Billy Long

Billy Long
U.S. House, Missouri, District 7
Incumbent
In office
January 3, 2011-Present
Term ends
January 3, 2015
Years in position	2
Party	Republican
Predecessor	Roy Blunt (R)
Compensation
Base salary	$174,000/year
Elections and appointments
Last election	November 6, 2012
First elected	November 2, 2010
Next election	November 4, 2014
Campaign $	$2,184,158
Term limits	N/A
Education
Bachelor's	University of Missouri (incomplete)
Other	Missouri Auction School
Personal
Birthday	August 11, 1955
Place of birth	Springfield, Missouri
Profession	Auctioneer, Realtor
Net worth	$2,351,516
Religion	Presbyterian
Websites
Office website
Personal website
Campaign website
Billy Long campaign logo

William H. "Billy" Long II (b. August 11, 1955) is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri. Long was elected by voters from Missouri's 7th congressional district. He ran for re-election in 2012. Long won the Republican nomination in the primary on August 7, 2012. He was re-elected on November 6, 2012.

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Long is a "rank-and-file Republican".

Biography

Long was born in Springfield, Missouri. He attended the University of Missouri from 1973 to 1976, but did not finish his degree, later going back to school at the Missouri Auction School.

Career

Long owns Billy Long Auctions, LLC, and has been voted best auctioneer in the Ozarks for seven years in a row. Billy is also a former talk radio show host on KWTO AM 560 in Springfield, with a listening area that covered 95 counties, including all of the Seventh Congressional District.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2013-2014

Long serves on the following committees:

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
  • Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

2011-2012

Long served on the following committees:

• Homeland Security Committee
  • Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence
  • Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies
  • Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Subcommittee on Aviation
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials

Issues

Campaign themes

2012

On his campaign website, Long lists thirteen issues. They are:

• Conservative Values

• On his website, Long says, "A truly just and economic system is one that allows the individual to keep the fruits of his own mental and physical labor. That system is capitalism and it has done more to lift up the human condition from poverty than any other system in the history of the world. The government should not be in the business of choosing winners and losers. When the government tries to interfere in the market place, such as with bailouts, it rewards bad behavior by transferring wealth from those who made smart investments to those who made bad investments. Not only is this practice an irresponsible use of government, it leaves us poorer as a society."

• Abortion

• On his website, Long says, "I am 100 percent pro-life. I believe in the sanctity of human life, that life begins at conception, and in protecting the rights of the unborn."

• Agriculture

• On his website, Long says, "Agriculture is a vital part of the Seventh District’s economy. It is important that Congress support the growth and development of the agriculture industry by fighting for policies that will encourage economic growth in Missouri and nationwide. The United States has been the world’s leading agricultural producer for many years and with our vast natural resources we need to keep it that way. Agricultural products are a source of significant exports, which benefits our overall economy while providing Americans with a stable, safe, and nutritious food supply."

• Education

• On his website, Long says, "The education of our children is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most critical in his or her life. That is why I support programs such as Parents as Teachers, which was started by Senator Kit Bond. This program gives parents the resources they need to best prepare their children for school. Such programs encourage parents to become more engaged in their children’s learning process from an early age. I also believe we must do what we can to keep students engaged through their elementary and secondary education."

• Energy & Environment

• On his website, Long says, "We need an all-of-the-above approach to solve this problem. We haven’t built an oil refinery in this country in over 35 years. We need more oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy production combined with more wind, solar, hydropower, and geothermal energies. This will lower prices, create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and strengthen our national security."

• Health Care

• On his website, Long says, "People, not the government, are the source of prosperity in our country and they make the American health care system the envy of the world. What we need are commonsense solutions that will strengthen our health care system instead of stimulating debt and eliminating patient choice. A health care system where insurance can be bought across state lines so insurers compete against each other and lowers cost for patients."

• Homeland Security

• On his website, Long says, "Today there are many challenges facing our country and none is greater than keeping our people safe. As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I am doing everything in my power to make sure we are protected and that those who serve on the front lines have the tools they need to get the job done."

• Immigration

• On his website, Long says, "While the total number of illegal immigrants is unknown, the number ranges in the millions. These illegal immigrants place strains on our social support networks, our infrastructure, and routinely evade the basic laws that govern society. As Americans we pride ourselves on our ability to incorporate immigrants into our unique American culture. Unfortunately illegal immigration resists this unifying influence and results in the creation of a near parallel society. We must enforce our laws and encourage people to become Americans the legal way."

• National Defense

• On his website, Long says, "At a time when we are fighting wars overseas, we must continue to support our troops. Our service men and women make our military the strongest in the world. They defend our nation and our way of life against those who would destroy our safety, freedom, and values. Congress must give them our unwavering support to complete their mission as quickly and safely as possible."

• Small Business

• On his website, Long says, "Small businesses are the heart-beat of this economy, representing 99.7% of all companies in America, employing half of all private sector employees and accounting for over half of the private sector economy. Americans do not owe our prosperity to the government; we owe it to the men and women who work to achieve their dreams."

• Taxes

• On his website, Long says, "I am a proud cosponsor of a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would limit the ability of the government to spend more than it takes in or to tax the American public beyond a fixed percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This amendment would force responsible spending practices by Congress and help us pay down the national debt. If we don’t act now, we will suffer permanent economic harm from our excessive tax and spending burdens."

• Transportation and Infrastructure

• On his website, Long says, "In addition to serving on the Homeland Security Committee, I also serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has jurisdiction over many forms of transportation: aviation, maritime, waterborne, roads, bridges, mass transit, and railroads."

• Veterans

• On his website, Long says, "While we can never satisfy the debt we owe America’s fallen heroes and their families, Congress must continue to put our troops, our veterans, and their families first. At a time when our service members are returning home from multiple wars and conflicts across the globe, we must provide veterans with the support they have rightfully earned. Our veterans have honorably served their country and it is time for their country to serve them."

Presidential preference

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Billy Long endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

Specific votes

Fiscal Cliff

Long voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257/167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Elections

2012

Long sought re-election in 2012. He defeated Tom Stilson and Mike Moon in the Republican primary on August 7, 2012. He was re-elected on November 6, 2012.

U.S. House, Missouri, District 7 General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Jim Evans	30.9%	98,498
	Republican	Billy Long Incumbent	63.9%	203,565
	Libertarian	Kevin Craig	5.2%	16,668
Total Votes				318,731
Source: Missouri Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Republican Primary Results

Missouri's 7th Congressional District Republican Primary, 2012
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Billy Long	59.7%	62,917
Mike Moon	21.7%	22,860
Tom Stilson	18.7%	19,666
Total Votes		105,443

2010

On November 2, 2010, Long was elected to the United States House. He defeated Scott Eckersley (D), Kevin Craig (Libertarian), and Nicholas Ivan Ladendorf (Write-in).

United States House, Missouri General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Billy Long	63.4%	141,010
	Democratic	Scott Eckersley	30.4%	67,545
	Libertarian	Kevin Craig	6.2%	13,866
	Write-in	Nicholas Ivan Ladendorf	0%	10
Total Votes				222,431

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Long is available dating back to 2010. Based on available campaign finance records, Long raised a total of $2,184,158 during that time period. This information was last updated on May 16, 2013.

Billy Long's Campaign Contribution History
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2012	U.S. House (Missouri, District 7)		$924,151
2010	U.S. House (Missouri, District 7)		$1,260,007
Grand Total Raised			$2,184,158

2012

Breakdown of the source of Long's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

Long won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Long's campaign committee raised a total of $924,152 and spent $639,660.

U.S. House, Missouri's 7th congressional district, 2012 - Billy Long Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$924,152
Total Spent	$639,660
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$41,029
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$43,993
Top contributors to Billy Long's campaign committee
Leggett & Platt	$15,250
Crawford Group	$11,000
TAMKO Building Products	$11,000
National Assn of Realtors	$10,490
Prime Inc	$10,250
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Misc. Finance	$48,700
Retired	$45,700
Automotive	$45,000
Real Estate	$40,740
Leadership PACs	$40,500

2010

Breakdown of the source of Long's campaign funds before the 2010 election.

Long was elected to the U.S. House in 2010. His campaign committee raised a total of $1,260,007 and spent $1,230,604.

U.S. House, Missouri, 2010 - Billy Long Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$1,260,007
Total Spent	$1,230,604
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$186,310
Total Spent by General Election Opponent	$186,310
Top contributors to Billy Long's campaign committee
Med-Pay Inc	$17,500
Peterbilt of Springfield	$15,900
Larson Group	$14,400
Pinegar Chevrolet	$14,400
Springfield Grocer	$14,400
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Retired	$91,200
Real Estate	$80,400
Misc Finance	$77,450
Automotive	$69,250
Health Professionals	$51,400

Analysis

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Long missed 51 of 1,698 roll call votes from Jan 2011 to Apr 2013, which is 3.0% of votes during that period. This is worse than the median of 2.2% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Long paid his congressional staff a total of $830,698 in 2011. Overall, Missouri ranked 21st in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

Net worth

See also: Net Worth of United States Senators and Representatives

2011

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Long's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $846,035 and $3,856,997. That averages to $2,351,516, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican Representatives in 2011 of $7,859,232. His average net worth decreased by 2.3% from 2010.

2010

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Long's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $461,037 to $4,351,996. That averages to a net worth of $2,406,516.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Republicans in 2010 of $7,561,133.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year, National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted, as compared to other members in the previous year. More information about the analysis process can be found on the vote ratings page.

2012

According to the data released in 2013, Long was ranked the 50th most conservative representative during 2012.

2011

According to the data released in 2012, Billy Long was ranked the 52nd most conservative representative during 2011.

Percentage voting with party

November 2011

The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Billy Long voted with the Republican Party 92.3% of the time, which ranked 126th among the 242 House Republican members in November 2011.

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Billy + Long + Missouri + House

All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

Billy Long News Feed

• Photographer's work helps Joplin residents reconstruct their memories - Kansas City Star
• Andrea Rebello, Hofstra University Student, Home Invasion Shooting Death ... - Huffington Post
• Complaints of IRS targeting by religious groups on the rise - The Hill (blog)
• House GOPer: My constituents love the sequester - Salon
• Why Can't EPA Tighten Safety Regulations at Chemical Facilities Like West ... - Truth-Out
• Andrea Rebello, Hofstra University Student, Shot Dead By Masked Intruder ... - Huffington Post
• Long not sold on Internet sales tax - Springfield News-Leader
• Mom & Me & Mom - NPR
• The Outlaw Marshal part 2 - Ruidoso News
• Congress faints at sight of cuts - Kansas City Star

Personal

Long currently resides in Springfield with his wife, Barbara, and their two daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Long attend the First & Calvary Presbyterian Church in Springfield, where they were married over 25 years ago.

External links

• Billy Long Auctions
• Congressman Billy Long official U.S. House site
• Billy Long for U.S. Congress official campaign site

• Social media:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
• Biographies:
  • U.S. Congress
• Political profiles:
  • GovTrack
  • OpenCongress
  • Project Vote Smart
  • CongressMerge
• Financial:
  • FEC
  • OpenSecrets.org
  • LegiStorm.com
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Voting record:
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Washington Post
• Media coverage:
  • Washington Post

• Official Youtube channel

References

Political offices
Preceded by Roy Blunt	U.S. House of Representatives - Missouri, District 7 2011-Present	Succeeded by '