John Shadegg

John Shadegg
Chair of theHouse Republican Policy Committee
In office January 3, 2005 – January 13, 2006
Leader	Dennis Hastert
Preceded by	Chris Cox
Succeeded by	Adam Putnam
Chair of theRepublican Study Committee
In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Sam Johnson
Succeeded by	Sue Myrick
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromArizona
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Jon Kyl
Succeeded by	Ben Quayle
Constituency	4th district(1995–2003) 3rd district(2003–2011)
Personal details
Born	John Barden Shadegg (1949-10-22)October 22, 1949 Phoenix, Arizona,U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Shirley Lueck
Relatives	Stephen Shadegg(father)
Education	University of Arizona(BA,JD)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Air Force
Years of service	1969–1975
Unit	Arizona Air National Guard

John Barden Shadegg(/ˈʃædɪɡ/;born October 22, 1949) is an American politician and formerU.S. representativeforArizona's 3rd congressional district,serving from 1995 until 2011. He is a member of theRepublican Party.

The district, numbered as the 4th district before the 2000 census, included much of northernPhoenix.

Early life, education and career

Shadegg is the son of the former Eugenia Kerr andStephen Shadegg,both deceased. The senior Shadegg, a conservative political consultant and public relations specialist, supportedBarry Goldwater's 1952, 1958, 1968, 1974, and 1980 U.S. Senate campaigns and worked withF. Clifton WhiteandPeter O'Donnellto organize theDraft Goldwater Committeein the 1963–64 presidential campaign.

The Shadeggs are of partialSwiss descent.

John Shadegg was born in Phoenix and received aBachelor of Artsfrom theUniversity of ArizonaatTucsonin 1972 and aJuris Doctorfrom theUniversity of Arizona Law School,also in Tucson, in 1975. He served in theArizona Air National Guardfrom 1969 to 1975.

In 1975, he went to work for the law firm of Treon, Warnicke, Dann and Roush. Shadegg. In 1982, Shadegg led the re-election campaign ofRobert Corbin,for Arizona Attorney General. The election was challenged with claims that Corbin buried the prosecution looking into the murder of organized crime investigative reporterDon Bolleswhich Corbin's former employer was suspected in. Shadegg served as Special Assistant Attorney General for Corbin between 1983 and 1990. He was also Corbin's chief lobbyist, where he was the point man for the impeachment of Gov.Evan Mecham.

Shadegg served as special counsel to the Arizona state House Republican caucus in 1991 and 1992 and an adviser to theUnited States Sentencing Commissionbefore entering the House.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
  • Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet
  • Subcommittee on Health
• Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming

Party leadership

From 2000 to 2002, Congressman Shadegg served as chairman of theRepublican Study Committee(RSC), a group of conservative House Republicans.

Following the 2004 election, Shadegg was elected Chairman of theHouse Republican Policy Committee,the fifth-ranking position in the House Leadership. He was the only member of theRepublican Class of 1994serving in leadership until resigning the post to run for Majority Leader in January 2006.

On January 13, 2006, Shadegg officially joined the race for theHouse Majority Leaderas a compromise alternative candidate to RepresentativesRoy BluntandJohn Boehner.Shadegg received the support of theNational Review,theClub for Growth,and theArizona Republic.Feb. 2, after Shadegg came third in the first ballot, his supporters switched to second place Boehner, ensuring Boehner's election on the second ballot.

Shadegg ran forHouse Minority Whipfollowing the loss of Republican control of the House in November 2006, losing to Blunt.

Political positions

In every Congress since the104th Congress,U.S. Congressman John Shadegg has introduced theEnumerated Powers Act,although it has not been passed into law. At the beginning of the105th Congress,theHouse of Representativesincorporated the substantive requirement of the Enumerated Powers Act into the House rules.

In 2007, he opposed several bills to set a deadline to withdraw troops from Iraq.Shadegg voted against theFair Minimum Wage Act of 2007,which increased the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour.Shadegg voted for a bill to build a 700-mile (1,100 km) fence along the border between the United States and Mexico (Secure Fence Act of 2006).In 2005, Shadegg voted against a bill to create a flag-burning amendment to the Constitution.

Shadegg speaking at theArizona State Capitolbuilding.

Shadegg is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of onlinepoker.In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, theGoodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Actand H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.

Shadegg is vehemently opposed to the Healthcare Reform Package that was tabled in October 2009. He said the reform package is a "Soviet-style gulag health care", and will make American healthcare something akin to that available to the prisoners of Russian gulag.

On October 14, 2009, Shadegg joined with three fellow Representatives in calling for the investigation of CAIR (theCouncil on American-Islamic Relations) over allegations of trying to plant "spies", based on a CAIR memo indicating that they "will develop national initiatives such as Lobby Day, and placing Muslim interns in Congressional offices." The request came in the wake of the publication of a book,Muslim Mafia,the foreword of which had been penned by CongresswomanSue Myrick,that portrayed CAIR as a subversive organization allied with international terrorists.CAIR has countered that these initiatives are extensively used by all advocacy groups and accused Shadegg and his colleagues of intending to intimidate American Muslims who "take part in the political process and exercise their rights."

In November 2009, New York City MayorMichael Bloombergexpressed confidence in the security of having five 9/11 suspects brought to trial in lower Manhattan, to which Shadegg gave an overheated response: "Well mayor, how are you going to feel when it is your daughter that is kidnapped at school by a terrorist?".He later apologized to the mayor and his family for "the insensitivity of my remarks."

On March 17, 2010, after criticizing the lack of asingle-payer health caresystem or an alternativepublic optionin health insurance reform proposals by the Obama administration, Shadegg, who has previously responded to the possibility of such a system as, "full on Russian gulag, Soviet-style gulag health care",stated in an interview, "I would support single-payer."Shadegg's spokeswoman later clarified the remark, explaining that the Congressman believes that "Forcing them [health insurance companies] to compete, even through a public option, would be better than anindividual mandatewhich will not work. "

On September 29, 2008, Shadegg voted against theEmergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008which created theTroubled Assets Relief Program.

Despite his support of the second economic stimulus package bill, he voted "NO" on the first Economic Package and he also was a proponent of the2009 Tea Party protestswhich condemned any bailouts, and even spoke at a rally in Phoenix.

On November 30, 2010, Shadegg declared his opposition to the extension of unemployment benefits on the basis that "the unemployed will spend as little of that money as they possibly can", having commented to Mike Barnicle "Your answer is it's the spending of money that drives the economy and I don't think that's right."

Political campaigns

Shadegg entered the Republican primary race for Arizona's 4th District in 1994 after four-term incumbentJon Kylbegan what turned out to be a successful run for theUnited States Senate.Shadegg won a four-way primary with 43 percent of the vote, and won in November. He was reelected seven times.

2006

See also:2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona § District 3

In 2006, the Democratic Party nominee was Herb Paine, who barely defeated his Democratic primary opponent, to face Shadegg in his November 2006 bid for reelection. Shadegg retained his seat with nearly 60% of the vote.

2008

See also:2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona § District 3

Shadegg announced on February 11, 2008, that he would not run for an eighth term, saying that he wanted to "seek a new challenge in a different venue to advance the cause of freedom." However, Shadegg retracted the statement on February 21 and announced he would seek reelection.Although it was speculated that he would run for theUnited States Senate in 2010ifJohn McCainhad become president,Shadegg had expressed his intention to leave public life and return to the private sectorbefore changing his mind.

2010 retirement

See also:2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona § District 3

On January 14, 2010, Shadegg announced he would not run for reelection to a ninth term. In his statement, Shadegg says he will "pursue my commitment to fight for freedom in a different venue."

Early in 2011, Shaddeg joined theGoldwater Institutein Phoenix as a senior fellow; but he is no longer formally affiliated with the group.

In 2011, Shadegg joined the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson LLP as a partner, working out of their Washington, DC, and Phoenix offices. In 2016, Shadegg joined the Polsinelli PC law firm in Phoenix as a partner.

Electoral history

Arizona's 4th congressional district:Results 1994–2000

Year		Democratic	Votes	Pct		Republican	Votes	Pct		3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct		3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct
1994		Carol Cure	69,760	35.98%		John B. Shadegg	116,714	60.19%		Mark Yannone	Libertarian	7,428	3.83%
1996		Maria Elena Milton	74,857	33.22%		John B. Shadegg	150,486	66.78%
1998		Eric Ehst	49,538	31.19%		John B. Shadegg	102,722	64.68%		Ernest Hancock	Libertarian	3,805	2.40%		Doug Quelland	Independent	2,757	1.74%
2000		Ben Jankowski	71,803	32.71%		John B. Shadegg	140,396	63.96%		Ernest Hancock	Libertarian	7,298	3.33%

Arizona's 3rd congressional district:Results 2002–2008

Year		Democratic	Votes	Pct		Republican	Votes	Pct		3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct		3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct
2002		Charles Hill	47,173	30.29%		John B. Shadegg	104,847	67.32%		Mark Yannone	Libertarian	3,731	2.40%
2004		(no candidate)				John B. Shadegg	181,012	80.10%		Mark Yannone	Libertarian	44,962	19.90%
2006		Herb Paine	72,586	38.23%		John B. Shadegg	112,519	59.27%		Mark Yannone	Libertarian	4,744	2.50%
2008		Bob Lord	115,759	42.07%		John B. Shadegg	148,800	54.08%		Michael Shoen	Libertarian	10,602	3.85%

Personal life

Shadegg is anEpiscopalian.

External links

• John Shadegg for Congressofficial campaign site
• AppearancesonC-SPAN
• Biographyat theBiographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office)at theFederal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsoredat theLibrary of Congress
• ProfileatVote Smart