Tom Tauke
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Tauke is an American politician, lawyer, and corporate executive from Iowa. He is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Tauke represented the northeast corner of the state of Iowa as a Republican from 1979 to 1991, entering Congress as one of the youngest members. Tauke left active politics in 1991 following an unsuccessful bid to unseat U.S. Senator Tom Harkin. He has continued to establish himself as a leading voice and public policy advocate in the U.S. telecommunications industry. Jim Nussle followed him as the Representative for northeast Iowa.
From 1991 to 2013 he served as Executive Vice President for Public Affairs, Policy and Communications of Verizon. He has made recent news with his statements in opposition to the Net Neutrality Bill, which has been a recent source of debate among internet users. As a spokesman for Verizon, one of the main opponents of the bill, Tauke has expressed his discontent with Net Neutrality.
Prior to entering the House, he had served as a lawyer. He was also a two-term member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1975 to 1979. Tauke's undergraduate degree was earned at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and his law degree was earned at the University of Iowa College of Law in 1974.
Since retiring from Verizon he has served on many boards and committees and is past chair of the Board of Regents of Loras College and the Washington Center.
He currently resides in Alexandria, VA with his wife Beverly and children Joseph and Elizabeth. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
