Owen Baker

Owen Matthew Baker (born January 15th, 1973) is an American politician serving as the House Majority Whip since 2007 and the U.S. representative from Sequoia's 3rd congressional district since 2005. A member of the New Democratic Party, he got his start in politics working as a campaign aide in the late 1990s after serving in World War III.

Early life, military service, and education
Baker was born and raised in Chicago, Montclair as the only child of Matthew and Jessica Baker. His father, Matthew, was a union machinist and his mother, Jessica, an emergency room nurse. Growing up, Baker lived a comfortable life until the death of his father in spring 1980. After the patriarch's death, his mother often had to take extra 12-hour shifts at the hospital to make ends meet.

During high school, Baker was in choir and played the saxophone in the school band. At age 14, he got his first job working as a cashier at a neighborhood convenience store on Chicago's North Side.

Upon his graduation from high school, Baker enlisted in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. He was deployed in 1991 to fight in World War III. Baker was part of a unit assigned to identify and disrupt terrorist finance networks.

After his deployment, he eventually graduated from Yale University's Jackson School of Global Affairs with both a Bachelor and a Master of Public Policy in 1995.

Environment
A self-described political centrist and Third Way/New Democrat, Baker has long advocated for greater protection of the environment. In a 2004 interview with Vanessa Thorpe he stated: "I think the most important issue not just in Sequoia, but in the country, is making sure our environment is being protected. Without that, we don't have a future."

Over the course of his political career, Baker has many times voted for and authored green legislation.

Abortion
As a noted Christian, Baker's person views on abortion are often at odds with the platform of his party, but he has said that he "respects settled precedent" and that "one personal's religious beliefs should not cloud their judgement about what's best for America."

Pre-Congressional career
Before being elected to Congress, Baker worked as a Policy Director for then-Representative Fitzgerald Grant from 1996 to 1998. After leaving Grant's office, Baker took a position working as the Senior Policy Director to the Chief Development Officer at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He held this position from 1998 to 2005, resigning shortly after his election to Congress.

2004 Congressional bid
Baker was first inspired to run for office after the events of 9/11, but was unable to secure funding and a team in time to run in the 2002 United States House of Representatives elections. After Representative Olivia Pope announced her retirement, Baker met with key local organizations and leaders and decided to launch his campaign. Baker ran unopposed in the primary. On November 2nd, he prevailed over Senator Tommy Tuberville to win the general election.

Tenure
Baker took his oath of office and was sworn in with the rest of the 109th United States Congress on January 3, 2005. Baker was asked by Speaker Strode to serve as a House Impeachment Manager during the impeachment of Justice Balls for dereliction of duty. From 2007 to 2009 he served as the House Majority Whip and Chair of the House Oversight & Accountability committee. Baker's tenure ended with his appointment to the Senate.

Bills Introduced

 *  Baker Green Spaces Fund Act , 0.5% tax on commercial property sales by individuals with over a $1 million dollar net worth to create parks and green amenities (signed into law).
 *  Church Tax Bill , taxes religious institutions on every dollar of profit above $500,000 (passed in House, failed Senate passage ).
 *  Book Freedom Act , bans the act of banning of books in the United States and establishes committees to handle disputes about books (passed House, failed Senate passage ).
 *  Tax Reform for Sustainable Growth Act/The Baker Tax Cuts , increases the industrial corporate tax rate by 15%, cuts income tax brackets under $400,000 by 20%, creates 5% tax credit for industrial companies that adopt environmentally friendly policies (signed into law).
 *  Ardern-Baker Education Act/Ardern-Baker , makes public colleges and universities tuition free for households making less than $150,000 per year (introduced in House).

Tenure
Baker was appointed to the Senate seat vacated by President John Major after his election to the presidency on January 20, 2009. Baker took his oath of office, administered by the Secretary of the Senate, and was sworn in at about 6:00pm on January 21, 2009.

Personal life
Since 2000, Baker has resided in Portland, Oregon, Sequoia. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the guitar and writing music with his friends. He is noted as the only member of Congress that drives a Toyota Prius.

Relationships
Following three years of dating, Baker and his girlfriend, Katie Vaughn, daughter of business magnate Richard Vaughn, wed in Palm Beach in 1998. They remained married until her untimely death in September 2006.

After meeting at a charity event in Bluegrass after the major hurricane there, in October 2006, Baker began a romantic relationship with singer Beyoncé. Two married the following year and welcomed their first child, a boy, Phoenix Comet Baker, in 2008. Baker confirmed via an AmeriLink reply that he and his wife are in an open marriage.

Katie's Death
In August 2006, Baker's wife, Katie Vaughn-Baker, was in a minor car accident. She was sent home with small injuries and was noted to be in good spirits, however, the next month, she passed away from a dormant septic infection that was missed by medical professionals. Upon her death, Owen Baker inherited a fortune of at least $10 million dollars due to his wife's investments and real estate holdings. The media has speculated that her death may have been plotted by the Russian government. This has not been verified by the intelligence community.