Evan Bayh
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Evan Bayh
Junior Senator from Indiana
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 6, 1999 Serving with Richard Lugar
Preceded by	Daniel Ray Coats
46th Governor of Indiana
In office January 9, 1989 – January 13, 1997
Lieutenant	Frank O'Bannon
Preceded by	Robert D. Orr
Succeeded by	Frank O'Bannon
Secretary of State of Indiana
In office January 1987 – January 1989
Governor	Robert D. Orr
Preceded by	Edwin J. Simcox
Succeeded by	Joe Hogsett
Born	December 26, 1955 (1955-12-26) (age 52) Shirkieville, Indiana
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Susan Bayh
Residence	Indianapolis, Indiana
Alma mater	Indiana University University of Virginia
Occupation	Lawyer, politician
Religion	Episcopalian
Website	Senator Evan Bayh

Birch Evans Bayh III (commonly known as Evan Bayh) (pronounced /ˈbaɪ/, like "bye") (born December 26, 1955) is an American politician who has served as the junior U.S. Senator from Indiana since 1999 and earlier served as Governor of Indiana. He is a member of the Democratic Party, and is generally considered a centrist. He recently has stated that he would accept, if offered, the vice-presidential position with presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama for the 2008 general election.^[1]

Early life

Bayh was born in Shirkieville, Indiana to Marvella Belle Hern and Birch Bayh, who was a Senator from 1963 to 1981 and ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 1976, but lost to Georgia Governor and eventual President Jimmy Carter. Bayh attended high school at St. Albans School in Washington, DC, and went on to graduate with honors in business economics and public policy from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in 1978, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. He received his J.D. degree from the University of Virginia in 1981. Bayh clerked for a federal court judge and entered a private law practice in Indianapolis. He has an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in California.

He and his wife Susan have twin sons, Birch Evans "Beau" Bayh IV and Nicholas Harrison Bayh, born in 1995. His wife is a law professor and serves on several corporate boards.

Indiana Secretary of State

Bayh was elected Indiana's Secretary of State in 1986, and served from 1987 to 1989.

Governor of Indiana

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As Governor, Bayh implemented a $1.6 billion dollar tax cut, the largest in state history

Bayh was first elected Governor of Indiana in 1988, defeating former Kokomo Mayor Steve Daley in the Democratic primary. (Frank O'Bannon's name also appeared on the ballot, but he had previously withdrawn to accept the lieutenant governor nomination.) Bayh defeated Republican John Mutz in the general election. Bayh was re-elected governor in 1992 with the highest percentage of the vote in a statewide election in modern Indiana history. He defeated State Attorney General Linley E. Pearson, a Republican, to win his second term. His administration was considered cautious but successful (even by Republicans in the state), creating a large budget surplus and permitting him to cut taxes. "Mr. Bayh's record is one of a genuinely fiscally conservative Democrat," reported the Wall Street Journal in 1992.

Stressing fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, job creation and lean government, Bayh's tenure as governor was highlighted by eight years without raising taxes, the largest single tax cut and largest budget surplus in state history, "welfare-to-work" policies, increasing annual school funding, high academic standards and new college opportunities, the creation of over 350,000 new jobs, the strengthening of law enforcement and improved environmental quality. He signed the 21st Century Scholars Act in 1992, legislation that states that every child in Indiana who is eligible for the free lunch program in a public school, graduates from high school and signs a pledge not to experiment with illegal drugs is entitled to a full tuition scholarship to an Indiana public university of his or her choice. By the end of his second term, Bayh had an approval rating of nearly 80 percent. ^[2]

During Bayh's tenure as Governor, lethal injection became the only method of execution in Indiana, replacing electrocution. Tommie J. Smith, 42, and Gregory Resnover, 43, illustrated the change. Both were convicted and sentenced to die for the 1980 murder of Indianapolis police Sgt. Jack R. Ohrberg. Resnover was executed December 8, 1994 as the last to die in Indiana's electric chair. On July 18, 1996 Smith, who was convicted as the "trigger man" in Ohrberg's murder, was the first in Indiana to be executed by lethal injection. Bayh was a vocal supporter of capital punishment, and his reviews of petitions for executive clemency in such cases were not noted for leniency.^[3]

When his second term as governor ended in 1997, he accepted a lecturing position at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloomington.^[4]

Senate career

2004 campaign logo

Bayh was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998 to the seat that was once held by his father. He won with 64% of the vote, the largest victory margin ever by a Democrat in a U.S. Senate race in Indiana, defeating former Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke. He easily won reelection in 2004 defeating Prof. Marvin Scott, receiving 62% of the vote. He currently serves on five Senate committees: Banking Housing and Urban Affairs, on which he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance; Armed Services; the Select Committee on Intelligence; the Special Committee on Aging; and the Small Business Committee.

Bayh released an autobiography in 2003 entitled From Father to Son: A Private Life in the Public Eye. He describes growing up as the son of Senator Birch Bayh and emphasizes the importance of active, responsible fatherhood.

From 2001 to 2005, Bayh served as Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC). He is also a member of the Senate Centrist Coalition and helped establish the New Democrat Coalition. Bayh serves on the Board of Directors of the National Endowment for Democracy.

Bayh has voted against confirming United States Attorney General John Ashcroft, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.

Bayh was an early supporter of the Bush administration's policies on Iraq.^[5] On October 2, 2002, Bayh joined President George W. Bush and Congressional leaders in a Rose Garden ceremony announcing their agreement on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War, and was thanked by Bush and Senator John McCain for co-sponsoring the resolution.^[6]

Senator Bayh began asking for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation in 2004 for his mistakes in the Iraq war. Bayh made it clear that he had lost confidence in Rumsfeld.

He voted yes on reauthorizing the Patriot Act in 2006.

Committee Membership

• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment
  • Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance (Chairman)
• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Airland
  • Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
  • Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
• Select Committee on Intelligence
• Special Committee on Aging

Candidacy for national office

He was selected by Bill Clinton to give the keynote address at the 1996 Democratic National Convention to reinforce his efforts to cast himself and the Democratic Party with a new moderate image. He notably attended the Bilderberg Group conference in Portugal in 1999, and in May 2000, President Bill Clinton stated, "I hope and expect some day I'll be voting for Evan Bayh for President of the United States." ^[7] He was indeed considered for national office as a possible running mate for Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election and in 2004, when some experts and pundits initially predicted Bayh to be a possible running mate for Democratic nominee John Kerry. His native Indiana was a key state in the important Midwest since Indiana was a Republican stronghold in presidential races, and it would almost certainly not be a swing state unless Bayh were nominated. Kerry instead selected then Senator John Edwards of North Carolina.

On December 1, 2006, news sources revealed that Senator Bayh was creating a Presidential exploratory committee.^[8] Bayh confirmed these reports on December 3. ^[9] On December 15, 2006, Bayh announced that he would not run for president in 2008, surprising many. Up until then, he had been considered a leading candidate because of his moderate views and experienced background. The possible reason is that despite raising $10 million for the campaign, future fundraising appeared to favor other prospective candidates, including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.^[10] The campaign felt that a more populist candidate would win the nomination. The exploratory committee was consisted of several friends and political allies including Larry Ceisler and Jerry Howe. Bayh has been rumored as a possible running mate for presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama.^[11]

On June 26, 2008, CNN.com reported that Bayh, a former supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton's presidental bid, was interested in being Barack Obama's running mate.^[12]

Issues

Abortion

Bayh is generally supportive of the pro-choice position^{citation needed}. He ultimately voted in favor of banning dilation and extraction abortion procedures in 2003, but he did vote for substitute measures supported by Democrats. His stance on other issues relating to abortion have been mixed also ^[13]. He voted with mainly Democrats against Laci and Conner's Law, but voted with mainly Republicans in 2006 on legislation to notify parents on abortions performed on minors that involve crossing state lines ^[14].

Agriculture

Bayh voted for the 2002 Farm Bill that provided financial support accessible to rural communities. The bill provides funds for rural water and waste infrastructure. The Farm Bill also provides technology for rural residents' technical skills. ^[15] Bayh encouraged farmers to share their input into the 2007 Farm Bill. ^[16]

Civil Rights

Bayh has a mixed but left-leaning record on civil rights, having earned a 60% by the ACLU (2002), and 89% by the HRC (2006), and a 100% by the NAACP (2006). Some of his votes include a 1998 vote where Bayh voted to continue nonquota affirmative action programs. He voted to add sexual orientation under hate crime rules in both 2000 and 2002. In 2001, he voted yes to ease wiretapping restrictions. In 2006, he voted yes on a flag-burning constitutional amendment but no on an amendment to ban same-sex marriage.^[17]

Economy

As a member of the Small Business Committee, Senator Bayh has made more resources and tools available to Indiana's small businesses. Bayh supports small business in Indiana by co-hosting job fairs throughout the state of Indiana. Several thousand jobs are made available to those who attend.^[18][19][20]In 2003, Bayh introduced legislation to further expand Small Business Administration loans to small manufacturers. The legislation was enacted into law in 2004.

At a speech to the Commonwealth Club of California, Bayh said:

What concerns me most about President Bush's tax and budget proposals, is that they threaten to undermine the foundation of the '90s' prosperity — replacing the "virtuous cycle" created by fiscal responsibility with a "vicious cycle" of deficits and debt, rising interest rates, and disinvestment. His proposals constitute a narrow ideological agenda, not an effective economic strategy, and completely fail to grasp the realities of the New Economy and the many requirements for economic success in the 21st Century.^[21]

Education

As governor, Bayh created the 21st Century Scholars program, which promises at-risk middle school students full tuition scholarships in return for being drug, alcohol and crime-free and maintaining decent grades. Iowa and Wisconsin have both introduced legislation modeling Bayh's program.^[22][23] Bayh has worked to increase the college tuition tax deduction, and protect and increase financial aid programs that thousands of students depend on to attend college. In 2000, Senator Bayh authored a bill titled "The Three R's," which was designed to improve the ability of our nation's public schools to meet the needs of each student.^[24]

At the 1996 Democratic National Convention Keynote Speech, Bayh said:

I come from teachers. My great, great grandfather Christopher Bayh came to Indiana with a yellow tag in his overalls that said, railroad. Because he couldn't speak any English, that's where he went to work. But his first grandson became a teacher and he married a teacher, my grandmother. No one here tonight would have traveled half as far if it weren't for our teachers. They're the real American heroes.^[25]

Environment

Voted No on prohibiting eminent domain for use as parks or grazing land (Dec 2007).^[26] Voted Yes on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations (Sep 2005).^[27] Rated 74% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes (Dec 2003).^[28] Voted No on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior (Jan 2001).^[29] Voted No on more funding for forest roads and fish habitat (Sep 1999).^[30] Voted to strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting (Jan 2007).^[31]

Healthcare

Bayh introduced the Medicare Prescription Drug Emergency Guarantee Act of 2006 to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to assure uninterrupted access to necessary medicines under the Medicare prescription drug program.^[32] Senator Bayh is proposing legislation he says could help cut health care insurance premiums by at least 20 percent for small businesses and individuals.^[33] To help small businesses provide health care for their employees, Bayh reintroduced legislation in 2005 to provide up to a 50 percent tax credit to small businesses that offer health benefits.

Immigration and race relations

At the Colorado Jefferson Jackson Dinner, Bayh said:

It's gonna change, my friends, when we go to the American public, and convince them that its going to take all of us to move this country forward. Young and old, rich and poor, rural and urban, black and white. Because in the words of the civil rights leader I had the privilege to listen to, about 20 years ago now, "We may have arrived in this country in different ships, but we're all in the same boat now." That's right. And we need to tell the American people the truth, the truth the other side doesn't want them to hear. You know, those folks, Karl Rove and that crowd, they're so good, they're so good at dividing this country, dividing this country along lines of race or ethnicity, or religion or orientation, for cheap short-term political gain. But it hurts this country. It hurts this country. We need to do better than that. We need to be better than that. By reconciling differences, by building bridges across the divide, by reminding the American people of the truth that we realize here in Colorado here tonight, that we're one people, with a common heritage, forged from a common bond, with a common destiny. That's the truth. That's the truth.^[34]

Israel

Speaking to 2002 luncheon hosted by AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby group, Bayh "described his lifelong affection for the state of Israel, beginning with a boyhood vacation there, and deepening with his many official visits as a governor and senator."^[35] A report of the luncheon continued:

The senator also stated his support for increased foreign aid to Israel. "We have to make the kind of investments necessary to prevent loss of life," he said. "Israel is in jeopardy, they're a strong ally of ours, and I think there would be congressional support for further aid to Israel, particularly regarding security issues."

On the subject of the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, he said, "Yasser Arafat is no partner for peace. Not until there is new and better leadership within the Palestinians will there be a chance for peace."^[36]

Iran

Evan Bayh appeared on CNN's Late Edition in January 2006^[37] and referred to the "radical, almost delusional nature of the Iranian regime" and recent comments of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the Holocaust is a "myth. [...] To deny history like this, this virulent anti-Semitism, their sponsoring of terrorism, their search for a nuclear weapon -- ought to be a wake-up call to every American. Appeasement won't work. [...] We need to use diplomacy, economic sanctions, other means, so we won't have to resort to military action."^[38]

Bayh introduced legislation in January 2006 that would impose sanctions on Iran. According to the Washington Post^[39]:

"Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.) said yesterday that he plans to introduce a resolution in the Senate calling on the administration to work with the United Nations to sanction the country. Bayh said the sanctions should include shutting off supplies of refined gasoline, a worldwide ban on arms sales, and a possible ban on participation in the Olympics and the World Cup soccer tournament."^[40]

On January 20, 2006, Bayh introduced a resolution calling for economic sanctions on Iran, with the goal of deterring Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Such sanctions include:

• Cutting off supplies of refined gasoline to Iran which the United States currently does not supply
• Cutting assistance to countries whose companies invest in Iran's energy sector,
• Enacting a worldwide, comprehensive ban on arms sales to Iran,
• Withdrawing U.S. support for Iran's accession to the WTO, and
• Calling on the UN Security Council to limit travel of some Iranian officials, reduce diplomatic exchanges with Iran, and ban Iran from participating in world events such as the World Cup and the Olympics.^[41]

In 2007, Bayh "supported the Kyl-Lieberman amendment that Obama made a key part of his critique of Clinton."^[42][43]

Iraq

Bayh was an early supporter of the Bush administration's policies on Iraq.^[44] On October 2, 2002, Bayh joined President George W. Bush and Congressional leaders in a Rose Garden ceremony announcing their agreement on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War, and was thanked by Bush and Senator John McCain for co-sponsoring the resolution.^[45] Later, in 2006, Bayh criticized the conduct of the Iraq War:

It is clear to just about everyone but the die-hard neoconservatives within this administration that shifting our focus away from Osama bin Laden to Saddam Hussein was perhaps the biggest strategic blunder in our nation's history. And while we have been preoccupied with Iraq, under this President, North Korea has gone nuclear and Iran is on the verge of doing so.^[46]

The Washington Post reported in July 2008 that Bayh has remained steadfast in his support of the Iraq war and has refused to renounce that support. Bayh is quoted saying "We've got to be somewhere between 'cut and run' ... and mindlessly staying the course. You've got to have a sensible middle ground."^[47]

Senator Bayh has become increasingly critical of the Iraq War due to Bush's strategy in handling the war and because of WMD related intelligence failures; thus, Bayh asserts that he would not have voted to go to war with Iraq if he had known what is known today.^{citation needed} He favors a flexible timeline for withdrawal.^{citation needed}

National debt

In a speech entitled "The American Middle Class: Future of the Nation, Future of the Democratic Party," Bayh said:

The Administration has increased the national debt by nearly $3 trillion, money our middle class and children must repay with interest. They borrow from Japan, China, Persian Gulf countries, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, even Mexico. They are mortgaging our future. This is not how great leaders act.^[48]

National security

Bayh is a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Select Intelligence Committee and is continually monitoring the progress of national security abroad, as U.S. troops continue operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bayh has emphasized national security as an important issue:

In a post-September 11th world, our first responsibility is to keep the American public as safe as possible and to be prepared for every possible threat...Preventing and responding to biological attacks will require us to mobilize all available resources at the federal and state level, and the first line of defense is often state governments. ^[49]

He has criticized the Bush Administration on national security:

The sad truth is that nearly five years after 9/11, this president has made the country less secure than we were before the attacks. We have tinkered around the edges of homeland security without making the tough decisions and investments needed to make us truly safe. And perhaps worse of all, we have taken our eye off the ball in the war on terror.^{citation needed}

At the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Bayh said:

As an American, I welcome this debate on national security because in an age of global terror, there is nothing more important than protecting the American people. It is a dangerous world — 3,000 Americans were killed on September 11th. Suicidal terrorists have pledged to attack again — and they have in London, Madrid, Amman, Bali, and across Iraq. North Korea has expanded its nuclear arsenal. Hamas will soon be in charge of the Palestinian Authority. And the radical leader of Iran who is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons — has pledged to destroy Israel and asked his people to imagine a world without the United States.^[50]

Trade

During his time in the Senate, Bayh has led efforts to combat the illegal trade practices of foreign countries, including China. Bayh's bipartisan Stopping Overseas Subsidies (SOS) Act allows the United States to fully enforce its antisubsidy laws and increase the ability of U.S. companies to fight unfair trade. He voted against CAFTA.^[51]

Bayh placed a hold on the President's nominee to be the U.S. Trade Representative. After receiving several key commitments from Portman to get tough on China trade, Bayh agreed to release his hold.^[52]

Electoral history

Indiana Secretary of State, 1986^[53]

• Evan Bayh (D) - 828,494 (53.32%)
• Robert Bowen (R) - 704,952 (45.37%)

Indiana gubernatorial election, 1988 (Democratic primary)^[54]

• Evan Bayh - 493,198 (83.06%)
• Stephen J. Daily - 66,242 (11.16%)
• Frank O'Bannon - 34,360 (5.79%)

Indiana gubernatorial election, 1988^[55]

• Evan Bayh (D) - 1,138,574 (53.19%)
• John Mutz (R) - 1,002,207 (46.82%)

Indiana gubernatorial election, 1992^[56]

• Evan Bayh (D) (inc.) - 1,382,151 (62.01%)
• Linley Pearson (R) - 822,533 (36.90%)
• Mary Catherine Barton (New Alliance) - 24,378 (1.09%)

Indiana United States Senate election, 1998 (Democratic primary)^[57]

• Evan Bayh - 324,923 (100.00%)

Indiana United States Senate election, 1998^[58]

• Evan Bayh (D) - 1,012,244 (63.72%)
• Paul Helmke (R) - 552,732 (34.79%)
• Rebecca Sink-Burris (Libertarian) - 23,641 (1.49%)

United States Senate election in Indiana, 2004^[59]

• Evan Bayh (D) (inc.) - 1,496,976 (61.65%)
• Marvin B. Scott (R) - 903,913 (37.23%)
• Albert Barger (Libertarian) - 27,344 (1.13%)

References

Books and publications

• From Father to Son
• Demanding Responsibility From Men
• Real fathers don't abandon their children — with Senator Barack Obama
• A nuclear fuel bank advocated by Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh

See also

Indiana portal

• List of Governors of Indiana

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Evan Bayh

• United States Senator Evan Bayh, U.S. Senate site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• GovTrack — B. Evan Bayh profile
• New York Times — Evan Bayh News collected news and commentary
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Evan Bayh profile
• Evan Bayh at the Huffington Post
• DePauw University Commencement Speech — May 21, 2006
• Indiana Historical Bureau state portrait
• President Clinton's Speech honoring Governor Bayh
• 21st Century Scholars program
• Senior Citizens Relief Act
• Congress Passes Bayh's Long-Term Care Initiatives
• IndyStar Library: Evan Bayh
• Sen. Evan Bayh Calls on DePauw's Class of 2006 to Build Unity and Restore Patriotism — May 21, 2006
• University of Virginia Commencement Speech — May 24, 2005
• Honoring Our Armed Forces — December 7, 2004

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