Roscoe Bartlett

Roscoe Gardner Bartlett Jr. (born June 3, 1926) is an American politician who was U.S. Representative for Maryland's 6th congressional district, serving from 1993 to 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party and was a member of the Tea Party Caucus. At the end of his tenure in Congress, Bartlett was the second-oldest serving member of the House of Representatives, behind fellow Republican Ralph Hall of Texas.

Roscoe Bartlett
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 6th district
In office
January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2013
Preceded byBeverly Byron
Succeeded byJohn Delaney
Personal details
Born
Roscoe Gardner Bartlett Jr.

(1926-06-03) June 3, 1926
Moorland, Kentucky, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseEllen Louise Bartlett
Children10, including Joseph
Residence(s)West Virginia, U.S.[1]
Alma materWashington Adventist University (BS)
University of Maryland, College Park (MS, PhD)

Early life and education

Bartlett was born in Moorland, Kentucky, to Martha Minnick and Roscoe Gardner Bartlett.[2] He completed his early education in a one-room schoolhouse. He attended Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University) in Takoma Park, Maryland, affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and graduated in 1947 with a B.S. in theology and biology and a minor in chemistry. He had intended to be a Seventh-day Adventist minister, but he was considered too young for the ministry after receiving his bachelor's degree at the age of 21.

Bartlett was encouraged to attend graduate school at the University of Maryland, College Park. He studied anatomy, physiology, and zoology, earning a master's degree in physiology in 1948. Bartlett was then hired as a faculty member of the university and taught anatomy, physiology and zoology while working towards his Ph.D. in physiology, which he earned in 1952. His academic career included lecturing at Loma Linda School of Medicine, also affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Loma Linda, California (1952–1954), and serving as an assistant professor at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. (1954–1956).

Political career

Elections
Rep. Bartlett (center) (R-MD) joined Sen. Ben Cardin (podium) (D-MD) and Rep. Jo Ann Davis (left) (R-VA) in calling for a study of homeland security needs of the National Capital region, including Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
1980

In 1980, Bartlett ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate. In the Republican primary, he ranked fourth with 7% of the vote, losing to incumbent Charles Mathias, who won the primary with 55% of the vote.[3]

1982

In 1982, Bartlett ran for Congress in Maryland's 6th congressional district against incumbent Democratic U.S. Congresswoman Beverly Byron.[4] He won the Republican primary with 52% of the vote.[5] In the general election, Byron defeated him 74%–26%.[6]

1992

Bartlett ran again in the newly redrawn 6th congressional district and won the Republican primary with 42% of the vote.[7] Byron was upset by a somewhat more liberal Democrat, State Delegate Thomas Hattery, in the Democratic primary. Many conservative Democrats switched their support to Bartlett in November, as he defeated Hattery 54%–46%.[4][8]

1994–2006

During this time period, Bartlett repeatedly won re-election with at least 56% of the vote.

2008
See also: 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland § District 6

According to the Frederick News-Post, Bartlett had under-reported property sales by over $1 million since 2004 on his official financial disclosure forms, and made $299,000 in unreported loans in order to sell his daughter's home, over which he exercised power of attorney. Bartlett said that the under-reporting was an oversight and that he was a "bit player" in the real estate transactions.[9]

2010
See also: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland § District 6

As the lone Republican in Maryland's congressional delegation, Bartlett won reelection in 2010 at the age of 84.[10] On June 1, 2009, Democrat and Iraq war veteran Andrew Duck formally announced a campaign for Congressman Bartlett's seat.[11]

2012
See also: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland § District 6, and Rape and pregnancy statement controversies in the 2012 United States elections

Bartlett's district was significantly altered in redistricting plans released in October 2011, which was described as gerrymandering.[1][12] The new district lines shifted the district slightly to the south, adding some heavily Democratic territory closer to Washington DC.[13]

Specifically, the redistricting plan shifted a mostly Republican section of Frederick County and an even more heavily Republican section of Carroll County to the heavily Democratic 8th district. It also lost heavily Republican sections of Harford and Baltimore counties, as well as another section of Carroll, to the already heavily Republican 1st district. In their place, the legislature added a heavily Democratic section of Montgomery County. While John McCain carried the old 6th with 57 percent of the vote, Barack Obama would have carried the reconfigured 6th with 56 percent of the vote.

Bartlett faced Democrat John Delaney and Libertarian Nickolaus Mueller in his bid for reelection.[14]

In 2012, the Federal Elections Commission fined Bartlett $5,000 for repeatedly failing to submit accurate campaign finance disclosure reports. Bartlett hired an accountant to address any outstanding disclosure issues.[15]

When fellow Congressman Todd Akin made inappropriate comments about female biology, Bartlett immediately repudiated them, adding "There is no room in politics for these types of statements...As a human physiologist I know there is no scientific backing to Todd's claims."[16] He said his view on abortion exceptions has been "the same for twenty years. I'm pro-life, with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape and incest...I'm so avidly pro-life I'm against corporal punishment", later adding that a very small proportion of abortions are a result of rape; however, in 2001 Bartlett had supported a constitutional amendment which did not include the rape and incest exceptions.[17] "The Maryland Democratic Party went after Bartlett", trying to connect Todd Akin's comments to Bartlett.[18]

Bartlett was heavily defeated in the general election by Delaney, taking only 38 percent of the vote to Delaney's 59 percent.[19]

Tenure
Bartlett watches as President George W. Bush signs the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 in July 2006

In November 1997, Bartlett was one of eighteen Republicans in the House to co-sponsor a resolution by Bob Barr that sought to launch an impeachment inquiry against President Bill Clinton.[20][21] The resolution did not specify any charges or allegations.[21] This was an early effort to impeach Clinton, predating the eruption of the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal, which ultimately lead to the impeachment of Clinton in 1998.[22] On October 8, 1998, Bartlett voted in favor of legislation that was passed to open an impeachment inquiry.[23] On December 19, 1998, Bartlett voted in favor of all four proposed articles of impeachment against Clinton (two of which received the needed majority of votes to pass).[24][25][26][27]

In 1993, Bartlett voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.[28]

In August 2011, Bartlett wrote an op-ed in The New York Times calling for an end to invasive research on primates.[29] Bartlett, who had previously conducted research on primates in connection with the U.S. space program, joined with Senator Maria Cantwell in introducing the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act.[30] It is estimated to save the federal government $300 million over the next 10 years, if passed.[31]

Press reports indicate that Bartlett's Political Action Committee is named Because All Responsible Taxpayers Like Every Truth Told PAC, or BARTLETT PAC for short.[32]

Press reports indicate Bartlett was instrumental in arranging House hearings on the dangers of an electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States.[33]

Bartlett is against the Senate bill to fund the United States Postal Service with an additional 33 billion dollars, calling it an "irresponsible bailout"—though he does claim to support "... maintaining next day delivery standards in rural areas that would keep the Cumberland mail processing facility open."[34]

Bartlett believes in the geologic theory of Peak Oil, and predicts that "the end of cheap oil and natural gas is coming and coming fast" as increasing global demand for energy overwhelms production.[35] In 2005, Bartlett established the Congressional Peak Oil Caucus with Rep. Tom Udall of New Mexico. Bartlett has argued that federal revenues from offshore oil and gas production should be invested in developing renewable energies.[36]

At a town hall meeting in September 2012, Bartlett claimed that federal student loans were unconstitutional and that disregarding the Constitution was a "very slippery slope" towards an event like the Holocaust. Bartlett later apologized for his remarks.[37]

Committee assignments
Earlier photo of Congressman Bartlett.

Caucus memberships

Personal life

Bartlett and his wife Ellen have 10 children (of whom one, Joseph R. Bartlett, is a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates), 17 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.[38] Following his defeat for re-election, Bartlett decided with his wife to live "off-the-grid" in the West Virginia mountains. Their cabin lacks electricity, phone service, and municipal plumbing. Bartlett currently works as a senior consultant for Lineage Technologies, a cyber security group that seeks to protect supply chains.[39]

Bartlett is a vegetarian and does not drink alcohol or smoke. He also grows his own organic vegetables.[40]

References
  1. Koebler, Jason (January 3, 2014). "The Congressman Who Went Off the Grid". Politico Magazine. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  2. "Bartlett genealogy". Ancestry.com. The Generations Network. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  3. "Our Campaigns – MD US Senate – R Primary Race – May 13, 1980". ourcampaigns.com.
  4. Phillips, Lauren; Teitelbaum, Michael (June 19, 2007). "House Primaries Come Early for Three Maryland Incumbents". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on June 30, 2007. Retrieved June 20, 2007.
  5. "Our Campaigns – MD District 6 – R Primary Race – Sep 14, 1982". ourcampaigns.com.
  6. "Our Campaigns – MD District 6 Race – Nov 02, 1982". ourcampaigns.com.
  7. "Our Campaigns – MD District 6 – R Primary Race – Mar 03, 1992". ourcampaigns.com.
  8. "Our Campaigns – MD District 6 Race – Nov 03, 1992". ourcampaigns.com.
  9. "Bartlett's financial disclosures incomplete". Frederick News-Post. July 20, 2008. Archived from the original on August 4, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  10. West, Paul (June 1, 2009). "Roscoe Bartlett going for a tenth term". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  11. "111th U.S. House of Representatives". The Green Papers. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  12. Kunkle, Fredrick (October 26, 2012). "Redrawn district tests Md. congressman Bartlett". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  13. "For Maryland Democrats, Redistricting Referendum Forces a Look in the Mirror". The Washington Post. September 30, 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  14. "6th District candidates square off at HCC". The Herald-Mail. October 11, 2012. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  15. Fritze, John (June 24, 2012). "Bartlett struggles with campaign disclosure". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on August 18, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
  16. Brown, Matthew Hay (August 21, 2012). "Akin rape comments 'offensive and wrong,' Bartlett says". The Baltimore Sun.
  17. Kaczynski, Andrew (31 August 2012). "Republican Congressman: There Are Very Few Pregnancies From Rape, It Is A Tiny Percentage". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  18. "Rape, abortion debate fuels 6th District race". The Gazette. Archived from the original on July 29, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  19. Fritze, John (November 6, 2012). "Delaney defeats Bartlett in the 6th District". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  20. Pace, David (6 Nov 1997). "17 in House seek probe to impeach president". Newspapers.com. The Record. The Associated Press. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  21. Hutcheson, Ron (17 Nov 1997). "Some House Republicans can't wait for elections". Newspapers.com. Asheville Citizen-Times. Knight-Rider Newspapers.
  22. Barkham, Patrick (18 November 1998). "Clinton impeachment timeline". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  23. "Roll Call 498 Roll Call 498, Bill Number: H. Res. 581, 105th Congress, 2nd Session". clerk.house.gov. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 8 October 1998. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  24. "Roll Call 546 Roll Call 546, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 19 December 1998. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  25. "Roll Call 545 Roll Call 545, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 19 December 1998. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  26. "Roll Call 544 Roll Call 544, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 19 December 1998. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  27. Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (19 December 1998). "Roll Call 543 Roll Call 543, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  28. "H.R. 3450 (103rd): North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act". GovTrack. November 17, 1993. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  29. Bartlett, Roscoe G. (August 10, 2011). "Stop Using Chimps as Guinea Pigs". The New York Times.
  30. Epstein, Jennifer (August 11, 2011). "Rep. Roscoe Bartlett: Ban research on chimps". Politico.
  31. "Move to Curtail Chimpanzee Research Wins Maryland Support". Patch Media. April 25, 2012.
  32. Cohen, Micah (May 19, 2012). "The Most Powerful Special Interest in Washington: The Acronym". FiveThirtyEight.
  33. Broad, William J. (December 11, 2011). "Gingrich's Electromagnetic Pulse Warning Has Skeptics". The New York Times.
  34. Bieniek, Matthew (May 3, 2012). "Congressman sees Senate postal bill as 'bailout'". Cumberland Times-News.
  35. "Peak Oil : Representative Roscoe Bartlett" (Press release). Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  36. "Rep. Roscoe Bartlett Says Revenues from Oil and Gas in New Off-shore Areas Should be Dedicated to Alternative, Renewables and Shared with Coastal States : Representative Roscoe Bartlett" (Press release). March 31, 2010. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  37. Pershing, Ben (September 6, 2012). "Roscoe Bartlett apologizes for Holocaust remark made as he blasted federal student loans". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  38. "Speech by Bartlett in the U.S. House of Representatives". C-SPAN. May 24, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2022 – via YouTube.
  39. Koebler, Jason (January 3, 2014). "The Congressman Who Went Off the Grid". POLITICO Magazine. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  40. Mack, Tim (September 20, 2013). "Roscoe Bartlett Goes Off The Grid". Washington Examiner. Retrieved October 18, 2018 – via Spectrum.
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