Marilyn Musgrave
| Marilyn Musgrave | |
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| Assumed office January 7, |
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| Preceded by | Bob Schaffer |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbent |
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| Born | January 27 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Steven Musgrave |
| Religion | |
Marilyn Neoma Musgrave (born January 27,
Musgrave serves on the
Background and early political career
Musgrave was born Marilyn Neoma Shuler in
Musgrave's career in elective office began in 1991, when she served one term on the Fort Morgan School Board, where she
focused on changing local
Musgrave is a devout
Musgrave was one of the most conservative members of the state legislature, often sparring with more socially moderate
Republican legislators. She spent most of her time on social issues.[2]. She also worked against allowing adoption,
Election history
2002 election
In 2002, after Congressman Bob Schaffer retired, Musgrave ran for and won the Republican nomination to succeed him. Her opponent was
businessman Jeff Bedingfield.[3] She received a big boost
in the primary when she gained the endorsements of Schaffer and former
In November, due to the historically Republican nature of the district (it has been in Republican hands since 1973), a large campaign war chest, a national situation favorable to Republican candidates, and the reelection bid of popular Republican Governor Bill Owens, Musgrave defeated Democratic State Senate President Stan Matsunaka 55% to 42%.
2004 re-election
In 2004, Musgrave faced Matsunaka again, and
she defeated him 51% to 45%. Musgrave won most of the counties in this large and mostly rural district by margins of 2-to-1 or
more. However, 85% of the Fourth District's vote is cast in two counties—
While Matsunaka only entered the race in May and raised around $800,000, Musgrave was heavily targeted by a 527 group funded by Colorado philanthropists such as
2006 re-election
In 2006, Musgave faced Democratic state
representative
The election was another nail biter. Official results show Musgrave won by 5,984 votes, taking 45.61% of the vote to Paccione's 43.12% and Eidsness' 11.28%.[4] She lost Larimer County by an even larger margin than in 2004. However, Musgrave won Weld County by just under 6,700 votes.[5]
Political ideology
Musgrave is strongly conservative. The National Journal ranks Musgrave the 23rd most
conservative member of the House[6]. Her original House
Website contained the phrase, "Defending our way of life through conservative leadership." She is one of only two members of the
2003 Republican freshman class with a perfect 100 voting record from the American
Conservative Union (the other being
Other political groups that Musgrave is allied with include
Same-sex marriage
Musgrave is best known as the main sponsor of the unsuccessful Federal Marriage
Amendment in the
I cannot think of a better good that this body may pursue than to promote and defend the idea that every child deserves both a father and a mother.
In a September 2006 speech to the Family Research Council's "Values Voters Summit", Musgrave warned the audience that "the future is grim unless we do what we need to do to win this battle" and that "as we face the issues that we are facing today, I don’t think there's anything more important out there than the marriage issue."[10][11][12] Musgrave later distanced herself from these claims during the 2006 election.[13]
Abortion
Musgrave strongly opposes abortion.[14] At the national level, she has supported the
Musgrave also opposes
When we talk about a permanent vegetative state, I am offended by that. Terri smiles and acknowledges the people that love her when they come to see her. She cries when they leave. How heartless are we to call somebody like Terri Schiavo a vegetable? What are we thinking?
When we think about this case, we need to think about the message that we are sending to our children and our grandchildren. What we do in this Chamber tonight is as important as anything we have done in defending our Nation, in doing the things that we do as Members of Congress.
Musgrave has also weighed in on the
Second Amendment rights
Musgrave strongly opposes gun control and successfully passed an amendment prohibiting
the enforcement of a federal requirement to sell trigger locks with all handguns.[21] She is the founder of the
Musgrave is a close ally of the Gun Owners of America (GOA),[1] a firearms lobbying group considered to be more strictly opposed to gun control than the
Home schooling
Musgrave advocates changing the laws to lend more support to families who
Musgrave is closely linked to the
Workforce and economy
Musgrave is one of the staunchest proponents of national
Taxes
Musgrave is a strong supporter of income tax cuts, and supports making President Bush's tax cuts permanent.[28] She also supports the elimination of the Estate tax[29] and has voted to reduce tariffs on imported goods.[30]
Religion and public law
Musgrave is a member of the
In June 2006, Musgrave sponsored a resolution in Congress to declare 2007 as "National Year of the Bible".[31] The resolution text requested that President Bush issue a proclamation calling on all citizens to "rediscover and apply the priceless and timeless message of the Bible" and encourage them to join the U.S. Federal government in celebrating the year with Bible "programs, ceremonies, and activities."
In June 2005, Musgrave cited Coral Ridge Ministries founder D. James Kennedy, one of the leaders of the Dominionist movement, as one of her inspirations to enter politics:[32]
"When I first started listening to D. James Kennedy on Truths That Transform," she said, "I was so encouraged that there was a minister of the Gospel that said what was right and what was wrong, and what our responsibility was as Christians in this great nation."
"Those kind of things just grew in me through the years, and then, here I am [today] voting on moral issues. I just want to say to the Christian Statesman staff, Dr. Kennedy is a hero for me."
In the 2002 Republican primary debate with opponent Jeff Beddingfield in Greeley, Colorado, Musgrave stated that the
The problems in our culture are just symptoms of spiritual problems in our nation. We must return to God and biblical principles for answers. There are limitations to what we can do, but I’m so thankful I have a voice and a vote.
In
In
Criticism
NEA Fund for Children and Public Education Legislative Report Card 'Grade F'
The NEA Fund for Children and Public Education, the
political action committee for the
League of Conservation Voters Environmental Scorecard 'Rating 8%'
The
Republicans for Environmental Protection 2005 Congressional Scorecard '-4'
Children's Defense Fund 2006 rating '30%'
Other Negative rankings
In September 2006, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), "non-profit, progressive legal watchdog group", listed Musgrave as one of the "20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress". She reportedly used her congressional office to run her campaign, and was also accused of using the franking privilege accorded to House members to send campaign material for a candidate she favored.[41]. "All of which is not true", Musgrave's chief of staff Guy Short claimed.[42]
Agriculture Committee
From 2003 through 2005, $14.7 billion in crop subsidies went to the congressional districts of members on the House Committee on Agriculture, an analysis by the non-partisan Environmental Working Group found. That was 42.4% of the total subsidies. Musgrave is reported to have brought $330 million to her district. [43]
Support
NRA Political Victory Fund 'Grade A'
NRA-PVF, the political action committee of the
Center for Christian Statesmanship
The Center for Christian Statesmanship, founded by D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries, awarded Musgrave the "Distinguished Christian Statesman Award" in 2005.[47]
Christian Coalition '100% Voting Record'
The
Controversies
2002 fund-raising controversies
In the 2002 election, Musgrave was criticized for her campaign's close ties to Larry
Pratt, the executive director of Gun Owners of America (GOA). GOA
contributed $5,000 to her campaign, and Pratt wrote two separate fund-raising letters for Musgrave. Publicity surrounding Pratt's
history of close ties to extremist groups and publications, and appearances at
A complaint was brought against lobbyist Dudley Brown, a long-time Musgrave ally and executive director of the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, the state-level organization of GOA. The Associated Press reported that Brown wrote a January 21, 2002 letter soliciting donations to Musgrave's congressional campaign. The complaint filed claimed, "As a registered lobbyist, Mr. Brown is clearly prohibited from fundraising while the General Assembly is in session." Brown called the complaint "frivolous."[51]
Campaign headquarters
In 2004, both Musgrave's district office and campaign headquarters were located at 5401 Stone Creek Circle in
In October 2006, Anderson told the Greeley Tribune that the interior door connecting the two offices was locked and campaign personnel wouldn't have been able to use it to enter the congressional office.[53]
District attorney endorsement
In mid-2004, Musgrave sent a letter endorsing district attorney candidate Bob Watson.[54] Musgrave said that the endorsement was sent on campaign stationary. In October
2006, Musgrave's
Political appearance with U.S. Marines
On
According to Department of Defense directives, members on active duty shall not "participate in partisan political management, campaigns, or conventions (except as a spectator when not in uniform), or make public speeches in the course thereof."[58]
There was disagreement as to whether the Marines attending as honorees violated military regulations. A Pentagon memo read "Members of the armed forces may not attend partisan political events in uniform, even if only as 'honorees.' A sharply limited exception is made to provide armed forces color guards for national-level political conventions." However, a Marine Corps spokesperson claimed, "The Marines were in attendance because they were asked to attend to be honored for their service and not as attendees at a political event, there is nothing wrong with Marines being asked to appear in public and being honored for their service."[59]
In late March, the Pentagon re-issued regulations forbidding uniformed personnel from attending partisan political events.
Tom DeLay
Musgrave received $30,000 in campaign contributions from former House Majority Leader Tom
DeLay's
In June 2005, Musgrave was quoted in the Rocky Mountain News, calling Tom DeLay "a talented leader." Musgrave defended DeLay's record: "I support Tom DeLay because of his success and stewardship in creating change, which, as a result, have made him a prime target for several slanderous claims."[61]
2006 campaign finance controversy
In February, 2007, Citizens for Responsibility and
Ethics in Washington (CREW), filed a complaint with the
References
- ^ Religion of US Congress. Adherents.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
- ^ http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/04/11/a_firm_voice_against_gay_marriage?mode=PF
- ^ http://lcweb4.loc.gov/elect2002/catalog/1110.html
- ^ http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/electionresults2006G/
- ^ http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/electionresults2006G/CO-RC-913.htm
- ^ http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/house/lib_cons.htm?o1=con_composite&o2=desc#vr
- ^ http://www.coralridge.org/imp/impact06051.aspx
- ^ http://opensecrets.org/travel/search_results.asp?trav=Marilyn+Musgrave
- ^ http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2006_record&page=H5299&position=all
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MlUQ8nK1oM
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2006/09/28/cq_1520.html
- ^ http://thinkprogress.org/2006/09/27/musgrave-gay/
- ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6270799
- ^ http://musgrave.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=1488
- ^ http://www.sba-list.org/
- ^ http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2005_record&page=H3832&position=all
- ^ http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2005_record&page=H1717&position=all
- ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4770933
- ^ http://www.arhp.org/files/june2003.pdf
- ^ http://www.plannedparenthood.org/news-articles-press/politics-policy-issues/amendment-defeated-11260.htm
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2006/09/28/cq_1520.html
- ^ http://musgrave.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=1496
- ^ http://www.westword.com/issues/2001-09-20/sports.html
- ^ http://www.gunweek.com/2004/GRPC04/04GRPC2a.html
- ^ http://musgrave.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=1494
- ^ National Right to Work Newsletter May 2004. Retrieved May 11,
2007 - ^ National Right to Work Committee — House Committee Holds Hearing on National Right to Work Act
September 8,
2005 . Retrieved May 11,2007 - ^ Marilyn Musgrave — Taxes Retrieved May 11,
2007 - ^ Marilyn Musgrave —
Death Tax is a Burden on American Values Retrieved May 11,
2007 - ^ Musgrave sides with
district's ag interests in trade pact vote Retrieved May 11,
2007 - ^ http://www.congress.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.con.res.00431:/
- ^ http://www.coralridge.org/imp/impact06051.aspx
- ^ http://www.ag.org/Pentecostal-Evangel/conversations2003/4666_musgrave.cfm
- ^ http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070329/NEWS01/703290369/1002/NEWS01
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/03/AR2007050302170_pf.html
- ^ http://www.nea.org/lac/votedesc.htmlvotes votes
- ^ http://www.nea.org/lac/reportcard.html priorities
- ^ http://capwiz.com/lcv/bio/keyvotes/?id=5508&congress=1092&lvl=C
- ^ http://www.repamerica.org/2005_scorecard.pdf
- ^ http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/DocServer/scorecard2006.pdf?docID=3341
- ^ http://www.beyonddelay.org/summaries/musgrave.php
- ^ http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20050929/NEWS/109290095
- ^ Dilanian, Ken, " Billions go to House panel members' districts", USA Today. July 26, 2007.
- ^ http://www.nrapvf.org/elections/State.aspx?State=CO
- ^ http://www.nrapvf.org/About/Default.aspx
- ^ http://www.nrapvf.org/WhatTheGradesMean.aspx
- ^ http://www.coralridge.org/imp/impact06051.aspx
- ^ http://www.cc.org/2004scorecard.pdf
- ^ http://www.cc.org/about.cfm
- ^ Rocky Mountain News, Gun-rights activist alleges dirty politics; October 15, 2002.
- ^ "Gun lobbyist draws fire over fund-raising letter," Associated Press; March 30, 2002.
- ^ http://www.beyonddelay.org/files/Marilyn%20Musgrave%20Exhibits.pdf
- ^ http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20050929/NEWS/109290095
- ^ http://www.macwebguru.com/blog/MuskratLoveLtr_2_Watson.jpg
- ^ http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20050929/NEWS/109290095
- ^ http://www.beyonddelay.org/files/Marilyn%20Musgrave%20Exhibits.pdf
- ^ http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060307/NEWS01/603070304/1002
- ^ http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/rtf/d134410x.rtf
- ^ http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060328/NEWS01/603280303/1002
- ^ http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20051004/NEWS/51004010
- ^ Rocky Mountain News, "MoveOn targets Beauprez, Musgrave"; June 2, 2005.
- ^ http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-16-2007/0004529252&EDATE=
External links
- U.S. Congressman Marilyn Musgrave official House site
- Marilyn
Musgrave at the
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress - Federal Election Commission — Marilyn Musgrave campaign finance reports and data
- Follow the Money — Marilyn Musgrave
- 2002 House 2000 House 1998 House 1998 Senate 1996 House state-level campaign contributions
- On the Issues — Marilyn Musgrave issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org — Marilyn Musgrave campaign contributions
- Project Vote Smart — Representative Marilyn N. Musgrave (CO) profile
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Marilyn Musgrave profile
- Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Marilyn Musgrave voting record
- Marilyn Musgrave for Congress official campaign site
- Beyond Delay — Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
- YouTube: Marilyn Musgrave at Family Research Council
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bob Schaffer |
Member of the from Colorado's 4th congressional district 2003–Present |
Incumbent |
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| Senators | |
| Diana
DeGette (D), Mark Udall (D), John Salazar (D), Marilyn Musgrave (R),
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| All delegations | |
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