat Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill's mother for a job as state representative.
He graduated from Southwest Baptist University in 1970 and earned his master's degree from Southwest Missouri State University in 1972.
Blunt has a solidly conservative voting record. He voted with his party 95 percent of the time in the 110th Congress and received a 96 percent rating in 2007 from the American Conservative Union.
One of Blunt's primary legislative achievements was the passage of the Combat Met Act, a measure that dealt with fighting the supply of methamphetamines. He introduced a subsequent bill in the 109th Congress that would have granted states money to prosecute meth dealers and distributors, but the bill never became law.
Despite a hard-fought fight for majority leader, Blunt and John Boehner have a good working relationship. Blunt and his former number two, Eric Cantor, are also close.
Blunt and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) describe each other as "good friends," despite the partisan rancor in the House. They ate monthly lunches together.
- League of Conservation Voters
- VandeHei, Jim, "GOP Whip Quietly Tried to Aid Big Donor; Provision Was Meant to Help Philip Morris,"Washington Post, June 11, 2003
- CNN.com Live 2010 Election Results
- GovTrack.us
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- The Crypt, Politico.com
- Edsall, Thomas, "House Majority Whip Exerts Influence by Way of K Street," Washington Post, May 17, 2005
- Herszenhorn, David, "Congress Pushes to End Impasse on the Bailout," New York Times, Sept. 26, 2008
- Salant, Jonathan and Livtan, Laura, "Blunt, Boehner Share Broad Network of Lobbyist Ties With DeLay,"Bloomberg News, Jan. 10, 2007
- Shesgreen, Deidre, "Roy Blunt: Master of Occasional Chaos," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Nov. 25, 2007
- Washington Post Votes Database
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