Vic Snyder

Infobox_Congressman
name =Vic Snyder


date of birth= birth date and age|1947|09|27
place of birth= Medford, Oregon
alma_mater=Willamette University, Oregon Health & Science University
occupation=physician
state = Arkansas
district = ushr|Arkansas|2|2nd
term_start = January 3, 1997
preceded = Ray Thornton
succeeded = Incumbent
party = Democratic
religion = Methodist
spouse = Betsy Singleton
children = Charles Pennington Snyder
(expecting triplets)
residence=Little Rock, Arkansas
branch=United States Marine Corps
serviceyears=1967-1969
rank=Corporal
battles=Vietnam War
unit=1st Marine Division

Victor F. (Vic) Snyder (born September 27, 1947) is a politician from the U.S. state of Arkansas. He is a member of the Democratic Party, and represents ushr|Arkansas|2 in the United States House of Representatives.

Early life

Vic Snyder was born in Medford, Oregon. He is a graduate of Medford High School (1965) and attended college at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma. In 1967, after two years of college, Snyder volunteered for the United States Marine Corps. He served in Vietnam with Headquarters Company of the US 1st Marine Division during the Vietnam War, attaining the rank of corporal. Snyder earned a degree in Chemistry in 1975 from Willamette and earned his medical degree from the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center (now Oregon Health & Science University) in Portland, Oregon in 1979.

Snyder moved to Little Rock, Arkansas and served his residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. In 1982 after completing his residency he worked as a family practice physician for 15 years. During this time he travelled overseas to volunteer his medical services at Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand, Salvadoran refugee camps in Honduras, and Ethiopian refugee camps in Sudan. From 1985 to 1988 Snyder attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law to obtain his law degree while still maintaining his medical practice.

Politics

In 1990 he successfully ran for a seat in the Arkansas legislature and served in that body until 1996. In the Arkansas legislature, Snyder stepped into one of his earliest legislative controversies when he attempted to repeal the state's aged "Sodomy Laws". Ultimately, however, his efforts failed, and the sodomy laws stayed in effect until the state Supreme Court struck it down in "Jegley v. Picado" in March 2001.

Snyder was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 and was reelected in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006. Snyder focuses on many traditionally liberal issues, including a particular interest in support for veteran's and military families, serving on the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs and the House Armed Services Committee. He has a fairly liberal voting record for being an elected politician from the South and otherwise conservative-leaning Arkansas. Snyder voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, the ban on partial-birth abortions, banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers and distributors, bankruptcy reform, drilling in ANWR, and on October 10, 2002, he was among the 133 members of the House who voted against authorizing the invasion of Iraq. Many of these positions, however, are supported by Democrats from Southern states. In addition, Snyder was one of only two Congressmen to vote against prosecuting Saddam Hussein.

On issues of free and expanded trade, Snyder differs with his party, especially his Southern populist colleagues. He has also opposed legislation cracking down on Wal-Mart, which is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Vic Snyder is a member of the New Democrat Coalition.

Vic Snyder voted for the 2008 FISA Bill which would expand the surveillance of US citizens through wiretaps on domestic calls and limit the liability of Telecoms who provide the Federal Government with access.

Committee Assignments

*Committee on Veterans' Affairs
**Subcommittee on Health
*Committee on Armed Services
**Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee (Chairman)
**Military Personnel Subcommittee

Personal life

Snyder married The Reverend Betsy Singleton, a United Methodist minister at Little Rock's Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, in 2003. Together they have one child, a son, Charles Pennington Snyder born May 23, 2006. On July 1st, 2008, they announced in a press release that they were expecting triplets.

"Please be advised that my wife Rev. Betsy Singleton is 10 ½ weeks pregnant with triplets. Obviously the pregnancy is still very early, but so far everything and everyone looks fine. We appreciate all the good thoughts and prayers now and in the weeks and months to come. And yes, we did say Triplets.”

External links

* [http://www.house.gov/snyder/ Congressman Vic Snyder] official U.S. House website
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vic_Snyder Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia
* [http://www.kappasigma.org/aboutPol.php Kappa Sigma Famous Alumni]