WASHINGTON– Today, RNC Chairman
Robert M. “Mike” Duncan, Platform Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Kevin
McCarthy (CA-22) and Platform Committee Co-Chairman U.S. Sen. Richard
Burr (R-NC) announced the Subcommittee structure and leadership for the
2008 Platform Committee.
“This esteemed group of
Republican leaders and national convention delegates will be integral
to ensuring that our Party creates a forward-looking platform that is
rooted in our core values and principles,” Duncan said.
“Expanding
Opportunity to Promote Prosperity” Subcommittee: The “Expanding
Opportunity to Promote Prosperity” Subcommittee is responsible for
economic policy, including technology and innovation, taxes, trade,
economic development, labor, and related issues. It will be led
by Subcommittee Chairman, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who served as
Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1993-1997 and served
as a Subcommittee Chairman for the Platform Committee in 2004.
After inheriting a budget hole of more than $720 million, Barbour
balanced the Mississippi state budget without raising taxes by
restraining spending and controlling debt, subsequently resulting in
record economic growth. Barbour will be joined by
two Subcommittee Co-Chairmen, Santa Mendoza of Connecticut and Tony
Suttonof
Minnesota. Mendoza, who served on the Platform Committee in 2000,
is an attorney representing small businesses and a leader in the
Hispanic Bar Association. Sutton is the CEO of Baja Sol
Restaurants, a growing fresh Mexican food franchisor. He
previously served as deputy auditor for the State of Minnesota and
Executive Director of the Republican Party of Minnesota
.
“Defending
the Nation, Securing the Peace” Subcommittee: The “Defending the
Nation, Securing the Peace” Subcommittee is responsible for national
security, including foreign policy, military personnel, defense policy,
homeland security, border security/immigration, and related issues.
Subcommittee Chairman U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson (NM-01) has served as a
leader on the House Select Committee on Intelligence and the House
Armed Services Committee. She is a U.S. Air Force Academy
graduate and a Rhodes scholar. Wilson
will be joined by Subcommittee Co-Chairmen Scott Lingamfelter of
Virginia and Joe Nuñez of Colorado. Lingamfelter has been
a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2001. A retired
Army Colonel and combat veteran with 28 years of service, he commanded
combat units and served as staff in the highest levels of the
Pentagon. He is currently the president of the Commonwealth
Homeland Security Foundation (CHSF). Nuñez, a retired U.S.
Air Force lieutenant colonel with 21 years of service, also served in
the Colorado House of Representatives from 1998 to 2001. He
served as a Subcommittee Co-Chairman on the Platform Committee in 2000.
“Reforming
Government to Serve the People” Subcommittee: The “Reforming Government
to Serve the People” Subcommittee is responsible for government reform
and spending, including fiscal responsibility and the federal budget,
limited government, entitlement reform, domestic disaster response, and
related issues. The Subcommittee will be led by Georgia State
Rep. Mark Burkhalter. In 2005, Burkhalter was elected with bipartisan
support of his colleagues to serve as the first Republican in 134 years
to Speaker Pro Tem, the second-ranking position in the Georgia House of
Representatives. Burkhalter will be joined
by Subcommittee Co-Chairman Priscilla Rakestraw of Delaware, who is the
longest serving member of the RNC, a former elected official, and has
been a delegate to the past nine Republican National Conventions.
Rakestraw is a community leader and fundraiser for nonprofit
organizations. “Guaranteeing
Energy Independence and a Cleaner Environment” Subcommittee: The “Guaranteeing Energy
Independence and a Cleaner Environment” Subcommittee will handle policy
relating to growing our American energy sources and protecting the
environment. Subcommittee Chairman Ann McLaughlin Korologosof Washington,
D.C., served as Secretary of Labor and undersecretary of the U.S.
Department of the Interior during the Reagan administration. She
currently serves as chairman of the board for the RAND Corporation, in
addition to other corporate and civic responsibilities. Korologos will be joined
by Subcommittee Co-Chairman Trey Graysonof
Kentucky. Upon his election in 2003, Grayson was the youngest
secretary of state in the nation. He currently serves as
president-elect of the National Association of Secretaries of State and
previously served two terms as the chairman of the Republican
Association of Secretaries of State. “Protecting
Our Families, Preserving Our Values” Subcommittee: The “Protecting Our
Families, Preserving Our Values” Subcommittee is responsible for
criminal justice policy issues and social policy issues such as culture
of life, traditional marriage, the right to bear arms, and related
matters. It will be led by Subcommittee Chairman Jane Orie,
Pennsylvania state Senate’s Majority Whip. Orie was elected to
the state Senate in 2001 after serving as a state Representative since
1996. She is a former criminal prosecutor and has been a leader
on pro-life and pro-family issues. Orie will be joined by
Subcommittee Co-Chairman Mike Fair, who has served as a South Carolina
state Senator since 1996. Fair previously served as a state
Representative from 1984-1995 and as a member of the Greenville County
Council from 1976-1982. “Advancing a Healthier and More Competitive
America” Subcommittee: The “Advancing a
Healthier and More Competitive America” Subcommittee is responsible for
policy relating to health care reform, as well as primary, secondary,
and higher education. It will be led by Subcommittee Chairman
Mary Mertz of Ohio, an attorney in Columbus, Ohio, who has served as a
senior policy adviser to Gov. George Voinovich and Lt. Gov. Mike
DeWine.
Mertz will be joined by
Subcommittee Co-Chairman Steve King of Wisconsin, who is a Republican
National Committeeman and successful businessman. King has been a
delegate to every national Republican National Convention since 1980.