Howard Coble Explained

Howard Coble
State1:North Carolina
Term Start1:January 3, 1985
Term End1:January 3, 2015
Predecessor1:Robin Britt
Successor1:Mark Walker
State House2:North Carolina
District2:27th[1]
Term Start2:1983
Term End2:1985
Predecessor2:Thomas Bell Hunter
Successor2:Albert S. Lineberry
Frank Julian Sizemore, III
State House3:North Carolina
District3:23rd[2]
Term Start3:1979
Term End3:1983
Predecessor3:Henry E. Frye
Thomas Odell Gilmore
Thomas B. Sawyer
William Marcus Short
Charles Edward Webb[3]
Successor3:George W. Miller Jr.
William Paul Pulley, Jr.
Kenneth Bridgeforth Spaulding
Office4:Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Revenue
Governor4:James Holshouser
Term Start4:1973
Term End4:1977
Predecessor4:Gilmer Andrew Jones, Jr.
Successor4:Mark G. Lynch
State House6:North Carolina
District6:26th[4]
Term Start6:1969
Term End6:1971
Predecessor6:Hargrove Skipper Bowles, Jr.
Elton Edwards
James Gooden Exum, Jr.
Charles Wesley Phillips
Daniel P. Whitley, Jr.[5]
Successor6:Clifton Tredway Hunt, Jr.
John McNeill Smith, Jr.[6]
Birth Name:John Howard Coble
Birth Date:18 March 1931
Birth Place:Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Death Place:Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Party:Republican
Alma Mater:Appalachian State University
Guilford College (AB)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (JD)
Occupation:Lawyer
Allegiance: United States
Branch:United States Coast Guard
Serviceyears:1952–1956
1977–1978
1960–1982 (USCGR)[7]
Rank: Captain
Battles:Korean War

John Howard Coble (March 18, 1931 – November 3, 2015) was an American politician who was the U.S. representative for, serving from 1985 to 2015. He was a member of the Republican Party. The district includes all or portions of ten counties in the northern-central part of the state, including portions of Greensboro and Durham.

Early life, education, and pre-political career

Coble was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, the son of Johnnie E. (Holt) and Joseph Howard Coble.[8] After high school, he initially attended Appalachian State University, but after a year joined the United States Coast Guard, serving for over 5 years and staying on as a reservist for an additional 18 years. Upon discharging from military service, he attended Guilford College, from which he received a history degree. He was a member of the Epsilon Iota chapter of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Coble then moved on to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned a degree in law.

After graduating from college, Coble first worked as an insurance agent. He then spent nearly 20 years as a practicing attorney, and he was also Secretary of Revenue under North Carolina Governor James Holshouser. In 1979, Coble was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives, serving until his election to Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Coble was first elected to Congress in 1984, narrowly defeating Walter Cockerham in the primary 51%–49%.[9] In the general election, he defeated one-term Democratic incumbent Robin Britt 51%–49%.[10] Coble was likely the beneficiary of long coattails from Ronald Reagan, who carried the district by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. In 1986, he defeated Britt in a rematch, which was an even closer 50.03%–49.97% and Coble won by only 79 votes (closest margin of victory that year). He would never face another contest nearly that close, and would be reelected 13 more times with 61% or more of the vote.[11] In July 2008, Coble won the Republican primary unopposed and became North Carolina's longest-serving Republican U.S. congressman, surpassing former U.S. Congressman Jim Broyhill (who was also elected to 12 terms but left the House in July 1986 to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat). Coble announced in 2013 that he would not run for another term in 2014, and would retire after 30 years in Congress.[12]

Tenure

In the 105th United States Congress Coble moved to suspend the rules and pass the NET Act on November 4, 1997, which removed the requirement of financial gain for criminal prosecution of copyright violation.[13] The NET Act was passed only after the House suspended the rules.[14]

Coble was a strong supporter of agriculture and had voted in favor of bills to protect agriculture. Coble opposed further regulation of tobacco because he believed it would hurt North Carolina tobacco planters.

Coble took a hard-line position on illegal drugs, and co-sponsored a resolution to oppose the legalization and use of medical marijuana.[15] He also voted for an amendment to authorize drug testing on federal employees. However, he authored a resolution to celebrate the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Prohibition of alcoholic beverages in the United States. Coble was also a member of the Tea Party Caucus, joining Sue Myrick and Walter B. Jones as the sole members of the North Carolina Congressional delegation to join the group.

In June 2013, Coble announced introduction of new legislation to reform the congressional pension program. He stated that reforming congressional pensions was long overdue and that the bill would lengthen the time of service required before a member would be eligible for participation in the pension program.[16] Coble himself pledged not to receive any pension from the United States government. He told CBS Up to the Minute, "I figured taxpayers pay my salary – not a bad salary, and I figure that's sufficient. Let me fend for myself after the salary's collected." He also stated to CBS, "I've pledged my assurance I won't take the pension. That's between my constituents and me. As far as convicted felons, I guess that's between their constituents and themselves." He was one of two congressmen, with Ron Paul, to have pledged to decline his pension.[17]

However, during the government shutdown in October 2013, Coble said that although 800,000 federal workers are furloughed and not receiving a paycheck, he would still collect his salary as a requirement of law.[18] Coble was one of 87 Republicans who voted to end the shutdown.[19]

Legislation sponsored

A bill to extend the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 for 10 years (H.R. 3626; 113th Congress) was introduced in the House on December 2, 2013, by Coble.[20] The bill would extend the Act but would not expand any of its provisions (related to plastic guns).[21] It passed the House on December 3, 2013.

Coble also sponsored the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA),[22] in 1997, a bill fundamental to the foundation of internet law. It would come into effect in the year 2000.

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Personal life

As a young man, Coble frequently enjoyed eating a breakfast of Rose brand pork brains in milk gravy and eggs. According to a quote from Coble appearing alongside his family recipe for "Breakfast Brains N' Eggs," the breakfast was "fairly regular" and "not at all unusual".[23]

Coble was a member of the Guilford College Board of Visitors and of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Board of Visitors.

He was a Freemason and member of Guilford Lodge number 656 in Greensboro.[24]

Coble had skin cancer for many years among other ailments. He was admitted to intensive care in a Greensboro hospital in September 2015 after complications from skin cancer surgery, and died in the hospital from those complications on November 3, 2015, at age 84.[25] [26]

Electoral history

|+ : Results 1984–2012[27] [28] [29] ! Year!! Republican! Votes! %!! Democratic! Votes! %!! Third Party! Party! Votes! %!! Third Party! Party! Votes! %!|-|1984||| |Howard Coble| |102,925| |51%|| |Robin Britt| |100,263| |49%||||||||||||-|1986||| |Howard Coble| |72,329| |50%|| |Robin Britt| |72,250| |50%||||||||||||-|1988||| |Howard Coble| |116,534| |62%|| |Tom Gilmore| |70,008| |38%||||||||||||-|1990||| |Howard Coble| |125,392| |67%|| |Helen Allegrone| |62,913| |33%||||||||||||-|1992||| |Howard Coble| |162,822| |71%|| |Robin Hood| |67,200| |29%||||||||||||-|1994||| |Howard Coble| |98,355| |100%|| |No candidate| || ||||||||||||-|1996||| |Howard Coble| |167,828| |73%|| |Mark Costley| |58,022| |25%|| |Gary Goodson| |Libertarian| |2,693| |1%|||||||-|1998||| |Howard Coble| |112,740| |89%|| |No candidate| || ||| |Jeffrey Bentley| |Libertarian| |14,454| |11%|||||||-|2000||| |Howard Coble| |195,727| |91%|| |No candidate| || ||| |Jeffrey Bentley| |Libertarian| |18,726| |9%|||||||-|2002||| |Howard Coble| |151,430| |90%|| |No candidate| || ||| |Tara Grubb| |Libertarian| |16,067| |10%|||||||-|2004||| |Howard Coble| |207,470| |73%|| |William Jordan| |76,153| |27%||||||||||||-|2006||| |Howard Coble| |108,433| |71%|| |Rory Blake| |44,661| |29%||||||||||||-|2008||| |Howard Coble| |221,008| |67%|| |Teresa Bratton| |108,873| |33%||||||||||||-|2010||| |Howard Coble| |156,252| |75%|| |Sam Turner| |51,507| |25%||||||||||||-|2012||| |Howard Coble| |222,116| |61%|| |Tony Foriest| |142,467| |39%|| |Hugh Chauvin| |Libertarian| |4,847| |2%|| |Brandon Parmer| |Green| |2,017| |1%|

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: North Carolina State House of Representatives - 1983-1984. www.carolana.com. Apr 4, 2021.
  2. Web site: North Carolina State House of Representatives - 1979-1980. www.carolana.com. Apr 4, 2021.
  3. Web site: North Carolina State House of Representatives - 1977-1978. www.carolana.com. Apr 4, 2021.
  4. Web site: North Carolina State House of Representatives - 1969. www.carolana.com. Apr 4, 2021.
  5. Web site: North Carolina State House of Representatives - 1967. www.carolana.com. Apr 4, 2021.
  6. Web site: North Carolina State House of Representatives - 1971. www.carolana.com. Apr 4, 2021.
  7. Web site: COBLE, Howard – Biographical Information. congress.gov. 31 August 2015.
  8. Web site: coble. ancestry.com. 5 November 2015.
  9. Web site: Our Campaigns – NC District 6 – R Primary Race – May 08, 1984. ourcampaigns.com. 31 August 2015.
  10. Web site: Our Campaigns – NC District 6 Race – Nov 06, 1984. ourcampaigns.com. 31 August 2015.
  11. Web site: Our Campaigns – Candidate – J. Howard Coble. ourcampaigns.com. 31 August 2015.
  12. News: Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) to retire. Aaron Blake. 7 November 2013. Washington Post. 31 August 2015.
  13. Web site: Weekend Maintenance – Library of Congress. loc.gov. 31 August 2015.
  14. Web site: Weekend Maintenance – Library of Congress. loc.gov. 31 August 2015. 19 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151019042149/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d105:HR02265:@@@Z. dead.
  15. Web site: Expressing the sense of Congress that marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug and should not be legalized for medicinal use. (1998; 105th Congress H.J.Res. 117) – GovTrack.us. GovTrack.us. 31 August 2015.
  16. Web site: High Point Enterprise praises Coble pension bill . June 18, 2013 . house.gov . U.S. House of Representatives . 16 July 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140221204512/http://coble.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=339584 . 21 February 2014 .
  17. News: Pensions Follow Ex-Lawmakers to Prison . CBS News . December 22, 2009.
  18. News: CNN Keeps Count... . CNN . October 3, 2013.
  19. News: Votes to end the government shutdown . Cameron . Darla . 2013-10-16 . The Washington Post . 2019-03-04 . Andrews . Wilson . en.
  20. Web site: H.R. 3626 – All Actions. United States Congress. 5 December 2013.
  21. News: House votes to renew ban on plastic firearms. 5 December 2013. Foxnews.com. 3 December 2013.
  22. Web site: Coble. Howard. 1998-10-28. H.R.2281 - 105th Congress (1997-1998): Digital Millennium Copyright Act. 2021-02-23. www.congress.gov.
  23. Web site: Coble. Howard. Favorite Breakfast "Brains N' Eggs". Congress Cooks!. 30 January 2016. 26 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160126020318/http://virtualcities.com/ons/nc/gov/ncgvhc1.htm. dead.
  24. Carter . Ric . July–August 2012 . Masonic Hero Gets Rites at Reburial . The North Carolina Mason . 137 . 4 . Page 5, 8 . Raleigh, NC, USA . Grand Lodge of A.F.&A.M. of North Carolina . PDF . September 11, 2012 .
  25. News: Former NC Congressman Howard Coble dies at 84. 4 November 2015. WNCN. 4 November 2015. 8 April 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160408231745/http://wncn.com/2015/11/04/former-nc-congressman-howard-coble-dies-at-84/. dead.
  26. Web site: Former U.S. Rep. Howard Coble dies at 84, served for 30 years. USA Today.com. November 4, 2015.
  27. Web site: Office of the House Clerk – Electoral Statistics . Clerk of the United States House of Representatives . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070725184700/http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html . 2007-07-25 .
  28. Web site: Election Results. .
  29. Web site: November 6, 2012 General Election . 18 April 2013.