Bob Bennett | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Robert_Foster_Bennett,_US_Senator.jpg) Official portrait, 2005 | |
| United States Senator from Utah | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Jake Garn |
| Succeeded by | Mike Lee |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Foster Bennett September 18, 1933 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | May 4, 2016 (aged 82) Arlington, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Joyce McKay (m. 1962) |
| Children | 6 |
| Parent |
|
| Education | University of Utah (BS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1957–1969 |
| Unit | Utah Army National Guard Army Chaplain Corps |
Robert Foster Bennett (September 18, 1933 – May 4, 2016) was an American politician and businessman who served as a United States Senator from Utah from 1993 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Bennett held chairmanships and senior positions on various key Senate committees, including the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; Appropriations Committee; Rules and Administration Committee; Energy and Natural Resources Committee; and Joint Economic Committee.
Bennett was a popular and reliably conservative senator for most of his tenure, earning high ratings from conservative activist groups such as the NRA Political Victory Fund,[1] the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the American Conservative Union.[2][3] However, in 2010, Bennett became one of the most prominent targets of the Tea Party Movement, which criticized his support of the Bush Administration's bank bailout and argued that Bennett was insufficiently conservative. Despite an enthusiastic endorsement from Mitt Romney, Bennett was denied a place on the primary ballot by the 2010 Utah State Republican Convention, placing third behind two Tea-Party-backed candidates.[4]
Following his exit from the Senate, Bennett joined the law firm Arent Fox as senior policy advisor.[5] He also became Chairman of Bennett Group, a consulting firm with offices in Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C., and announced his intention to become a registered lobbyist in early 2013, after being out of office for the legally required two years.[6] He served as a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, where he focused on budget, energy, and health issues.[7] Bennett was also a part-time teacher, researcher, and lecturer at the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics and was a fellow at the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs.[8] He was a member of the board of the German Marshall Fund.
- ^ Chris W. Cox (October 19, 2004). "Elect A Second Amendment Safe Senate". nrapvf.org. NRA-PVF. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014.
...in his two terms in the U.S. Senate, Bennett has cast 45 votes in defense of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and has an "A" rating from NRA-PVF.
- ^ Gardner, Amy (May 9, 2010). "Tea party wins victory in Utah as incumbent GOP senator loses bid for nomination". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- ^ Zeleny, Jeff (March 25, 2010). "Political Tide Could Wash Away Utah Senator". The New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- ^ Johnson, Kirk (May 8, 2010). "Utah Delegates Oust Three-Term G.O.P. Senator From Race". The New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- ^ Kamen, Al (February 23, 2012). "John Ensign, Bob Bennett, dogs, cats and K Street". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- ^ Canham, Matt (December 24, 2012). "Former Utah senator Bob Bennett will return to Capitol as lobbyist". Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^ "The Bipartisan Policy Center Welcomes Former Senator Bob Bennett".
- ^ "Former U.S. Senator Bob Bennett, Arun Chaudhary and P.J. Crowley Become Fellows". Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2016.