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| term_start4 = 1983
| term_start4 = 1983
| term_end4 = 1986
| term_end4 = 1986
| preceded4 = [[Thomas A. Hanna]]
| succeeded4 = [[Robert L. King]]
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| religion = [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopalian]]
| religion = [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopalian]]

Revision as of 17:36, 15 January 2012

Louise Slaughter
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 28th district
Assumed office
January 3, 1993
Preceded byMatthew F. McHugh
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 30th district
In office
January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1993
Preceded byFred J. Eckert
Succeeded byJack Quinn
Chairman of the House Rules Committee
In office
January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded byDavid Dreier
Succeeded byDavid Dreier
Member of the
New York State Assembly
from the 130th district
In office
1983–1986
Preceded byThomas A. Hanna
Succeeded byRobert L. King
Personal details
Born (1929-08-14) August 14, 1929 (age 94)
Lynch, Kentucky
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseRobert Slaughter
ResidenceFairport, New York
Alma materUniversity of Kentucky
Occupationpolitician

Louise McIntosh Slaughter (born August 14, 1929) is the U.S. Representative for New York's 28th congressional district, serving since 1993, and Chair of the House Rules Committee from 2007 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Rochester and Buffalo and includes parts of Erie, Monroe, Niagara and Orleans Counties. She previously represented the 30th district from 1987 to 1993. Slaughter is the oldest female member of Congress, followed by U.S. Senator from California Dianne Feinstein.

Early life, education, and early political career

Slaughter was born Dorothy Louise McIntosh to Oscar Lewis (Mack), a blacksmith for a coal mine, and Daisy Grace McIntosh on August 14, 1929, in Lynch, Kentucky, a coal-mining town built by a subsidiary of U.S. Steel. Louise had two brothers, Philip and David as well as two sisters, Marjorie and Virginia. Her sister Virginia died of pneumonia while she was a child; Louise would later cite this as her reason for earning degrees in microbiology and public health.

The family moved to Monticello, where Louise attended high school. After graduating from high school, she enrolled at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, where she studied microbiology. After graduating with a bachelor's degree, she went on to earn a master's degree in public health, also from the University of Kentucky.

After graduate school, she went to work for a major chemicals manufacturer doing market research. Already involved in community groups like the Girl Scouts and the League of Women Voters, Slaughter became increasingly concerned with local political and community issues. She was involved in a local environmental group, the Perinton Greenlands Association, which promoted recycling and opposed development of Harts Woods. Slaughter decided to run for the Monroe County Legislature, winning on her third try. One and a half terms into her service on the County Legislature, she accepted an offer from then- New York Secretary of State Mario Cuomo to serve as his regional coordinator in the Rochester area. When Cuomo was elected lieutenant governor, Slaughter stayed on as his Rochester regional coordinator.

In 1982 local Democrats approached Louise with a desire to see her run for the State Assembly against the Republican incumbent Tom Hanna, whom she eventually defeated by a narrow margin. She was reelected by 10 points in 1984.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

After four years in the state assembly, Slaughter decided to run for the Democratic nomination in New York's 30th congressional district. At the time, the district included downtown and eastern Rochester, most of eastern Monroe County as well as Genesee County and northern Livingston and Ontario counties. Moderate Republican Barber Conable had represented the district for 20 years before giving way in 1985 to a considerably more conservative Republican, Fred J. Eckert. Slaughter managed a one-point victory in the 1986 midterm election. Slaughter was the first Democrat to represent the 30th District since 1910, first woman to represent Western New York, as well as the first Democrat ever elected to a full term from the 30th since its creation in 1893 (it had been renumbered several times in the previous century).

Redistricting after the 1990 census renumbered Slaughter's district as the 28th District. She lost her share of Genesee, Livingston, and Ontario counties, but picked up the rest of Rochester and more of Monroe County. The redistricting put her into the same district as 30-year incumbent Republican Frank Horton, a close friend of Slaughter's. The district had already been moving away from its moderate Republican roots, but the new territory made the district solidly Democratic. Horton opted to retire, though he would have been a heavy underdog against Slaughter in any case. She has been reelected six more times since then with no substantive opposition.

After the 2000 census, much of her district was merged with the Buffalo/Niagara Falls-based 29th District of fellow Democrat John LaFalce. Original plans called for LaFalce's district to be merged with that of Republican Jack Quinn, who represented the other side of Buffalo. The new district retained Slaughter's district number, but was geographically more LaFalce's district. Only a narrow tendril in Orleans County connected Rochester to Buffalo. However, LaFalce did not seek a 15th term, effectively handing the seat to Slaughter. With her election in 2002, she became the first woman to represent a significant portion of Buffalo in the House.

Tenure

Slaughter is one of the most Progressive members of the New York congressional delegation from upstate New York, and in the 110th Congress (2007–2008), was the most Progressive member of the entire House of Representatives according to National Journal.[1] Indeed, among Congressmen from upstate, only fellow Democrat Maurice Hinchey has a lower lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union. She is one of several Democratic congressmen and senators who post at Daily Kos, a Democratic-oriented blog. She is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

In early 2005, she authored the Fairness and Accountability in Broadcasting Act, or FAB Act, which would reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, which has been criticized as an attempt to silence religious and conservative broadcasters.[2] Drawing on her experience as a microbiologist with a master’s degree in public health, Slaughter has authored legislation to protect Americans from discrimination by health insurance providers and employers based on genetic makeup. Slaughter co-authored the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 and wrote legislation to make permanent the Department of Justice’s Violence Against Women Office.

As a member of the House Budget Committee in the early 1990s, she secured the first $500 million earmarked by Congress for breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She fought for legislation guaranteeing that women and minorities are included in all federal health trials and establishing an Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) at NIH. In addition, along with Senator Christopher Dodd, she introduced the Women's Progress Commemoration Act which established the Women's Progress Commemorative Commission in 1998.[3]

The Louise M. Slaughter Building on the RIT campus.

Slaughter’s efforts to secure funds for her district was recognized by the Rochester Institute of Technology, when it named its Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies facility "The Louise M. Slaughter Building."

Rep. Slaughter became Chairwoman of the House Rules Committee during the 110th Congress, after the 2006 mid-term takeover of the House by the Democratic party.

Along with John Conyers, in April 2006 Slaughter brought an action against George W. Bush and others alleging violations of the Constitution in the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.[4] The case (Conyers v. Bush) was ultimately dismissed.[5]

Slaughter declared that "the greatest thing she has done in her time in Congress" is passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008. She introduced and reintroduced this bill for 12.5 years, and could claim victory when the bill was signed into law on May 21, 2008.

In 2007, Slaughter introduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), which would limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to counter the threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria.[6]

Slaughter was strongly critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which places limits on taxpayer-funding for elective abortions in the context of the November 2009 Affordable Health Care for America Act.

In March 2010, Slaughter proposed that a House rule be passed to expedite the passage of health care reform legislation. The rule allows the House to deem the Senate version of the health care reform bill "already passed" by the House without the House holding a recorded vote on the bill. Critics, who called the strategy the "Slaughter Solution", charged this proposed strategy was an affront to democratic principles and challenged its constitutionality.[7][8][9][10][11] Supporters observe that the courts have affirmed the rule's constitutionality, and that Republicans have used the rule repeatedly to pass major legislation such as the Patriot Act and the Tax Relief Reconciliation Act.[12][13][14]

On March 19, 2010, two days before the health care vote, a window in Slaughter's Niagara Falls office was broken with a brick[15]

After the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, Slaughter suggested the Federal Communications Commission was "not working anymore", and called for better policing of incendiary language.[16] In 2011, with the potential of a government shutdown looming, Slaughter said at a pro-choice rally, "This is probably one of the worst times that we've seen because the numbers of people who are elected to congress. I went through this as co-chair of the Arts Caucus. In '94, people were elected simply to come here to kill the National Endowment for the Arts. Now they're here to kill women".[17][18][19]

Committee assignments

Party leadership
  • At-Large Whip
Caucus memberships
  • Congressional Arts Caucus-Co-chair
  • Congressional Bipartisan Pro-Choice Caucus-Co-chair

Slaughter serves on the Democratic Steering & Policy Committee. She is the Democratic Chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus and the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. Louise also serves as Co-Chair of the Future of American Media Caucus and is former Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues. After Martin Frost, the ranking member on the House Rules Committee, was defeated for reelection, Slaughter was appointed to this position, the first female member of Congress to serve in this post. After the 2006 elections, she became the first woman to chair this committee.

Personal life

While traveling for work, she met Bob Slaughter, in San Antonio, Texas, and later married him. After marrying, the couple moved to Fairport, New York, a suburb of Rochester, where Bob had been offered a job. However, to this day, Slaughter still speaks with a pronounced Kentucky accent. They have three daughters Megan, Amy and Robin.

Mrs. Slaughter is a distant relative, through the Boone family, of former Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton.[20]

Election results

Congressional

Year Democratic Result Republican Result Other Result
2010 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 102,514 (64.9%) Jill Rowland 55,392 (35.1%)
2008 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 172,655 (78.00%) David W. Crimmen 48,690 (22.00%)
2006 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 111,386 (73.17%) John E. Donnelly 40,844 (26.83%)
2004 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 159,655 (72.61%) Michael D. Laba 54,543 (24.81%) Other 5,678 (2.58%)
2002 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 99,057 (62.45%) Henry F. Wojtaszek 59,547 (37.54%)
2000 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 151,688 (65.70%) Mark C. Johns 83,445 (36.14%) Other 3,820 (1.65%)
1998 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 118,856 (64.78%) Richard A. Kaplan 56,443 (30.76%) Other 8,159 (4.47%)
1996 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 133,084 (57.25%) Geoff H. Rosenberger 99,366 (42.74%)
1994 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 110,987 (56.63%) Renee Forgensi Davison 78,516 (40.06%) Other 6,464 (3.29%)
1992 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 140,908 (56.34%) William P. Polito 112,273 (44.89%) Other 7,897 (.75%)
1990 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 97,280 (59.02%) John M. Regan, Jr. 67,534 (40.97%)
1988 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 128,364 (56.87%) John D. Bouchard 89,126 (39.48%) Other 8,222 (3.64%)
1986 Louise M. Slaughter 86,777 (50.99%) Fred J. Eckert (i) 83,402 (49.00%)

Key: (i) = Incumbent
Source: New York State Board of Elections

State Assembly

Year Democratic Result Republican Result Other Result
1984 Louise M. Slaughter (i) 30,556 (54.79%) Donald S. Milton 24,703 (44.29%) Other 506 (.90%)
1982 Louise M. Slaughter 23,236 (52.18%) Thomas A. Hanna (i) 21,289 (47.81%)

Key: (i) = Incumbent
Source: New York State Board of Elections

Monroe County Legislature

Year Democratic Result Republican Result Other Result
1975 Louise M. Slaughter 4,698 (51.45%) Walter G.A. Muench (i) 4,433 (48.54%)
1973 Louise M. Slaughter 4,082 (49.31%) Walter G.A. Muench (i) 4,195 (50.68%)
1971 Louise M. Slaughter 3,507 (43.34%) Walter G.A. Muench (i) 3,998 (49.41%) Other 585 (7.23%)

Key: (i) = Incumbent
Source: Monroe County Board of Elections

See also

References

  1. ^ Thomas, G. Scott. Slaughter ranked most liberal in House. Business First. 27 February 2009.
  2. ^ Townhall.com::We’re Not Out of the Woods Yet::By Jay Sekulow
  3. ^ "Women's Progress Report 7/01". National Park Service. July, 2001. Retrieved 2008-08-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ "11 House Members to Sue Over Budget Bill". ABC News. Associated Press. 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2007-02-20. [dead link]
  5. ^ "Judge Dismisses Budget Bill Lawsuit". ABC News. Associated Press. 2006-11-06. Retrieved 2006-11-28. [dead link]
  6. ^ "March 17, 2009 - Slaughter Introduces Bill to Curb Excessive Use of Antibiotics in Food Supply - Congresswoman Louise Slaughter". Louise.house.gov. 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  7. ^ Western New York
  8. ^ "Power Line - The Slaughter solution?". Powerlineblog.com. 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  9. ^ "GOP Leader Blog | Republican Leader John Boehner | gopleader.gov". Republicanleader.house.gov. 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  10. ^ "Slaughter Solution Violates Nondelegation Doctrine". RedState. 2010-03-13. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  11. ^ Post (2010-03-16). "Slaughter House Rules - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  12. ^ Roper, Eric (2010-03-19). "Fact check: Bachmann gets it wrong on the "Slaughter Solution"". StarTribune.com. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  13. ^ Montopoli, Brian (2010-03-17). "Republicans Have Used "Slaughter Solution" Many Times - Political Hotsheet". CBS News. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  14. ^ Ornstein, Norman J. (2010-03-16). "Hypocrisy: A Parliamentary Procedure " The Enterprise Blog". Blog.american.com. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  15. ^ Author: (2010-03-19). "Brick thrown through window in Slaughter's Falls office". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2010-08-23. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  16. ^ http://thehill.com/homenews/house/137141-stunned-lawmakers-struggle-for-answers
  17. ^ "Congresswoman's Strong Choice of Words - Political Grapevine - Special Report - FoxNews.com". Fox News. 2011-04-08.
  18. ^ http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/bill-kellys-truth-squad/2011/apr/10/obama-reid-top-5-biggest-trolls-almost-government-/
  19. ^ http://centralny.ynn.com/content/politics/539401/republicans-react-to-slaughter-s-controversial-comments/
  20. ^ Barone & Cohen, 2008 Almanac of American Politics, pp. 958 & 1204

External links

New York State Assembly
Preceded by New York State Assembly, 130th District
1983–1986
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
David Dreier
California
Chairman of House Rules Committee
2007–2011
Succeeded by
David Dreier
California
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 30th congressional district

1987–1993
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 28th congressional district

1993–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
36th
Succeeded by

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