Roscoe Bartlett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roscoe Bartlett
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 6th district |
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| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Beverly Byron |
| Succeeded by | John Delaney |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Roscoe Gardner Bartlett Jr.
June 3, 1926 Moorland, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Ellen Louise Bartlett |
| Children | 10, including Joseph |
| Residences | West Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Washington Adventist University (BS) University of Maryland, College Park (MS, PhD) |
Roscoe Gardner Bartlett Jr. (born June 3, 1926) is an American politician. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was also part of the Tea Party Caucus. When he left Congress, he was the second-oldest member of the House.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Roscoe Bartlett was born in Moorland, Kentucky. His parents were Martha Minnick and Roscoe Gardner Bartlett. He went to a one-room schoolhouse when he was young.
College Studies and Early Career
He attended Columbia Union College, now called Washington Adventist University. This college is linked to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He graduated in 1947 with degrees in theology and biology. He also had a minor in chemistry. He wanted to be a minister, but he was only 21. People thought he was too young for that job.
He then went to University of Maryland, College Park for more studies. He learned about anatomy, physiology, and zoology. In 1948, he earned a master's degree in physiology. The university hired him as a teacher. He taught while working on his Ph.D. in physiology. He earned his Ph.D. in 1952.
After that, he lectured at Loma Linda School of Medicine. He also worked as an assistant professor at Howard University College of Medicine.
Political Career
Roscoe Bartlett had a long career in politics. He ran for different offices before being elected to Congress.
Running for Office
- 1980 Senate Race
In 1980, Bartlett tried to become a U.S. Senator. He ran in the Republican primary election. He finished fourth in that race.
- 1982 Congressional Race
In 1982, he ran for Congress in Maryland's 6th congressional district. He won the Republican primary. But he lost the main election to the Democratic Congresswoman, Beverly Byron.
- 1992 Congressional Victory
Bartlett ran for Congress again in 1992. The district lines had changed. He won the Republican primary. In the general election, he won against Thomas Hattery. Many conservative voters supported Bartlett.
- Winning Re-election (1994–2006)
During these years, Bartlett won his re-election campaigns many times. He always received more than 56% of the votes.
- 2008 Election
In 2008, he won re-election again.
- 2010 Election
Even at 84 years old, Bartlett won re-election in 2010. He was the only Republican from Maryland in Congress at that time.
- 2012 Election and District Changes
His district boundaries changed a lot in 2011. This change made it harder for him to win. The new district included more areas that usually vote for Democrats.
Bartlett ran against John Delaney and Nickolaus Mueller. During this election, a fellow Congressman made comments about female biology. Bartlett quickly disagreed with these comments. He said, "There is no room in politics for these types of statements." He added that as a scientist, he knew there was no proof for such claims.
Bartlett lost the election to John Delaney. He received 38% of the votes.
Time in Congress
During his time in Congress, Roscoe Bartlett worked on many important issues.
In 1993, he voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. This agreement was about trade between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
In 1997, Bartlett was one of the Republicans who wanted to investigate President Bill Clinton. He voted to open an investigation in 1998. He also voted for some proposed charges against Clinton.
In 2011, Bartlett wrote an article for The New York Times. He asked for an end to research that harms primates. He had done research on primates for the U.S. space program before. He worked with Senator Maria Cantwell on a law to protect great apes. This law could save the government money.
Bartlett also helped arrange meetings in the House of Representatives. These meetings discussed the dangers of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. An EMP attack could damage electronic systems.
He was against a bill to give more money to the United States Postal Service. He called it "irresponsible." However, he supported keeping mail delivery standards in rural areas. This would help keep local mail facilities open.
Bartlett believes in the idea of Peak Oil. This means that the world's oil production will reach a peak and then decline. He said that "the end of cheap oil and natural gas is coming fast." In 2005, he started the Congressional Peak Oil Caucus. He thought that money from offshore oil should be used for renewable energy.
In 2012, Bartlett made comments about federal student loans. He later apologized for these remarks.
Committees and Groups
Roscoe Bartlett was part of several important committees in Congress. These committees work on different topics.
- Committee on Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
- Committee on Science, Space and Technology
- Subcommittee on Research and Science Education
- Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment
- Committee on Small Business
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade
He was also a member of several groups, called caucuses. These groups focus on specific issues.
- Peak Oil Caucus (He helped start this group)
- Liberty Caucus
- Republican Study Committee
- Republican Main Street Partnership
- Tea Party Caucus
- Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans
- Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus
Personal Life
Bartlett and his wife, Ellen, have 10 children. One of their children, Joseph R. Bartlett, was also a politician in Maryland. They also have 17 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
After he left Congress, Bartlett and his wife decided to live "off-the-grid" in the West Virginia mountains. This means their home does not have regular electricity, phone service, or city plumbing. He also grows his own organic vegetables.
He became a senior consultant for a cyber security group. This group works to protect supply chains. Bartlett is a Seventh Day Adventist.
Images for kids
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Rep. Bartlett (center) joined Sen. Ben Cardin (podium) and Rep. Jo Ann Davis (left) in calling for a study of homeland security needs of the National Capital region.
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Earlier photo of Congressman Bartlett.
