Mike McIntyre


Douglas Carmichael "Mike" McIntyre II is an American attorney and politician who was first elected to represent North Carolina's 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996. He served for 18 years from 1997 to 2015. McIntyre is a Democrat and, during his tenure in the House of Representatives, was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition.

Personal life

Born August 6, 1956, McIntyre attended public schools in his hometown of Lumberton, North Carolina. He demonstrated an interest in leadership through public service at a young age by serving as Student Body Treasurer and later Student Body President of Lumberton High School. During this time, his interest in politics also formed through his services as a page for the North Carolina Senate in 1971 and his selection to attend Boys State in 1973, where he was elected Mayor of his city. He also participated in the Washington Workshops Congressional Seminar in the summer of 1973 and the advanced seminar in 1974. McIntyre graduated from high school in 1974.
A Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa as a political science major in 1978 and received his Juris Doctor in 1981. During his senior year of college, the chancellor presented him the for best exemplifying "unselfish interest in the welfare of his fellow man" during his collegiate career. While a law student, McIntyre served as one of North Carolina's youngest delegates at the 1980 Democratic National Convention in support of Jimmy Carter.
In 1987, McIntyre was chosen as one of the state's Five Outstanding Young North Carolinians of the Year by the North Carolina Jaycees. As a strong advocate of issues that impact the family, he was a charter member of both the North Carolina Commission on Children & Youth and the North Carolina Commission on the Family. In 1989, McIntyre earned the Governor's Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service for his longtime commitment and work with children and educators as a volunteer in the public school system. Until his election to Congress, McIntyre practiced law in his native Robeson County.
Active in community, church, civic, and professional activities, McIntyre served as a leader in the Lumberton Area Chamber of Commerce, coached three All-American Drug-Free Sports Teams, and has been active in Rotary Club, Boy Scouts, the Parent-Teacher Association, and Young Life. Additionally, he has been a lay leader in the First Presbyterian Church of Lumberton with service as an Elder, Deacon, Sunday school teacher and Chairman of the Weekday School and Day Care Committee. McIntyre married Dee Strickland in June 1982. The couple has two sons, Joshua and Stephen, who both won scholarships to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and are now attorneys.

Congressional career

Committee assignments

At one time, McIntyre was said to have been a member of the most congressional caucuses in the House of Representatives. Additionally, he was founder and/or co-chairman of the following caucuses:
Largely composed of rural communities and farm families, support and representation for farmers and rural economic development is imperative for many constituents in the 7th district. When elected to Congress in 1996, McIntyre obtained a seat on the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and by retirement was the second highest-ranking member. In 2009, McIntyre was elected Chairman of the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Biotechnology, Specialty Crops, and Foreign Agriculture. Through the years, he also served on the following subcommittees: General Commodities, Livestock and Horticulture; Conservation, Energy and Forestry; Livestock, Rural Development and Credit; Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research. McIntyre additionally served as Chairman of the Rural Caucus Task Force on Jobs, Economic Development and Transportation and later became Co-Chairman of the entire Rural Caucus.
Notably, McIntyre co-authored and co-sponsored legislation with Rep. Bill Jenkins titled, The Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act, otherwise known as the "tobacco buyout." This legislation was the result of many years of work in an effort to relieve suffering tobacco farmers and after a long debate, this landmark legislation was signed into law as part of the American Jobs Creation Act in 2004. The tobacco buyout eliminated the quota and price support system that was in place and provided $10.1 billion in payments made over ten years to tobacco quota owners and growers for the elimination of their government created quotas. These payments, known as the Tobacco Transition Payment Program, allowed farmers to reduce debt and diversify or expand operations in tobacco and other farm enterprises such as vineyards. The last payment was made in January 2014.
Business and economic development was always at the forefront of McIntyre's agenda and his work has focused on promoting jobs, workforce development and business opportunities. As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Rural Development, McIntyre supported the Microenterprise Business and Rural Entrepreneur Program to help businesses which employ less than 10 people. He worked closely with USDA Rural Development throughout his years in Congress to bring funding for town halls, public works facilities, day care centers, fire and rescue stations, police departments, courthouses, small businesses, housing assistance, health care facilities, hospitals and other public needs to southeastern North Carolina.
McIntyre also worked on legislation to establish the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission which was signed into law as part of the 2008 Farm Bill. The purpose of the commission is to alleviate poverty and promote economic growth in the most distressed areas of the southeastern United States. The commission awards grants to areas in need to fund projects that meet the criteria for community betterment, including infrastructure, education and training, entrepreneurship, and leadership development.
McIntyre was well known for his coordination of the annual North Carolina Business and Economic Summit in Washington, initially called "The Washington Perspective" and later called "Taking Care of Business", which attracted approximately 250 business, Chamber of Commerce and civic leaders annually in September. These events were co-hosted by two other congressmen originally and currently has almost the entire congressional delegation continuing this popular tradition.
McIntyre has received significant recognition for his work in the agriculture and economic development arenas. He was named as the first recipient ever of an international award in public policy by the International Association of Personnel in Employment Security for his efforts to produce job opportunities and increase worker training. The National Association of Development Organizations honored him for his leadership in regional economic development, and the Southern Economic Development Council has chosen him five times for its Legislative Honor Roll. In 2002, he won the North Carolina Employment Security Advancing Workforce Development Award. McIntyre's service to agriculture has been recognized by numerous agricultural organizations including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, and the AgFirst Farm Credit Bank. In 2007, he was named National Legislator of the Year by the National Farm Service Agency Employees Association. He had received the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award from the Robeson County Crop Promotion Association in 1998 and subsequently received the North Carolina Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award from the N.C. Farm Bureau in 2014.

Coastal communities

As the U.S. representative of many coastal communities, McIntyre was instrumental in securing over half a billion dollars in funding to ensure the beaches, waterways, inlets and ports of North Carolina's 7th district were adequately maintained. He was founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Waterways Caucus, was co-chairman of the Congressional Boating Caucus, and was a member of the House Coastal Caucus and House Oceans Caucus. For his work on beach and waterway issues, McIntyre was named Coastal Advocate of the Year by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association; received the Admiral's Circle Award from the ; received the Conservationist Award from the ; received the J.W. Pate Award from the ; and was named Beach Preservationist of the Year by the .

Constituent services

Constituent service was a top priority for McIntyre. Through both the Washington and district offices, McIntyre and his staff worked to help veterans obtain medals earned during their service, assist senior citizens with their social security or Medicare benefits, aid citizens in obtaining a passport for travel, or personally welcome constituents to the nation's capital.
McIntyre placed a sign in the entry area of his office that stated: "This Office Belongs to the People of the Seventh Congressional District."