Joe Donnelly

Joseph Simon “Joe” Donnelly, Sr. (born September 29, 1955) is the junior United States Senator from Indiana and a member of the Democratic Party.

Born in Massapequa, New York, Donnelly graduated from The University of Notre Dame. From 1997 to 2001, he was a member of the Mishawaka Marian School Board, serving as the board's President from 2000 to 2001. In 2004, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, losing to Republican Chris Chocola. In 2006, he ran for the same seat, this time defeating incumbent Chocola. Donnelly represented IN's 2nd congressional district from 2007 to 2013. In May 2011, Donnelly announced his intentions to run for the U.S. Senate, winning his party's nomination one year later in an uncontested primary. He faced Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who had defeated 36-year incumbent Richard Lugar in the Republican primary. On November 6, 2012 Donnelly defeated Mourdock in the general election, securing 50% of the vote to Mourdock's 44%.

Early life, education, and law career
Donnelly was born and raised in Massapequa, New York. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1977 and earned his law degree from Notre Dame Law School in 1981. He practiced law until 1996, when he opened Marking Solutions, a printing and rubber stamp company.

Early political career
Donnelly held two public positions before deciding to run for U.S. Congress. From 1988 to 1989 he served on the Indiana State Election Board, which was charged with ensuring accurate election results. He served on the Mishawaka Marian School Board from 1997 to 2001, serving as president of the board from 2000 to 2001.

He ran a campaign for Indiana Attorney General in 1988, but lost at the Democratic state convention. He also ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Indiana State Senate in 1990.

Committee assignments

 * Committee on Financial Services
 * Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
 * Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade
 * Committee on Veterans' Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Health
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (Ranking Member)

Blue Dog Coalition
In the House, Donnelly was a member of Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats. In March 2007, he was recognized as "Blue Dog of the Week" for his work on helping small businesses. He broke with the Democratic leadership on several budgetary issues, including the 2008 fiscal budget proposal. In June 2007, he was ranked as one of the ten most independent Democrats by a Congressional Quarterly report.

United States Senate
On January 3, 2013, Donnelly was sworn in the United State Senate in the 113th Congress. Donnelly is first Democrat to hold this seat since Vance Hartke was defeated by Richard Lugar in 1977. Donnelly, a member of the Blue Dog coalition in the House, has said he will continue to align himself with moderates in the Senate, saying that he will be an "independent voice for Indiana families," and that he will continue the “common-sense Hoosier tradition of Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh.”

Donnelly announced that he will serve on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

Economic policy
Donnelly has stated that he "supports responsible efforts to promote tax relief to help small businesses and middle-class families." He has exprssed support for an independent bipartisan commission to recommend solutions to the long-term tax and spending problems facing the U.S. In 2007, he cosponsored the SAFE Commission Act, calling for a commission to develop legislation designed to reform tax policy and entitlement benefit programs. He also supported attempts in the House to patch the Alternative Minimum Tax, and co-sponsored H.R. 976, The Small Business Tax Relief, Act.
 * Taxes

In February 2009, Donnelly voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, asserting that it would provide "tax relief to 95 percent of all working families and to small businesses to encourage investment in the equipment and resources they need to remain competitive in today's global economy."

Donnelly voted against the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 (a two-month extension of an expiring provision from the American Recovery Act, forestalling an increase in the payroll tax from 4.2% to 6.2%); he voted for the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (a one-year extension of the same provision), saying that the payroll tax extension was "important for Indiana's working families". In 2012 Donnelly also voted for H.R. 9, the Small Business Tax Cut Act, which would allow businesses with fewer than 500 employees to receive a tax deduction equal to 20% of their domestic business income.

Donnelly was one of 276 members of Congress who voted for the Tax Relief and Unemployment Insurance Act of 2010, extending the 2001 and 2003 Bush-era tax cuts and a 13-month extension of unemployment benefits. In a press release, Donnelly said that "this compromise will best provide continued tax relief for all working Americans and will continue to move our economy forward by providing important tax incentives for businesses." In an interview, Donnelly said that he favors making the tax cuts permanent for middle-class Americans and temporarily extending the cuts for families making at least $250,000. During a speech at the 2012 Indiana Democratic Convention, Donnelly said that he would support a temporary one-year extension of all Bush-era tax cuts, declaring "Given our continued economic challenges, now is the time to keep tax rates low, the last thing our economy can afford is more uncertainty. We need to create jobs, we need to help the middle class and support small businesses, and we need to avoid partisan bickering and delay."

During his second term, Donnelly voted for the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Donnelly helped write three amendements to the final bill; Amendment 1; Helps provide adequate tools to a new SEC division that regulates credit rating agencies. Amendment 2; Prevents the FDIC from being used in the future to purchase equity shares of troubled banks as a rescue attempt, and ensuring that the FDIC is used only to protect customers' savings. Amendment 3; Prohibits the Consumer Financial Protection Agency to act on manufactured housing retailers. In a press statement on the bill, Donnelly stated: "For too long, Wall Street and big banks exploited loopholes and ignored growing problems at the expense of hard-working Hoosiers and Americans. Compounding the problem was an insufficient patchwork of government regulators who missed the warning signs leading up to the economic crisis. Those days are over."
 * Wall Street regulation

In a March 2012 letter Donnelly signed with Democratic members of the House and Senate, he urged Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler to curb oil speculation in the commodity market through new provisions in the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Which, according to a publication from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, oil speculators dominate 80% of the energy futures market and adds $.56 per gallon of gas. In the letter to the Chairman, it read: "We have a responsibility to ensure that the price of gas is no longer allowed to be driven up by the same Wall Street speculators who caused the devastating recession that working families are now experiencing. The CFTC must do what the law mandates and end excessive oil speculation." On the issue Donnelly said: "Gas prices are too high in Indiana and we need to ensure that Wall Street speculators aren't playing games with the oil markets, leading to financial harm to working families."

In July 2012 Donnelly voted in favor of H.R. 459, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, sponsored by Texas Congressman Ron Paul. The bill requires a full audit of the Federal Reserve, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and Federal reserve banks by the Comptroller General. H.R. 459 is now pending before the Senate.

Donnelly believes in increasing the minimum wage, and is a strong supporter of the rights for every worker to organize and bargain collectively for fair pay. On the issue of labor rights Donnelly's said that “Good jobs and fair wages make it possible to feed our families, educate our children, and retire in dignity.” In Donnelly's first term he co-sponsored H.R. 2: The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. The act allows Congress to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25, and cuts taxes on small businesses by $12 Billion. After The Fair Minimum Wage Act was signed, Donnelly said in a statement that, “A decent wage is essential for a working family to get by in America. This is not only good social and economic policy, it's just plain fair.” Donnelly voted in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The law was based after the Supreme Court case Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., when the court decided employers cannot be sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 over gender pay discrimination if the claims are based on decisions made by the employer 180 days ago or more, The Fair Pay Act amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 allowing women to file a lawsuit against their employer if they are paid less than men for doing the same work.
 * Labor issues

Veterans


Serving on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Donnelly supported the Fiscal Year 2008 Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs Appropriations bill, increasing VA funding by $4 Billion, it was the largest funding increase for the in U.S. history. Since taking office, he has worked to improve the conditions at Walter Reed Hospital by supporting H.R.1538, The Wounded Warrior Assistance Act. He has worked across the aisle with Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) to introduce H.R. 1490, The Fairness in Veterans Disability Benefits Act, which reduces waiting time for veterans deserving disability benefits. Donnelly has introduced legislation to create a rural advisory board for veterans aiming to improve private-care options for veterans struck with traumatic brain injury. Donnelly joined Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) in offering an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 that would enhance the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The amendment would protect service members and their families from improper foreclosures, evictions, and other negative financial consequences of military service. He has also worked to open outpatient clinics in Elkhart, Indiana and in South Bend, Indiana.

Health care
In March 2010, Donnelly voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Donnelly supports PPACA because it's fully funded, and according to the non-partisan CBO will reduce the deficit over the next decade.
 * Health care reform

Donnelly supports provisions including: Requiring insurance companies to cover Health screenings, Doctor's visits and Preventive care, and cover children on their parents' health insurance plan until they're 26. Prohibiting health insurance companies from; Denying coverage to patients with Pre-existing conditions, charging women more than men on health insurance premiums, and establishing an annual and lifetime cap on insurance payments to individuals. Closing the Medicare Part D coverage gap, Extending Medicare payments to all Rural Hospitals, Expanding Medicaid eligibility to individuals with incomes up to 133% of the poverty line, Requiring that all individuals not covered by an employer sponsored health plan, Medicaid, Medicare or other public insurance programs, purchase and comply with an approved private insurance policy or pay a penalty, and expanding coverage to the 46 million Americans who currently don't have health insurance.

Donnelly has said that though he “doesn't view the act as perfect,” he is willing to improve it, including repealing the medical device excise tax (a 2.3% tax on the sale of certain medical devices by the manufacturer, producer or importer of the device). In 2012 Donnelly cosponsored The Protect Medical Innovation Act, which would repeal the excise tax on medical devices. When asked about the tax, Donnelly said that, “We fought very hard to keep the medical-device tax out of the bill, and the pledge was we will continue to fight very hard to have it removed."

In 2007 Donnelly was a cosponsor of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIP). Appropriating over $60 billion over 5 years by matching federal funds to states that provide health insurance to children and pregnant women, and raising the federal cigarette tax from 39 cents to $1. After CHIP passed the House and the Senate, President George W. Bush vetoed the bill over a $30 billion spending difference between what he and congress proposed, saying that “Because the Congress has chosen to send me a bill that moves our health care system in the wrong direction, I must veto it,” and that lawmakers should “produce a good bill that puts poorer children first.” After Bush's decision on CHIP, Donnelly joined 217 Democrats and 42 Republicans in a failed measure to override Bush's veto. In 2009 after Bush left office, the House passed a new version of CHIP, and President Barack Obama signed it into law. The new version including the original expansion of coverage to 4 million children, and along with raising taxes on cigarettes, a new provision was added to raise taxes on other tobacco products. In a statement on CHIP Donnelly said “Our children are our most precious assets, and we should work to provide health insurance to as many of them as possible.”
 * Children's Health Insurance Program

Donnelly, along with 197 members of the House, was a cosponsor of the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007. Requiring federal officials to negotiate with prescription drug companies for lower prices for seniors covered by Medicare Part D, repealing the original text of Medicare Part D, banning the government to negotiate with prescription drug companies. Donnelly has voted against the Prescription Drug Imports Act, allowing imports of Prescription Drugs from FDA inspected plants in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and European countries.
 * Prescription drug coverage

Foreign policy
In 2011 Donnelly voted against preventing Department of Defense funds from being used for military actions in support of the NATO Intervention in Libya. Donnelly also voted in support of the failed resolution to authorize the President to continue the limited use of U.S. Forces in Libya. The resolution stated that Congress does not support deploying, establishing, or maintaining the presence of units and members of U.S. Armed Forces on the ground in Libya unless the purpose of the presence is limited to the defense of U.S. government officials or NATO member forces from imminent danger. In the wake of the death of former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, Donnelly stated: "The death of Qaddafi is welcome news to the Libyan people who are seeking greater freedoms and an end to brutal oppression. I voted for a resolution granting authorization for the limited use of force in Libya and opposing the use of U.S. ground forces there because I believed ending Qaddafi's regime was in our national security interests. I believe focused, limited support from the United States was the right thing to offer in ending this regime.”
 * Libya

During the Iraq war Donnelly was opposed to cutting military funding, stating on his website that he was “upset when I learned that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was considering legislation that would cut off funding for the war”. But in July 2007, Donnelly joined 221 other House members in voting for HR 2956, the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act. This legislation contained a deadline for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. In a written statement Donnelly noted “Congress must continue providing full funding for our troops in the field, period. That's why I voted for the Iraq War funding bill, despite its imperfections.”
 * Iraq

In 2011 Donnelly aligned himself with Republicans and 7 other members of the Blue Dog coalition in a 204-215 house vote against an accelerated withdrawal from the war in Afghanistan. Donnelly reaffirmed opposition to an accelerated withdrawal from Afghanistan in voting against the Lee amendment, proposed in H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. The Lee amendment, if passed, would have prohibited the military for spending any money in Afghanistan except for on non-combat humanitarian activities, and on activities leading to the withdrawal of American military forces from the country.
 * Afghanistan

National security
Donnelly is a staunch supporter of Defense spending and has a consistent record of voting with conservatives in spending increases in the Department of Defense and Homeland Security. In 2011 Donnelly voted against H.R. 2219 which would have cut the U.S. military budget by $8.5 billion, stipulating that no cuts were to be taken from pay or benefit programs supporting members and veterans of the armed forces. These cuts would have reduced the emphasis of the U.S. budget on weapons programs. Donnelly also voted against the failed Polis amendment, cutting $640 Million in a 2% across-the-board reduction in spending from the 2012 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. Donnelly voted in favor of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. Civil Liberty advocates have criticized Donnelly for voting for Section 1021, expanding authority to the President to detain suspected al-Qaeda, Taliban, or associated forces (including U.S. citizens) without a trial. Donnelly has voted in support of reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act, and requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in the U.S., but not abroad.

Immigration
To fix what Donnelly calls the “country's immigration crisis” he wants to start by securing the borders and have more agents patrolling the border. He suggests using E-Verify, a program that allows employers to verify if their workers are legal by checking with databases from the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. Donnelly voted against the DREAM Act on December 8, 2010. The interest groups English First, Federation for American Immigration Reform, and Americans for a Better Immigration have all been supporters of Donnelly's work, while the National Latino Congreso has adamantly criticized his efforts.

Gun ownership
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has consistently supported Donnelly on his views on gun control. He helped promote a project that would get rid of gun registration and the trigger lock law in Washington, DC. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has disapproved of Donnelly's views and actions since 1998, based on his gun control voting records. Donnelly was one of seventeen Democrats in the U.S. House to vote with the Republican majority for the criminal Contempt of Congress measure against United States Attorney General Eric Holder in the aftermath of Operation Fast and Furious.

Abortion
Donnelly is morally opposed to abortion and is trying to make adoption more accessible to families. On the issue of abortion Donnelly said “As a pro-life congressman, I am committed to protecting life at all stages.” In 2011, he co-sponsored HR 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. The bill contained an exception for "forcible rape," which opponents criticized as potentially excluding drug-facilitated rape, date rape, and other forms of rape. The bill also allowed an exception for minors who are victims of incest.

In 2011 Donnelly received a 20% rating from pro-choice political action group NARAL. Before 2011, Donnelly had consistently received a 0% rating every year from NARAL during his time in the House. Donnelly has received high scores from the pro-life group National Right to Life Committee, never receiving a rating lower than 70%.

LGBT issues
Donnelly has overall a mixed voting record when it comes to LGBT rights. He received a rating of 30% from the Human Rights Campaign in 2010. In 2007, Donnelly voted for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. In 2009, Donnelly voted against the Matthew Shepard Act in April 2009. However, in October 2009 voted for 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations, which included the Matthew Shepard Act, which expanded the federal hate crimes to include sexual orientation, gender identity and disabilities. On May 27, 2010, Donnelly voted against repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell after military review and certification. The next day, Donnelly voted for the 2010-2011 Defense Appropriation Authorizations bill which included a provision repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. In December 2010, Donnelly voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. Donnelly was one of 17 Democratic House of Representatives to vote for the Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the Defense of Marriage Act in July 2012.

2004
Donnelly ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the second district, where he faced off against incumbent Chris Chocola. Chocola was helped by several fundraising visits from President George W. Bush, and was able to outspend Donnelly by a two to one margin, $1.4 million to $700,000. Donnelly lost the election, 54%–45%. Due to his relatively late entrance into the contest, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) did not offer much support to Donnelly's 2004 campaign. This would change in 2006, when the race was identified by the DCCC as a "Red-to-Blue" contest and extra funds were sent from out of the district in an effort to win back control of the House of Representatives.

2006
On May 2, 2006, Donnelly defeated Steve Francis for the Democratic nomination, setting up a rematch against Chris Chocola.

Because Chocola was a strong supporter of George W. Bush, the race was expected to be more competitive than in 2004 in light of Bush's waning popularity. The website Moveon.org identified Donnelly as a top contender to defeat a Republican incumbent in the house, and began running its "Red-Handed" ads against Chocola early in the campaign. Chocola still maintained a significant money advantage over Donnelly, but in 2006, Donnelly had enough to maintain a competitive advertising presence throughout the campaign.

The campaign was heated, with the DCCC sponsoring ads attacking Chocola as being beholden to moneyed interests in the insurance, pharmaceutical, and energy industries. Chocola returned fire by attacking Donnelly over a late tax filing and by attempting to link him to liberal House leader Nancy Pelosi.

On November 7, 2006, Donnelly defeated Chocola by 15,145 votes, or 8% of a substantially larger total of votes relative to 2004. The key difference between the 2006 and 2004 elections for Donnelly lay in the results within St. Joseph County, the location of South Bend and by far the largest county in the district. Traditionally reliably Democratic, voters in the county chose Donnelly over Chocola by only a few hundred votes in the 2004 election. In 2006, however, Donnelly amassed 58% of the county's votes, generating a 14,000-vote margin.

Donnelly was named to the House Financial Services Committee for the 110th Congress.

2008
Donnelly ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. In the general election, he received 67.1% of the vote, winning against Republican nominee Luke Puckett and Libertarian nominee Mark Vogel.

2010
Donnelly ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. In the general election, he was challenged by Republican nominee State Representative Jackie Walorski. Despite huge GOP gains Donnelly was re-elected with 48% of the vote to Walorski's 47%.

2012 United States Senate election
On May 8, 2012 Donnelly ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. He faced Tea Party favorite, Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who defeated 6 term incumbent Richard Lugar in the Republican primary, and Libertarian nominee Andy Horning.

During the election, Donnelly framed Mourdock as "the Wall Street candidate", saying that "the difference between me and Mourdock is, I represent the middle class, while he represents the special interests." Donnelly said he would bring "Hoosier common sense" to the Senate while Mourdock would only "contribute to partisan gridlock".

Donnelly's Senate campaign also focused on closing tax loopholes for corporations, cutting taxes on small businesses, investing in American energy production, and cutting spending to balance the national budget. Donnelly was endorsed by every major newspaper in Indiana, as well as the Louisville Courier Journal, whose readership extends into southern Indiana.

During the campaign Mourdock became embroiled in a controversy after stating that pregnancy from rape is "something that God intended". His remarks were made during a debate on October 23, 2012 while explaining his opposition to abortion even in the case of rape.

On November 6, 2012 Donnelly won the election getting 50% of the vote, compared to Mourdock's 44%, and Horning's 5%.

Electoral history

 * 2004


 * 2006


 * 2008


 * 2010


 * 2012

Personal life
Donnelly and his wife, Jill, have two children. They reside in Granger, Indiana.

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