Rick Boucher

:"For the similarly named State Department spokesman, and former Ambassador and diplomat, see Richard A. Boucher."

Infobox_Congressman
name = Rick Boucher


date of birth = birth date and age|1946|08|01
place of birth = Abingdon, Virginia
state = Virginia
district = 9th
term_start = January 3 1983
preceded = William Wampler
alma_mater= Roanoke College, University of Virginia
residence= Abingdon, Virginia
occupation= attorney
party = Democrat
spouse = Amy Boucher
religion = Methodist

Frederick Carlyle "Rick" Boucher (born August 1, 1946) is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing Virginia's ushr|Virginia|9|9th congressional District ( [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/va09_109.gifmap] ).

Boucher is a native of Abingdon, Virginia, where he currently lives. He earned his BA from Roanoke College and his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. He has practiced law on Wall Street in New York and in Virginia. Prior to his election to Congress, he served for seven years as a member of the Senate of Virginia.

He was first elected to Congress in 1982, defeating longtime incumbent William C. Wampler. As of 2008, Boucher is serving his 13th term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won a 13th term in November 2006 over Republican State Delegate Charles W. "Bill" Carrico of Grayson County. He sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee and has been an assistant whip since 1985.

Boucher has been active on Internet-related legislation, including a bill that became law in 1993 authorizing electronic commerce by permitting for the first time the transmission of commercial messages over the Internet. His proposals to promote competition in the cable and local telephone industries contributed to the enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Boucher originated the House Internet Caucus and is currently its co-chairman. He also created the Digital Media Consumer's Rights Act (DMCRA) legislation and co-authored the Anti-SPAM Act of 2003. He was named Politician of the Year for 2006 by "Library Journal", largely due to his efforts to protect the fair use doctrine and expand Internet technologies to rural areas.

Long considered "married to his job", Boucher announced his engagement at age 59 to Amy Hauslohner, an editor of the "Galax Gazette" in Galax, Virginia. Said Boucher of the engagement "We have decided since I will be 60 in August and she just turned 50 last week, we probably are mature enough to handle marriage." [http://brianpatton.org/2006/03/11/rick-boucher-married/] [http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/wb/xp-57108] [http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834793099&path=!news&s=1045855934842] Boucher and Houslohner were married on June 3, 2006.

The unsuccessful Republican candidates who have challenged Boucher often accused him of being a liberal out of touch with a conservative leaning district. Boucher has broken with the majority of Democrats by being a staunch defender of gun ownership rights, being one of the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq, and opposing restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions.

Rick Boucher is a strong opponent of tax patents and has introduced bills to either have them banned or to exempt tax attorneys and tax payers from liability in infringing them. [ [http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2008/06/tax-patent-legi.html#comments Dennis Crouch "Tax Patent Legislation: Excusing Infringement of Patented Tax Planning Methods" Patently O blog, June 20, 2008] ]

Rick Boucher endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for the democratic nomination for president, while his district went solidly for Sen. Hillary Clinton. His district is the only one in Virginia which voted for Clinton.

References

External links

* [http://www.boucher.house.gov/ Congressman Rick Boucher] , U.S. House site
** [http://www.house.gov/boucher/internet.htm Internet and Technology Initiatives] , via U.S. House site
* [http://www.boucherforcongress.com/ Rick Boucher for Congress] , campaign site
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rick_Boucher Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia
* [http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6370227.html/ Sept. 15, 2006 Library Journal profile]