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'''Sir James Adelbert "Jim" McDermott''' (born December 28, 1936) is the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] for {{ushr|WA|7}}, serving since 1989. He is a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. On August 22, 2007, McDermott was [[knight]]ed by [[Letsie III of Lesotho|King Letsie III]] of [[Lesotho]]. This knighthood was given in recognition of McDermott's leadership on the [[African Growth and Opportunity Act]], which may have helped improve Lesotho's economy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/330860_mcdermott08.html |title=McDermott knighted by king of Lesotho |publisher=Seattlepi.com |date=2007-09-07 |accessdate=2010-08-29}}</ref><ref>[http://www.house.gov/mcdermott/pr070907.shtml Congressman Jim McDermott &ndash; News &ndash; Rep. McDermott Knighted by King in Lesotho, South Africa<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
'''James Adelbert "Jim" McDermott''' (born December 28, 1936) is the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] for {{ushr|WA|7}}, serving since 1989. He is a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. The 7th District includes most of [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]] and [[Vashon Island]], and portions of [[Shoreline, Washington|Shoreline]], [[Lake Forest Park, Washington|Lake Forest Park]], [[Tukwila, Washington|Tukwila]], [[SeaTac, Washington|SeaTac]], and [[Burien, Washington|Burien]].

The 7th District includes most of [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]] and [[Vashon Island]], and portions of [[Shoreline, Washington|Shoreline]], [[Lake Forest Park, Washington|Lake Forest Park]], [[Tukwila, Washington|Tukwila]], [[SeaTac, Washington|SeaTac]], and [[Burien, Washington|Burien]].


He serves on the [[U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means|House Ways and Means Committee]] and is a member of the House [[Progressive Caucus]]. He was formerly the ranking Democrat on the House [[Ethics Committee]].
He serves on the [[U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means|House Ways and Means Committee]] and is a member of the House [[Progressive Caucus]]. He was formerly the ranking Democrat on the House [[Ethics Committee]].
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==== African Growth and Opportunity Act of 2004====
==== African Growth and Opportunity Act of 2004====
This act lowered tariffs and spurred apparel trade with many African countries. The AGOA has brought approximately 15,000 jobs and $340 million in foreign investment to some of the poorest nations in sub-Saharan Africa.<ref>http://www.agoa.info/index.php?view=download&story=legal</ref>
This act lowered tariffs and spurred apparel trade with many African countries. The AGOA has brought approximately 15,000 jobs and $340 million in foreign investment to some of the poorest nations in sub-Saharan Africa.<ref>http://www.agoa.info/index.php?view=download&story=legal</ref> On August 22, 2007, McDermott was [[knight]]ed by [[Letsie III of Lesotho|King Letsie III]] of [[Lesotho]], in recognition of McDermott's leadership on the Act.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/330860_mcdermott08.html |title=McDermott knighted by king of Lesotho |publisher=Seattlepi.com |date=2007-09-07 |accessdate=2010-08-29}}</ref><ref>[http://www.house.gov/mcdermott/pr070907.shtml Congressman Jim McDermott &ndash; News &ndash; Rep. McDermott Knighted by King in Lesotho, South Africa<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


====Violence Against Women and Justice Department Reauthorization Act of 2005====
====Violence Against Women and Justice Department Reauthorization Act of 2005====

Revision as of 21:57, 12 July 2011

This article is about the American politician. For other uses, see McDermott. For the illustrator, see Jim McDermott (illustrator).
Jim McDermott
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 7th district
Assumed office
January 3, 1989
Preceded byMike Lowry
Chairman of the House Ethics Committee
In office
1993–1995
Preceded byLouis Stokes
Succeeded byNancy Johnson
Member of the Washington Senate
from the 43rd district
In office
1975–1987
Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 43rd district
In office
1971–1972
Personal details
Born (1936-12-28) December 28, 1936 (age 87)
Chicago, Illinois
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseTherese Hansen
ResidenceSeattle
Alma materWheaton College, University of Illinois
ProfessionPsychiatrist
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy
Years of service1968–1970
UnitMedical Corps

James Adelbert "Jim" McDermott (born December 28, 1936) is the U.S. Representative for Washington's 7th congressional district, serving since 1989. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The 7th District includes most of Seattle and Vashon Island, and portions of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Tukwila, SeaTac, and Burien.

He serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and is a member of the House Progressive Caucus. He was formerly the ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee.

Early life, education, and family

McDermott was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was the first member of his family to attend college; he graduated from Wheaton College, Illinois, and then went to medical school, getting an M.D. from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago in 1963. After completing an internship from 1963 to 1964 at Buffalo General Hospital in Buffalo, New York, a two-year psychiatry residency at the University of Illinois Research and Educational Hospital (now called University of Illinois Research Hospital), and fellowship training in child psychiatry from 1966 to 1968 at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, he served in the United States Navy Medical Corps as a psychiatrist in California during the Vietnam War.[1][2] He is married to Therese Hansen, an attorney, and has two grown children.[3]

Early political career

In 1970, McDermott made his first run for public office and was elected to the state legislature as a representative from the 43rd district. He did not seek re-election in 1972 but instead ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Washington. In 1974, he ran for the state senate, and subsequently was re-elected three times, to successive four-year terms. During this time, he crafted and sponsored legislation that would eventually be called the Washington State Basic Health Plan, the first such state program in the country, which offers health insurance to the unemployed and the working poor.[4] In 1980, while still a state senator, McDermott defeated incumbent Dixy Lee Ray in the Democratic primary for governor, but lost the general election to Republican John Spellman. He ran again in 1984, losing the primary to Booth Gardner, who then went on to defeat Spellman in the election.

In 1987, McDermott briefly left politics to become a Foreign Service medical officer based in Zaire, providing psychiatric services to Foreign Service, USAID, and Peace Corps personnel in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 1988, when the seat for Washington's 7th congressional district came open, McDermott returned from Africa to run.

Political campaigns

McDermott has consistently received strong support from his district, taking 83% of the popular vote in 2010, easily winning against independent challenger Bob Jeffers-Schroder. No Republican filed to contest the election in 2010.[5]

2006

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2006 § District 7

2008

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2008

2010

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2010 § District 7

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

Washington's 7th congressional district

Formerly ranking minority member of the Ethics Committee

Caucus memberships

Major Legislation

AIDS Housing Opportunity Act of 1990

In his first term, the Congressman sponsored the AIDS Housing Opportunity Act, which provides state and local governments with the resources and incentives to devise long-term comprehensive strategies for meeting the housing needs of persons with AIDS and the families of such persons.[6]

The program established, known as HOPWA, has grown to be a $335M line in United States budget, at a cost of $5,432 per recipient in 2010. Despite the long-term focus of the original legislation, according to HUD, 59% of recipients received help with short-term housing.[7]

Cedar River Watershed Land Exchange Act of 1992

This consolidated land in Washington state which allowed the city of Seattle to gain greater control over its primary water source, thus enabling more efficient planning for the future. The bill was one of the last signed by President George H. W. Bush before he left office.[8]

African Growth and Opportunity Act of 2004

This act lowered tariffs and spurred apparel trade with many African countries. The AGOA has brought approximately 15,000 jobs and $340 million in foreign investment to some of the poorest nations in sub-Saharan Africa.[9] On August 22, 2007, McDermott was knighted by King Letsie III of Lesotho, in recognition of McDermott's leadership on the Act.[10][11]

Violence Against Women and Justice Department Reauthorization Act of 2005

This piece of legislation strengthened privacy and confidentiality of people already receiving care under the Act and modernized it by prohibiting cyberstalking as defined under the law.[12]

Depleted Uranium Study Act of 2006

This amendment to the Defense Authorization Act of 2006 directed the Department of Defense to study possible adverse health effects of the use of depleted uranium by the US military on servicemembers, employees and their families.[13]

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008

A reform in the American foster care system, this legislation addresses needs affecting foster children in the United States; it extends federal foster care payments until children are 21 years old, provides federal support for relatives caring for foster children, increases access to foster care and adoption services by to Native American tribes, and improves oversight of the health and education needs of children in foster care.[14]

Unemployment Compensation Extension Acts of 2008-2009

McDermott has overseen the emergency unemployment compensation extensions during the recession that began in 2008 under the George W. Bush Administration and has continued into the administration of Barack Obama.[15]

Worker, Home ownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009

The purpose of this act was to encourage job creation, strengthen the economic recovery, and assist those unable to find jobs during the serious economic downturn that began in 2008.[16] While the bill had unrelated provisions, the primary focus was on the extension of the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit.

Critics state that much of the credits were claimed by people who were not buying a house.[17] or that the money eventually went to the sellers, who upped their prices.[18]

Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2010

This legislation, part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, requires manufacturing companies prove that conflict minerals (tin, tungsten, gold, PVC plastic) in their products do not come from mines funding civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Proponents state that this act is in an effort to save lives and help protect women in the DRC by cutting off a key source of funding for armed groups.[19]

Controversies

2002 Iraq Trip

In the fall of 2002, McDermott and fellow Representatives David Bonior of Michigan, Nick Rahall of West Virginia and Mike Thompson of California visited Iraq; in Baghdad they met with members of parliament and the Iraqi Foreign Minister, and in Basra they met with residents who talked about the effect on them of the Iraq sanctions. American conservatives sharply criticised McDermott for this trip, and for his predictions that President George W. Bush would "mislead the American public" to justify military action and that no WMD would be found in Iraq.[20]

After this trip, McDermott's opponents dubbed him "Baghdad Jim" [21][22]; his supporters point out that he has been proven correct on the facts.[23]

According to a disclosure form filed with the clerk of the House of Representatives, the nonprofit organization Life for Relief and Development paid McDermott's $5,510 travel expenses for the Iraq trip. On March 26, 2008, a Bush Administration indictment accused Muthanna Al-Hanooti of arranging for the trip and paying for it with funds from Saddam Hussein's intelligence agency, the IIS.[24] Ultimately these charges were dropped; Al-Hanooti was convicted of attempting to sell Iraqi oil to raise money for humanitarian purposes without permission of the U.S. Treasury.[25]

Pledge of Allegiance

On April 28, 2004, Congressman McDermott omitted the phrase "under God" while leading the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The incident occurred after atheist Michael Newdow lost his court case to have the phrase "under God" dropped from the Pledge, and after McDermott had voted against a congressional resolution that called for overturning a court ruling that declared the phrase unconstitutional. In 1954, during the McCarthy era and communism scare, Congress had passed a bill, which was signed into law, to add the words "under God."[26] McDermott later stated that he had "reverted to the pledge as it was written and taught in the public schools throughout my childhood", as the phrase "under God" was added in 1954, the year in which McDermott graduated from high school;[27] he turned 18 in late December of that year, after graduating.[28]

Boehner v. McDermott

In December 2004, the House Ethics Committee investigated McDermott over the leaking of an illegally recorded telephone conversation during a 1997 committee investigation of then-Speaker Newt Gingrich.

In the conversation, Mr. Gingrich, his lawyer and several other Republican Congressmen discussed how Gingrich's Congressional allies should deal with the political consequences of his admission that he had violated House ethics rules by giving inaccurate information to the House Ethics Committee for its inquiry into his use of tax-exempt funds. Democrats have described the conversation as evidence that Mr. Gingrich broke an agreement with the Ethics Committee that he would not orchestrate a politically-motivated response to those committee findings.[29]

The recording was made by John and Alice Martin, who claimed that they had overheard the conversation on a police scanner, decided to record it for posterity's sake, and then decided that it might be important for the Ethics Committee to hear.[30] The Martins gave the tape to McDermott because he was the senior Democrat on the Ethics Committee at that time.[31] Within two days, reportedly after the Republican Ethics Committee Chair Nancy L. Johnson refused to allow a vote on making the tape part of the committee's records, sending the tape to the Justice Department, or taking any action against the participants in the conversation[32], and over the warning of the Committee's legal counsel of possible legal liability, McDermott gave the tape to several media outlets, including the New York Times.

Rep. John Boehner, who was part of the Gingrich conversation, sued McDermott in his capacity as a private citizen, seeking punitive damages for violations of his First Amendment rights.[33] After U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan ordered McDermott to pay Boehner for "willful and knowing misconduct" that "rises to the level of malice", McDermott appealed, arguing that since he was not the one involved in the recording, his actions were allowed under the First Amendment, and said a ruling against him would have 'a huge chilling effect' on reporters and newsmakers alike. 18 news organizations — including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, The Associated Press, the New York Times and the Washington Post — filed a brief backing McDermott.[34] On March 29, 2006, the court ruled 2–1 that McDermott violated federal law when he turned over the illegally recorded tape to the media outlets, ordering McDermott to pay Boehner's legal costs (over $600,000) plus $60,000 in damages. On June 26, 2006, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the earlier judgment, deciding to re-hear the case with all nine judges.[35] However, the split 4 to 1 to 4 en banc decision in Boehner v. McDermott, 484 F.3d 573 (D.C. Cir. 2007), affirmed the three-judge panel, but on different grounds.[36] The Supreme Court declined McDermott's request for review.[37] [38] On March 31, 2008, Chief Judge Thomas Hogan of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ordered McDermott to pay $1.05 million to Boehner, covering attorney's fees, costs and interest. McDermott also has had to pay over $60,000 in fines and close to $600,000 in his own legal fees.[39]

The Ethics Committee formally rebuked McDermott in 2006, writing he had "violated ethics rules by giving reporters access to an illegally taped telephone call involving Republican leaders a decade ago. Rep. McDermott's secretive disclosures to the news media ... risked undermining the ethics process" and that McDermott's actions "were not consistent with the spirit of the committee."[40] Previously, the Martins had plead guilty to violating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. In 1997, Gingrich was reprimanded by the House for failing to ensure that he had not violated tax laws, assessed $300,000 in costs, and resigned.

Call to Impeach George W. Bush

In September of 2008, McDermott was the the eighth member of the U.S. House to sign a resolution calling for the impeachment of George W. Bush.[41] The resolution claimed the Bush administration had committed more than a dozen impeachable acts, including misleading the American public about Iraq, spying on American citizens, and trying to "destroy Medicare." The resolution got little support from McDermott's fellow Congressmen.

References

  1. ^ Sheehan offers refuge to war deserters
  2. ^ Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  3. ^ Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  4. ^ http://medicare.commission.gov/medicare/mcdermott_bio.html
  5. ^ http://vote.wa.gov/Elections/WEI/Results.aspx?ElectionID=37&JurisdictionTypeID=3&JurisdictionID=153&ViewMode=Results}
  6. ^ http://www.water1st.org/about/contact/advisory_council/jim_mcdermott.html
  7. ^ "HUD HOPWA Overview 2010". HUD Reviews HOPWA. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  8. ^ Lilly, Dick (August 25, 1993). "Seattle Journal -- Watershed's End Run Worked". The Seattle Times.
  9. ^ http://www.agoa.info/index.php?view=download&story=legal
  10. ^ "McDermott knighted by king of Lesotho". Seattlepi.com. 2007-09-07. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  11. ^ Congressman Jim McDermott – News – Rep. McDermott Knighted by King in Lesotho, South Africa
  12. ^ http://www.delawarefederallawyers.com/news.cfm/Article/63826/McDermott-succeeds-with-Federal-Law.html
  13. ^ http://www.washblog.com/story/2006/10/3/151021/179
  14. ^ http://mcdermott.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44&Itemid=41,
  15. ^ http://www.dcemploymentlawupdate.com/tags/unemployment-compensation-exte/
  16. ^ http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/R?d111:FLD003:@2%28rep+mcdermott%29
  17. ^ KOCIENIEWSKI, David. "Mixed Results for Home Buyer Tax Credit". Home Buyer Tax Credit. New York Times. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  18. ^ Schwinden, Chris. "THE EFFECT OF THE FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER TAX CREDIT ON HOME PRICES IN LOW AND MODERATE INCOME COMMUNITIES" (PDF). First-Time Home Buyer Credit Effects. Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  19. ^ Conflict Minerals Trade Act provisions in Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Bill of 2010
  20. ^ "The story behind McDermott's controversial Iraq trip". Seattle Times. {{cite web}}: Text "Retrieved 2011-06-02" ignored (help)
  21. ^ "'Baghdad Jim' questions timing of capture". MSNBC.com.
  22. ^ "Buzzing Over Baghdad Jim". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  23. ^ Robert L. Jamieson, Jr., 'Baghdad Jim' was dead on about war, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 16, 2003. Retrieved 10 March 2008.
  24. ^ "Indictment: Hussein fed money to spy for U.S. officials' trip". {{cite web}}: Text "Retrieved 2008-03-26]" ignored (help)
  25. ^ "From spy to a patriot: Muthanna al-Hanooti". arabamericannews.com. {{cite web}}: Text "Retrieved 2011-06-02" ignored (help)
  26. ^ http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_pled1.htm
  27. ^ http://www.seattlepi.com/national/171126_jim29.html
  28. ^ http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000404
  29. ^ Lewis, Neil A. (January 16, 1997). "Inquiry on Gingrich Call to Look at Plausibility of Florida Couple's Account". New York Times. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  30. ^ "Potentially Illegal Gingrich Tape Turned Over To Criminal Investigators". CNN. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  31. ^ Gray, Jerry (24 April 1997). "Florida Couple Are Charged In Taping of Gingrich Call". New York Times. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  32. ^ Gray, Jerry (15 January 1997). "Democrat Quits Ethics Panel Over Leak of Gingrich Tape". New York Times. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  33. ^ Alvarez, Lisette (15 January 1997). "Congressman Sues a Colleague Over Disclosing G.O.P. Talks". New York Times. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  34. ^ Daly, Matthew (March 28, 2006). "Appeals Court rules against McDermott in taped call dispute". The Seattle Times.
  35. ^ Daly, Matthew (June 26, 2006). "Court to Hear Arguments in Taped Call Case". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  36. ^ http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cla/discoveries/2009/10/full_dc_circuit_rules_mcdermot.html
  37. ^ The Crypt's Blog - Politico.com
  38. ^ "Justices steer clear of lawmakers' feud - CNN.com". CNN. December 3, 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  39. ^ "Lawmaker Must Pay $1 Million in Legal Fees", Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), April 2, 2008.
  40. ^ Mundy, Alicia (December 12, 2006). "Ethics panel rebukes McDermott". The Seattle times. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
  41. ^ Heffter, Emily. "Times Article". McDermott backs Bush impeachment. Seattle Times. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jim McDermott.
Articles
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's 7th congressional district
1989–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Chairman of House Ethics Committee
1993–1995 		Succeeded by
Nancy Johnson
Connecticut
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
45th 		Succeeded by

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