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
Born	November 3, 1937 (1937-11-03) (age 72) 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 an American politician and educator from Petaluma in Sonoma County, California. She is a member of the Democratic Party and a U.S. Representative since 1993, representing California's 6th congressional district (map). The district includes all of Marin County and most of Sonoma County. She gained attention when she became the first Representative to call for a troop withdrawal from Iraq. She is a prominent member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and as of 2009^[update] its vice-chair.

Personal life and early career

She was born in Seattle, Washington, was educated at the University of Washington where she became a member of Alpha Phi sorority and the University of San Francisco. She later 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.

Congressional career

Congresswoman Woolsey, who describes herself as "the first former welfare mother to serve in Congress,"^[1] is one of two members of the United States House of Representatives to have been on welfare; the other is Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI).

She was one of the 31 who voted in the House to not count the electoral votes from Ohio in the United States presidential election, 2004.^[2]

Race for Congress

In 1992, five-term Congresswoman Barbara Boxer gave up her seat to make a successful run for the United States Senate. Woolsey won a crowded nine-way Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district. She was largely helped by the fact that seven of her eight opponents were from Marin County, and split that county's vote. In the general elections, she faced Republican Assemblyman Bill Filante, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor and was unable to campaign much. This essentially ended Filante's campaign, though he would have been a heavy underdog in any case. Woolsey won with 66 percent of the vote, and has been reelected eight times with no substantive opposition.

Positions on Iraq

Woolsey is an outspoken opponent of the War in Iraq. On October 10, 2002, she was among the 133 members of the House who voted against authorizing the invasion of Iraq. She has taken an active role in calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq. She led 15 Members of Congress in writing a letter to President Bush on January 12, 2005, calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq. 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. Congresswoman Woolsey gave Cindy Sheehan a guest pass to attend the 2006 State of the Union speech by George W. Bush. Sheehan's attendance at the speech became infamous when she was arrested for wearing a T-shirt with a political message.^[3]

Recognition of Ramadan

On December 11, 2007, Woolsey, along with 8 other Democrats, voted ‘nay’ on a resolution to recognize the importance of "Christmas and the Christian faith," but did vote to "recognize the commencement of Ramadan," an Islamic religious observance, and Diwali, a Hindu religious holiday, earlier in the year.^[4]

Indian gambling

Representative Woolsey introduced the Graton Rancheria Restoration Act August 6, 1998 (105th CONGRESS, 2d Session, H.R. 4434^[5]). It was ultimately approved and 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^[6]:

“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. These are services, as you know, that are available to all other Federally recognized tribes!

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.”

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

Now the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, and Station Casinos of Las Vegas, Nevada, propose to build a large hotel/casino complex in Sonoma County, California near Rohnert Park.

In response, Representative Woolsey introduced H.R. 2656 (which never left the House Resources Committee) and appeared frequently at local townhall meetings saying that the Miwok Indians double crossed her by seeking to legalize gambling on their Indian gaming reservation.^[7]

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, which had been held since 1916. The charter was issued by Congress to the B.S.A. for its efforts to promote "patriotism, courage, self-reliance and kindred virtues" for young boys. Woolsey said, "We're not saying the Boy Scouts are bad, we're saying that intolerance is bad." The Boy Scouts does not want atheists, agnostics and gays (scouts, former scouts, and troop leaders all included) in their organization, but the Girl Scouts do not have such a policy.

Stupak-Pitts Amendment

She was strongly critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which places limits on taxpayer-funded abortions in the context of the November 2009 Affordable Health Care for America Act.^[8]

Committee Assignments

• Committee on Education and Labor
  • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Subcommittee on Workforce Protections (Chairwoman)
• Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
• Committee on Science and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Environment

Caucuses

• Congressional Progressive Caucus (Co-Chair)

Darfur protest arrest

Woolsey was arrested April 27, 2009, outside the embassy of Sudan, during a protest against genocide in Darfur.^[9] Woolsey and four other U.S. lawmakers were protesting the blocking of aid to victims. They were arrested after ignoring warnings issued by police maintaining a police line to protect the embassy in Washington, D.C.

Other U.S. lawmakers arrested during the protest include Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts), Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Maryland), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota), and Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia).

Electoral history

References

External links

• U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey official House site
• Lynn Woolsey at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Federal Election Commission — Lynn C Woolsey campaign finance reports and data
• On the Issues — Lynn Woolsey issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org — Lynn Woolsey campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart — Representative Lynn C. Woolsey (CA) profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Lynn Woolsey profile
• Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Lynn Woolsey voting record
• Lynn Woolsey for Congress official campaign site
• Lynn Woolsey's On Air Interview With The Young Turks.

Articles

• Out of Iraq: By Reps. Lynn Woolsey & Barbara Lee
• A Progressive State of the Union By Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey
• The Progressive Promise By Rep. Lynn Woolsey
• California Rep. Lynn Woolsey Receives Peace Award from Christian Quaker Lobby
• Metroactive: Lynn Woolsey and the American way
• American Prospect: Communication Breakdown by Rep. Lynn Woolsey
• Statement Opposing Military Action in Iraq Rep. Lynn Woolsey
• Woolsey's Tie to Indian Gaming (Marin IJ)
• Dry Creek Indian Gaming Coming to Petaluma?
• HR2656