John William Buechner (June 4, 1940 – March 6, 2020) was an American lawyer and politician from who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Missouri's 2nd congressional district from 1987 to 1991. After serving in Congress, Buechner (BEEK-ner)[1] became president of the International Republican Institute and was an associate at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. From 2001 until his retirement in 2005, he was the president of the Presidential Classroom program. He served as senior counsel to The Hawthorn Group in Alexandria, Virginia, and was on the advisory board of Bloomberg Government. He was also a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.[2]
Jack Buechner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1991 | |
| Preceded by | Robert A. Young |
| Succeeded by | Joan Kelly Horn |
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 94th district | |
| In office January 3, 1973 – January 5, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Richard J. DeCoster |
| Succeeded by | Stephen C. Banton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John William Buechner June 4, 1940 Kirkwood, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 2020 (aged 79) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Marietta Caiarelli (divorced) Nancy Chanitz Buechner (1990–2006, her death) Andrea Dravo Buechner |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Benedictine College (BA) Saint Louis University (JD) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Biography
editBuechner was raised in Kirkwood, Missouri, and attended parochial schools. He graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, and graduated with a BA in political science. He received his JD from Saint Louis University School of Law.[3]
Career
editHe was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1972 and served until 1982. For the 1964, 1980, and 1988 Republican National Conventions, Buechner was a delegate.[3] In 1984 he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Missouri's 2nd congressional district, challenging incumbent Democrat Robert A. Young. Buechner lost narrowly to Young, receiving 47.5% of the vote.
In 1986, Buechner again challenged Young, and this time he was elected, winning 52.7% of the vote. In 1987, Buechner was among 26 House Republicans who voted against overriding President Ronald Reagan's veto of a clean water bill that Reagan believed was "loaded with waste and larded with pork."[4]
At the House, Buechner served in the Budget Committee and the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.[5] The American Conservative Union gave Buechner an 86% conservative rating for his 1987 votes on certain bills;[6] subsequent ratings were 88% in 1988,[7] 73% in 1989,[8] and 67% in 1990.[9]
Buechner was re-elected in 1988, but in 1990 he was defeated by Democrat Joan Kelly Horn by only 54 votes.[10] In that election, 102 of the 406 House members who won re-election did so with 60 percent of the vote or less, and R.W. Apple Jr. of The New York Times blamed "taxes and the budget battle" for Buechner's loss.[11] Buechner was the first Congressional guest on Late Night with David Letterman.[5] For around five times until 1992, Buechner was among participants in weekly Thursday night poker games that Senator Alfonse D'Amato hosted in D'Amato's Washington office. Those poker games helped lobbyists connect to members of Congress.[12]
After Congress, Buechner became president of the International Republican Institute.[5] After Senator John McCain became chairman of the Institute, the board fired Buechner, who later described his dismissal as "less than gracious."[13] He also became a partner at the Washington, D.C., office of law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips[14][12] and later Anderson Kill & Olick, P.C.[5] In academia, Buechner was a visiting professor of political thought at Webster University Vienna and adjunct professor of political science at Saint Louis University and Stephens College.[5]
Personal life
editBuechner's first marriage was to Marietta Caiarelli, a nurse. They had a son, Terrence, in 1969, and another son, Patrick.[14][15] In 1990, Buechner married Nancy Chanitz and had another son, Charles. They lived in McLean, Virginia. Nancy died in 2006.[15] Buechner married Andrea Dravo, an attorney, in 2009. They lived in Washington, D.C., prior to Buechner's death in 2020.[16] Buechner died on March 6, 2020, in Washington, D.C.[17]
References
edit- ^ https://www.c-span.org/video/?102618-1/representatives, December 9, 1986. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ "Issue One – ReFormers Caucus". Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- ^ a b "BUECHNER, John William (Jack), (1940 - )". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ Weinraub, Bernard (February 4, 1987). "Clean Water Bill Passed by House Over Reagan Veto". The New York Times. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Hon. Jack W. Buechner". Anderson Kill & Olick, P.C. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ "1987 House Ratings (Montana-New York)". American Conservative Union. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ "1988 House Ratings (Montana-New York)". American Conservative Union. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ "1989 House Votes (Montana-New York)". American Conservative Union. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ "1990 House Votes (Montana-New York)". American Conservative Union. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ "THE 1992 CAMPAIGN; A Bush by Another Name Runs in Missouri". The New York Times. August 2, 1992. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ Apple, R.W. Jr. (November 8, 1990). "The 1990 Elections: Signals - The Message; The Big Vote Is for 'No'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ a b Frantz, Douglas; Fritsch, Jane (October 26, 1995). "High-Stakes Poker Put Lobbyists Close To D'Amato's Ear". The New York Times. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ McIntire, Mike (July 28, 2008). "Democracy Group Gives Donors Access to McCain". The New York Times. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ a b "Terrence Buechner, Maryanne Murray". The New York Times. August 10, 1997. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ^ a b "Obituaries". The Washington Post. January 12, 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
- ^ "This little-known education program just lost its champion". Roll Call. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ Schlinkmann, Mark. "Jack Buechner, former U.S. House member from Kirkwood, dies at 79". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
External links
edit- United States Congress. "Jack Buechner (id: B001036)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Appearances on C-SPAN