Randy Neugebauer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Randy Neugebauer
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Official portrait, 2013
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 19th district |
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| In office June 3, 2003 – January 3, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Larry Combest |
| Succeeded by | Jodey Arrington |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Randolph Neugebauer
December 24, 1949 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Dana Collins |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Texas Tech University, Lubbock (BBA) |
Robert Randolph Neugebauer (born December 24, 1949) is an American politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for the 19th district of Texas. He was in office from 2003 to 2017. Mr. Neugebauer is a member of the Republican Party. His district covered a large part of West Texas, including the cities of Lubbock and Abilene. He was known for his conservative political views.
In September 2015, Neugebauer announced he would not run for re-election. He finished his time in Congress in 2017.
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Early Life and Education
Randy Neugebauer was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up in Lubbock, Texas. His father sold insurance, and his mother worked in real estate and interior design. He has two brothers and one sister.
He graduated from Coronado High School. Later, he attended Texas Tech University. In 1972, he earned a degree in accounting from the College of Business Administration.
Career Before Politics
Like his mother, Neugebauer worked in the real estate business. Before he was elected to Congress, he was the president of a company called Lubbock Land. This company developed land. He also served as president of the Texas Association of Builders from 1996 to 1997.
Early Political Steps
From 1992 to 1998, Randy Neugebauer was a city councilman in Lubbock. A city councilman helps make decisions for the city. He was also the mayor pro tempore from 1994 to 1996. This means he acted as mayor when the actual mayor was not available.
While working for Lubbock's government, Neugebauer focused on certain goals. He worked to lower taxes for citizens. He also worked to have private companies provide some city services.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one part of the U.S. Congress. Members of the House, called Representatives, create and vote on laws for the country.
What Committees Did He Join?
As a Representative, Neugebauer was part of several important groups called committees. These committees focus on different topics.
- Committee on Agriculture
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
- Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (He was the Chairman of this one!)
- Committee on Science, Space and Technology
- Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
- Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation
- He was also an associate member of the Congressional Hispanic Conference.
- He was part of the Tea Party Caucus.
Other Groups He Joined
- Congressional Constitution Caucus
- Republican Study Committee (This is a group within the Republican Party that focuses on policy ideas.)
Laws He Helped Create
Neugebauer sponsored or supported several bills (proposed laws).
- He sponsored the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers Reform Act of 2013 (H.R. 1155; 113th Congress). This bill aimed to make it easier for insurance companies to work in many different states. It would reduce the number of rules they had to follow. The bill passed the House of Representatives in September 2013.
- He also introduced the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2014 (H.R. 1786; 113th Congress). This bill would continue a program that helps us understand windstorms better. The program also works to reduce the damage caused by strong winds.
Event at the World War II Memorial
During a time when the U.S. government was temporarily shut down in 2013, some national parks and memorials were closed. On October 2, 2013, Neugebauer had a public discussion with a park ranger. The ranger was enforcing the closure of the National World War II Memorial. This event was talked about a lot in the news.
How He Became a Representative
Neugebauer was first elected to Congress in a special election in 2003. The seat became open because the previous Representative, Larry Combest, retired. This district in Texas was known for voting for Republican candidates.
Seven candidates ran in the first election, all Republicans. Neugebauer emphasized his conservative beliefs. He won the first round but did not get enough votes to win outright. He then went into a runoff election against Mike Conaway. Neugebauer won this runoff election by a very small number of votes. He became only the fourth person to represent this district since 1935.
Re-election Campaigns
In 2004, Neugebauer ran for a full term. He faced Charles Stenholm, a Democrat who had been in Congress for a long time. Stenholm's old district had been changed, and a large part of it was now in Neugebauer's district. Even though Stenholm had more experience, Neugebauer won the election by a large margin.
After that, Neugebauer was re-elected four more times. He won each election with more than 60 percent of the votes. This showed strong support from the people in his district.
2012 Election
In 2012, Neugebauer faced a challenge from Chris Winn in the Republican primary election. Neugebauer won this election with about 74% of the votes.
After Congress
After he left Congress in 2017, there were reports that Randy Neugebauer was considered for a job in the new presidential administration. This job was to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. However, the job was eventually given to someone else.
Personal Life
Randy Neugebauer is married to Dana Collins, his high school sweetheart. They have two sons, Todd and Toby. They also have four grandchildren. As of 2010, Neugebauer was a deacon at a Southern Baptist church.
