Rodney Frelinghuysen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rodney Frelinghuysen
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| Chair of the House Appropriations Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Hal Rogers |
| Succeeded by | Nita Lowey |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 11th district |
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| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Dean Gallo |
| Succeeded by | Mikie Sherrill |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 25th district |
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| In office January 10, 1984 – January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | James J. Barry Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Bucco |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rodney Procter Frelinghuysen
April 29, 1946 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Virginia Robinson
(m. 1980) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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| Relatives |
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| Education | Hobart College (BA) Trinity College |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1969–1971 |
| Rank |  Specialist 5 |
| Unit | 93rd Engineer Battalion |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Rodney Procter Frelinghuysen (born April 29, 1946) is an American who used to be a politician. He was a U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th district. This means he was elected to speak for people in that area. He served from 1995 to 2019.
His district included most of Morris County. This is a wealthy area west of New York City. Rodney Frelinghuysen is a member of the Republican Party. He was in charge of the House Appropriations Committee from 2017 to 2019. This committee decides how the government spends money. On January 29, 2018, he announced he would not run for re-election.
He supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. He voted to change the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). He wanted to replace it with the American Health Care Act.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Rodney Frelinghuysen was born in New York City. His father, Peter Frelinghuysen Jr., was also a politician from New Jersey. His mother, Beatrice Sterling Procter, was from the family that started Procter & Gamble.
A Family of Politicians
Frelinghuysen comes from a very old and important family in New Jersey politics. This family was even called one of the greatest American political families.
His father, Peter Frelinghuysen Jr., was also a U.S. representative. He served from 1953 to 1975. He represented many of the same areas that Rodney did later. Rodney's family also includes people who started big companies. These include the American Sugar Refining Company and Ballantine Brewery. On his mother's side, his family helped create Procter & Gamble.
School and Military Service
Rodney Frelinghuysen went to St. Mark's School. This was a private school in Massachusetts. He then went to Hobart College in New York. He studied American history and earned a degree in 1969.
After college, he joined a graduate program at Trinity College. But he was soon drafted into the United States Army. He served in the Vietnam War. He worked as a clerk for an engineering group. This group built roads and water systems in Vietnam.
Political Career in New Jersey
After his time in the army, Frelinghuysen started working in local government. He was an assistant to a leader in Morris County.
Serving Morris County
In 1974, he was elected as a Morris County Freeholder. This is a local government position. He served three terms in this role. For one term, he was the director of the board.
New Jersey State Assembly
In 1983, Frelinghuysen was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly. This is part of the state's government. He represented the 25th legislative district. He served in the Assembly until 1994. He was also the Chairman of the Assembly Appropriations Committee for a time.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Rodney Frelinghuysen became a U.S. representative in 1995. He represented New Jersey's 11th congressional district.
How He Was Elected
In 1994, the current representative, Dean Gallo, had to step down. This was due to health reasons. Frelinghuysen was chosen by the Republican Party to run in his place. He had worked for Gallo before.
Frelinghuysen won the election in November 1994. He defeated Frank Herbert with 71% of the votes. The 11th district was a strong Republican area. This made it easier for him to win. He was reelected nine times after that. He always won with more than 59% of the votes.
Important Roles in Congress
Frelinghuysen was a chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. This was from 2011 to 2017. Then, in 2017, he became the chairman of the main Appropriations Committee. This committee is very powerful. It decides how the government spends money. Leaders of these subcommittees are sometimes called "Cardinals." This shows how much influence they have.
On January 29, 2018, Frelinghuysen announced he would not seek another term.
What He Worked On
During his time in Congress, Frelinghuysen was the main sponsor of 123 bills. Four of these bills became law. These laws included:
- H.R. 1366 (104th): This bill extended a deadline for a hydroelectric project.
- H.R. 459 (106th): This bill also extended a deadline for the same project.
- H.R. 1964 (108th): This was the Highlands Conservation Act.
- H.R. 4850 (108th): This was the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2005.
He also helped add $33.7 billion to the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013. This money was for relief after Hurricane Sandy. This change was approved and became law.
Political Views
Rodney Frelinghuysen often voted with his party, the Republicans. He also voted in line with President Trump's ideas most of the time. His voting record has been called "moderate." This means he was not always strictly conservative.
Economy and Spending
In 2017, Frelinghuysen voted for a Republican budget plan. This plan would increase the national debt. He said he voted for it to help pass spending bills. In December 2017, he voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
He supported "earmarking." This is when politicians add specific spending requests to bills. He was known for getting a lot of money for projects in his district. Most of these projects were related to defense.
Environment
Frelinghuysen's views on the environment changed over time. From 1995 to 2008, his environmental record was about average. But after 2009, his scores became much lower. In 2017, he had one of the lowest environmental ratings among New Jersey representatives.
In 2003, he introduced the Highlands Conservation Act. This law helped protect important natural areas in the Highlands region. This region includes parts of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. The law provided money for land preservation. President George W. Bush signed this act into law in 2004.
Frelinghuysen believed that global warming is real and caused by humans. However, he was against federal rules for greenhouse gas emissions. He also had investments in oil companies.
Health Care
He supported getting rid of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). He voted to do this in January 2017. In March 2017, he said he would oppose the American Health Care Act (AHCA). He felt it would cost too much for people in New Jersey. He also worried about people losing Medicaid coverage.
However, on May 4, 2017, he voted for a new version of the AHCA. He said it was an "improved health care act." He stressed the need to protect people with existing health conditions. But the bill allowed states to change rules about this.
Immigration
Frelinghuysen was against "sanctuary cities." These are cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration laws.
As Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, he helped pass a bill for Homeland Security. This bill included $5 billion for a border wall. He said the bill provided "necessary funding for critical technology and physical barriers to secure our borders."
Other Important Issues
Frelinghuysen supported Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. He was in favor of looking into the Federal Reserve's finances. He also supported the Iraq War. He was against same-sex marriage. He voted against rules for net neutrality. This is the idea that internet providers should treat all internet traffic equally. He also voted for laws that would require photo IDs to vote.
Awards and Honors
In June 2013, Frelinghuysen received the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award. This is the highest award a civilian can get from the Navy. He received it for his long service and support for the Navy.
He also received the Vietnam Service Medal. This was for his service during the Vietnam War.
Personal Life
At one point, Rodney Frelinghuysen was one of the wealthiest members of Congress. His wealth came from personal investments. A lot of it came from his family's investments in Procter & Gamble stock. He also owned several properties.
In 2007, Frelinghuysen chased down a person who stole his wallet. This happened near his home in Washington, D.C. Police officers saw the chase and arrested the person.
He is married to Virginia. They have two daughters, Louisine and Sarah. Frelinghuysen is an Episcopalian.
