David Vitter
United States Senator from Louisiana
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2005 Serving with Mary Landrieu
Preceded by	John B. Breaux
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st district
In office May 29, 1999 – January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Bob Livingston
Succeeded by	Bobby Jindal
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 81st district
In office 1992–1999
Preceded by	David Duke
Succeeded by	Jennifer Sneed
Personal details
Born	David Bruce Vitter (1961-05-03) May 3, 1961 (age 51) New Orleans, Louisiana
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Wendy Baldwin Vitter
Children	Sophie Vitter Lise Vitter Airey Vitter Jack Vitter
Residence	Metairie, Louisiana
Alma mater	Harvard University (A.B.) Oxford University (B.A.) Tulane Law School (J.D.)
Occupation	Attorney
Signature
Website	www.vitter.senate.gov

David Bruce Vitter^[1] (born May 3, 1961) 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 Representatives before entering the U.S. House.

In July 2007, Vitter was identified as a client of a prostitution service.^[2] He won a second Senate term in 2010, defeating a Democratic challenge from U.S. Representative Charlie Melancon of Napoleonville, the seat of Assumption Parish. In the Republican primary held on August 28, 2010, Vitter handily defeated former Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Chet D. Traylor of Monroe, formerly from Winnsboro.

Early life and education[link]

Vitter was born in New Orleans, the son of Audrey Malvina (née St. Raymond) and Albert Leopold Vitter,^[3] and graduated in 1979 from De La Salle High School.^[4] He received an A.B. from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1983; a B.A. from Oxford University in 1985, as a Rhodes Scholar; and a J.D. from the Tulane University Law School in New Orleans in 1988. He was a lawyer,^[5][6] and adjunct law professor at Tulane and Loyola University New Orleans.^[6]

Vitter and his wife Wendy, a former prosecutor,^[7] have three daughters, Sophie, Lise, and Airey, and a son, Jack. Vitter's brother Jeffrey is a notable academic, a computer science professor and provost and executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas.

Early political career[link]

House of Representatives[link]

Vitter was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992 to 1999 before he entered the U.S. House of Representatives. He won a special election to Louisiana's 1st congressional district in 1999, succeeding Republican Congressman Bob Livingston, who resigned after an adultery scandal. In the initial vote on May 1, 1999,^[8] former Congressman and Governor David Treen finished first with 36,719 votes (25 percent). Vitter was second, with 31,741 (22 percent), and white nationalist David Duke finished third with 28,055 votes (19 percent). Monica L. Monica, a Republican ophthalmologist, had 16 percent; State Representative Bill Strain, a conservative Democrat, finished fifth with 11 percent; and Rob Couhig, a Republican lawyer and the owner of New Orleans's minor league baseball team, had 6 percent.^[9] In the special election runoff on May 29, Vitter defeated Treen, 61,661 votes (51 percent) to 59,849 (49 percent).^[10]

In 2000 and 2002, Vitter won re-election with over 80 percent of the vote in what has become a safe Republican district.^[10]

2002 gubernatorial race[link]

In 2002, Vitter was preparing to run for governor in 2003, with the incumbent, Republican Mike Foster, prevented by term limits from running again. But in June 2002, shortly before the Louisiana Weekly ran a story about Vitter's alleged relationship with a prostitute, Vitter dropped out of the governor's race,^[11] saying he and his wife were dealing with marital problems.^[12]

United States Senate[link]

2004 election[link]

In 2004, Vitter ran to replace Democrat John Breaux in the U.S. Senate. Former state Senator Daniel Wesley Richey, a Baton Rouge political consultant, directed Vitter's grassroots organization in the race, with assistance from Richey's longtime ally, former state Representative Louis E. "Woody" Jenkins of Baton Rouge, himself a defeated U.S. Senate candidate in 1978, 1980, and 1996.

During the campaign, Vitter was accused by a member of the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee of having had a lengthy affair with a prostitute in New Orleans. Vitter responded that the allegation was "absolutely and completely untrue" and that it was "just crass Louisiana politics."^[7]

On November 2, 2004, Vitter won the jungle primary, garnering a majority of the vote, while the rest of the vote was mostly split among the Democratic contenders.

Vitter was the first Republican in Louisiana to be popularly elected as a U.S. Senator. The previous Republican Senator, William Pitt Kellogg, was chosen by the state legislature in 1876, in accordance with the process used before the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect in 1914.^[13]

State Representative Mike Futrell of Baton Rouge resigned early in 2005 to become Vitter's state director. Futrell remained in the position until 2008, when he was engaged in East Baton Rouge Parish municipal/parish government.^[14]

2010 election[link]

Vitter yard sign (2010)

Vitter began fundraising for his 2010 reelection run in December 2008.^[15] He raised $731,000 in the first quarter of 2009 and $2.5 million for his 2010 campaign.^[16] He had wide leads against potential Democratic opponents in aggregate general election polling.^[17][18] He faced intraparty opposition from Chet D. Traylor of Monroe, a former associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court in the August 28 Republican primary election and defeated him. He then faced the Democrat U.S. Representative Charlie Melançon of Napoleonville in the November 2 general election. An Independent, State Representative Ernest Wooton of Belle Chasse in Plaquemines Parish, also ran.^[19] On Nov 4th, 2010, Vitter was re-elected as Louisiana Senator, defeating his Democratic rival, Melancon. According to international news reports, Vitter got 715,304 votes while Melancon got 476,423 votes. Vitter received about 57% of the total vote while Melancon got 38%. The independent candidate Wooton finished with only 8,167 votes, or 1 percent of the total cast.

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Personnel
  • Subcommittee on SeaPower
  • Subcommittee on Strategic Forces (Ranking Member)
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
• Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
  • Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
  • Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance
  • Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
  • Subcommittee on Science and Space (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
• Committee on Environment and Public Works
  • Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

D.C. Madam scandal[link]

In early July 2007, Vitter's phone number was included in a published list of phone records of Pamela Martin and Associates, a company owned and run by Deborah Jeane Palfrey, also known as the "D.C. Madam", convicted by the U.S. government for running a prostitution service. Hustler identified the phone number and contacted Vitter's office to ask about his connection to Palfrey.^[20][21] The following day, Vitter issued a written statement in which he took responsibility for his sin and asked for forgiveness.^[22] On July 16, 2007, after a week of self-imposed seclusion, Vitter emerged and called a news conference. Standing next to his wife, Vitter asked the public for forgiveness. Following Vitter's remarks, Wendy Vitter, his wife, spoke. Both refused to answer any questions.^[23][24][25]

While the Louisiana state Republican Party offered guarded support,^[26] national Republicans offered forgiveness.^[27] The Nation predicted that the Republican Party would be in a "forgiving mood", pointing out if Vitter did step down, then Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, would likely appoint a Democrat to take Vitter's place until a special election took place, thus increasing Democratic control over the Senate.^[28][29][30]

Vitter did not face criminal charges due to the statute of limitations.^[31] There were renewed calls for Vitter's resignation during a sexting scandal involving U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner in June 2011.^[32]

Political positions[link]

Vitter has identified himself as a political conservative throughout his political career. His legislative agenda includes positions ranging from pro-life to pro-gun rights while legislating against gambling, same-sex marriage, federal funding for abortion providers, increases in the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the United Nations, and amnesty for America's illegal immigrants. Vitter's stated positions include a balanced budget constitutional amendment,^[33] abolishing the federal and state estate tax,^[34] increasing local police forces,^[35] and an assortment of health care, tax and national defense reforms.^[36]

Vitter has worked in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to bring disaster relief to the region.

Vitter opposed President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; he voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009,^[37] and he voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.^[38]

Fiscal[link]

Louisiana Family Forum earmark[link]

Wikinews has related news: Senator David Vitter to earmark $100,000 for creationist group

In September, 2007, Vitter earmarked $100,000 in federal money for a Christian group, the Louisiana Family Forum,^[39] known for challenging evolution by means of "teaching the controversy" which promotes intelligent design.^[40] According to Vitter, the earmark was "to develop a plan to promote better science education".^[39] Though the Louisiana Family Forum is largely forbidden from political activity due to its tax-exempt status,^[41] The Times-Picayune alleged the group had close ties with Vitter.^[39] However, they have criticized Vitter for his support of Rudy Giuliani.^[42]

On October 17, 2007, the liberal organization People For the American Way, along with several other groups asked the Senate to remove the earmark.^[43][44] Vitter later withdrew it.^[45][46]

Children's health insurance program[link]

In September 2007, Vitter opposed an increase of $35 billion for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the national program to provide health care for children from families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private health insurance. He said he preferred that private health insurance provide the needed care and deemed the bill as "Hillarycare", a reference to the 1993 Clinton health care plan created by Hillary Clinton which proposed universal health care.^[47] The increase passed the Senate, 67 to 29, but was later vetoed by President George W. Bush.^[48] In February 2009 the SCHIP increase was finally enacted, despite Vitter's voting nay a third time.^[49][50]

Automotive industry bailout[link]

Vitter was one of 35 Senators to vote against the Big 3 Bailout bill.^[51] The financial bailout package was for GM, Chrysler, and Ford, but failed to pass on December 11, 2008. During the Senate debate Vitter referred to the approach of giving the automotive industry a financial package before they restructured as "ass-backwards".^[52] He soon apologized for the phrasing of the comment, which did not appear in the Congressional Record.^[53]

Social[link]

Immigration[link]

Vitter has been actively involved with legislation concerning illegal immigrants. In June 2007, he led a group of conservative Senators in blocking federal Immigration Legislation that would have granted legal citizenship to 12 million illegal immigrants coupled with increased border enforcement. The bill's defeat won Vitter national attention as the bill was supported by President George W. Bush, John McCain, and Ted Kennedy, among others. Vitter characterized the bill as amnesty, which supporters denied. Bush accused the bill's opponents of fear mongering.^[54][55][56]

In October 2007, Vitter introduced an amendment withholding Community Oriented Policing Services funds from any sanctuary city which bans city employees and police officers from asking people about their immigration status in violation of the Illegal Immigration Act. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, in opposition to the amendment, said these cities do not want to inquire about someone's status if they report a crime, are a victim of domestic violence or get vaccinations for their children. The amendment was defeated.^[57]

In November 2007, Vitter introduced a bill requiring banks to confirm that customers were not illegal immigrants before providing them with banking or credit cards. The bill never made it out of committee.^[58][59]

In March 2008, Vitter reintroduced the latter two proposals^[60][61] and cosponsored ten of eleven other bills^[62] in a Republican package of tough immigration enforcement measures including jail time for illegal border crossing; deportation for any immigrant (legal or illegal) for a single driving while intoxicated; declaration of English as the official language (thereby terminating language assistance at voting booths and federal agencies)' additional construction of a border fence; permission for local and state police to enforce immigration laws and penalties for states who issue drivers licenses to illegals. None of these proposals passed, partially because the Democratic-controlled Senate preferred a comprehensive approach which would include a guest-worker program and a path to citizenship for the current population more akin to the package defeated by Vitter in 2007.^[63]

In April 2008, Vitter introduced a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment that a child born in the United States is not a citizen unless a parent is a citizen, lawful permanent resident, or alien serving in the military.^[64] Currently the Constitution grants citizenship to children born within the U.S. regardless of the legal status of the parents.^[65] The bill never made it out of the Democratic-led committee.

Abstinence education[link]

Vitter advocated abstinence-only sex education, emphasizing abstinence over sex education that includes information about birth control, drawing criticism from Planned Parenthood.^[66] He said, "Abstinence education is a public health strategy focused on risk avoidance that aims to help young people avoid exposure to harm...by teaching teenagers that saving sex until marriage and remaining faithful afterwards is the best choice for health and happiness."^[67]

Same-sex marriage[link]

In 2003, Vitter proposed to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.^[68] In 2004, he said, "This is a real outrage. The Hollywood left is redefining the most basic institution in human history...We need a U.S. Senator who will stand up for Louisiana values, not Massachusetts’s values."^[69] In June 2006, he said "I don't believe there's any issue that's more important than this one ... I think this debate is very healthy, and it's winning a lot of hearts and minds. I think we're going to show real progress."^[70] In 2006, he told The Times-Picayune, “I’m a conservative who opposes radically redefining marriage, the most important social institution in human history.”^[71]

In October 2005, at a Lafayette Parish Republican Executive Committee luncheon, Vitter compared gay marriage to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which came through the same geographical areas. Vitter said "It's the crossroads where Katrina meets Rita. I always knew I was against same-sex unions."^[72]

School board prayers[link]

In 2005 Vitter introduced a resolution supporting prayer at school board meetings in response to an earlier district court decision that the Louisiana's Tangipahoa Parish practice of opening meetings with Christian prayers was unconstitutional. The bill died in committee.^[73][74] Vitter later reintroduced the resolution in January 2007 after a panel of the Fifth Circuit Court concluded that Christian prayers were unconstitutional but was undecided whether nonsectarian prayers were allowed. In July 2007, the full Fifth Circuit dismissed the case because of a lack of standing. The school board subsequently resumed prayer evocations but opened it to diverse community religions. Vitter's bill died in committee.^{[74][75][76][77]}

Gambling[link]

Ever since his days in the Louisiana State Legislature, Vitter has been a longtime foe of gambling.^[78] Beginning in 2002, Vitter opposed the bid by the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians to build a casino in Louisiana, arguing that the build site was not historically part of their tribal lands. He lobbied the Interior Department and included language in an appropriations bill to stop the casino. Although the Interior Department gave its approval, the casino has not yet been approved by the state.^[79] The Jena chief accused Vitter of ties with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who simultaneously lobbied against the casino. The chairman of the Senate committee investigating the lobbyist said, "The committee has seen absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Senator Vitter's opposition to (the proposed casino) had to do with anything other than his long-standing opposition to gambling."^[80] In 2007 and 2008, Vitter introduced a bill to prohibit Indian casinos such as Jena's. Neither bill became law.^[81][82][83]

Abortion Rights[link]