Marcy Kaptur
Encyclopedia
Marcia Carolyn "Marcy" Kaptur (born June 17, 1946) is the U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 for , serving since 1983. She is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

. The district, anchored by the city of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...

, includes all of Ottawa
Ottawa County, Ohio
Ottawa County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,428. Its county seat is Port Clinton and is named either for the Ottawa Indians who lived there, or for an Indian word meaning "trader"....

 and Erie
Erie County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,551 people, 31,727 households, and 21,764 families residing in the county. The population density was 312 people per square mile . There were 35,909 housing units at an average density of 141 per square mile...

 counties, and part of Lucas
Lucas County, Ohio
----...

 and Lorain
Lorain County, Ohio
Lorain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio, and is considered to be a part of what is locally referred to as Greater Cleveland. As of the 2010 census, its population was 301,356. an increase from 284,664 in 2000...

 counties.

Serving her fourteenth term in the House of Representatives, Kaptur is the most senior member of Ohio's congressional delegation, and is the longest-serving woman in the House, and the second longest-serving ever after Edith Rogers
Edith Rogers
Edith Rogers may refer to:* Edith Rogers , member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, 1935–1940* Edith Rogers , member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, 1920–1932* Edith Nourse Rogers, U.S. politician...

; in the Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

, she is currently the fourth longest-serving woman, behind Senators Barbara Mikulski
Barbara Mikulski
Barbara Ann Mikulski is the senior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Mikulski, a former U.S. Representative, is the longest-serving female senator in U.S...

, Olympia Snowe
Olympia Snowe
Olympia Jean Snowe , née Bouchles, is the senior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. She and her fellow Senator from Maine, Susan Collins,...

, and Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....

. She ranks 25th out of 435 members in seniority and serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee
United States House Committee on Appropriations
The Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...

.

Early life, education, and early political career

Kaptur, a Polish-American, is a Toledo native. Her family operated a small grocery. Kaptur graduated from St. Ursula Academy
St. Ursula Academy (Toledo, Ohio)
St. Ursula Academy is Toledo’s oldest, all-female, Catholic fully accredited, college preparatory school serving girls in grades 7-12, and has been educating young women of today for tomorrow since 1854.The mission of St...

 in 1964 and became the first member in her family to attend college. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...

 in 1968 and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan
Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
The A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning is an undergraduate and graduate institution for the built environment at the University of Michigan. Formerly known as the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Taubman College gained the namesake of real estate developer and...

 in 1974. She did post-graduate study in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...

 in 1981.

Kaptur served on the Toledo-Lucas County
Lucas County, Ohio
----...

 Plan Commissions from 1969 to 1975 and was director of planning for the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs (1975–1977) founded by the late Msgr. Geno Baroni. She later served as a domestic policy advisor during President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

's Administration.

Elections

While pursuing a doctorate in urban planning development finance at MIT, Kaptur was recruited to run for Congress in 1982 against freshman Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 Ed Weber
Ed Weber
Edward Ford "Ed" Weber was an American politician from Ohio. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican....

, who had upset 26-year incumbent Lud Ashley two years earlier. Kaptur had been a well-known party activist and volunteer since age 13. Despite being outspent by almost 3-1, she defeated Weber 58%-39%. Although the 9th had traditionally been a Democratic bastion, Kaptur's win was considered a major upset.

In 1984, Kaptur faced a strong challenge from Republican Frank Venner, longtime anchorman and weatherman at WTVG
WTVG
This is about the TV station in Toledo, Ohio for the former WTVG-TV in Newark, New Jersey see WFUT-DT.WTVG, channel 13, is the ABC-affiliated television station for Northwest Ohio and licensed in Toledo, Ohio. WTVG's studios and offices are located in Toledo and its transmitter is located in...

, but defeated him 55%-44%, even as Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

 carried the district. Since then, she has won re-election with at least 74% of the vote until 2004, when she faced her first serious opponent in 20 years in Lucas County auditor Larry Kaczala. However, Kaptur dispatched him fairly easily, winning by 68%-32%.

2006

Kaptur won her 13th term with 74% of the vote.

2008

Kaptur won her 14th term with 74% of the vote.

2010

In the weeks preceding the 2008 election, controversial Joe Wurzelbacher (a.k.a "Joe the Plumber"), known for personally confronting Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 about the effects of his tax policies upon small businesses, announced he was considering challenging Kaptur in the 2010 election.
However, he chose not to run. Kaptur was instead challenged by Republican Rich Iott
Rich Iott
Richard Bradley "Rich" Iott was the 2010 Republican nominee for United States Representative for Ohio's 9th District...

, a Tea party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...

 favorite. Kaptur won re-election to her 15th term with with 59% of the vote. That was the worst re-election performance since 1984.

2012

She will run for re-election to a 16th term. Joe Wurzelbacher (a.k.a "Joe the Plumber") has filed to run as a Republican in the district. Fellow U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....

 (D-Cleveland) may run a primary campaign against her.

Tenure

Kaptur is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is the largest caucus within the Democratic caucus in the United States Congress with 83 declared members, and works to advance progressive issues and positions....

. She was once named "Most Valuable Member" of the House by The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...

. In 1996, Kaptur was asked by Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...

 to be his vice-presidential running mate. Kaptur, like Perot, being a fierce opponent of free trade would have been a natural selection, but she eventually declined.

Patent reform
Kaptur is a huge opponent of the America Invents Act, a bill that is attempting to change the current Patent System. Kaptur opposes changing from a "first to invent system" to a "first to file system" claiming it hurts the little guy. Kaptur stated "Our patent system is the finest in the world. There are patent concerns that Congress can and should address, starting with the high cost of fees for inventors who hold less than three patents. However, this legislation addresses fictions of global corporations and the proposed solutions are special fixes that benefit these few giants at the expense of everyone else." She went on to say "Congress should not do to American innovation what it did to the American financial industry."

Abortion
Though generally reckoned as a liberal-to-progressive Democrat, Kaptur holds moderately conservative views on abortion. She has voted in favor of some proposals to restrict access to abortion but has opposed others. In January 2007, she was the only member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is the largest caucus within the Democratic caucus in the United States Congress with 83 declared members, and works to advance progressive issues and positions....

 to vote against funding for stem-cell research. Kaptur has expressed support for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, an amendment to America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, and voted in favor of it on November 9.Kaptur was one of only sixteen Democrats to vote in favor of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act
The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act is a bill that was introduced to the 112th Congress of the United States in the House of Representatives by Rep. Chris Smith and Dan Lipinski . Although the bill is a bipartisan effort, most of the 173 co-sponsors are Republicans...

 on May 4, 2011. Kaptur also voted in favor of banning partial-birth abortions in 2000 and 2003. Kaptur voted against the Child Custody Protection Act in 1999 and the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act in 2005.Kaptur voted against allowing privately-funded abortions at overseas military hospitals twice in 1995, as well as 1997, 1998 and 1999. Most recently on the issue, in 2005, Kaptur voted in favor of lifting the ban on abortions at overseas military hospitals.

Free Trade
Kaptur is a staunch opponent of free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...

 agreements. She helped lead opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...

, Permanent Normal Trade Relations for the People's Republic of China, and fast track authority for the president. She has consistently supported military spending bills.

World War II Memorial
Responding to a constituent - Roger Durbin, a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 veteran - Kaptur first suggested the creation of a National World War II Memorial
National World War II Memorial
The U.S. National World War II Memorial is a National Memorial dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II...

 in Washington, D.C.

On December 10, 1987, Kaptur introduced the World War II Memorial Act to the House of Representatives. The legislation authorized the American Battle Monuments Commission
American Battle Monuments Commission
The American Battle Monuments Commission is a small independent agency of the United States government. Established by Congress in 1923, it is responsible for:...

 to establish a World War II memorial, however, as the bill was not voted on before the end of the session it failed to be enacted into law. Kaptur introduced similar legislation in 1989 and 1991 but these bills also failed to become law.

Kaptur introduced legislation for the fourth time on January 27, 1993. This time the legislation was voted on and passed in the House on May 10, 1993. After a companion bill was passed in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

, President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

 signed the bill into law on May 25, 1993. Unfortunately, Roger Durbin died before he managed to see the memorial built, but Kaptur spoke at the memorial dedication ceremony, along with Durbin's granddaughter, on May 29, 2004.

Kaptur later said that she felt "a great sense of fulfillment" that the memorial was finally built. "This generation was the most unselfish America has ever seen," she said. "They never asked anybody for anything in return."

2008 Economic crisis
Marcy Kaptur has expressed her strong opposition to the multibillion dollar bailout plan brought before Congress. In her speech she criticized Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson
Henry Paulson
Henry Merritt "Hank" Paulson, Jr. is an American banker who served as the 74th United States Secretary of the Treasury. He previously served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs.-Early life and family:...

's Plan for
  1. Forcing congress to rush the decision.
  2. Disarming the public through fear. Controlling the media enough to ensure that the public will not notice that this bailout will indebt them for generations taking from them trillions of dollars they earned and deserved to keep.
  3. Controlling the playing field (hiding info from the public, holding private hearings, and private teleconferencing calls).
  4. Diverting attention and keeping people confused.
  5. Having the goal to privatize gains and socialize losses.


She also blamed Wall Street executives for their greed and held them responsible for the crisis and said
You have perpetrated the greatest financial crimes ever on this American Republic. You think you can get by with it because you are extraordinarily wealthy, and the largest contributors to both presidential and congressional campaigns in both major parties.

She pleaded a "Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...

 Reckoning" and an alternate plan whereby "America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 doesn't need to bail you out. It needs to secure real assets and property. Federal regional reserve banks should have a new job to help renegotiate . American people should get equity in any companies. Major job creation to rebuild our infrastructure. Regulate, we need a modern Glass–Steagall Act. Refinancing must return a major share of profits to a new social security and medicare lock box."

Kaptur's opposition to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Division A of , commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis...

 was highlighted in Michael Moore's 2009 documentary Capitalism: A Love Story
Capitalism: A Love Story
Capitalism: A Love Story is a 2009 American documentary film directed, written by and starring Michael Moore. The film centers on the late-2000s financial crisis and the recovery stimulus, while putting forward an indictment of the current economic order in the United States and capitalism in general...

, describing it as "a financial coup d'etat."

Marcy Kaptur backed The American Clean Energy and Security Act in the U.S. House after she was able to insert an amendment that would authorize the Secretary of Energy to create power marketing authorities in regions where none currently exist. One such area would be the Great Lakes region. Kaptur said the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation could serve as the vehicle for administering up to $3.5 billion in borrowing authority to stimulate economic development through creation of green energy such as solar power and wind power. Kaptur said the $3.5 billion in borrowing authority would promote "regional equity" and serve as a powerful engine for job creation in a region that has suffered from high energy costs, especially expensive electricity.

On April 12, 2011 Marcy Kaptur introduced H.R. 1489 to restore Glass Steagall. It states "To repeal certain provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and revive the separation between commercial banking and the securities business, in the manner provided in the Banking Act of 1933, the so-called "Glass-Steagall Act", and for other purposes." There are currently 30 co-sponsors.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-1489

Committee assignments

  • Committee on Appropriations
    United States House Committee on Appropriations
    The Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...

    • Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
    • Subcommittee on Defense
      United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense
      The House Subcommittee on Defense is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Appropriations.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:* Official page...

    • Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
  • Committee on the Budget
    United States House Committee on the Budget
    The U.S. House Committee on the Budget, commonly known as the House Budget Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress...


See also

  • Ohio's 9th congressional district
    Ohio's 9th congressional district
    Ohio's 9th congressional district has been represented by Representative Marcia C. Kaptur since 1983.This district is in the northern part of the state, bordering Michigan and Ontario, Canada , and includes the counties of Erie, Lorain, Lucas, and Ottawa.-List of largest municipalities:All or part...

  • List of United States Representatives from Ohio
  • National World War II Memorial
    National World War II Memorial
    The U.S. National World War II Memorial is a National Memorial dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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