Susan Davis

Susan A. Davis, a Democrat, has represented the 53rd District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2001.

Iraq War
Davis voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

Positions on transparency
Davis has refused to publish her appointment calendar from the previous day. Her comments were in response to the request of one of her constituents that she do so as a part of the Sunlight Foundation's Punch Clock Campaign. 

Vote-by-Mail
On March 22, 2007, Susan Davis introduced bill |/bss/d110query.html| H.R.1646, to amend the 2002 Help America Vote Act. Among the components of the new bill is a mandate requiring states to implement tracking systems for states using vote-by-Mail. The next day she introduced |/bss/d110query.html| H.R.1667, which would create a grant program for states to implement a vote-by-mail program. 

Voting For War Funds With No Withdrawal Deadline
On May 24th, 2007, Susan Davis voted in favor of providing $100 billion in funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan without setting withdrawal deadlines for troops, as was previously sought by anti-war Democrats.

Condemning MoveOn.org
On September 26th, 2007, Susan Davis voted for a resolution that condemned  MoveOn.org's ad in the New York Times concerning  General Petraeus'  testimony to Congress.

Biography
Davis was born April 13, 1944 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but has spent most of her life in California. She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and earned a master's degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

A social worker in San Diego, Davis was elected to the San Diego School Board in 1983. She served there until 1992, most of that time as president or vice-president. For part of that time, she served alongside her future colleague in the House, Bob Filner (who represents most of the other side of San Diego in the House). In 1994, she was elected to the California State Assembly.

In 2000, she challenged three-term Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray in what was then the 49th District. She won with 54 percent of the vote. Her district was renumbered the 53rd and redrawn to include more of increasingly Democratic San Diego, and she was reelected with little trouble in 2002 and 2004. Before her election, Republicans had held the district for all but two of the previous 48 years.

In the House, she is "focusing on the issues of defense, education, environment, health care, and veterans affairs."

2006 elections
In 2006, the Republicans nominated John Woodrum, and the Libertarian Party nominated Ernie Lippe to face Davis in her November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) Davis retained her seat.

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

 * House Committee on Armed Services
 * Subcommittee on Military Personnel
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
 * House Committee on Education and Labor
 * Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
 * Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness
 * House Committee on House Administration

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

 * House Committee on Armed Services
 * House Defense Review Threat Panel
 * Subcommittee on Personnel
 * Subcommittee on Readiness
 * House Committee on Education and the Workforce
 * Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness
 * Subcommittee on Education Reform

Articles and resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Articles

 * Aaron Blake, "Two vote-by-mail bills on their way", Hill News, March 23, 2007.