Richard Shelby
| Richard Shelby | ||
 | ||
| U.S. Senate, Alabama | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 1987-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2017 | ||
| Years in position | 26 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Predecessor | Jeremiah Denton (R) | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 2, 2010 | |
| First elected | November 4, 1986 | |
| Next election | November 8, 2016 | |
| Campaign $ | $17,860,313 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Prior offices | ||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| 1979-1987 | ||
| Alabama State Senate | ||
| 1970-1978 | ||
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | University of Alabama 1957 | |
| Other | LLB, University of Alabama School of Law, 1963 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | May 6, 1934 | |
| Place of birth | Birmingham, AL | |
| Profession | Attorney | |
| Net worth | $7,931,023 | |
| Religion | Presbyterian | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Richard Shelby is a "moderate Republican follower".[1]
Biography
Shelby was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1957 and then received his LLB in 1963. He then worked as city prosecutor for Tuscaloosa until he began his public service as a member of the Alabama State Senate in 1970. After the Senate, he served in the United States House of Representatives and has currently served in the U.S. Senate since 1987.
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Shelby's academic, professional and political career:[2]
- 1957: Graduated from University of Alabama
- 1963: Graduated from University of Alabama School of Law
- 1963-1971: City prosecutor, Tuscaloosa
- 1966-1970: United States Commissioner, Northern District of Alabama
- 1970-1978: Alabama State Senate
- 1979-1987: U.S. House of Representatives
- 1987-Present: U.S. Senator from Alabama
- 1994: Switched from Democratic to Republican
Committee assignments
U.S. Senate
2013-2014
Shelby serves on the following committees in the 113th Congress:[3]
- Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
- Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
- Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Department of Homeland
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Members
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
- Subcommittee on Department of Defense
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment
- Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development
- Rules and Administration
2011-2012
- Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Defense
- Subcommittee on Energy And Water Development
- Subcommittee on Homeland Security
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Ranking Member
- Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
- Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Ranking Member
- Rules and Administration
- Aging
Issues
Earmarks
A Washington Post investigation in February 2012 revealed that 33 members of Congress helped direct more than $300 million in earmarks to public projects in close proximity to commercial and residential real estate owned by the lawmakers or their family members.[4] According to the report, Shelby has earmarked more than $100 million toward rebuilding downtown Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he owns an office building. The street in front of the building will be redone as part of phase two of the project.[5]
Fiscal Cliff
Shelby 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 five Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the Senate by a 89/8 vote on January 1, 2013.[6]
Drones filibuster
On March 6, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R) led a 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan. Paul started the filibuster in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's drone policies. In particular, Paul said he was concerned about whether a drone could be used to kill an American citizen within the United States border, without any due process involved. Paul and other civil liberties activists have been critical that President Obama did not offer a clear response to the question. A total of 14 senators joined Paul in the filibuster -- 13 Republicans and one Democrat.[7][8][9]
According to the website Breitbart, Shelby was one of 30 Republican senators who did not support the filibuster.[10][11]
The day after the filibuster, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Paul, responding to the filibuster. Holder wrote, "Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on U.S. soil? The answer to that is no."[12]
Elections
2010
On November 2, 2010, Richard Shelby won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated William Barnes (D) in the general election.[13]
| U.S. Senate, Alabama General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Richard Shelby incumbent |
65.2% | 968,181 | |
| Democratic | William Barnes | 34.7% | 515,619 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.1% | 1,699 | |
| Total Votes | 1,485,499 | |||
Full history
To view the full congressional electoral history for Richard Shelby, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Shelby is available dating back to 2004. Based on available campaign finance records, Shelby raised a total of $17,860,313 during that time period. This information was last updated on March 25, 2013.[18]
| Richard Shelby's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2010 | US Senate (Alabama) |  |
$8,557,473 | |
| 2004 | US Senate (Alabama) | |
$9,302,840 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $17,860,313 | |||
2010
Shelby won re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2010. During that re-election cycle, Shelby's campaign committee raised a total of $8,557,473 and spent $2,647,169.[19]
His top 5 contributors between 2005-2010 were:
| U.S. Senate election, Alabama, 2010 - Richard Shelby Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $8,557,473 |
| Total Spent | $2,647,169 |
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $5,870 |
| Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $5,871 |
| Top contributors to Richard Shelby's campaign committee | |
| Travelers Companies | $108,250 |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co | $72,950 |
| Blackstone Group | $50,000 |
| Radiance Technologies | $45,750 |
| General Electric | $45,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Securities & Investment | $749,788 |
| Insurance | $444,499 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $376,550 |
| Real Estate | $296,800 |
| Finance/Credit Companies | $283,400 |
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Shelby missed 168 of 8,797 roll call votes from January 1987 to March 2013. This amounts to 1.9%, which is worse than the median of 1.7% among current senators as of March 2013.[20]
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Shelby paid his congressional staff a total of $1,610,938 in 2011. He ranks 6th on the list of the lowest paid Republican Senatorial Staff Salaries and he ranks sixth overall of the lowest paid Senatorial Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, Alabama ranks 50th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[21]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Shelby's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $4,680,045 and $11,182,002. That averages to $7,931,023, which is higher than the average net worth of Republican Senators in 2011 of $6,358,668. His average net worth decreased by 4.92% from 2010.[22]
2010
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Shelby's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $4,927,043 and $11,755,002. That averages to $8,341,022, which is higher than the average net worth of Republican Senators in 2010 of $7,054,258.[23]
National Journal vote ratings
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
2012
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Shelby ranked 19th in the conservative rankings among U.S. Senators in 2012.[24]
2011
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Shelby ranked 26th in the conservative rankings among U.S. Senators.[25]
Political positions
Percentage voting with party
The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Shelby votes with the Republican Party 90.9% of the time. This ranks 23rd among the 47 Senate Republicans in 2011.[26]
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Richard + Shelby + Alabama + Senate
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Richard Shelby News Feed
- Senate approves Internet sales tax with support from Sessions, Shelby - al.com (blog)
- Washington leaders assure Huntsville delegation that defense spending ... - al.com (blog)
- FBI director confirms vital role for future TEDAC facility at Redstone Arsenal - al.com (blog)
- Congressional Votes for Alabama the Week of 05/10 - 05/16/2013 - Targeted News Service (subscription)
- Castillo visits DC, applauds Key Spouse program - Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base
- Josh Moon's Just Saying: Sen. Richard Shelby helps kill a popular gun bill - Montgomery Advertiser
- US Senate approves bill to honor 16th Street Bombing victims - Alabama's13.com
- The Myth of Presidential Leadership - National Journal
- FBI Budget Request - WTVY - WTVY, Dothan
- As Deficit Shrinks, So Does Mandate for Sequester - The Fiscal Times - The Fiscal Times
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Personal
Shelby is married to Annette Nevin Shelby. They have two sons.
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Fact-checking:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Legislation:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Works by or about:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ Gov Track "Richard Shelby," Accessed March 3, 2012
- ↑ Biographical Director of the United States Congress "Richard C. Shelby," Accessed October 14, 2011
- ↑ Congressional Quarterly "Senate Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress," Accessed January 17, 2013
- ↑ Washington Post "Congressional earmarks sometimes used to fund projects near lawmakers' properties," February 6, 2012
- ↑ Washington Post "Mapping the earmarks," February 6, 2012
- ↑ U.S. Senate "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ CNN "Rand Paul says he's heard from White House after filibuster," March 7, 2013
- ↑ USA Today "Rand Paul filibuster ranks among Senate's longest," March 7, 2013
- ↑ ABC News "Rand Paul Wins Applause From GOP and Liberals," March 7, 2013
- ↑ Breitbart "AWOL: Meet The GOP Senators Who Refused to Stand With Rand," March 7, 2013
- ↑ Politico "Rand Paul filibuster blasted by Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham," March 7, 2013
- ↑ Washington Post "Eric Holder responds to Rand Paul with ‘no’," March 7, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1992"
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1986"
- ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Richard Shelby," Accessed March 25, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Richard Shelby 2010 Election Cycle," Accessed October 14 2011
- ↑ GovTrack, "Richard Shelby," Accessed April 2, 2013
- ↑ LegiStorm "Richard Craig"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Shelby, (R-Alabama), 2011"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Shelby, (R-Alabama), 2010"
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: Senate," February 23, 2012
- ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party," Accessed October 14, 2011
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jeremiah Denton |
U.S. Senate - Alabama 1987-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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