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.
For the past
10 years, Congressman Boyd has been a leader of Congress’ Blue Dog Coalition,
a group of 47 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives who advocate
fiscal responsibility in the federal budgeting process. The Blue Dogs are
centrist legislators working to forge middle of the road, bipartisan answers
to the current challenges facing the country. Over the years, the Blue
Dog Coalition has 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, and as the Blue Dog Co-Chair
for Administration in the 110th Congress, Boyd led the Blue Dog charge for the
return to pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules in the House.
A
leading voice on fiscal responsibility in the House of Representatives,
Congressman Boyd was named to the House Budget Committee in the 110th
Congress. As a member of the Budget Committee, Boyd will be
actively involved in every aspect of the nation’s fiscal policy
and work to implement budget enforcement tools that are necessary
to restore our country’s fiscal house.
In
the 106th Congress, Boyd was appointed by his peers to the highly-coveted
Appropriations Committee where he works to ensure 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. In
the 110th Congress, Boyd’s understanding of our national defense
and strong commitment to our military were recognized by his appointment
to the powerful Subcommittee on Defense of the House Appropriations
Committee. This new role will allow Boyd to further work to
improve and strengthen North Florida’s military bases. In
addition to the Subcommittee on Defense, Boyd will continue to serve
on the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Subcommittee and the
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and
Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee
in the 110th Congress.
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, healthcare, and welfare reform—issues
he continues to work on in Congress.
A fifth generation farmer, Boyd graduated from Florida State University
in 1969 and 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.
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