Sen. Bob Kerrey

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Ruled out 2000 presidential bid on December 13, 1998 at BACK PAC economic summit in Omaha, Nebraska.          

PROFILE

 
J. Robert Kerrey, Democrat, of Omaha, Nebraska.
Current U.S. Senator from Nebraska; first elected in 1988, faces re-election in 2000.  Serves on the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and is vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. 
Member of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. 
Chairs a multi-candidate PAC, Building America's Conscience and Kids (BACK PAC), he founded in March 1998.  
Has been working on a book. 
 
Career Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from January 1995-late 1998.  
Co-chair, with Rep. Rob Portman, of the National Commission on Restructuring the Internal Revenue Service, which released its final report in June 1997.  
Co-chair, with Sen. John Danforth, of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform, which released its final report in January 1995.  
Unsuccessfully sought the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination, emphasizing health care reform.  
Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1988; re-elected in 1994.  
Elected Governor of Nebraska in 1982, defeating an incumbent Republican; served one term, 1983-87.  
Starting from scratch in 1972, built a successful chain of restaurants and health clubs.  
 
Military 
 
U.S. Navy, 1966-69, served in the elite Navy SEAL team.  Wounded in Vietnam, Kerrey was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. 
 
Education University of Nebraska at Lincoln, BS in Pharmacy, 1966.  
 
Family Divorced.  Two children, Benjamin and Lindsey.    
 
Religion Congregationalist.    
 
Age 55 years old.  Born August 27, 1943 in Lincoln, Nebraska.     
 
 


Readings 
Robert D. Novak. "True Medal." National Review, October 26, 1998, p. 22-25. > 

Craig Winneker. "What About Bob?" Capitol Style, June 1998. 
 

Speeches 
Democratic Leadership Council Conference, Washington, DC, December 2, 1998 > 

    In this speech, delivered to a key Democratic constituency group eleven days before he announced he would not run for president in 2000, Sen. Kerrey discussed Social Security and, more generally, entitlement programs.  Going beyond the "Save Social Security" rhetoric, Kerrey has proposed to cut payroll taxes and create individual wealth accounts that would be opened for every child at birth. Kerrey, a member of the National Bipartisan Commission on Medicare Reform, did not mince words on the subject of entitlement programs, suggesting replacing Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration and the income tax deduction with a single program.
 

Copyright 1998, 1999  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.                        Page Archived January 1999.