Terry Everett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Terry Everett
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 2nd district |
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| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Dickinson |
| Succeeded by | Bobby Bright |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 15, 1937 Dothan, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | March 12, 2024 (aged 87) Rehobeth, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Barbara Pitts Everett |
| Alma mater | Enterprise State Junior College |
| Occupation | Journalist; Real estate executive |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1955–1959 |
Robert Terry Everett (born February 15, 1937 – died March 12, 2024) was an American politician. He was a member of the Republican Party. Mr. Everett served in the United States House of Representatives for Alabama's 2nd congressional district. He was a representative from 1993 until he retired in 2009. Terry Everett was born in Dothan, Alabama. He lived and went to school in Midland City, Alabama. In 2007, he announced he would retire after the 2008 elections. Bobby Bright took his place.
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Early Life and Military Service
After finishing high school in 1955, Terry Everett joined the United States Air Force. He worked as an intelligence analyst from 1955 to 1959. This job involved looking at information from special reconnaissance aircraft flights. As a congressman later, he worked to protect these important aircraft from losing their funding.
Terry Everett's Journalism Career
After leaving the Air Force, Everett started a career in journalism. He began as a reporter for the Dothan Eagle newspaper. Later, he became the publisher and editor for other local newspapers. A publisher runs the business side of a newspaper. An editor decides what news stories to print.
In 1966, Everett started his own weekly newspapers. He expanded his newspaper business over the years. By 1983, his company, Gulf Coast Media, was at its largest. He owned and published many newspapers in Alabama.
Everett sold most of his newspapers in 1988. He then owned a home construction company. By the late 1980s, he was a well-known businessman. He was also a leader in his community. He served as president of the Alabama Press Association. He was also chairman of the board for a savings bank. He sold his last newspaper in 2003.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
How Terry Everett Was Elected
In 1992, the current representative for Alabama's 2nd District, Bill Dickinson, retired. Terry Everett ran for the open seat. He won the Republican primary election. Then, in November, he won the main election by a small number of votes. He was helped by changes to the district's boundaries. These changes moved some voters to a different district.
After his first win, Everett was reelected six more times. He usually won by a large margin. This means he faced little strong competition in later elections.
What Terry Everett Did in Congress
Terry Everett was known as a very conservative member of the House. This means he believed in limited government and traditional values. He worked on issues important to his home district in Alabama.
- Helping Peanut Farmers: In 1995, he started a "Peanut Caucus." This was a group of lawmakers focused on peanut farming. He worked to change the peanut program to help farmers. He also helped create a program to buy back peanut quotas.
- Supporting Military and Veterans: His district included important military bases. So, he worked on issues for soldiers and veterans. In 1999, he helped get more money for veterans' health care. He also helped open new national cemeteries.
- Investigating Burial Rules: In 1997, Everett led an investigation. It looked into whether some people had been improperly allowed to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. This cemetery is for military heroes. His investigation found that one person had not met the rules for burial there. This led to changes to make sure rules were followed.
- Focus on National Security and Space: In 2005, Everett became the first chairman of a new committee. This committee focused on national security, including nuclear weapons, satellites, and missile defense. He worked to improve space programs. He also pushed for a national discussion on protecting space systems.
- Protecting Reconnaissance Aircraft: He was very interested in keeping America's lead in high-altitude spy planes. When the Air Force wanted to replace the U-2 spy plane, Everett made sure they couldn't retire it. He insisted that the new plane had to be just as good. This was important because the new plane had some problems.
- Awards for His Work: In 2006, he received an award for supporting missile defense systems. In 2008, he got a gold medal for his support of nuclear security.
After Congress
After retiring, Terry Everett stayed involved in national security. He was invited to the White House to discuss space war games. He even became the first former member of Congress to take part in an Air Force space war game. In this game, he played the role of the President of the United States.
Later, he became a senior advisor for the Air Force Space Command's Space Protection Program. In 2011, he was appointed to a board that advises the Secretary of State on international security.
His Views on Voting Rights
In 2006, Terry Everett voted against extending the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He believed the law needed to be updated. He felt that the rules were based on old information from the 1960s. He argued that the law should use current data. He thought that some states were still being treated unfairly for past issues. His comments about the law's constitutionality were later used by the Supreme Court in 2013.
Other Votes and Views
In 2006, he voted against a plan to set a timeline for withdrawing troops from Iraq. In 2007, he supported a bill with Ron Paul. This bill aimed to end the United States' membership in the United Nations.
In 2006, a journalist asked Everett about the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims. He admitted he did not know the details. He said this showed how difficult the situation was in places like Iraq.
Committees Terry Everett Served On
While in Congress, Terry Everett served on several important committees:
- House Committee on Agriculture: This committee deals with farming and food.
- House Committee on Armed Services: This committee handles military and defense matters.
- Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: This committee oversees intelligence agencies.
Personal Life and Passing
Terry Everett and his wife, Barbara Pitts, lived in Rehobeth, Alabama. They were both Southern Baptists. Terry Everett passed away at his home on March 12, 2024, at the age of 87.
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Terry Everett
