John Olver (D-MA)

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John Walter Olver (born September 3, 1936), American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1991, representing , a primarily rural district that makes up most of Western Massachusetts.Olver was born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. He earned a B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at the age of 18, an M.S. from Tufts University, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He served as a chemistry professor at the Franklin Technical Institute in Joplin, Missouri, at MIT and at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.John Olver is married to Rose Olver, a Professor of Psychology and Women's and Gender Studies at Amherst College. They have one daughter, Martha. The family has lived in Amherst, Massachusetts, where Olver has lived since 1963.He served two terms as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1969 to 1973, and then nine terms in the Massachusetts Senate from 1973 to 1991.On February 18, 1991, 1st District Congressman Silvio Conte died just one month after taking office for his 17th term. That June, Olver, who had just been sworn in for his 10th term in the state senate, narrowly defeated Republican Steve Pierce in a special election for the seat, becoming the first Democrat to win the seat since it changed from being the in 1895. He won election to a full term by 8 points in 1992 and has only faced one truly serious challenge since, from future Acting Governor Jane Swift in 1996 (the same year Governor William Weld gave Senator John Kerry the closest race a Democratic senator has faced in Massachusetts in almost two decades). The 1st District had long been considered the most Republican district in heavily Democratic Massachusetts, but rapidly swung into the Democratic column in the 1990s. For example, in 1994, a year in which district after district fell to the Republicans nationally, Olver ran unopposed. In 2008, Olver beat Robert Feuer in the Democratic primary, and is facing Republican Nathan Bech in the general election.*Appropriations Committee**Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development**Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies**Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (Chairman)*Senior WhipOlver has been critical of the United States lack of involvement with the genocide in Darfur. Olver was one of five members of Congress arrested April 28, 2006 after protesting outside the Sudanese Embassy.Jim Doyle, [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/28/MNG4RIH93T7.DTL Five members of Congress arrested over Sudan protest], ''San Francisco Chronicle'', April 28, 2006. Accessed 25 September 2006.He was one of the 31 who objected in the House to the counting of the electoral votes from Ohio in the United States presidential election, 2004.[http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll007.xml Clerk.House.gov]Olver was a superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He announced his commitment to Senator Barack Obama on June 3rd, 2008.*American Civil Liberties Union, 95 percent in 2003–2004.[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H1721103&type=category&category=Civil%2BLiberties&go.x=14&go.y=15]*American Conservative Union, Lifetime score of 2%.[http://www.acuratings.org/singlerecord.asp]*Americans for Democratic Action, Lifetime score of 97%.[http://www.adaction.org/ho00023.htm]*NARAL Pro-Choice America, 100% for 2000, 2001, 2003–2005.[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H1721103&type=category&category=Abortion%2BIssues&go.x=11&go.y=5]*National Journal, Composite Liberal Score of 96% for 2003[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?sig_id=002939M] and 2005.[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?sig_id=004121M]*Republican Liberty Caucus, 40% for 2005.[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H1721103&type=category&category=Conservative&go.x=15&go.y=6]Olver called Republicans "Jihadists" during budget negotiations in late July, 2007. Congressional Quarterly reported his statements:And while Democrats rebuff Republicans and their accusations of shutdown politics, the majority is throwing some brickbats of its own.“They’ve been stalling,’’ said John W. Olver, D-Mass., chairman of the House Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee. “They are nihilists. ''They are jihadists''.”Alan K. Ota and Bart Jansen, [http://public.cq.com/docs/cqt/news110-000002559000.html Democrats Say GOP Complaint of Spending ‘Shutdown’ Strategy Doesn’t Add Up], ''Congressional Quarterly'', July 27, 2007*[http://www.house.gov/olver Congressman John Olver], U.S. House site*[http://johnolver.com/ Citizens for John Olver for Congress], Campaign site*[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Olver Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia*[http://www.adherents.com/people/po/John_Olver.html The Religious Affiliation of U.S. Congressman John Olver], Adherents.com: National & World Religion Statistics

May 20

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved The use of torture as an interrogation technique cannot be justified. The 110th Congress will continue to fight for an interrogation policy that outlaws torture

December 13, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved The federal government is most responsible for the current financial crisis. Olver is blaming the Federal Government

December 10, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved The federal government's financial bailout package will help stabilize the U.S. economy. But I must assure you that I would not have voted for this new plan if I did not truly believe that it would provide relief for struggling Americans and prevent continued economic decline

September 7, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved The Constitution should not be amended to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Olver voted against the Marriage Protection Amendment

September 2, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved Plan B should be available over-the-counter to women under the age of 18. "We support unrestricted access to EC for all woman."

August 13, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved The U.S. should set a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq. Olver voted for a timetable in Iraq.

July 20, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved The federal government should subsidize the creation of new stem cell lines. Olver co-sponsored the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act

July 14, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved The District of Columbia should have a seat in Congress. Olver voted for the D.C. House Voting Rights Act

June 25, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved Congress should not lift the ban on offshore oil drilling. Voted YES on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore

June 23, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved The U.S. should not build more oil refineries. Voted NO on scheduling permitting for new oil refinieries

June 5, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved Barack Obama should win the Democratic nomination for president in 2008. "I think he gave more of a vision where he wanted to go"

June 4, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved Corporations should pay heavier taxes on windfall profits. Olver co-sponsors windfall profit tax on oil.

April 11, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved Political officials should boycott the Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony. "It would be clearly inappropriate for [President Bush] to attend the Olympic Games in China, given the increasingly repressive nature of that country’s government."

March 28, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved The EPA does not effectively protect the environment. Olver co-sponsored bill to overturn EPA ruling

March 9, 2008

an opinion of John Olver (D-MA) was approved The U.S. embargo on Cuba has not been effective. Letter From Congress to Secretary of State Rice

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