Lynn Woolsey

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Lynn Woolsey
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 1993
Preceded by Barbara Boxer
Personal details
Born November 3, 1937 (1937-11-03) (age 74)
Seattle, Washington
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Divorced
Residence Petaluma, California
Alma mater University of San Francisco
Occupation human resources manager, college professor
Religion Presbyterian

Lynn C. Woolsey (born November 3, 1937) is the U.S. Representative for California's 6th congressional district, serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes all of Marin County and most of Sonoma County. She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and as of 2010 its co-chair. Woolsey, who described herself as "the first former welfare mother to serve in Congress,"[1] is one of two members of the House to have been on welfare; the other is Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI).[citation needed]

On June 28, 2011, Woolsey announced that she would not run for re-election in the 2012 election.[2]

Contents

[edit] Early life, education and career

Woolsey was born in Seattle, Washington, was educated at the University of Washington, where she became a member of Alpha Phi sorority, and at the University of San Francisco. She later became a human resources manager and personnel service owner, a teacher at the College of Marin and the Dominican University of California, and a member of the Petaluma, California, City Council before entering the House.

[edit] U.S. House of Representatives

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey

[edit] Committee assignments

[edit] Caucuses

She was one of the 31 people who voted in the House not to count the electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 preseidential election.[3]

[edit] Political positions

[edit] Iraq

Woolsey was an outspoken opponent of the War in Iraq. On October 10, 2002, she was among 133 members of the House who voted against authorizing the invasion of Iraq.[4] She has taken an active role in calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from that country. She led 15 members of Congress in writing a letter to President George W. Bush dated January 12, 2005, calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq.[5] She also was the first Member of Congress to call for a troop withdrawal, when she introduced H.Con. Res. 35 on January 26, 2005. Woolsey gave war protestor Cindy Sheehan a guest pass to attend Bush's 2006 State of the Union speech. Sheehan's attendance at the speech became noted when she was arrested for wearing a T-shirt with a political message.[6]

[edit] Religion

In 2007 Woolsey voted to "recognize the commencement of Ramadan," the most important of Islamic religious observances, and of Diwali, a Hindu religious holiday.[7] On December 11, 2007, Woolsey, along with eight other Democrats, voted against a resolution to recognize the United States as a Christian nation.[8]

[edit] Indian gaming

Woolsey introduced the Graton Rancheria Restoration Act on August 6, 1998 (105th CONGRESS, 2d Session, H.R. 4434[9]). It was signed by President Clinton as Title XIV of the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act (Public Law No. 106-568) in December 2000.

Testifying in support of H.R. 946 before the House Resources Committee May 16, 2000, Woolsey said:[10]

This consensus bill restores Federal rights and privileges to the tribe and to its members. As is typical with restoration legislation, it reinstates political status and makes tribal members eligible for benefits such as Native American health, education, and housing services. A unique aspect of H.R. 946, however, is that it specifically contains a clause that restricts gaming, gaming on land that is taken into trust for the tribes. This non-gaming clause is at the express request of the tribe, and is the basis for the broad and bipartisan support that this bill enjoys throughout my Congressional District. It is also key to my support for the tribe's restoration.

Woolsey's original bill (H.R. 4434, later H.R. 946) would not have permitted the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria to have an Indian casino. Senator Barbara Boxer removed that prohibition when she included Woolsey's bill in the Omnibus Act.

Now the tribe and Station Casinos of Las Vegas, Nevada, propose to build large hotels and casino complex in Sonoma County, California, near Rohnert Park.

In response, Woolsey introduced H.R. 2656 (which never left the House Resources Committee) and appeared frequently at local town-hall meetings, saying that the Miwok Indians double-crossed her by seeking to legalize gambling on their reservation.[11]

[edit] Scouting for All Act

In September 2000 Woolsey sponsored H.R. 4892, the Scouting for All Act, to revoke the charter held by the Boy Scouts of America.

[edit] Health care

After Woolsey declared her support for the Senate version of the health-care bill (which did not include a public option), Progresssive blogger Jane Hamsher pointed out that this was at odds with her earlier statements and called on her to resign as co-chair of the Progressive Caucus.[12] Woolsey, however, promised to revive the public option in a separate bill and introduced such a bill on July 22, 2010.[13] The Congressional Budget Office projected that the legislation would save $68 billion between 2014 and 2020.[14]

She was strongly critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which prevents private health insurance plans from covering abortion if the plan is subsidized by tax breaks in the context of the November 2009 Affordable Health Care for America Act.[15]

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Darfur protest arrest

Woolsey was arrested April 27, 2009, outside the embassy of Sudan in Washington, D.C., during a protest against genocide in Darfur.[16] Woolsey and four other U.S. lawmakers were protesting the blocking of aid to victims. They were arrested on a charge of trespass after they crossed a police line.

Other Democratic House members arrested were Jim McGovern, Donna Edwards, Keith Ellison and John Lewis.

[edit] Stewart Pearson letter

On December 2, 2003, Woolsey wrote a letter on behalf of Stewart Pearson, the son of one of her senior aides, who had pleaded guilty to rape. In a letter written on her official congressional stationery, she asked the judge to consider mitigating circumstances and show leniency.[17] The judge in the case was not swayed by the letter, and sentenced Pearson to eight years in prison, the maximum allowed under the plea bargain. Woolsey has apologized for writing the letter, saying she did not know all the facts; the victim did not accept her apology.[18]

[edit] Afghanistan and General Petraeus

On March 16, 2011, Woolsey publicly criticized General David Petraeus and therefore President Obama's military strategy on the floor of the House of Representatives, paraphrasing remarks by Rolling Stone magazine editor Michael Hastings who, following a press briefing at the Congressional Progressive Caucus Peace and Security Task Force, characterized Petraeus as "giving us the Charlie Sheen counter-insurgency strategy, which is to give exclusive interviews to every major network, and to keep saying 'we're winning' and hope the public actually agrees with you."[19] Woolsey further accused Petraeus of using "bland and tone-deaf talking points" during testimony that morning before the House Armed Services Committee regarding future U.S. military force levels in Afghanistan.[19] Woolsey further noted: "With all respect to the general, Madam Speaker, that's an awful lot of weasel words."[19]

[edit] Peace Event

In June 2011, during a peace event, Woolsey pumped her fist in the air as anti-Israel Code Pink supporters shouted, "Not one dollar, not one dime, occupation is a crime!"[20][21]

[edit] Political campaigns

In 1992, five-term Congresswoman Barbara Boxer gave up her seat to make a successful run for the Senate. Woolsey entered a crowded nine-way Democratic primary--the real contest in this heavily Democratic district. Seven of her opponents lived in Marin County and split that county's vote, allowing Woolsey to win the nomination with only 26 percent of the vote. In the general election, she faced Republican Assemblyman Bill Filante, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor and did not actively campaign. However, the district, then as now, was so heavily Democratic that Filante would have faced long odds in any case. Woolsey won with 66 percent of the vote; she was reelected eight times with no substantial opposition.

[edit] Electoral history

United States Congressional service
Dates Congress Chamber Majority President District
1993–1995 103rd U.S. House Democratic Bill Clinton District 6
1995–1997 104th U.S. House Republican Bill Clinton District 6
1997–1999 105th U.S. House Republican Bill Clinton District 6
1999–2001 106th U.S. House Republican Bill Clinton District 6
2001–2003 107th U.S. House Republican George W. Bush District 6
2003–2005 108th U.S. House Republican George W. Bush District 6
2005–2007 109th U.S. House Republican George W. Bush District 6
2007–2009 110th U.S. House Democratic George W. Bush District 6
2009–2011 111th U.S. House Democratic Barack Obama District 6
2011–2013 112th U.S. House Republican Barack Obama District 6
United States House of Representatives elections, 1992[22]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Lynn Woolsey 190,322 65.2%
Republican Bill Filante 98,171 33.6%
No party Write-in 3,293 1.1%
Totals 291,786 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1994[23]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Lynn Woolsey (incumbent) 137,642 58.1%
Republican Michael J. Nugent 88,940 37.5%
Libertarian Louis Beary 6,203 2.6%
Peace and Freedom Ernest K. Jones, Jr. 4,055 1.7%
Totals 236,840 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1996[24]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Lynn Woolsey (incumbent) 156,958 61.6%
Republican Duane C. Hughes 86,278 33.8%
Peace and Freedom Ernest K. Jones, Jr. 6,459 2.5%
Natural Law Bruce Kendall 5,240 2.1%
Totals 254,935 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1998[25]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Lynn Woolsey (incumbent) 158,446 68.0%
Republican Ken McAuliffe 69,295 29.7%
Natural Law Alan R. Barreca 5,240 2.2%
Totals 232,981 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2000[26]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Lynn Woolsey (incumbent) 182,166 64.3%
Republican Ken McAuliffe 80,169 28.3%
Green Justin Moscoso 13,248 4.7%
Libertarian Richard O. Barton 4,691 1.9%
Natural Law Alan R. Barreca 2,894 1.1%
Totals 283,118 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2002[27]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Lynn Woolsey (incumbent) 139,750 66.7%
Republican Paul L. Erickson 62,052 29.7%
Libertarian Richard O. Barton 4,936 2.3%
Reform Jeff Rainforth 2,825 1.3%
Totals 209,563 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2004[28]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Lynn Woolsey (incumbent) 226,423 72.7%
Republican Paul L. Erickson 85,244 27.3%
Totals 311,667 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2006[29]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Lynn Woolsey (incumbent) 173,190 70.3%
Republican Todd Hooper 64,405 26.1%
Libertarian Richard W. Friesen 9,028 3.6%
Totals 246,623 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2008[30]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Lynn Woolsey (incumbent) 229,672 71.7%
Republican Mike Halliwell 77,073 24.1%
Libertarian Joel R. Smolen 13,617 4.2%
Totals 320,362 100.0%
Voter turnout  %
Democratic hold

[edit] References

  1. ^ Meet Lynn
  2. ^ CNN Wire Staff (June 27, 2011 at 08:29 PM ET). "California Democrat will not seek re-election to Congress". CNN. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/27/breaking-democratic-rep-lynn-woolsey-to-retire/?hpt=hp_t2. 
  3. ^ http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll007.xml
  4. ^ http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll455.xml
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ "CNN.com - Activist Sheehan arrested in House gallery - Feb 1, 2006". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/31/sheehan.arrest/. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  7. ^ "Ramadan Yea, Christmas Nay". Townhall.com
  8. ^ http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1143.xml
  9. ^ Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
  10. ^ Hearing on H.R.946, H.R.2671, and H.R.4148
  11. ^ Sen. Boxer ambushes Woolsey, adds casino rights for Miwok
  12. ^ Hamsher, Jane (March 5, 2010). "Lynn Woolsey Should Resign as Head of the Progressive Caucus". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/lynn-woolsey-should-resig_b_487707.html. 
  13. ^ [2]
  14. ^ Levey, Noam N. (July 21, 2010). "Proposed deficit remedy: the healthcare 'public option'". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/21/nation/la-na-health-insurance-20100722. 
  15. ^ [3]
  16. ^ "U.S. lawmakers arrested in Darfur protest at Sudan embassy". CNN. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/27/us-lawmakers-arrested-in-darfur-protest-at-sudan-embassy/. Retrieved 2009-04-27. 
  17. ^ Gollan, Jennifer (February 7, 2004). "Woolsey's pitch for rapist questioned". The Marin Independent Journal. 
  18. ^ Gollan, Jennifer (February 15, 2004). "Teen victim rejects Woolsey's apology". The Marin Independent Journal. 
  19. ^ a b c Pete Kasperowicz (March 16, 2011). "Petraeus accused of 'Charlie Sheen strategy' on Afghanistan war". The Hill. http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/149941-gen-petraeus-accused-of-charlie-sheen-strategy-in-afghanistan. Retrieved 2011-03-27. 
  20. ^ [4]
  21. ^ http://www.theblaze.com/stories/congresswoman-lynn-woolsey-chants-anti-israeli-slogans-and-says-she-is-very-proud-of-the-anti-israel-activist-who-tried-to-stop-netanyahus-speech-to-congress/
  22. ^ 1992 election results
  23. ^ 1994 election results
  24. ^ 1996 election results
  25. ^ 1998 election results
  26. ^ 2000 election results
  27. ^ 2002 election results
  28. ^ 2004 election results
  29. ^ 2006 election results
  30. ^ 2008 election results

[edit] External links

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United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Barbara Boxer		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 6th congressional district
1993–Present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Mel Watt
D-North Carolina		 United States Representatives by seniority
94th		 Succeeded by
Bennie Thompson
D-Mississippi
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