Congressman F. Allen
Boyd, Jr.
Second Congressional District, Florida
Allen Boyd was sworn into office on January 7, 1997, as a Democratic
member of the 105th Congress representing Florida’s 2nd Congressional
District. The District spans 16 counties, from South Walton County,
through Tallahassee, almost reaching Jacksonville, making up the
largest geographic Congressional district in the state. This area
of North Florida is distinctly rural yet surprisingly diverse.
The regional economy is as reliant on small fishing villages and
rural farming operations as it is the higher education and state
government communities of Tallahassee.
Congressman Boyd is a leader of Congress’ Blue Dog Coalition,
a group of 35 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives
who advocate fiscal responsibility in the Federal budgeting process.
They are centrist legislators working to build consensus between
the two parties in Congress to find workable solutions for the most
pressing budget issues. The Blue Dogs have been called upon to lead
the House to a comprehensive fiscal policy anchored in Federal debt
reduction for America and tax relief for all citizens. Boyd was instrumental
in the successful efforts by Congress to reach the historic 1997
balanced budget agreement. He has been a leader of the coalition
since his election to Congress in 1996. During his first term, Boyd
led the charge to reform our Federal campaign finance laws by serving
as a member of the Freshman Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Task
Force. The hard work of Boyd and his colleagues finally came to fruition
in March of 2002 when President Bush signed sweeping reform of the
campaign finance system, the result of several years of bipartisan
cooperation.
In the 106th Congress, Boyd was appointed by his peers to the powerful
and highly-coveted Appropriations Committee where he works to restore
fairness in funding to North Florida’s priorities. Throughout
his tenure in Congress, Boyd has worked to protect Florida’s
military community and bring much-needed aid to the agriculture industry.
Additionally, Boyd has been active across the district in the effort
to fight drug abuse among Florida’s young people. He spearheaded
Coalitions United for a Drug Free North Florida, a project to unite
and assist local drug prevention programs.
Further, as a farmer and business-owner, Congressman Boyd is conscious
of the issues facing small businesses and workers in today’s
economy. He knows that in order to grow the economy and achieve long-term
stability, government must act as a catalyst, not an obstacle, for
empowering companies to grow and thrive in a changing world market.
He believes that government should provide an economic model for
businesses to follow in order to stimulate growth. That central belief
has earned him endorsements over the years from the United States
Chamber of Commerce and the fiscal watchdog group, the Concord Coalition.
From 1989 until his election to Congress, Boyd served in the Florida
House of Representatives. Throughout his career in public service,
Boyd has led the charge for government reform and fiscal responsibility.
He is also known as an articulate voice for consensus building and
reasonable compromise. As Chairman of the Florida House Democratic
Conservative Caucus, Boyd helped build bridges between diverse interests
on such difficult issues as public education, health care, and welfare
reform, issues he continues to work on in Congress.
In the current 109th Congress, Boyd co-chairs with Congressman John
Peterson the Congressional Rural Caucus. Together the members focus
on issues that impact rural America, such as access to health care,
education, and technology.
A fifth generation farmer, Boyd is a graduate of North Florida Community College
and Florida State University, and he served his country in Vietnam. To this day, he continues
to oversee the family farm operations on land that has been in his
family for five generations. He and his wife, Cissy, reside on their
farm in Monticello, FL. Their children, Suzanne, John, and David,
are also Florida residents.
Boyd currently serves on the Military Quality of Life Subcommittee
and the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration
and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee.
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