Judd Gregg

Judd Gregg is often introduced as a “bipartisan”-minded Republican former Senator from New Hampshire (1993-2011), but Gregg maintains extensive ties with the finance industry, which has lobbied vigorously for tax breaks and for sharply lowering the rate at which it can repatriate profits held abroad. Gregg was a member of the Simpson-Bowles Commission, whose members failed to endorse the blueprint produced by its chairs, which Gregg voted for.

Ties to Pete Peterson's "Fix the Debt"
The Campaign to Fix the Debt is the latest incarnation of a decades-long effort by former Nixon man turned Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson to slash earned benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare under the guise of fixing the nation's "debt problem."

Gregg is listed as a Co-Chair of the Campaign to Fix the Debt founded by Erskine B. Bowles and Alan K. Simpson, along with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

This article is part of the Center for Media and Democracy's investigation of Pete Peterson's Campaign to "Fix the Debt." Please visit our main SourceWatch page on Fix the Debt.

Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest
Gregg is a director of Honeywell, for which he received $401,514 in compensation in 2011 (see David Cote above); an international adviser to Goldman Sachs (compensation not publicly disclosed); a senior adviser to private equity firm New Mountain Capital; a director of Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE) ($334,886 in annual compensation in 2011 ), which operates internet-based over-the-counter energy and commodities markets; and a director of Stroz Friedberg (a U.K.-based private security and risk management company). Goldman Sachs, to which Gregg is an international adviser, lobbies around federal tax issues affecting banking and securities and is a member of the Managed Funds Association, which is lobbying against the financial speculation tax. Honeywell lobbies on defense spending and tax issues and noted in its 2012 Form 10-K Annual Report that change in government defense funding could adversely impact sales. ICE noted in its 2012 Form 10-K Annual Report that the financial speculation tax, a proposed tax on Wall Street that could raise $1 trillion for deficit reduction, would reduce trading volume and curtail its profits.

Iraq War
Gregg voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq in Oct. 2002.

In early February, Sen.Gregg introduced a resolution which would recognize the power of the president to deploy troops and the “responsibility” of Congress to provide funds for them. Finally, it would add that, “Congress should not take any action that will endanger United States military forces in the field, including the elimination or reduction of funds.”

Anonymous hold on Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act
When an anonymous hold was placed on the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act, which would require senators to file their campaign finance reports electronically to the Federal Election Commission, Sen. Gregg was one of the two final Senators who did not confirm whether they were responsible for the objection. On April 24, Gregg did eventually issue his denial.

Michael Mukasey nomination
Sen. Judd Gregg voted FOR the confirmation Bush appointee Michael Mukasey as Attorney General of the U.S. on Nov. 8, 2007. Six Democrats and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) joined most Republicans in the 53-40 vote confirming Mukasey. No Republicans voted against him. Mukasey's nomination was surrounded by controversy after he called waterboarding "repugnant" but refused to say whether it was illegal under anti-torture laws.

Positions

 * New Hampshire Governor (1988 to 1992)
 * U.S. House of Representatives (1980 to 1988)
 * New Hampshire Executive Councilor (1978 to 1980)

Senate career
In 1992 he successfully ran for the United States Senate. He was reelected in 1998 and in 2004. In 2004 he defeated campaign finance activist Doris "Granny D" Haddock, the then-94-year-old Democratic nominee, by 66% to 34%.

The University of New Hampshire renamed its Environmental Technology Building as Gregg Hall, because Gregg helped secure $266 million of federal funds for research and development projects for the university. The Senator was also instrumental in the establishing of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in 1999.

Gregg has also expressed concern about the budgeting process. On June 14, 2006, he introduced legislation nicknamed the Stop Over-Spending (SOS) Act of 2006, with its intent being to simplify the line-item veto, change the federal government to biennial budgeting, and create tools to enforce caps on discretionary and mandatory spending. In reference to this amendment, Gregg stated that, “We must regain control of this runaway train before it is too late.”

Breaking party lines
Gregg angered his Republican colleagues on June 7, 2006 when he joined with six Republicans, Arlen Specter, Lincoln Chafee, Susan Collins, John McCain, Olympia Snowe, and John Sununu to vote against a gay marriage amendment backed by President Bush. Gregg previously supported the measure in 2004 after the Massachusetts Supreme Court’s decision which legalized same sex marriage. He stated that their decisions would challenge the power of other states, including his, to stop these unions. However, after changing his vote, Gregg -- who does not support gay marriage -- stated, "Fortunately, such legal pandemonium has not ensued. The past two years have shown that federalism, not more federal laws, is a viable and preferable approach.”

2010 election
In the 2010 race to succeed the retiring Senator Judd Gregg, the former attorney general Republican Kelly Ayotte, easily beat Democrat Paul Hodes.

Committees

 * Senate Committee on the Budget - Ranking Member
 * Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
 * Subcommittee on Children and Families
 * Subcommittee on Retirement and Aging
 * Senate Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science
 * Subcommittee on Defense
 * Subcommittee on Homeland Security
 * Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
 * Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
 * Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

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

 * Senate Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Commerce Justice and Science
 * Subcommittee on Defense
 * Subcommittee on State Foreign Operations and Related Programs
 * Subcommittee on Homeland Security - Chair
 * Subcommittee on Interior
 * Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services Education and Related Agencies
 * Senate Committee on the Budget - Chair
 * Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
 * Subcommittee on Bioterrorism Preparendess and Public Health
 * Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development

Early Life
Born February 14, 1947 in Nashua, Judd Gregg is the son of Hugh Gregg, who was governor of New Hampshire from 1953 to 1955. Gregg graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1965. He earned an Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in 1969, a J.D. in 1972 and an Master of Laws in 1975, both from Boston University. Gregg was a businessman and attorney in Nashua, New Hampshire before entering politics.

Gregg was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980. He was reelected every two years until he decided to run for governor in 1988. His campaign was successful, and he served two two-year terms as Governor of New Hampshire (1989 to 1993).

Resources

 * Congressional biography
 * Judd as governor at New Hampshire's Division of Historic Resouces
 * Judd for Supreme Court - Reuters
 * Environmental Technology building named for Senator Gregg - The New Hampshire
 * See how you compare to Judd Gregg

Featured SourceWatch Articles on Fix the Debt

 * Fix the Debt Portal Page
 * Fix the Debt's Leadership
 * Fix the Debt's Partner Groups
 * Fix the Debt's State Chapters
 * Fix the Debt's Lobbyists
 * Fix the Debt's Parent Group
 * Fix the Debt's Corporations
 * Pete Peterson
 * Peter G. Peterson Foundation
 * America Speaks
 * Simpson-Bowles Commission
 * Erskine Bowles
 * Alan Simpson
 * Social Security
 * Medicare
 * Medicaid

Other Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Honeywell
 * David Cote
 * Goldman Sachs
 * Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq
 * Vets for Freedom
 * Michael Mukasey

Articles

 * Laurie Kellman,"Senate Rejects Amendment on Gay Marriage," Yahoo News, June 7, 2006
 * Jonathan Allen,"Striking a Balance on Earmarks," The Hill, June 15, 2006.
 * Andy Davis, "‘Don’t surrender’ in Iraq, vets urge Pryor in TV ad," Arkansas Democrat Gazette (NWA News (Northwest Arkansas)), August 17, 2007. re Vets for Freedom

Local Blogs and Discussion Sites

 * Democracy for New Hampshire
 * Graniteprof