Danny Davis

Danny K. Davis is a Democratic member of the U. S. House of Representatives representing the 7th District of Illinois since 1997.

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

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

Sun Myung Moon Coronation
In 2004 Davis was met with national controversy when he participated in a "coronation" ceremony at the Dirksen Senate Office Building honoring controversial spiritual leader Sun Myung Moon. Davis gave a speech and donned white gloves to assist in Moon's actual crowning.  Acording to The Hill, Davis said, "I'm not involved in any cult activities"...but Davis said, "Moon's organization 'put together a little fundraiser one time and gave me a few thousand dollars.'"

Trip to Sri Lanka
In August 2006, the Chicago Tribune reported that, following the arrest of 11 supporters of the Sri Lankan rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for "conspiracy to support the terrorist group through money laundering, arms procurement and bribery of U.S. officials," Davis' 2005 trip to Sri Lanka was being investigated by the Tamil Tigers group, which the U.S. government has designated a terrorist organization. The weekend previous to the arrests, Davis reportedly "talked in Chicago with a supporter of the Tamil Tigers who was among 11 people arrested." 

Davis defended his trip to Sri Lanka, on which he was accompanied by staffer Daniel Cantrell. "The five-term Democratic congressman said he was unaware that the Tigers paid for the trip and on his required congressional disclosure form he reported that the trip was paid for by a Hickory Hills-based Tamil cultural organization, the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America. ... avis said he knew that the group was 'associated' with the Tamil Tigers but did not realize that the trip's costs were covered with funds controlled by the rebel group." 

Pays wife for campaign work
In October 2006, the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington-based non-profit organization which advocates better transparency in government, reported that Davis’s campaign committee paid his wife $10,543 to serve as the campaign's treasurer during 2005-2006. 

Bio
Davis was born September 6, 1941 in Parkdale, Arkansas. He was educated at Chicago State University (Ph.D 1968) and the Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was a clerk, a teacher, executive director of the Greater Lawndale Conservation Commission, director of training at the Martin L. King Neighborhood Health Center, executive director of the Westside Health Center, and a member of the Chicago City Council before entering the House in 1997.

2006 elections
In 2006, the Republicans nominated Charles Hutchinson to face Davis in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) Davis retained his seat.

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

 * 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 Oversight and Government Reform
 * Subcommittee on Domestic Policy
 * Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and the District of Columbia, Chair

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

 * House Committee on Education and the Workforce
 * Subcommittee on Education Reform
 * Subcommittee on Select Education
 * House Committee on Government Reform
 * Subcommittee on Criminal Justice Drug Policy and Human Resources
 * Subcommittee on Federal Workforce and Agency Organization - Ranking Minority Member
 * House Committee on Small Business
 * Subcommittee on Tax Finance and Exports
 * Subcommittee on Workforce Empowerment and Government Programs

Affiliations

 * Member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.
 * Member, Congressional Black Caucus.
 * Director, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
 * Director, Population Resource Center

Resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * BuzzFlash Interview, Congressman Danny Davis
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database
 * Sunlight Foundation: The Congressional Family Business Project

Articles

 * Andrew Zajac and Mike Dorning, "Congressman's trip tied to group U.S. considers terrorists," Chicago Tribune, August 23, 2006.
 * Charles Babington and Alan Cooperman, "The Rev. Moon Honored at Hill Reception," Washington Post, June 23, 2004.
 * James Kirchick, "Lawmakers attend Moon 'coronation' in Dirksen," The Hill, June 22, 2004.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Proviso Probe
 * Philosophe Forum
 * Prairie State Blue - Statewide Illinois Progressive Politics Blog