Pete Sessions ; You Dont Know How to Listen

Pete Sessions
Chairman of the House Rules Commission
Incumbent
Causeless office January 3, 2013
Preceded by	David Dreier
Member of the U.S. Firm of Representatives from Texas's 32nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Constituency established
Member of the U.South. House of Representatives from Texas'southward 5th district
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	John Bryant
Succeeded past	Jeb Hensarling
Personal details
Born	Peter Anderson Sessions (1955-03-22) March 22, 1955 (age 66) Waco, Texas, U.Due south.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Juanita (1984–2011) Karen Diebel (2012–present)
Alma mater	Southwestern Academy
Religion	Methodism

Peter Anderson "Pete" Sessions (born March 22, 1955) is an American politician. He represents Texas'southward 32nd congressional district in the U.Due south. House of Representatives. He is a fellow member of the Republican Party. He is the current chairman of the Firm Rules Committee and a onetime chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.^[1]

Contents

• one Early life, education and career
• ii U.S. Business firm of Representatives
  • 2.1 Campaigns
  • 2.2 Legislation
  • 2.three Inability advancement
  • two.4 Boy Scouts
  • 2.5 National Republican Congressional Committee
  • 2.6 Commission assignments
    • 2.6.ane Political party leadership and caucus memberships
• iii Controversies
  • 3.1 Connections to Abramoff
  • 3.2 Taliban comments
  • 3.3 Blimpgate
  • 3.4 Ties to Allen Stanford
  • 3.five Racial comments
  • 3.6 Countrywide Financial loan
  • three.7 Implication regarding the French
• 4 Personal life
• v References
• 6 External links

Early life, teaching and career

Sessions was born in Waco, Texas, the son of Alice June (née Lewis) and William Steele Sessions, the quondam manager of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.^[2] He grew up in Waco and in the suburbs of Washington, DC. He graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas in 1978. He worked for Southwestern Bell for sixteen years and rose to the rank of district director for marketing in Dallas, supervising 435 employees and managing a $16 million budget. He also worked at Bell Communications Research, formerly called Bellcore and currently named Telcordia Technologies, in New Bailiwick of jersey.^{[ citation needed ]}

U.S. House of Representatives

Campaigns

In his 1991 ballot bid, Sessions finished 3rd in a special election for the House of Representatives.

In 1993, he left his chore with Southwestern Bong to again run for Congress, against 5th District incumbent Democratic Congressman John Bryant. He toured the district with a livestock trailer full of equus caballus manure, claiming that the Clinton Administration's health care plan stank more than the manure. He lost by 2,400 votes. He subsequently became vice president for public policy at the National Eye for Policy Analysis (NCPA), a Dallas-based conservative public policy research institute.

In 1996, when Bryant decided to seek a Senate seat, Sessions was elected to succeed him in the 5th District, defeating Democratic candidate John Pouland with 47 percent of the vote.

He was re-elected in 1998, defeating schoolteacher Victor Morales with 56 percent of the vote.

In 2000, he ran against Regina Montoya Coggins, and was re-elected with 54 percent of the vote.

When redistricting after the 2000 Census made the 5th slightly more Autonomous, he moved to the newly created 32nd Commune for the 2002 ballot, in which he ran confronting Pauline Dixon and won the commune with 68 percent of the vote.

In 2004, Sessions defeated 13-term, Autonomous incumbent Congressman Martin Frost, who had moved to the 32nd after the redistricting in 2003 eliminated Frost's former commune. He won 54–44%, in what was considered the most expensive U.S. House race in the nation. According to the Associated Printing, "The race also was one of the nastiest, with Frost unearthing a decades-old streaking incident by Sessions in his college days and questioning his commitment to security with an advertisement featuring the World Merchandise Eye towers in flames. In response, he criticized Frost for booking Peter Yarrow of the 1960s group Peter, Paul and Mary for a fundraiser. Yarrow had faced an indecency with a child charge years earlier."

In 2010, he faced Dallas businessman and attorney Grier Raggio and Libertarian John Jay Myers. The election was initially considered ane of the meridian nighttime horse battles in the land, simply Sessions won re-election.^[3]

In 2012, he faced the Autonomous candidate, Katherine Savers McGovern, and independent, Seth Hollis. He was endorsed by the Dallas Morning News and won re-election.

In the 2014 Republican primary, Sessions defeated bourgeois Katrina Pierson, an African American and a favorite of the Tea Party movement. He polled 28,954 votes (63.half dozen per centum) to her sixteen,560 (36.4 pct).^[4]

Legislation

Sessions supported the North Texas Invasive Species Barrier Act of 2014 (H.R. 4032; 113th Congress), a pecker that would exempt the Northward Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) from prosecution nether the Lacey Deed for transferring h2o containing invasive species from Oklahoma to Texas.^[5] The Lacey Act protects plants and wild animals by creating civil and criminal penalties for various violations, including transferring invasive species beyond state borders.^[5] Sessions argued that the bill was necessary to prevent "more than ane.5 meg customers of the Northward Texas Municipal H2o District" from facing "restricted access to h2o as a result of the discovery of invasive species in Lake Texoma."^[6]

Disability advocacy

Earlier in his career, he passed the Family Opportunity Act.^{[ commendation needed ]} In 2008, he joined his colleagues Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Patrick Kennedy, and Eleanor Holmes Norton in forming the Congressional Down's syndrome Caucus to educate members of Congress and their staff, about Down Syndrome.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 2011, he sponsored of the ABLE Human action, which sought to amend Section 529 of the Internal Acquirement Service Code of 1986. Information technology did not laissez passer in the 112th Congress and was reintroduced in the 113th Congress.^[7]

Boy Scouts

He was involved in the effort to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America by introducing a "100 Years of Scouting" commemorative money, released in 2010.^{[ needs update ] [viii]} In 2008, Pres. George Westward. Bush signed H.R. 5872 entitled, the "Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Money Human activity." ^[9] The BSA recognized him as a "Distinguished Eagle Scout." He holds a position on the Circumvolve 10 Council of the BSA. Both of his sons are too active in scouting.^[10]

National Republican Congressional Committee

In the 2010 election, during his tenure as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, the party gained command of the Firm with meaning gains. They won a net gain of 63 seats and 89 new freshman members.^[11]

Committee assignments

• Business firm Committee on Rules, chairman

In 2012, he was named chairman of the Firm Rules Committee for the 113th Congress by Speaker of the House John Boehner. The Rules Committee is among the oldest standing committees in the House, having been commencement formally constituted on April 2, 1789.^{[ citation needed ]}

• Subcommittee on Rules and the Arrangement of the Business firm

Party leadership and caucus memberships

• National Republican Congressional Committee, former chairman
• Results Caucus
• Malaysia Trade, Security and Economic Cooperation Caucus
• Republican Written report Committee
• Congressional Hispanic Conference
• Tea Party Caucus
• Congressional Cement Conclave

Controversies

Connections to Abramoff

In belatedly 2001 and early on 2002, he cosigned letters to two Cabinet members asking them to shut downwards casinos operated by several Native American tribes. Within 18 months of sending the messages, he received a full of $20,500 from tribes associated with Jack Abramoff, raising suspicion^{[ according to whom? ]} that he had written the letters to curry favor with Abramoff as he represented a number of competing tribes. In response, his role said that he wrote the letters because of his view that gambling is a local issue, falling under his long held support for federalism.^[12]

In early Feb 2009, Sessions made the post-obit comment near the Republican Political party legislative strategy in the Business firm of Representatives: "Insurgency, we understand perhaps a little bit more considering of the Taliban," he said, during the 60-minute sitdown.^[13] "And that is that they went about systematically understanding how to disrupt and alter a person'south entire processes."^[14] He continued: "I'm not trying to say the Republican Party is the Taliban.... I'm saying an example of how you lot get virtually [it] is to change a person from their messaging to their operations to their frontline message. And we need to understand that insurgency may be required when the other side, the House leadership, does not follow the same commands, which nosotros entered the game with."^[fifteen]

Blimpgate

In 2008, he added a $1.half dozen meg earmark to an appropriations bill, for dirigible enquiry. The earmark benefitted a Chicago visitor, Jim G. Ferguson & Associates, which had no experience in government contracting or dirigible research. Sometime Sessions aide and bedevilled felon Adrian Plesha was a lobbyist for the firm.^{[16] [17]}

In September, Adrian Plesha sued Jim G. Ferguson & Associates for non-payment of fees and expenses continued with his lobbying effort on their behalf.^[18]

Ties to Allen Stanford

Sessions came under criticism for his personal ties to Allen Stanford. Records showed that he received over $44,000 in political contributions from Allen Stanford and his associates.^[19] He besides took multiple trips to Burn Island and to the Caribbean to attend Stanford sponsored events.^[nineteen] These trips included private travel on Stanford's fleet of jets and accommodations.^[19]

In September 2010, Sessions remarked after watching the Princeton Academy men'due south basketball team, "How oftentimes can you become see a bunch of white guys play basketball?" He also reportedly said that the players stayed entirely below the rim. The comments were described as an allusion to the phrase "White Men Can't Jump", and were labeled every bit inappropriate by New Bailiwick of jersey Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell.^[twenty]

Less than two weeks after his "white guys" comments he made controversial comments well-nigh the Democratic Congressional Campaign Commission (DCCC) giving money to and supporting, "African Americans similar Sanford Bishop. And when you accept to retreat back to ... your hard base you're having to make tough decisions."^{[21] [22]}

Countrywide Financial loan

In January 2012, it was reported that Sessions received a so-called "VIP" or "Friends of Angelo" loan in 2007 from troubled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial, in which loans were granted at lower involvement rates than were available to the public. Former Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo created the program to boost the company's standing with politicians, celebrities and well-connected business figures. He received a $1 1000000 loan from Countrywide at below-marketplace rates, which he never alleged in financial disclosures. His, besides as names of other legislators who received similar loans were afterwards referred to the Firm Committee on Oversight and Government Reform every bit part of an ethics investigation into improper gifts.^{[23] [24]} He was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing past the Business firm Committee on Oversight and Regime Reform when their investigation revealed he did not receive any preferential handling or a below marketplace involvement rate on his mortgage from Countrywide.^[25]

Implication regarding the French

During the 2013 government shutdown, later being questioned by another individual regarding his position on the shutdown and his presence at the National World War II Memorial, which was open while other National Park Service monuments and parks remained closed, he replied that "we're not the French; we don't surrender."^[26]

Personal life

In Baronial 2011, he and Juanita divorced, after 27 years of marriage. They have 2 sons, Bill and Alex.^[27] In August 2012, he married Karen Diebel.^[28]

References

1. ↑ [1] Archived June one, 2011 at the Wayback Machine
2. ↑ "sessions". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2013-10-24 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
3. ↑ Blake, Aaron (2009-07-06). "Nighttime horse races to watch in 2010". TheHill.com. Retrieved 2010-08-29 .<templatestyles src="Module:Commendation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
4. ↑ "Republican main election returns, March iv, 2014". enr.sos.country.tx.u.s.a.. Retrieved March 5, 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
5. ↑ ^{five.0 5.1} "CBO – H.R. 4032". Congressional Budget Function. Retrieved 28 April 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
6. ↑ "Pete Sessions Applauds Passage of the N Texas Invasive Species Barrier Deed of 2014". Business firm Office of Pete Sessions. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
7. ↑ http://www.ndss.org/Advancement/Legislative-Agenda/Creating-an-Economic-Time to come-for-Individuals-with-Downward-Syndrome/Achieving-a-Better-of-Life-Experience-ABLE-Human activity/
8. ↑ "Boy Scouts of America's Centennial Commemorative Money Receives Presidential Approval". Boy Scouts of America. 2008-10-16. Retrieved 2009-04-26 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
9. ↑ "Boy Scouts of America Silverish Dollar Centennial Commemorative Coin". Coin News. 2008-04-28. Retrieved 2009-04-26 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
10. ↑ Lovley, Erika (2008-09-17). "Pols talk over raising special-needs kids". Politico. Retrieved 2009-04-26 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
11. ↑ > Exclusive: Sessions Non Running for Bulk Whip, Seeks Reelection at NRCC John R. Parkinson. ABC. Nov. eight, 2010. Retrieved Oct 24, 2013
12. ↑ Gillman, Todd J. (2006-01-06). "Sessions, others in casino crusade got tribal greenbacks". The Dallas Morning time News.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
13. ↑ Bernie Becker (Feb five, 2009). "Sessions, Stimulus and the Taliban". nytimes.com.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
14. ↑ "Learning from the Taliban". The Economist. February 5, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
15. ↑ Thrush, Glenn (February 5, 2009). "Pete Sessions: House GOP learning from Taliban". Political leader.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
16. ↑ Bresnahan, John. "Pete Sessions's blimp flies into storm". Political leader. Retrieved 2010-08-29 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
17. ↑ Kuffner, Charles (2006-04-xix). "CREW goes after Sessions". Off the Kuff. Retrieved 2010-08-29 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
18. ↑ Bresnahan, John. "Lobbyist sues in wake of blimp pork". Politico. Retrieved 2010-08-29 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
19. ↑ ^{xix.0 19.1 19.2} Sallah, Michael. "Feds probe broker Allen Stanford'south ties to Congress – Concern". MiamiHerald.com. Retrieved 2010-08-29 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
20. ↑ "NRCC main jokes about 'white guys'". Pol. Retrieved September 29, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
21. ↑ "NRCC Chair Makes Racially Insensitive Remarks". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved October seven, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
22. ↑ "Democrats & African-Americans". Roll Telephone call. Retrieved Oct 7, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles> ^{[ dead link ]}
23. ↑ Bresnahan, John (2012-01-17). "Sessions got Countrywide VIP loan". Politician. Retrieved 2012-01-19 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
24. ↑ Emshwiller, John (2012-01-18). "Mozilo Tied to Loan to Peak Lawmaker". The Wall Street Periodical. Retrieved 2012-01-19 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
25. ↑ Pelham, Victoria (2012-07-05). "Pete Sessions cleared of wrongdoing in Countrywide loan scandal". Dallas Morn News . Retrieved 2012-09-08 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
26. ↑ Weigel, David (Oct seven, 2013). "GOP Congressman on Shutdown: "We're Non French. We Don't Give up."". Slate.<templatestyles src="Module:Commendation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
27. ↑ Zeller, Shawn (2012-03-18). "Pete Sessions' Divorce Is Final". Curlicue Call. Retrieved 2013-10-24 .<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
28. ↑ Bresnahan, John (August five, 2012). "Pete Sessions weds". Pol. Retrieved 2013-10-24 .<templatestyles src="Module:Commendation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>

External links

• Congressman Pete Sessions official House site
• Pete Sessions for Congress
• Pete Sessions at DMOZ
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Projection Vote Smart
• Financial data (federal office) at the Federal Election Committee
• Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by John Bryant	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas'due south 5th congressional district 1997–2003	Succeeded by Jeb Hensarling
New constituency	Member of the U.S. Firm of Representatives from Texas's 32nd congressional commune 2003–nowadays	Incumbent
Preceded by David Dreier	Chairman of the House Rules Committee 2013–present
Party political offices
Preceded by Tom Cole	Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee 2009–2013	Succeeded by Greg Walden
United States guild of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded past Loretta Sanchez	U.s. Representatives by seniority 80th	Succeeded by Brad Sherman

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Source: https://infogalactic.com/info/Pete_Sessions

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