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'Brian Norton Baird' (born March 7 1956) is an American politician.
Brian Baird has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing . He attended the University of Utah and the University of Wyoming, completing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Dr. Baird is the former chairman of the Department of Psychology at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, and a licensed clinical psychologist.
Baird was elected to the House in 1998 after being defeated in a prior bid in 1996. He sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the House Science Committee, the House Budget Committee, and the House Select Committee on Continuity in Government.

Contents

Leadership

Committee and Caucus Membership

The Third District

Education & early life

Position on Iraq

Books

See also

Footnotes

External links

Leadership

He serves as a senior regional whip and on the Democratic Steering Committee. He was elected president of the 1998 Democratic Freshman Class. He is a member of the New Democrat Coalition.

Committee and Caucus Membership

Congressman Baird currently serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he serves on the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, and the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee. Baird is also a member of the Science and Budget Committees, and the Select Committee on Continuity in Government.
The congressman is a co-founder of the Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine and National Parks Caucus. He is also a member of the Rural Health and Lewis and Clark Caucuses among others. [1]

The Third District

The Third District comprises the following counties: Thurston, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, and Skamania. During his time in Congress, he has flown home nearly every weekend and has hosted well over 250 town hall meetings. He has visited every high school, port, hospital and countless businesses and organizations in Southwest Washington.

Education & early life

Baird was born in Chama, New Mexico to Edith S. and William N. (“Bill”) Baird, a town councilman and mayor.^[1] Dr. Baird received his B.S. from the University of Utah, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1977. He continued on to the University of Wyoming, receiving his M.S. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology. He has published a number of journal articles and has authored two books.

Position on Iraq

Baird initially voted against giving the president the authority to go to war in Iraq, but he altered his position on the issue in 2007 after a visit to the region. He continued to maintain that the Iraq war was "one of the worst foreign-policy mistakes in the history of our nation", but also stated a belief in an editorial published in The Seattle Times that "at long last begun to change substantially for the better" as a result of the surge. Baird advanced the argument that withdrawal timetables at this time would embolden insurgents, discourage cooperation between Iraqi political factions, and abrogate America's moral obligation to maintain order in the region.Baird, Brian. "Our troops have earned more time", The Seattle Times, published August 24, 2007, accessed August 29, 2007.
Constituent response to Baird's position has been overwhelmingly negative. A capacity crowd of approximately 600 filled an auditorium at Fort Vancouver High School for a town hall meeting, with the vast majority of attendees voicing disappointment and anger at his stance.Westneat, Danny. "The lone, and lonely, optimist", The Seattle Times, published August 29, 2007, accessed August 29, 2007. Baird requested police protection for the event, the first time he has done so for an event of this type,Brettman, Allan, and Jeff Mapes. "Crowd pounds Baird's Iraq stance", The Oregonian, published August 28, 2007, accessed August 29, 2007. and Baird also brought along a private bodyguard. The event continued well after the scheduled 9 p.m. conclusion, ultimately passing four hours of discussion, because attendees were unwilling to stop and go home.

Books

★ ''Are We Having Fun Yet?: Enjoying the Outdoors With Partners, Families, and Groups'' Brian N. Baird, illustrations by David Horsey. Seattle: Mountaineers Books, 1995. Paperback: ISBN 0-89886-449-6, ISBN 978-0-89886-449-6.

★ ''The Internship, Practicum, and Field Placement Handbook: A Guide for the Helping Professions''. Brian N. Baird. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1996 first edition. 2004 fourth edition paperback: ISBN 0-13-118116-5, ISBN 978-0-13-118116-8.

See also

★ Washington United States House elections, 2006

Footnotes

1. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/reps/baird.htm

External links

★ U.S. Congressman Brian Baird 'official House site'

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★ Federal Election Commission — Brian N Baird campaign finance reports and data

★ On the Issues — Brian Baird issue positions and quotes

★ OpenSecrets.org — Brian Baird campaign contributions

★ Project Vote Smart — Representative Brian N. Baird (WA) profile

★ SourceWatch Congresspedia — Brian Baird profile

★ Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Brian Baird voting record

★ Brian Baird for U.S. Congress 'official campaign site'