Hastings, A Rep

Representative Hastings has been a strong pollinator advocate and a true conservation leader, achieving the first-ever pollinator-specific provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill, which led to pollinator-beneficial initiatives in major conservation programs and research funding. In addition, Hastings has increased baseline funding for USDA, ARS pollinator research and for ongoing pollinator initiatives and funding in the USDA, NIFA competitive grants program. A lead voice in increasing pollinator awareness, Hastings co-chaired and co-founded the first-ever bipartisan Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus (CP2C) in 2010, and has been a strong supporter of local Pollinator Week activities in his home state of Florida. Representative Hastings has worked to provide researchers and land managers with the tools to protect and promote a valuable and irreplaceable natural resource.NBCC is not the only black organization that opposes adoption of a clean energy bill. Another opponent is the Congress of Racial Equality, which not coincidentally has also received funding from Exxon Mobil, some $275,000 since 1998. CORE's chairman, Roy Innis, stated last year that global warming proposals "threaten to roll back much of the civil rights progress for which civil rights revolutionaries and Dr. King struggled and died." Innis made that speech in that epicenter of civil rights clashes, Salt Lake City, where he encouraged Utah residents to join him "in challenging these energy killers, these modern-day Bull Connors and George Wallaces, who are standing in the door, trying to prevent poor Americans from achieving Martin Luther King's dream of equal opportunity and true environmental justice."However, black organizations don't fit neatly into categories of Exxon Mobil-funded climate change deniers and those who aren't. Exxon Mobil was a sponsor of last week's NAACP's 100th anniversary national convention. While every member of the Congressional Black Caucus except Artur Davis (D-Ala.) and Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) voted for the American Clean Energy and Securities Act [Wax-M] when it passed the House in June (Davis voted against it, and Hastings abstained), Exxon Mobil gave the CBC Foundation Inc. $20,000 for its annual legislative dinner and an additional $25,000 for "event support." The CBC doesn't speak for black America, but it does vote for most of it, so it's encouraging that Exxon Mobil's financial influence hasn't been felt in the same way as it has for CORE and NBCC. Still, it is a fair question for African Americans to ask who exactly is attempting to speak for them on Capitol Hill, and also who is funding those speakers.wikiAlcee Lamar Hastings (born September 5, 1936) is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">U.S. Representative</a> for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_20th_congressional_district" title="Florida's 20th congressional district" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Florida's 20th congressional district</a>, serving in Congress since 1993. He is a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party(United_States)" title="Democratic Party (United States)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Democratic Party</a>. He served as a judge on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Southern_District_of_Florida" title="United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida</a> from 1979, until his impeachment from that post in 1989.[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">citation needed</a>]<div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="color: black; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; display: inline; line-height: 1.3; background: none;">Contents</h2>  [<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Early_life.2C_education.2C_and_early_career" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1 Early life, education, and early career</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Judicial_career.281979-1989.29" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2 Judicial career (1979-1989)</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#1990_Secretary_of_State_election" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">3 1990 Secretary of State election</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#U.S.House_of_Representatives.281993-present.29" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4 U.S. House of Representatives (1993-present)</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Elections" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.1 Elections</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Tenure" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.2 Tenure</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Bid_for_chairmanship_of_the_House_Intelligence_Committee" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.2.1 Bid for chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Comments_about_Sarah_Palin" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.2.2 Comments about Sarah Palin</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Lexus_lease" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.2.3 Lexus lease</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Comments_about_Affordable_Care_Act_legislation" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.2.4 Comments about Affordable Care Act legislation</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Sexual_harassment_allegation" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.2.5 Sexual harassment allegation</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Least_wealthy_congressman" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.2.6 Least wealthy congressman</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Nepotism_claims" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.2.7 Nepotism claims</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Committee_assignments" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.3 Committee assignments</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#Leadership_positions" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4.4 Leadership positions</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#References" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">5 References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#External_links" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">6 External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Early life, education, and early career[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Early life, education, and early career" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Born in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altamonte_Springs,Florida" title="Altamonte Springs, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Altamonte Springs, Florida</a>, Hastings was educated at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_University" title="Howard University" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Howard University</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,D.C." title="Washington, D.C." style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Washington, D.C.</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisk_University" title="Fisk University" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Fisk University</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville,Tennessee" title="Nashville, Tennessee" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Nashville, Tennessee</a>. He earned his<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor%27s_degree" title="Bachelor's degree" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">bachelor's degree</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoology" title="Zoology" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">zoology</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botany" title="Botany" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">botany</a> from Fisk in 1958. He received his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juris_Doctor" title="Juris Doctor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">law degree</a> from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_A%26M_University" title="Florida A&M University" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Florida A&M University</a> in 1963. While in school, he became a member of the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_Alpha_Psi" title="Kappa Alpha Psi" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Kappa Alpha Psi</a> fraternity. He began to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Practice_of_law" title="Practice of law" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">practice law</a> in 1964.[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">citation needed</a>]<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">1970 U.S. Senate election</dt></dl><div class="hatnote" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,1970" title="United States Senate elections, 1970" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">United States Senate elections, 1970</a></div>Hastings decided to run for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">U.S. Senate</a> in 1970 after incumbent <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spessard_Holland" title="Spessard Holland" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Spessard Holland</a> decided to retire. He failed to win the Democratic primary, or make the run-off election. He ranked fourth out of five candidates, receiving 13% of the vote. Governor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farris_Bryant" title="Farris Bryant" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Farris Bryant</a> ranked first with 33% of the vote. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawton_Mainor_Chiles,Jr." title="Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr." class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Lawton Chiles</a> ranked second with 26% of the vote. Chiles defeated Bryant in the run-off election and won the November general election.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Judicial career (1979-1989)[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Judicial career (1979-1989)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>In 1977, he became a judge of the circuit court of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broward_County,Florida" title="Broward County, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Broward County, Florida</a>. In 1979, he was appointed by President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter" title="Jimmy Carter" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Jimmy Carter</a> as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_district_court" title="United States district court" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">U.S. district judge</a> for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Southern_District_of_Florida" title="United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Southern District of Florida</a>.In 1981, Hastings was charged with accepting a $150,000 bribe in exchange for a lenient sentence and a return of seized assets for 21 counts of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racketeering" title="Racketeering" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">racketeering</a> by Frank and Thomas Romano, and of perjury in his testimony about the case. In 1983, he was acquitted by a jury after his alleged co-conspirator, William Borders, refused to testify in court, resulting in a jail sentence for Borders.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[2]</a>In 1988, the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives took up the case, and Hastings was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_States" title="Impeachment in the United States" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">impeached</a> for bribery and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perjury" title="Perjury" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">perjury</a> by a vote of 413-3. He was then convicted in 1989 by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">United States Senate</a> becoming the sixth federal judge in the history of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_States" title="Impeachment in the United States" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">United States</a> to be removed from office by the Senate. The Senate, in two hours of roll calls, voted on 11 of the 17 articles of impeachment. It convicted Hastings of eight of the 11 articles. The vote on the first article was 69 for and 26 opposed.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[3]</a>The Senate had the option to forbid Hastings from ever seeking federal office again, but did not do so. Alleged co-conspirator attorney William Borders went to jail again for refusing to testify in the impeachment proceedings, but was later given a full pardon by President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton" title="Bill Clinton" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Bill Clinton</a> on his last day in office.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[4]</a>Hastings filed suit in federal court claiming that his impeachment trial was invalid because he was tried by a Senate committee, not in front of the full Senate, and that he had been acquitted in a criminal trial. Judge<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Sporkin" title="Stanley Sporkin" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Stanley Sporkin</a> ruled in favor of Hastings, remanding the case back to the Senate, but stayed his ruling pending the outcome of an appeal to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Supreme Court</a> in a similar case regarding Judge <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Nixon" title="Walter Nixon" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Walter Nixon</a>, who had also been impeached and removed.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[5]</a>Sporkin found some "crucial distinctions"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[6]</a> between Nixon's case and Hastings', specifically, that Nixon had been convicted criminally, and that Hastings was not found guilty by two-thirds of the committee who actually "tried" his impeachment in the Senate. He further added that Hastings had a right to trial by the full Senate.The Supreme Court, however, ruled in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon_v.United_States" title="Nixon v. United States" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Nixon v. United States</a> that the federal courts have no jurisdiction over Senate impeachment matters, so Sporkin's ruling was vacated and Hastings's conviction and removal were upheld.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-7" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[7]</a><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">1990 Secretary of State election[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 1990 Secretary of State election" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Hastings attempted to make a political comeback by running for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_of_Florida" title="Secretary of State of Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Secretary of State of Florida</a>, campaigning on a platform of legalizing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casino" title="Casino" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">casinos</a>. In a three-way Democratic primary, he placed second with 33% of the vote, behind newspaper columnist Jim Minter's 38% of the vote. In the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runoff_election" title="Runoff election" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">runoff</a>, which saw a large dropoff in turnout, Minter defeated him, 67%-33%. He won just one of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_counties_in_Florida" title="List of counties in Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Florida's 67 counties</a>: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami-Dade_County,Florida" title="Miami-Dade County, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Miami-Dade</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[8]</a> Minter went on to lose in the general election to incumbent Republican, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_C.Smith" title="James C. Smith" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">James C. Smith</a>.<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">U.S. House of Representatives (1993-present)[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: U.S. House of Representatives (1993-present)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Elections<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Elections" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Hastings was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, representing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_23rd_congressional_district" title="Florida's 23rd congressional district" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Florida's 23rd district</a>. After placing second in the initial Democratic primary for the post, he scored an upset victory over state representative <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_J.Frankel" title="Lois J. Frankel" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Lois J. Frankel</a> in the runoff and went on to easily win election in the heavily-Democratic district. From that point on he has yet to face a serious challenge for reelection. Subsequent to redistricting and the 2012 election, Alcee Hastings represents <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_20th_congressional_district" title="Florida's 20th congressional district" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Florida's 20th district</a> beginning January 2013.<h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Tenure<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Tenure" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Hastings is a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Black_Caucus" title="Congressional Black Caucus" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Congressional Black Caucus</a> and was elected president of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_Assembly_of_the_Organization_for_Security_and_Cooperation_in_Europe" title="Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Parliamentary Assembly</a> of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_for_Security_and_Co-operation_in_Europe" title="Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe</a> in July 2004. Today, as a senior Democratic whip, Hastings is an influential member of the Democratic leadership. Hastings is also a member of the powerful <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Rules" title="United States House Committee on Rules" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">House Rules Committee</a> and is a senior member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Permanent_Select_Committee_on_Intelligence" title="United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence</a> (HPSCI). On the HPSCI, Hastings is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.He was one of the 31 who voted in the House not to count the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_College(United_States)" title="Electoral College (United States)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">electoral votes</a> from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio" title="Ohio" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Ohio</a> in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,2004" title="United States presidential election, 2004" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2004 presidential election</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[9]</a>Hastings voted to impeach Texas federal judge <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_B.Kent" title="Samuel B. Kent" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Samuel B. Kent</a> on all four counts presented against him on June 19, 2009.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[10]</a><h4 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Bid for chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=7&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Bid for chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>After the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections,2006" title="United States House of Representatives elections, 2006" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2006 United States House of Representatives elections</a>, Hastings attracted attention after it was reported that incoming <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Speaker_of_the_House" title="U.S. Speaker of the House" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">House Speaker</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Pelosi" title="Nancy Pelosi" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Nancy Pelosi</a> might appoint him as head of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Permanent_Select_Committee_on_Intelligence" title="United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence</a>. He had support from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Black_Caucus" title="Congressional Black Caucus" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Congressional Black Caucus</a>, but was opposed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition" title="Blue Dog Coalition" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Blue Dog Coalition</a>. Hastings attacked his critics as “misinformed fools.” Pelosi reportedly favored Hastings instead of the ranking Democrat <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Harman" title="Jane Harman" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Jane Harman</a> due to policy differences and support by the Congressional Black Caucus.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[11]</a> On November 28, 2006, Pelosi announced that Hastings would not be the Committee's chairman,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[12]</a> and later she chose <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvestre_Reyes" title="Silvestre Reyes" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Silvestre Reyes</a> (D-TX) instead. While Hastings was passed over to chair the committee, he became chair of a sub-committee. He told the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Journal" title="National Journal" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">National Journal</a> that “I am not angry. At some point along the way, it became too much to explain. That is legitimate politics. But it’s unfortunate for me.”<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-13" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[13]</a><h4 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Comments about Sarah Palin<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=8&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Comments about Sarah Palin" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>On September 24, 2008, Hastings came under fire for comments he made regarding <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)" title="Republican Party (United States)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Republican</a> vice-presidential candidate <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin" title="Sarah Palin" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Sarah Palin</a>. Hastings, speaking in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_D.C." title="Washington D.C." class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Washington D.C.</a> to a conference sponsored by the National Jewish Democratic Council, said "If Sarah Palin isn't enough of a reason for you to get over whatever your problem is with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Barack Obama</a>, then you damn well had better pay attention. Anybody toting guns and stripping moose don't care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks. So, you just think this through." <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[14]</a>On September 29, 2008, Hastings issued an apology via a written statement, while standing by its core message: "I regret the comments I made last Tuesday that were not smart and certainly not relevant to hunters or sportsmen. The point I made, and will continue to make, is that the policies and priorities of a McCain-Palin administration would be anathema to most African Americans and Jews. I regret that I was not clearer and apologize to Governor Palin, my host where I was speaking, and those who my comments may have offended."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[15]</a><h4 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Lexus lease<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=9&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Lexus lease" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>In May 2009, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Journal" title="Wall Street Journal" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Wall Street Journal</a> reported that Hastings spent over $24,000 in taxpayer money in 2008 to lease a luxury <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_Hybrid_Drive" title="Lexus Hybrid Drive" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Lexus hybrid sedan</a>. The Journal noted that the expenditure was legal, properly accounted for, and drawn from an expense allowance the U.S. government grants to all lawmakers.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[16]</a><h4 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Comments about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act" title="Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Affordable Care Act</a> legislation<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=10&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Comments about Affordable Care Act legislation" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>In March 2010, Hastings defended Democrats’ approach to passing the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act" title="Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act</a>, saying "I wish that I had been there when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison" title="Thomas Edison" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Thomas Edison</a> made the remark that I think applies here: 'There ain't no rules around here, we're trying to accomplish something.' And therefore, when the deal goes down, all this talk about rules, we make them up as we go along."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-17" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[17]</a><h4 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sexual harassment allegation<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=11&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Sexual harassment allegation" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>In June 2011, a lawsuit filed by one of his staff members, Winsome Packer, alleged that Hastings made repeated unwanted sexual advances and threatened her job when she refused him.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-ethics-18" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[18]</a> A congressional ethics panel investigated these claims.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-ethics-18" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[18]</a> Packer was being represented by the conservative legal group <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Watch" title="Judicial Watch" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Judicial Watch</a>. Hastings denied the claims and called them "ludicrous."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[19]</a> He stated that "I will win this lawsuit. That is a certainty. In a race with a lie, the truth always wins. And when the truth comes to light and the personal agendas of my accusers are exposed, I will be vindicated.”<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-20" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[20]</a> In February 2012, it was reported that Hastings would be released from the lawsuit, and it would only continue against the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_on_Security_and_Cooperation_in_Europe" title="Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Helsinki Commission</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-Harassment_Lawsuit-21" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[21]</a><h4 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Least wealthy congressman<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=12&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Least wealthy congressman" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>In a 2011 survey of U.S. lawmakers, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Responsive_Politics" title="Center for Responsive Politics" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Center for Responsive Politics</a> named Hastings the "Poorest Member of Congress," with a 2010 average net worth of −$4,732,002.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-22" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[22]</a> His congressional financial disclosure form indicated that, as of 2010, Hastings did not have any earned income, he had a bank account with a balance in the $1,000 to $15,000 range, and he owed several million dollars in legal fees to several attorneys stemming from 1981–1989 charges.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-23" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[23]</a><h4 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Nepotism claims<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=13&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Nepotism claims" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>In 2012, Hastings was ranked 1 out of 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives for paying salaries and fees to family members, according to the conservative watchdog group, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Watch" title="Judicial Watch" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Judicial Watch</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">[24]</a> A state by state report on all members of Congress, published by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_for_Responsibility_and_Ethics_in_Washington" title="Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington</a>, reported Hastings paid his girlfriend, Patricia Williams, an attorney who worked as his deputy district director, $622,574 over the four-year period, from 2007-2010.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcee_Hastings#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[25]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Committee assignments<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=14&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Committee assignments" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h3><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url("data:image/svg+xml,%3C%3Fxml%20version%3D%221.0%22%20encoding%3D%22UTF-8%22%3F%3E%0A%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20version%3D%221.1%22%20width%3D%225%22%20height%3D%2213%22%3E%0A%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%222.5%22%20cy%3D%229.5%22%20r%3D%222.5%22%20fill%3D%22%2300528c%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A"); color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Rules" title="United States House Committee on Rules" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Committee on Rules</a><ul style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/svg+xml,%3C%3Fxml%20version%3D%221.0%22%20encoding%3D%22UTF-8%22%3F%3E%0A%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20version%3D%221.1%22%20width%3D%225%22%20height%3D%2213%22%3E%0A%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%222.5%22%20cy%3D%229.5%22%20r%3D%222.5%22%20fill%3D%22%2300528c%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Rules_Subcommittee_on_Legislative_and_Budget_Process" title="United States House Rules Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process</a> (Ranking member)</li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_on_Security_and_Cooperation_in_Europe" title="Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe</a> (Ranking member)</li></ul><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Leadership positions<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcee_Hastings&action=edit&section=15&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Leadership positions" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h3><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url("data:image/svg+xml,%3C%3Fxml%20version%3D%221.0%22%20encoding%3D%22UTF-8%22%3F%3E%0A%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20version%3D%221.1%22%20width%3D%225%22%20height%3D%2213%22%3E%0A%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%222.5%22%20cy%3D%229.5%22%20r%3D%222.5%22%20fill%3D%22%2300528c%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A"); color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.4px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Florida Congressional delegation (co-chairman)</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Senior Democratic whip</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Caucus_on_Global_Road_Safety" title="Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety</a> (co-chairman)</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congressional_International_Conservation_Caucus" title="United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">International Conservation Caucus</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Sportsmen's Caucus</li></ul>=WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Black Chamber of Commerce today issued the following statement in response following a House of Representative's vote to defund Gainful Employment.(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110217/DC50791LOGO)"The National Black Chamber of Commerce applauds the House of Representatives for supporting college access for minority students and passing an amendment to defund Gainful Employment.  This great victory will help stop a rule that would disproportionately hurt African American and other minority students who rely on career colleges to learn real-world skills that help them get jobs.  "We thank the bi-partisan leadership of House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN), Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, and Representatives Alcee Hastings (D-FL) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) for bringing this amendment to the floor and rallying support to get it passed.  "With unemployment rates so high, it is a mystery why the Education Department would propose a rule that makes it harder for students to get a college degree that prepares them for the working world. Gainful Employment unfairly singles out for-profits schools, whose student bodies are comprised of 39% minorities due to their flexible course loads and skill-focused classes. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warns that if the 'Gainful Employment' rule is implemented, it will result in 100,000 jobs lost. Now is not the time to make it harder for minority students to get a college degree."We urge the Senate to fully support this amendment and protect college options for minority students who rely on federal financial aid."==The public comment period ended this week on the Education Department’s proposed <a href="http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/obama-administration-takes-action-protect-americans-predatory-poor-performing-ca" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">new rules</a> to limit federal aid to colleges and universities whose graduates are particularly debt-saddled or have high rates of student loan default. The rules would hit for-profit institutions hardest.But the industry is fighting back — and it has allies. Last week, 36 lawmakers sent a letter to the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/cmteprofiles/overview.php?cmteid=H03&cmte=HAPP&congno=113&chamber=H" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">House Appropriations Committee</a>, asking its members to insert language to keep DOE from finalizing the new rules into pending funding legislation.Some of the signers represent districts where for-profit schools are based, or where there are many students enrolling in for-profit institutions. But a common trait of almost all of the signers is that the for-profit industry has shelled out big bucks for their campaigns. There are just five lawmakers on the letter who have never taken for-profit education money; the other 31 have taken a combined $1.2 million from the industry over the course of their careers.The letter is evenly bi-partisan — 18 Democrats and 18 Republicans — but the Democrats who signed have an edge in terms of money received from the industry,  $631,000 to $584,000 over their careers. That’s not representative of the industry’s giving in general. So far this cycle, PACs from companies and trade associations in the industry made contributions to about <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?cycle=2014&ind=H5300" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">one quarter of all House members</a> — 64 Republicans, with an average contribution of $6,401, and 46 Democrats, with an average contribution of $4,000.The first signature on the letter (see below) is that of Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00004436&cycle=2014" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Kline</a> (R-Minn.), chairman of the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/cmteprofiles/overview.php?cmteid=H08&cmte=HEDU&congno=113&chamber=H" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">House Committee on Education and Workforce</a>, whose campaign committee has received more than $395,000 from for-profit education companies over the course of his career. So far in the 2014 cycle alone, Kline has received $187,000 from individuals and PACs in the education industry — almost all of it from those in the for-profit sector. His leadership PAC has picked up another $20,000 from the for-profits’ PACs. An OpenSecrets.org analysis of all donations from the industry to all politicians in our databases show Kline is the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=H5300&cycle=All&recipdetail=M&sortorder=U" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">second biggest recipient of its cash</a>, behind only former Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00000826&cycle=2014" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Robert Andrews</a> (D-N.J.) who <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/02/04/n-j-democrat-rob-andrews-expected-to-resign-from-congress/" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">resigned</a> recently.Other names from the list of biggest all-time recipients of for-profit education cash are on the list as well: Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00001148&cycle=2014" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Carolyn McCarthy</a> (D-N.Y), who has received $185,000 over her career, is No. 6; Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00001003&cycle=2014" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Eliot Enge</a>l (D-N.Y.), who has received $139,000, is No. 8; and Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00002884&cycle=2014" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Alcee Hastings</a> (D-Fla.), who has received $115,000 is No. 10.Below is a full list of all 36 members who signed the letter and how much they received from the industry.Some of the letter’s recipients are already quite familiar with the for-profit education donors. House Appropriations Committee Chairman <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00003473&cycle=2014" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Hal Rogers</a> (R-Ky.) has only received $250 in his career from the industry, but his Democratic counterpart, Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00001024&cycle=2014" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Nita Lowey</a> (D-N.Y), has received $116,800 — although none so far this election cycle.The for-profit education industry has been battered by bad publicity in recent months. The latest such story came this week, when it was revealed that five South Carolina judges and lawyers who started the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=F20353%20%20%20%20&year=2010" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Charleston School of Law</a> withdrew $25 million in profits from 2010 to 2013 and <a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140525/PC16/140529595?utm_content=bufferfc4cb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer" style="color: rgb(17, 123, 184); text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">distributed it among themselves</a>, leaving the school in financial straits.