| 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 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[update] 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).
On June 28, 2011, Woolsey announced that she would not run for re-election in the 2012 election.[2]
Contents |
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.
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]
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who voted against authorizing the invasion of Iraq.[4] She has taken an active role in calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from that country.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of Congress in writing a letter to President George W. Bush dated January 12, 2005, calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq.[5] She also was the first Member of Congress to call for a troop withdrawal, when she introduced H.Con.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]
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]
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]
In September 2000 Woolsey sponsored H.R. 4892, the Scouting for All Act, to revoke the charter held by the Boy Scouts of America.
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]
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.
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]
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]
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]
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.
| 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 | ||||
| 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 |