24 Facts About Bill Sali

William Thomas Sali was born on February 17,1954 and is an American lawyer and politician who served as a congressman from Idaho.

Bill Sali previously served in the Idaho Legislature as a member of the House.

Bill Sali was elected to an open seat in Congress in 2006.

Bill Sali was defeated for reelection in 2008 by Democrat Walt Minnick.

Bill Sali was the first Idaho congressman to fail to win a second term in 56 years, since Republican John Travers Wood was defeated in 1952.

Bill Sali graduated from Capital High School in Boise in 1972 and enrolled at Boise State College, attending for two years.

Bill Sali worked full-time for over four years, then returned to the renamed Boise State University in 1979, and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1981 at age 29.

Bill Sali was admitted to the University of Idaho law school in Moscow, where he received a Juris Doctor in 1984.

Bill Sali was first elected to the Idaho House of Representatives in 1990.

Bill Sali served as vice-chairman of the state House Health and Welfare Committee and as Chairman of the Special Committee on Health Care.

Bill Sali sat on the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Committee, the Human Resources Committees, and the Judiciary, Rules, and Administration Committee.

On May 23,2006, Bill Sali won the Republican nomination in Idaho's 1st congressional district with 26 percent of the vote in a six-way race.

Bill Sali was elected to Congress on November 7,2006, defeating Grant by 11,908 votes.

Bill Sali was likely helped by coattails from Otter's gubernatorial bid; Otter won all but two counties in the district.

Bill Sali defeated Iraq War veteran Matthew Salisbury in the May 2008 Republican primary, but was defeated by Democratic challenger Walt Minnick in the general election.

Bill Sali voted against the first House bill, which passed along party lines.

Bill Sali opposed legislation to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour, as well as a Republican motion to recommit.

Bill Sali has consistently voted to support the Iraq War and has opposed all legislation aimed at withdrawing the United States' troops from Iraq.

Bill Sali was a member of the House Immigration Reform Caucus and opposed President Bush's proposal for comprehensive immigration policy reform.

In July 2007, Sali introduced legislation allowing for separate votes on bills that contain multiple subjects.

Bill Sali told the Spokane, WA based Spokesman Review newspaper that there are other areas in Congress that need to be reformed.

Bill Sali said congressional committees hold hearings on topics, not on legislation, and often it's not clear why a hearing was called in the first place.

Bill Sali said these events were "not what was envisioned by the Founding Fathers" and said that America was founded on Christian principles.

Bill Sali was accused by some of wanting to impose a religious test for elected officials, but his spokesman said that Bill Sali had no such intention.