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DUNCAN HUNTER
"It is
clear our message of maintaining a strong national defense, securing our
border without amnesty, holding China accountable on trade, and
protecting life are resonating with the voters. Our campaign is one of
issues, not flash and expense. We don't have a jet or an army of
consultants and paid staff. We do have the conservative message that is
true. In the end, that will be what Americans want." -
Duncan Hunter
|
Statistics
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| CAMPAIGN
SLOGAN: "Go Hunter!" |
| FULL
NAME: Duncan Lee
Hunter
|
| DATE
OF BIRTH: May 31, 1948 |
| AGE: 59 |
| ASTROLOGICAL
SIGN: Gemini |
| SPOUSE: Lynne
Layh |
| CHILDREN: Duncan
Duane and Sam |
| PETS: Boo
& Hunter - Black Labs |
| RESIDENCE: Alpine,
CA |
| RELIGION: Baptist |
| PROFESSION: Attorney |
| ALTERNATE
CAREER CHOICE: Outdoor writer |
| LAST
FICTION READ: "The Democrats' proposal to balance the
budget." |
| FAVORITE
FOOD TO COOK/EAT: Chicken fried venison |
| TALENTS: Making
rifle scabbards out of leather |
| FAVORITE
FITNESS ACTIVITY: Hunting, fishing, hiking |
| WORST
HABIT: "Not turning off the Outdoor Life Network (now
Versus) before I go to sleep." |
| LAST
MUSIC PURCHASE: Favors country and gospel |
|
QUICK
FACT: Duncan's Alpine home in East San Diego County was lost
in the October 2003 wildfires. The re-building of his home was
just recently completed.
|
| OFFICIAL
WEBSITE: http://www.gohunter08.com |
| E-MAIL: breanna@gohunter08.com |
Biography -
Duncan
Lee Hunter is an American politician who has been a Republican member of
the House of Representatives since 1981 from California's 52nd congressional
district in northern and eastern San Diego. Hunter was the chairman of the
House Armed Services Committee during the 109th Congress. In the 2006
general election, he defeated Navy veteran/minister John Rinaldi, a
Democrat, and Michael Benoit, a Libertarian. Hunter was re-elected with 65%
of the vote, a 33-point margin over Rinaldi.
His family attends First Baptist Church
of Alpine, which is affiliated with the San Diego Southern Baptist
Association.
Hunter was born in
Riverside, California to Lola L. Young and Robert Olin Hunter. He briefly
attended the University of Montana and the University of California, Santa
Barbara before enlisting in the United States Army. He served in the Vietnam
War in the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 75th Ranger Regiment. Hunter
married the former Lynne Layh in 1973. That same year, utilizing the G.I.
Bill, he enrolled at Thomas Jefferson School of Law (at the time known as
Western State University Law School) and earned a BSL and JD in 1976. Hunter
worked farming and construction jobs to supplement his income while
finishing his degree. After graduation, he opened a storefront legal office
where he often provided free legal assistance to the area's Hispanic
community. He was admitted to The State Bar of California on December 22,
1976, but has held inactive status since January 1, 1983. Inactive members
have chosen this status voluntarily and may transfer to active at any time
upon request.
In 1980, Hunter was
recruited to run for Congress in what was then the 42nd District against
18-year incumbent Democrat Lionel Van Deerlin. Hunter was initially an
underdog, but his attacks on Van Deerlin's record on national defense gained
traction in a district dominated by military bases and personnel. Van
Deerlin did not respond quickly enough, and Hunter narrowly defeated him. He
was one of many Republicans swept into office from historically Democratic
districts as a result of the "Reagan revolution." Van Deerlin had
been the district's only congressman since its creation in 1963. After
the 1980 census, many of the more Democratic areas were cut out of Hunter's
district, and he hasn't faced serious opposition since. In his district, he
consistently gets over 60% of the Hispanic vote and nearly 70% of the
Democratic vote.
In 1994, Hunter
legislatively mandated the construction of 14 miles of security fencing on
the international land border separating San Diego County and Tijuana,
Mexico. As a result, San Diego's crime rate decreased 53% from 1994 to 2006
and the smuggling of illegal immigrants and narcotics decreased by over 90%,
according to the FBI. Hunter
became chairman of the House Armed Services Committee in 2002. As such, he
has sponsored legislation authorizing defense department fiscal year
activities from FY2004 to FY2007. During consideration of the FY2006 Defense
Authorization Act, Hunter offered an amendment to the bill clarifying
enacted policy restricting women from direct combat units. According to The
New York Times, Hunter's efforts would have "barred women from
nearly 22,000 jobs". Hunter's amendment codified existing Army policy
enacted in 1994 under former Defense Secretary Les Aspin that prohibited
women from submitting or migrating into combat units or operations. The
amendment was subsequently withdrawn in order for a study to be conducted on
the rationale and future implementation of the policy.
On April 28, 2004,
Hunter introduced legislation that he said could "turn parents into
prosecuting attorneys fighting a wave of obscenity." HR 6390 IH, also
called the "Parents Empowerment Act", would allow the parent or
guardian of a minor to sue in federal court anyone who knowingly
disseminates material "that is harmful to minors", or
specifically, "any pornographic communication, picture, image, graphic
image file, article, recording, writing, or other pornographic matter of any
kind", if it is distributed in a way that "a reasonable person can
expect a substantial number of minors to be exposed to the material and the
minor, as a result to exposure to the material, is likely to suffer personal
or emotional injury or injury to mental or moral welfare."
In November 2004,
Hunter and Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner withheld their support
for a bill creating a National Intelligence Director (DNI) until specific
conditions were met. Hunter argued that the military is the biggest consumer
of intelligence and any reforms enacted, including the creation of a DNI,
must not endanger the lives of troops on the battlefield. The Intelligence
Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, which created the DNI position, was
passed by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush later that year.
Hunter
introduced H.R. 552, The Right to Life Act, on February 2, 2005. The purpose
of the bill is to "implement equal protection ... for the right to life
of each born and preborn human person." In the 109th Congress, the
legislation collected 101 cosponsors. Hunter states that The Right to Life
Act "would legally define “personhood” as the moment of conception
and, therefore, guarantee all constitutional rights and protections,
including life, to the unborn without utilizing a constitutional
amendment." Hearings for H.R. 552 were scheduled for December 12, 2006,
but were cancelled right before the House adjourned.
In
a House Armed Services Committee hearing on November 9, 2005, Hunter
strongly criticized a Defense Logistics Agency "prime vendor"
buying program that led to the purchase of $20 ice cube trays and a tiny
refrigerator for $22,797 (initially exposed by The State). Hunter
stated that he wanted explanations from the companies in question and the
government purchasing agents who had approved the purchases, accusing the
latter of "absolute incompetence." He further stated that the
purchases are "a real slap in the face to the guy making $13,000 a year
who is engaged in a firefight in Ramadi," and claimed that "A
fairly large amount of incompetence is embedded into the system."
In November 18, 2005,
in response to Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha's resolution to
terminate the deployment of United States forces in Iraq, to redeploy the
forces already involved in Iraq, and to "pursue security and stability
in Iraq through diplomacy", Hunter and other Republicans drafted a
two-sentence counter-resolution which read: "Expressing
the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United
States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately. Resolved,
That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of
United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately." The
bill was defeated, 403-3, in the House of Representatives.
On January 31, 2007,
Hunter held a press conference on the 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile
test, stating that it "represents the commencement of a new era of
military competition in space." He contended that the United States'
ability to engage in warfare depends heavily on its space assets, and opined
that the country must take steps to "ensure our forces cannot be
targeted through an adversarial space strike."
Hunter has repeatedly
voted against international trade agreements such as NAFTA, CAFTA and the
WTO. Hunter contends that free trade policies directly impact America's
manufacturing base and contribute to the country's trade deficit. Hunter
cites that China has a 17% subsidy for its manufacturers, a 17% tax on U.S.
imports, and the Chinese devalue their currency at 40 percent, making
Chinese goods cheaper and leaving U.S. manufacturers at a 74% disadvantage.
Due to the success of
previous legislation that Hunter had mandated in 1994 to construct 14 miles
of security fencing on the international land border separating San Diego
County and Tijuana, Mexico, Hunter introduced new legislation calling for
the construction of a reinforced fence along the entire U.S.-Mexico border.
After successfully adding an amendment to a House-passed bill that
ultimately stalled in House-Senate negotiations, Hunter's amendment was
later incorporated into H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence Act, introduced by New
York Congressman Peter King. Hunter has said that if he becomes President,
the 754 mile double layer border fence will be built in less than 12 months.
In
March of 2007, Hunter announced that he would retire from Congress at the
end of the current session. His son, Duncan Duane Hunter, is campaigning to
succeed his father, although he has not yet officially announced his
candidacy. In a March 2007 South
Carolina straw poll conducted in the Spartanburg area, Hunter finished a
close third (by six votes) in a statistical tie with McCain (1st) and former
New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani (2nd). Commenting on Hunter’s showing,
Spartanburg Republican Gerald Emory said, “Now we have a true Ronald
Reagan conservative that we can support. This is a proud night for the Grand
Ole Party.”
On April 17, 2007,
Hunter won the Anderson County (South Carolina) straw poll with 48% of the
vote. South Carolina is the nation's third primary state. He defeated former
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (25%) by more than two to one, and McCain
(7%) by nine to one. Giuliani (5%) came in a distant fourth. Hunter also
tied for second place in Geenwood County and second place in Pickens County.
Hunter stated "I am grateful to the great conservatives of Anderson,
Greenwood, and Pickens Counties for giving our campaign a huge boost."
(See http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/05/from_foods_to_m.html.)
(See http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=26776.)
(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Hunter.)
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Platform
Issues -
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| Abortion/Life: |
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I would amend
the U.S. Constitution and provide blanket protection to all unborn
children from the moment of conception by prohibiting any state or
federal law that denies the personhood of the unborn. Likewise, I have
also introduced the Right to Life Act, which would legally define
“personhood” as the moment of conception and, therefore, guarantee
all constitutional rights and protections, including life, to the
unborn without utilizing a constitutional amendment.
(More http://www.gohunter08.com/inner.asp?z=4.) |
| Budget/Economy: |
|
I support a
balanced federal budget, with additional revenue provided by economic
growth, not increased taxes. Further, I support limiting growth in
non-defense areas. A balanced federal budget is a priority for our
national economic health and long-term prosperity. Throughout my
tenure in Congress, I have fought for federal spending to provide for
our national and homeland security, as directed by the U.S.
Constitution, and funding increases in both of these arenas will be
necessary in the future to keep our families safe and secure.
Budgetary savings must be identified through efficiency reforms
throughout the federal government. Furthermore, we must
aggressively attack the creation and funding of duplicative federal
programs, many of which simply do not perform but cost taxpayers
millions of their hard-earned dollars. According to Office of
Management and Budget, 28% of federal programs are either ineffective
or have results that are not demonstrated. Reforming, combining
or eliminating those programs remains among my highest legislative
priorities.
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| Constitutional
Issues: |
|
I believe the
current decisional law on the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses
of the First Amendment is inconsistent and flawed. For example,
the recent decisions on the Ten Commandment display, where the Supreme
Court ruled that in
Texas
it is appropriate to have a Ten Commandments monument on the
courthouse grounds, but in
Kentucky
the same display violates the Establishment Clause. The Founding
Fathers developed these clauses to guarantee the right of all citizens to
worship and to protect the church from the state, not to strip
religion from the everyday lives of Americans.
I am deeply
concerned with the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision greatly broadening
local government's use of eminent domain in Kelo vs. New London
and believe it is important that Congress protect the property rights
of private landowners and curb the government from excessive
regulatory takings. It is for this reason that I voted in favor of
expressing the grave disapproval of the House of Representatives
regarding the majority opinion in the Kelo case.
I firmly believe
that marriage is one of the most important social institutions we have
and that it is central to promoting family values and raising children
in a healthy environment. It is for this reason that I cosponsored and
voted in favor of H.J. Res. 88 (Musgrave-CO), which proposes an
amendment to the U.S. Constitution declaring that marriage in the
United States shall consist solely of the union of a man and a woman.
I firmly believe that children need the unique influence offered by
both a father and a mother.
I strongly
believe Congress needs to remain actively involved in ensuring
parents’ rights are protected and I have significant concerns with
recent judicial rulings recognizing “de-facto” or
“psychological” parents, individuals who assist in raising a
child. These types of decisions undermine parental authority, allowing
any adult with an association with the child to make parental claims.
It seems every
election year, some liberal politician dons an NRA cap and grabs a
shotgun for a hunting photo-op, as if that means they support our
right as Americans to keep and bear arms. I, myself, thoroughly enjoy
hunting, having just recently spent a great weekend hunting elk in
Arizona. But, the second amendment is not about hunting. It is about
the right of you and me to be secure in our homes. We must vigorously
defend against all attempts to chip away at the Second Amendment. You
know as well as I do that there is one thing criminals prefer over any
other: unarmed victims.
(More http://www.gohunter08.com/inner.asp?z=4.)
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| Judicial
Appointments: |
|
I support people
with good judgment, proven values, a belief in God, and a heart for
the least of us, including the unborn. I believe it is important that
those sitting on the bench understand that they have a responsibility
to strictly interpret our nation’s laws and not legislate from the
bench with their own political or social agenda. |
| Values
Issues: |
|
In the past,
Congress has considered legislation that would allow the federal
government to assist local authorities in the investigation and
prosecution of crimes motivated by a person's race, color, national
origin, sexual orientation, or religion. Current law allows the
federal government to intervene in cases deemed hate crimes only if
they occur on federal property, or if the victim was participating in
one of six very specific activities, such as voting.
I voted in favor
of the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005, which increases the
penalties for violations by television and radio broadcasters who
transmit obscene, indecent, and profane material on public airwaves.
I believe
gambling is a serious problem in today’s society, every much as
addictive and destructive as alcohol and illegal drugs. As a result,
this problem is equally deserving of as much attention in terms of
federal policy. Unfortunately, those individuals who spend most of
their money gambling are the ones who have the least amount to lose,
often choosing to gamble instead of taking care of their families.
(More http://www.gohunter08.com/inner.asp?z=4.) |
| Education: |
|
I believe we can
educate students more effectively by returning school curriculum
prerogatives to the states, local communities and, most importantly,
to the family. State agencies charged with conducting education
policies do not need expensive and inefficient mandates from a federal
agency and I support streamlining the responsibilities of the U.S.
Department of Education toward a goal of working in cooperation with
local and state governments to meet local and state learning levels.
I support taking
the actions necessary to strengthen our public educational system and
school vouchers are a great opportunity to provide students and their
families with additional educational choices. According to national
studies, a significant percentage of high school students have
difficulty reading at a proficient level, test well below the
international average in math and science, and lack basic knowledge in
history. Clearly, parents have a reason to be concerned. Many
Americans support innovative plans that address our current education
shortcomings and I believe school vouchers are an effective way of
achieving this goal. Taking into consideration that approximately 2
million children are taught at home, it is important that we make
every effort to ensure these students have the same access and
opportunities to federal benefits, such as financial aid, as those who
attend public school. |
| Families
and Taxes: |
|
The current tax
code unfairly imposes a penalty on married couples and I believe
legislative action is needed immediately. In 2001, Congress passed the
Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) to, among
other things, provide marriage tax penalty relief to America’s
working married couples. These changes are phased in over several
years while, at the same time, all of the changes in EGTRRA will
expire after 2010. Taking into consideration that the current tax code
has a sunset on the marriage penalty solution, it is imperative that
Congress pass legislation to make this provision permanent. It is not
only equitable, but prevents sending a message that married couples
should be treated differently than singles.
I firmly support
reform of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and believe it is the most
pressing individual income tax issue facing Americans today. This tax
regulation was created in 1969 in an effort to close certain loopholes
and ensure that a small number of extremely high-income taxpayers paid
a fair share of the federal income tax. However, the lack of
indexation of the AMT, coupled with the recent reductions in regular
income taxes, has greatly expanded the potential impact of this tax.
Absent congressional action, the AMT will "take back" most
of the tax relief granted through income tax reform.
I believe our
current tax code is full of antiquated policies that were installed
for a specific reason and for a specific time, but never removed. For
example, the Federal Telephone Excise Tax was first enacted in 1898 to
help pay for the Spanish-American War when telephones were considered
a "luxury." While this tax was initially applied to
long-distance service, it was later extended to general phone service
in 1941 and currently applies to all telecommunication services, which
include standard and wireless telephone services, as well as computer
Internet connections. This tax unfairly targets Americans that rely on
telephone service as a primary means of communication. For those on
fixed incomes, including our nation's elderly and disabled, it is
often difficult to avoid excessive telecommunication charges,
especially in today's information age.
(More http://www.gohunter08.com/inner.asp?z=4.)
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| Foreign
Policy: |
|
I believe in
peace through strength. I believe in a policy that supports U.S.
interests by spreading freedom within the limits of U.S. capability. I
also believe in ending the one-way street on trade.
The greatest
protection of human rights in this decade has been the overthrow of
the Taliban in
Afghanistan
and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in
Iraq
. Religious freedom is part and parcel of any free society the U.S.
stands up.
As House Armed
Services Chairman, I recognize
Israel
as
America
’s most important ally in the
Middle East
region. As a result, I strongly support Israel’s right to exist and
efforts to defend itself and I have consistently voted in favor of
providing federal funding for Israel’s defense systems, including
missile defense.
I also strongly
support U.S. efforts to establish free societies in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
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| International
Law & Institutions: |
|
I would increase
the burden-sharing by member nations other than the U.S. In addition,
I voted in favor of H.R. 2745 (Hyde-IL), the Henry J. Hyde United
Nations Reform Act of 2005, implementing significant reforms that will
create a more accountable and focused United Nations.
Treaties that
infringe on basic
U.S.
sovereignty should be rejected while international treaties that reign
in tyrants may be of value.
For many years,
I have been concerned with the United Nations’ programs that promote
abortion as an acceptable alternative in family planning efforts.
Since 1973, U.S. law has prohibited the direct use of federal funds to
pay for abortions overseas and I have supported restrictions, known as
Mexico City Policy, which prohibit federal funding to international
family planning groups that provide abortion or counseling services.
(More http://www.gohunter08.com/inner.asp?z=4.)
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| Empowering
the Poor: |
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An over-taxing
government is the biggest contributor to creating poverty. By
continuing to inhibit the economic growth and potential of our
citizens, we prevent the investment capability to create jobs,
increase income and provide a stable financial environment. I believe
all citizens are deserving of tax relief and tax-cutting policies
benefit the American economy as a whole. I do not support efforts to
identify segments of our society that are more deserving of a tax cut
over another and I believe political stereotyping in this area hinders
the goal of providing efficient tax relief. It is important to create
a federal tax policy that is both fair to American taxpayers while, at
the same time, ensuring that our nation meets its financial
obligations. Tax reform efforts should achieve the dual goals of
improving the tax code system and allow taxpayers to keep more of
their money to support their families, save for their futures, and
protect their businesses and assets. It is for this reason that I have
supported several tax relief packages passed in Congress that have
reduced taxes and helped spur the economy by allowing hard working
American taxpayers to keep more of the money they earn to invest in
their futures.
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(See http://www.gohunter08.com/inner.asp?z=4.)
(See http://www.issues2000.org.)
DUNCAN HUNTER QUOTES
“Our success in protecting America
from terrorists is completely dependant upon our ability to obtain and
utilize reliable intelligence data. Our national intelligence and defense
communities must be provided with the tools necessary to identify, track,
stop and prosecute terrorists before they have the opportunity to strike.
The fact that America has not been attacked since September 11th indicates
to me that we are on the right course. I am confident we can remain on that
course by providing our intelligence agencies with the resources they need
while, at the same time, maintaining our commitment to the continued
protection of our civil rights.”
"The cornerstone of
our responsibilities as elected officials is to defend and protect the
American people. This was reinforced with the attacks of September 11th,
which immediately made border security a national security issue. Protecting
our homeland begins at our nation’s borders and it is imperative that our
border enforcement agencies be provided with the necessary resources to
ensure that we know both who and what are entering the country. I believe in
providing Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement corps with
sufficient strength to secure our borders and providing for interior
enforcement throughout the country because it is imperative in our fight to
protect Americans. To not do so can only be characterized as
irresponsible."
“American workers are
the most productive and innovative labor force in the world. Unfortunately,
they are asked to compete in an unfair environment against other workers who
make only a fraction of a living wage and are employed by companies that
face few, if any, responsibilities to the environment or the long-term
prospects of their employees. Our domestic manufacturers are forced to
compete against foreign companies that benefit from their country’s
currency and regulatory regimes. Ominously, China is cheating on trade and
using billions of American trade dollars to build ships, planes and missiles
at an alarming rate while, at the same time, taking millions of American
jobs. I will reverse this “one-way street” with a new policy of fair
trade for the American worker."
"I have
significant concerns with federal funding provided to the National
Endowment of the Arts (NEA). As many Americans know, the NEA provides
direct grants to art institutions, programs of national significance
and a few limited individual grants for literature and music
fellowships. I believe the creative arts can play an important role in
the expressive and cultural development of our society. At the same
time, however, I strongly oppose using these federal funds for any
group that produces material that has questionable artistic,
scientific or political value. For that reason, I have consistently
voted against funding increases for the NEA and I have supported, and
will continue to support, efforts to transfer NEA funds to school art
programs."
"America’s one-way-street trade relationship with China and other
nations has reduced manufacturing jobs severely in the U.S. I would
change the one-way-street into a two-way-street by putting the same
charges on foreign goods that they put on ours. My basic philosophy is to teach and train and inspire rather than
simply give government “hand outs.”
(See http://www.gohunter08.com.)
We thank the following resources:
Duncan Hunter Official Website
http://www.gohunter08.com
USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com
Project Vote Smart
http://www.vote-smart.org
Wikipedia
http://www.wikipedia.com
On the Issues
http://www.issues2000.org
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