Earl Blumenauer

Earl Blumenauer has been a Democratic U.S. Representative from Oregon, representing that state's third congressional district, which includes Portland, since winning a special election in 1996.

Abortion
Although his website does not expressly state that he is pro-choice, Blumenauer has been consistently rated highly by NARAL Pro-Choice as well as Planned Parenthood. In addition, he voted to expand embryonic stem cell research to include more cell lines. His pro-choice stance is liberal.

Iraq War
Blumenauer voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War. He believes that the war should be ended as soon as possible and has pledged to vote against any funding bill that does not end the war. In February 2007, Blumenauer introduced the "New Direction for Iraq Act," which includes provisions requiring regional diplomacy, no permanent American military bases in Iraq, and prohibits the escalation of the Iraq War without specific Congressional approval. 

Environmental record
Blumenauer has supported strengthening the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. He is the second-ranking Democrat on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. He supports increasing energy efficiency standards and tax incentives for buildings and appliances. He wrote an amendment for the 2007 energy bill designed to increase incentives for natural gas companies to promote energy efficiency. . He has consistantly supported the interests of Environment America, the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, and the League of Conservation Voters, all environmental activist groups.  He has a very liberal position on environmental protection.

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

Health Care
Blumenauer calls for universal health care. He co-sponsored the Healthy Americans Act, which would guarantee private health care coverage for all Americans, including the unemployed. He is especially an advocate for children's health care, and supports the positions preferred by The Children's Health Fund. 

Education
Blumenauer supports reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, often known as No Child Left Behind. He has worked to make college more affordable for students, by advocating for the College Cost Reduction and Opportunity Act. . He has been consistently rated highly by the National Education Association, the American Association of University Women, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. 

Support for gun control
Blumenauer cosponsored H.R. 1312 (Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2005) on April 28, 2005. He supports the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and does not support the National Rifle Association or the Gun Owners of America. He is pro-gun control, a liberal standpoint.

Will not run for Senate in 2008
On May 16, 2007, Blumenauer announced that he would not challenge Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) for his Senate seat in the 2008 U.S. congressional elections. 

Background
Born in Portland August 16, 1948, Blumenauer graduated from Centennial High School in 1966 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lewis & Clark College in 1970. He received a Juris Doctor degree from the same college in 1976.

Blumenauer worked as an assistant to the president of Portland State University. He then served as an Oregon state representative from 1973 to 1978, Portland city commissioner (1986-96), and was appointed by Oregon's governor to the commission on higher education (1990-91). In 1992, Blumenauer was defeated by Vera Katz in an open race for mayor of Portland.

Congressional Career
Blumenauer was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the election of then-U.S. Representative Ron Wyden to the U.S. Senate.

Blumenauer represented Oregon as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2000.

In its endorsement of Blumenauer for the 2002 election, the Willamette Week summarized his fit with the congressional district he represents: Let's be blunt. Earl Blumenauer is going to win. He deserves to win. Ideologically and temperamentally, Blumenauer is an almost perfect reflection of his Portland seat, as safe a Democratic stronghold as any in the nation. He's championed light rail and the Portland Streetcar. He's the biggest bike advocate on Capitol Hill. He voted against the U.S.A. Patriot Act and the Iraq resolution. A super-sharp super-wonk, he's diligently seeking to export Portland's livability doctrine to Third World nations. Among the bills that Blumenauer has sponsored is the Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004.

Blumenaer's House biogrpahy states "He is a strong and creative voice both at home and abroad for the environment, sustainable development, and economic opportunity." He wass named a German Marshall Fellow in 1995 and has "won numerous awards from environmental, education, community, and civic organizations, including 1999 Legislator of the Year from the American Planning Association, the National Building Museum's Apgar Award in 2000, and the 2001 National Bicycle Advocacy Award from the League of American Bicyclists."

Blumenauer has spoken for the need of better oversight of House members' ethical conduct in light of recent scandal, and does not think current efforts are enough. He states, "Sadly, it has necessitated a series of egregious violations by Members to bring this issue to the forefront of public attention. Several changes are being proposed, some of which I have cosponsored or support. The current proposals, however, do no address the core issue behind the ethics problem – oversight."

2006 elections
In 2006, Democrats nominated Bruce Broussard to face Blumenauer in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)  Blumenauer retained his seat.

Hurricane Katrina warnings
In the political aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Blumenauer was among the proverbial canaries in coal mines who had pointed out the vulnerability of New Orleans and encouraged Congress to help that city and the gulf coast get better prepared:
 * September 15, 2004: Mr. Speaker, barely have we recovered from Hurricane Hugo and we are seeing Hurricane Ivan pose the threat that has long been feared by those in Louisiana, that this actually might represent the loss of the City of New Orleans. Located 15 feet below sea level, there is the potential of a 30-foot wall of water putting at risk $100 billion of infrastructure and industry and countless lives.
 * January 26, 2005: Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to view the devastation in Southeast Asia as a result of the 2004 tsunami. As appalled as I was by what I saw, I must confess that occasionally my thoughts drifted back to the United States. What would have happened if last September, Hurricane Ivan had veered 40 miles to the west, devastating the city of New Orleans? One likely scenario would have had a tsunami-like 30-foot wall of water hitting the city, causing thousands of deaths and $100 billion in damage....The experience of Southeast Asia should convince us all of the urgent need for congressional action to prevent wide-scale loss of life and economic destruction at home and abroad. Prevention and planning will pay off. Maybe the devastation will encourage us to act before disaster strikes.

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

 * House Committee on Ways and Means
 * Subcommittee on Trade
 * Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures
 * House Committee on Budget

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

 * House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
 * House Committee on International Relations

Twitter
 Earl Blumenauer posts on Twitter at http://twitter.com/repblumenauer/

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

Resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * 1996 Voters' Guide entries from an Oregon state government website
 * May special election
 * November general election,
 * Willamette Week stories:
 * November 1997: The Player
 * November 2002: Fall Voter's Guide 2002, with a Blumenauer endorsement
 * February 2004: The Earl of Trolleys
 * Earl Blumenauer’s Colbert Report interview. (Other Colbert Report interviews with members of Congress.)
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Chuck Currie, M.Div.
 * Oregon League of Conservation Voters
 * Loaded Orygun
 * Portland Transport
 * Worldwide Pablo
 * The Archimedes Movement
 * NewWest.net -- A Refreshing, new kind of journalism.

Articles

 * House Affirms Blumenauer Bill Banning Torture by Matthew Daly, Associated Press, 3/15/05.
 * Blumenauer Secures $$ for Bike and Walk Paths in Transportation Bill ''Associated Press', 3/24/05.
 * Oregon Duo Offer Bipartisan Chance for Real Ethics Reform by the Editorial Board of the Union-Bulletin, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, 3/22/06.
 * Porposal Would Add 40 Percent to Wilderness by Andy Dworkin, The Oregonian, 3/22/06.

Articles by Blumenauer

 * We need to promote many "American Dreams" in the 21st century by Earl Blumenauer, The Oregonian, 4/23/04.