Vern Ehlers
Encyclopedia
Vernon James "Vern" Ehlers (born February 6, 1934) is the former U.S. Representative
for , serving from 1993 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.
The district is based in Grand Rapids
, and had once been represented by former President
Gerald Ford
(the district was numbered as the 5th District at the time). Ehlers was the first research physicist
to be elected to Congress; he was later joined by Rush Holt, Jr.
(D
-NJ
) and Bill Foster (D
-IL
)
, Ehlers attended Calvin College
in Grand Rapids for three years before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley
, where he earned an undergraduate degree in physics and, in 1960, a Ph.D.
in nuclear physics
. His doctoral dissertation "The nuclear spins and moments of several radioactive gallium isotopes" is available from University Microfilms International as document number 0227304. After six years of teaching and research at Berkeley, he moved back to Michigan and took employment at Calvin College in 1966 where he taught physics for 16 years and later served as chairman of the Physics Department.
Ehlers began his political career in 1974 while still at Calvin, when he was elected to the Kent County
board of commissioners where he served four terms.
— two years in the state house and eight in the state senate
.
Ehlers served as chairman of the House Administration Committee
in the 109th Congress
after Bob Ney
resigned from the position.
and Republicans for Environmental Protection. He was the only member of the Michigan
Congressional delegation of either party to vote to raise fuel economy standards for automobiles in 2001 and 2005.
Ehlers is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker
. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.
In December 2010, Ehlers was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell
" ban on openly gay service members.
died six months into his fifth term. He won a full term in 1994 and has been reelected six times with little significant Democratic opposition.
Congressman Ehlers has declared he will not seek re-election in the 2010 midterms, citing retirement.
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 1993 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.
The district is based in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, and had once been represented by former President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
(the district was numbered as the 5th District at the time). Ehlers was the first research physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
to be elected to Congress; he was later joined by Rush Holt, Jr.
Rush D. Holt, Jr.
Rush Dew Holt, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently the only Quaker in Congress.-Early life and education :Rush D. Holt was born to Rush D...
(D
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...
-NJ
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) and Bill Foster (D
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...
-IL
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
)
Early life, education and career
Born in Pipestone, MinnesotaPipestone, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,280 people, 1,900 households, and 1,138 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,090.8 people per square mile . There were 2,097 housing units at an average density of 534.4 per square mile...
, Ehlers attended Calvin College
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
in Grand Rapids for three years before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he earned an undergraduate degree in physics and, in 1960, a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in nuclear physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
. His doctoral dissertation "The nuclear spins and moments of several radioactive gallium isotopes" is available from University Microfilms International as document number 0227304. After six years of teaching and research at Berkeley, he moved back to Michigan and took employment at Calvin College in 1966 where he taught physics for 16 years and later served as chairman of the Physics Department.
Ehlers began his political career in 1974 while still at Calvin, when he was elected to the Kent County
Kent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...
board of commissioners where he served four terms.
Michigan Legislature
Ehlers served ten years in the Michigan state legislatureMichigan Legislature
The Michigan Legislature is the legislative assembly of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body consisting of the Senate, the upper house, and the House of Representatives, the lower house. Article IV of the state's Constitution, adopted in 1963, defines the role of the...
— two years in the state house and eight in the state senate
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Education and Labor
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary EducationUnited States House Education Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary EducationThe House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce...
- Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
- Committee on Science and Technology
- Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
- Subcommittee on Research and Science Education (Ranking Member)
- Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureUnited States House Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureThe U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. John Mica currently chairs the committee.-History:...
- Subcommittee on AviationUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on AviationThe Subcommittee on Aviation is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over civil aviation, including most aspects of the Federal Aviation Administration , the Transportation Security Administration, and the National...
- Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime TransportationUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime TransportationThe Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over maritime safety, security, law enforcement, and defense. Additionally, the Subcommittee exercises jurisdiction over...
- Subcommittee on Water Resources and EnvironmentUnited States House Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources and EnvironmentThe Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over water conservation, pollution control, infrastructure, and hazardous waste cleanup, the civil works programs of the U.S. Army...
- Subcommittee on Aviation
Caucus memberships
- Co-chair of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Ed Caucus
- Peak Oil Caucus
United States House Committee on House Administration
The United States House Committee on House Administration deals with the general administration matters of the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:...
in the 109th Congress
109th United States Congress
The One Hundred Ninth United States Congress was the legislative branch of the United States, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, from January 3, 2005 to January 3, 2007, during the fifth and sixth years of George W. Bush's presidency. House members...
after Bob Ney
Bob Ney
Robert William Ney is an American politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. A Republican, Ney represented Ohio's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 until November 3, 2006, when he resigned...
resigned from the position.
Political positions
Ehlers is a moderate Republican. According to the National Journal, in 2006 his votes split 50-50 between "liberal" and "conservative." While strongly anti-abortion and supportive of lowering taxes, he is willing to break with his party on environmental and government spending issues. He is a member of the Republican Main Street PartnershipRepublican Main Street Partnership
The Republican Main Street Partnership is a group of moderate members of the United States Republican Party. They tend away from the dominant social conservatism of many Republicans and towards a moderate fiscal conservatism and limited government to a degree. The group is the rough equivalent of...
and Republicans for Environmental Protection. He was the only member of the Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
Congressional delegation of either party to vote to raise fuel economy standards for automobiles in 2001 and 2005.
Ehlers is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.
In December 2010, Ehlers was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" ban on openly gay service members.
Political campaigns
In 1993, Ehlers won a special election for the 3rd District, which had been vacant since Congressman Paul B. HenryPaul B. Henry
Paul Brentwood Henry was a professor of political science and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Early life and career:...
died six months into his fifth term. He won a full term in 1994 and has been reelected six times with little significant Democratic opposition.
Congressman Ehlers has declared he will not seek re-election in the 2010 midterms, citing retirement.
External links
- Vern Ehlers for U.S. 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...