Rod Blum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rod Blum
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 1st district |
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| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Bruce Braley |
| Succeeded by | Abby Finkenauer |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rodney Leland Blum
April 26, 1955 Dubuque, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Karen Blum |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Loras College (BA) University of Dubuque (MBA) |
Rodney Leland Blum (born April 26, 1955) is an American businessman and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for Iowa's 1st congressional district. He held this position from 2015 to 2019.
Blum is a member of the Republican Party. He was first elected in 2014. He won a second term in the 2016 elections. He has described himself as part of the Tea Party movement. In 2018, he lost his reelection bid to Democrat Abby Finkenauer.
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Rod Blum's Early Life and Career
Rod Blum studied at Loras College. There, he earned a degree in finance. He also attended the University of Dubuque. From this university, he received a master's degree in business administration.
Blum was the CEO of Eagle Point Software from 1990 to 2000. Since 2000, he has owned Digital Canal, another software company. He also led the Dubuque County Republican Party from 1995 to 1997.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Rod Blum represented Iowa's 1st congressional district. This means he was the voice for people in that area. He worked in the U.S. House of Representatives.
How Rod Blum Won Elections
Becoming a U.S. Representative involves winning elections. Here's how Rod Blum won his terms.
2014 Election Victory
In June 2014, Rod Blum won the Republican primary election. This meant he would be the Republican candidate. In the general election on November 4, 2014, he faced Pat Murphy. Murphy was a Democratic state representative.
Blum won with 51% of the votes. This was seen as a surprising win for Republicans. The seat was usually expected to go to a Democrat. Blum took over from Democrat Bruce Braley. Braley had left his House seat to run for the U.S. Senate.
2016 Reelection Campaign
Rod Blum ran for reelection in 2016. He did not have any opponents in the Republican primary. This meant he automatically became the Republican candidate. In the general election, he ran against Democrat Monica Vernon. Blum won this election with 54% of the votes.
2018 Election Defeat
In 2018, Rod Blum sought another term. However, he was defeated by state representative Abby Finkenauer. She became the new representative for the district.
What Committees Did Rod Blum Serve On?
Members of Congress work in groups called committees. These groups focus on specific topics. Rod Blum was part of these important committees:
- Committee on Small Business
- He led a part of this committee called the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade.
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- He was also on the Subcommittee on Information Technology.
Groups Rod Blum Joined in Congress
Members of Congress can also join caucuses. These are groups of lawmakers who share similar interests. Rod Blum was a member of several caucuses:
- Congressional Slovak Caucus
- Congressional Term Limits Caucus
- Freedom Caucus
- Republican Study Committee
Rod Blum's Political Views
Rod Blum calls himself a "Tea Party Republican." He has said that the Tea Party movement shows what the Republican Party should always be like. In 2017, he voted with the Republican Party on 90% of votes. He also voted in line with President Trump's views 94% of the time.
Views on the Environment
Blum has expressed doubts about the idea that human activities are the main cause of climate change. He has said that many scientists get paid by the government. This makes him question their findings. He does not support federal rules to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Thoughts on Health Care
Blum wanted to completely get rid of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This law is also known as Obamacare. In 2017, he first did not support the Republican plan to replace Obamacare. He felt it did not do enough to lower costs for people.
Later, on May 4, 2017, Blum voted to pass a changed version of the plan. He said the bill had improved. He believed it would make the healthcare market more stable. He also thought it would lower costs and offer more choices. He stated it would protect people with existing health conditions.
Economic Ideas and Tax Changes
Blum supported a change to the Constitution. This change would require a balanced budget and limit government spending. In 2015, he voted against a bill that would have stopped a government shutdown. He believed it was a good time for the Founding Fathers to be "smiling."
He was against raising the federal minimum wage. Blum supported tax reform. He voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. He tweeted that families would see more money in their paychecks because of it.
Ideas on Government Structure
Blum's first vote in Congress was against John Boehner becoming Speaker. He said he was elected to challenge the usual way things are done in Washington, D.C.
He wanted to change how Congress operates. He worked with Democrat Beto O'Rourke to start the Congressional Term Limits Caucus. He supported ending special travel and car leases for lawmakers. He also wanted to end their pension system. He even suggested a lifetime ban on lawmakers becoming lobbyists.
In 2015, Blum returned $102,000 from his office budget. This money went to the United States Treasury. It was meant to help pay down the national debt.
Views on Immigration
Blum supported President Donald Trump's first executive order in 2017. This order temporarily limited immigration from certain countries. Blum said that it was hard to properly check people from war-torn areas. He believed that if people could not be properly checked, they should not be allowed into the country.
Stance on LGBT Issues
Blum believes that states should decide on same-sex marriage. In 2016, he voted against a change. This change aimed to keep an order that stopped discrimination against LGBT employees by federal contractors.
Relationship with President Donald Trump
In February 2017, Blum voted against a resolution. This resolution would have asked for ten years of Trump's tax returns. Blum supported Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey in May 2017. He felt it was "probably time for Comey to go."
Views on Trade
In June 2018, Blum asked the Trump administration to avoid a "trade war" with China. However, in July 2018, he thanked Trump. He praised Trump for having the "political courage to renegotiate these trade deals."
Rod Blum's Personal Life
Rod Blum was born and grew up in Dubuque. His father, Wallace Lee Blum, was a World War II veteran. Rod lives in Dubuque with his wife, Karen. They have five children. He is an Episcopalian.
Images for kids
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Rod Blum during his time in Congress
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Map showing the results of the 2016 election in Iowa's First congressional district by county
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Rod Blum during the 114th United States Congress
