Steve Buyer

Infobox_Congressman
name =Steve Buyer


date of birth=birth date and age|1958|11|26
place of birth =Rensselaer, Indiana
state = Indiana
district = 4th
term_start =January 3, 1993
preceded = Mark Souder
succeeded = Incumbent
party =Republican
religion = Methodist
spouse = Joni Buyer
residence= Monticello, Indiana
occupation = attorney
alma_mater= The Citadel, Valparaiso University

Stephen Earle Buyer (born November 26 1958) has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993 for ushr|Indiana|4. He was born in Rensselaer, Indiana, was educated at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina and the Valparaiso University School of Law, served in the United States Army, and was a lawyer, Indiana state deputy attorney general, and legal counsel for the 22nd Theater Army in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm before entering the House. He served in the Gulf War as a lieutenant colonel in the Army.cite news|title= Veterans' defiance a nightmare for Bush|date=2006-09-15|url=http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-09-15T190635Z_01_N15407865_RTRUKOT_0_TEXT0.xml&src=091506_1515_TOPSTORY_bush_argues_terror_case Reuters]

In 2004, Buyer received a promotion to Colonel in the United States Army Reserve at a White House ceremony by President George W. Bush, along with South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who was promoted to Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.

U.S. Representative

Committee Assignments

*Veterans' Affairs Committee (Ranking Member)
*Energy and Commerce Committee
**Subcommittee on Health
**Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
*National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus, Co-Chairman

Controversies

In 1992 he supported bringing to a vote on the House floor regarding term limits on Congress in 1994. He voted for the measure and it received a majority of vote but not the 2/3 voted needed to pass [http://www.ontheissues.org/IN/Steve_Buyer.htm#Government_Reform. However he has never voted in favor to personal term limits as long as members of the other party do not agree to them as well. This would put his and other districts at a huge disadvantage because of the seniority based system that exists in Congress.

On March 20, 2003 the following letter from Rep. Buyer to Rep. Hastert was included in the Congressional Record: "Dear Mr. Speaker: I have been called to active duty in the United States Army. Pending further orders, I request immediate indefinite leave of the United States House of Representatives to accommodate my military duties. Respectfully, Steve Buyer, Member of Congress" [ [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r108:H20MR3-0030: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r108:H20MR3-0030:] ] Rep. Buyer was granted a paid leave of absence, which he spent in his home in Monticello, IN, according to the Gannett news article sourced the Department of Defense was able to fill the requirement for a JAG officer with someone else. [ [http://www.aiipowmia.com/inter23/in150603buyer.html AII POW-MIA InterNetwork ] ]

Buyer, who interrogated captured Iraqis during the Gulf War, voted against the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, specifically the "no torture" amendment offered by Senator John McCain. He reasoned that torture was already unlawful. He stated, "I think the people of Indiana need to know that there's a lot of grandstanding going on here, there's a lot of self-projection." [ [http://wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=4255521 "Buyer has unique perspective on torture ban"] , Tom Walker/Washington Bureau Chief, WTHR, Channel 13, Indianapolis]

References

External links

* [http://stevebuyer.house.gov/ U.S. Congressman Steve Buyer] official House site
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Steve_Buyer Profile] from SourceWatch Congresspedia
* [http://www.stevebuyer.org/ Steve Buyer for Congress] official campaign site