Bill Clinger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair of theHouse Oversight Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | John Conyers |
| Succeeded by | Dan Burton |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania | |
| In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Ammerman |
| Succeeded by | John Peterson |
| Constituency | 23rd district (1979–1993) 5th district (1993–1997) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Floyd Clinger Jr. (1929-04-04)April 4, 1929 Warren, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 28, 2021(2021-05-28) (aged 92) Naples, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Education | Johns Hopkins University (BA) University of Virginia (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1951–1955 |
William Floyd Clinger Jr. (April 4, 1929 – May 28, 2021) was an American attorney andRepublican politician who represented northwest and north-centralPennsylvania in theU.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 1997.
Clinger was born inWarren, Pennsylvania, the son of Lella May (Hunter) and William F. Clinger.[1][2][3] He attended the public schools there and graduated fromThe Hill School in 1947.[4] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree fromJohns Hopkins University in 1951 and aBachelor of Laws from theUniversity of Virginia in 1965.
Clinger served as an officer in theUnited States Navy from 1951 to 1955. He was a delegate to the Pennsylvania state constitutional convention, 1967 to 1968, and theRepublican National Convention in 1972.[5] Clinger was associated with the New Process Company of Warren, Pennsylvania from 1955 to 1962, was admitted to the Pennsylvaniabar in 1965, and was a lawyer in private practice.[6]
Defeating incumbent Representative Joseph S. Ammerman, Clinger was elected as a Republican to the96th and to the eight succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1997). While in the House of Representatives, he was chairman of theUnited States House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight[7] in the104th Congress, which was quite active in investigating theTravelgate andFilegate matters.[8][9] In addition, he served as vice chairman of theUnited States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and ranking member on theSubcommittee on Aviation.[4] Along with then-SenatorWilliam Cohen, Clinger co-authored theInformation Technology Management Reform Act, also known as the Clinger-Cohen Act.[10] He was not a candidate for re-election to the105th Congress in 1996.
After his retirement from Congress, Clinger served as the chairman for theChautauqua Institution's board of trustees.[4][5] He was a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University's Center for Advanced Governmental Studies[10][7] and co-chairman of the board of directors for the Institute for Representative Government.[11] He was also a member of the ReFormers Caucus ofIssue One.[12]
In October 2016, Clinger was one of thirty Republican ex-lawmakers to sign a public letter condemning GOP presidential nominee (and future president)Donald Trump[9] as "manifestly unqualified to be president."[8] Clinger died at the age of 92 on May 28, 2021.[13]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 23rd congressional district 1979–1993 | Constituency abolished |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 5th congressional district 1993–1997 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theHouse Oversight Committee 1993–1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theHouse Oversight Committee 1995–1997 | Succeeded by |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
