John E. Sununu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John E. Sununu
United States Senator from New Hampshire
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	Bob Smith
Succeeded by	Jeanne Shaheen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's 1st district
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Bill Zeliff
Succeeded by	Jeb Bradley
Personal details
Born	John Edward Sununu (1964-09-10) September 10, 1964 (age 60) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Catherine Halloran (m. 1988)
Relations	Chris Sununu (brother)
Children	3
Parents	John H. Sununu (father) Nancy Sununu (mother)
Education	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, MS) Harvard University (MBA)

John Edward Sununu (born September 10, 1964) is an American politician. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2003. Later, he represented New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2009.

He was the youngest member of the Senate during his entire six-year term. John E. Sununu is a member of the Republican Party. His father, John H. Sununu, was a former Governor of New Hampshire and White House Chief of Staff. His brother, Chris Sununu, has been the governor of New Hampshire since 2017. In 2008, John E. Sununu lost his re-election bid to former governor Jeanne Shaheen.

Early Life and Education

John E. Sununu was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He is one of eight children. His parents are Nancy (née Hayes) and John H. Sununu.

His family has diverse roots. His father's ancestors came to the U.S. from the Middle East. His paternal grandmother was from El Salvador. Her family had Lebanese, Hispanic, and Greek backgrounds. They were Greek Orthodox Christians.

Sununu's father, John, was born in Havana, Cuba. Most of the recent generations of Sununus were born in the United States. His mother's family came from Ireland, Scotland, and England.

Sununu studied mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He earned his bachelor's degree in 1986 and his master's degree in 1987. He then earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard University in 1991. After college, he worked in the high-tech industry. He also worked as a management consultant.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Winning Elections for Congress

In 1996, the current Republican U.S. Congressman, Bill Zeliff, decided to run for governor. John E. Sununu ran for his seat and narrowly won against Democrat Joe Keefe.

In 1998, he was re-elected with 67% of the votes. He defeated Democrat Peter Flood. In 2000, he won re-election again. He beat Democrat Martha Fuller Clark with 53% of the vote.

Key Actions and Awards

In 1999, Sununu received an award from New Hampshire's Christian Coalition. This was for his vote to impeach President Bill Clinton.

He also earned a 100% rating from the Citizens Against Government Waste. This group works to reduce government spending. He received awards from business groups too. These included the "Spirit of Enterprise Award" and the "Guardian of Small Business Award." He also got the "Friend of the Taxpayer Award."

Committee Work in the House

While in the House, Sununu served on important committees. These included the House Appropriations Committee and the House Budget Committee. These committees decide how the government spends money.

He also worked on subcommittees. These focused on areas like housing, urban development, and the Treasury. He was also a member of the Republican Policy Committee.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

Senate Elections

2002 Senate Race

In 2002, Sununu ran for a U.S. Senate seat in New Hampshire. He first won the Republican primary election. He defeated the current Republican Senator, Bob Smith.

In the main election in November, he defeated Democratic Governor Jeanne Shaheen. Sununu won with 51% of the votes. This election had some issues, including a phone jamming incident that affected Democratic efforts.

2008 Senate Race

In 2008, Sununu ran for re-election against Jeanne Shaheen again. This time, Shaheen won with 52% of the votes. Sununu received 45%.

Shaheen won most counties in New Hampshire. Sununu did slightly better than the Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, in New Hampshire that year.

Time as a Senator

John E. Sununu often voted with his Republican Party. However, he sometimes disagreed with his party on important issues. For example, he joined Democrats to block parts of the USA PATRIOT Act. He also opposed the Bush administration's energy bill in 2003.

Sununu supported people's right to own firearms. He voted against renewing the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 2004. In 2006, he voted against a proposed change to the Constitution to ban gay marriage. He also opposed giving legal status to undocumented immigrants. He voted against an immigration bill in 2007.

He called for stronger rules for government-backed housing companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He also worked on a plan to change how the insurance industry is regulated. Sununu supported technology and wanted to ban taxes on Internet connections and online sales.

A non-political group, the National Journal, rated Sununu as mostly conservative in 2008. He also received high scores from the Club for Growth, a group that supports lower taxes and less government spending.

In 2007, Sununu helped create the Clean Air Planning Act. This bill aimed to improve air quality and address climate change. It proposed reducing harmful pollution from power plants. It also suggested a system to lower carbon dioxide emissions. He also supported the Clean Energy Stimulus Act of 2008. This bill offered tax breaks for developing clean and renewable energy. In 2006, Sununu helped pass a law that added land to federally protected forests.

Sununu took some positions that were different from the Bush administration. He voted against a proposed ban on loans to China for nuclear projects. In 2005, he voted to reject a new rule by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This rule would have removed coal from the Clean Air Act.

He was one of five Republican senators who blocked the renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act. They were worried about how the bill might affect people's civil liberties. This led to a compromise bill being created.

In 2006, Sununu criticized a plan to control digital content. He said the government should not heavily regulate technology that consumers use.

In 2007, Sununu was the first Republican senator to call for the firing of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. This was due to a controversy over the firing of U.S. Attorneys. Sununu was upset with how Gonzales managed things.

In 2005, Sununu shaved his head. He did this to show support for Senator Arlen Specter, who had lost his hair due to cancer treatment.

In 2008, Sununu was one of twenty senators who supported a new energy bill. This bill aimed to increase offshore drilling while also promoting energy saving and alternative energy.

Senate Committee Assignments

During his time in the Senate, John E. Sununu served on several important committees:

• Committee on Finance
• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
  • Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism
  • Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
  • Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation
  • Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics, and Related Agencies
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration (Ranking Member)
  • Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
  • Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security
• Joint Economic Committee

Later Career and Activities

After leaving the Senate, Sununu joined the Board of Managers of ConvergEx Holdings. This company is linked to Bank of New York Mellon.

In 2010, he joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. This is a large law and lobbying firm in Washington, D.C.. He worked there as a senior policy advisor.

Sununu was also appointed to the Congressional Oversight Panel (COP). This group watched how the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds were used. TARP was a program to help the financial sector during a crisis.

He often writes opinion pieces for The Boston Globe. Before the 2014 election, some thought he might run against Shaheen again. However, in April 2013, he announced he would not seek his old Senate seat.

In 2019, Lloyd's of London announced that Sununu had been appointed to its governing council.

Personal Life

John E. Sununu married Catherine (Kitty) Halloran on July 9, 1988. They have three children: John, Grace, and Charlotte.