D.J. Bettencourt

D. J. Bettencourt
Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from the Rockingham 4th district
In office 2004 -
Personal details
Born	Salem, New Hampshire
Political party	Republican
Residence	Salem, New Hampshire
Religion	Catholic

David J. "D.J." Bettencourt (born January 6, 1984) is and legislator from Salem, New Hampshire who has been a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives since 2004, representing district Rockingham-4, and was elected the House Majority Leader in 2011.

Legislative career

First elected as a NH state representative at the age of 20, he is currently the youngest House majority leader in the nation (age 27) and the youngest in New Hampshire history. Prior to being Majority Leader Bettencourt served as a Republican Caucus Whip during the 2009-2010 legislative session as well as a majority caucus whip during the 2005-2006 legislative session.^[1] Bettencourt rose to a position of leadership with support from the newly conservative majority elected to the Legislature in 2010 and has been the public face for the Republican agenda in the House. ^[2]

Bettencourt is entering his fourth term and has served in the House of Representatives, representing Rockingham County District 4, since 2004.

In the House, Bettencourt has been a staunch advocate of cutting government spending at a state level, presiding over the passage of a state budget that included major cuts to all areas of government. He was also a leading voice on labor issues such as pension reform, often angering unions while trying to cut costs for taxpayers.^[3]

Bettencourt also serves as a member of several charitable and nonprofit organizations, including the Museum of American Finance, New Hampshire Historical Society, New Hampshire Humane Society, and Republicans for Environmental Protection.

Election as New Hampshire House Majority Leader

Bettencourt won the House majority leader's post on the second ballot in voting by the Republican House caucus. He received 172 votes to 89 for Rep. Paul Mirski, R-Enfield. Bettencourt led the field after the first ballot, with 117 votes to 78 for Mirski and 74 for Rep. Shawn Jasper, R-Hudson, but fell short of a majority of the caucus. Jasper then threw his support behind Bettencourt for the second ballot. In a show of unity after the second ballot result, Mirski asked the caucus to make Bettencourt's selection to the post by unanimous consent, to which the caucus agreed.^[4]

Positions on specific issues

Abortion

Bettencourt is pro-life and is a supporter of parental notification, stating that “it is critical that parents stay involved in their children’s lives and ensuring that the mothers and fathers across New Hampshire are part of their children’s medical decisions.”^[5]

Business

Bettencourt favors job creation and New Hampshire’s small business community. He enjoys career rankings of 80% with the New Hampshire Business and Industry Association, 85% with the New Hampshire National Federation of Independent Business, and a 100% with the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association.^[6]

Education

In 2010 New Hampshire Families for Education gave Representative Bettencourt a grade of A+.^[7]

Budget

In 2011, Bettencourt outlined the New Hampshire House Agenda saying, “this legislature must immediately take on the duty of making some very difficult, but necessary spending choices. Over the past four years, state government spending increased by 25%. This came at a time when other states were cutting their spending by an average of 2% and now we are now facing the serious consequences.”^[8]

Taxes

Bettencourt, like the vast majority of Granite Staters opposes a sales or income tax in New Hampshire. Additionally, he staunchly opposes the raising of existing or implementation of new taxes, saying “we oppose this kind of lazy legislating. Our taxpayers and our economy simply cannot afford it. Instead, we will make difficult but responsible spending reductions and find innovative cost savings.”^[9]

Bettencourt was the chief sponsor of a 2010 bill to allow for local municipalities to enact tax caps. He also sponsored a constitutional amendment prohibiting an income tax in New Hampshire. He formerly served on the House Ways and Means Committee and the Judiciary Committee. In total, Bettencourt has sponsored or co-sponsored over thirty pieces of legislation that are currently law in the State of New Hampshire.^[10]

Obamacare

A staunch opponent of Obamacare, Bettencourt has rigorously fought it on a state level. He was quotes as saying that "a major reason why the voters repudiated the big-government Democrat agenda last November [2010] was because of their plan to take over Americans’ health care. Republicans campaigned on a clear message of restoring the freedom to make our own health care decisions and we kept our word by passing legislation that will pull the hand of government interference off the backs of our citizens.”^[11]

Endorsement of Mitt Romney for President

On September 2, 2011, Mitt Romney's campaign for president announced that Bettencourt had endorsed his candidacy. The Boston Globe characterized the endorsement as "coming from one of the state’s top conservative leaders, is a coup for Romney, who has made an effort in recent days to reach out to conservatives, including the Tea Party movement." ^[12]

Bettencourt praised Romney’s experience as governor and in business. “Mitt Romney’s experience is unmatched,” Bettencourt said. “As governor, he created jobs, kept spending low, and cut taxes. As head of the Winter Olympics, he was able to lead a turnaround and get the Games back on track. In addition, he has the private sector experience that will be critical to leading an economic recovery. His pro-business, anti-spending stance is similar to one Romney has been advocating on the campaign trail.” ^[13]

Defense of NH Primary

In 2011, after controversy arose when Nevada Republicans tentatively set the date for the 2012 Republican Caucuses for January 14th, Bettencourt, along with other legislative and political leaders throughout New Hampshire became vocal advocates for the protection of New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary.

New Hampshire law requires it's Primary be held at least 7 days in advance of any similar contest. As a result, it had been believed that NH Secretary of State Bill Gardner would set the date as early as December in order to avoid occurring too soon after Iowa.

Bettencourt said all New Hampshire officials were asking is for Nevada to move its caucuses back 72 hours, to avoid disrupting the primary process by pushing the New Hampshire primary into December.

“Given the consequences, given the relatively easy fix, which is for Nevada just to move their caucus back 72 hours, I think a boycott is appropriate,” Bettencourt said.^[14]

"I appreciate and thank all of the candidates who have chosen to stand with New Hampshire in support of the First in the Nation primary," Bettencourt said in reference to several candidates who have agreed to boycott the Nevada caucus if it does not move back its Jan. 14 date. "It has become an important part of our heritage."

Bettencourt said the primary and the Old Man of the Mountain are the two things that immediately come to mind when people across the country think of New Hampshire.

"Unfortunately we lost one of them to Mother Nature a few years ago," Bettencourt said. "But we intend to fight to hold on to the other."

He spoke of the expectation residents have here candidates will "look them square in the eye and be ready to answer the tough questions."

Bettencourt said "we have earned the right to be the first in the nation, we thank those candidates for president, both past and present, who have stood with us in our fight. And we look forward to maintaining our first in the nation status for m any years to come." ^[15]

On October 22, the Nevada Republican Central Committee voted to hold their caucuses on February 4th rather than January 14th, at the behest of Republican National Committee officials and responding to public pressure from New Hampshire and candidates who refused to campaign there if they did not change the date. ^[16]

Biography

Bettencourt is a lifelong resident of Salem where he got his start in politics as a special aide to Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney, from 2003-2004. His other political experiences include interning on Gordon Humphrey's 2002 gubernatorial campaign and Mitt Romney's 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign, as well as volunteering on many other campaigns including George W. Bush's 2000 campaign.^[17]

Bettencourt enjoyed a distinguished baseball career prior to elected office. In high school he was the Merrimack Valley Conference “Player Of The Year” and was a two time (2002, 2003) Boston Globe and Boston Herald “All-Scholastic,” as well as the Lowell Sun “Player Of The Year” (2002, 2003). Additionally, he was a member of the 2003 Massachusetts/Connecticut All Star Team that played at Fenway Park. He was a catcher and first baseman. He attended the University of Massachusetts on a baseball scholarship prior to transferring to the University of New Hampshire.^[18]

Bettencourt obtained two bachelors degrees in Political Science and Communication from University of New Hampshire (2007),^[19] and is currently enrolled as a full time law student at the University of New Hampshire School of Law where he was recently named a 2010-2011 New Hampshire-Vermont Albert Schweitzer fellow^[20] and has served as President of the UNH Law Federalist Society.^[21]

Prior to attending law school, he was a small business manager of DB's Instructional Baseball and Softball Academy, a family owned indoor athletic facility^[22]

In his free time, Bettencourt coaches baseball.^[23]

References

1. ^ Biographical information on NH House Republican website http://nhhousegop.com/house-republican-leadership/house-majority-office
2. ^ Romney to gain key conservative N.H. endorsement http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/09/romney-gain-key-conservative-endorsement/qFq59ZGF34gU1ID3tuFD1K/index.html
3. ^ Romney to gain key conservative N.H. endorsement http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/09/romney-gain-key-conservative-endorsement/qFq59ZGF34gU1ID3tuFD1K/index.html
4. ^ http://www.eagletribune.com/newhampshire/x1894462280/Bettencourt-emerges-as-GOP-House-leader
5. ^ http://belknapcountyrepublicans.org/2011/03/press-release-majority-leader-4.html
6. ^ http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=42659
7. ^ http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=42659
8. ^ http://www.nhpr.org/category/nhpr-keywords-tags/dj-bettencourt?page=1
9. ^ http://www.nhpr.org/category/nhpr-keywords-tags/dj-bettencourt?page=1
10. ^ List of Bills Sponsored http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/memberbillssponsored.aspx?member=376551
11. ^ http://www.nhinsider.com/blogger-alerts/tag/obamacare
12. ^ Romney to gain key conservative N.H. endorsement http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/09/romney-gain-key-conservative-endorsement/qFq59ZGF34gU1ID3tuFD1K/index.html
13. ^ Romney to gain key conservative N.H. endorsement http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/09/romney-gain-key-conservative-endorsement/qFq59ZGF34gU1ID3tuFD1K/index.html
14. ^ http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2011/10/mitt-romney-sidesteps-boycott-issue-underscores-support-for-primary/tRaFl5MwtStHx8idkGV5rL/index.html
15. ^ http://salem-nh.patch.com/articles/bettencourt-primary-important-part-of-our-heritage
16. ^ http://unionleader.com/article/20111022/NEWS0605/111029952
17. ^ Biographical information on NH House Republican website http://nhhousegop.com/house-republican-leadership/house-majority-office
18. ^ http://tewksburyredmenbaseball.com/variousawardwinners.html
19. ^ Biographical data at Project Vote Smart http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=42659
20. ^ Albert Schweitzer Fellowship http://www.schweitzerfellowship.org/features/us/nhvt/nhvt_fellows.aspx
21. ^ http://salem-nh.patch.com/blog_posts/bettencourt-to-lead-unh-law-federalist-society
22. ^ http://www.votesmart.org/official_five_categories.php?dist=bio.php
23. ^ Biographical data at Project Vote Smart http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=42659

External links

• Representative Bettencourt's page on official New Hampshire House of Representatives website
• New Hampshire House Republicans Website

Persondata
Name	Bettencourt, David J.
Alternative names	Bettencourt, D. J.
Short description	Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
Date of birth	January 6, 1984
Place of birth	Salem, New Hampshire
Date of death
Place of death