Earl Blumenauer

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Earl Blumenauer

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oregon's 3rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office 
May 21, 1996
Preceded by Ron Wyden
Born August 16, 1948 (1948-08-16) (age 61)
Portland, Oregon
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Margaret (Kirkpatrick) Blumenauer
Residence Portland, Oregon
Alma mater Lewis and Clark College
Occupation attorney
Religion Non-denominational Protestant

Earl Blumenauer (born August 16, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer from the state of Oregon. A native of Portland, he spent over 20 years as a public official representing the city before winning election to the United States House of Representatives in 1996. A Democrat, he represents Oregon's 3rd congressional district which includes most of Portland east of the Willamette River. Rep. Blumenauer is a proponent of 'free trade' and the World Trade Organization (WTO)[1] and has voted for free trade agreements with Peru, Australia, Singapore, Chile.[2]

Contents

[edit] Early life

Blumenauer was born in Portland, Oregon, on August 16, 1948. In 1966, he graduated from Centennial High School on the eastside of Portland and then enrolled at Lewis & Clark College in the southwest part of the city.[3] He majored in political science and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lewis & Clark in 1970.[4] Blumenauer completed his education in 1976 when he earned a Juris Doctor degree from the school's Northwestern School of Law (now Lewis & Clark Law School).[5] Starting before law school in 1970 and continuing until 1977, he worked as an assistant to the president of Portland State University.[3][6]

[edit] Political career

In 1972, Blumenauer was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives as a Democrat representing District 11 in Multnomah County.[7] He won re-election in 1974 and 1976, and continued representing Portland and Multnomah County until the 1979 legislative session.[3] From 1975 to 1981 he served on the board of Portland Community College.[3] Following his time in the Oregon Legislature, Blumenauer was elected as a Commissioner of Multnomah County and was a member of the county's governing board from 1979 to 1987.[3]

In 1987, he joined the Portland City Council where he remained until 1996.[6] During his time on the city council Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt appointed him to the commission on higher education, serving in 1990 and 1991.[8] In 1992, Blumenauer was defeated by Vera Katz in an open race for mayor of Portland. At the time he was described as "the man who probably knows the most about how Portland works," but left local politics to run for Congress.[9]

[edit] U.S. Congress

Blumenauer was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1996 in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the election of then-U.S. Representative Ron Wyden to the U.S. Senate.[9] He won 69% of the vote and defeated Republican Mark Brunelle.[10] He won the seat for a full term that November, and has been re-elected six more times by wide margins, most recently in 2008, winning 75% of the vote over Republican Delia Lopez and Pacific Green Michael Meo.

Blumenauer served as Oregon campaign chair for both John Kerry's and Barack Obama's presidential campaigns.[11]

The Willamette Week has summarized Blumenauer's fit with the congressional district he represents:

“ Ideologically and temperamentally, Blumenauer is an almost perfect reflection of his Portland seat, as safe a Democratic stronghold as any in the nation. He's championed light rail and the streetcar. He's the biggest bike advocate on Capitol Hill. He voted against the USA PATRIOT Act and the Iraq resolution. A super-sharp super-wonk, he's diligently seeking to export Portland's livability doctrine to Third World nations.[12] ”

The Wall Street Journal also noted Blumenauer's enthusiasm for bicycling:

“ His congressional office is one of the few -- if not the only one -- that didn't even apply for a parking permit. On occasion, Mr. Blumenauer has cycled to the White House. On Mr. Blumenauer's first visit, the Secret Service, more accustomed to limousines, was flummoxed at the sight of his bike.[13] ”

[edit] Activity in Congress

Among the bills that Blumenauer has sponsored that have become law are the Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004[14] and the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005.[15] In addition, the Legal Timber Protection Act passed as part of the 2008 Farm Bill, while the Bicycle Commuter Act passed with the 2008 bailout bill.

He is active in pressuring the United States to take greater action on the Darfur conflict.[16]

In the political aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Blumenauer noted that he was among those who had pointed out the vulnerability of New Orleans and encouraged Congress to help that city and the gulf coast get better prepared:

  • September 15, 2004: Mr. Speaker, barely have we recovered from Hurricane Hugo and we are seeing Hurricane Ivan pose the threat that has long been feared by those in Louisiana, that this actually might represent the loss of the City of New Orleans. Located 15 feet below sea level, there is the potential of a 30-foot wall of water putting at risk $100 billion of infrastructure and industry and countless lives.[17]
  • January 26, 2005: Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to view the devastation in Southeast Asia as a result of the tsunami. As appalled as I was by what I saw, I must confess that occasionally my thoughts drifted back to the United States. What would have happened if last September, Hurricane Ivan had veered 40 miles to the west, devastating the city of New Orleans? One likely scenario would have had a tsunami-like 30-foot wall of water hitting the city, causing thousands of deaths and $100 billion in damage....The experience of Southeast Asia should convince us all of the urgent need for congressional action to prevent wide-scale loss of life and economic destruction at home and abroad. Prevention and planning will pay off. Maybe the devastation will encourage us to act before disaster strikes.[18]

He and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have offered an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill for the past two years that would reform the nation's sugar quota laws with the intent of expanding free trade to the sugar market.[19]

Blumenauer's support for free trade agreements has angered progressives, environmental and labor activists. In 2004, he voted against the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). On September 24, 2007, four labor and human rights activists were arrested in Blumenauer's office protesting the congressman's support for the Peru Free Trade Agreement.,[20]

In February 2009, after an incident in Connecticut wherein a domesticated chimpanzee severely mauled a woman gained national attention, Blumenauer sponsored the Captive Primate Safety Act to bar the sale or purchase of non-human primates for personal possession between states and from outside of the country.[21] The previous year, in June 2008, Blumenauer had sponsored legislation to ban interstate trafficking of great apes, which had passed in the House but been tabled by the Senate.[22]

Blumenauer has received some media attention during the political debate over health care reform for sponsoring an amendment to the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 to change current procedures to mandate that Medicare pay for end-of-life counseling.[23] The amendment, as introduced, is based on an earlier proposal cosponsored by Blumenauer and Republican Representative Charles Boustany of Louisiana.[24] The amendment has generated controversy, with conservative figures as well-known as 2008 vice presidential candidate and former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin suggesting that the amendment, if made law, will be used as a cover for the United States federal government to set up "death panels" to determine which people will receive medical treatment.[25] Blumenauer sharply criticized the claim as "mind-numbing" and called it an "all-time low". His rebuke was echoed by Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia, who scorned the "death panels" claim as "nuts".[26]

[edit] Committee assignments

[edit] Electoral history

Oregon's 3rd congressional district: Results 1996–2008[27]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
1996 Earl Blumenauer 165,922 67% Scott Bruun 65,259 26% Joe Keating Pacific 9,274 4% Bruce A. Knight Libertarian 4,474 2% Victoria P. Guillebeau Socialist 2,449 1% *
1998 Earl Blumenauer 153,889 84% (no candidate) Bruce A. Knight Libertarian 16,930 9% Walt Brown Socialist 10,199 6% Write-ins 2,333 1%
2000 Earl Blumenauer 181,049 67% Jeffery L. Pollock 64,128 24% Tre Arrow Pacific Green 15,763 6% Bruce A. Knight Libertarian 4,942 2% Walt Brown Socialist 4,703 2% *
2002 Earl Blumenauer 156,851 67% Sarah Seale 62,821 27% Walt Brown Socialist 6,588 3% Kevin Jones Libertarian 4,704 2% David Brownlow Constitution 3,495 1% *
2004 Earl Blumenauer 245,559 71% Tami Mars 82,045 24% Walt Brown Socialist 10,678 3% Dale Winegarden Constitution 7,119 2% Write-ins 1,159 <1%
2006 Earl Blumenauer 186,380 73% Bruce Broussard 59,529 23% David Brownlow Constitution 7,003 3% Write-ins 698 <1%
2008 Earl Blumenauer 254,235 75% Delia Lopez 71,063 21% Michael Meo Pacific Green 15,063 4% Write-ins 701 <1%
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1996, write-ins received 531 votes. In 2000, write-ins received 576 votes. In 2002, write-ins received 1094 votes.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "U.S. Should Remain Active in the WTO," Rep. Earl Blumenauer
  2. ^ http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Earl_Blumenauer_Free_Trade.htm
  3. ^ a b c d e "Earl Blumenauer". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b000574. Retrieved 2008-11-19. 
  4. ^ "Voter Guide for Oregon District 3". National Federation of Independent Business. http://www.bipac.net/php.asp?g=NFIB&page=Candidate_Guide&legdistrictid=5230. Retrieved 2006-12-30. 
  5. ^ "Blumenauer speaks at law commencement". Lewis & Clark Chronicle (Lewis & Clark College). Summer 2002. http://www.lclark.edu/dept/public/blumenauer.html. Retrieved 2006-12-30. 
  6. ^ a b "About Earl Blumenauer". Blumenauer for Congress. http://www.earlblumenauer.com/cgi-bin/display.cgi?page=about. Retrieved 2006-12-30. 
  7. ^ 1973 Regular Session (57th). Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on November 18, 2008.
  8. ^ "Members of Congress / Earl Blumenauer". The U.S. Congress Votes Database. washingtonpost.com. http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/b000574/. Retrieved 2006-12-30. 
  9. ^ a b Schrag, John (1999). "Battle of the Bleeding Hearts". Willamette Week 25th Anniversary Edition. http://www.wweek.com/html/25-1992.html. Retrieved 2006-12-30. 
  10. ^ "Election Results Final Agate Tally". The Oregonian: pp. D2. May 25, 1996. 
  11. ^ [1]
  12. ^ Editorial (2002-11-09). "Fall Voter’s Guide 2002". Willamette Week. http://www.wweek.com/editorial/2851/3271/. Retrieved 2006-12-22. 
  13. ^ Hitt, Greg (2007-12-29). "For Congressman, Life in Bike Lane Comes Naturally". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119889058487756861.html?mod=loomia&loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r3:c0.0867018. Retrieved 2007-12-30. 
  14. ^ "THE FLOOD INSURANCE REFORM ACT OF 2004". Rep. Blumenauer’s office. http://blumenauer.house.gov/issues/LegislationSummary.aspx?NewsID=899&IssueID=7. Retrieved 2006-12-30. 
  15. ^ "President Signs Water for the Poor Act Into Law". Rep. Blumenauer’s office. http://www.blumenauer.house.gov/Issues/Issue.aspx?SubIssueID=129. Retrieved 2006-12-30. 
  16. ^ As of December 2006, the Genocide Intervention Network gives Blumenauer a grade of A on its DarfurScores.com web site. "DarfurScores.org: Earl Blumenauer". Genocide Intervention Network. http://www.darfurscores.org/earl-blumenauer. Retrieved 2006-12-30. 
  17. ^ Congressman Earl Blumenauer's Website, Representing the 3rd Congressional District of Oregon
  18. ^ Daily Kos: DAMNING Congressional Record: Cries for Help Ignored By The Federal Government [updated]
  19. ^ "Reforming US Sugar Policy". Rep. Blumenauer’s office. http://blumenauer.house.gov/issues/Issue.aspx?IssueID=3&SubIssueID=148. Retrieved 2006-12-30. 
  20. ^ Moore, Scott (2007-09-27). "Trade Secret". Portland Mercury. http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=429673&category=22101). 
  21. ^ "H.R.80 Captive Primate Safety Act". OpenCongress. http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h80/show. 
  22. ^ Pope, Charles (February 24, 2009). "House passes Blumenauer bill to restrict primate sales". The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/02/house_passes_blumenauer_bill_t.html. 
  23. ^ Alonso-Zaldivar, Ricardo (October 29, 2009). "It's alive! End-of-life counseling in health bill". The Associated Press. http://www.kansascity.com/437/story/1537859.html. 
  24. ^ Goldberg, Michelle (August 4, 2009). "The Health-Care Lie Machine". The Daily Beast. http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-08-04/the-right-wing-lie-machine/full. Retrieved 2009-08-11. 
  25. ^ Farber, Daniel (August 8, 2009). "Palin Weighs In on Health Care Reform". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/08/08/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5226795.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-11. 
  26. ^ Daly, Matthew (August 14, 2009). "Palin stands by 'death panel claim". Associated Press. http://mobile.chicagotribune.com/inf/infomo?view=nationworld_article&feed:a=chi_trib_5min&feed:c=nationworld&feed:i=48632526&nopaging=1. 
  27. ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html. Retrieved 2008-01-10. 

[edit] External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Ron Wyden		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oregon's 3rd congressional district
1996 – present		 Incumbent
v • d • e
Oregon's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Representative(s)
David Wu (D), Greg Walden (R), Earl Blumenauer (D), Peter DeFazio (D), Kurt Schrader (D)
State delegations
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Non-voting delegations
Representatives to the 106th–111th United States Congresses from Oregon
106th Senate: R. Wyden | G. Smith House: D. Wu | G. Walden | E. Blumenauer | P. DeFazio | D. Hooley
107th Senate: R. Wyden | G. Smith House: D. Wu | G. Walden | E. Blumenauer | P. DeFazio | D. Hooley
108th Senate: R. Wyden | G. Smith House: D. Wu | G. Walden | E. Blumenauer | P. DeFazio | D. Hooley
109th Senate: R. Wyden | G. Smith House: D. Wu | G. Walden | E. Blumenauer | P. DeFazio | D. Hooley
110th Senate: R. Wyden | G. Smith House: D. Wu | G. Walden | E. Blumenauer | P. DeFazio | D. Hooley
111th Senate: R. Wyden | J. Merkley House: D. Wu | G. Walden | E. Blumenauer | P. DeFazio | K. Schrader
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Blumenauer"