Jim Cooper
Encyclopedia
James Hayes Shofner "Jim" Cooper (born July 19, 1954) is the U.S. Representative
for (based in Nashville), serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party
and the Blue Dog Coalition. He previously represented from 1983 to 1995.
and raised in Shelbyville, Tennessee
. He is the son of former governor Prentice Cooper
and his wife Hortense. Jim Cooper attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
where he was a member of Alpha Sigma Chapter of the Chi Psi
fraternity and a recipient of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship
. Upon graduation, he obtained a B.A.
in history and economics. Cooper then went on to win the Rhodes Scholarship
to the University of Oxford
earning a B.A./M.A. in politics and economics in 1977. In 1980, he received a J.D.
from Harvard Law School
.
's earliest Congressional endorsers. Cooper opposed an $819 billion economic stimulus plan that passed the House in 2009, but ended up voting for the revised $787 billion final package
. He is one of only a few Blue Dog members that don't seek earmarks
. Cooper voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
in March 2010.
In 1992 he was co-author of a bipartisan health care reform plan, not including employer mandates to force universal coverage
. This met strong opposition from Hillary Clinton.
In 1990, Cooper was one of the only three House Democrats that voted against the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
. On several occasions, however, he found himself having to explain his votes to his somewhat conservative
constituents.
In July 2011, Cooper was one of five Democrats to vote for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act.
for the 4th District, which had been created when Tennessee gained a district after the 1980 census. The new 4th ran diagonally across the state, from heavily Republican areas near Tri-Cities
, Knoxville and Chattanooga to the fringes of the Nashville suburb
s. The district stretched across five media markets (the Tri-Cities, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and Huntsville, Alabama
), so the 1982 race had much of the feel of a statewide race. Due to the district's demographics, many felt whoever won it would almost instantly become a statewide figure with a high potential for election to statewide office in the future. Cooper defeated Cynthia "Cissy" Baker, an editor in Washington for the Cable News Network and daughter of Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker
with 66 percent of the vote and was reelected five more times with little substantive opposition, running unopposed in 1986 and 1988. This was somewhat surprising, given the district's volatile demographics. The district, then as now, was split between areas with strong Democratic and Republican voting histories. Indeed, prior to Cooper's election, much of the eastern portion of the 4th hadn't been represented by a Democrat since the Civil War
. However, the size of the district makes it extremely difficult to unseat an incumbent.
for the seat left open when Al Gore
was elected Vice President
, but was soundly defeated by Republican attorney and actor Fred Thompson, receiving just under 40 percent of the vote. It was a bad year overall for Democrats in Tennessee, as Republicans captured Tennessee's other Senate seat (in the person of Bill Frist
) as well as the governorship (in the person of Don Sundquist
). The 4th also fell to the Republicans (in the person of Van Hilleary
) as the party gained a majority of the state's congressional delegation for only the second time since Reconstruction. Cooper then moved to Nashville and entered private business, also serving as a professor at Vanderbilt University
's Owen Graduate School of Management
.
ran for Thompson's Senate seat in 2002 after Thompson opted not to run for a second full term, creating the first open-seat race in the 5th District since a 1987 special election. Cooper entered the Democratic primary along with several other prominent local Democrats. Republicans had long since given up on a district they hadn't won since 1874, and Republicans haven't made a serious bid for the 5th since 1972. It was generally understood that whoever won the Democratic primary was all but assured of victory in November. Cooper won the primary with 44 percent of the vote, all but assuring his return to Congress after an eight-year absence. Cooper defeated opponent Craig Schelske in the general election by an overwhelming margin.
, who ran as a Republican since the Constitution Party did not have ballot access
in Tennessee at the time. No one opposed Kovach for the Republican nomination. Cooper defeated Kovach by 41 points.
at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cooper's son Hayes attends Groton School
.
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 (based in Nashville), serving since 2003. 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...
and the Blue Dog Coalition. He previously represented from 1983 to 1995.
Early life and education
Cooper was born in NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and raised in Shelbyville, Tennessee
Shelbyville, Tennessee
Shelbyville is a city in Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. It had a local population of 16,105 residents at the 2000 census. Shelbyville, the county seat of Bedford County, was laid out in 1810 and incorporated in 1819...
. He is the son of former governor Prentice Cooper
Prentice Cooper
William Prentice Cooper was an American politician and Governor of Tennessee from 1939 to 1945.-Life and career:A native of Bedford County, Tennessee, he attended Vanderbilt University and then Harvard University...
and his wife Hortense. Jim Cooper attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
where he was a member of Alpha Sigma Chapter of the Chi Psi
Chi Psi
Chi Psi Fraternity is a fraternity and secret society consisting of 29 active chapters at American colleges and universities. It was founded on Thursday May 20, 1841, by 10 students at Union College with the idea of emphasizing the fraternal and social principles of a brotherhood...
fraternity and a recipient of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship
Morehead-Cain Scholarship
The Morehead-Cain Scholarship was the first merit scholarship program established in the United States, founded at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the first public university in the United States. It is named for its benefactors, John Motley Morehead III and the Gordon and Mary Cain...
. Upon graduation, he obtained a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in history and economics. Cooper then went on to win the Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
to the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
earning a B.A./M.A. in politics and economics in 1977. In 1980, he received a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
Committee assignments
- 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 Oversight and InvestigationsUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:...
(Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management
- Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending
- Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs
Tenure
Cooper is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition and generally has a moderate voting record. Cooper is the only Tennessean on the Armed Services Committee. He also serves on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Despite the different policy affiliation, he became one of Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's earliest Congressional endorsers. Cooper opposed an $819 billion economic stimulus plan that passed the House in 2009, but ended up voting for the revised $787 billion final package
American 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...
. He is one of only a few Blue Dog members that don't seek earmarks
Earmark (politics)
In United States politics, an earmark is a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees...
. Cooper 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...
in March 2010.
In 1992 he was co-author of a bipartisan health care reform plan, not including employer mandates to force universal coverage
Universal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
. This met strong opposition from Hillary Clinton.
In 1990, Cooper was one of the only three House Democrats that voted against the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
. On several occasions, however, he found himself having to explain his votes to his somewhat conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
constituents.
In July 2011, Cooper was one of five Democrats to vote for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act.
Political campaigns
In 1982, Cooper won the Democratic primaryPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the 4th District, which had been created when Tennessee gained a district after the 1980 census. The new 4th ran diagonally across the state, from heavily Republican areas near Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities, Tennessee
In Tennessee and Virginia the name "Tri-Cities" refers to the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia...
, Knoxville and Chattanooga to the fringes of the Nashville suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s. The district stretched across five media markets (the Tri-Cities, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
), so the 1982 race had much of the feel of a statewide race. Due to the district's demographics, many felt whoever won it would almost instantly become a statewide figure with a high potential for election to statewide office in the future. Cooper defeated Cynthia "Cissy" Baker, an editor in Washington for the Cable News Network and daughter of Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
with 66 percent of the vote and was reelected five more times with little substantive opposition, running unopposed in 1986 and 1988. This was somewhat surprising, given the district's volatile demographics. The district, then as now, was split between areas with strong Democratic and Republican voting histories. Indeed, prior to Cooper's election, much of the eastern portion of the 4th hadn't been represented by a Democrat since the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. However, the size of the district makes it extremely difficult to unseat an incumbent.
1994 Senate campaign
In 1994, Cooper ran for the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
for the seat left open when Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
was elected Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, but was soundly defeated by Republican attorney and actor Fred Thompson, receiving just under 40 percent of the vote. It was a bad year overall for Democrats in Tennessee, as Republicans captured Tennessee's other Senate seat (in the person of Bill Frist
Bill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
) as well as the governorship (in the person of Don Sundquist
Don Sundquist
Donald Kenneth Sundquist is a former governor and congressman from Tennessee. A Republican, he served as the 47th Governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003...
). The 4th also fell to the Republicans (in the person of Van Hilleary
Van Hilleary
William Vanderpool Hilleary, usually known as Van Hilleary is a Republican politician from Tennessee.-Early life and career:...
) as the party gained a majority of the state's congressional delegation for only the second time since Reconstruction. Cooper then moved to Nashville and entered private business, also serving as a professor at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
's Owen Graduate School of Management
Owen Graduate School of Management
The Owen Graduate School of Management is the graduate business school of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1969, Owen awards six degrees: a standard 2-year Master of Business Administration , an Executive MBA, a master's of finance, a master's of accountancy, a HealthCare...
.
2002
Fifth District Congressman Bob ClementBob Clement
Robert Nelson "Bob" Clement is a Tennessee politician and a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life:Clement is the son of former Governor Frank G. Clement...
ran for Thompson's Senate seat in 2002 after Thompson opted not to run for a second full term, creating the first open-seat race in the 5th District since a 1987 special election. Cooper entered the Democratic primary along with several other prominent local Democrats. Republicans had long since given up on a district they hadn't won since 1874, and Republicans haven't made a serious bid for the 5th since 1972. It was generally understood that whoever won the Democratic primary was all but assured of victory in November. Cooper won the primary with 44 percent of the vote, all but assuring his return to Congress after an eight-year absence. Cooper defeated opponent Craig Schelske in the general election by an overwhelming margin.
2004
Cooper was reelected in 2004 against a Republican who disavowed his party's national ticket.2006
In the 2006 election, Cooper faced Tom Kovach, the state public relations coordinator for the Constitution PartyConstitution Party (United States)
The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
, who ran as a Republican since the Constitution Party did not have ballot access
Ballot access
Ballot access rules, called nomination rules outside the United States, regulate the conditions under which a candidate or political party is either entitled to stand for election or to appear on voters' ballots...
in Tennessee at the time. No one opposed Kovach for the Republican nomination. Cooper defeated Kovach by 41 points.
Personal life
In 1985 Cooper married Martha Bryan Hays. They have three children. Cooper's daughter Mary is the sitting Student Body PresidentStudent body president
The President of the Student Government is the highest ranking officer of a student government or student union association on the high school, college, or university level...
at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cooper's son Hayes attends Groton School
Groton School
Groton School is a private, Episcopal, college preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts, U.S. It enrolls approximately 375 boys and girls, from the eighth through twelfth grades...
.
External links
- U.S. Representative Jim Cooper official House site
- Jim Cooper for Congress official campaign site
- Liberadio(!) audio Interview
- "Jim Cooper Gets the Treatment: A Blue Dog Barks Back" Interview with Jonathan Cohn, The New RepublicThe New RepublicThe magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
, April 2, 2009 - The Last Moderate, Joe Nocera, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, September 5, 2011