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BORN: April 23, 1953, St. Joseph EDUCATION: U of Michigan, B.A., 1975 FAMILY: Wife, Amey Rulon-Miller; two children RELIGION: Protestant MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Budget analyst POLITICAL CAREER: U.S. House, 1986- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 490, St. Joseph 49085. Tel.: 616-983-1144
Upton, whose grandfather was a founder of Whirlpool, is an ardent deficit fighter; in 1995, the Concord Coalition named him the fourth most fiscally conservative member of Congress. He initiated the fda Reform Plan, which enables medical-supply companies to produce goods for export that do not yet have fda approval--a popular program in the Sixth, home to Upjohn. Upton will be hard to beat; in five re-election bids, he has never won with less than 58% of the vote.
THE ISSUES
Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion YES Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "The Federal Government lets U.S. firms export toasters, movies and cars...without batting an eye. But when it comes to our drug and medical-device companies, outdated laws and red tape stand in the way."
NICK SMITH (R) District 7 (South central--Battle Creek; Jackson)
BORN: Nov. 5, 1934, Addison EDUCATION: Michigan State U, B.A., 1957; U of Delaware, M.S., 1959 FAMILY: Wife, Bonnalyn Atwood; four children RELIGION: Congregationalist MILITARY: Air Force, 1959-61 OCCUPATION: Dairy farmer POLITICAL CAREER: Michigan House, 1979-83, Senate, 1983-92; U.S. House, 1992- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 20142, Lansing 48901. Tel.: 517-541-7777
The National Taxpayers Union named Smith the "most fiscally conservative" member in the first 100 days of the 104th Congress. This summer he proposed a Social Security bill that would let workers divert some of their taxes to private accounts and reduce their retirement benefits accordingly, as well as increase the retirement age. Smith has a good shot at re-election in the conservative Seventh.
THE ISSUES
Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion YES Guns YES Gays NR Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "I am a farmer from Michigan. For a moment, let us try to get some of the tax information out of the mow and down onto the barn floor where we can chew at it a bit."
KIM TUNNICLIFF (D) District 7
BORN: Nov. 7, 1954, Davenport, Iowa EDUCATION: MacAlester College, B.A., 1977; U of Iowa, Ph.D., 1984 FAMILY: Wife, Virginia; three children RELIGION: Presbyterian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: College administrator POLITICAL CAREER: Albion City Council, 1995- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 911, Albion 49224. Tel.: 517-629-9979
Tunnicliff emphasizes balancing the federal budget, resisting what he sees as G.O.P. attempts to weaken environmental protection, and funding education programs like the Direct Student Loan Program. He focused much of his early campaign energy on attacking Republican incumbent Nick Smith as an extremist, portraying himself as a moderate. Unfortunately for Tunnicliff, though Smith may be conservative, most voters in the Seventh seem to agree with him.
THE ISSUES