Jack Bergman

For the American Olympic weightlifter, see John Bergman.

Jack Bergman
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2017
Preceded by	Dan Benishek
Personal details
Born	Jack Warren Bergman (1947-02-02) February 2, 1947 (age 77) Shakopee, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Cindy Bergman
Education	Gustavus Adolphus College (BA) University of West Florida (MBA)
Website	House website
Military service
Branch/service	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1969–2009
Rank	Lieutenant General

John Warren Bergman (born February 2, 1947)^{[citation needed]} is an American politician and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant general serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 1st congressional district since 2017.^[1] He is a member of the Republican Party.^[2]

He served as commanding general of the Marine Forces Reserve and the Marine Forces North. He also served as a naval aviator, flying rotary-winged aircraft such as the CH-46 and UH-1, as well as fixed-wing aircraft such as the T-28 and KC-130.

Early life and education

Bergman was born on February 2, 1947, in Shakopee, Minnesota,^[3] and received his undergraduate degree in business from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1969.^[4][5] He subsequently earned an M.B.A. degree from the University of West Florida.^[6] His formal military education includes Naval Aviation Flight Training, Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command & Staff College, Landing Force Staff Planning (Marine Expeditionary Brigade [MEB] and Air Command Element [ACE]), Reserve Component National Security and Naval War College Strategy & Policy, Syracuse University National Security Seminar, Combined Forces Air Component Command, LOGTECH, and CAPSTONE.^{[citation needed]}

Military career

Bergman in uniform

After graduating from college, Bergman was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1969^[7] under the Platoon Leaders Course program for aviation (PLC-Air) and entered active duty. Following completion of The Basic School (TBS) at MCB Quantico, Virginia and flight training at NAS Pensacola and NAS Whiting Field, Florida, he was designated as a Naval Aviator.

He then flew CH-46 helicopters with HMM-261 at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, and with HMM-164 at MCAS Futenma in Okinawa, Japan, and the Republic of Vietnam. Later assigned shore duty as a flight instructor, he flew the T-28 with Training Squadron Six (VT-6) at NAS Whiting Field, Florida. He left active duty in 1975 and flew UH-1 helicopters with the Rhode Island Army National Guard, at the former NAS Quonset Point in Quonset Point, Rhode Island.^{[citation needed]}

After a 1978 civilian employment transfer to Chicago, Bergman transferred from the Rhode Island Army National Guard back to the Marine Corps Reserve, where he served in several 4th Marine Aircraft Wing units at NAS Glenview, Illinois: HML-776, flying the UH-1; VMGR-234, flying the KC-130; and Mobilization Training Unit IL-1. He was selected to stand up the second KC-130 squadron in 4th MAW and in 1988 became the first commanding officer of VMGR-452 at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. From 1992 to 1994 he commanded Mobilization Station, Chicago.^{[citation needed]}

In 1995, he was a special staff officer at Marine Corps Reserve Support Command at Overland Park, Kansas. In 1996, he became chief of staff/deputy commander of I Marine Expeditionary Force Augmentation Command Element, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. In 1997, he transferred to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing Headquarters in New Orleans, Lousisiana to serve as assistant chief of staff/G-1. Promoted to Brigadier General, he became deputy commanding general of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.^{[citation needed]}

Transferred in June 1998 to Headquarters, Marine Forces Europe, Stuttgart, Germany, Bergman served as deputy commander. Recalled to active duty from April to July 1999, he was dual-hatted as EUCOM, Deputy J-3A. He then commanded II Marine Expeditionary Force Augmentation Command Element, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, until assuming command of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, New Orleans, Louisiana in August 2000.^{[citation needed]}

In September 2002, Bergman assumed command of the 4th Force Service Support Group, New Orleans, Louisiana. He also served as chairman of the Secretary of the Navy's Marine Corps Reserve Policy Board from 2001 to 2003. Returning to active duty in October 2003, he served as director of Reserve Affairs, Quantico, Virginia. He began his final assignment, command of the Marine Forces Reserve/Marine Forces North, on June 10, 2005. He relinquished that command in October 2009 and retired from active duty in December of that year.^{[citation needed]}

U.S. House of Representatives

2016 election

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2016

Bergman won the Republican primary in Michigan's 1st congressional district in August 2016. He defeated Democratic nominee Lon Johnson and Libertarian nominee Diane Bostow in the November general election.^[1] Bergman, who was elected to succeed retiring Republican Representative Dan Benishek, won 55% of the vote to Johnson's 40% and Bostow's 4%.^[8][9]

The district covers all of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the northern part of the Lower Peninsula.

Tenure

Bergman assumed office on January 3, 2017. He is a member of the Republican Study Committee, the Climate Solutions Caucus^[10] and the U.S.–Japan Caucus.^[11]

In June 2017, Bergman was one of the Republican congressmen who were practicing on an Alexandria, Virginia, baseball field for the annual Congressional Baseball Game when James Hodgkinson began shooting at them, harming four people, including Representative Steve Scalise.^[12] Afterward, Bergman blamed the incident on anti-GOP rhetoric and the media.^[13]

As of January 2022^[update], Bergman has voted with President Joe Biden's stated position roughly 6% of the time.^[14]

In October 2023, Bergman unsuccessfully ran for Speaker of the House^[15]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations (Chair)
  • Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel
• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
• Source:^[16]

Caucus memberships

• Republican Study Committee^[17]
• Climate Solutions Caucus
• Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans^[18]
• U.S.–Japan Caucus.^[11]
• Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus^[19]

Political positions

Spending and budget

In March 2016, Bergman said that cutting spending would be his top priority in Congress.^[20]

In a July 2016 television interview, Bergman said his three top priorities were to "get Congress working together" instead of being preoccupied with partisan division, to "utilize the Constitution", and to pass a balanced budget amendment.^[21]

In March 2021, all House Republicans including Bergman voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, an economic stimulus bill aimed at speeding up the United States' recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing recession.^[22]

Healthcare

Bergman opposes the Affordable Care Act and voted to repeal it in May 2017.^[23]

Environment

In September 2017, Bergman became the 29th Republican to join the Climate Solutions Caucus.^[24]

Bergman voted in favor of the Tribal Coastal Resiliency Act, which would allow the Department of Commerce to award grants to Native American tribes for historical preservation, environmental protection, and climate change mitigation in the Great Lakes.^[25][26]

Marriage

Bergman voted against the "Respect for Marriage Act" codifying Loving v. Virginia and Obergefell v. Hodges, recognizing marriages across state lines regardless of "sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of those individuals."^[27]

Military

In August 2017, Bergman sided with then-President Donald Trump on barring transgender individuals from the military.^[28]

2020 presidential election

After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election^[29] and Trump refused to concede, Bergman announced he would oppose the confirmation of the Electoral College's vote in Congress.^[30]

In December 2020, Bergman was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Biden defeated^[29] Trump.^[31]

In January 2021, Bergman announced his intention to object to the certification of the Electoral College results.^[30][32]

Israel

Bergman voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.^[33][34]

Awards and decorations

Bergman's military awards include:

Medals and ribbons

Naval Aviator Badge

Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge

Distinguished Service Medal (US Navy)[35]

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Air Medal w/ Valor device and Strike/Flight numeral "1"

Joint Meritorious Unit Award

Navy Unit Commendation

Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ 2 bronze service stars

Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal w/ 1 silver service star

National Defense Service Medal w/ 2 bronze service stars

Vietnam Service Medal w/ 3 bronze campaign stars

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon w/ 1 bronze service star

Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/ gold Hourglass Devices

Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/ bronze star

Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation w/ bronze laurel leaf palm emblem

Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation w/ bronze laurel leaf palm emblem

Vietnam Campaign Medal w/ silver date bar

Personal life

Bergman lives in Watersmeet, Michigan, with his wife Cindy.^[36] They have ten grandchildren. Bergman is a Lutheran.^[37]

Residency Controversy

Although there is no constitutional requirement that a House member live in the district they represent, Bergman's residency has been called into question numerous times over his time in the US House.^[38][39]

References

1. Gibbons, Lauren (August 2, 2016). "Jack Bergman victorious in 1st Congressional District Republican primary". MLive. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
2. Livengood, Chad (January 14, 2016). "Retired U.P. Marine files for GOP congressional primary". Detroitnews.com. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
3. "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). Roll Call. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
4. "Jack Bergman's Linkedin page".
5. "Roll Call Member Profile - Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich". Roll Call. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
6. "Jack Bergman". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
7. Bergman, Jack (November 3, 2019). "Service Is Always Greater Than Self". Rippon Society. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
8. "Michigan U.S. House 1st District Results: Jack Bergman Wins". The New York Times. November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
9. Bennett, John (November 9, 2016). "New Member: GOP's Jack Bergman Claims Michigan's 1st District". Roll Call. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
10. "90 Current Climate Solutions Caucus Members". Citizen´s Climate Lobby. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
11. "Members". U.S. - Japan Caucus. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
12. Meloni, Rod (June 14, 2017). "Rep. Jack Bergman describes shooting at baseball practice: 'I just basically went into a low crawl'". ClickOnDetroit.
13. Trunko, Matthew (June 14, 2017). "Rep. Jack Bergman: Media 'complicit' in spread of hateful rhetoric that led to congressional baseball shooting". The Washington Examiner.
14. Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
15. "Rep. Bergman says his 'hat is in the ring' for U.S. House speaker • Michigan Advance". October 21, 2023.
16. "Committees". Congressman Jack Bergman. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
17. "Membership". Republican Study Committee. December 6, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
18. "Members of the Caucus on U.S. - Türkiye Relations & Turkish Americans". Turkish Coalition of America. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
19. Terris, Ben (July 6, 2023). "AOC, Dan Crenshaw and the mellow struggle for psychedelic drug access". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
20. Cassleman, David (March 23, 2016). "Running for First: Marine Corps general shakes up race in 1st Congressional". www.interlochenpublicradio.org. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
21. "Interview with Jack Bergman, 1st Congressional Dist. Republican Candidate". WPBN. July 26, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
22. Khan, Mariam (March 10, 2021). "House Democrats pass $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, handing Biden major victory". ABC News. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
23. "See how your Michigan U.S. Representative voted on Obamacare repeal". mlive. May 5, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
24. Winchester, Flannery (September 29, 2017). "Rep. Jack Bergman: A Congressman for climate-conscious youth". Citizens' Climate Lobby. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
25. Kilmer, Derek (December 12, 2019). "H.R.729 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act". congress.gov. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
26. "Jack Bergman, Representative for Michigan's 1st Congressional District". GovTrack.us. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
27. Bobic, Igor (July 19, 2022). "These 157 House Republicans Voted Against Protections For Same-Sex Marriage". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
28. Magid, Aaron (August 8, 2017). "Meet Jack Bergman: The Former Pilot Now in Congress". Jewish Insider. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
29. Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
30. Barrett, Malachi (January 4, 2021). "Two Michigan Republicans will object to Electoral College vote". mlive. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
31. Diaz, Daniella (December 11, 2020). "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
32. Ede, Donny (January 4, 2021). "Rep. Jack Bergman objects Electoral College certification process". ABC 10/CW5. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
33. Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). "House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
34. Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). "Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
35. "Valor Awards for John W. Bergman". Military Times. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
36. "Biography - U.S. Representative Jack Bergman". bergman.house.gov.
37. "Religious affiliation of members of 115th Congress" (PDF). Pew Research Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 25, 2023.
38. Rose, Bill (June 1, 2022). "Bergman residency questioned". The Daily Mining Gazette.
39. Spangler, Todd. "1st District race: Both parties claim other candidate doesn't really live there". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 21, 2024.

External links

• Congressman Jack Bergman official U.S. House website
• Campaign website
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Appearances on C-SPAN

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Dan Benishek	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 1st congressional district 2017–present	Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Nanette Barragán	United States representatives by seniority 188th	Succeeded by Andy Biggs