Artur Davis

Artur Genestre Davis, a Democrat, represented the 7th District of Alabama in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011. The district, which was created under the Voting Rights Act to be black-majority, includes the rural black belt area as well as urban portions of Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.

Iraq War
Artur Davis appears to be againts the War in Iraq, but at the same time shows his support for the armed forces. Davis voted to approve a resolution sponsored by fellow Democrat, Representative Ike Skelton (Missouri) that would “disapprove of the decision of President George W. Bush to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq” while still showing support for the armed forces. It was a measure that did in fact pass the House of Representatives in 2007. In May 2008, Davis voted in favor of a bill that would put regulations on the United States' actions in Iraq and future conflicts. The house voted to pass the bill by a margin of 227 to 196. 

Abortion
Although he is the co-chair of the New Democratic Coalition, Representative Davis generally tends to vote from a conservative viewpoint on teenage and partial abortion. In 2003 he voted yes to pass a bill that would prohibit partial birth-abortion. He also later voted to prohibit minors from traveling across state lines to get an abortion. On the other hand in 2006 he voted against a measure that would require people performing the abortions to give out information about the theory that the unborn fetus, less than 20 weeks old, can feel the pain of the abortion. Based on his voting record, Representative Davis seems to be pro-choice to a certain extent. Pregressivepunch.com gave Artur Davis a 62% progressive score on his position on abortion. NARAL Pro-choice America supports Davis and gave him a rating of 100 on his position on abortion. 

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

Artur Davis tends to take a liberal stance on Energy and the Environment. Davis is in favor of reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil and energy. In late 2007 he voted to pass the Energy Act of 2007, it is a bill that “increases energy efficiency standards and vehicle fleet fuel economy standards, and decreases tax deductions for certain oil-related income” according to Project Vote Smart. In 2007 Artur Davis voted against a piece of legislation (Renewable Energy Standards) that required electrical suppliers to supply 15% of their energy through renewable resources. The same bill also allowed the buying and selling of Federal Energy Efficiency Credits that satisfied “the renewable energy requirement and [that] may be obtained either through issuance by the Secretary of Energy”. Eventhough he voted against the measure, The House Of Representatives passed it 220 for to 190 against.

Ties to AIPAC and Israel
Davis received substantial funding from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its supporters during his successful 2002 campaign against incumbent Democratic Rep. Earl Hilliard. The Decatur Daily reported in 2004 that Davis conservatively received $206,595 from individuals and PACs associated with pro-Israel organizations in 2002, more than any other House candidate. This was fairly unusual because Davis was challenging an incumbent from his own party and after he won the primary he had no Republican opponent. Davis' contributions soared after he attended a series of April 2002 fundraisers coordinated by AIPAC members in Washington, D.C. and New York City. In 2004 AIPAC members sponsored at least one fundraiser for him in New York and another in Birmingham.

Davis, who received 76 percent of his 2002 contributions from outside Alabama and largely from New York City, acknowledged that he "received a lot of money from the Jewish community," but made a distinction between taking money from AIPAC – with which he said in 2004 he had no relationship – and its members. "I have never accepted money from AIPAC," Davis said, "My relationship has been with donors who are members of AIPAC."

However, the leaders of AIPAC routinely use other organizations to steer contributions to candidates. Jeffrey Goldberg reported in the New Yorker in 2005 that Mayer Mitchell, a former head of AIPAC, led a 2002 effort to solicit contributions for Davis' primary campaign to unseat Hilliard, a frequent critic of Israeli policy. Shortly after the 2002 election, an AIPAC publication reported that "Davis has met with AIPAC activists and staff and has close ties to members of the local and national pro-Israel community."


 * See also American Israel Public Affairs Committee for more on AIPAC's fundraising networks.

At least one pro-Israel PAC, To Protect Our Heritage, said it gave to Davis because "Hilliard has one of the most dismal records in Congress in Israel-related issues." While Davis denied claims by Hilliard that he developed AIPAC-friendly positions on Israeli policy to raise money, he did acknowledge that "In 2002, we were unable to raise large sums of money because Earl Hilliard was an incumbent," Davis said. "That required us to develop a national fund-raising strategy or forgo our ability to win the race. So we developed a national fund-raising strategy."

On April 26, 2007, Davis participated in planting a tree in commemoration of Coretta Scott King. The event marked the dedication of a Jewish National Fund forest in Israel in her name. Ben White, a freelance journalist based in the Bethlehem district of Palestine, analyzed this event in an article posted by ElectronicIntifada, and called it a "propaganda" ploy.

Bio
Davis was born October 9, 1967 in Montgomery, Alabama. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University in 1990 and Cum Laude from Harvard Law School in 1993, and was a civil rights lawyer and Assistant United States Attorney before he ran for the House in the Democratic primary against 10-year incumbent Earl F. Hilliard, whom he narrowly defeated in 2002.

Known as a bipartisan legislator, Davis has earned praise from publications such as The Washington Post and the National Journal. Seen as a rising star, he announced in May 2005 that he would like to run for a seat in the United States Senate or for governor of Alabama in 2010.

2006 elections
No major candidates announced their intentions to contest Davis’s seat in the November 2006 election. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)

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

 * House Committee on Ways and Means
 * Subcommittee on Social Security
 * Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support
 * House Committee on the Judiciary
 * Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
 * Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
 * Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims

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

 * House Committee on Budget
 * House Committee on Financial Services
 * Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
 * Subcommittee on Capital Markets Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * Member, Congressional Black Caucus
 * Member, Senior Whip Team for the Democratic Caucus of the |109th Congress
 * Co-Chair of the centrist House New Democrat Coalition
 * Southern Regional Co-Chair for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

More Background Data

 * 2006 Alabama CD 7 Candidate List from VIS

2008 Campaign Contact Information
Official Davis for Congress website

Committee To Elect Artur Davis To Congress Campaign Headquarters 1727 3rd Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35203

Phone: 322-9096

Fax:322-9097

[mailto:acelftr@yahoo.com acelftr@yahoo.com]

Articles and resources

 * Official website
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Birmingham Blues
 * Alabama Democrat