Denny Rehberg

Dennis Ray Rehberg (born October 5, 1955) is an American politician and member of the Republican Party.

In 1977 he began working as an intern in the Montana State Senate, and two years later he joined the Washington, D.C. staff of Montana U.S. Congressman Ron Marlenee as a legislative assistant.

In 1982, Rehberg returned to farming, until running for the State House in 1984.

Rehberg was elected then to the Montana State House of Representatives from 1985 to 1991, where he served three terms.

In the legislature, he considered himself to be a fiscal conservative, and he advocated balancing the state budget without any tax increases.

He was the only freshman member to serve on the House Appropriations Committee.

He served as the lieutenant governor of Montana from 1991 to 1997 and as the U.S. representative for MT's at-large congressional district from 2001 to 2013.

In July 1991, Rehberg was appointed lieutenant governor by Governor Stan Stephens.

He was subsequently elected to a full term in 1992.

As lieutenant governor, Rehberg sought to bring government back to the local level by traveling to all 56 counties every year.

He chaired the Drought Advisory Committee and the Task Force credited with reforming Worker's Compensation, the Montana Rural Development Council, and several health care initiatives.

Rehberg stepped down from his post to run for U.S. Senate.

He was succeeded as lieutenant governor by fellow Republican Judy Martz.

He ran for a seat in the United States Senate against incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Max Baucus, but lost, 50%–45%.

Rehberg was the Republican nominee for the United States Senate in 1996 and 2012, losing to Democratic incumbents Max Baucus 50% to 45% and Jon Tester 49% to 45%, respectively.

He subsequently became a co-chairman at Mercury, a Washington D.C. lobbying firm.

Rehberg was born in Billings, Montana, the son of Patricia Rae (née Cooley) and Jack Dennis Rehberg.

His ancestry includes German, Irish, and Scottish.

He attended Billings West High School and Montana State University before transferring to Washington State University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in public administration.

From 1996 to 2001, Rehberg managed the Rehberg Ranch near Billings.

He oversaw a herd of 500 cattle and 600 cashmere goats.

After being elected to Congress, Rehberg gave up ranching, citing the difficulty of managing a herd whilst travelling between Montana and Washington D.C.

Incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Rick Hill of Montana's At-large congressional district decided to retire after two terms in 2000.

Rehberg decided to run and won the Republican primary with 74% of the vote.

In the general election, he defeated Democratic State School Superintendent Nancy Keenan 52%–46%.

He won re-election to a second term with 65%, against Steven Dickman Kelly.

He won re-election against Tracy Velazquez to a third term with 64%.

He won re-election to a fourth term against Democratic state representative Monica Lindeen 59%–39%.

He won re-election to a fifth term against Democratic state representative John Driscoll 64%–32%.

He won re-election to a sixth term against Democrat Dennis McDonald 60%–33%.

Rehberg voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.

Rehberg served on the Military Quality of Life and Foreign Operations Subcommittees of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations.

In 2007, he voted against the Mandatory Troop Rest Periods between Deployments to Iraq bill (creates a mandatory rest period between deployments to Iraq for members of the Armed Forces, passed) and against the Redeployment from Iraq Act (reduces the presence of the U.S. armed forces in Iraq by April 1, 2008, passed).

Rehberg describes himself as "a lifelong steward of the land".

On April 15, 2011, Rehberg was one of four Republican members of Congress to vote against The Path to Prosperity.

After having scrutinized the Pell Grant program as one that was 'expanding' too quickly, congressman Rehberg set his sights on the free school lunch program as a program where there was potential of taxpayers being ripped off, although the state Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau expressed the real concern that not enough families that qualify request the assistance.

In 2012 Rehberg co-sponsored H.R. 1505, which would waive environmental laws that would otherwise prevent the Department of Homeland Security from constructing roads, fences, and forward operating bases in national parks and wilderness areas within 100 miles of the international border.

Homeland Security would not have to inform affected parties before pursuing these activities.

The bill's dissenters claim that it "employs a manufactured conflict with border security to weaken [environmental laws]."

The Department of Homeland Security called the bill "unnecessary and bad policy" since DHS already has a memorandum of understanding allowing them to enter these lands without prior approval.