Timothy Ryan

Timothy J. Ryan, a Democrat, has represented the 17th Congressional District of Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003.

Iraq War
Recently, before the 2004 presidential election, Ryan spoke on the House floor denouncing the Bush administration's denial of a draft reinstatement, comparing this to the administration's previous claims that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction, the Bush tax cuts would create jobs, and other such claims. A video clip of this impassioned speech began to circulate throughout the Internet, particularly through left-wing media sites, and can be found here.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Background
Ryan was born July 16, 1973 in Niles, Ohio and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Warren. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University in 1995. In 2000, he earned a Juris Doctor degree from Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire.

Ryan served on the staff of congressman Jim Traficant (D-Ohio) in the mid-1990s. From 2000 to 2002, he served one term in the Ohio State Senate.

Congressional Career
After Traficant was convicted on criminal charges in 2002, Ryan declared his candidacy for his mentor's seat. As the result of redistricting following the 2000 census, the 17th, which had long been based in Youngstown, now included a portion of Akron. Previously, all of Akron had been part of the 14th District, represented by eight-term Democrat Thomas C. Sawyer. However, the 14th had been eliminated in redistricting, and Sawyer's home was drawn into the 17th. In the 2002 Democratic primary, Ryan pulled off a surprise defeat of Sawyer, who was seen as insufficiently labor-friendly in the redrawn district. Traficant ran as an independent in the race.

Congressional career
Ryan easily won election in November. When he took office in January 2003, he was the youngest Democrat in the House. He was reelected with almost no opposition in 2004.

Support for anti-hunger funding and food stamp initiative
Rep. Ryan, along with Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) participated in the Congressional Food Stamp Challenge, a program which would have public officials eat on $21 a week, reflecting the average national weekly food stamp benefit. The challenge was issued in an effort to increase federal funding for anti hunger programs.

2006 elections
In 2006, the Republicans nominated Don Manning to face Ryan in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) Ryan retained his seat.

Money in politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Water
 * Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Armed Services
 * House Defense Review Threat Panel
 * Subcommittee on Readiness
 * Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
 * House Committee on Education and the Workforce
 * Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness
 * Subcommittee on Select Education

Boards and other Affiliations

 * President, Trumbull County Young Democrats, 1995-1998
 * Member, Ancient Order of Hibernians
 * Past Chair, Earning by Learning, Warren, Ohio
 * Member, Italian Fraternal Home
 * Member, Niles Men's Democratic Club
 * Trustee, Young Black Men's Association

More Background Data

 * 2006 Ohio CD 17 Candidate List from VIS

Twitter
 Tim Ryan posts on Twitter at http://twitter.com/timryan/

Latest posts: http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/13491312.rss|title=none| max=3| short See all the members of Congress who Twitter

External resources

 * Official website
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Psychobilly Democrat
 * As Ohio Goes
 * Writes Like She Talks
 * Pho's Akron Pages