Steve Buyer (born November 26, 1958) has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing the 4th District of Indiana (map). He was born in Rensselaer, Indiana, was educated at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina and the Valparaiso University School of Law, served in the United States Army, and was a lawyer, Indiana state deputy attorney general, and legal counsel for the 22nd Theater Army in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm before entering the House. In 2004, Buyer received a promotion to Colonel in the United States Army Reserve at a White House ceremony by President George W. Bush, along with South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who was promoted to Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.
One of Buyer's more infamous remarks came in October, 2001, when the Congressman called for the use of Nuclear Weapons in the invasion of Afghanistan. See
A number of veterans groups have been angry with Buyer, who was specially chosen by the House leadership to chair the House Veterans Affairs Committee to keep spending down. Buyer was selected to replace Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.), who had alienated House leaders by pushing for increased levels of spending on veterans programs.
Buyer recently sparked new controversy in an interview published by American Legion, in which he said the department should concentrate on serving a "core constituency," and he disputed assertions that "all veterans are veterans and all veterans should be treated the same."
