Rodney Frelinghuysen
Rodney Procter Frelinghuysen /ˈfreɪlɪŋˌhaɪsən/ (born April 29, 1946) is an American former politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district from 1995 to 2019. The district includes most of Morris County, an affluent suburban county west of New York City. A member of the Republican Party, Frelinghuysen served as chair of the House Appropriations Committee from 2017 to 2019. Frelinghuysen announced on January 29, 2018, that he would not seek re-election that year.
Rodney Frelinghuysen | |
|---|---|
| Chair of the House Appropriations Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Hal Rogers |
| Succeeded by | Nita Lowey |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 11th district | |
| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Dean Gallo |
| Succeeded by | Mikie Sherrill |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 25th district | |
| In office January 10, 1984 – January 3, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | James J. Barry Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Bucco |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rodney Procter Frelinghuysen April 29, 1946 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Virginia Robinson (m. 1980) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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| Relatives |
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| Education | Hobart College (BA) Trinity College |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1969–1971 |
| Rank | Specialist 5 |
| Unit | 93rd Engineer Battalion |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
He has at times supported abortion rights and at times voted to limit access to abortion. He opposed federal funding of Planned Parenthood, and opposed sanctuary cities, gun control, gay marriage, and federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. He endorsed Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. He voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and replace it with the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Frelinghuysen was criticized for using a fundraising letter to "[out] a member of an activist group opposing him to her employer" which resulted in a complaint by the Campaign for Accountability made with the Office of Congressional Ethics.