Stevan Pearce



Stevan E. "Steve" Pearce, a Republican, represented the Second Congressional District of New Mexico in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003-2009. (map) He won the 2008 Republican primary for retiring Sen. Pete Domenici's seat but lost to Democratic Rep. Tom Udall in November general elections.

Abortion
Pearce says that, "We have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among our society. In my view, no one is more vulnerable than the unborn. We must protect the sanctity of life which is why I consistently vote against measures that destroy or use life for research purposes. I oppose cloning and I oppose federal funding for organizations that support abortions." . He voted yes on Prohibit Partial-Birth Abortion bill HR 760, Prohibit Partial-Birth Abortion bill S 3, and Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act HR 748. . In 2007 NARAL Pro-Choice America gave Representative Pearce a grade of 0.. Representative Pearce supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee and recieved a 100 percent apprival rating from interest groups in 2005-2006.

Iraq War
Stevan Pearce says on the Iraq war, "I believe the war on terror is this generation's great struggle. Like communism and fascism before, global terrorism threatens our people, our interests and our way of life. The first step to combating terror is to remain aggressive in seeking out and eliminating terrorist networks. If we do not hunt and root out terrorists when they plot and plan overseas, then we will surely be forced to fight them here in our own country." . Pearce voted yes on the Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan HR 2642 and he voted no three times on the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline HR 1591. Pearce also says that, "we must give our national security community the necessary tools to protect America. When Osama bin Laden makes phone calls to his operatives in this country, I believe we should be listening in. And last, all citizens must remain alert and aware. Often our first and last line of security is the vigilance of the American people." .

Environmental record
Pearce says on the issue of environment that, "I believe our land is a precious resource and we should protect, preserve and use it wisely. In Congress, I have sought to strike a reasonable balance between the preservation of lands to protect our natural heritage and opportunities that are critical to economy of New Mexico. Our state has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. I want to ensure they will be there for the next generation." . He voted no on Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits HR 7060, Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits HR 6899, Energy Bill HR 5351, and the Energy Act of 2007 HR 6. He voted yes on Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 HR 4939, New Hampshire Wilderness Act HR 5062, Outer Continental Shelf for Gas and Oil Amendment H Amdt 842, and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Land Exchange Act '02 HR 1409. In 2007 Representative Pearce supported the interests of the Republicans for Environmental Protection and recieved a -3 percent interest group rating, but in 2006 2006 Representative Pearce supported the interests of the American Land Rights Association and recieved a 100 percent interest group rating.

CLEAN Energy Act resistance
Pearce opposed the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, which addressed royalties and tax breaks previously afforded to oil and gas companies. He criticized the bill, stating "The San Francisco Democrats want to run cars with wind."

Plagiarism
In 2005, Pearce was embroiled in controversy when he was found to have plagiarized several articles which were published in small papers throughout New Mexico and attributed to him. New Mexico Politics online says that, "Congressman Pearce did indeed lift material from the Heritage Foundation for his editorials around the state ironically called "Straight talk." Another quote from this website says, "It appears that his March (19) El Defensor Chieftain article on Social Security was also lifted en masse from other sources — in this case, either the Republican National Committee Points or the National Federation of Republican Women Political Briefing. (I imagine the latter stole it from the former.) Much of the text of the article is identical to text at those sources."

2008 election
Pearce won the 2008 Republican primary for retiring Sen. Pete Domenici's seat but lost to Democratic Rep. Tom Udall in November general elections.

Bio
Pearce was born August 24, 1947. Pearce served in Vietnam as a pilot for the Air Force, and is still an avid pilot.

He was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives in 1996 and re-elected in 1998. In 2000, he ran for United States Senate but lost in the Republican primary.

Congressional career
Pearce received a 100% rating from the Christian Coalition, voted to limit prescription drug benefits for Medicare recipients, voted to support the war in Iraq, and voted to authorize $760 million a year to thin forests and limit judicial reviews of environmental protection rules for forests. 

2006 elections
In 2006, the Democrats nominated Albert Donald Kissling to face Pearce in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) Pearce retained his seat.

Money in politics
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Committees

 * House Committee on Financial Services
 * Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
 * Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
 * House Committee on Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public lands
 * Subcommittee on Enery and Mineral Resources -Ranking

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Financial Services
 * Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
 * Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
 * House Committee on Homeland Security
 * Subcommittee on Economic Security Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity
 * Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness Science and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Intelligence Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment
 * House Committee on Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
 * Subcommittee on National Parks Recreation and Public Lands - Chair
 * Subcommittee on Water and Power

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * Prescription Drug Task Force

More Background Data

 * 2006 New Mexico CD 2 Candidate List from VIS

Contact
DC Office: 1607 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-3102 Phone: 202-225-2365 Email: steve.pearce AT mail.house.gov Web Email Website

District Office - Hobbs: 1923 North Dal Paso Hobbs, NM 88240 Phone: 505-392-8325 Fax: 505-433-8325

District Office - Las Cruces: 400 North Telshore, Suite E Las Cruces, NM 88011 Phone: 505-522-2219 Fax: 505-522-3099

District Office - Roswell: 1717 West 2nd Street, Suite 100 Roswell, NM 88201 Phone: 505-622-0055 Fax: 505-625-9608

District Office - Socorro: 111 School of Mines Road Socorro, NM 87801 Phone: 505-838-7516 Fax: 505-838-4027

2008 Senate campaign
Official Pearce for Senate Web site

External resources

 * Official Website
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Democracy for New Mexico
 * New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan
 * NewWest.net -- A Refreshing, new kind of journalism.

External articles

 * "CREW releases 'Beyond DeLay: The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and two to watch)'," Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, September 18, 2007.