Charlie Melancon
Encyclopedia
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Melancon (məˈlɑːnsɒn ; born October 3, 1947) was the U.S. Representative
for , serving from 2005 to 2011, and the unsuccessful 2010 Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican David Vitter
.
. The grandson and great-grandson of sugar cane farmers, Melançon has spent most of his life in Napoleonville, 50 miles south of Baton Rouge. He owned and operated several small business
es (including two Baskin-Robbins
outlets) He also served as head of the American Sugar Cane League.
, followed by two more consecutive terms.
Very soon after being sworn in January 2005, Melançon joined the Blue Dog Coalition.
slammed into south Louisiana, causing massive levee failures and devastating flooding in the eastern part of his district. A second major storm, Hurricane Rita
, struck the Gulf Coast three weeks later. Melancon worked with the rest of the Louisiana delegation in Congress to bring billions of recovery dollars to south Louisiana. He fought for federal funding for hurricane protection projects such as Morganza-to-the-Gulf
and the levee systems in lower Plaquemines Parish and south Lafourche Parish.
Melancon has continuously urged other members of the United States Congress
to visit south Louisiana for as long as Louisiana still has recovery or hurricane protection needs. He has brought Congressional delegations to the Gulf Coast to see firsthand the destruction from the storms as well as the ongoing need for hurricane protection and coastal restoration. Since the storms, Melancon has sponsored a number of reform bills to try to fix the flaws in the government’s disaster response and relief system. As the representative for much of south Louisiana, Melançon has been an advocate in the United States Congress
for hurricane recovery.
(H.R. 2454) twice, once in the Energy and Commerce Committee and again in the full the United States House of Representatives
. The bill is also known as the “Waxman-Markey Energy Bill” or the “cap-and-trade” bill. Melançon said in a release that he opposed the bill because he believed it would hurt his “district and the people I represent … The oil and gas industry is the engine driving south Louisiana’s economy, providing good-paying jobs to hundreds of thousands of our workers for generations.”
Melancon was successful in including an amendment in the bill that would protect Louisiana’s share of wetlands restoration funding from cuts indirectly caused by hurricane disaster assistance.
Melancon also voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
in March 2010, because it "doesn’t work for Louisiana." However, he has not signed the discharge petition
circulated by Iowa Republican Steve King
calling for a complete repeal of the law.
. In explaining his vote for the legislation, Melançon said, “The people of south Louisiana sent me to Congress because I promised to listen to them and do what I thought was right, not what was most popular or what my party told me to do. This plan, while far from perfect, will create or save an estimated 50,000 jobs in Louisiana, invest over $538 million in infrastructure projects for our state, and lay a foundation for long-term growth for our country through innovation and education."
.
, his comments on the bill indicate a more ambivalent measure of support. He has stated, “I understand many of the concerns expressed by the business community. I am interested in bringing both sides together to work out their differences and develop a bipartisan solution that will address some of these concerns, while still protecting employees’ rights.”
.
.
announced his retirement. Although he was considered an underdog for much of the race, he entered a runoff due to an especially ugly intraparty battle between Republican candidates Billy Tauzin III
and state Senator Craig Romero
, the former candidate being the son of the incumbent. In the runoff campaign, Melançon repeatedly hammered away at Tauzin III's family ties. Melançon won a victory by 569 votes. Romero set his sights on challenging Melançon in 2006, and was defeated again.
's defeat on December 6 after federal corruption indictment
s, Melancon became the sole Democrat representing Louisiana in the U.S. House.
U.S. Senator David Vitter
in 2010. In announcing his candidacy on August 27, 2009, he billed himself as "a proud centrist" and "a straight up the middle fighter for the little guy."
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 from 2005 to 2011, and the unsuccessful 2010 Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican David Vitter
David Vitter
David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
.
Early life, education and career
Melancon was born in Napoleonville, LouisianaNapoleonville, Louisiana
Napoleonville is a village in and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 686 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The grandson and great-grandson of sugar cane farmers, Melançon has spent most of his life in Napoleonville, 50 miles south of Baton Rouge. He owned and operated several small business
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
es (including two Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins is a global chain of ice cream parlors founded by Burt Baskin and Irvine Robbins in 1953, from the merging of their respective ice cream parlors, in Glendale, California. It claims to be the world's largest ice cream franchise, with more than 5,800 locations, 2,800 of which are...
outlets) He also served as head of the American Sugar Cane League.
Louisiana House of Representatives
Melancon won a special election in 1987 for the Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
, followed by two more consecutive terms.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and CommerceUnited States House Committee on Energy and CommerceThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
- Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
Very soon after being sworn in January 2005, Melançon joined the Blue Dog Coalition.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
Just a few months after Melancon took office, Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
slammed into south Louisiana, causing massive levee failures and devastating flooding in the eastern part of his district. A second major storm, Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
, struck the Gulf Coast three weeks later. Melancon worked with the rest of the Louisiana delegation in Congress to bring billions of recovery dollars to south Louisiana. He fought for federal funding for hurricane protection projects such as Morganza-to-the-Gulf
Morganza to the Gulf
The Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection Project is a flood protection system for Terrebonne Parish and Lafourche Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The targeted area is bounded on the west by Bayou Du Large and LA 311 and on the east by Bayou Lafourche. The U.S...
and the levee systems in lower Plaquemines Parish and south Lafourche Parish.
Melancon has continuously urged other members of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to visit south Louisiana for as long as Louisiana still has recovery or hurricane protection needs. He has brought Congressional delegations to the Gulf Coast to see firsthand the destruction from the storms as well as the ongoing need for hurricane protection and coastal restoration. Since the storms, Melancon has sponsored a number of reform bills to try to fix the flaws in the government’s disaster response and relief system. As the representative for much of south Louisiana, Melançon has been an advocate in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
for hurricane recovery.
Supporting small businesses and economic development
Melancon supported the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act (H.R. 2352), a bill that provided funding for more small business development centers. These small business incubators provide office space, support, and technology to help new companies get off the ground. He also supported tax relief for small businesses, voting for the Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 (H.R. 976). The bill provided tax credits and incentives for expanding and purchasing new equipment. Melançon joined other members from energy-producing states, as well as the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, to keep new taxes on the oil and gas industry out of the President’s 2010 budget.Climate change
Melancon voted against the American Clean Energy and Security ActAmerican Clean Energy and Security Act
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme...
(H.R. 2454) twice, once in the Energy and Commerce Committee and again in the full the United States House of Representatives
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...
. The bill is also known as the “Waxman-Markey Energy Bill” or the “cap-and-trade” bill. Melançon said in a release that he opposed the bill because he believed it would hurt his “district and the people I represent … The oil and gas industry is the engine driving south Louisiana’s economy, providing good-paying jobs to hundreds of thousands of our workers for generations.”
Melancon was successful in including an amendment in the bill that would protect Louisiana’s share of wetlands restoration funding from cuts indirectly caused by hurricane disaster assistance.
America's Affordable Health Choices Act
On July 31, 2009, Melançon voted against the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200) in the Energy and Commerce Committee. Melançon explained in a statement that he voted against the bill for reasons including its potential effects on small businesses, the possibility of taxpayer-funded abortions, and increases in taxes. Melançon said he was concerned that “the public option, as designed, would unfairly undercut anything the private sector could offer.” Melançon also noted that the bill does not do enough to address the need for more providers in rural communities.Melancon also voted against 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...
in March 2010, because it "doesn’t work for Louisiana." However, he has not signed the discharge petition
Discharge petition
A discharge petition is a means of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from a Committee and usually without cooperation of the leadership. Discharge petitions are most often associated with the U.S. House of Representatives, though many state...
circulated by Iowa Republican Steve King
Steve King
Steven Arnold "Steve" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district is located in the western part of the state and includes Sioux City and Council Bluffs....
calling for a complete repeal of the law.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Melançon voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
. In explaining his vote for the legislation, Melançon said, “The people of south Louisiana sent me to Congress because I promised to listen to them and do what I thought was right, not what was most popular or what my party told me to do. This plan, while far from perfect, will create or save an estimated 50,000 jobs in Louisiana, invest over $538 million in infrastructure projects for our state, and lay a foundation for long-term growth for our country through innovation and education."
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
Melancon voted for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Division A of , commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis...
.
Employee Free Choice Act
Although Melancon is listed as a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice ActEmployee Free Choice Act
The Employee Free Choice Act was a legislative bill that was introduced into both chambers of the U.S. Congress on March 10, 2009. The bill's purpose was to,...
, his comments on the bill indicate a more ambivalent measure of support. He has stated, “I understand many of the concerns expressed by the business community. I am interested in bringing both sides together to work out their differences and develop a bipartisan solution that will address some of these concerns, while still protecting employees’ rights.”
Federal Marriage Amendment
In July 2006, Rep. Melancon voted in support of the Federal Marriage AmendmentFederal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment H.J. Res. 56 was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...
.
Matthew Shepard Act of 2009
On 29 April 2009, Rep. Melancon voted against the federal hate crimes expansion bill known as the Matthew Shepard ActMatthew Shepard Act
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, also known as the Matthew Shepard Act, is an American Act of Congress, passed on October 22, 2009, and signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009, as a rider to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2010...
.
2010 Oil Spill
His district was heavily affected by the 2010 BP oil spill crisis. He has been active in recovery efforts and was seen in a hearing tearing up when talking about the damage. The video of the hearing gained national press.2004 U.S. House campaign
Melancon declared his candidacy for Congress after longtime incumbent Billy TauzinBilly Tauzin
Wilbert Joseph Tauzin II , usually known as Billy Tauzin, American lobbyist and politician of Cajun descent, was President and CEO of PhRMA, a pharmaceutical company lobby group...
announced his retirement. Although he was considered an underdog for much of the race, he entered a runoff due to an especially ugly intraparty battle between Republican candidates Billy Tauzin III
Billy Tauzin III
Wilbert Joseph "Billy" Tauzin III was born December 1, 1973 in Thibodaux, Louisiana, the son of Congressman Billy Tauzin and Gayle Clement Tauzin, currently married to Ikram S. Tauzin...
and state Senator Craig Romero
Craig Romero
Craig Francis Romero is a New Iberia corporate salesman who represented District 22 in the Louisiana State Senate from 1993 to 2008. The district includes the parishes of Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin, and Vermilion. Romero was president of the Iberia Parish government from 1984 to 1992. He...
, the former candidate being the son of the incumbent. In the runoff campaign, Melançon repeatedly hammered away at Tauzin III's family ties. Melançon won a victory by 569 votes. Romero set his sights on challenging Melançon in 2006, and was defeated again.
2006 U.S. House campaign
On November 7, 2006, Melancon defeated Romero 55% to 40% to win a second term in the U.S. House.2008 U.S. House campaign
He was re-elected without opposition in November 2008. Because of William J. JeffersonWilliam J. Jefferson
William Jennings "Bill" Jefferson is a former American politician, and a published author from the U.S. state of Louisiana. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 to 2009 as a member of the Democratic Party. He represented , which includes much of the...
's defeat on December 6 after federal corruption indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
s, Melancon became the sole Democrat representing Louisiana in the U.S. House.
2010 U.S. Senate campaign
Melançon is challenging incumbent RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. Senator David Vitter
David Vitter
David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
in 2010. In announcing his candidacy on August 27, 2009, he billed himself as "a proud centrist" and "a straight up the middle fighter for the little guy."