page_title: Rush Holt Jr.
section_title: Tenure
hierarchical_section_title: Rush Holt Jr. / U.S. House of Representatives (1999–2015) / Tenure
caption_attribution_description: U. S. Representative Rush Holt (left) and USDA Food and Nutrition Service Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Pat Dombroski mingle with proud children showing off their school garden before tasting an eatable flower grown just a few feet away.
context_page_description: Rush Dew Holt Jr. is an American scientist and politician who served as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 12th congressional district from 1999 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party and son of former West Virginia U.S. Senator Rush D. Holt Sr. He worked as a professor of public policy and physics, and during his tenure in Congress he was one of two physicists and the only Quaker there.
  Holt sought the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in the 2013 special primary election to fill the seat of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, who died in office on June 3, 2013. He lost the nomination to Newark Mayor Cory Booker. Holt announced on February 18, 2014 that he would not seek re-election in 2014.
  In February 2015, Holt became chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. In July 2019, AAAS announced that Holt was taking immediate leave and would retire effective 1 September 2019.
context_section_description: Holt was also only the second research physicist to be elected to Congress, and the first physicist to be elected as a Democrat; he joined Vern Ehlers (R-MI) and was later joined by Bill Foster (D-IL). Foster is currently the only research physicist in the U.S. House of Representatives with the retirement of Ehlers, and Foster defeating Judy Biggert in 2012 to reenter the House. Holt's supporters produced green bumper stickers reading "My Congressman IS a rocket scientist!", reflecting his scientific background.
  Holt is one of two members of Congress to have participated on the American television game show Jeopardy!, the other being Senator John McCain of Arizona. Both appeared on the Fleming era of the television series with Holt winning five games. Holt's official Congressional website mentioned his being a five-time winner, as did some of his campaign materials. On February 28, 2011, Holt participated in a non-televised exhibition Jeopardy! match against the IBM computer Watson along with four other members of Congress (Jim Himes, Nan Hayworth, Jared Polis and Bill Cassidy). Holt bested the computer $8,600 to $6,200 in a single-round match.
  As a Congressman, Holt maintained liberal viewpoints on several major issues, and consistently voted accordingly. For example, he supported abortion rights, opposed the privatization of Social Security, and supported a public health care option. Several of his legislative priorities included tax credits for small businesses, increasing access to a college education for middle-class families, maintaining Medicare and Social Security, and preserving the environment.
  In 2009, the National Journal rated him as one of the eight most liberal members of the House of Representatives. Holt's rankings released by various interest groups reflect his liberal views. Since 2009, he has been rated 100 percent in accordance with the interests of the following interest groups, among others: American Public Health Association, Americans for Democratic America, and NARAL Pro-Choice America.
  Holt was a member of the New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.  In the 113th Congress, he served as co-chair of the Energy Task Force in the New Democrat Coalition. He received a grade of 100% on the progressive Drum Major Institute's 2005 and 2007 Congressional Scorecards on middle-class issues, and he was consistently scored well by that organization.
  Environment
  As a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Holt supported legislation to clean up the environment and cap greenhouse gas emissions, and he promoted the development and use of alternative energy sources. He reintroduced the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act in 2011, co-sponsored the No New Drilling Act in 2012 to prevent new oil drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf, co-sponsored the Oceans Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 21), founded the Children's Environmental Health Caucus to raise awareness about environmental issues pertaining to children's health, and secured funding to preserve open space and recreation areas.
  On September 21, 2012, Holt voted against the Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 (H.R. 3409), a bill passed in the House (233 - 175). On July 30, 2010, he voted for the Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments Bill (H.R. 3534), which passed in the House. On June 26, 2009, Holt voted for the Energy and Environmental Law Amendments ("Cap and Trade") Bill (H.R. 2454), which passed in the House by a narrow margin of 219 to 212. He also voted for the Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits Bill (H.R. 7060) to extend energy efficiency tax credits, as well as various individual and business tax credits.
  Holt maintained a 100 percent lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters since 1999, in addition to a 100 percent rating by Environment America in 2008, 2009, and 2011, and a 100 percent rating by Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund from 2003 to 2008. On November 12, 2012, the New Jersey Sierra Club awarded 
caption: Holt at an event with a USDA official and youth of his district.
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