18 Facts About Phil Hare

Philip Gary Hare was born on February 21,1949 and is an American politician who was US Representative for, serving from 2007 until 2011.

Phil Hare was born in Galesburg but grew up in Rock Island.

The son of a machinist, Phil Hare went to work at Seaford Clothing Factory in Rock Island, where he stayed for 13 years.

Phil Hare served in the US Army Reserves from 1969 to 1975.

Phil Hare began his political career in 1980 when he ran as an alternate delegate to the Democratic National Convention in support of the presidential candidacy of Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts.

Phil Hare was one of six candidates running for alternate delegate but the three Kennedy delegates were defeated by the three candidates supporting President Jimmy Carter.

In 1982 Phil Hare left his union position to help his friend Lane Evans, who was running for the US House of Representatives in an attempt to unseat 16-year incumbent Republican Tom Railsback.

Phil Hare lost his home county, the normally solidly Democratic Rock Island County, by 9 percentage points.

Phil Hare is a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus and was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, of which Evans was a founding member.

Phil Hare has been an advocate for health-care reform since becoming a congressman on Memorial Day, May 29,2006.

Phil Hare has said he ultimately supports a public option but that it [the public option] "is not a deal-breaker".

Phil Hare is a supporter of organized labor, including the living wage and the Employee Free Choice Act.

Phil Hare has consistently supported access to and funding for contraception, as well as keeping most methods of abortion legal.

Phil Hare has received the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Phil Hare has been accused of distorting his military service.

Phil Hare served in the Army Reserves in the United States during the Vietnam War with 160 days of active duty, 20 days short of meeting the federal government's definition of "veteran".

At an April 2010 town hall meeting, Phil Hare stated on camera, "I don't worry about the Constitution on this to be honest," in relation to Congressional health-care reform efforts.

Phil Hare appeared on the March 15,2007 episode of The Colbert Report in the show's "Better Know a District" series.