Gerald McNerney

Jerry McNerney, a Democrat, has represented the 11th Congressional District of California in the House of Representatives since 2007.(map)

State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
In 2007, Congress took up the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides health care for about 6 million children and 670,000 adults from families who earn too much money qualify for Medicare but not enough to afford health insurance. Congressional Democrats and many Republicans tried to use the opportunity to dramatically expand the program but were opposed by President George W. Bush and other Republicans. In 2006, 5.4 million children were eligible but not enrolled in SCHIP or Medicaid and 9.4 million total children were uninsured.

Rep. Jerry McNerney voted for the first House bill, which passed along party lines. It would have added $47 billion over five years to the $25 billion cost of the program and added about 5 million people to the program, including children, some legal immigrants, pregnant women and adults aged 18 and 19. The bill was financed mainly by an increase in cigarette taxes.

House Democrats, with 45 Republicans, later compromised and passed a bill which expanded the plan by $35 billion and would have insured about 3.5 million more children from families generally making between 250% and 300% of the federal poverty line (about $51,000 to $62,000 for a family of four). Most non-pregnant, childless adults were excluded, as were most legal immigrants and all illegal immigrants. McNerney voted for the bill.

After President Bush vetoed the bill, Democratic leaders attempted to override the veto with the same bill but failed. McNerney voted for the bill.

House Democrats then attempted to override it with another bill, which gave into Republican demands for increased checks for citizenship, the quick phasing-out of adult coverage, a hard limit of 300% of the federal poverty level and funding for families that covered their children through private insurance instead. Republicans, angry that the vote was scheduled during massive fires in California, blocked the veto override. McNerney voted for the bill. For details on the bills and the debate, see the main State Children's Health Insurance Program page.

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

Alternative water source project
On January 29, 2007, Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) introduced H.R.700 - To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to extend a pilot program for alternative water source projects. The program was originally approved by Congress in 2000, when $75 million for two years of grant funding was approved with a 50% federal cost share.

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and eventually passed on March 8, 2007 with a vote of 368-59.

Biography
McNerney attended St. Joseph’s Military Academy in Hays, Kansas. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, but in 1971 resigned from the academy in protest of the Vietnam War, registered with the draft board, and transferred to the University of New Mexico. He received a bachelor's degree, master's degree, and, in 1981, a PhD in mathematics from that university. He has been married for 29 years and has three grown children. 

His oldest son Michael volunteered to serve in the military soon after 9/11.

McNerney served several years as a contractor to Sandia National Laboratories on Kirtland Air Force Base, working on national security programs. In 1985, he accepted a senior engineering position with US Windpower (Kenetech), and in 1994 began working as an energy consultant for PG&E, FloWind, The Electric Power Research Institute, and other utility companies. McNerney is now the CEO of a start-up company that intends to manufacture wind turbines.

2006 House race
In the Democratic primary McNerney faced the DCCC backed Steve Filson. McNerney, who had run against Pombo in 2004, received the California Democratic Party's endorsement. In the June 6 election McNerney won with 52.8% of the vote.

McNerney's race for Congress focused on alternative energy solutions and the environmental policies of Richard Pombo. McNernery assailed Pombo for his ties to oil and gas companies and his repeated attempts to rewrite the Endangered Species Act. McNerney was joined in his campaign to oust Pombo by all the major environmental organizations, who see Pombo, the House Resources Committee Chairman, as a direct threat to their agenda.

McNerney favors the Murtha plan for a "phased redeployment" of troops from Iraq and has opposed the war since it began. McNerney received the endorsement of former Republican congressman Pete McCloskey who ran against Pombo in the Republican primary. McCloskey, the author of the Endangered Species Act, states that Pombo is "an embarrassment" and that the Bush administration is "the worst in history."

McNerney defeated Pombo in the election, capturing 53.1% of the vote.

Money in Politics
cid=N00026926&cycle=2008

Committees and Affiliations

 * House Committee on Science and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Environment and Energy
 * Subcommittee on Research and Science Education
 * House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
 * Subcommittee on Highways, Transit & Pipelines
 * Subcommittee on Water Resources & Environment
 * House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity

Resources

 * Jerry McNerney for Congress, official campaign site.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Calitics: Soapblox California.
 * DownWithTyranny!.
 * Say No To Pombo Blogspot.
 * California Notes.

Articles

 * Hank Shaw, "Jerry McNerney gets Democrats' endorsement," The Record (Stockton, Calif.), May 1, 2006.
 * Hank Shaw, "Politics turns to war in Pombo's district," Stockton Record, May 17, 2006.
 * Jonathan Singer, "MyDD Conversation with CA-11 Candidate Jerry McNerney," MyDD.com, May 2, 2006.
 * Hank Shaw, "Pombo's foe faces steep cash climb," Stockton Record, July 19, 2006.
 * Howie Klein, "Blue America: Jerry McNerney Turning Northern CA a Deeper Shade of Blue," firedoglake, August 26, 2006.
 * Amanda Griscom Little, "Pom and Jerry," Grist Magazine, October 26, 2006.