33 Facts About Brian Higgins

Brian Michael Higgins was born on October 6,1959 and is an American politician serving as the US representative for, serving since 2005.

Brian Higgins was born, raised, and graduated from college in Buffalo, later obtaining graduate degrees from Buffalo State College and Harvard University.

Brian Higgins has supported efforts for peace in many areas of the world, and has been actively involved in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Brian Higgins was born on October 6,1959, in Buffalo, New York.

In 1993, during his final year on the Council, Brian Higgins was rated "Buffalo's Best Lawmaker" in a 1993 Buffalo News Survey of Western New York business and community leaders.

Brian Higgins earned the highest rating of any political leader, with a 3.81 out of a possible score of 5.

Brian Higgins has taught courses on state and local government, and the economic history of Buffalo and Western New York, in Buffalo State College's history and economics departments.

Brian Higgins served as the 145th district representative to the New York State Assembly from 1999 to 2004.

Brian Higgins easily dispatched his 2008 and 2010 opponents even after they posted six-figure fundraising numbers.

Brian Higgins picked up the rest of Buffalo, as well as several inner-ring suburbs that used to be in the territory of Louise Slaughter, while losing Chautauqua County to its traditional Southern Tier district.

Brian Higgins has received financial contributions for his campaigns from many business executives in Western New York throughout his tenure in Congress.

Brian Higgins describes himself as a pro-union moderate who wants to spur job growth.

Brian Higgins has said he supports allowing seniors to buy prescription drugs from Canada, and one of his priorities in Congress is legislation allowing the government to negotiate for volume discounts on drugs.

Brian Higgins has said he wants Congress to repeal President George W Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals.

Brian Higgins procured $279 million over 50 years for Erie County's various governments and agencies from the New York Power Authority as part of the Niagara Power Project 50-year relicensing agreement.

Brian Higgins is an advocate for economic development and job creation, and played a pivotal role through his membership on the House's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in securing approval for the construction of a new federal courthouse in downtown Buffalo.

Brian Higgins has supported efforts for peace in South Asia and Africa, and the Middle East, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Darfur.

In 2007, Brian Higgins played a pivotal behind-the-scenes role in saving St Joseph's Hospital in Cheektowaga from closure as proposed by the New York State Commission on Health Facilities in the 21st Century.

On January 31,2009, Brian Higgins led a delegation of Western New York elected leaders in welcoming Gillibrand to the region, moderating an economic roundtable discussion held at the Bioinformatics Center of Excellence, on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

In December 2008, after only two terms in the House, Brian Higgins secured a spot on the United States House Committee on Ways and Means, considered one of the most important and powerful committees in Congress due to its wide jurisdiction.

Brian Higgins was appointed to serve on the Ways and Means Committee's subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures and its subcommittee on Oversight.

Brian Higgins introduced related legislation, House Resolution 3997, in February 2014.

Brian Higgins voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as "ObamaCare".

Brian Higgins believed that this should have been done decades ago.

On his congressional website, Brian Higgins has stated that "there is no question that [the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] was needed".

Brian Higgins added that it is a beginning of health care reform in the United States.

Brian Higgins strongly believes in a national health care program, with a "public option", whereby the government provides health insurance that would compete with other businesses' plans.

Brian Higgins's website gives the cost of these endeavors as $1.2 trillion.

Brian Higgins said that it is not a stimulus bill, but a "nation-building bill".

Brian Higgins is a supporter of education, including early education through higher education.

Brian Higgins is a proponent of congressional support for measures that increase student achievement, but that reward success, rather than punish failure, as the No Child Left Behind Act has done.

Brian Higgins further believes that financial barriers to education should not hinder anyone from pursuing higher education.

Brian Higgins supports maintaining lower interest rates on loans incurred by college and university students.