Dan Boren encyclopedia topics

Early life

Boren was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma to Janna Lou Little and David Lyle Boren, current University of Oklahoma President and former Governor and former U.S. Senator. His grandfather, Lyle Boren, also served in the U.S. Congress — representing southeastern Oklahoma (Congressional District 3) from 1937 to 1947.

He received a B.S. from Texas Christian University in 1997, and an MBA from the University of Oklahoma in 2000.

Boren is married to Andrea Heupel, the sister of OU football assistant coach and former star quarterback Josh Heupel. They recently moved to Muskogee, but the House roll still describes him as "D-Paden" (his old hometown).

Dan and Andrea have one daughter, Janna Lou, born 2007-10-09.

Political career

Boren served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2002 to 2004, representing the 28th House District. In the 2004 elections to the U.S. House of Representatives, Boren ran as the Democratic candidate for Oklahoma's second congressional district, succeeding Rep. Brad Carson, who was retiring from the House to run for the United States Senate. He defeated Republican candidate Wayland Smalley by more than 85,000 votes (66% to 34%) and was inaugurated in the 109th Congress in January 2005. Boren was one of only two politicians endorsed by country singer Toby Keith, the other being President George W. Bush. Boren was re-elected in 2006.

Boren is a cosponsor of H.R. 25, the FairTax Act, which replaces federal taxes with a flat sales tax. This legislation attracted 59 members in the 109th Congress, more than any other tax reform proposal.

Policy stances

Like his father, Boren is a moderate-to-conservative Democrat.

Environmental record

In 2006, the nonpartisan environmental group League of Conservation Voters named Boren to its “Dirty Dozen” list of anti-environment federal officeholders, citing his “dismal voting record on issues of environmental importance.” This record included support for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 — a bill criticized for the billions of dollars in subsidies it provided the oil and nuclear industries — as well as opposition to policies designed to increase fuel efficiency and to increase accountability for producers of the pollutant and fuel additive MBTE. Boren also voted in favor of the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act, , a bill that environmental groups claimed would drastically reduce protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act.

Foreign policy

Boren is one of a few conservative Democrats that still support President Bush's policy in Iraq, but has let it be known that his support is not unconditional.

On July 10, 2007 he was one of ten Democrats to vote against a bill to withdraw troops by April 1, 2008.

On June 10, 2008 Boren announced he will not endorse the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, Barack Obama. Boren said he will, however, vote for Obama at the party's convention in August.

Gun issues

On May 15, 2008 Boren was elected to the board of directors of the National Rifle Association. Boren says he's a lifetime member of the NRA and will work with other members to promote the right to keep and bear arms.