Wicker was
elected to the United States Senate on November 4, 2008 after
having been appointed by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour to
replace the retiring Trent Lott on December 31, 2007.
Wicker was elected to the United States Senate on November 4,
2008 after having been appointed by Mississippi Governor Haley
Barbour to replace the retiring Trent Lott on December 31, 2007
(see
story). Prior to serving in the Senate, Roger represented
Mississippi's First Congressional District, having been first
elected in 1994. He was re-elected to a seventh term in November
2006. Before going to Congress, Roger was elected to two terms
in the Mississippi State Senate, serving from 1987-1994.
He serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Foreign
Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Committee, the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and the Small
Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.
Wicker served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and then
served in the Air Force Reserve. He retired from the Reserve in
2004 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. At the conclusion of
his active duty, he became Counsel to then-Congressman Trent
Lott on the House Rules Committee in 1980. In 1987, he became
the first Republican elected to the state Senate from North
Mississippi in the 20th century.
There have been 22 attempts to pass federal legislation
regulating rent-to-own transactions in the U.S. since 1993 (see
list).
The Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act was introduced in
the House by
Rep William Clay (D-MO)
and has 115 cosponsors.
