Jeff Bingaman

Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman Jr. (born October 3, 1943) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from New Mexico from 1983 to 2013, for 5 terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Chairman of Committee Outreach for the Senate Democratic Caucus. Previously, Bingaman was Attorney General of New Mexico from 1979 to 1983. On February 18, 2011, he announced that he would not seek reelection in 2012. He was succeeded by Democratic US Representative Martin Heinrich. During his time in the Senate, Bingaman served as the longtime chair of the Senate Energy Committee.

After he left the Senate, he returned to his alma mater Stanford Law School as a fellow of its Steyer–Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance.

Early life

Bingaman was born in El Paso, Texas, the son of Frances Bethia (née Ball) and Jesse Francis Bingaman. He grew up in Silver City, New Mexico. His father taught at Western New Mexico University and his mother taught in the public schools system. At age 15, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. The Boy Scouts of America later presented Bingaman with their Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.

After graduating from Silver High School in 1961, Bingaman went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Harvard College in 1965. He then entered Stanford Law School, graduating in 1968. He met his wife Anne Kovacovich while attending law classes. They have one son.

After his admission to the bar, Bingaman commenced work as a private practice attorney alongside his wife. He also served as counsel to the New Mexico Constitutional Convention of 1969. From 1968 to 1974, Bingaman was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. He attended basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, as a private and graduated from the chaplain enlisted assistant technician course at the Army Chaplain School, Fort Hamilton, New Jersey in April 1969.

State Attorney General

Bingaman had worked briefly in the state attorney general's office. He ran for the leadership position of this office in 1978 and was elected. Environmental and antitrust issues were some of his biggest concerns while in this position.

U.S. Senate

Committee assignments

* Committee on Armed Services
** Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
** Subcommittee on Personnel
** Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
* Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Chairman)
* Committee on Finance
** Subcommittee on Health Care
** Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure (Chairman)
** Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
** Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth
*Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
** Subcommittee on Children and Families
** Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging
* Joint Economic Committee

Caucus memberships

*Congressional Competitiveness Caucus (Co-Chair)
* International Conservation Caucus
*Senate Diabetes Caucus

Tenure

In 1982, Bingaman was elected the Senate, defeating one-term Republican incumbent Harrison Schmitt. Bingaman accused Schmitt of not paying enough attention to local matters; his campaign slogan was "What on Earth has he done for you lately?"—a jab at Schmitt's previous service as an astronaut and having walked on the Moon. He was reelected four times.

Bingaman was Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Finance Committee; Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; and Joint Committee on the Economy.

Generally, Bingaman kept a fairly low national profile, even though he was the ninth most senior member of the Senate at the time of his retirement. He was very popular in New Mexico, facing substantive opposition only once, in 1994.

Bingaman and his Senate colleague Pete Domenici were the longest-serving duo among senators in the 110th United States Congress (2007–2009). In second place were Ted Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts. Due to serving alongside Domenici, the longest-serving Senator in New Mexico's history, Bingaman spent 26 years as New Mexico's ''junior'' Senator, though he had more seniority than all but a few of his colleagues. Their combined seniority gave New Mexico clout in national politics well beyond its modest population. He was the most-senior junior senator in the 110th United States Congress.

On April 28, 2008, Bingaman endorsed Senator Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

On December 13, 2008, Bingaman was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from New Mexico State University at the university's Fall 2008 commencement ceremony.

On February 13, 2011, Bingaman announced he would not seek a sixth term. He formally retired on January 3, 2013, ending the second-longest Senate tenure in the state's history, behind only Domenici.

On December 31, 2018, Democratic Governor-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham, announced that Bingaman's son John would serve as her chief of staff. He took office on January 1, 2019.

Political positions

Immigration

Being from a border state with Mexico, Bingaman has been much involved in the debate over illegal immigration. He believes in increased enforcement of borders to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, including more patrol agents and the use of surveillance cameras. However, he also believes that the U.S. should enact a guest worker program so that immigrants looking for honest work can arrive legally. Bingaman voted against the Secure Fence Act in 2006. He voted against declaring English to be the official language of the US government and voted in favor of continuing federal funds to self-declared "sanctuary cities".

Energy and the environment

Throughout his political career, Bingaman has burnished a pro-environmental record. He has worked consistently to protect wildlife and public lands. He spoke publicly about the necessity of the Clean Energy Act of 2007, citing the importance of developing clean technology and green jobs. He stated his support for the bill's principle of eliminating tax breaks on gas and oil companies.

Since 2006, Bingaman has been working on a bill that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions via a "cap and trade" system. He has stated that he would like to see his plan implemented so that emissions would be reduced to 1990 levels by 2030. His bill would also increase levels of federal funding for research and development of green technologies.

Social issues

Bingaman has voted in line with the majority of his party on abortion, and he has received a 100% rating from the pro-choice NARAL. He has voiced his support to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. Although he voted in 1996 for the Defense of Marriage Act, he voted against a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, and has been ranked favorably by gay rights groups (89% from the HRC). He has also voted twice against a proposed amendment to ban flag desecration and has supported affirmative action.

Iraq War

On October 11, 2002, Jeff Bingaman was among the 23 Senators who did not vote for authorizing the Iraq War.

Crime and torture

Bingaman has a generally pro-rehabilitation stance on crime, supporting more programs to prevent youth crime, lower high school dropout rates, and stop drug use. Bingaman has been an outspoken critic of the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay. He cites the need for due process of law for detainees by saying:

The current practice of holding detainees or prisoners indefinitely, without affording them basic due process rights, has been widely criticized in this country and throughout the world. For a country such as ours that has consistently advocated for the rule of law, the policies of the current administration are nothing short of a major embarrassment ... How we handle prisoners can have a dramatic impact on how our own men and women are treated in the event they are themselves taken prisone

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Health care reform

Bingaman supported President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; he voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009, and he voted for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

Electoral history

*2006 United States Senate election in New Mexico
**Jeff Bingaman (D) (inc.), 70.6%
** Allen McCulloch (R), 29.3%
**Orlin G. Cole, 0.06%
* 2000 United States Senate election in New Mexico
**Jeff Bingaman (D) (inc.), 61.7%
**Bill Redmond (R), 38.25%
**Orlin G. Cole, 0.04%
*1994 United States Senate election in New Mexico
**Jeff Bingaman (D) (inc.), 53.97%
**Colin R. McMillan (R), 45.99%
* 1988 United States Senate election in New Mexico
**Jeff Bingaman (D) (inc.), 63.2%
**Bill Valentine (R), 36.8%
* 1982 United States Senate election in New Mexico
**Jeff Bingaman (D), 53.8%
** Harrison Schmitt (R) (inc.), 46.2%

Footnotes

External links

United States Senator Jeff Bingaman
''official U.S. Senate website''

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bingaman, Jeff
1943 births
Living people
21st-century American politicians
American United Methodists
Democratic Party United States senators from New Mexico
Harvard College alumni
Military personnel from New Mexico
New Mexico Attorneys General
New Mexico Democrats
New Mexico lawyers
Politicians from El Paso, Texas
People from Silver City, New Mexico
Stanford Law School alumni
United States Army soldiers
United States Army reservists