Ralph Regula

Infobox_Congressman
name = Ralph Regula


date of birth = birth date and age|1924|12|03
place of birth = Beach City, Ohio
state = Ohio
district = 16th
term_start = January 3, 1973
preceded = Frank Bow
succeeded = Incumbent
party = Republican
spouse = Mary Regula (b. 1924)
occupation= attorney
alma_mater= Mount Union College, William McKinley School of Law
residence= Navarre, Ohio
religion = Episcopalian
branch=United States Navy
serviceyears=1944-1946

Ralph Regula (born December 3, 1924 in Beach City, Ohio) is a Representative in the United States Congress from the 16th District of the State of Ohio, elected to his 18th term in November 2006. He is a member of the Republican Party and is the second-longest currently serving Republican member of the U.S. House (after Bill Young).

The 16th district includes the city of Canton, containing Stark and Wayne counties, as well as the southern portions of
Medina and Ashland counties.

Congressman Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) is ranking minority member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor, Health, Human Services and Education funding. The subcommittee's budget, the largest discretionary domestic account, is over $140 billion. Regula, a former teacher and principal, is a Congressional leader in pushing for alternative solutions in improving reading skills, developing teacher training and increasing Pell Grant funding so that poorer and middle class students can obtain two and four year degrees. Regula has also increased by millions of dollars the amount of federal money committed to research in fighting cancer, heart disease and birth defects. Regula is a member of the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership and supports stem cell research.

Regula is also a Congressional leader in alternative energy sources. He has been an early champion of fuel cell technology and he has directed federal funding back to his home state, Ohio, which is recognized as a national leader in fuel cell research and development. Additionally, Regula is a proponent of clean coal. Ohio and its neighboring states have an abundant supply of coal and Regula believes that it could help alleviate the nation's energy problems because larger energy users, such a large manufacturers, could use clean coal rather than natural gas. Such utilization would help reduce home energy costs and free up the demand for natural gas.

Regula is known for his effective constituent servicesFact|date=April 2007. He comes home every weekend from Washington to work on his farm, which is located south of Canton.Fact|date=April 2007 His district consists of Ashland, Medina, Stark and Wayne Counties with Stark County making up over 60% of the district's population. Although the 16th District is competitive in Presidential elections, Regula consistently runs 15% to 20% ahead of the Republican candidate for President.

Since 1975, Regula has blocked the renaming of Mt. McKinley to Denali. Canton, in Regula's district, was William McKinley's hometown. (See James Loewen, "Lies Across America", p. 53.)

Regula, a former country lawyer, U.S. Navy veteran and state legislator, was first elected in 1972. Previously he had served on the Ohio Board of Education and in the Ohio House and Ohio Senate. An alumnus of Mount Union College, he is married to Mary who he met there, and they have three children and four grandchildren.

On October 11, 2007, Roll Call reported that Regula intended to retire following the end of his current term in 2009. [ [http://www.rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/20441-1.html "GOP Sources: Regula to Retire"] , Rollcall.com, October 11, 2007.]

Committee assignments

*Appropriations Committee
**Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (Ranking Member)
**Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

ee also

*Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 16th District
*List of United States Representatives from Ohio

Notes and references

External links

* [http://wwwc.house.gov/regula/ Congressman Ralph Regula] official U.S. House website
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ralph_Regula Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia