Debbie Stabenow

Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat, has been the junior Senator from Michigan since 2001. She is the chairperson of the Democratic Steering Committee for the 110th Congress.

Iraq War
Stabenow voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq in Oct. 2002.

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

Indian casino
In 2002, Stabenow introduced S. 2986, a bill designed to allow the Bay Mills Indian Community (Brimley, Mich.) tribe to develop a casino off-reservation almost 350 miles away in Port Huron, Mich. In 1996, the Bay Mills Indians made claims to lands in Michigan including more than 100 acres in the Charlotte Beach area on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. (Bay Mills Tribal Leader Jeff Parker gave a good account of this at a House Resources Committee Hearing) The Bay Mills claims were rejected by both state and federal courts at the time on administrative grounds and have never been officially heard or validated. Nevertheless, then Michigan Gov. John Engler entered into a settlement agreement with the Tribe in which it would agree to extinguish claims to the Charlotte Beach lands in exchange for the right to build a casino in Port Huron. Michigan casino syndicates Marian Ilitch and Michael J. Malik, Sr. bankrolled the tribe’s pursuits. According to records on file with the Federal Election Commission, Ilitch Family members and Malik contributed more than $113,000 toward Stabenow's 2006 re-election -- significantly more than they gave to any other federal candidate in either the 2004 or 2006 federal election cycles. Neither Ilitch nor Malik contributed to Stabenow’s previous campaigns.

Background
Deborah Ann Stabenow was born April 29, 1950 in Gladwin, Michigan and grew up in Clare, Michigan. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University in 1972 and an M.S.W. magna cum laude from Michigan State University in 1975. While in graduate school, Stabenow won her first election, to the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, a position in which she served from 1975-1978. She has also worked as a social worker, and a leadership training consultant. She served in the Michigan State House of Representatives from 1979-1990, where she became the first woman to preside over the House. She also served in the State Senate from 1991-1994. She was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1996 from Michigan's Eighth District and served two terms.

Congressional Career
She did not seek reelection to the House of Representatives in 2000, but was elected to the U.S. Senate. She defeated the Republican incumbent, Senator Spencer Abraham (whom George W. Bush later named Secretary of Energy). She was the first woman from Michigan elected to the U.S. Senate, and along with Washington's Maria Cantwell, the first woman to defeat an incumbent senator. Stabenow was considered the underdog for much of the Senate race, but rallied in the final weeks of the campaign to unseat Abraham by a narrow margin. Abraham's wife Jane was rumored to be a Republican candidate for Stabenow's 2006 reelection, but opted out of the race.

Stabenow became the third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate on November 16, 2004, when she was elected by her colleagues to be secretary of the Democratic caucus. As caucus secretary, she assists Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, to set the Democrats' agenda and priorities. Reid was elected to replace Minority Leader Tom Daschle, who lost a re-election bid in South Dakota.

2006 elections
In 2006, the Republicans nominated Michael J. Bouchard to face Stabenow in her November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)  Stabenow retained her seat. Following the elections, she was named chairperson of the Democratic Steering Committee for the 110th Congress.

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

 * Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
 * Subcommittee on Nutrition and Food Assistance, Sustainable and Organic Agriculture, and General Legislation
 * Subcommittee on Domestic & Foreign Marketing, Inspection, & Plant & Animal Health
 * Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry and Credit - Chairman
 * Senate Committee on Finance
 * Senate Committee on the Budget

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

 * Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
 * Subcommittee on Marketing Inspection and Production Promotion
 * Subcommittee on Research Nutrition and General Legislation
 * Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
 * Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation
 * Subcommittee on Securities and Investment
 * Senate Committee on the Budget

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * Senate Auto Caucus
 * Democratic Economic Security Task Force
 * Steering Committee
 * Senate Centrist Coalition
 * Secretary, Senate Democratic Conference
 * Senate New Democrat Coalition

Boards and other Affiliations

 * Member, Grace United Methodist Church

Resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
 * About.com Profile of Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database
 * Michigan candidates for the U.S. Senate
 * See how you compare to Debbie Stabenow

Articles

 * Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten, "GOP Mines Data for Every Tiny Bloc," Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2006.
 * Media Mouse, "Senator Debbie Stabenow: A Consistent Supporter of the Iraq War," Mediamouse.org, March 13, 2007.
 * Media Mouse, "West Michigan Representatives and Michigan Senators Vote for Iraq Funding Bill," Mediamouse.org, May 25, 2007.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Michigan Liberal's Jr Senator Section
 * West Michigan Politics
 * Media Mouse: Grand Rapids Independent Media

--Somolinos 11:27, 28 April 2008 (EDT)