Basil Louis Taylor

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Revision as of 04:34, 12 August 2009

Basil Louis Taylor
Democratic Party
Senator
Began Present Office: 2014
State	Texas
Class	Texas-2
Region and Superregion	Texas, Heartlands
Previous Offices	U.S. Representative
Born	24 April 1970 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Spouse	Widower
Religion	Roman Catholic
Residence	Dallas, Texas
Occupation	Political Commentator
Education	Washington University in St. Louis

Basil Louis Taylor (born February 24, 1970), a.k.a. Bacon Taylor, is a member of the United States Senate, serving as the Junior Senator for the region of Texas. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives before defeating Republican incumbent H.E. Nielson in the 2014 Texas Senate II election. Prior to entering politics, Taylor worked at the Dallas Morning News and hosted a political television program.

Before Politics

Basil 'Bacon' Louis Taylor was born in Oklahoma City, but due to his mother's persistently poor health, he was largely raised by his grandparents in Texas. He would attend Washington University in St. Louis, receiving a degree in English. He desired to become a novelist, but necessity drove him to journalism and the Dallas Morning News. A political enthusiast in his personal life, Taylor became a major regional voice for the moderate Democrat. He would later host the popular BLT Sandwich Hour television program. Dissatisfied with the politicians in charge, Taylor won support in the Texas Democratic Party and claimed a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014.

United States House of Representatives

Taylor joined the House Democratic Minority and immediately became an active participant on the Foreign Relations and Armed Services committee, soon rising to the post of Ranking Member. He authored two bills during his brief career in the House: the GUarantee America's Regional Defense (GUARD) Act and the Fast Agricultural Recovery Measures (FARM) Act. He was soon asked to run for the U.S. Senate.

Senatorial Career

2014 Election - Texas Senate, Class II

Taylor overcome charges of liberal extremism to win the race, conquering the state's strong Republican leanings by winning 64% of independent voters. Nielson had been a relatively inactive Senator, and Taylor was able to drive this point home. This landmark election resulted in both of Texas' senators being members of the Democratic Party. Senior Texas Senator Edward Wyatt was an important contributor to Taylor's campaign. His victory also helped give the Democratic Party a filibuster-proof majority.

114th Congressional Session

Taylor was made Deputy Whip and assigned to the Foreign Relations, Intelligence, and Defence. He participated in hearings related to the controversial rescue of American teenagers Mary Anne Gunther and Christine Wetterling, and one such debate became so heated that Republican Senator (and future Presidential hopeful) Ken MacLeod challenged Taylor to a duel. Taylor actively participated in several of the most high-profile events of the session. He protested the Lane Filibuster of the Employee Free Choice Act (possible due to some unavoidable Democratic absences), co-authored and helped pass the American Family Economic Empowerment Act, and saw his FARM Act pass Congress by unanimous consent.

2016 Election Involvement

Although he was not up for reelection, Taylor still took an interest in the 2016 election. He was one of the first to support eventual Democratic Nominee Jackson Rockefeller, and he spoke about Rockefeller's dedication to border security at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.

Personal Life

Taylor married Houston novelist Jessica Dryer (Two-Timing Fred Sanders and the Extremely Dramatic Showdown) in 1997. Dryer died as a result of an allergic reaction to peanuts in 2002.

Political Succession