John Breaux

Senator John Breaux is a vital voice and force in the American political arena. He led a long and distinguished career in Congress before joining Patton Boggs as senior counsel after retiring from the United States Senate in 2005. He provided strategic advice to Patton Boggs' attorneys and clients on a wide range of public policy matters. Most recently, he joined forces with former US Senator Trent Lott and their sons to form the Breaux-Lott Leadership Group, an all-in-the-family lobbying firm for bipartisan solutions. They provide strategic advice on a wide range of public policy matters, with a concentration in the areas of health care and energy. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities, Breaux tackles today's key issues in a comfortable manner, based on many years of experience in service to the nation.

A Politician with Balance. Breaux was elected to the House of Representatives in 1972 at the age of 28--at the time of his election he was the youngest member of the United States Congress. He was a widely recognized bipartisan leader in the Senate, and in 1993 was elected by his Democratic colleagues to the post of Deputy Minority Whip, a position he held until his retirement. He also held a number of key Senate committee positions. A senior member of the Finance Committee, Breaux served as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy. He also held positions on two other Finance subcommittees, the Subcommittee on Health Care, and the Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight. From his position on the Finance Committee, he played instrumental roles in forging the compromises that led to passage of the welfare reform and health insurance reform bills in 1996. He was also a leader in the efforts to reduce the capital gains tax and to provide tax relief for college education expenses.

While in the Senate, Breaux was a beacon of insight on energy issues. He served as co-chair of the Oil and Gas Caucus and was a conferee on energy legislation that was eventually written into the 2005 Energy Bill. He was active in advancing legislation to promote domestic oil and gas production, and was a cosponsor of the Marginal Well Preservation Act, a tax incentive program that encouraged oil production from marginal oil wells. He was also a principal author of the Outer Continental Shelf Land Act.

Bipartisan Solidarity. Senator Breaux was a founder of the Centrist Coalition of Senate Democrats and Republicans and served as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. In 2005 President George W. Bush appointed Breaux as the co-chair of the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform, while in 2006, he was chosen to be a member of the Advisory Committee on Transformational Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State. Breaux continues to serve as an effective and aggressive advocate for the state of Louisiana. His mainstream approach to government has earned him praise from conservatives, liberals, and moderates across the nation. As The Shreveport Times observed in a March 1997 editorial: "Breaux has sought to build bridges between Democrats and Republicans and is widely respected on both sides of the aisle."