• Born July 3, 1940.
• Married, Honey; four children.
• JD, New York University, 1965.
• Governor of Tennessee, 1979-1987.
• U.S. Secretary of Education, 1991-1993.

• Opposes abortion and any federal funding of abortion.
• Supports states' rights to restrict abortions.

• Opposes racial preferences in hiring and awarding of government contracts.
• Supports "color-blind" policies that would ensure equal opportunity.

Previous Record

As U.S. Secretary of Education, 1991-1993

• Prohibited use of race-based scholarships at colleges and universities.
• Opposed "diversity" criteria used by higher education accrediting boards.

As president of University of Tennessee, 1988-1991

• Appointed university's first African-American and female vice presidents.

As Tennessee governor, 1979-1987

• Appointed first African-American to serve on Tennessee Supreme Court.

Bosnia Intervention

• Opposes intervention of U.S. peacekeeping force in Bosnia.

• Opposes flat tax plan proposed by Steve Forbes. Supports tax reform but would keep deductions for mortgage interest and charitable deductions.
• Supports a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget.
• Opposes a national sales tax on the grounds that federal control of such a tax would undermine state and local authority.
• Opposes federal imposition of unfunded mandates on state and local governments.
• Supports presidential line item veto.

Previous Record

As Tennessee governor, 1979-1987

• Balanced eight budgets and improved state bond rating.
• Reduced state payroll.

• Opposes present campaign finance restrictions because they favor wealthy and well-known candidates.
• Supports simplifying federal campaign finance rules to reduce administrative costs.
• Supports raising $1,000 limit on individual contributions to offset the influence of special interest groups and political action committees.
• Supports term limits of six years (three terms) for House members and 12 years (two terms) for senators.

• Supports death penalty.
• Supports states' rights to establish standards of punishment with minimal federal involvement.

Previous Record

As Tennessee governor, 1979-1987

• Supported extensive prison construction program and tougher sentences for violent criminals.

• Supports eliminating the Department of Education -- the agency he ran under President George Bush -- and reassigning its responsibilities to other federal departments or local governments.
• Opposes federal educational standards; believes communities should establish their own.
• Supports merit pay for teachers.
• Supports voluntary prayer in schools.

Previous Record

As U.S. Secretary of Education, 1991-1993

• Supported school choice legislation ultimately rejected by Congress.
• Initiated effort to establish voluntary National Education Standards in science, English, history and other subjects.

As Tennessee governor, 1979-1987

• Supported master teachers program, which ties pay increases to superior teaching.
• Supported 10-point Better Schools Program, which established incentive pay programs and revamped public school curricula.

• Supports creation of incentives, such as tax rebates, for companies with strong anti-pollution records.
• Supports increased control by state and local governments over environmental policy.
• Supports specific, targeted environmental regulations rather than broad controls.

As Tennessee governor, 1979-1987

• Supported Clean Water Program, $1 billion long-term initiative to fight water pollution in state.

• Opposes Brady bill, which imposes waiting periods and background checks prior to gun purchases.
• Supports tougher prison sentences for people who commit crimes with guns.

• Opposes U.S. peacekeeping mission in Bosnia.
• Supports only a limited role for the U.S. in resolving foreign disputes.
• Opposes further cuts in military spending.
• Opposes American forces operating under foreign command in UN peacekeeping missions.

• Supports decentralizing the federal Medicaid program and limiting the growth of Medicare spending.
• Supports giving state governments more control over health care policies.
• Supports reforms that would allow people to keep insurance while changing jobs or moving.
• Supports medical IRAs and tax breaks for people who buy their own insurance.

Previous Record

As Tennessee governor, 1979-1987

• Supported Healthy Children Initiative, which lowered Tennessee infant mortality rate.

• Supports allowing children of illegal immigrants to attend public school.
• Supports beefed-up border patrols.
• Supports federal compensation to the states for expenditures related to illegal immigration.
• Opposes denying health benefits to illegal immigrants.

• Supports free trade measures such as NAFTA and GATT.

Previous Record

As Tennessee governor, 1979-1987

• Recruited Nissan, a major Japanese car company, to build assembly plant in Smyrna, TN.

• Supports shifting most welfare and antipoverty programs from the federal government to the states.
• Opposes Senate welfare reform bill because it leaves too much authority over welfare policy with the federal government.

Issue information in this report was obtained from the "On the Issues" section of Come on Along!, the official Lamar Alexander home page; from Project Vote Smart, a nonprofit, nonpartisan political research organization that maintains an extensive database of issue-related information; and from Thomas, a legislative database maintained by the Library of Congress.