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Larry Bucshon

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Larry Bucshon
Bucshon smiling, wearing a suit
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromIndiana's8thdistrict
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2011
Preceded byBrad Ellsworth
Personal details
Born
Larry Dean Bucshon

(1962-05-31)May 31, 1962(age 62)
Taylorville, Illinois,U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseKathryn Bucshon
Children4
Residence(s)Newburgh, Indiana,U.S.
EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign(BS)
University of Illinois at Chicago(MD)
ProfessionHeart surgeon
WebsiteHouse website
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy
Years of service1989–1998
UnitUnited States Navy Reserve

Larry Dean Bucshon(/buːˈʃɔːn/boo-SHAWN;born May 31, 1962) is an American politician and physician who has been theU.S. representativeforIndiana's 8th congressional districtsince 2011. He is a member of theRepublican Party.

Early life, education, and early career

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Bucshon was born inTaylorville, Illinoison May 31, 1962,[1]and raised inKincaid, Illinois.His father, Ronald, was acoal miner,Navy serviceman,and lifelongDemocrat;his mother, Barbara, was anurse.[2]

Bucshon graduated from theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaignand got his medical degree from theUniversity of Illinois Medical SchoolatChicago.After medical school, he completed a residency at theMedical College of Wisconsin,where he served as chief resident in surgery and remained there to complete a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery. He also received training at the Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Hospital.[2]During this time, he enlisted with theUnited States Navy Reserve,where he served for almost a decade.

Medical career

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Bucshon specialized incardiothoracic surgeryand has performed hundreds of heart surgeries. From 1995 to 1998, he was in private medical practice inWichita, Kansas.[2]Bucshon joined Ohio Valley HeartCare in 1998, where he served as the group's president. He was named St. Mary's Medical Staff Physician of the Year in 2007. He also served as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Medical Director of the open heart recovery intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital.[3]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2010

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See also:2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana § District 8

Bucshon faced Democratic nomineeState RepresentativeTrent Van Haaftenin the race to fill the seat vacated byBrad Ellsworth,who was running for Senate.[3]

Bucshon received support from theNational Republican Congressional Committeeand was named aGOP Young Gun.[4]During the campaign, he was endorsed by several conservative interest groups and elected officials, including the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Congressional Action Committee,United States Chamber of Commerce,National Right to Life Committee,Indiana Right to Life, Indiana Manufacturers Association, Campaign for Working Families, House Minority LeaderJohn Boehner,U.S. CongressmanMike Pence,and Indiana GovernorMitch Daniels.[5]Bucshon received significant campaign contributions from medical groups.[6]

Bucshon defeated van Haaften by 21 points, winning all 18 counties in the district.[7]

2012

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Bucshon defeated Kristi Risk again in the Republican primary.[8]Bucshon had defeated Risk in the 2010 primary, 16,262 votes to 14,273.[9]

In the general election, Bucshon defeated former state representative Dave Crooks.[10]

2014

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The conservativeClub for Growthannounced that it would target Bucshon for defeat in the 2014 Republican primary,[11]but he was reelected.[citation needed]

Bucshon is a member of theRepublican Main Street Partnership.[12]

Tenure and political positions

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Taxes and spending

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Bucshon voted for theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[13]After voting, he said there would be "dramatic" economic growth that would "fully cover the amount of revenue decreases" from tax cuts. Bucshon claimed that people would file their taxes on a postcard.[14]

Bucshon supports lower corporate and individual taxes. He has called for freezing spending at 2008 levels, extending theBush tax cutsfor all income brackets, and reviewing all government programs for places to reduce spending.[2]He has said that Republicans need to "first admit we were partially to blame for the increased government spending over the past decade."[2][15]Bucshon supports simplifying the personal and corporate tax codes.[16]

Bucshon voted for theBudget Control Act of 2011,which created aJoint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.He also supported abalanced budget amendmentthat would require the federal government to spend no more than it collects inrevenueeach year. During his 2010 campaign, Bucshon said one of his campaign goals was to lower taxes for all Americans.[16]

In 2010, Bucshon signed a pledge sponsored byAmericans for Prosperitypromising to vote against any global warming legislation that would raise taxes.[17]

Health care

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Bucshon supports the repeal of theAffordable Health Care for America Act.He supports reforms that expand and reform high-risk pools and federal reinsurance programs and lower costs.[2]Bucshon wants to increase transparency in medical care costs.[15]He has called for cuts in health care programs.[18][19]

Gun laws

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Bucshon, who calls himself "an ardent supporter of protecting theSecond Amendment",has supported several bills that loosen restrictions on gun ownership. He co-sponsored the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, which requires all states to honor concealed carry permits from other states within their borders, irrespective of their own gun laws. TheNational Rifle Association of Americaand theGun Owners of Americahave both given Bucshon an "A" rating.[19]

Abortion

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Bucshon opposesabortion.During his time in Congress, he has supported bills that seek to establish a legal framework for challengingRoe v. Wade.He has said he believes that abortion should be legal in cases where the mother's life may be in danger. Bucshon co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act, which declares that life begins at the moment of conception and is entitled to legal protection from that point forward.[19]

In October 2015, Bucshon was named to serve on theSelect Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood.[20]

Social Security

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Bucshon supports a comprehensive strategy to ensure the long-term sustainability ofSocial Securityfor current and future beneficiaries.[2]

Energy

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Bucshon calls himself a "long term friend of coal". His biggest contributors includeKoch brothersand Murray energy.[21]He supports theKeystone XL pipeline project.[22]

Transportation

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On November 2, 2011, theEvansville Courier & Pressreported that Bucshon planned to introduce an amendment to the transportation funding bill that would allow governors to reallocate federal transportation funding from designated programs to projects they designate as emergencies.[23]

Federal grants

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On July 10, 2014, Bucshon introduced theResearch and Development Efficiency Act(H.R. 5056), a bill that would instruct theOffice of Science and Technology Policyto establish a working group under the authority of theNational Science and Technology Councilto review federal regulations affecting research and research universities and make recommendations on how to streamline them and reduce the regulatory burden on such researchers.[24][25]Bucshon said his goal was "to alleviate some of the burden placed on our research universities so they can get back to their main goal of conducting basic science research."[26]

Climate change

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During a September 17, 2014, hearing of theCommittee on Science, Space and Technology,Bucshon was questioningJohn Holdren,Director of the White HouseOffice of Science and Technology Policy.When Holdren encouraged Bucshon to read the scientific literature onglobal warming,Bucshon replied, "Of all the climatologists whose careers depend on the climate changing to keep themselves publishing articles -- yes, I could read that, but I don't believe it."[27]

Cannabis

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Bucshon has a "D" rating fromNORMLfor his voting history oncannabis-related causes. He opposes veterans having access to medical marijuana if recommended by theirVeterans Health Administrationdoctor and if it is legal for medicinal purposes in their state of residence.[28]

Israel

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Bucshon voted to provide Israel with support following2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[29][30]

Committee assignments

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For the118th Congress:[31]

Caucus memberships

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Personal life

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Bucshon met his wife Kathryn, a practicinganesthesiologistin Evansville, during his medical residency.[36]They now live inNewburgh[37]with their four children. He is a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS) inEvansville.[38]

Electoral history

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Main article:2010 United States House of Representatives elections
2010 8th Congressional District of Indiana Elections[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Larry Bucshon 117,259 58
Democratic Trent Van Haaften 76,265 37
Libertarian John Cunningham 10,240 5
2012 8th Congressional District of Indiana Elections[39]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Larry Bucshon 151,533 56
Democratic David Crooks 122,325 43
Libertarian Bart Gadau 10,134 4
2014 8th Congressional District of Indiana Elections[40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Larry Bucshon 103,344 60
Democratic Thomas R. Spangler 61,384 36
Libertarian Andrew Horning 6,587 4

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Guide to the New Congress"(PDF).CQ Roll Call.November 4, 2010. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on July 8, 2011.RetrievedNovember 24,2010.
  2. ^abcdefgLanghorne, Thomas (September 26, 2010)."2010 Vote: 8th District Profile of Larry Bucshon, Voters in the 8th District will choose between state lawmaker and heart surgeon".Evansville Courier Press.RetrievedOctober 7,2010.
  3. ^ab"About".Bucshon for Congress.Archived fromthe originalon January 13, 2012.RetrievedNovember 27,2011.
  4. ^"Candidates".GOP Young Guns.NRCC. Archived fromthe originalon July 21, 2011.RetrievedNovember 27,2011.
  5. ^CQ PoliticsArchivedSeptember 18, 2010, at theWayback Machine
  6. ^Isenstadt, Alex (October 6, 2010)."Doc groups helping their own".Politico.RetrievedOctober 7,2010.
  7. ^ab"Election Results, United States Representative".Indiana Secretary of State.November 22, 2010.RetrievedNovember 30,2010.
  8. ^"RISK SAYS FORMER CARDIOLOGIST, CONGRESSMAN BUCSHON CONTINUALLY DEMONSTRATES A CHANGE OF 'HEART' IN WASHINGTON".Kristi Risk for Congress.Archived fromthe originalon April 25, 2012.RetrievedNovember 27,2011.
  9. ^Langhorne, Thomas (August 17, 2011)."Bucshon to face GOP opponent Kristi Risk for 8th District seat".Evansville Courier Press.RetrievedNovember 27,2011.
  10. ^Bradner, Eric (November 6, 2012)."Bucshon wins re-election to 8th District seat in Indiana".Courier Journal.RetrievedMarch 18,2013.
  11. ^Howey, Brian (March 18, 2013)."HOWEY: Clowning around with Chocola and Mourdock".News and Tribune.RetrievedMarch 18,2013.
  12. ^"Members".Republican Mains Street Partnership. Archived fromthe originalon August 26, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 22,2017.
  13. ^Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017)."How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 28,2017.
  14. ^Taylor, Dave (December 19, 2017)."Economists assess income tax overhaul".Terre Haute Tribune Star.RetrievedDecember 28,2017.
  15. ^abFoulkes, Arthur (September 24, 2010)."8th District candidate meets with biz leaders".Terre Haute Tribune Star.Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.RetrievedOctober 7,2010.
  16. ^abGootee, Richard (April 18, 2011)."Rep. Larry Bucshon addresses spending at town hall meeting".Evansville Courier Press.RetrievedApril 19,2011.
  17. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).www.americansforprosperity.org.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on January 4, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 13,2022.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^Arthur Foulkes (April 22, 2011)."Bucshon warns against 'unsustainable' health care programs".Tribune Star.Archivedfrom the original on October 4, 2013.RetrievedJune 7,2023.
  19. ^abc"The Voter's Self Defense System".Vote Smart.Archivedfrom the original on February 1, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 31,2018.
  20. ^Paul Kane (October 23, 2015)."Boehner's next select committee, focusing on Planned Parenthood, to be led by Marsha Blackburn".Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on October 24, 2015.RetrievedOctober 23,2015.
  21. ^Barniak, Janice (November 24, 2011)."New mine to create 330 new jobs".Princeton Daily Clarion.Archived fromthe originalon September 14, 2012.RetrievedNovember 27,2011.
  22. ^"Congressman Larry Bucshon Comments on Keystone XL Pipeline Announcement".bucshon.house.gov.Archived fromthe originalon May 14, 2012.RetrievedNovember 27,2011.
  23. ^Bradner, Eric (November 2, 2011)."Bucshon proposal would allow access to federal dollars in transportation crisis".Evansville Courier Press.RetrievedNovember 27,2011.
  24. ^"Text of the Research and Development Efficiency Act".govtrack.us.RetrievedJuly 17,2014.
  25. ^"H.R. 5056 – All Actions".United States Congress. July 15, 2014.RetrievedJuly 16,2014.
  26. ^"Dr. Bucshon Urges Colleagues to Support Bill to Alleviate Burden on Research and Research Universities".House Office of Rep. Bucshon. July 14, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon July 18, 2014.RetrievedJuly 17,2014.
  27. ^"'The Daily Show' skewers Rep. Larry Bucshon on climate change ".RetrievedJanuary 31,2018.
  28. ^"Indiana Scorecard".NORML.RetrievedDecember 28,2017.
  29. ^Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023)."House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedOctober 30,2023.
  30. ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023)."Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedOctober 30,2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ^"Larry Bucshon".Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.RetrievedJune 14,2023.
  32. ^"Members".Congressional Constitution Caucus. Archived fromthe originalon June 14, 2018.RetrievedMay 8,2018.
  33. ^"Member List".RetrievedNovember 6,2017.
  34. ^Kuznicki, Jen (April 25, 2017)."Who are the members of the Tuesday Group?".Jen Kuznicki.RetrievedMarch 1,2021.
  35. ^"MEMBERS".RMSP.RetrievedMarch 1,2021.
  36. ^"Larry Bucshon Full Biography".Larry Bucshon Congressman.Archived fromthe originalon December 5, 2014.RetrievedDecember 2,2014.
  37. ^Three Indiana U.S. House races could help determine control,Louisville Courier Journal
  38. ^"The Voter's Self Defense System".Vote Smart.RetrievedJanuary 31,2018.
  39. ^United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana, 2012
  40. ^United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana, 2014
[edit]
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromIndiana's 8th congressional district
2011–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence(ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
95th 		Succeeded by
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