Harry Teague
Encyclopedia
Harry Teague is the former U.S. Representative
for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
The district is located in the southern part of the state and includes Hobbs
, Roswell
, Carlsbad
, Las Cruces
and the southern fourth of Albuquerque.
and lived the first nine years of his life in rural central Oklahoma
without running water. His family moved to Hobbs, New Mexico
when he was nine years old. He attended Hobbs High School but dropped out at the age of 17 to work in the oil fields to support his sick parents. He is married to Nancy Teague and has two children and five grandchildren. Teague is a small business owner of a company that now employs 250 people and is a member of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association.
Board of Commissioners. He served on the Board for eight years, and was elected chairman by his fellow Board members for three and a half of those years.
for five years and extending credit for electricity produced using certain renewable resource
s. This legislation has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Teague is a co-sponsor of the Southwest Border Violence Reduction Act of 2009, which would direct the United States Attorney General
to expand resources for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives initiative to identify, investigate, and prosecute firearms trafficking across the U.S. border with Mexico
. The bill has been referred to both the House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
On January 28, 2009, the House agreed to an amendment, proposed by Teague, to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
. The amendment requires the Recovery.gov website to have links to job information at public agencies receiving funding under the bill and at private firms contracted to perform work under the bill. Later that day, the House voted, 244-188, to pass the Act.
Teague was one of 39 Democrats in the House to vote against the Affordable Healthcare for America Act and he also voted against the reconciled bill from the Senate language on March 21, 2010.
In June 2009, Teague voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act
. At a meeting that occurred following the vote, a group of Tea Party
activists disrupted the meeting because they were upset that Teague was meeting with constituents on a one-on-one basis, and to express their frustration with the vote. A 2009 Pew Environment Group
poll had found that 69% of voters in New Mexico's 2nd district would support an energy bill that mandated electric utilities to generate 20% of their electricity from renewable sources and reduce carbon emissions.
incumbent Steve Pearce
of the 2nd congressional district declined to run for re-election, instead unsuccessfully seeking the U.S. Senate seat left open by the retirement of Pete Domenici
. Teague ran for the Democratic nomination against Bill McCamley, winning with 52 percent of the primary vote. The winner of the five-way Republican primary was Edward R. Tinsley
, a Capitan
rancher and the owner of the K-Bob's Steakhouse
restaurant chain.
Although the 2nd has historically been the most conservative district in New Mexico, polls showed the race to be very competitive. Ultimately, Teague won in the general election with 56 percent of the vote to Tinsley's 44 percent. He received strong support from the western side of the district, as well as from its large Latino population. Teague and the Democratic Party outspent Tinsley and the Republican Party by over $3 million in the 2008 campaign.
His victory returned the 2nd to the Democrats for the first time in 28 years.
, with Teague receiving 45% of the vote, and Pearce
receiving 55%.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
The district is located in the southern part of the state and includes Hobbs
Hobbs, New Mexico
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 28,657 at the 2000 census.Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lea County.-Geography:...
, Roswell
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
, Carlsbad
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is the center of the designated micropolitan area of Carlsbad-Artesia, which has a total population of 55,435...
, Las Cruces
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
and the southern fourth of Albuquerque.
Early life, education and career
Teague grew up in an impoverished family of sharecroppersSharecropping
Sharecropping is a system of agriculture in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced on the land . This should not be confused with a crop fixed rent contract, in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a fixed amount of...
and lived the first nine years of his life in rural central Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
without running water. His family moved to Hobbs, New Mexico
Hobbs, New Mexico
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 28,657 at the 2000 census.Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lea County.-Geography:...
when he was nine years old. He attended Hobbs High School but dropped out at the age of 17 to work in the oil fields to support his sick parents. He is married to Nancy Teague and has two children and five grandchildren. Teague is a small business owner of a company that now employs 250 people and is a member of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association.
Early political career
Teague was elected as a Democrat to the Republican-controlled Lea CountyLea County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*75.0% White*4.1% Black*1.2% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.6% Two or more races*16.5% Other races*51.1% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Board of Commissioners. He served on the Board for eight years, and was elected chairman by his fellow Board members for three and a half of those years.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureUnited States House Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureThe U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. John Mica currently chairs the committee.-History:...
- Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous MaterialsUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous MaterialsThe Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee...
- Subcommittee on Water Resources and EnvironmentUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources and EnvironmentThe Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over water conservation, pollution control, infrastructure, and hazardous waste cleanup, the civil works programs of the U.S. Army...
- Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
- Committee on Veterans' AffairsUnited States House Committee on Veterans' AffairsThe standing Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the United States House of Representatives oversees agencies, reviews current legislation, and recommends new bills or amendments concerning veterans. Jurisdiction includes retiring and disability pensions, life insurance, education , vocational...
- Subcommittee on Economic OpportunityUnited States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic OpportunityThe United States Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity is one of the four subcommittees within the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.-Jurisdiction:From the House Rules:...
- Subcommittee on HealthUnited States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on HealthThe United States Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health is one of the four subcommittees within the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.The Subcommittee on Health has legislative and oversight jurisdiction for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ health care system, programs and research...
- Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
Legislation
Early in the 111th Congress, Teague introduced legislation that would modify the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 by providing for the refundability of the child tax creditChild tax credit
A child tax credit is the name for tax credits issued in some countries that depends on the number of dependent children in a family. The credit may depend on other factors as well: typically it depends on income level. For example, in the United States, only families making less than $110K per...
for five years and extending credit for electricity produced using certain renewable resource
Renewable resource
A renewable resource is a natural resource with the ability of being replaced through biological or other natural processes and replenished with the passage of time...
s. This legislation has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Teague is a co-sponsor of the Southwest Border Violence Reduction Act of 2009, which would direct the United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
to expand resources for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives initiative to identify, investigate, and prosecute firearms trafficking across the U.S. border with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The bill has been referred to both the House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
On January 28, 2009, the House agreed to an amendment, proposed by Teague, to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
. The amendment requires the Recovery.gov website to have links to job information at public agencies receiving funding under the bill and at private firms contracted to perform work under the bill. Later that day, the House voted, 244-188, to pass the Act.
Teague was one of 39 Democrats in the House to vote against the Affordable Healthcare for America Act and he also voted against the reconciled bill from the Senate language on March 21, 2010.
In June 2009, Teague voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act
American Clean Energy and Security Act
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme...
. At a meeting that occurred following the vote, a group of Tea Party
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
activists disrupted the meeting because they were upset that Teague was meeting with constituents on a one-on-one basis, and to express their frustration with the vote. A 2009 Pew Environment Group
The Pew Charitable Trusts
The Pew Charitable Trusts is an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization , founded in 1948. With over US$5 billion in assets, its current mission is to serve the public interest by "improving public policy, informing the public, and stimulating civic life."-History:The Trusts, a single...
poll had found that 69% of voters in New Mexico's 2nd district would support an energy bill that mandated electric utilities to generate 20% of their electricity from renewable sources and reduce carbon emissions.
2008
In 2008, RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
incumbent Steve Pearce
Steve Pearce
Stevan Edward "Steve" Pearce is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously held the seat from 2003 to 2009 and was an Assistant Minority Whip.-Early life, education and career:...
of the 2nd congressional district declined to run for re-election, instead unsuccessfully seeking the U.S. Senate seat left open by the retirement of Pete Domenici
Pete Domenici
Pietro Vichi "Pete" Domenici is an American Republican politician, who served six terms as a United States Senator from New Mexico, from 1973 to 2009, the longest tenure in the state's history....
. Teague ran for the Democratic nomination against Bill McCamley, winning with 52 percent of the primary vote. The winner of the five-way Republican primary was Edward R. Tinsley
Edward R. Tinsley
Edward Roy Tinsley, III , is an attorney, rancher, and businessman with interests in oil, natural gas, and restaurants who has twice failed in Republican bids for the United States House of Representatives from the 2nd congressional district of his adopted state of New Mexico...
, a Capitan
Capitan, New Mexico
Capitan is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, located north of the Lincoln National Forest between the Capitan and Sacramento Mountains at an elevation of 6,530 feet . The population was 1,443 at the 2000 census...
rancher and the owner of the K-Bob's Steakhouse
K-Bob's Steakhouse
K-Bob’s Steakhouse is a regional restaurant chain that operates in the cattle country of Texas and New Mexico. Founded in 1966 in Clovis, New Mexico, by Gabe E. Parson , the company sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1989, and reopened in 1991 under the ownership and management of Edward Roy Tinsley...
restaurant chain.
Although the 2nd has historically been the most conservative district in New Mexico, polls showed the race to be very competitive. Ultimately, Teague won in the general election with 56 percent of the vote to Tinsley's 44 percent. He received strong support from the western side of the district, as well as from its large Latino population. Teague and the Democratic Party outspent Tinsley and the Republican Party by over $3 million in the 2008 campaign.
His victory returned the 2nd to the Democrats for the first time in 28 years.
2010
November 2, 2010, Teague lost the midterm election to former Republican congressman and business owner Steve PearceSteve Pearce
Stevan Edward "Steve" Pearce is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously held the seat from 2003 to 2009 and was an Assistant Minority Whip.-Early life, education and career:...
, with Teague receiving 45% of the vote, and Pearce
Pearce
Pearce may refer to:In places:*Pearce, Australian Capital TerritoryPeople with the surname Pearce:*Pearce *Aiden Pearce, guitarist and vocalist for willy bum bum-See also:...
receiving 55%.
External links
- Harry Teague for Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...