John F. Tierney
Encyclopedia
John F. Tierney is the United States representative
for . He is a member of the Democratic Party
and an advocate for liberal policies
and government oversight. A former attorney, he has served since 1997.
Born and raised in Salem
, Massachusetts
, Tierney graduated from Salem State College
and earned his law degree from Suffolk University Law School
. He co-founded the community law firm Tierney, Kalis, & Lucas in 1981 and served on the Salem Chamber of Commerce from 1976 to 1997. Tierney first ran for the House of Representatives in 1994 against Republican
incumbent Peter G. Torkildsen
, losing by a small margin. He defeated in Torkildsen by a small margin in 1996, and was sworn in as a U.S. representative in 1997. His district, located in northeastern Massachusetts, contains most of Essex County
, including the North Shore
and Cape Ann
.
As a liberal member of Congress, Tierney has voted in line with the other Democratic representatives from Massachusetts. He sits on the House Committee on Education and Labor, where his priorities include green energy and increased college access. He coauthored several pieces of legislation, including the Green Jobs Act of 2007 and College Affordability and Accountability Act of 2008. He sits on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and is the former chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs. On this committee he helped establish the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan
and chaired a hearing over scandalous conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center
. Since 1996 Tierney has won re-election in each term by a comfortable margin, although he faced a challenge in 2010 after his wife Patrice was convicted of felony tax fraud.
. His mother, Doris H. (Gelineau) Tierney, was a Salem native who worked a split shift at the New England Telephone Company, where she remained for 42 years. His father, Albert R. Tierney, was a bookkeeper for Nabisco
and a local fuel company. Tierney was one of three children, along with his brother Michael A. and sister Catherine. He moved with his family to his grandmother's home when he was five years old. He began working at the Kernwood Country Club in Salem as a caddy
when he was eight and soon adopted a paper route. He later attended Salem High School
. When he was young, Tierney campaigned for his uncle, a Peabody
ward councilor
, and he ascribes his political interest in part to this experience.
Tierney attended Salem State College
, majoring in political science. While in college he performed work study, while also stocking shelves at a grocery store, working in sales at a clothing store, and performing deliveries. For three years he was president of his class, and his final year he served as president of the Salem State Student Government Association
(SGA). As SGA president he responded to racial incidents on campus by organizing a schoolwide meeting leading to several days of discussion. He graduated in 1973, and returned in 2009 to give a commencement address, receiving an honorary degree
.
While working as a law office clerk and a State House
janitor, Tierney attended Suffolk University Law School
. He graduated with a J.D.
in 1976, and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar
. He worked as a solo practitioner until 1981, when he became a partner at the North Shore
community law firm
Tierney, Kalis, & Lucas. He remained at the firm until taking office in 1997. Tierney served on the Salem Chamber of Commerce from 1976 to 1997, becoming the organization's president in 1995.
incumbent Peter G. Torkildsen
, having won a competitive Democratic primary with a plurality of 33.8 percent. He ran on a platform promoting a stronger federal focus on drug abuse, federal aid to promote after-school programs, consideration of means test
ing for Social Security
, and single-payer health care
. A primary issue in the campaign was crime: Tierney criticized Torkildsen for his vote against a 1994 crime bill, and advocated stronger gun control, while Torkildsen criticized Tierney's positions on gun control and drug legalization. Tierney was defeated in the general election by four percentage points. Tierney successfully ran for Congress in 1996, defeating Torkildsen by a narrow margin and increasing his margin in a 1998 rematch.
Over the next five elections he faced Republican challengers Paul McCarthy, Mark C. Smith, Stephen P. O'Malley, Jr., Richard W. Barton, and Richard A. Baker, respectively, winning 64 to 68 percent of the vote each time. In the 2010 congressional election he defeated Republican candidate Bill Hudak with 57 percent of the vote.
Tierney, described as "an unwavering liberal" by CQ's Politics in America
, has consistently high approval ratings from Democratic and liberal interest groups such as Americans for Democratic Action
and low approval ratings from conservative groups such as the American Conservative Union
. His votes have been closely aligned with the other nine Democratic representatives from his state. Described as "a favorite of the House Democratic leadership," he maintains a close relationship with former House Speaker
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
. Her daughter Christine Pelosi
served as his chief of staff from 2001 to 2005. Tierney was speculated as a candidate to succeed United States Senator Ted Kennedy
in a special election
after Kennedy's death in 2009, but he decided against a run. Washington
paper The Hill
has published speculation that Tierney, with a $1.3 million war chest
, is a likely candidate to run against Kennedy's successor Scott Brown
in the 2012 election
.
s. He and Rep. Hilda Solis
coauthored the Green Jobs Act of 2007, which allocated $125 million to green jobs training. The bill was incorporated into the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
and signed into law. Tierney was initially opposed to the Troubled Asset Relief Program proposal of 2008. He ultimately voted for the bill, saying, "The state of panic in the markets compels Congress to act."
. In early 2010, Tierney came under fire from some in his district for his support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
. Tierney created the Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act, which prohibits companies from curtailing promised retirement benefits.
On the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, Tierney has worked to improve higher education accessibility. He recently co-authored the College Affordability and Accountability Act, which attempts to lower college tuition rates. The House included several of his proposals in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, one which prevented states from cutting education funding as federal aid increased, and one which forgave federal loans for students who went into some public service professions.
Throughout his career, Tierney has repeatedly introduced a bill called "Clean Money, Clean Elections", which would create a national, publicly financed clean elections
system. With little support in Congress, the proposal has been unsuccessful.
Tierney had an active role in congressional oversight of U.S. foreign policy when his party held the majority. He was a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs during the 110th and 111th Congresses. Tierney introduced the 2007 House legislation that created the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan
to study government contracting related to the Afghanistan War
and the Iraq War. The same year Tierney chaired a congressional hearing over conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
. The center had been criticized in the press for its dilapidated conditions and inadequate care, as well as for prioritizing a "VIP ward" for non-soldiers. During House debate on the National Defense Authorization Act
of 2009, In the State Department
foreign operations appropriations bill of 2008, the House approved Tierney's amendment to direct $75,000,000 to secular school construction in Pakistan
to compete against Islam
ic madrassas.
Tierney is a critic of U.S. investment in missile defense, and has called for large budget cuts to the Missile Defense Agency
. He introduced an amendment to redirect $966 million in funding from missile defense systems to other initiatives such as nuclear non-proliferation. The proposal, opposed by Armed Services Committee
leaders as "going too far", was rejected in a House vote.
throughout his 1996 campaign. They married in a small ceremony in April 1997, and now live in Salem, where Patrice works as a jewelry designer. Tierney has three stepchildren from his wife's first marriage. In June 2000, Tierney's stepson John Chew was arrested when about 25 grams (0.9 oz) of cocaine
and $1,000 in cash were found in his Marblehead apartment.
, Antigua and Barbuda
, and funneled a portion of the profits into a Bank of America
account in Massachusetts. In October 2010, Patrice was charged in U.S. District Court
to four counts of "four counts of aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns by her brother, Robert." John F. Tierney, in a statement, announced his wife's intention to plead guilty, stating that Patrice accepted "full responsibility for being 'willfully blind' to what her brother was doing." "While devastated to learn that her brother might have deceived her and so many others, Patrice has acknowledged and agreed that she should have done more to personally investigate the true nature of Mr. Eremian's business activities in the course of carrying out his requests in paying his children's household expenses, family medical bills, and his personal bills and taxes from a checking account in which he deposited funds." Patrice pled guilty on October 6, 2010, and was later sentenced to 30 days in prison followed by five months of house arrest on January 13, 2011. The conviction bolstered the campaign of Bill Hudak, Tierney's Republican opponent in the November 2010 election, but Tierney was still re-elected.
* Independent candidates that ranked fourth or lower are not listed.
Alston, Farnsworth; Carter, Mary Ann; Randolph, Sarah (eds.) (2009). "Tierney, John F." Congressional Directory for the 111th Congress (2009–2010)
. Washington
: Government Printing Office
. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-16-083727-2.
}} |reference=
McCutcheon, Chuck, and Lyons, Christina L. (eds.) (2009). "Tierney, John F., D-Mass." CQ's Politics in America 2010: The 111th Congress
. Washington: Congressional Quarterly
. pp. 496–497. ISBN 978-1-60426-602-3.
}} |reference=
Tierney, John F. (2010). "About John." Congressman John Tierney (campaign website). Retrieved July 1, 2010.
}}
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 . 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 an advocate for liberal policies
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
and government oversight. A former attorney, he has served since 1997.
Born and raised in Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Tierney graduated from Salem State College
Salem State College
Salem State University is a four-year public institution of higher learning located in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem State University, established in 1854 as Salem Normal School, is located approximately fifteen miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. Salem State enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and...
and earned his law degree from Suffolk University Law School
Suffolk University Law School
Suffolk University Law School, also known as Suffolk Law School or SULS, is one of the professional graduate schools of Suffolk University. Suffolk University Law School is a private, non-sectarian, law school located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Suffolk University Law School was founded in...
. He co-founded the community law firm Tierney, Kalis, & Lucas in 1981 and served on the Salem Chamber of Commerce from 1976 to 1997. Tierney first ran for the House of Representatives in 1994 against Republican
Republican 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...
incumbent Peter G. Torkildsen
Peter G. Torkildsen
Peter Gerard Torkildsen is the former Massachusetts Republican State Committee Chairman. He is also a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a Republican from Massachusetts. He currently works in the private sector....
, losing by a small margin. He defeated in Torkildsen by a small margin in 1996, and was sworn in as a U.S. representative in 1997. His district, located in northeastern Massachusetts, contains most of Essex County
Essex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
, including the North Shore
North Shore (Massachusetts)
The North Shore is a region in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, loosely defined as the coastal area between Boston and New Hampshire. The region is made up both of a rocky coastline, dotted with marshes and wetlands, as well as several beaches and natural harbors. The North Shore is an important...
and Cape Ann
Cape Ann
Cape Ann is a rocky cape in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. The cape is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Boston and forms the northern edge of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester, and the towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and...
.
As a liberal member of Congress, Tierney has voted in line with the other Democratic representatives from Massachusetts. He sits on the House Committee on Education and Labor, where his priorities include green energy and increased college access. He coauthored several pieces of legislation, including the Green Jobs Act of 2007 and College Affordability and Accountability Act of 2008. He sits on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and is the former chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs. On this committee he helped establish the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan
Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan
The Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan is an independent, bipartisan commission of the United States government established in 2008 to study government contracting related to the Afghanistan War and the Iraq War.-Background:...
and chaired a hearing over scandalous conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center was the United States Army's flagship medical center until 2011. Located on 113 acres in Washington, D.C., it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the military...
. Since 1996 Tierney has won re-election in each term by a comfortable margin, although he faced a challenge in 2010 after his wife Patrice was convicted of felony tax fraud.
Early life, education and career
John F. Tierney was born September 18, 1951, in Salem, MassachusettsSalem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
. His mother, Doris H. (Gelineau) Tierney, was a Salem native who worked a split shift at the New England Telephone Company, where she remained for 42 years. His father, Albert R. Tierney, was a bookkeeper for Nabisco
Nabisco
Nabisco is an American brand of cookies and snacks. Headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey, the company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Kraft Foods. Nabisco's plant in Chicago, a production facility at 7300 S...
and a local fuel company. Tierney was one of three children, along with his brother Michael A. and sister Catherine. He moved with his family to his grandmother's home when he was five years old. He began working at the Kernwood Country Club in Salem as a caddy
Caddy
In golf, a caddy is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives insightful advice and moral support. A good caddy is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the best strategy in playing it. This includes knowing overall yardage, pin...
when he was eight and soon adopted a paper route. He later attended Salem High School
Salem High School (Massachusetts)
Salem High School is a four-year public high school in Salem, Massachusetts. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students and is accredited by the Massachusetts Department of Education and by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges....
. When he was young, Tierney campaigned for his uncle, a Peabody
Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is about 53,000. Peabody is located in Boston's North Shore suburban area.- History :...
ward councilor
Wards of the United States
In the United States, a ward is an optional division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes...
, and he ascribes his political interest in part to this experience.
Tierney attended Salem State College
Salem State College
Salem State University is a four-year public institution of higher learning located in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem State University, established in 1854 as Salem Normal School, is located approximately fifteen miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. Salem State enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and...
, majoring in political science. While in college he performed work study, while also stocking shelves at a grocery store, working in sales at a clothing store, and performing deliveries. For three years he was president of his class, and his final year he served as president of the Salem State Student Government Association
Student governments in the United States
In the United States, these groups are often known as student government, associated students, student senate, or less commonly a student's union...
(SGA). As SGA president he responded to racial incidents on campus by organizing a schoolwide meeting leading to several days of discussion. He graduated in 1973, and returned in 2009 to give a commencement address, receiving an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
.
While working as a law office clerk and a State House
Massachusetts State House
The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the "New" State House, is the state capitol and house of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is located in Boston in the neighborhood Beacon Hill...
janitor, Tierney attended Suffolk University Law School
Suffolk University Law School
Suffolk University Law School, also known as Suffolk Law School or SULS, is one of the professional graduate schools of Suffolk University. Suffolk University Law School is a private, non-sectarian, law school located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Suffolk University Law School was founded in...
. He graduated with 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...
in 1976, and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
. He worked as a solo practitioner until 1981, when he became a partner at the North Shore
North Shore (Massachusetts)
The North Shore is a region in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, loosely defined as the coastal area between Boston and New Hampshire. The region is made up both of a rocky coastline, dotted with marshes and wetlands, as well as several beaches and natural harbors. The North Shore is an important...
community law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
Tierney, Kalis, & Lucas. He remained at the firm until taking office in 1997. Tierney served on the Salem Chamber of Commerce from 1976 to 1997, becoming the organization's president in 1995.
U.S. House of Representatives
Tierney first ran for Congress in 1994 against one-term 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...
incumbent Peter G. Torkildsen
Peter G. Torkildsen
Peter Gerard Torkildsen is the former Massachusetts Republican State Committee Chairman. He is also a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a Republican from Massachusetts. He currently works in the private sector....
, having won a competitive Democratic primary with a plurality of 33.8 percent. He ran on a platform promoting a stronger federal focus on drug abuse, federal aid to promote after-school programs, consideration of means test
Means test
A means test is a determination of whether an individual or family is eligible for help from the government.- Canada :In Canada means tests are used for student finance , and "welfare" . They are not generally used for primary education and secondary education which are tax-funded...
ing for Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
, and single-payer health care
Single-payer health care
Single-payer health care is medical care funded from a single insurance pool, run by the state. Under a single-payer system, universal health care for an entire population can be financed from a pool to which many parties employees, employers, and the state have contributed...
. A primary issue in the campaign was crime: Tierney criticized Torkildsen for his vote against a 1994 crime bill, and advocated stronger gun control, while Torkildsen criticized Tierney's positions on gun control and drug legalization. Tierney was defeated in the general election by four percentage points. Tierney successfully ran for Congress in 1996, defeating Torkildsen by a narrow margin and increasing his margin in a 1998 rematch.
Over the next five elections he faced Republican challengers Paul McCarthy, Mark C. Smith, Stephen P. O'Malley, Jr., Richard W. Barton, and Richard A. Baker, respectively, winning 64 to 68 percent of the vote each time. In the 2010 congressional election he defeated Republican candidate Bill Hudak with 57 percent of the vote.
Tierney, described as "an unwavering liberal" by CQ's Politics in America
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
, has consistently high approval ratings from Democratic and liberal interest groups such as Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Democratic Action is an American political organization advocating progressive policies. ADA works for social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research and supporting progressive candidates.-History:...
and low approval ratings from conservative groups such as the American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
. His votes have been closely aligned with the other nine Democratic representatives from his state. Described as "a favorite of the House Democratic leadership," he maintains a close relationship with former House Speaker
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
. Her daughter Christine Pelosi
Christine Pelosi
Christine Paule Pelosi is the daughter of Nancy Pelosi, and is an American Democratic Party political strategist from California; she is the author of Campaign Boot Camp , a guide to successful campaigning...
served as his chief of staff from 2001 to 2005. Tierney was speculated as a candidate to succeed United States Senator Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
in a special election
United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts was a special election held on January 19, 2010, in order to fill the Massachusetts Class I United States Senate seat for the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2013...
after Kennedy's death in 2009, but he decided against a run. Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
paper The Hill
The Hill (newspaper)
The Hill, a subsidiary of News Communications Inc., is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C. since 1994.Its first editor was Martin Tolchin, a veteran correspondent in the Washington bureau of The New York Times....
has published speculation that Tierney, with a $1.3 million war chest
War chest
In arms and armor, a war chest is a container for the personal weapons and protective gear of a citizen-soldier, kept in the household, and is the origin of the term.-In politics:...
, is a likely candidate to run against Kennedy's successor Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Scott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
in the 2012 election
United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2012
The 2012 United States Senate election in Massachusetts will take place on November 6, 2012 concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate, House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S....
.
|
Economy and budget
On the House Committee on Education and Labor, Tierney has been an advocate for green jobGreen job
A green job, also called a green-collar job is, according to the United Nations Environment Program, "work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development , administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality...
s. He and Rep. Hilda Solis
Hilda Solis
Hilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
coauthored the Green Jobs Act of 2007, which allocated $125 million to green jobs training. The bill was incorporated into the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is an Act of Congress concerning the energy policy of the United States...
and signed into law. Tierney was initially opposed to the Troubled Asset Relief Program proposal of 2008. He ultimately voted for the bill, saying, "The state of panic in the markets compels Congress to act."
Domestic policy
Tierney is a supporter of universal health careUniversal 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:...
. In early 2010, Tierney came under fire from some in his district for his support of 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...
. Tierney created the Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act, which prohibits companies from curtailing promised retirement benefits.
On the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, Tierney has worked to improve higher education accessibility. He recently co-authored the College Affordability and Accountability Act, which attempts to lower college tuition rates. The House included several of his proposals in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, one which prevented states from cutting education funding as federal aid increased, and one which forgave federal loans for students who went into some public service professions.
Throughout his career, Tierney has repeatedly introduced a bill called "Clean Money, Clean Elections", which would create a national, publicly financed clean elections
Clean elections
"Clean Elections" is a term used to describe a particular system of government financing of political campaigns, in which the government provides a grant to candidates who agree to limit their and private fundraising efforts and limit their campaign-spending.- In the United States :Clean Election...
system. With little support in Congress, the proposal has been unsuccessful.
Foreign policy
Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan
The Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan is an independent, bipartisan commission of the United States government established in 2008 to study government contracting related to the Afghanistan War and the Iraq War.-Background:...
to study government contracting related to the Afghanistan War
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
and the Iraq War. The same year Tierney chaired a congressional hearing over conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center was the United States Army's flagship medical center until 2011. Located on 113 acres in Washington, D.C., it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the military...
. The center had been criticized in the press for its dilapidated conditions and inadequate care, as well as for prioritizing a "VIP ward" for non-soldiers. During House debate on the National Defense Authorization Act
National Defense Authorization Act
The National Defense Authorization Act is the name of a United States federal law that has been enacted for each of the past 48 fiscal years to specify the budget and expenditures of the United States Department of Defense.-See also:...
of 2009, In the State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
foreign operations appropriations bill of 2008, the House approved Tierney's amendment to direct $75,000,000 to secular school construction in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
to compete against Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic madrassas.
Tierney is a critic of U.S. investment in missile defense, and has called for large budget cuts to the Missile Defense Agency
Missile Defense Agency
The Missile Defense Agency is the section of the United States government's Department of Defense responsible for developing a layered defense against ballistic missiles. The agency has its origins in the Strategic Defense Initiative, which was established in 1983 and was headed by Lt...
. He introduced an amendment to redirect $966 million in funding from missile defense systems to other initiatives such as nuclear non-proliferation. The proposal, opposed by Armed Services Committee
United States House Committee on Armed Services
thumb|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...
leaders as "going too far", was rejected in a House vote.
Personal life
Tierney dated Patrice M. (Eremian) Chew of MarbleheadMarblehead, Massachusetts
Marblehead is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,808 at the 2010 census. It is home to the Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and Devereux Beach...
throughout his 1996 campaign. They married in a small ceremony in April 1997, and now live in Salem, where Patrice works as a jewelry designer. Tierney has three stepchildren from his wife's first marriage. In June 2000, Tierney's stepson John Chew was arrested when about 25 grams (0.9 oz) of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and $1,000 in cash were found in his Marblehead apartment.
Wife's tax fraud conviction
In August 2010, Patrice Tierney's brothers Robert and Daniel Eremian were federally indicted for operating an illegal internet gambling business. Robert had allegedly, with Daniel's help, operated the business out of St. John'sSt. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
St John's is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. St John's is located at...
, Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands...
, and funneled a portion of the profits into a Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
account in Massachusetts. In October 2010, Patrice was charged in U.S. District Court
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA. The first court session was held in Boston in 1789. The second term was held in Salem in 1790 and until 1813 court session locations...
to four counts of "four counts of aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns by her brother, Robert." John F. Tierney, in a statement, announced his wife's intention to plead guilty, stating that Patrice accepted "full responsibility for being 'willfully blind' to what her brother was doing." "While devastated to learn that her brother might have deceived her and so many others, Patrice has acknowledged and agreed that she should have done more to personally investigate the true nature of Mr. Eremian's business activities in the course of carrying out his requests in paying his children's household expenses, family medical bills, and his personal bills and taxes from a checking account in which he deposited funds." Patrice pled guilty on October 6, 2010, and was later sentenced to 30 days in prison followed by five months of house arrest on January 13, 2011. The conviction bolstered the campaign of Bill Hudak, Tierney's Republican opponent in the November 2010 election, but Tierney was still re-elected.
Electoral history
| Democratic candidate | Republican candidate | Independent candidate* | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Name | Votes | % | Name | Votes | % | Name | Party | Votes | % |
| 1994 | John F. Tierney | 113,481 | 47.4% | Peter G. Torkildsen | 120,952 | 50.5% | Benjamin A. Gatchell | Independent | 4,960 | 2.1% |
| 1996 | John F. Tierney | 133,002 | 49.3% | Peter G. Torkildsen | 132,642 | 49.2% | Martin J. McNulty | Independent | 4,195 | 1.6% |
| 1998 | John F. Tierney | 117,132 | 54.6% | Peter G. Torkildsen | 90,986 | 42.4% | Randal C. Fritz | Independent | 6,544 | 3.0% |
| 2000 | John F. Tierney | 205,324 | 71.1% | Paul McCarthy | 83,501 | 28.9% | None | |||
| 2002 | John F. Tierney | 162,900 | 68.3% | Mark C. Smith | 75,462 | 31.7% | None | |||
| 2004 | John F. Tierney | 213,458 | 70.0% | Stephen P. O'Malley, Jr. | 91,597 | 30.0% | None | |||
| 2006 | John F. Tierney | 168,056 | 69.7% | Richard W. Barton | 72,997 | 30.3% | None | |||
| 2008 | John F. Tierney | 226,216 | 70.5% | Richard A. Baker | 94,845 | 29.5% | None | |||
| 2010 | John F. Tierney | 142,456 | 56.9% | Bill Hudak | 107,739 | 43.1% | None | |||
* Independent candidates that ranked fourth or lower are not listed.
General biographies
|reference=Alston, Farnsworth; Carter, Mary Ann; Randolph, Sarah (eds.) (2009). "Tierney, John F." Congressional Directory for the 111th Congress (2009–2010)
Official Congressional Directory
The Official Congressional Directory is the official directory of the United State Congress, prepared by the Joint Committee on Printing and published by the United States Government Printing Office since 1888...
. Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
: Government Printing Office
United States Government Printing Office
The United States Government Printing Office is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The office prints documents produced by and for the federal government, including the Supreme Court, the Congress, the Executive Office of the President, executive...
. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-16-083727-2.
}} |reference=
McCutcheon, Chuck, and Lyons, Christina L. (eds.) (2009). "Tierney, John F., D-Mass." CQ's Politics in America 2010: The 111th Congress
CQ's Politics in America
Politics in America is a reference work comprising non-partisan profiles and assessments of every member of the United States Congress published by CQ Press. Compiled by a staff of more than three dozen Congressional Quarterly, Capitol Hill reporters and editors, Politics in America is published...
. Washington: Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
. pp. 496–497. ISBN 978-1-60426-602-3.
}} |reference=
Tierney, John F. (2010). "About John." Congressman John Tierney (campaign website). Retrieved July 1, 2010.
}}
External links
- Congressman John F. Tierney official U.S. House site
- John Tierney for Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Tierney, John Intelligent Reform The Nation, February 6, 2006