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Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.)

U.S. Representative (since January 1993)

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(Mark Finkenstaedt / WP Style)

Why She Matters

As the representative of California's 6th Congressional District — which includes some of the most liberal counties in America — Woolsey has always been on the left-most wing of the Democratic party. She has announced that she will retire at the end of her term in 2012.

Woolsey currently co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a group of more than 80 Democrats in the House and Senate. Perhaps because of her liberal voting record and her recurrent disagreements with party leadership, she has been passed over for prominent committee assignments and other leadership positions within the party.

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Article

2 veteran Calif. GOP congressmen announce retirement

(Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP)

Reps. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) and Wally Herger (R-Calif.) — with a combined 50 years of incumbency between them — both announced they would retire rather than run for re-election in 2012.

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Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.)

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Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.)

U.S. Representative (since January 1993)

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Rep. Lynn Woolsey: Crossword puzzling at the Capitol (video)

The California Democrat was caught by C-SPAN’s cameras, filling out a crossword puzzle while a fellow rep addressed the House.

Photos

Congressional retirements for 2012

(Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images)

A number of long-serving members of Congress won’t seek reelection in the upcoming cycle.

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At a Glance

  • Career History: Petaluma City Council Member (1985-1992); Owner of Woolsey Personnel Service (1980-1992); Harris Digital Telephone Human Resources Manager (1969-1980)
  • Birthday: November 3, 1937
  • Hometown: Seattle, Wash.
  • Alma Mater: University of San Francisco, B.S., 1981
  • Spouse: Divorced
  • Religion: Presbyterian
  • Committees: Education and Labor (Chair, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections), Foreign Affairs , Science and Technology
  • DC Office: 2263 Rayburn House Office Building, 202-225-5161
 

Path to Power

Born in Seattle, Wash., Woolsey was a housewife in Marin County when her first marriage ended in 1968. With three children under the age of six, she struggled to support her single-parent family with welfare payments and low-paying jobs until she caught a break at a high-tech startup firm.

Woolsey rose through the ranks at the firm and eventually became human resources manager. At the same time, she completed a bachelor's degree at the University of San Francisco at night, and in 1980 opened her own HR consulting and employment agency, Woolsey Personnel Service. She remarried and moved to Petaluma where she continues to live.

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The Issues

Appropriately, given the political makeup of her district, Woolsey has one of the most liberal voting records in the House. As the first former welfare mother in Congress, Woolsey opposed welfare reform in 1996 and supports easing work requirements and providing more child care. Supported by her gay son, she has been a vocal proponent of gay rights and opposed banning gays from the military. (She also proposed revoking the federal charter for the Boy Scouts since the group excludes gays, firmly positioning her on the left-most wing of the Democratic Party).) In the 111th Congress, Woolsey has voted with her Democratic colleagues 96 percent of the time.

Health Care

In the 2009 debate over health-care reform, Woolsey has been a vocal proponent of a public insurance option, putting her sharply at odds with more conservative wings of her party. She criticized compromises crafted in July 2009 that included a moderated public insurance option and exemptions for small businesses. "We can compromise no more," she said at a news conference after the deal was announced.

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The Network

Woolsey co-founded the Out of Iraq Caucus with fellow California Democrats Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters, all of whom fought hard for troop withdrawal deadlines. She is also close to Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz), co-chair of the Progressive Caucus.

 

Additional Resources

  1. All biographical information based on Woolsey's official website biography, and National Journal's Almanac of American Politics profile, 2008.
  2. Sargent, Greg, The Plum Line, "Letter from House Progressive to Obama on the Public Option"
  3. Noam N. Levey and James Oliphant, The L.A. Times, "Liberal Democrats threaten to reject House healthcare compromise," July 31, 2009.
  4. Rebecca Cole, L.A. Times, "Congress members arrested in Darfur protest," April 28, 2009.
  5. Washington Post US Congress Votes Database.
  6. National Journal's Almanac of American Politics, 2008.
  7. Jane Norman and Edward Epstein, Congressional Quarterly Today, "Grassley Predicts Passage of Scaled-Back Health Care Bill," Sept. 3, 2009.
  8. Jonathan Allen, Congressional Quarterly Today, "Obama Works Phones For Health Care Bill," Sept. 4, 2009.
  9. Josh Richman, The Oakland Tribune, "House locals weigh in on bailout bill," Sept. 9, 2008.
  10. Noam N. Levey, L.A. Times, "Their Antiwar Cries Are No Longer in the Wilderness," March 15, 2007.
  11. Noam N. Levey, L.A. Times, "Their Antiwar Cries Are No Longer in the Wilderness," March 15, 2007.
  12. Official website of House Representative Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), 2009
  13. Chris Good, The Atlantic Politics Blog, "Interview With Rep. Lynn Woolsey," Sept. 3, 2009.
  14. National Journal's Almanac of American Politics, 2008.
  15. National Journal's Almanac of American Politics, 2008.