31 Facts About Rick Boucher

Frederick Carlyle Boucher is an American politician who was the US representative for from 1983 to 2011.

Rick Boucher was defeated in his bid for a 15th term by Republican Morgan Griffith in the 2010 elections.

Rick Boucher earned his BA from Roanoke College where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity.

Rick Boucher received his JD degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Rick Boucher has practiced law on Wall Street initially as an associate at Milbank Tweed in the firm's New York City office, and later in Virginia.

Rick Boucher is a former member of the Law and Justice Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Board of Directors of the First Virginia Bank of Damascus, Virginia, and the Board of Directors of Client Centered Legal Services of Southwest Virginia.

Rick Boucher formerly served on the Advisory Board of Virginia Cares Inc.

In May 2011, Rick Boucher joined prominent Washington law firm Sidley Austin and was charged with leading their government strategies practice.

The Internet Innovation Alliance, an industry advocacy group, announced that Rick Boucher has joined as the honorary chair.

Rick Boucher was first elected to Congress in 1982, defeating 16-year Republican incumbent Bill Wampler by 1,100 votes.

Rick Boucher was narrowly reelected in 1984, defeating Delegate Jefferson Stafford by four points, even as Ronald Reagan carried the 9th in a landslide.

Rick Boucher remained very popular in his district even as its socially conservative tint made it friendlier to Republicans.

Rick Boucher was reelected unopposed in 2008 even as John McCain carried the district with his largest margin in the state.

In 2010 Rick Boucher faced his strongest opponent to date in House of Delegates Majority Leader Morgan Griffith.

Rick Boucher charged that Griffith lived outside of the 9th, though members of the House are only required to live in the state they represent.

However, it was not enough to overcome Griffith's attacks that Rick Boucher was an ally of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi.

Rick Boucher served in the House Democratic leadership as an assistant whip from 1985 to 2010.

Rick Boucher has been active on Internet-related legislation, including cosponsoring the High Performance Computing and Communication Act of 1991.

Rick Boucher chaired the Science Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science and Technology and through hearings oversaw the transition of the Internet from a National Science Foundation managed government research project to the private sector.

Rick Boucher originated the House Internet Caucus and served as its co-chairman.

Rick Boucher authored the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act legislation and introduced the FAIR USE Act.

Rick Boucher was named Politician of the Year for 2006 by the Association of American Libraries' Library Journal, largely due to his efforts to protect the fair use doctrine and expand Internet technologies to rural areas.

Rick Boucher voted in favor of the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act, as well as the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Rick Boucher has received a rating of "A+" and endorsement from the NRA Political Victory Fund between 2004 and 2010.

Rick Boucher is one of the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.

Rick Boucher is a strong opponent of tax patents and has introduced bills to either have them banned or to exempt tax attorneys and tax payers from liability in infringing them.

In June 2009, Rick Boucher voted in favor of the American Clean Energy and Security Act which, if enacted, would establish a cap-and-trade system.

Rick Boucher was chairman of the energy sub-committee of the previous Congress which first drafted the legislation, and was deemed to be instrumental in the bills development.

Also, on March 21,2010, Rick Boucher voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

Rick Boucher endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president, while his district went solidly for Hillary Clinton.

Rick Boucher announced his engagement at age 59 to Amy Hauslohner, an editor of the Galax Gazette in Galax, Virginia.