Bill Owens (New York)
Encyclopedia
William Lewis “Bill” Owens (born January 20, 1949) is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since the special election in 2009
. He is a member of the Democratic Party
. The district, the state's largest and most rural, includes most of the North Country
, as well as the northern suburbs of Syracuse
.
. After graduating from Chaminade High School
, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base
. He returned to the North Country and has lived there for over 30 years after serving as a United States Air Force
captain.
Owens is a 1971 summa cum laude graduate of Manhattan College
with a degree in business administration and a 1974 top-half graduate of Fordham University School of Law
.
. In 2004, he was appointed by Governor George Pataki
to the College Council at that university. He served as the host for Business Affaires on WCFE-TV
, a PBS television station
in Plattsburgh. According to financial disclosure forms filed when he ran for Congress, Owens made $751,000 in 2008, mostly from his law practice.
When the Plattsburgh Air Force Base closed in 1995, Owens helped create and worked for the Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation (formerly the Plattsburgh Inter-municipal Development Council), which recruited private companies to reuse the space. The base is now home to companies such as Bombardier Inc., a passenger railway car maker. Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation attests that more than 2,000 jobs were created at the site since the military left.
On August 10, 2009, the Democratic Party of New York's 23rd congressional district
chose Owens to run in a special election
to fill the House seat vacated by the incumbent Republican John McHugh
, who had resigned to take a post as the Secretary of the Army. Because he was a registered independent at the time, Owens had to obtain the signatures of all 11 Democratic county chairs in the district to allow him to run as a Democrat.
Originally, Owens faced Republican Assemblywoman
Dede Scozzafava
and Doug Hoffman
, an accountant from Lake Placid
who was running as a third party candidate on the single ballot line of the Conservative Party of New York
after failing to also get the Republican Party nomination. Hoffman became Owens's sole opponent when Scozzafava dropped out of the race on October 31. The Watertown Daily Times, which had originally endorsed Scozzafava, switched its endorsement to Owens on November 1. Later on November 1, Scozzafava endorsed Owens. According to unofficial returns, Owens won 49 percent of the vote to 45 percent for Hoffman and 6 percent for Scozzafava. Owens was sworn in on November 6, 2009. He became the first Democrat to represent what is now the 23rd since the 19th century.
2010
Owens won his re-election bid with a second consecutive plurality
against Republican and Independence nominee Matthew A. Doheny and Conservative nominee Doug Hoffman, becoming the first Democrat in over a hundred years to win a full term in the North Country district.
Source:
is preserved.
As a congressman, Owens first authored piece of legislation was the Rural Jobs Tax Credit Act, a bill that, if passed, would create a 15% tax incentive in 2010 for businesses that hire or expand their payroll in rural areas, and a 10% tax incentive for firms that do the same in 2011.
and federal action on marriage, which he called a "states rights issue". In July 2011, after the New York State legislature passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in New York, Owens became a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act
, which would repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act
.
on November 7, 2009. He voted against the Stupak Amendment which proposed to restrict abortion funding in the federal health insurance exchange
s. He voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
on March 21, 2010, and for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 to incorporate certain agreed-upon changes with the Senate.
teacher and is currently the Director of Education and Outreach for Mountain Lake PBS in Plattsburgh. He is a Roman Catholic.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since the special election in 2009
New York's 23rd congressional district special election, 2009
The 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district was held on November 3, 2009, to select the successor to Republican John M. McHugh...
. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The district, the state's largest and most rural, includes most of the North Country
North Country, New York
The North Country is a region of the U.S. state of New York that encompasses the state's extreme northern frontier, bordering Lake Ontario on the west, the Saint Lawrence River and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec on the north and northwest, and Lake Champlain and Vermont on the east...
, as well as the northern suburbs of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
.
Early life, education, and military service
Born in Brooklyn to Lewis Owens and Alice Stanton Owens, Owens was raised in Mineola, New YorkMineola, New York
Mineola is a village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 18,799 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a Native American word meaning a "pleasant place"....
. After graduating from Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory high school for young men. Located in Mineola, New York, the school was founded in 1930 by the Society of Mary , an international Roman Catholic teaching order of priests and religious Brothers. The school is named for Father William...
, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Plattsburgh Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base covering 3,447 acres in the extreme northeast corner of New York, 20 miles south of the Canadian border...
. He returned to the North Country and has lived there for over 30 years after serving as a United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
captain.
Owens is a 1971 summa cum laude graduate of Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
with a degree in business administration and a 1974 top-half graduate of Fordham University School of Law
Fordham University School of Law
Fordham University School of Law is a part of Fordham University in the United States. The School is located in the Borough of Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city.-Overview:According to the U.S. News & World Report, 1,516 J.D. students attend...
.
Law career
Before coming to Congress, Owens was a managing partner at Stafford, Owens, Piller, Murnane & Trombley, where he specialized in business law, international law, and estate and tax law. He is also an adjunct professor in business law at State University of New York at PlattsburghState University of New York at Plattsburgh
The State University of New York at Plattsburgh is a four-year, public liberal arts college in Plattsburgh, New York. The college was founded in 1889 and opened in 1890. The college is currently part of the State University of New York system and is accredited by the Middle States Association of...
. In 2004, he was appointed by Governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
to the College Council at that university. He served as the host for Business Affaires on WCFE-TV
WCFE-TV
WCFE is a Public Broadcasting Service public television station in Plattsburgh, New York. It is known under its corporate identity of Mountain Lake PBS. This name was adopted to reflect Plattsburgh's location between the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain. It broadcasts on channel 38 from transmitters...
, a PBS television station
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
in Plattsburgh. According to financial disclosure forms filed when he ran for Congress, Owens made $751,000 in 2008, mostly from his law practice.
When the Plattsburgh Air Force Base closed in 1995, Owens helped create and worked for the Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation (formerly the Plattsburgh Inter-municipal Development Council), which recruited private companies to reuse the space. The base is now home to companies such as Bombardier Inc., a passenger railway car maker. Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation attests that more than 2,000 jobs were created at the site since the military left.
Elections
2009On August 10, 2009, the Democratic Party of New York's 23rd congressional district
New York's 23rd congressional district
The 23rd Congressional District of New York is New York's northernmost congressional district for the United States House of Representatives. The district includes all or parts of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties. It...
chose Owens to run in a special election
New York's 23rd congressional district special election, 2009
The 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district was held on November 3, 2009, to select the successor to Republican John M. McHugh...
to fill the House seat vacated by the incumbent Republican John McHugh
John M. McHugh
John Michael McHugh is the 21st United States Secretary of the Army and a former Republican politician from the state of New York, formerly representing the state's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.On June 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him to...
, who had resigned to take a post as the Secretary of the Army. Because he was a registered independent at the time, Owens had to obtain the signatures of all 11 Democratic county chairs in the district to allow him to run as a Democrat.
Originally, Owens faced Republican Assemblywoman
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
Dede Scozzafava
Dierdre Scozzafava
Dierdre R. "Dede" Scozzafava is an American Republican politician in New York. She represented District 122 in the New York State Assembly, which includes most of St. Lawrence and Lewis Counties in the North Country and a small portion of Oswego County from 1999 to 2011.She was the Republican...
and Doug Hoffman
Doug Hoffman
Douglas L. "Doug" Hoffman is an American businessman, accountant and former congressional candidate. He was the Conservative Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district. On November 3, 2009, he was defeated by...
, an accountant from Lake Placid
Lake Placid
Lake Placid may refer to:*Lake Placid, New York, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics**Lake Placid , a lake near the New York village*Lake Placid, Florida, a town in Florida...
who was running as a third party candidate on the single ballot line of the Conservative Party of New York
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
after failing to also get the Republican Party nomination. Hoffman became Owens's sole opponent when Scozzafava dropped out of the race on October 31. The Watertown Daily Times, which had originally endorsed Scozzafava, switched its endorsement to Owens on November 1. Later on November 1, Scozzafava endorsed Owens. According to unofficial returns, Owens won 49 percent of the vote to 45 percent for Hoffman and 6 percent for Scozzafava. Owens was sworn in on November 6, 2009. He became the first Democrat to represent what is now the 23rd since the 19th century.
2010
Owens won his re-election bid with a second consecutive plurality
Plurality
In North American English, the term plurality, used in the context of voting, refers to the largest number of votes to be received by any candidate or referendum. It is contrasted with a majority, which is more than half of the votes...
against Republican and Independence nominee Matthew A. Doheny and Conservative nominee Doug Hoffman, becoming the first Democrat in over a hundred years to win a full term in the North Country district.
Committee assignments
- Committee on AgricultureUnited States House Committee on AgricultureThe U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding...
- Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry
- Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and PoultryUnited States House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and PoultryThe House Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry is a subcommittee within the House Agriculture Committee. It oversees all issues relating to livestock, dairy, poultry, meat, seafood and seafood products including federal inspection, marketing, and promotion of these commodities...
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land ForcesUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land ForcesHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on ReadinessUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on ReadinessHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Readiness Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
Source:
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Biomass CaucusCongressional Biomass CaucusThe Congressional Biomass Caucus is a bipartisan caucus of the United States House of Representatives co-chaired by Representatives Charles Bass and Peter Welch . It was officially registered with the Committee on House Administration, the house committee responsible for regulating caucuses, on...
- Congressional Center Aisle Caucus
- Congressional Northern Border Caucus (Co-Chair)
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- Sportsmen's Caucus
Political positions
During his campaign, Owens said he would focus on creating jobs throughout his district, attracting foreign manufacturers, taking care of veterans, and ensuring that Fort DrumFort Drum
Fort Drum is a United States Army base in New York near the Canadian border.Fort Drum may also refer to:*Fort Drum, Florida, a nearly-uninhabited town in the United States*Fort Drum , Philippines...
is preserved.
As a congressman, Owens first authored piece of legislation was the Rural Jobs Tax Credit Act, a bill that, if passed, would create a 15% tax incentive in 2010 for businesses that hire or expand their payroll in rural areas, and a 10% tax incentive for firms that do the same in 2011.
Gay rights
In August 2009, Owens stated that supported civil unions but opposed same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
and federal action on marriage, which he called a "states rights issue". In July 2011, after the New York State legislature passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in New York, Owens became a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act
Respect for Marriage Act
The Respect for Marriage Act, or RFMA , is a proposed bill in the United States Congress that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and allow the U.S. federal government to provide benefits to couples in a same-sex marriage; the bill would not compel individual states to recognize same-sex...
, which would repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
.
Health Care
Owens voted for the Affordable Health Care for America ActAffordable Health Care for America Act
The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives in November 2009. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States' health care system...
on November 7, 2009. He voted against the Stupak Amendment which proposed to restrict abortion funding in the federal health insurance exchange
Health insurance exchange
A health insurance exchange is a set of state-regulated and standardized health care plans in the United States, from which individuals may purchase health insurance that is eligible for Federal subsidies...
s. He voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
on March 21, 2010, and for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 to incorporate certain agreed-upon changes with the Senate.
Personal life
Owens and his wife Jane have three children and four grandchildren. Jane was an early childhood educationEarly childhood education
Early childhood education is the formal teaching and care of young children by people other than their family or in settings outside of the home. 'Early childhood' is usually defined as before the age of normal schooling - five years in most nations, though the U.S...
teacher and is currently the Director of Education and Outreach for Mountain Lake PBS in Plattsburgh. He is a Roman Catholic.
External links
- Congressman Bill Owens official U.S. House site
- Bill Owens for Congress official campaign site