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Chrissy Houlahan

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Chrissy Houlahan
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Preceded byRyan Costello
Personal details
Born
Christina Marie Jampoler

(1967-06-05) June 5, 1967 (age 57)
Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Bart Houlahan
​
(m. 1991)​
Children2
Education
WebsiteHouse website
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Air Force
Years of service
  • 1989–1991 (active)
  • 1991–2004 (reserve)
RankCaptain
Chrissy Houlahan's voice
Houlahan discusses the establishment of a Servicewomen and Women Veterans Congressional Caucus
Recorded May 15, 2019

Christina Marie Houlahan (/ˈhuːləhæn/ HOO-lə-hann; née Jampoler; born June 5, 1967)[1] is an American politician, engineer, and former United States Air Force officer. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the U.S. representative from Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district. The district includes almost all of Chester County, a suburban county west of Philadelphia, as well as the southern portion of Berks County including the city of Reading. She was first elected in 2018, defeating Republican Greg McCauley in the midterms.

Early life and education

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Houlahan spent her childhood on various U.S. naval bases across the country, including on Oahu.[2][3] Her father, Andrew C. A. Jampoler, a naval aviator, was born in Lviv, Ukraine in 1942, to a Jewish family; he and his mother, who also survived the Holocaust, emigrated to the United States when he was four years old.[4][5][6] He became a historian and author.[7][8][9]

Houlahan, citing her idols as Indiana Jones and Sally Ride,[10] earned her bachelor's degree[11][12] in Engineering from Stanford University in 1989, on an AFROTC scholarship.[3] She then earned a master's degree in Technology and Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994.[3][13]

Earlier career

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Military service

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After graduation from Stanford University, Houlahan spent three years on United States Air Force active duty at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Massachusetts. There, she served as a project manager working on air and space defense technologies.[3] She left active duty in 1991 for the Air Force Reserve,[14] separating from the service in 2004 as a captain.[15]

Private sector

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After leaving active duty, Houlahan went to work for the start-up sportswear company AND1 as chief operating officer. As part of the employee benefits program the company offered 40 paid hours of community service at a location of the employee's choosing. Houlahan dedicated her hours to working with girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).[3] Houlahan became chief operating officer of B-Lab, a non-profit start-up, when AND1 was sold.[5]

Education career

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Citing a need to experience the problems in the U.S. educational system first-hand, Houlahan entered the lifelong learning program at University of Pennsylvania where she re-took courses in the hard sciences. She enrolled in the Teach for America program and began working as an 11th-grade science teacher at Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia.[16] She withdrew from the Teach for America program after one year and joined Springboard Collaborative, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit focusing on early childhood literacy in underserved populations nationwide. Houlahan served as both president and CFO/COO of Springboard Collaborative before leaving to focus on her political campaign.[5]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2018

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See also: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 6

Houlahan has said that one of the experiences that motivated her to run for Congress was her organization of a bus trip to the Women's March in Washington, D.C., on January 21, 2017.[5] When asked why she chose to begin her political career by running for Congress and not a lower office, she said, “I don't have time for that. The stakes are too high, and I think I'm qualified."[17]

Houlahan expected to face two-term Republican incumbent Ryan Costello. However, Costello pulled out of the race after the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania threw out Pennsylvania's congressional map as an unconstitutional partisan Republican gerrymander.[18][19] While Costello was the only incumbent to retain his previous district number, it was made significantly more compact and turned from a moderately red district to a heavily blue one. It lost its heavily Republican western portion around Lebanon, which had only been connected to the rest of the district by way of a tendril through Berks County. Instead, it now took in almost all of Chester County (except for a sliver around Birmingham Township that was drawn into the neighboring 5th district), along with the heavily Democratic southern portion of Berks County, including Reading.[20]

Houlahan took the Democratic nomination unopposed and faced first-time candidate Greg McCauley in the general election.[21] On November 6, 2018, Houlahan easily defeated McCauley, garnering 58.8% of the vote over McCauley's 41.1%.[22] Houlahan was one of seven Pennsylvania women running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018,[23] and one of four Democratic women to win, along with Mary Gay Scanlon, Madeleine Dean and Susan Wild. She joined two other female military veterans in the House freshman class, former naval officers Elaine Luria and Mikie Sherrill.[24]

Upon taking office in January 2019, Houlahan became the first Democrat to represent a Chester County-based district since before the Civil War (1857). The county had historically been very Republican but has trended Democratic (Dem. 42%; Rep. 40%; Ind. 18%) in recent years.[25]

Houlahan ran on a platform that included healthcare, job creation, and campaign finance reform.[26] Other campaign issues she identified included education, family issues, and veteran's issues.[27] Houlahan had a strong record of campaign fundraising,[28] with donations totaling almost $5 million so far.[3][29] She was also endorsed by many organizations, including Emily's List,[30] Human Rights Campaign,[31] Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence,[32] Project 100,[33] Vote Vets,[34] the Service Employees International Union-PA (SEIU PA)[35] and several other unions.[34]

2020

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See also: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 6

Houlahan ran for re-election in 2020 against Republican John Emmons.[36] She was reelected with over 56% of the vote.[37]

2022

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See also: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 6

Houlahan had publicly expressed interest in a 2022 campaign for the United States Senate, but on June 8, she announced she would run for reelection to the House.[38] After an uncontested primary,[39] she ran against Republican Guy Ciarrocchi in the general election, winning reelection with over 58% of the vote.[40]

Tenure

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Houlahan in 2022

On July 29, 2024, Houlahan was announced as one of six Democratic members of a bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.[41]

Political positions

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Foreign policy

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In January 2019, she said she opposed withdrawing US troops from Syria.[42]

During the Russo-Ukrainian War, Houlahan signed a letter advocating for President Biden to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.[43]

During the Israel-Hamas War, Houlahan signed a letter expressing concern over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct of the war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It calls for President Biden to further pressure the Israeli government to adjust their strategy regarding the war.[44]

Healthcare

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Houlahan supports the government negotiating drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies and a public option, but opposes a single payer healthcare system.[45]

LGBT rights

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She supports same-sex marriage, the Equality Act. In 2019, she opposed President Trump's memorandum banning transgender individuals from the military.[46][47]

Market regulations

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In 2022, Houlahan was one of 16 Democrats to vote against the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[48][49]

National security

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Houlahan believes that critical and emerging technology leadership is a core component of U.S. national security, citing biotechnology as a priority for research and development.[50][51] She has also focused on shoring up critical materials and resources, like transformers,[52] and believes that American small businesses focused on critical and emerging technologies should have streamlined access to federal programs.[53]

Caucus memberships

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Committee assignments

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117th Congress

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118th Congress

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Electoral history

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Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district, 2018[56]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chrissy Houlahan 177,704 58.9
Republican Greg McCauley 124,124 41.1
Total votes 301,828 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican
Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district, 2020[57]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chrissy Houlahan (incumbent) 226,440 56.05
Republican John Emmons 177,526 43.95
Total votes 403,966 100.0
Democratic hold
Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district, 2022[58]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chrissy Houlahan (incumbent) 190,386 58.3
Republican Guy Ciarrocchi 136,097 41.7
Total votes 326,483 100.0
Democratic hold

Personal life

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Houlahan lives in Devon, Pennsylvania, with her husband Bart, whom she met at Stanford and married in 1991.[59] They put on hold their goal of running a foot race in every state before age 50 when she entered the race for U.S. Representative.[citation needed] The couple has two adult daughters.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Chrissy Houlahan For U.S. Congress". Chrissy for Congress. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  2. ^ "Results 1984" (PDF). Waikiki Rough Water Swim History. Christina Jampoler (HI)
  3. ^ a b c d e f Mervis (May 8, 2018). "How a Pennsylvania industrial engineer became the odds-on favorite to win a seat in Congress". Science Magazine.
  4. ^ "Inspired by Trump, These Jewish Women Have Decided to Run for Office". Haaretz. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. August 12, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d John Latimer (April 11, 2017). "Air Force vet challenges Rep. Ryan Costello". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
  6. ^ @HoulahanForPa (January 27, 2018). "Here is my Jewish dad just after the war, with the childless Christian couple who raised and protected him for years during the war. Shortly after this, he and his mother (who also survived) departed for the U.S. for a new life. 2/" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "2012 Board of Director Candidates". U.S. Naval Institute. Archived from the original on November 12, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  8. ^ "Jampoler, Andrew C.A. 1942-". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  9. ^ "Leadership – Naval Historical Foundation". September 27, 2011. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  10. ^ Cox (April 10, 2018). "Space the Nation: Chrissy Houlahan Could Handle the Millennium Falcon, No Problem". SyFy. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  11. ^ "Alumni US – Stanford University (1989)". alumnius.net. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  12. ^ "Buzzin' Business Helps Stanford Cancer Center" (PDF). Stanford Benefactor. Stanford School of Medicine. Fall 2009. p. 6. Started in 2004 by Carly and Molly Houlahan, daughters of Stanford alumni Christina Jampoler Houlahan, '89, and Barton Houlahan, '89
  13. ^ Christina Jampoler Houlahan (1994). Reduction of Front-End Loading of Inventory: Making the Airframe Industry Lean Through Better Inventory Management (PDF) (Master of Science in Technology and Policy thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  14. ^ Houlahan, Chrissy (February 1, 2024). "Chrissy Houlahan". The National Interest. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  15. ^ idejesus@pennlive.com, Ivey DeJesus | (November 7, 2018). "Democratic women make inroads in Pennsylvania and across America". pennlive. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Searles & Richmond (January 17, 2018). "Angered by Trump's election, this Pennsylvania business leader and U.S. Navy veteran challenged an incumbent Republican for a seat in the U.S. House. Then he dropped out". The Story Exchange.
  17. ^ Mervis, Jeffrey (May 8, 2018). "How a Pennsylvania industrial engineer became the odds-on favorite to win a seat in Congress". Science. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  18. ^ Jonathan Tamari (February 20, 2018). "In Pa.'s new congressional map, this Republican's 'bad dream' turns into 'a nightmare'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  19. ^ Stracqualursi, Veronica; Bradner, Eric (March 25, 2018). "Rep. Ryan Costello will drop bid for reelection in Pennsylvania". CNN.
  20. ^ Cohn, Nate (February 19, 2018). "The New Pennsylvania Congressional Map, District by District". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  21. ^ Andrew Prokop (May 16, 2018). "These 6 Pennsylvania Democratic nominees are key to the battle for House control". Vox.
  22. ^ "Chrissy Houlahan". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  23. ^ Trip Gabriel (May 16, 2018). "Pennsylvania Primaries Deliver Strong Wins for Democratic Women". The New York Times.
  24. ^ Moorhead, Dana Bash,Bridget Nolan,Jeremy (September 28, 2019). "These five freshman congresswomen changed history by becoming unlikely leaders on impeachment | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved November 7, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ Rellahan, Michael P. "Democrat Chrissy Houlahan wins historic Congressional race". Daily Local News. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  26. ^ Claire Sasko (April 9, 2018). "The No-B.S. Guide to Philadelphia-Area Women Running for Congress". Philly Magazine.
  27. ^ "2 candidates announce bid for 6th District seat in Democratic primary". Daily Local News. West Chester, Pa. April 10, 2017. Archived from the original on August 24, 2018.
  28. ^ John Cole (July 13, 2018). "Houlahan Raises $840K in Q2". Politics PA.
  29. ^ "Houlahan, Chrissy". Federal Election Commission.
  30. ^ "Emily's List Endorses Chrissy Houlahan for Congress in Pennsylvania's 6th District". Emily's List. June 12, 2017.
  31. ^ "Human Rights Campaign Endorses Chrissy Houlahan for Congress". Human Rights Campaign. April 11, 2018.
  32. ^ "Giffords Endorses Chrissy Houlahan for Congress in Pennsylvania" (Press release). Giffords Law Center. May 8, 2018. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018.
  33. ^ "Chrissy Houlahan". Project 100.
  34. ^ a b Mike Rellahan (February 27, 2018). "Casey endorses Houlahan in 6th Congressional Dist., Costello challenges map". The Mercury (Pennsylvania). Pottstown, Pa.
  35. ^ ameliaabromaitis (April 10, 2018). "SEIU PA State Council Announces Endorsed Candidates for 2018 Primary Election". SEIU Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018.
  36. ^ Rellahan, Michael (November 3, 2020). "Houlahan in run for re-election against Emmons". Daily Local News. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  37. ^ "Pennsylvania Election Results: Sixth Congressional District". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  38. ^ Tamari, Jonathan (June 8, 2021). "Democratic Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan won't run for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  39. ^ "Pennsylvania House District 6 Democratic Primary Election Results and Maps 2022". CNN. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  40. ^ Pennsylvania Department of State. "2022 General Election Official Returns - Representative in Congress". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  41. ^ "House leaders announce members of bipartisan task force investigating Trump assassination attempt". Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  42. ^ "Rep. Houlahan on U.S. Troops Withdrawal from Syria". The Wall Street Journal. Fox Business Network. January 19, 2019. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  43. ^ O'Brien, Connor (February 27, 2023). "Democrats, Republicans join up to urge Biden to send F-16s to Ukraine". Politico. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  44. ^ "Moulton, Crow, Sherrill, Houlahan, Spanberger, and Slotkin Send Letter to Biden Administration Calling for Shift in Israel's Military Strategy in Gaza | Congressman Seth Moulton". moulton.house.gov. December 18, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  45. ^ Vargas, Claudia. "Chrissy Houlahan and Greg McCauley, two political novices, running for open U.S. House seat in Chester, Berks". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  46. ^ "Human Rights Campaign Endorses Chrissy Houlahan for Congress". Human Rights Campaign. April 11, 2018.
  47. ^ "Cosponsors – H.Res.124 – 116th Congress (2019-2020): Expressing opposition to banning service in the Armed Forces by openly transgender individuals". congress.gov. March 28, 2019.
  48. ^ Lauren Feiner (September 29, 2022). "House passes antitrust bill that hikes M&A fees as larger efforts targeting tech have stalled". CNBC.
  49. ^ "H.R. 3843: Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 -- House Vote #460 -- Sep 29, 2022".
  50. ^ "Rep. Houlahan on how to end the China 'hullaballoon'". February 7, 2023.
  51. ^ "Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan". houlahan.house.gov. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  52. ^ Center, Niskanen (May 17, 2024). "Niskanen Urges Support for Rep. Chrissy Houlahan's Critical Amendment to Strengthen the National Defense Authorization Act - Niskanen Center". Niskanen Center - Improving Policy, Advancing Moderation. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  53. ^ "Houlahan, Balderson Reintroduce Legislation to Accelerate Small Business Technologies and Job Growth". U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan. May 2, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  54. ^ "About Climate Solutions Caucus". Climate Solutions Caucus. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  55. ^ "Featured Members". Problem Solvers Caucus. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  56. ^ "2018 General Election: Representative in Congress". Pennsylvania Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  57. ^ "2020 Pennsylvania Elections - Official Results". Pennsylvania Department of State. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  58. ^ "2022 General Election Official Returns - Representative in Congress". Pennsylvania Department of State.
  59. ^ "Chrissy Houlahan '89: Engineer, veteran, entrepreneur, teacher, congresswoman". December 8, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chrissy Houlahan.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district
2019–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
248th 		Succeeded by
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