Dan Coats

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Dan Coats
Image of Dan Coats
Prior offices
U.S. Ambassador to Germany

U.S. House Indiana District 4

U.S. Senate Indiana
Successor: Evan Bayh

Director of National Intelligence

Compensation

Net worth

$4,673,518.50

Education

High school

Jackson High School, 1961

Bachelor's

Wheaton College, 1965

Law

Indiana University School of Law, 1971

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1966 - 1968

Personal
Religion
Christian: Presbyterian

Daniel Ray "Dan" Coats is the former director of national intelligence (DNI).

On January 5, 2017, President Donald Trump asked Coats to serve as DNI. The Senate confirmed Coats by a vote of 85-12 on March 15, 2017. He was sworn in on March 16, 2017, as the fifth person to serve in the position.[1][2] Coats stepped down on August 15, 2019.[3]

Coats is a former Republican member of the U.S. Senate from the state of Indiana. Coats served from 2011 to 2017. Coats retired in January 2017 and did not seek re-election in 2016.[4] Coats also served as the United States Ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2005, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1988, and a member of the U.S. Senate from 1989 to 1999.[5][6]

Biography

Coats was born in Jackson, Michigan. He attended local public schools and graduated from Jackson High School in 1961. He then studied at Wheaton College in Illinois, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science in 1965. At Wheaton, he was an active student athlete on the soccer team. He served in the United States Army from 1966 to 1968. He earned his law degree from Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis in 1971. He also served as assistant vice president of a Fort Wayne life insurance company.[7]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Coats' academic, professional, and political career:[8]

  • March 16, 2017 - August 15, 2019: Director of National Intelligence
  • 2011 - 2017: U.S. Senator from Indiana
  • 2001 - 2005: U.S. Ambassador to Germany
  • 1989 - 1999: U.S. Senator from Indiana
  • 1981 - 1989: U.S. Representative from Indiana's 4th Congressional District
  • 1966 - 1968: Served in the United States Army

Director of National Intelligence

On January 5, 2017, President Donald Trump asked Coats to serve as DNI. The Senate confirmed Coats by a vote of 85-12 on March 15, 2017. He was sworn in on March 16, 2017.[1][2] Coats stepped down on August 15, 2019.

What is the DNI?

The office of the DNI was created in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks with the goal of coordinating and integrating the efforts of the country’s various intelligence agencies. The DNI is the principal adviser to the president and the national security council on all security-related intelligence matters and serves as the head of the U.S. Intelligence Community, a group of 16 government intelligence agencies that includes the CIA. The position requires Senate confirmation.[9]

Issues related to Coats’ role as DNI

Counterintelligence

  • In 2015, Coats added a provision to the Intelligence Authorization Act that called for the National Counterintelligence Executive to be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. That office is responsible for countering potential threats from foreign and domestic agents within the U.S. Coats cited Edward Snowden as a chief reason for the provision. Coats said, “[I]t has been two years since Edward Snowden fled to Russia, and there has been no accountability for the counterintelligence and security lapses that led to the most significant breach ever of classified information. My provision would elevate consideration of this important position to ensure counterintelligence remains a primary pillar of our national security strategy.”[10]

Counterterrorism and border security

  • In 2014, Coats introduced a bill called the “Counterterrorism Border Security Enhancement Act,” which Coats said, “would require the administration to assess how existing border security and entry procedures can be improved and strengthened.” The bill focused specifically on retooling the Visa Waiver Program, which allowed citizens from close to 40 countries to travel to the U.S. without first obtaining a visa. Coats proposed implementing a system to ensure compliance with information-sharing agreements among participating countries.[11]

Government Surveillance Programs

  • In 2013, Coats said that he supported the National Security Agency’s surveillance program. His office released a statement saying, “U.S. Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., believes secret National Security Agency programs collecting the telephone and Internet records of all Americans are needed to protect the country from terrorist attacks.”[12]

Russia

See also: Federal policy on Russia, 2017-2020
  • On February 13, 2018, during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Coats warned members of Congress that Russia would try to meddle in the 2018 midterm elections. He said, “We expect Russia to continue using propaganda, social media, false-flag personas, sympathetic spokespeople and other means of influence to try to exacerbate social and political fissures in the United States. ... There should be no doubt that Russia perceives its past efforts as successful and views the 2018 U.S. midterm elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations. ... Throughout the entire community, we have not seen any evidence of any significant change from last year. ... The Russians have a strategy that goes well beyond what is happening in the United States. While they have historically tried to do these types of things, clearly in 2016 they upped their game. They took advantage, a sophisticated advantage of social media. They are doing that not only in the United States but doing it throughout Europe and perhaps elsewhere.”[13]
  • In 2013, Coats criticized Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its military involvement in Ukraine, which he called illegal. The following year, Russia banned him from entering the country. Coats responded by calling the ban an honor and said sarcastically, "I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to go on vacation with my family in Siberia this summer.” In 2014, Coats said, “Putin’s recent aggression is unacceptable, and America must join with our European allies to isolate and punish Russia. I will continue to lead efforts on Capitol Hill to bring Putin to his senses."[14]

United States Senate

Committees

U.S. Senate

2015-2016

Coats served on the following Senate committees:[15]

2013-2014

Coats served on the following Senate committees:[16][17]

  • Appropriations Committee
    • Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
    • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
    • Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
    • Subcommittee on Department of Homeland
    • Subcommittee on Department of Defense
  • Select Committee on Intelligence
  • Joint Economic Committee
  • Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
    • Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
    • Subcommittee on Science and Space
    • Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
    • Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance
    • Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion
    • Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet

2011-2012

Coats served on the following Senate committees:

Key votes

114th Congress

CongressLogo.png

The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[19][20] The Senate confirmed 18,117 out of 21,815 executive nominations received (83 percent). For more information pertaining to Coats's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.[21]

Economic and fiscal

Trade Act of 2015
See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015

Yea3.png On May 22, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314, which was used as a legislative vehicle for trade legislation with the titles "Trade Act of 2015" and the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015," by a vote of 62-37. The bill proposed giving the president trade promotion authority (TPA). TPA, also known as fast track authority, allows the president to negotiate trade deals that cannot be amended by Congress. Congress casts a simple up or down vote on a trade agreement, and the legislation only requires a simple majority for approval. The bill also included a statement of trade priorities and provisions for trade adjustment assistance. Coats voted with 47 other Republican senators to approve the bill.[22][23]
Trade promotion authority
Yea3.png On June 24, 2015, by a vote of 60-38, the Senate approved trade promotion authority (TPA) as part of HR 2146 - Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act. Coats was one of 47 Republicans to vote in favor of the bill. After, Senate Republican leadership honored a pledge to support trade adjustment assistance (TAA) by passing the measure as part of HR 1295 - Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 by voice vote. The House passed HR 1295 the following day, on June 25, 2015, and both TPA and TAA were signed into law on June 29, 2015.[24][25][26]

2016 Budget proposal

Yea3.png On May 5, 2015, the Senate voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 51-48. The non-binding resolution will be used to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. The vote marked the first time since 2009 that Congress approved a joint budget resolution. All 44 Democrats voted against the resolution. Coats voted with 50 other Republican senators to approve the bill.[27][28][29]

Defense spending authorization

Yea3.png On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed S 1356 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 91-3. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included "$5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget" and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison.[30][31] Coats voted with 47 Republicans, 42 Democrats and one independent to approve the bill.[32] On November 5, 2015, the House passed the bill by a vote of 370-58, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.[33]

Yea3.png On June 18, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1735 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 71-25. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Coats voted with 48 Republicans, 21 Democrats and one Independent to approve the bill.[34] The House passed the bill on May 15, 2015.[35] President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.[36]

2015 budget

Nay3.png On October 30, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 by a vote of 64-35. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017.[37] Coats voted with 34 Republicans against the bill.[38] It passed the House on October 28, 2015.[39] President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015.

Foreign Affairs

Iran nuclear deal
See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015

Yea3.png On May 7, 2015, the Senate voted to approve HR 1191 - A bill to provide for congressional review and oversight of agreements relating to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes, by a vote of 98-1. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Coats voted with 52 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Senator Tom Cotton (Ark.) was the only Republican who voted against the bill.[40][41]


Hire More Heroes Act of 2015
Yea3.png On September 10, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 58-42.[42] Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Coats voted with 53 other Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval.[43]


Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 follow up votes
Yea3.png On September 15, 2015, the Senate voted for a second time to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 56-42.[44] Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Coats voted with 51 Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval.[45] The legislation was voted on for a third time on September 17, and it failed for a third time by a vote of 56-42.[46]


Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 fourth vote
Yea3.png On September 17, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster a vote on S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640 by a vote of 53-45. The amendment proposed prohibiting "the President from waiving, suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran."[47] Coats voted with 51 Republicans and one Democrat to proceed to the amendment.[48]

Domestic

USA FREEDOM Act of 2015

Nay3.png On June 2, 2015, the Senate passed HR 2048 - the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 by a vote of 67-32. The legislation revised HR 3199 - the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 by terminating the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Coats voted with 29 Republicans, one Democrat and one independent against the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015.[49][50]

Loretta Lynch AG nomination

Nay3.png On April 23, 2015, the Senate voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as United States Attorney General by a vote of 56-43. All 44 Democratic senators voted to confirm Lynch. Coats voted with 42 other Republican senators against Lynch's confirmation.[51]

Cyber security

Yea3.png On October 27, 2015, the Senate passed S 754 - the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 by a vote of 74-21.[52] The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Coats voted with 42 Republicans, 30 Democrats and one independent in favor of the bill.[53]

Immigration

Yea3.png On October 20, 2015, the Senate voted against proceeding to a vote on S 2146 - the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act by a vote of 54-45. The bill proposed withholding federal funding from "sanctuary jurisdictions" that violate the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and other federal immigration laws. In addition, the bill proposed increasing "penalties for individuals who illegally reenter the United States after being removed" and providing "liability protection for State and local law enforcement who cooperate with Federal law enforcement."[54] Coats voted with 51 Republicans and two Democrats in favor of proceeding to the bill.[55]

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[56] The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Coats's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[57]

National security

John Brennan CIA nomination

Yea3.png Coats voted for the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, by a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.[58]

Economy

Farm bill

Yea3.png On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.[59] It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.[60] Coats joined with 19 other Republican senators in favor of the bill.

2014 Budget

Yea3.png On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.[61][62] The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill.[62] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.[63] It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts. Coats voted with the 17 Republican and the 55 Democratic members in favor of the bill.[61][62]

Government shutdown

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

Yea3.png During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, HR 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[64] The final vote on HR 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Coats voted with the Democratic Party for the bill.[65]

No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013

Yea3.png Coats voted for HR 325—the No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, by a vote of 64-34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.[58]

Immigration

Mexico-U.S. border

Nay3.png Coats voted against SA 1197—Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, by a vote of 39-54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status could be granted. It would also have required 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.[58]

Social issues

Violence Against Women (2013)

Yea3.png Coats voted for S 47—the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, by a vote of 78-22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.[58]

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal Cliff

Yea3.png Coats voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.[66]


Issues

National Security

Letter to Iran

On March 9, 2015, Senator Tom Cotton wrote a letter to Iran's leadership, warning them that signing a nuclear deal with the Obama administration without congressional approval was merely an "executive agreement". The letter also stated that "The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time." The letter was signed by 47 Republican members of the Senate. Coats was one of the seven Republican members of the Senate who did not sign the letter.[67]

The letter caused intense backlash from both the Obama administration and members of Congress.[68] Vice President Joe Biden said of the letter, "In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which senators wrote directly to advise another country — much less a longtime foreign adversary — that the president does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them."[69] On Twitter, the hashtag "47Traitors" became the top trending topic in the world, and a debate raged as to whether the 47 who signed the letter were traitors or patriots.[70]

Drones filibuster

See also: Rand Paul filibuster of John Brennan's CIA Nomination in March 2013

On March 6, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R) led a 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan. Paul started the filibuster in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's drone policies. In particular, Paul said he was concerned about whether a drone could be used to kill an American citizen within the United States border, without any due process involved. Paul and other civil liberties activists criticized President Obama for not offering a clear response to the question. A total of 14 senators joined Paul in the filibuster -- 13 Republicans and one Democrat.[71][72][73]

Coats was one of 30 Republican senators who did not support the filibuster.[74][75][76][77]

The day after the filibuster, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Paul, responding to the filibuster. Holder wrote, "Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on U.S. soil? The answer to that is no."[78]

Presidential preference

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Coats endorsed Marco Rubio for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[79]

See also: Endorsements for Marco Rubio

Elections

2016

See also: United States Senate election in Indiana, 2016

The race for Indiana's Senate seat was one of nine competitive battleground races in 2016 that helped Republicans maintain control of the Senate. Todd Young (R) defeated Evan Bayh (D), Lucy Brenton (L), and James Johnson (I) (Write-in) in the general election to win retiring incumbent Dan Coats' (R) Senate seat on November 8, 2016.[80][81][82]

Bayh, a former U.S. Senator, governor of Indiana, and Indiana Secretary of State received major media attention upon his announcement that he was running for the seat he left in 2011. Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, said Bayh’s run “might be the biggest surprise in Senate races this year.”[83]

Bayh said wanted to return to the Senate to address the same issues of partisanship and gridlock that led him to retire, “Things in Washington have only gotten worse, and it grieves me to see what’s happened in our country, the unmet challenges that so many of our families face. I just concluded that I couldn’t stand on the sidelines anymore and needed to do what I could to try and bring us together to meet our challenges.”[84]

Young, who represented Indiana's 9th Congressional District from 2011 to 2017, ran on his background as a former Marine, ‘“I would say more than anything else, this election is about who Hoosiers can trust. It’s about character,” Young said. “Either (voters) place their trust in a Marine who lives here in Indiana … or they place their trust in a career politician who’s cashed out and has an unseemly post-Senate career he doesn’t want to talk about.”[85]

In August 2016, Republicans accused Bayh of not living in Indiana, citing reports that he was listed as an inactive voter by the Indiana Election Division. CNN also reported that public records showed Bayh listed his two Washington, D.C. homes as his places of primary residence instead of his home in Indianapolis.[86]

During a campaign stop, Young said, “What I’m hearing from people across the board is they are frustrated by their elected representatives going to Washington, D.C., and forgetting about Indiana. They believe special interests and Washington lobbyists — like Evan Bayh — are a big part of the problem, and they’re right.”[87]

In response to a question about his homes, Bayh told the Indianapolis Star, “Susan and I spent the last couple of nights at our Indianapolis home, and we like it. If Congressman Young and his allies want to attack me, that’s their decision. I’m going to attack the challenges that face Hoosier families and our country. That’s why I’m running.”[84]

U.S. Senate, Indiana General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngTodd Young 52.1% 1,423,991
     Democratic Evan Bayh 42.4% 1,158,947
     Libertarian Lucy Brenton 5.5% 149,481
     N/A Write-in 0% 127
Total Votes 2,732,546
Source: Indiana Election Division


U.S. Senate, Indiana Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngTodd Young 67.1% 661,136
Marlin Stutzman 32.9% 324,429
Total Votes 985,565
Source: Indiana Secretary of State

2010

On November 2, 2010, Coats won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Brad Ellsworth (D), Rebecca Sink-Burris (L), Jim Miller (I), and Jack Rooney (I) in the general election.[88]

U.S. Senate, Indiana General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDan Coats 54.6% 952,116
     Democratic Brad Ellsworth 40% 697,775
     Libertarian Rebecca Sink-Burris 5.4% 94,330
     Independent Jim Miller 0% 161
     Independent Jack Rooney 0% 99
Total Votes 1,744,481

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Dan Coats campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2010U.S. Senate (Indiana)Won $4,396,274 N/A**
Grand total$4,396,274 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Donors


BP-Initials-UPDATED.png The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.



Dan Coats campaign contribution history
Year Office Result Contributions
2010 U.S. Senate (Indiana) Won $4,396,274
Grand total raised $4,396,274
Source: [[89] Follow the Money]



2010

Coats won election to the U.S. Senate in 2010. During that election cycle, Coats' campaign committee raised a total of $4,396,274 and spent $3,478,713.[90]


PGI

Personal Gain Index

Congressional Personal Gain Index graphic.png
See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives
Net Worth Metric graphic.png

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Coats' net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $2,892,037 and $6,455,000. That averages to $4,673,518.50, which was lower than the average net worth of Republican senators in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Coats ranked as the 30th most wealthy senator in 2012.[91] Between 2009 and 2012, Coats' calculated net worth[92] decreased by an average of 2 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.[93]

Dan Coats Yearly Net Worth
YearAverage Net Worth
2009$4,910,565
2012$4,673,518
Growth from 2009 to 2012:−5%
Average annual growth:−2%[94]
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.[95]

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Coats received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Insurance industry.

From 1989-2014, 14.95 percent of Coats' career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.[96]

Donation Concentration Metric graphic.png
Dan Coats Campaign Contributions
Total Raised $14,200,678
Total Spent $13,590,240
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Insurance$479,368
Securities & Investment$432,341
Lawyers/Law Firms$418,167
Retired$401,202
Health Professionals$391,377
% total in top industry3.38%
% total in top two industries6.42%
% total in top five industries14.95%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Coats was a "far-right Republican," as of July 22, 2014. Coats was rated as a "moderate Republican follower" in June 2013.[97]

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.[98]

Coats most often voted with:

Coats least often voted with:


Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Dan Coats missed 94 of 4,855 roll call votes from January 1989 to September 2015. This amounts to 1.9 percent, which is worse than the median of 1.6 percent among current senators as of September 2015.[99]

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Coats paid his congressional staff a total of $1,744,992 in 2011. He ranked 9th on the list of the lowest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked 10th overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Indiana ranked 11th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[100]

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year.

2013

Coats ranked 23rd in the conservative rankings in 2013.[101]

2012

Coats ranked 30th in the conservative rankings in 2012.[102]

2011

Coats ranked 25th in the conservative rankings in 2011.[103]

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Coats voted with the Republican Party 92.9 percent of the time, which ranked 4th among the 45 Senate Republican members as of July 2014.[104]

2013

Coats voted with the Republican Party 92 percent of the time, which ranked 5th among the 46 Senate Republican members as of June 2013.[105]

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Dan Coats Director of National Intelligence. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 CBS News, "Trump selects former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats for DNI," accessed January 10, 2017
  2. 2.0 2.1 Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Daniel Coats, of Indiana, to be Director of National Intelligence)," accessed March 16, 2017
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  92. This figure represents the average annual percentage growth from either 2004 (if the member entered office in 2004 or earlier) or their first year in office (as noted in the chart below) to 2012, divided by the number of years calculated.
  93. This number was found by dividing each member's total net worth growth percentage by the number of years included in the calculation.
  94. This figure represents the total percentage growth divided by the number of years for which there are net worth figures for each member.
  95. This figure was calculated using median asset data from the Census Bureau. Please see the Congressional Net Worth data for Ballotpedia spreadsheet for more information on this calculation.
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Political offices
Preceded by
Evan Bayh
U.S. Senate-Indiana
2011–2017
Succeeded by
Todd Young (R)
Preceded by
'
U.S. Ambassador to German
2001–2005
Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
'
U.S. Senate-Indiana
1989–1999
Succeeded by
'
Preceded by
'
U.S. House-Indiana
1981–1989
Succeeded by
'