First term
In Congress,Lee was a conservative who voted with the Republican party 93% of the time during his first term. [24] [25] He voted "no" on the repeal of don't ask,don't tell, [9] and "no" on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the health care reform bills. He voted with the Democrats to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program,provide compensation to the 9/11 responders,overhaul the nation's food safety system,and reauthorize the America Competes Act. In 2009,Lee supported the proposed Student Internet Safety Act,which was aimed at protecting children from internet predators. [26]
Although Lee was a fiscally conservative budget hawk,he obtained $29.7 million in federal funds (known as earmarks) for his district—more than any of the Democratic members of Congress in neighboring districts. Lee explained that earmarks can be helpful in promoting job growth and said it is better to have earmarks than to have spending decisions made by unelected bureaucrats. He obtained earmarks for a small arms practice range for an Air Reserve station,high-speed rail,and local defense contractors. [27] Lee was a member of the House Republican Economic Group,as well as the House Ways and Means Committee. This group sought to reduce individual tax rates,allow small businesses to reduce their tax liabilities,and provide assistance for the unemployed. [28] As stated in his 2008 campaign,he believed that "taxes were too high,too burdensome and too complex". [29]
He was criticized for liberal use of the franking privilege to send constituents glossy newsletters,some of which were described as promotional whereas others only gave constituents information on new legislation and proposals. [30] In August 2010,Lee proposed a plan to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. The plan involved lowering the corporate tax rate,student loan forgiveness for students who enter fields related to manufacturing,and trade reform to open up new markets. [31]
In December 2010,he met with representatives of online travel agencies to pressure them into complying with a law that requires websites to show when regional airlines are operating any part of a flight. [32]
Second term and resignation
In the wake of the January 2011 shooting of U.S. Representative Giffords and others in Tucson,Arizona,Lee said "I think what we need to look at is ensuring there are sufficient background checks to make sure that those who are unstable don't have access to weapons of that nature." [33] He also spent the beginning of his first term working with the House Ways and Means Committee. [34]
On February 9,2011,Lee was found to have been soliciting a trans woman on Craigslist. He used a Gmail account to send a woman a shirtless photo taken with his BlackBerry phone. [35] The woman searched his name,discovered he was a married congressman,and turned over her email correspondence to news blog Gawker,which published an exposéon February 9,2011. [36] Lee resigned from office the same day. [1] He issued a statement of apology,saying,"I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family,my staff and my constituents.... I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness." [9] Lee did not return to Western New York after his resignation. [37] Democratic Erie County clerk Kathy Hochul filled his seat after winning the special election on May 24 set by Governor Andrew Cuomo. [38]
