In November 2004, U.S. Senator Judd
Gregg was re-elected to a third term in the United States Senate,
receiving the highest number of votes in any election in New Hampshire
history.
The 109th Congress provides Senator Gregg a number of key leadership
and committee positions that give him an influential voice in national
affairs, including serving as both the Chairman of the Senate Budget
Committee, and as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
on Homeland Security. Following his tenure as Chairman of the Senate
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator Gregg
remains a senior member of the Senate HELP Committee. He will also
retain his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee with
seats on the Commerce, Justice and Science, Interior, Defense,
Labor-Health-Education, and State and Foreign Operations subcommittees.
On these committees, Senator Gregg impacts the national debate
on such vital issues as overseeing the federal budget, homeland
security and national defense, education, international affairs,
law enforcement, Social Security, and health care.
Senator Gregg’s third term accomplishments
include working to secure our homeland and defend our nation against
terrorism locally and nationally; promoting responsible federal
spending; increasing America’s energy independence; supporting
policies that promote strong economic growth in New Hampshire and
the nation; and protecting New Hampshire’s environment. As
the former Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, Senator Gregg
led efforts to author and pass the No Child Left Behind law, which
focuses public education on making sure children are learning.
Groundbreaking bioterrorism legislation; the reauthorization of
our nation’s
special education law; initiatives to increase access to generic
drugs; and providing health care to more Americans also passed
under his leadership.
As the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee
in the 109th Congress, Senator Gregg’s third term agenda
includes a continuation of his work to create and pass a responsible
and prudent federal budget so that our nation continues to protect
our borders and military personnel while controlling federal spending.
Senator Gregg will work with other leaders in Congress to aggressively
reduce the size of our federal budget deficit while addressing
the rate of growth of entitlements. In addition to these responsibilities,
and knowing that millions of Americans rely on Social Security,
Senator Gregg remains deeply involved in efforts to save the program.
He previously served as Bipartisan Co-Chair of the National Commission
on Retirement Policy, Co-Chair of the Senate Republican Task Force
on Social Security, and Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee
Task Force on Social Security. In past Congresses, he introduced
a landmark bipartisan proposal to save Social Security for the
next 100 years without raising taxes and moved us closer to solving
this core public policy problem.
As the Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee,
Senator Gregg continues the work he began while serving as Chairman
of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science.
Senator Gregg has helped to ensure that state and local jurisdictions
have the ability to detect, prevent, and respond to terrorism involving
weapons of mass destruction. He has also focused on providing up-to-date
technology and resources to local law enforcement officials to
ensure the safety of communities throughout the country. While
previously overseeing the Commerce Department, and particularly
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, he has promoted
a careful balance between environmental and commercial concerns
to preserve the almost limitless yield from our most important
renewable resource, the oceans. Senator Gregg has also secured
federal funds through the NOAA for innovative scientific and environmental
research initiatives, including: the Mount Washington Observatory
Weather Discovery Center; the University of New Hampshire Aquaculture
program; the UNH Hydrographic Center; the Cooperative Institute
for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology; and the Seacoast
Science Center Interpretive Exhibits in marine biology and aquaculture.
As former Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, Senator Gregg
fought to focus our nation’s education system on making sure
children are learning at appropriate grade levels, and to give
parents a tangible way to measure their children’s progress.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Gregg
has played a lead role in providing historic levels of federal
funding for public education. From Fiscal Year 2001 to Fiscal Year
2004, Senator Gregg was instrumental in pushing for a significant
32% increase in federal funding for New Hampshire, from $18.4 billion
to $24.2 billion. Senator Gregg continues to be a leader in working
for significant increases in special education funding as well
as substantial changes to the program’s often burdensome
rules and regulations. Congress recently passed a measure, shepherded
through the Senate by Senator Gregg, that will reduce the bureaucracy
and paperwork faced by special education teachers; improve parental
involvement; improve discipline; and increase accountability. In
the area of special education funding, Senator Gregg has worked
with President Bush and leaders in Congress to commit more to IDEA
in four years with the current administration than all eight years
under the Clinton administration. Federal funding for special education
in New Hampshire has grown from $27 million in Fiscal Year 2001
to $42 million in Fiscal Year 2004, an increase of 53% or $15 million.
Senator Gregg continues to strongly support New Hampshire’s
higher education community. He has worked with many New Hampshire
educational institutions to develop and further programs that have
made these schools stand out as leaders. In addition, Senator Gregg
has returned over $400 million to New Hampshire colleges and universities,
including the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State College,
Southern New Hampshire University, Dartmouth College, Franklin
Pierce College, Saint Anselm College, and others. In Fiscal Year
2005, Senator Gregg secured over $65 million to support a number
of initiatives by New Hampshire’s higher education community.
Senator Gregg’s numerous conservation efforts include preserving
and protecting many environmentally-sensitive areas, including:
the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters land formerly owned by International
Paper; Lake Umbagog; the Great Bay Estuarine Research Reserve;
Trout Pond; 13 Mile Woods; and conservation lands surrounding Lake
Tarleton. Other key environmental initiatives include, co-authoring
a bill to designate segments of the Lamprey River as part of the
federal Wild and Scenic Rivers System; allocating funds to New
Hampshire from the Land and Water Conservation Fund; and securing
funds to add the Pondicherry Wildlife Preserve to the Silvio Conte
National Wildlife Refuge.
In recognition of Senator Gregg’s outstanding record on the
environment, many environmental leaders have applauded his efforts,
including the NH Timberland Owners Association, the Trust for Public
Lands, the Nature Conservancy, the Society for the Protection of
NH Forests, the NH Audubon Society, the Great Bay Resource Protection
Partnership, the Lamprey River Advisory Committee and the Southern
NH Resource Conservation and Development District. The NH Sierra
Club has honored Senator Gregg by naming him as a Champion of Clean
Air.
Senator Gregg has brought millions of dollars to the Granite State
for law enforcement initiatives, including a trunked radio system
and advanced communications upgrades to significantly enhance information
and communications systems available to law enforcement personnel
across the state, initiatives to reduce gang-related crime along
the Massachusetts border, and programs to improve the ability of
North Country fire and rescue personnel to fulfill training requirements
in a less-expensive and time-consuming manner.
Judd Gregg has the unique honor of being the first elected official
in New Hampshire history to serve the state in each of the following
capacities: three terms as United States Senator, 1993- Present;
two terms as Governor of New Hampshire, 1989-1993; four terms as
United States Representative for New Hampshire’s Second Congressional
District, 1981-1989; and one term as Executive Councilor for New
Hampshire’s District 5, 1979-1981.
A New Hampshire native, Senator Gregg was born in Nashua on February
14, 1947. He was educated in Nashua public schools, Phillips Exeter
Academy (1965), and Columbia University (A.B., 1969). He received
his J.D. in 1972 from Boston University Law School and his L.L.M.
in tax law in 1975. Upon graduating from law school, he returned
to Nashua and became a partner in the law firm of Sullivan, Gregg
and Horton. He is married to Kathleen MacLellan Gregg. They have
two daughters, Molly and Sarah, and a son, Joshua. Senator and
Mrs. Gregg are residents of Rye Beach, New Hampshire.
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