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Richard Pombo
Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Speaker	Dennis Hastert
Preceded by	James V. Hansen
Succeeded by	Nick Rahall
Vice Chair of the House Agriculture Committee
In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
Speaker	Dennis Hastert
Preceded by	John Boehner
Succeeded by	Tim Holden
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 11th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Tom Lantos
Succeeded by	Jerry McNerney
Personal details
Born	(1961-01-08) January 8, 1961 (age 64) Tracy, California
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Annette Cole
Residence	Tracy, California
Alma mater	none (dropped out of Cal Poly, Pomona)
Occupation	rancher

Richard William Pombo (born January 8, 1961) is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, having represented California's 11th congressional district from 1993 to 2007. Pombo lost a reelection bid to Democratic challenger Jerry McNerney on November 7, 2006.

On January 4, 2010, Pombo announced his candidacy for Congress in California's 19th congressional district to succeed retiring fellow Republican George Radanovich, although he does not live in the district. Pombo came in third in that four-way GOP race, with 20.8 percent of the votes.

Early life and career

Pombo was born in Tracy, California, 18 miles south of Stockton. He attended Cal Poly, Pomona, for three years before dropping out to work for his family's cattle and dairy business. He is a descendant of Portuguese immigrants. Pombo is married to the former Annette Cole and has three children. Even after being elected to Congress, he returned to his 500-acre (2 km) ranch near Tracy every week. Pombo is a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

From 1990 to 1992, Pombo served on the Tracy City Council.

House of Representatives

1992 election

In 1992, Pombo won the Republican primary by defeating several candidates in a race for an open seat in a district newly created by redistricting. California had added seven seats in the House after the 1990 census. Pombo's strongest opponent in the Republican primary was moderate Republican Sandra Smoley, a Sacramento County Supervisor.

In November, Pombo very narrowly defeated Democrat Patti Garamendi (wife of current California Congressman John Garamendi). Although the district had a Democratic majority and was carried by Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, most of the Democrats in this area are somewhat more conservative than their counterparts closer to San Francisco. In addition, Pombo was assisted in part by his family's name recognition in the Central Valley. His late uncle Ernie Pombo's real estate and land development firm, Pombo Real Estate, made the Pombo family the largest land owner in the 11th district.

1994–2000 elections

Pombo was handily reelected from this district in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000. Despite the district's Democratic majority, its residents generally shared Pombo's concerns about property rights and skepticism about environmental issues.

2002–2004 elections

Pombo's district was significantly altered as a result of the 2000 round of redistricting. He lost his share of Sacramento County to the neighboring 3rd District, and also lost most of Stockton to the 18th District. However, his district was pushed westward into the San Francisco Bay Area when it picked up some of the more Republican-leaning portions of the East Bay and South Bay-based 10th District. This theoretically made Pombo safer, as his new district had a plurality of Republicans. However, Bay Area Republicans tend to be somewhat more moderate than their counterparts in the rest of the state, and this exposed Pombo to a primary challenge from a more moderate Republican.

Late in the 2004 campaign, Pombo's committee mailed leaflets to snowmobile owners in swing states that openly praised the House Resources Committee and the Bush administration for overturning Clinton Administration limits on snowmobiling in national parks. Pombo authorized the mailing as "official business." Per franking rules, approval should have been obtained prior to the October mailing but was not.

Pombo was easily reelected in 2002 and 2004.

2006 election

Controversies and criticisms

The United States elections, 2006 was marked by the Democratic National Committee labeling Republicans as the "culture of corruption." Beginning shortly after Pombo's 61% victory in 2004, liberal and progressive organizations, particularly environmental groups impacted by Pombo's policies as chairman of the House Resources Committee, began to focus their attention on his congressional seat. After a year and a half of various allegations, none of which led to an official investigation or charge, Pombo was defeated in 2006.

An allegation that was widely applied nationwide against Republican Representatives was to tie them to Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Pombo was a likely target because of his dealings with Native American tribes as chairman of the committee overseeing those issues, such as Indian gaming. According to press at the time, Pombo claimed to have not worked with Abramoff, but it was reported that the two could have interacted twice ten years prior. In a 440 page comprehensive book documenting Abramoff's fall from power, Pombo's name isn't mentioned once.

Pombo's opponents publicized his use of PAC funds to pay his brother and wife, which was an allowable practice for services rendered to a campaign. The two were paid for bookkeeping, fundraising, consulting and other services. Randall was not paid during the 2006 campaign. Other politicians who have made payments to family include U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR), and former Senator Jim Webb (D-VA).

In August 2003, Pombo rented an RV to visit National Parks over which he had jurisdiction as a new committee chairman. The 5,000 miles (8,000 km) trip included stops in the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park and Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, and other parks. $4,935 of the cost of the rental was charged to the federal government, but was determined to be a more cost effective alternative to flying, renting a car, and staying in a hotel. When asked in February 2006 about the trip—rules forbid government-funded travel for personal vacations, but allow lawmakers to bring family members on official trips—Pombo said that he had looked into flying into the parks by commercial air or charters, but estimated total travel at $25,000. After choosing to travel instead by RV, he invited his family along with him, which was allowed under House rules.

In January 2006 another allegation surfaced, and then was dropped, claiming that Pombo and Representative John Doolittle had joined with then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas to oppose an investigation by federal banking regulators into the affairs of Houston millionaire Charles Hurwitz. The Los Angeles Times' reported that Doolittle and Pombo, in response to the FDIC sought to subpoena the agency evidence against Hurwitz.

Oil-related allegations were raised by House Democrats who requested that Pombo immediately hold congressional hearings concerning oil lease payments to the Interior Department. Another report attempted to link an oil firm under federal investigation for influence peddling to Pombo through contributions made to his PAC.

Opposing candidates

Amid these allegations, Pombo faced serious primary opposition for the first time since his initial race in 1992. His leading opponent was former congressman Pete McCloskey, a leading moderate Republican. Earlier, McCloskey had led an effort to find a viable primary challenger to Pombo. In a spirited contest, Pombo defeated McCloskey with 61 percent of the vote. McCloskey had been endorsed by The Sacramento Bee, the San Jose Mercury News, and the League of Conservation Voters. Seven weeks later, McCloskey endorsed Pombo's Democratic opponent, Jerry McNerney, who had won the Democratic primary over Steve Filson and Steve Thomas. McNerney received just over half of the Democratic vote and faced Pombo in the 2006 general election in November. McNerney had been Pombo's opponent in 2004.

On October 3, 2006, a Democratic-commissioned poll was released with McNerney leading Pombo 48 percent to 46 percent. There were two polls commissioned by the NRCC, but results weren't released. Based on these events, in early October, Congressional Quarterly changed their rating of this race from Republican Favored to Leans Republican. This was a significant development; Pombo had soundly defeated McNerney in 2004, taking 61 percent of the vote.

Environmental groups defeat Pombo

On November 7, 2006, Pombo was defeated by McNerney. McNerney got 53.1 percent of the vote to Pombo's 46.9 percent. Apart from prevailing national Democratic trends and the corruption allegations dogging him, Pombo was also the number one national target of environmental groups. Washington, D.C.-based Defenders of Wildlife spent more than $1 million on the race and commissioned the first poll in 2005 that showed Pombo to be vulnerable in his re-election bid. The Sierra Club sent over 300 volunteers and organizers to work for McNerney in the final weeks of the campaign. The group, allied with the League of Conservation Voters, also aired issue ads attacking Pombo. Pombo and Heather Wilson were the two Representatives targeted by the Humane Society, which spent over $100,000 in Pombo's district, including organizers.

In a letter dated November 29, 2006 from PAC/West Communications, Pombo states, "I have accepted a position as Senior Partner at Pac/West, a full service political public relations firm with offices from California to Washington, D.C."

Political positions

Conservative Record

As a Congressman, Pombo had a conservative track record. In 1994, during the Republican Revolution, he was one of the signatories of the Contract with America. He was a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee. He was given the nickname "The Marlboro Man" by President George W. Bush.

Private property rights

Pombo is especially known for his defense of private property rights. This was spurred by the Southern Pacific Railroad's abandonment of the Altamont Pass route through Tracy. Pombo owned land adjacent to the abandoned railroad line. Pombo argued that the abandoned easement should legally revert to the adjacent property owners (such as himself) rather than to the local park district. He argued that as the easement was granted based on a promise that the land would be used for railroad purposes only, that the easements ended entirely when they were abandoned. Pombo's case resulted in Congress passing the Rails to Trails Act.

In a New York Times editorial (October 30, 2005), Pombo was called "an outspoken product of the extreme property rights movement." In 2005, he proposed legislation that would allow mining companies to buy lands on which they have staked claims, even if there is no evidence of valuable minerals on that land. According to the editorial, "This has nothing to do with mining, and everything to do with stealing land that is owned by the American people."

Pombo wrote a book with Joseph Farah, founder of WorldNetDaily, about private property issues, entitled This Land is Our Land: How to End the War on Private Property. St. Martin's Press, New York, 1996. (ISBN 0-312-14747-3)

Pombo is a co-founder of the San Joaquin County Citizen's Land Alliance, a group of farmers and other landowners who advocate private property rights and oppose government encroachment on these rights.

Freeway feasibility study

Pombo led an effort to build a multilane freeway (State Route 130) through the Diablo Range to facilitate Bay Area-bound commuting from the greater Tracy area. Alleviating traffic build up over the Altamont Pass was a growing concern to the local community. Pombo expressed his support for a toll road that would charge those driving alone or in SUVs and promote energy-efficient vehicles that would not pay a toll.

Iraq War

Pombo voted for the Iraq War with 82 Democratic members and 297 Republicans joining the bipartisan Iraq Resolution. He continued to support the war into the 2006 election season. In August 2006, anti-Iraq War activists criticized him, citing an estimate that taxpayers in the 11th congressional district paid $974 million for the war by that time. In a statement, Pombo said, "The men and women of our Armed Services have performed exceptionally in Iraq and I will continue to support them as they complete their mission." He continued by adding, "Withdrawing prematurely from Iraq would be a disaster."

Committee and caucuses

Committee assignments

From 2003 to 2007, Pombo was the Chairman of the House Resources Committee. The committee has oversight and sets policy on matters involving natural resources, Indian Country and Indian gaming. He was also a member of the House Agriculture Committee, serving as Vice Chairman of the committee during the 109th United States Congress.

Pombo was also a co-chair of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT). This team's stated goal is to find alternative energy solutions.

Caucuses

Pombo was a member and former Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus. The Western Caucus is made up of Western State members of Congress concerned about Endangered Species Act reform, water rights, private property rights and other issues affecting the western states.

Pombo was co-founder of the Portuguese Caucus, a coalition of Members of Congress who promote positive Portuguese-American relations. He has hosted prominent visitors from Portugal to the United States. The Portuguese government bestowed Pombo with the Grand Order of Infante D. Henrique, Portugal's highest civilian honor, in recognition of his efforts to improve Portuguese-American relations.

Pombo was an early member of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, a Republican caucus that promotes the interest of Hispanic and Portuguese Americans.

Environmental record

Pombo proposed legislation to sell roughly a quarter of the land managed by the National Park Service. In November 2005, Pombo and Jim Gibbons (R-NV) co-authored an amendment to the Federal Budget Reconciliation Bill easing restrictions of sale of federal lands to mining companies. This amendment was opposed by environmentalists, anti-growth advocates, and even some Republican Senators concerned about the measure's effects on hunting and fishing. The amendment narrowly passed the House, but was defeated in the Senate. The legislation was later described by his chief of staff as a "bureaucratic exercise" designed to evaluate the costs of not drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

Pombo has likewise pushed for oil drilling in the ANWR, despite concerns about the ecosystem and opposition from moderate Republicans.

In September 2005, Pombo helped write a revision of the 1973 Endangered Species Act. The proposed revision "was widely denounced by environmentalists as a disturbing retreat from habitat protection and a paperwork nightmare for agencies seeking to revive the 1,268 threatened and endangered plants and animals in the country, 186 of which are in California." The bill did not pass.

By March 2006, Environmental Science & Technology reported that Pombo was coordinating efforts with Pac/West Communications to weaken the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Pac/West has created the Save Our Species Alliance, an anti-environmental front group that is campaigning for Pombo's bill to change the ESA.

The liberal political advocacy organization League of Conservation Voters assigned Pombo a lifetime average rating of 7 on a scale of 0 to 100. In 2005, he scored a 6. Subsequently, the organization named Pombo as one of the "Dirty Dozen" in 2006. LCV released an ad on October 31, 2006, citing Pombo's acceptance of $120,000 from oil companies and his ties to indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Rolling Stone ranked him one of the worst congressmen and called him "Enemy of the Earth". The Sierra Club called him an "eco-thug".

His 2010 congressional campaign to return to Congress was characterized as giving environmentalists "fits" by the San Jose Mercury News in addition to describing his perception by that community as similar to that of Exxon-Valdez Captain Joseph Hazelwood or the hunter that shot Bambi's mother.

The League of Conservation Voters added him to their Dirty Dozen list in 2010, even though this list is typically reserved for sitting members of Congress; and Warner Chabor, the organization's CEO, stated, "Having Pombo represent a district that includes Yosemite National Park is like electing Godzilla as mayor of Tokyo".

2010 congressional campaign

On January 4, 2010, Pombo announced his candidacy for Congress in California's 19th congressional district after Congressman George Radanovich, a fellow Republican, announced he wouldn't run for reelection. The 19th neighbors Pombo's former 11th district and leans more Republican than the 11th. Pombo said he "didn't think would ever run again, but when George Radanovich announced he wasn't running, my phone rang off the hook". Pombo faced Radanovich-backed state Senator Jeff Denham and former Fresno mayor Jim Patterson in the primary, which Jeff Denham won.

Pombo followed up his candidacy for Congress announcement by signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform on January 5, 2010. This marks the second time that Pombo signed the Pledge. He previously signed it as Representative of California's 11th congressional district. According to ATR, Pombo has a lifetime rating of 91% from their annual Congressional Scorecards.

Jeff Denham has stated that Pombo is a liability to the Republican Party and has "given them a lot of material over the years", a reference to his various scandals and notoriety among environmentalists.

Electoral history

References

1. ^ Ross Farrow, "Pombo to run for congressional seat in southern San Joaquin Valley", Loni News-Sentinel, January 4, 2010
2. ^ Paul Rogers, Environmentalists' nemesis Richard Pombo returns to politics, San Jose Mercury News, May 31, 2010, retrieved June 1, 2010
3. Coile, Zachary (May 3, 2004). "Profile: Rep. Richard Pombo". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
4. "Distinguished Americans & Canadians of Portuguese Descent". Archived from the original on 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2008-01-09. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
5. Coile, Zachary (May 3, 2004). "PROFILE: REP. RICHARD POMBO / Lawmaker's agenda just part of his nature / Congressman finds fault with federal environmental rules". San Francisco Chronicle.
6. Juliet Eilperin, "Bush Policy Gets a Ride on the House: Taxpayers Pay for Election-Year Mailing", The Washington Post, October 13, 2004
7. Shaw, Hank (October 11, 2006). "Pombo, Abramoff linked by records: Papers say workers for both met many times from 1996 to 2001". The Record. Retrieved 2006-10-12.
8. Chafetz, Gary S. (2008). The Perfect Villain: John McCain and the Demonization of Jack Abramoff. Martin & Lawrence Press."ISBN 0-9773898-8-X"
9. http://www.progressivestoday.com/bernie-sanders-used-campaign-donations-pay-family-members-2000-2004/
10. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/01/mike-huckabee-pac-paid-his-family-almost-400000
11. http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/30/politics/jim-webb-pac/
12. Zachary Coile, "Pombo family park tour cost taxpayers: $4,935 to rent RV—congressman says it was all business", San Francisco Chronicle, February 10, 2006
13. Richard A. Serrano, "Democrats Challenge Rep. Pombo's Expenses: They say taxpayers were billed for a vacation, and question an aide's use of funds for commuting", Los Angeles Times, February 15, 2006
14. "The Abramoff Galaxy", The Washington Post, December 28, 2005
15. Shaw, Hank (September 24, 2006). "Oily mess ahead for Pombo". Central Valley Record.
16. Probed oil firm linked to Pombo. The Record September 7, 2006
17. Brian Foley (June 7, 2006). "Pombo to face McNerney in November; Zone 7 candidates tight". Tri-Valley Herald. Pleasanton.
18. Dulin, Dann (October 3, 2006). "Poll shows Pombo, McNerney just 2 points apart". The Record. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
19. Ryan Kelly (October 3, 2006). "Competitive Race Lies Beneath Flurry of GOP Activity in Calif. 11". CQPolitics.com.
20. "McNerney Unseats Pombo; Doolittle Beats Brown". KCRA. November 8, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-08.
21. Philip Brasher, "Animal activists step up political pressure", Des Moines Register, November 12, 2006
22. Brody Mullins, <"Puppy Power: How Humane Society Gets the Vote Out", The Wall Street Journal, November 2006, accessed November 17, 2006
23. Project Vote Smart
24. Jeb Bing, "Funding likely for Pombo freeway study: Money in Transportation Bill to look at Hwy. 130 corridor", Pleasanton Weekly, September 3, 2004
25. Rebecca F. Johnson, "Pombo under attack from opponents of war policies: Report claims spending near $1 billion on Iraq, Contra Costa Times, August 31, 2006
26. Matt Weiser, "Pombo's power grows – and so do the scandals", High Country News, July 25, 2005
27. Caucus US House
28. Darren Goode, "GOP senators wary of provision on federal land sales", Government Executive magazine, November 28, 2005
29. Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
30. David Whitney, "Rewriting species act is his: Rep. Pombo of Tracy, a powerful environmental legislator, explains why the act isn't working", San Luis Obispo Tribune, July 16, 2006
31. "H.R.3824 - Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005". United States Congress.
32. Paul D. Thacker, "Hidden ties: Big environmental changes backed by big industry: Lobbyists and industry officials who once pushed for the president's Healthy Forests legislation now collaborate with Rep. Pombo to alter the Endangered Species Act" Environmental Science & Technology, March 8, 2006
33. LCVAF Names Next 7 "Dirty Dozen" Members
34. "League of Conservation Voters Action Fund Releases 'Pombo Mambo' Ad"
35. "The 10 Worst Congressmen" Rolling Stone
36. "Former congressman Pombo of Tracy to join race for Fresno area seat", San Jose Mercury News, January 4, 2010
37. "Richard Pombo Returns in California's 19th Congressional District" (Press release). Americans for Tax Reform. 7 January 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
38. Election Statistics Archived 2008-07-30 at the Wayback Machine from the Clerk of the House of Representatives

External links

Congressional

• United States Congress. "Richard Pombo (id: P000419)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Richard Pombo for Congress official 2010 campaign site

Profiles/voting records

• Profile San Diego Union Tribune
• Voting record, The Washington Post
• League of Conservation Voters gives Pombo a lifetime score of 7 on a scale of 0 to 100
• PoliticalFriendster – originally a Stanford University student project

Criticism

• Complaint against Pombo's franked mail
• Tribe's backers are Pombo's Donors by Indianz.com

News articles

• Pombo's position as public enemy number 1 for environmental groups m The Wall Street Journal
• Congressman's donors tied to tribal dispute, ABC News
• "Will the Real Mr. Pombo Please Stand Up?", profile of Pombo by High Country News
• Probed oil firm linked to Pombo. The Record September 7, 2006

v t e Chairs of the United States House Committee on Natural Resources
Gregg Boyle Gregg Boyle Morrow McKee Robertson Poindexter Anderson Rankin Scott Isacks Wickliffe Clay Boon Casey Corwin Mason Morrow Johnson Morrow Chapman Morrow Davis McClernand Collamer Bowlin Hall Disney Bennett W. Cobb Thayer Potter Julian Ketcham Townsend Sayler Morrison Converse Pound T. Cobb Holman Payson McRae Lacey Mondell J. T. Robinson Ferris Sinnott Colton Evans De Rouen J. W. Robinson Peterson Welch Somers Peterson Murdock A. Miller Engle Aspinall Haley Udall G. Miller Young Hansen Pombo Rahall Hastings Bishop Grijalva Westerman

• 1961 births
• Living people
• Farmers from California
• People associated with the Jack Abramoff scandals
• American people of Portuguese descent
• Members of the United States House of Representatives from California
• Ranchers from California
• California State Polytechnic University, Pomona alumni
• California Republicans
• People from Tracy, California
• Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives