Richard Burr



Richard Mauze Burr a Republican, has represented the state of North Carolina in the Senate since 2004. (map)

Tobacco
The Winston-Salem Journal reported on March 23, 2009 that Congressman Burr had received $355,000 from tobacco interests since 1995 (second only to Mitch McConnell) and in 2009 he co-sponsored legislation that would ban tobacco advertising in magazines and newspapers and prohibit certain words from being used to describe tobacco products in hopes that he could persuade members of Congress to not pass a different bill that would be even tougher on the tobacco industry.

Iraq War
Burr voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

National Uniformity for Food Act
During the 108th Congress, at the time a Representative in the House, Burr introduced the National Uniformity for Food Act (H.R.2699). Specifically, the bill declared that no state or local government would be permitted to require a warning relating to food, including any component or package of the food, unless the specific warning had been required by the FDA and the state warning was identical to the FDA warning. This requirement of national uniformity in food warnings would apply to the food label, advertising, posters, public notices, and other forms of communication. The bill did not receive consideration on the House floor.

After becoming a Senator, Burr introduced the legislation again, this time in the Senate, on May 25, 2006, during the 109th Congress. It was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, of which Burr was a member. A hearing was held on July 27, 2006, but no action was taken on the bill.

Bio
Burr was born November 30, 1955 and was educated at Wake Forest University (B.A. 1978). He was a businessman in Winston-Salem prior to his political career.

Burr represented North Carolina's 5th Congressional the U. S. House of Representatives for five terms. He was first elected to Congress in 1994 as part of the "Gingrich Revolution", promising term limits.

Burr has strong ties to the North Carolina Piedmont Triad Research Park, involving bio-hazard and chemical, vaccines research.

He took large contributions from several chemical-oil companies including MTBE-Conoco in 1997, then sponsored a bill to offer liability protection. The company was found guilty in 1997 of tainting groundwater in the state.[]

In July 2004, Burr won the Republican primary to seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by John Edwards. He faced Democrat Erskine Bowles and Libertarian Tom Bailey. Burr won the election by five percentage points.

Burr is the sponsor of Senate bill 1873, the Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act of 2005, nicknamed "Bioshield Two", which he says will give the Department of Health and Human Services "additional authority and resources to partner with the private sector to rapidly develop drugs and vaccines."

Money in politics
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Committees

 * Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy
 * Subcommittee on National Parks
 * Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests
 * Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
 * Subcommittee on Employment & Workplace Safety
 * Subcommittee on Retirement & Aging
 * Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
 * Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
 * Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

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

 * Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy
 * Subcommittee on National Parks
 * Subcommittee on Water and Power
 * Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
 * Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
 * Subcommittee on Bioterrorism Preparendess and Public Health - Chair
 * Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development
 * Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
 * Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Contact
DC Office: 217 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-3154 Fax: 202-228-2981 Web Email Website

District Office - Asheville Office: Federal Building 151 Patton Avenue, Suite 204 Asheville, NC 28801 Phone: 828-350-2437 Fax: 828-350-2439

District Office - Gastonia Office: City Hall 181 South Street, Room 222 Gastonia, NC 28052 Phone: 704-833-0854 Fax: 704-833-1467

District Office - Rocky Mount: 100 Coast Line Street, Room 210 Rocky Mount, NC 27804 Phone: 252-977-9522 Fax: 252-977-9750

District Office - Winston-Salem: 2000 West First Street, Suite 508 Winston Salem, NC 27104 Phone: 336-631-5125 TollFree: 800-685-8916 Fax: 336-725-4493

District Office - Wilmington: 201 North Front Street, Suite 809 Wilmington, NC 28401 Phone: 910-251-1058 Fax: 910-251-7975

External resources

 * Official website
 * MediaMonitors.net - 'Pharma To Republicans - Time To Pay Up Again', Evelyn Pringle (November 24, 2005)
 * See how you compare to Richard Burr

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Swankville