U.S. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri
Roy Blunt was always portrayed as a reformer during his 20 years in Washington. He attacks other political figures and mostly targets the democrats. He claims that they are responsible for over-regulation and too much government.
Teacher-Turned-Politician
Before becoming a part of the U.S. House of Representatives and a U.S senator, Roy Dean Blunt started as a high school history teacher. He earned his B.A. degree in history at Southwest Baptist University and his master's degree at Missouri State University.
Then first started teaching at Marshfield High School from 1970 to 1972. He also had the opportunity to teach in his alma mater, Southwest Baptist University.
COPYRIGHT_WI: Published on https://washingtonindependent.com/53127/and-now-roy-blunt/ by Jaya Mckeown on 2021-05-02T00:00:00.000Z
Blunt had his appointment as a county clerk and chief election officer of Greene County, Missouri. This event kick-started his political career.
It began to be continuous since he was up for reelection, won three times, and served for a total of twelve years in the same position (1972- 1978). In 1980, the lieutenant gubernatorial election was set to happen. The seat was open, which made Blunt decide to pursue the position.
He won the Republican Primary but lost the general election. In 1984, Blunt became the secretary of state after winning the Republican primary with a 79% vote. He also won the general election, where he defeated his opponent with 54% of the votes.
Blunt served the same position for two terms until 1988. He is the first Republican to hold the post in 50 years. In 1992, he ran for the gubernatorial election. He failed to surpass William Webster, the Missouri Attorney General in the Republican primary voters.
After this failed gubernatorial campaign, he served as the president of Southwest Baptist University from 1993 to 1996. Not shortly after, Roy Blunt, decided to run in Missouri's 7th congressional district in 1996. He won the position both in the Republican primary and the general elections, having 56% and 65% of the votes, respectively.
Blunt In U.S. House Of Representatives
The citizens of Southwest Missouri seem to love the service of Roy Blunt. He was repeatedly elected, seven times, to the U.S. House of Representatives, starting from 1997 to 2011.
After taking his position, he already achieved Republican ranks. The House elected him as chief deputy whip in 1999. In 2003, he became the Majority Whip earlier in his career than any Congress member in eight decades; he held the position until 2007. He also became the acting majority leader in 2005.
He replaced Rep. Tom DeLay after the alleged conspiracy to violate election laws involving campaign finance was thrown at him. In 2007, Blunt became the minority whip after the Republicans lost their majority in the House after the 2006 elections.
Blunt's Political Disposition
Roy Blunt kept a conservative disposition on issues that started the creation of bills and laws during his term in congress.
He voted in favor of school prayer, supported the No Child Left Behind Act, and the school vouchers within the District of Colombia. He was also in favor of the U.S. bankruptcy laws, which require the consumers to repay more of their debts to have bankruptcy protection.
He was into the preservation of the second amendment's guarantee of the right to bear arms. This will prohibit lawsuits against gun manufacturers and dealers even if the guns they produced will be later used for crimes.
He also sponsored the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. This act will restrict the over-the-counter purchase of chemicals and drugs that are used to make methamphetamine. He supported legislation that allows larger individual tax deductions for charitable giving in 2003.
Blunt was also pro-life because of his conservative records. So, he was not in favor of partial-birth and elective abortions; he voted for its banning and opposed the federal funding for this matter. And since he follows the principle of conservatism, Blunt also voted against same-sex marriage and gay adoption.
The construction of the U.S.-Mexico border was also supported by Blunt, which also comes with the deployment of more border patrol.
This congressman does not believe in man-made global warming. He argues that there is no real science that confirms humans are altering the climate or path of the Earth. He even supports the drilling for oil on the U.S. coastline since he proposed the increase of domestic oil production.
As A Senator
In 2009, the incumbent Republican U.S. senator Kit Bond decided to retire, leaving his position open.
Roy Blunt started to ask for the Republican nomination for the U.S senatorial election. He later won the open seat vacated by the retired senator. He was victorious to claim the position in the senate and started to represent the state of Missouri. He authored provisions in regard to agriculture development.
This was added into the "Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act". He also introduced a bill that allows the funding of infrastructure projects across the states, called the "Partnership to Build America Act".
His thinking about climate change was still unwavering. He rejected the scientific consensus on climate change. And he voted against the action of the senate to take action on the matter by reducing carbon pollution. Blunt was very vocal in this issue, especially when the former president Barack Obama announced his agreement with China.
This agreement aims to cut the greenhouse gas emissions in all the states. Blunt argued that this action would result in skyrocketing energy costs and fewer jobs for American families. He is dedicated to protecting the coal industry. And supports the domestic exploration of coal and other natural gas.
He still did not support a bill that concerns the buying of guns, which could have protected the public from unfit gun owners. Health policies, national security concerns, social security, Medicare, and trade are some of the areas that Blunt focused on. He spends his power to create, support, and reject bills and amendments.
In the 2016 elections, Roy Blunt decided to run again and extend his years in the U.S. senate. He won the Republican Primary and the general elections with 73% and 49.4% of votes, respectively.
He serves as the Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee and as the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. Furthermore. he serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He is also the Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education.
About The Authors
Jaya Mckeown - Jaya moved to Boston from New York to pursue a master's degree in corporate communications at Emerson College. This experience, combined with her undergraduate degree in psychology and teaching, has equipped her with valuable skills that she employs on a daily basis in real estate negotiations, homebuyer and seller education, and successful promotion of the team's listings. Jaya's clients often characterize her as meticulous, proactive, and enjoyable to be around.