Diana DeGette

Diana Louise DeGette, a Democrat, has represented the First Congressional District of Colorado in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997.

Iraq War
DeGette 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

Support for gun control
DeGette cosponsored H.R. 1022 (Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2007) on March 13, 2007.

Support of stem cell research
On January 5, 2007, DeGette sponsored the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (H.R.3) which would have lifted restrictions on stem cell research. It passed the House in a vote of 253-174, thirty-seven votes short of a veto-proof majority. It was later vetoed by President George W. Bush.

Bio
A fourth-generation Coloradoan, DeGette was born in Tachikawa, Japan on July 29, 1957 while her father served in the armed forces. She graduated with honors from Colorado College in 1979 and earned a Juris Doctor degree from New York University in 1982. She then returned to Denver and began a successful law practice focusing on civil rights and employment litigation.

Long active in Denver politics, she was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1992. She was reelected in 1994 and chosen as minority whip. She authored a law that guarantees Colorado women unobstructed access to abortion clinics and other medical care facilities, popularly known as the "Bubble Bill." She also authored the state Voluntary Cleanup and Redevelopment Act, a model for similar cleanup programs.

1st District Congresswoman Pat Schroeder didn't run for a 13th term in 1996, and endorsed DeGette in the Democratic primary. She won the primary with 55 percent of the vote, which all but assured her of election in the heavily Democratic district (the 1st has been in Democratic hands for all but two years since 1933). She won in November with 57 percent and has been reelected four times against token Republican opposition. She won a fifth term in 2004 with a district-record 76 percent.

2006 elections
No major candidates announced their intentions to contest DeGette’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 Energy and Commerce
 * Subcommittee on Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection
 * Subcommittee on Health
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
 * Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials

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

 * House Committee on Energy and Commerce
 * Subcommittee on Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection
 * Subcommittee on Health
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * Co-chair, Congressional Diabetes Caucus
 * Pro-Choice Caucus
 * Chief deputy whip

Resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * Diana DeGette’s Colbert Report interview. (Other Colbert Report interviews with members of Congress.)
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Articles

 * John Aloysius Farrell, "Rove: Bush to veto DeGette bill," Denver Post, July 10, 2006: "Bush will likely cast the first veto of his presidency if the Senate, as expected, passes legislation to expand federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research, White House aide Karl Rove said today" ... "legislation, co-sponsored by Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, and Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del."

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Non-Prophet
 * Colorado Pols: Politics, News, and Inside Information
 * NewWest.net -- A Refreshing, new kind of journalism.