Bob Giuda

Robert J. Giuda (born February 21, 1952) (/ˈɡaɪdə/) is a former international airline captain, former United States Marine and later New Hampshire state senator for the 2nd district from Warren, New Hampshire.

Bob Giuda
Member of the New Hampshire Senate
from the 2nd district
In office
December 7, 2016 – December 7, 2022
Preceded byJeanie Forrester
Succeeded byTimothy Lang Sr.
Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
In office
January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2007
ConstituencyGrafton District 4
Grafton District 5 (After Redistricting)
Personal details
Born (1952-02-21) February 21, 1952
New York, New York
Political partyRepublican
SpouseChristine Giuda
ChildrenJoseph
Lauren
Stephanie
ResidenceWarren, New Hampshire
Alma materUnited States Naval Academy
OccupationInternational Airline Captain
Websitewww.bobgiuda.com

Early life

Giuda graduated from Pittsfield High School and was appointed to the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1975 with a B.S. in Operations Analysis. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, and went on to serve 9 years as a Naval Aviator.[1]

Military service and civilian life

Giuda's military career included active duty tours as a Marine Corps pilot aboard the USS Midway (CV-41), and as a flight instructor with the Navy's EA-6B training squadron at Whidbey Island, Washington. Reserve tours included pilot and Safety Officer with VMAQ-4 at Whidbey Island; and pilot with VMA-133 at Alameda, California. He flew numerous aircraft including the EA-6A, EA-6B, A-7E and A-4F Skyhawk. During his military service, he attended numerous schools, and completed the Aviation Safety Officer course at the United States Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.[1]

After the Marine Corps, Giuda served as a pilot for the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 1 year before leaving government service to pursue an airline career. As a result, he was employed as a captain for United Airlines.[1]

Political career

Giuda's political career began with the formation of the town of Warren Economic Development Committee, which ultimately resulted in an assessment of the community by the New Hampshire Rural Development Corporation. He was appointed and then elected as a selectman and chairman of the selectboard in Warren, New Hampshire, from 1998 to 2001. In 2000, he was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, serving three consecutive terms in office.[2] He opted not to seek a fourth term in 2006. While in the House, he was assigned to the Ways and Means and Labor and Rules committees and rose to the position of Deputy Majority Leader.[3]

Giuda successfully sponsored a constitutional amendment that limited the government's power of eminent domain after the controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Kelo v. City of New London. He also cosponsored numerous bills supporting a state spending cap, a constitutional amendment banning a New Hampshire income tax, and limiting judicial legislation from the bench.[3]

In 2016 Giuda was elected as a New Hampshire state senator for District 2.[4]

In March 2022 NHPR revealed that 300 New Hampshire-related names were found on a leaked Oath Keepers' database. Giuda's name was on the list. Giuda told NHPR, "he distanced himself from the organization soon after its involvement in the 2014 armed standoff with federal authorities at a Nevada ranch owned by Cliven Bundy." Giuda also told NHPR, "I left that group years ago, I wasn’t comfortable with the way the group was being run."[5] New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley said, “If Senator Giuda truly is no longer a member of this organization, it is absolutely essential he immediately provide corroborating documentation to show this is the case.”[6]

National presence and international affairs

In October 2001, shortly after the September 11 attacks, he appeared on national television to advocate training and arming qualified commercial airline pilots to prevent against future hijackings. He founded the Airline Pilots Security Alliance, which lobbied Congress in support of the Federal Flight Deck Officer program that exists today to enable pilots to defend against future hijackings.[3]

Kashmir and human rights advocacy

In December 2002 and February 2003, just before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Giuda traveled to Pakistan-held Kashmir on a series of fact-finding missions to investigate atrocities against Muslim civilians allegedly being committed by the Indian Armed Forces and paramilitary forces.[7] The mission included meetings with military leaders, members of Pakistan's cabinet, the National Assembly of Pakistan and Senate, and then-President Pervez Musharraf. Upon returning to New Hampshire, Giuda drafted and successfully shepherded a House Concurrent Resolution which led to U.S. House hearings on the ongoing atrocities in Kashmir.[8][9]

Bob Giuda in Kashmir with Pakistani child orphaned after major earthquake in 2005.
Bob Giuda in Kashmir with Pakistani child orphaned after earthquake in 2005

He later founded and chaired Americans for Resolution of Kashmir or "ARK" to educate Americans about the conflict in Kashmir and its relevance to national security. Upon returning to the United States, Giuda was featured on the front page of The New York Times International section as a result of the investigation into the atrocities in Kashmir;[10] he also personally helped Pakistan's president prepare for meetings with US diplomats at Camp David.[11] Giuda also presided over a panel discussion on "The Human Rights Dimension of the Kashmir Problem," where speakers from both sides of the issue respectively placed blame for Kashmir insurgency on Indian human rights violations and Kashmiri freedom fighters.[12]

In November 2005, he led a humanitarian relief team to the small village of Kafal Garh, 6,000 feet (1,800 m) above sea level in Kashmir, in the aftermath of the devastating October earthquake that killed an estimated 80,000 people in Pakistan.[13] The team provided funding to construct metal shelters to deal with the onset of winter and an average snowfall of 28 feet.[14]

2010 congressional campaign

In June 2009, he formed an exploratory committee for New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district seat.[15] He announced his candidacy in October 2009 and officially filed as a candidate with the New Hampshire Secretary of State on June 8, 2010.[16]

Incumbent Paul Hodes was seeking the U.S. Senate seat held by Judd Gregg, who was retiring.[17] Hodes' intention to run for Senate left an open seat in New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district, for which five Republicans and two Democrats declared and filed as candidates.[18][19][20]

The Second Congressional District at the time of the election consisted of the western and northern portions of the state, including all of Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, and Sullivan counties as well as almost all of Merrimack and Hillsborough counties plus three towns in Rockingham County and two towns in Belknap County. It comprised 171 towns and 7 cities.[21] Giuda came in third in the Republican primary election held on September 14, 2010.[22]

Views on issues

Guns

Giuda supports the right to bear arms and believes that this right has been severely compromised in modern America. He has pledged to oppose any legislation which interferes with a citizen's right to keep and bear arms, except in the case of felons.[23] As part of the Airline Pilots Security Alliance, Giuda worked to establish the Federal Flight Deck Officer program which arms and trains airline pilots to defend against future hijackings.[24]

Privacy

He opposes increasing the amount of biometric information on government identification cards.[25] One of the reasons that he opposes government intrusion into the healthcare system is the access authorities might have to private healthcare information.[26]

Budgetary issues

During a June 2010 appearance in Salem, New Hampshire an audience member asked Giuda to name specific budgetary cuts he would make. He named five departments he believes need to be curbed on both the budgetary and regulatory fronts:[27]

USA PATRIOT Act

Giuda believes the Patriot Act "is the worst form of destruction done to the Constitution, I think, in our country's history" and that "I would take 9/11 all over again rather than the thrashing our Constitution has taken."[28][29]

Civil unions

In 2001 Giuda voted in support of New Hampshire HB454 as put forward by House Republican Daniel C. Itse which would have prohibited New Hampshire from recognizing of out-of-state civil unions.[30] Giuda contends that this is consistent with his position today.[31]

Same-sex marriage

After an appearance at Rivier College in Nashua, New Hampshire, on June 28, 2010, in response to inquiries by members of his audience Giuda characterized some potential dangers he sees in same-sex marriage by saying "What's next? Men and sheep? Women and dogs?" He indicated his belief that same-sex marriage is the "downfall of the nation" in response to a question by another audience member and had previously indicated that he considered homosexuality to have been instrumental in the collapse of a number of previous civilizations such as Classical-era Greek Sparta.[31][32][33][34]

Later Giuda specified that these remarks were made in the context of a discussion on institutionalizing marriage and said that his meaning was that "it is not to our good as a nation or a society to institutionalize relationships that do not involve a man and a woman for the protection of a family."[32]

References
  1. "Meet Bob". Guida [for] Congress. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  2. "Robert J Giuda". Archived from the original on 2006-04-20. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  3. "Bob Giuda Exploritory (sic) Committee for NH 2nd Congressional District". NH Insider. July 27, 2009. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011.
  4. "New Hampshire 2nd District State Senate Results: Bob Giuda Wins". The New York Times. 2016-11-12. Archived from the original on 2016-11-13.
  5. "From law enforcement to a sitting state senator, nearly 300 New Hampshire names appear in Oath Keepers database". NHPR. March 3, 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  6. "BREAKING: NHDP Chair Calls on Sen. Bob Giuda to Produce Evidence He Has Left the Oath Keepers". MailChimp. NHDP. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  7. Subodh Atal (February 2003). "The Dangers of External Mediation - Misreading Local Code Words". Kashmir Herald. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  8. "New Hampshire resolution creates a stir: Kashmir issue". Dawn. APP. April 21, 2003. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
  9. "Americans For Resolution Of Kashmir". A-r-k.org. 2003-02-20. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  10. Rohde, David (December 22, 2002). "Threats and Responses - South Asia - Anti-American Feeling Rises in Pakistan as U.S. Confronts Iraq". The New York Times. p. 24. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  11. "ARK". ARK. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  12. Robert J. Giuda. "Americans for Resolution of Kashmir". PakistanLink. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30.
  13. "New figures put quake toll at over 79,000 -". MSNBC. Associated Press. October 19, 2005. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  14. "Geography of Kashmir". Koausa.org. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  15. "Giuda considering congressional run". Concord Monitor. 2009-06-16. Archived from the original on 2015-04-14. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  16. "2 GOP Senate candidates to file Wednesday". WCAX. 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  17. "Rep. Paul Hodes to seek Gregg's Senate seat". CNN Political Ticker. 2009-02-03. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  18. "Online Guide to New Hampshire Politics". Politics1. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  19. "Republican Party Cumulative Filings". Sos.nh.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  20. "Democratic Party Cumulative Filings". Sos.nh.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  21. "congressional". Sos.nh.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  22. "Election 2010". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  23. Giuda, Robert J. "2nd Amendment Rights". Archived from the original on 2010-08-04. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
  24. Robert J. Giuda (2010-04-18). Bob Giuda Speaks at 2A March in Concord NH. Concord, New Hampshire. Event occurs at 2m30s. Retrieved 2010-08-08 – via YouTube. I started a movement that today has resulted in ten thousand airline pilots carrying weapons in cockpits to protect against... {applause} I was grounded by my company, threatened with termination, and I said "Fine, thank you for the grounding." I went to Washington, D.C., worked with Senator Bob Smith, six other airline pilots around the country, and today we have the program.
  25. Robert J. Giuda (2010-04-18). Bob Giuda Speaks at 2A March in Concord NH. Concord, New Hampshire. Event occurs at 3m50s. Retrieved 2010-08-08 – via YouTube. We had a bill come to the floor of the house; twenty to nothing, ought to pass this amendment. Came out of the Transportation Committee and said, we should put information about biometrics and personal data on the back of your driver's license - the magnetic strip. And the reason was - you'll love this - security and safety! So I stood up and in a two minute floor oration I said, "Excuse me but I've been to the world, or I've traveled the world, and I've gone through more security checks than any person in this crowd or anywhere else around here. If you think that further intruding into the privacy of our citizens and making that public knowledge in a database in Concord that will get hacked, and if you think that making them pay more for a piece of plastic makes our country more secure, I hate to tell you something, that bad guys have computer technologies that will make more genuine driver's licenses than the DMV sitting across the road." Bad guys don't care about the laws so why do we further restrict and infringe on the law-abiding citizens?
  26. Robert J. Giuda (2009-08-29). Bob Giuda - NH Advantage Coalition Pork Roast. Rochester, New Hampshire. Event occurs at 2m20s. Retrieved 2010-08-08 – via YouTube. And further, our government, our Congress, is proposing to take over our healthcare system with access to the most intimate details of our private lives and without question to allow bureaucrats at some level to ration that health care and determine who's going to live and who's going to die and when.
  27. Robert J. Giuda (2010-06-06). Bob Giuda in Salem NH. Salem, New Hampshire. Event occurs at 2m20s. Retrieved 2010-08-08 – via YouTube.
  28. Robert J. Giuda (2010-04-18). Bob Giuda Speaks at 2A March in Concord NH. Concord, New Hampshire. Event occurs at 2m19s. Retrieved 2010-08-08 – via YouTube. The Patriot Act is the worst form of destruction done to the Constitution, I think, in our country's history.
  29. Robert J. Giuda (2010-04-18). Bob Giuda Speaks at 2A March in Concord NH. Concord, New Hampshire. Event occurs at 6m42s. Retrieved 2010-08-08 – via YouTube. I would take 9/11 all over again rather than the thrashing our Constitution has taken. We took a seven trillion dollar hit on September 11th; we've recovered from that. What has been lost may not be recoverable and that is our freedom from unreasonable intrusion and search and seizure and for reasons not necessarily of a substantial enough nature that they would've brought on a search warrant prior.
  30. Giuda as House member from Grafton voted "Nay" on the issue of "Committee Majority Report: ITL" on HB 454 and his vote in opposition to recognizing civil unions from other states is confirmed by his own words in The Telegraph of Nashua, see the other reference on this topic. Archive of New Hampshire House 2001 vote number 34 on HB454, 2010-08-08 - This information can't be directly seen on the page. It is necessary to execute a search for the 2001 session, HB454, roll call vote #34, which had 276 Yeas and 88 Nays.
  31. Landrigan, Kevin (2010-07-01). "GOP 2nd District hopeful says I didn't mean to offend". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
  32. Robert J. Giuda (2010-06-29). Giuda Criticized For Same-Sex Marriage Comments. New Hampshire: WMUR-TV. Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2010-06-30. Alt URL
  33. Kern, Eliza (2010-06-28). "Giuda calls gay marriage "downfall of the nation"". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
  34. Pindell, James. "Giuda: gay marriage 'downfall of the nation'". Archived from the original on July 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
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