James H. Webb (jurist)
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James Henry Webb Jr. (born February 9, 1946) is an American politician and author. He has served as a United States senator from Virginia, Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Counsel for the United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and is a decorated Marine Corps officer. Outside of working in government, Webb is also an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
winning journalist, filmmaker, and author of ten books. In addition, he taught literature at the United States Naval Academy and was a Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. As a member of the Democratic Party, Webb announced on November 19, 2014, that he was forming an exploratory committee to evaluate a run for President of the United States in 2016. On July 2, 2015, he announced that he would be joining the race for the Democratic nomination for president, but stepped down from running in the primaries on October 20, 2015, stating that he was "not comfortable" with many political positions from the party's leadership. In 2020, Webb was named the first distinguished fellow of University of Notre Dame's International Security Center.


Early life and education

Webb was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, to James Henry Webb, and his wife, Vera Lorraine (Hodges). The second of four children and the older son, he grew up in a military family, moving frequently as his father's career in the United States Air Force required. The family crisscrossed the country, living in Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Alabama, Nebraska, California, and Virginia, as well as in England, where his father was an exchange officer with the Royal Air Force. His father flew B-17s and B-29s during World War II, and flew Air Force cargo aircraft during the 1948-49 Berlin airlift. After developing an inner ear disorder, Meniere's Disease, he became a pioneer in the Air Force missile program, later serving as the commanding officer of the 1001st Missile Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Webb's parents are buried at the Arlington National Cemetery. Webb is descended from Scots-Irish immigrants from Ulster who emigrated in the mid-18th century to the British North American colonies. Webb's 2004 book ''Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America'' details his family history, noting that his ancestors fought in every major American war. A 2014 TV documentary on the Smithsonian Channel, also entitled ''Born Fighting'', was adapted from Webb's book and is narrated by him. Webb attended more than a dozen schools across the U.S. and in England. After graduating from high school in
Bellevue, Nebraska Bellevue ( French for "beautiful view"; previously named Belleview) is a suburban city in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and had a population of 64,176 as of the 2020 Census, m ...
, he attended the University of Southern California on a
Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Origins A pilot Naval Reserve unit was established in September 192 ...
scholarship from 1963 to 1964 and he also was a member of Delta Chi. In 1964, Webb earned appointment to the United States Naval Academy in
Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
. At Annapolis, Webb was a member of the Brigade Honor Committee and the Brigade Staff. When he graduated in 1968, he received the Superintendent's Letter for Outstanding Leadership. After his medical retirement from the Marine Corps due to injuries received in Vietnam, Webb enrolled in law school at Georgetown University where he earned a Juris Doctor and received the Horan Award for excellence in legal writing.


Military service

After graduating from the Naval Academy, Webb was commissioned as a
second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
in the U.S. Marine Corps. Attending the Marine Corps Officer Basic School shortly after leaving Annapolis, he graduated first in his class. He was promoted to first lieutenant in the second half of his tour in Vietnam. He served as a platoon commander with Delta Company,
1st Battalion 5th Marines 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors. Nicknamed ''Geronimo'', it falls under the ...
. He was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism in Vietnam, the second-highest decoration in the Navy and Marine Corps. Webb also was awarded the
Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. After returning from Vietnam, he was assigned to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, as an instructor for Officer Candidates School (OCS). He was then assigned to the Secretary of the Navy's office for the remainder of his active duty. His war wounds left him with shrapnel in his knee, kidney, and head. The injury to his knee led a medical board to recommend his medical retirement.


Awards and decorations

Known decorations and medals include: Webb received the Navy Cross for actions on July 10, 1969. The citation read: In 1980, Webb was interviewed for Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War, a Canadian television documentary about the Vietnam War. In one segment, he discussed how hard it was to adjust to arriving in Vietnam. "we stepped off an air conditioned plane, where I just watched a first-run movie, and you know, this German stewardess says, 'have a nice war." In the October 13, 2015, CNN Democratic Debate, when asked, "Which enemy are you most proud of?", Webb stated, "I'd have to say, the enemy soldier that threw the grenade that wounded me, but he's not around right now to talk to." In a November 19, 2006 appearance on '' Meet the Press'', Webb told host Tim Russert, "I'm one of these people who – there aren't many of us – who can still justify for you the reasons that we went into Vietnam, however screwed up the strategy got."


Post-military career

Webb attended Georgetown Law Center from 1972 to 1975, graduating with a
Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
degree. While at Georgetown, he wrote his first book, ''Micronesia and U.S. Pacific Strategy''. From 1977 to 1981, Webb worked on the staff of the
House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
Committee on Veterans Affairs. During this time, he also represented veterans pro-bono. Webb taught at the Naval Academy and was criticized for a 1979 article published in ''Washingtonian'' magazine, titled "Women Can't Fight" (see "2006 Senate campaign" below). He attended the
1980 Republican National Convention The 1980 Republican National Convention convened at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, from July 14 to July 17, 1980. The Republican National Convention nominated retired Hollywood actor and former Governor Ronald Reagan of California for pre ...
in Detroit and led the Pledge of Allegiance in the opening session. During the Reagan Administration, Webb served as the nation's first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs from 1984-87. In 1987, he served as Secretary of the Navy, becoming the first Naval Academy graduate to serve as the civilian head of the Navy. As Navy Secretary, Webb pushed the appointment of
Alfred M. Gray, Jr. Alfred Mason Gray Jr. (born June 22, 1928) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1 July 1987 until his retirement on 30 June 1991 after 41 years of service. Early li ...
as
Commandant of the Marine Corps The commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) is normally the highest-ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Joint Chiefs of Staff: composition; functions. The CMC reports directly to the secr ...
, hoping that Gray could reshape the Corps into the elite unit it once was. Webb resigned in 1988 after refusing to agree to reduce the size of the Navy. Webb had wished to increase the Navy to 600 ships. As revealed in '' The Reagan Diaries'', President
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
wrote on February 22, 1988: "I don't think Navy was sorry to see him go." In a 1990 '' New York Times'' opinion piece, Webb opposed further U.S. military escalation in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield citing lack of a coherent strategy and consent from the United States Congress. He also warned against a permanent military presence in the Middle East. Seven months before the beginning of the 2003 Iraq War, Webb wrote an essay for '' The Washington Post'' in which he During the 2004 presidential campaign, Webb wrote an
op-ed An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. O ...
piece for '' USA Today'' in which he, as a military veteran, evaluated the candidacies of John Kerry and George W. Bush. He criticized Kerry for the nature of his opposition to the Vietnam War in the 1970s while affiliated with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and accused Bush of using his father's connections to avoid service in Vietnam. Webb wrote that Bush had "committed the greatest strategic
blunder A blunder refers to a "stupid, careless mistake". Specific instances include: * Blunder (chess), a very poor move in chess * Hopetoun Blunder, an event in Australian history * Brand blunder, in marketing * Draft blunder, in American sports * Himala ...
in modern memory" with the
2003 invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
. Webb supported Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey's campaign for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination. In 1994, he endorsed incumbent Democrat
Charles Robb Charles Spittal Robb (born June 26, 1939) is an American politician from Virginia and former officer in the United States Marine Corps. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 64th governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and a United ...
for reelection to his Senate seat, over Webb's former Naval Academy classmate Oliver North; like Webb, both Robb and North were decorated Marine veterans of the Vietnam war. Webb subsequently endorsed Republican George Allen over Robb in 2000, and then ran against Allen himself in 2006.


United States Senate


2006 Senate campaign

In late 2005, a campaign to draft Webb to run for the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
in 2006 began on the internet, promoted by netroots activists such as those at the blog Raising Kaine. On February 7, 2006, he announced that he would seek the
Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
nomination for the 2006 Senate race against incumbent Virginia Senator George Allen. In the Democratic primary on June 13, 2006, Webb faced longtime businessman and lobbyist Harris Miller. Webb won with 53.5% of the vote, in a race with low turnout. On August 11, 2006, an incident occurred in which Allen used the word '' macaca'' to refer to Webb campaign associate
S.R. Sidarth The controversies of the 2006 United States Senate election in Virginia involved both Republican incumbent senator George Allen and Democratic opponent Jim Webb. However, a majority of these controversies negatively impacted Allen and are belie ...
, who was filming an event as a "tracker" for the Webb campaign. A poll the following week showed Webb gaining 10 percentage points. The race, which at one point looked like a sure win for Allen, became one of the most watched and closest races of the 2006 elections. Webb's entry into the race and primary victory changed the political landscape. Political analyst Larry Sabato said in May that "Jim Webb is George Allen's worst nightmare: a war hero and a Reagan appointee who holds moderate positions.... Allen tries to project a Reagan aura, but Webb already has it." On September 7, 2006, Webb released his first television advertisement, which included footage of a 1985 speech by
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
that praised Webb's service as a Marine. The next day, the Chief of Staff for the
Reagan Library The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the repository of presidential records from the administration of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, and the burial place of the president and first lady, Nancy Reagan. It is the la ...
wrote Webb's campaign on behalf of former first lady
Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in N ...
, urging them not to air the advertisement saying it was neither fair nor respectful because it gave the impression of an endorsement. The Webb campaign disagreed, saying, "What Reagan said about Jim Webb, that belongs to Jim Webb, frankly." The library said they ask all candidates to refrain from using the former president's image but declined to say if they would request the Allen campaign to remove the image of Reagan used on his campaign website. Five female graduates of the United States Naval Academy held a press conference, decrying Webb's 1979 article, "Women Can't Fight." The women said Webb's article contributed to an atmosphere of hostility and harassment towards women at the academy. Webb was later endorsed by nine military women who stated that Webb is a "man of integrity" who "recognizes the crucial role that women have in the military today." In October 2006, the Allen campaign issued a press release quoting several passages from Webb's novels with sexual content, including graphic references to female anatomy and purported pedophilia, homosexuality and incest, citing a passage in which a Southeast Asian father ritually places the penis of his young son in his mouth. The press release said that the passages showed a "continued pattern of demeaning women". Allen's campaign refused to tell a local radio news station, WTOP-FM, whether it in fact had issued a news release on the matter. In response, Jim Webb explained to ''The Washington Post'', "I actually saw this happen in a slum in Bangkok when I was there as a journalist." According to an article on Raw Story, the conservative website ''
CNS News The Media Research Center (MRC), formerly known as Culture and Media Institute (CMI), is an American conservative content analysis and media watchdog group based in Reston, Virginia, and founded in 1987 by L. Brent Bozell III. The CMI promoted ...
'' cited a case in Nevada in which a Cambodian mother was arrested for a similar act. According to the CNS article, an office manager for the Cambodian Association of America confirmed it is a cultural norm in Thailand and Cambodia. On November 9, 2006, after AP and Reuters projected that Webb had won the seat, Allen conceded the election. Although the margin was narrow – less than half of 1% of the total vote and therefore small enough under Virginia law to allow demanding a recount – Allen stated that he would not challenge the result.


Senator-elect

On November 15, 2006, Senate majority-leader-in-waiting Harry Reid assigned Webb to three committees: the committees on Foreign Relations, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services. "That same day, an op-ed authored by Webb appeared in the pages of '' The Wall Street Journal''. Titled 'Class Struggle: American workers have a chance to be heard'. The piece addressed the harmful economic inequality in the U.S., with the elites on one side and American workers on the other side. The article cites the "age of globalization and outsourcing, and with a vast underground labor pool from illegal immigration", as well as extravagant executive compensation, the detrimental effects of free trade and globalization, iniquitous tax cuts, speedily rising health care costs, and stagnation in income as the reasons for the increasing disparity between the elites and American workers.


Exchange with President Bush

On November 28, 2006, at a White House reception for those newly elected to Congress, Webb did not choose to wait in the line to have his picture taken with the president, whom Webb often criticized during the campaign. The president approached Webb later and asked him, "How's your boy?", referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq. Webb replied "I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President." Bush responded, "That's not what I asked you. How's your boy?", Webb responded, "That's between me and my boy, Mr. President." ''
The Hill ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
'' cited an anonymous source who claimed that Webb was so angered by the exchange that he confessed he was tempted to "slug" the president. Webb later remarked in an interview, "I'm not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall." In response to the incident, some conservatives criticized Webb, including George Will, who called Webb a "boor" and wrote, "
ebb Ebb or EBB may refer to: People * Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861), English poet * Fred Ebb (1928–2004), American lyricist * Karl Ebb (1896–1988), Finnish athlete and racing driver * Kimberley Ebb (born 1987), Australian rules foo ...
already has become what Washington did not need another of, a subtraction from the city's civility and clear speaking." Others, such as conservative columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, reserved their criticism for Bush, writing: "I thought it had the sound of the rattling little aggressions of our day, but not on Mr. Webb's side." (subscription required) Webb was asked about the exchange in a January 4, 2007 appearance on '' Hardball with Chris Matthews''. He told
Matthews Matthews may refer to: People * Matthews (surname) Places * Matthews Island, Antarctica * Matthews Range, Kenya * Mount Matthews, New Zealand United States * Matthews, Georgia * Matthews, Indiana * Matthews, Maryland * Matthews, Missouri * Mat ...
: After his son returned from Iraq, Webb "buried the hatchet" with the president by setting up a private chat with his son, the president, and himself in the Oval Office.


Tenure as Senator

On January 3, 2007, Webb was sworn into the 110th U.S. Senate, accompanied by Sen.
John Warner John William Warner III (February 18, 1927 – May 25, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1979 to 200 ...
, R-Va., a fellow former Secretary of the Navy; and former Virginia Democratic Sen. Chuck Robb, who held the same seat before losing to Allen. On his first day in the Senate, Webb introduced the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to expand benefits for military families, which he had written. The act replaces key provisions of the Montgomery G.I. Bill for recent veterans and "makes veterans benefits identical to those soldiers received following World War II". "With many of our military members serving two or three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is past time to enact a new veterans' education program modeled on the World War II era G.I. bill. This is exactly what our legislation does", Webb said. It became law on June 30, 2008, as part of the
Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 The Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (, ), which was signed into law on June 30, 2008, is an Act of Congress that appropriated $250 billion for ongoing military operations and domestic programs. This law is an example of an Appropriation bill, ...
. In a January 4, 2007, appearance on '' The Situation Room'', Webb articulated his position on the Iraq War:
What we really need to do is to get into the arena where we can talk about a strategy, talk about the pluses and the minuses of the Baker-Hamilton Commission and work toward a solution that, on the one hand, will allow us to remove our combat troops, but on the other, will increase the stability of the region, allow us to continue to fight against international terrorism and allow us, as a nation, to address our strategic interests around the world. And this is – this is one of the drawbacks that we've had with so many troops having been put into this constant rotational basis inside one country when we have a war against international terrorism that's global.
Asked by Wolf Blitzer if he would ever support the efforts of
Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich (; born October 8, 1946) is an American politician. A U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013, he was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008. He ran for ...
to cut funding for the war, Webb said,
I – you know, I lived through Vietnam. I lived through it as a Marine and I know that those sorts of approaches, while they seem attractive on one level are really not that realistic. What we want to do – and I was talking with a number of senators today – is to try to get some of these so-called emergency legislation packages back into the committee process so that the committees can actually play.
On January 23, 2007, Webb delivered the
Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
response Response may refer to: *Call and response (music), musical structure *Reaction (disambiguation) *Request–response **Output (computing), Output or response, the result of telecommunications input *Response (liturgy), a line answering a versicle ...
to the president's State of the Union address, focusing on the economy and Iraq. Webb's speech drew positive reviews, and was regarded as one of the stronger State of the Union responses in recent memory. On March 5, 2007, Webb introduced his second piece of legislation, , intended to prohibit the use of funds for military operations in Iran without the prior approval of Congress. In a statement on the floor of the Senate, Webb said, "The major function of this legislation is to prevent this Administration from commencing unprovoked military activities against Iran without the approval of the Congress. The legislation accomplishes this goal through the proper constitutional process of prohibiting all funding for such an endeavor." On March 26, 2007, a senatorial aide of Webb, Phillip Thompson, was arrested for carrying Webb's loaded pistol as he entered the Russell Senate Office Building and for carrying unregistered ammunition. The weapon was discovered when Thompson went through an X-ray machine with a briefcase that contained a loaded pistol and two additional loaded magazines. Charges against the aide were dismissed after prosecutors concluded it could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Thompson was aware that the gun and ammunition were in the briefcase. Webb responded to his aide's arrest by reiterating his support for gun-owners' rights:
I'm a strong supporter of the Second Amendment; I have had a permit to carry a weapon in Virginia for a long time; I believe that it's important; it's important to me personally and to a lot of people in the situation that I'm in to be able to defend myself and my family.


2009 visit to Southeast Asia

On August 14, 2009, Webb visited
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
(Burma), seeing its junta's leader, Gen. Than Shwe, and also the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest. During Webb's visit with Than Shwe, Webb negotiated the release and deportation of an imprisoned American,
John Yettaw John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
. Upon his return to the U.S., Webb wrote an editorial titled "We Can't Afford to Ignore Myanmar" for '' The New York Times'', arguing for the easing of sanctions on the country. Webb stated that sanctions have isolated the country, thereby encouraging the ruling regime to turn to China and allowing "China to dramatically increase its economic and political influence in Myanmar, furthering a dangerous strategic imbalance in the region." Webb also noted that, unlike Myanmar, China does not allow opposition parties. Webb has stated that he started the pivot to Asia during the Bush Administration. Webb visited Vietnam as part of a two-week trip to five Southeast Asian countries. Webb, who can speak Vietnamese, has had a continuous involvement in Asian and Pacific affairs that long predates his time in the Senate. In addition to his more recent visits as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Webb has worked and traveled throughout this vast region, from Micronesia to Burma, for nearly four decades, as a Marine Corps officer, a defense planner, a journalist, a novelist, a Department of Defense executive, and as a business consultant. He worked in the 1990s as a consultant for companies attempting to do business in Vietnam.


Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009

On March 26, 2009, Webb filed th
Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009
(SB 714), which would create a blue ribbon commission to reevaluate the criminal justice system and drug policy and make recommendations for reform. Noting that the United States houses 25% of the world's inmates despite having only 5% of the world's population, Webb proposed a comparison between U.S. incarceration policies and those of other developed nations. At a
United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was previously known as the Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism Jurisdiction * Oversight of the Departm ...
hearing, Webb described the criminal justice system as being in "... a profound, deeply corrosive crisis that we have largely been ignoring at our peril." He also criticized the lack of standards in prison administration and highlighted the justice system's negative impact on communities. The subcommittee chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), expressed support for the bill at the hearing and indicated his intent to move the bill to the full United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. By the end of June 2010, the bill had 39 cosponsors. In the fall of 2009, an amendment to SB 714 was proposed by Sen.
Charles Grassley Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate, and the senior United States senator from Iowa, having held the seat since 1981. In 2022, he ...
(R-IA) that would have prohibited the commission created by the bill from discussing or recommending the decriminalization or legalization of any substance prohibited under the
Controlled Substances Act The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is the statute establishing federal government of the United States, federal drug policy of the United States, U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use, and distribution of ...
. The proposed amendment drew criticism from some in the online community. Grassley later rescinded the amendment and claimed in a '' Des Moines Register'' op-ed that he had proposed it to "start a debate on this important issue". SB 714 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a voice vote on January 21, 201

but no further action was ever taken.


Retirement from the U.S. Senate

On February 9, 2011, Webb announced that he would not run for re-election to his Senate seat in 2012.


Committee assignments

* United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, Committee on Armed Services ** Subcommittee on Airland ** Subcommittee on Personnel (Chairman) ** Subcommittee on SeaPower * Committee on Foreign Relations ** Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs ** Subcommittee on African Affairs ** Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Chairman) ** Subcommittee on European Affairs * Committee on Veterans' Affairs *
Joint Economic Committee The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) is one of four standing joint committees of the U.S. Congress. The committee was established as a part of the Employment Act of 1946, which deemed the committee responsible for reporting the current economic co ...


2008 vice presidential speculation

Webb was frequently mentioned as a possible vice presidential Democratic nominee for Barack Obama in 2008 due to his military experience and moderate policy positions. Although he said he was not interested in the vice presidency, speculations about his being picked by Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee at the time, were still heard. On July 7, Webb effectively removed himself as a possible candidate for Vice President in a statement made to '' Time'', stating that he intended to serve his term in the Senate and "under no circumstances will I be a candidate for Vice President." Obama went on to choose fellow senator Joe Biden as his running mate.


2016 presidential campaign

On November 19, 2014, Webb announced the formation of an exploratory committee in preparation for a possible bid for the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
. He made the announcement via a video posted on his website, as well as on YouTube. On June 15, 2015, Webb announced he would make a decision regarding a presidential bid by the end of the month. Webb made a formal announcement on July 2, 2015, through an open letter on his webb2016 website, that he would seek the Democratic Party's nomination for the presidency. On October 20, 2015, after failing to gain substantial support for his campaign ahead of the primaries, Webb announced that he would be dropping out of the Democratic presidential race in favor of a possible independent presidential run citing his "frustration with party leadership". On February 11, 2016, he ruled out making an independent presidential bid. On March 4, 2016, Webb stated that he would not vote for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and declined to rule out voting for Donald Trump.


As an author


Books

Webb's successful first novel, ''
Fields of Fire The field of fire of a weapon (or group of weapons) is the area around it that can easily and effectively be reached by gunfire. The term 'field of fire' is mostly used in reference to machine guns. Their fields of fire incorporate the beaten zon ...
'' (1978), drawn from personal experience, tells the story of a platoon of United States Marines in late 1960s Vietnam. Reviewers hailed its descriptions of infantry life and combat. After five more novels, he wrote '' Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America'' (2004), a personal view of Scots-Irish and their place in American history and culture.


Works

*''Micronesia and United States Pacific Strategy: Blueprint for the 1980s'' (1975) *''
Fields of Fire The field of fire of a weapon (or group of weapons) is the area around it that can easily and effectively be reached by gunfire. The term 'field of fire' is mostly used in reference to machine guns. Their fields of fire incorporate the beaten zon ...
'' (1978) *''A Sense of Honor'' (1981) *''A Country Such as This'' (1983) *''Something to Die For'' (1992) *''The Emperor's General'' (1999) *''Lost Soldiers'' (2002) *'' Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America'' (2004) *''A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America'' (2008) *''I Heard My Country Calling: A Memoir'' (2015)


Movies

Webb wrote the story, and was the executive producer, for the 2000 film '' Rules of Engagement'', which starred Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson. Warner Brothers acquired Webb's script for ''Whiskey River''. The script concerns an American soldier who is injured in Iraq and returns to the United States. Before completing rehabilitation, he is called back to active duty. His father, in an attempt to save his son's life, kidnaps him. In October 2006, while commenting on the need to break away from
stereotypical In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
movie villains, Webb stated, " ery movie needs a villain. Towel-heads and rednecks—of which I am one ... became the easy villains in so many movies out there."


Articles

Webb is a prolific writer and has written for many national journals including the '' Marine Corps Gazette'', '' Proceedings'' of the United States Naval Institute, ''USA Today'', ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''The Wall Street Journal''.


Personal life

His first marriage was to Barbara Samorajczyk, a
lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
who has worked for various real estate and development companies in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. She is a member of the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Council. They have one daughter, Amy, who was eight when they divorced in 1979. Webb and Samorajczyk have three grandchildren. His second marriage was to Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs and health-care lobbyist Jo Ann Krukar in 1981; in later years, long after their divorce, she also assisted in his 2006 Senate campaign. They have three children: Sarah, Jimmy, and Julia. Webb's son Jimmy was a rifleman and
sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
in the United States Marine Corps, and served a tour in Iraq with
Weapons Company A weapons company, sometimes called a manoeuvre support company, is a company (military), company-sized military unit attached to an infantry battalion to support the rifle companies of the battalion. It usually possesses some combination of machine ...
,
1st Battalion 6th Marines The 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (1/6) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. It consists of approximately 1,100 marines and sailors. They fall under the command of the 6th Marine Regiment ...
. In tribute to his son, Jimmy, and to "all the people sent into harm's way", Jim Webb wore his son's old combat boots every day during his 2006 Senate campaign. Webb is currently married to Hong Le Webb, a Vietnamese-American securities and corporate lawyer for Murphy and McGonigle. Hong Le was born in
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
and came to the United States when she was seven, after the fall of Saigon. She grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. They married in October 2005. Hong Le and Jim Webb have one child together, Georgia LeAnh, born December 2006. Webb is also a stepfather to Hong Le's daughter from a previous marriage. Jim Webb speaks Vietnamese.


Electoral history

Webb won election to the senate in
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, defeating incumbent George Allen.


See also

*
Democratic Party presidential candidates, 2016 This article contains lists of candidates associated with the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries for the 2016 United States presidential election. Major candidates Individuals included in this section have taken one or more of the f ...


References


External links


Official


James Webb Enterprises

Webb 2016 Exploratory Committee
for President
United States Senator Jim Webb
Senate site (archived December 22, 2012)
2007 Archived Senate Web Site
part o

at ttp://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/archival_web_collections Virginia Memory
2008 Archived Senate Web Site
part o

at ttp://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/archival_web_collections Virginia Memory
2009 Archived Senate Web Site
part o

at ttp://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/archival_web_collections Virginia Memory
2010 Archived Senate Web Site
part o

at ttp://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/archival_web_collections Virginia Memory
2006 Archived Campaign Web Site
part o

at ttp://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/archival_web_collections Virginia Memory
Born Fighting PAC, Senator Jim Webb, Chair


official list


Resources

* * *


Articles


Senator Jim Webb, Choosing His Battles
interview on Fresh Air, May 20, 2008 * West, Paul.
Jim Webb: No More Combat Boots
, ''Washingtonian'', February 1, 2008.

* Webb, James H

''PARADE Magazine'', May 27, 2001. URL accessed December 29, 2005 * Webb, James
"Why You Need To Know The Scots-Irish"
''PARADE Magazine'', October 3, 2004, adapted from his book '' Born Fighting''. URL accessed April 27, 2010 * Webb, James
"Purple Heartbreakers
''The New York Times'', January 18, 2006

from the Naval Postgraduate School
Interview on Comedy Central
, The Colbert Report, March 8, 2006
Jim Webb vs. George Allen
''Meet the Press'', September 17, 2006

Michael D. Shear and Tim Craig, ''The Washington Post'', October 28, 2006

Wilder endorses Webb] Caine O'Rear, ''Richmond.com'', October 26, 2006
Military women support Webb as 'man of integrity'
Seth McLaughlin, ''The Washington Times'', October 18, 2006

''The Times''
Jim Webb & Graham Greene: With a Vietnamese Baby on Your Mind


Nora Ephron, ''Huffington Post'', November 30, 2006 * video
The Jim Webb Story
profile on Webb and review of ''A Time to Fight'' from '' The New York Review of Books'' , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, James H. 1946 births Living people 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American historians American male novelists United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War American political writers American people of Scotch-Irish descent American male screenwriters Democratic Party United States senators from Virginia Georgetown University Law Center alumni Historians of the United States Military personnel from Missouri Politicians from St. Joseph, Missouri Reagan administration personnel Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Silver Star United States Assistant Secretaries of Defense United States Marine Corps officers United States Naval Academy alumni Candidates in the 2016 United States presidential election United States Secretaries of the Navy Virginia Democrats Lawyers from Washington, D.C. 21st-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers Screenwriters from Washington, D.C. Writers from Missouri Virginia Republicans People from Bellevue, Nebraska People from Sarpy County, Nebraska 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers People with Ménière's Disease