Republican Club Meeting - Guest Speaker, Andrew Langer

Andrew Langer is the President of the Institute for Liberty. A long time fighter for small business, Mr. Langer came to IFL from the National Federation of Independent Business, where he headed that organization's regulatory practice for six years.

Mr. Langer focuses on the incremental threats to small business and entrepreneurship, helping policymakers understand why small businesses are different than big businesses, how the regulatory state impacts those small businesses, and what government can do to best help small businesses. He is responsible for protecting the interests of small business in the face of an ever-increasing burden from regulatory agencies, as well the protection of the private property rights of small business owners.

Upset by what he saw as an eclipsing property rights movement, Langer formed a DC-based property rights working group. It gave the movement a much needed injection of energy, putting together short-term tactical goals and long-term strategic plans. Mr. Langer predicted the current crisis of eminent domain abuse, and foresaw the outrage that judicial decisions like the Supreme Court's 2005 Kelo v. New London would spark across the nation. He also co-chaired a working group on international property rights, and was called upon by the Bush administration to offer advice on using Lockean approaches to property rights as the way to foster freedom and prosperity in post-war Iraq.

A dynamic and energetic speaker, Mr. Langer has been invited to give talks at the national conventions of some of the nations biggest trade associations, as well as at universities and government conferences nationwide-speaking on subjects as diverse as constitutional law, small business, lobbying, and the power of individuals to change public policy. He has warmed-up audiences for members of Congress and Presidential candidates. In satisfaction surveys following his speeches, Mr. Langer's ratings are consistently among the highest-rated on the event's programs, and his speeches generally lead to invitations by audience members to come and address their groups. He has testified before Congress nearly twenty times, has offered advice to state governments, and is routinely asked by foreign governments to consult on making improvements to their small business sectors.

The son of an environmental scientist and an epidemiologist, Langer attended the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where he received a BA in International Relations. He also holds a Masters in Public Administration from Troy State University.

Mr. Langer writes a column for his local newspapers called "The Republic Explained", as well as a column for Townhall.com, and is currently authoring a book entitled, "The War on Small Business". He lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with his wife and two children. He was also recently elected to the slate of electors from Maryland's 1st Congressional District.