Biography

Born in Leavenworth, Kansas in 1954, Doug had service-before-self instilled in him at an early age by his father, a World War II combat veteran and a corrections officer at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.

After meeting his wife Jeanie, Doug graduated from the University of Kansas with a Journalism Degree (as a National Merit Scholar). As they began to raise their five children, Doug worked hard to put himself through law school, earning a law degree from the University of Kansas before moving his family to Colorado Springs, Colorado to practice business and real estate law.

During his time in the Colorado Legislature, Doug was elected Senate President Pro-Tem, served as Chairman of the Senate State Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, Chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus, and House Majority Whip. He was also the lead sponsor of the largest tax cut in Colorado history. Doug also introduced legislation creating a license plate honoring Bronze Star recipients, exempting active duty soldiers from paying state income taxes, allowing public school students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, eliminating and reducing state services to illegal immigrants, banning late-term abortions, implementing DNA testing of convicted felons, eliminating sales tax on telephone service, eliminating the business personal property tax for thousands of businesses, and repealing expired and outdated laws.

It was in Colorado that Doug was called to public office and served in the Colorado General Assembly from 1995 to 2006, in both the State House and State Senate. While serving in the part-time State Legislature, Doug continued to practice law and raise a family.

Doug was then elected to the US House of Representatives in 2006 to represent Colorado’s Fifth District. Colorado’s Fifth District, based in Colorado Springs, is the proud home to one of our nation’s most military-intensive congressional districts and to more than 100,000 veterans who have served our country with distinction and honor. Because of the district's concentration of veterans, Doug sought to serve on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and was honored to serve in his first term as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. Doug was able to work in a bipartisan fashion to push forward important veterans legislation like the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, which created a paperless claims process through the establishment of the Veterans Benefits Management System. Doug was also appointed to the House Natural Resources Committee and was later appointed to the House Armed Services Committee as well.

In 2008, Doug became the Ranking Member and in 2010 the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee’s highly sought after Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. There he has fought for legislation to create jobs, lower energy prices and open up access to energy on public lands. Under his leadership, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources has been one of the most active subcommittees in the House. In the 113th Congress alone, it has held 37 hearings. Doug has worked with Chairman Doc Hastings on numerous occasions to hold administration officials accountable through public hearings, demands for documents, and issuing subpoenas.

Throughout his time in public service, Doug has been a leader on pro-family and small business issues, a strong advocate for our veterans and our military, and a supporter of lower taxes, immigration reform, less government spending, and protection of the Second Amendment.