Jackie Speier

Jackie Speier
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 14th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2013
Preceded by Anna Eshoo
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 12th district
In office
April 8, 2008 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by Tom Lantos
Succeeded by Nancy Pelosi
Member of the California Senate
from the 8th district
In office
1998–2006
Preceded by Quentin L. Kopp
Succeeded by Leland Yee
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 19th district
In office
1986–1996
Preceded by Lou Papan
Succeeded by Lou Papan
Personal details
Born Karen Lorraine Speier
(1950-05-14) May 14, 1950
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Steve Sierra (1987–1994)
Barry Dennis (2001–present)
Children 2
Education University of California, Davis (BA)
University of California, Hastings College of the Law (JD)
Website House website

Karen Lorraine Jacqueline Speier[1] (/spɪər/; born May 14, 1950) is an American politician who currently serves as U.S. Representative for California's 14th congressional district, serving in Congress since 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 12th District from 2008 to 2013, includes the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and the southwest quarter of San Francisco. She represents much of the territory that had been represented by her political mentor, Leo Ryan.

She is also a former member of the California State Senate who represented parts of San Francisco and San Mateo counties. On April 8, 2008, she won the special election for the vacated United States House of Representatives seat of late Congressman Tom Lantos.[2]

A Caltrain "Baby Bullet" express locomotive is named in her honor.

Early life and education

Speier was born in 1950 in San Francisco, and grew up in an apolitical family, the daughter of Nancy (née Kanchelian) and Manfred "Fred" Speier.[3] Her mother was of Armenian descent and a survivor of the Armenian Genocide, while her father was an immigrant from Germany. Speier took Jacqueline as her confirmation name after Jackie Kennedy.[4] She is a graduate of Mercy High School in Burlingame. She earned a B.A. degree from the University of California, Davis, and a J.D. degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1976.[5]

Marriage and family

Speier's first marriage was to Dr. Steven Sierra, an emergency-room doctor, in 1987.[6][7] In 1988, they had a son Jackson Kent, while she was serving as a member of the California State Assembly.[4] Dr. Sierra died in a car accident in 1994 at the age of 53.[6] At the time, Jackie was two months pregnant with their second child, a daughter she named Stephanie.[4]

In 2001, Speier married Barry Dennis, an investment consultant.[6][8]

Jonestown shooting

Congressman Leo Ryan

Speier entered politics by serving as a congressional staffer for Congressman Leo Ryan. Speier was part of his November 1978 fact-finding mission organized to investigate allegations of human-rights abuses by Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple followers, almost all of whom were American citizens who had moved to Jonestown, Guyana, with Jones in 1977 and 1978.[4] Speier was one of two members of the mission who made wills before traveling to Jonestown.[9]

Several Peoples Temple members ambushed the investigative team and others boarding the plane to leave Jonestown on November 18. Five people died, including Congressman Ryan. While trying to shield herself from rifle and shotgun fire behind small airplane wheels with other team members, Speier was shot five times and waited 22 hours before help arrived.[10] That same day, over 900 remaining members of the Peoples Temple died in Jonestown and Georgetown in a mass murder-suicide.

Political career

San Mateo County

Speier's political career began with an unsuccessful run to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Congressman Ryan (the seat she holds now).[4] She lost the Democratic primary to another former Ryan staffer, G. W. "Joe" Holsinger. He lost to the Republican candidate Bill Royer, San Mateo County Supervisor.[11]

Speier won her first election in 1980, when she ran for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and defeated a 20-year incumbent. At the time, she was the youngest person ever elected to the board. She was reelected in 1984, and was later selected as chairwoman.[10]

California State Assembly

In 1986, midway through her second term on the Board of Supervisors, Speier ran for the California State Assembly from a district in northern San Mateo County. She won by a few hundred votes. She was reelected five more times, the last time as the nominee of both the Democratic and Republican parties.[12]

California State Senate

Speier, California state senator
Caltrain locomotive named after Jackie Speier

State law prevented Speier from running for reelection to the Assembly in 1996, but in 1998 she was elected to the California State Senate. In 2002, she was elected to a second term with 78.2% of the vote.[13] As a state senator, Speier was instrumental in securing $127 million funding to start the "Baby Bullet" express service for Caltrain, for which the commuter rail agency named a new locomotive (no. 925) after her. Speier also focused on representing consumer rights.[14] Senator Speier was termed out of the California State Senate in 2006. During her last term, she served as assistant president pro tempore of the California State Senate.

Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California

In 2006, Speier ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of California against insurance commissioner John Garamendi and state senator Liz Figueroa. In the June 6, 2006 elections, Garamendi defeated Speier in a close race. Garamendi received 42.5%, Speier received 39.7%, and Figueroa received the remaining 17.8% of the vote.[15]

2008 presidential campaign

Speier endorsed Hillary Clinton's bid for president.[16]

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives

On January 13, 2008, Speier announced she was running in the Democratic primary for the 12th District, Ryan's old district. The seat was being vacated by 14-term incumbent and fellow Democrat Tom Lantos, who announced on January 2, 2008, that he was not seeking re-election. Speier had spent much of 2007 building support to challenge Lantos in the Democratic primary.[17]

On January 17, 2008, Lantos endorsed Speier as his successor. She also picked up endorsements from Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congressman Mike Thompson and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Lantos died February 11, 2008. Speier won a special primary election on April 8, 2008 to fill the remainder of his term, which ended in January 2009. She won an outright majority, avoiding a runoff that would have been held on June 3, coinciding with the regular primary election.[18] She was elected to a full term in November with 75 percent of the vote and has been reelected three more times with no substantive opposition.

On July 11, 2008, Speier introduced her first bill, the Gasoline Savings and Speed Limit Reduction Act, which would set a national speed limit of 60 mph in urban areas and 65 mph on less-populated stretches of highway.[19]

In January 2016, during a speech on the House floor Speier announced that she would introduce legislation requiring schools to disclose disciplinary proceedings of faculty.[20]

On August 16, 2017, Speier advocated for the use of the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to remove President Trump from office because of erratic behavior and mental instability "that place the country in great danger"[21] following his response to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and dealings with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.[22]

In September 2016, Speier proposed a bill to stop sexual abuse and harassment of women in STEM fields known as the Federal Funding Accountability for Sexual Harassers Act.[23]

On October 27, 2017, Speier, as part of the #MeToo movement, posted a video sharing her experience with sexual harassment on Capitol Hill.[24] She said that when she was in her 20s a chief of staff for Representative Leo Ryan, "kissed me and stuck his tongue in my mouth." Speier call the United States Congress a breeding ground for a hostile work environment and she called for more sexual harassment training.[25]

Speier and Bennie Thompson are seeking to prohibit sleeping in United States Congress offices.[26]

Political views

Earlier photo of Speier

Defense

Speier is a critic of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter Program. She has been quoted in CNN: "To continue pouring money into building planes that have ejector seat issues, cyber vulnerabilities, flawed aerodynamics, maintenance problems, an inability to fly at full speed while using weapons, and overheating issues is borderline malfeasance."[27]

Abortion

Speier supports legal abortion. When she took the National Political Awareness Test in 2002, she answered, "Abortions should always be legally available."[28] The organization NARAL Pro-Choice America rated Jackie Speier as 100% on interest group ratings because she supported the choice of abortion in her voting for legislation.[29] Also, in 2008 the Planned Parenthood Organization gave Speier a 100% on her actions regarding abortion.[28] In a speech on the House floor on February 17, 2011, Speier said that she herself had undergone an emergency D&E procedure when complications developed in a wanted pregnancy.[30][31]

Gun laws

Speier believes in a stricter view of gun control. According to her answers on the NPAT (National Political Awareness Test) she would like to require safety locks on all guns and background checks on prospective buyers as well as ban certain guns (other than for hunting) and strengthen state restrictions on buying and owning guns.[28] Gun Owners of America gave her an "F" grade and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Jack Berman Advocacy Center gave her a 100% rating.[28][29] The National Rifle Association (NRA) and Gun Owners of California also gave Speier a low grade on gun rights.[28]

Environment and energy

Speier is concerned for the protection of the environment and wants to preserve the health of this planet. She lists as evidence the decline of salmon on the West Coast as proof of global warming.[32] Speier believes global warming poses a growing danger and negatively affects the environment. When she spoke to the House on the subject of global warming and the environment, she expressed a desire "to craft a bipartisan and commonsense energy plan that makes polluters pay, provides for middle-class energy tax credits, and creates a new industry and lots of good, clean, green jobs".[33] Jackie Speier is working to improve energy legislation with the Clean Air Rebate Act of 2009, the Home Star Act and the American Clean Energy and Security Act.[34][35]

Urban terrorism

Speier introduced legislation to enhance information sharing between the Transportation Security Administration and participating mass transit agencies in high-risk jurisdictions. The goal of this expanded relationship would be to thwart terrorist attacks against high-profile transit targets.[36][37]

LGBT equality

Speier supports same-sex marriage. She is a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus.[38]

Speier was one of 32 members of Congress to co-sign a letter of October 8, 2015, to the TSA requesting a reform in screening policies and procedures for transgender travelers.[39]

Forced identification of prepaid mobile phone users

In March 2016, Speier introduced the Closing the Pre-Paid Mobile Device Security Gap Act (H.R. 4886) to force purchasers of prepaid mobile devices or SIM cards to provide identification.[40][41]

Congressional committee assignments

Caucuses

Electoral history

California Congressional District 11, special election (round 1), March 6, 1979[44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic G. W. Holsinger 20,908 24.3
Republican William Royer 19,592 22.7
Democratic George Corey 15,470 18.0
Democratic Jackie Speier 13,744 16.0
Republican Les Kelting 6,578 7.6
Republican Bruce Makar 6,012 7.0
Democratic Curtiss Landers 1,475 1.7
Republican Roger B. Canfield 934 1.1
Democratic Charles T. Plough 731 0.8
American Independent Nicholas Waeil Kudrovzeff 372 0.4
Peace and Freedom Wilson Branch 310 0.4
Total votes 86,126 100
Turnout  
California State Assembly District 19 election, 1986[45]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 56,809 73.9
Republican Michael Rocco 20,010 26.1
Total votes 76,819 100
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California State Assembly District 19 election, 1988[46]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier (incumbent) 67,584 77.2
Republican Robert Silvestri 18,240 20.8
Peace and Freedom Gene Pepi 1,732 2.0
Total votes 87,556 100
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California State Assembly District 19 election, 1990[47]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier (incumbent) 53,359 100
Total votes 53,359 100
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California State Assembly District 19 election, 1992[48]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier (incumbent) 108,428 75.1
Republican Ellyne Berger 36,020 24.9
Total votes 144,448 100
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California State Assembly District 19 election, 1994[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier (incumbent) 100,602 93.1
Peace and Freedom David Reichard 7,459 6.9
Total votes 108,061 100
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California State Senate District 8 election, 1998[50]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 167,216 79.2
Republican Jim Tomlin 43,936 20.8
Total votes 211,152 100
Turnout  
Democratic gain from Independent
California State Senate District 8 election, 2002[51]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier (incumbent) 158,999 78.2
Republican Dennis Zell 38,881 19.1
Libertarian Robert Fliegler 5,540 2.7
Total votes 203,420 100
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California Democratic Party Lieutenant Gubernatorial primary election, June 6, 2006[52]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Garamendi 1,045,130 42.6
Democratic Jackie Speier 975,547 39.7
Democratic Liz Figueroa 436,868 17.7
Total votes 2,457,545 100
Turnout  
California's 12th Congressional District special election, April 8, 2008[53]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 66,279 77.7
Republican Greg Conlon 7,990 9.4
Democratic Michelle McMurry 4,546 5.3
Republican Mike Moloney 4,517 5.3
Green Barry Hermanson 1,947 2.3
Independent Kevin Dempsey Peterson (write-in) 2 0.0
Valid ballots 85,281
Invalid or blank votes
Total votes 85,281 100.00
Turnout   25.69
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2008[54]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 200,442 75.2
Republican Greg Conlon 49,258 18.5
Peace and Freedom Nathalie Hrizi 5,793 2.2
Green Barry Hermanson 5,776 2.1
Libertarian Kevin Dempsey Peterson 5,584 2.0
Total votes 266,853 100
Turnout  
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2010[55]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 152,044 75.6
Republican Mike Moloney 44,475 22.2
Libertarian Mark Paul Williams 4,611 2.2
Independent Joseph Michael Harding (write-in) 32 0.0
Total votes 201,162 100
Turnout  
Democratic hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 2012[56]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jackie Speier 203,828 78.9
Republican Debbie Bacigalupi 54,455 21.1
Total votes 258,283 100
Turnout  
Democratic hold

See also

Books

  • This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down, by Deborah Collins Stephens, Michealene Cristini Risley, Jackie Speier, and Jan Yanehiro, 2007, ISBN 978-1-57324-305-6

References

  1. ↑ Jackie Speier, Biographical Directory of Congress.
  2. ↑ John Wildermuth (April 9, 2008). "Voters send Jackie Speier to Washington". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "MANFRED SPEIER Obituary - San Francisco, CA". San Francisco Chronicle.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Haddock, Vicki (November 16, 2003). "Jackie Speier– moving on, moving up: Survivor of Jonestown ambush plans run for lieutenant governor". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  5. ↑ Staff (April 2007). "Alumni News". University of California Hastings College of the Law. Archived from the original on May 3, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 Jackie Speier at National Names DataBase.
  7. ↑ "Auto Accident Kills Husband of Jackie Speier". Los Angeles Times. January 27, 1994. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  8. ↑ Jackie For Congress: Bio, biography page at 2008 campaign website.
  9. ↑ Gale, Rebecca (November 18, 2015). "Congresswoman Left for Dead at Jonestown Recalls the Massacre, 37 Years Later". Roll Call. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  10. 1 2 Staff (October 2006). "Senator Jackie Speier one of honored guests at banquet" (Press release). Armenian National Committee of America Western Region. Archived from the original on December 9, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  11. ↑ "CQ Almanac Online Edition". library.cqpress.com. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  12. ↑ "HR 56 Assembly House Resolution - INTRODUCED". California government.
  13. ↑ "California Secretary of State, Vote2002, State Senate District 8". Archived from the original on August 14, 2007. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  14. ↑ Yates, Dana. "Yee looking to make mark". The Daily Journal. San Mateo County's homepage. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  15. ↑ "Our Campaigns - CA Lieutenant Governor - D Primary Race - Jun 06, 2006". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  16. ↑ Segal, Cheryl (February 16, 2016). "Female lawmakers rally around Clinton's White House bid". TheHill. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  17. ↑ Kapochunas, Rachel (January 2, 2008). "California Dems Expected to Vie for Lantos Seat". CQ Politics. Congressional Quarterly Inc. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  18. ↑ John Wildermuth (February 13, 2008). "April 8 primary set to pick Lantos' successor". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  19. ↑ "H.R.6458 - Gasoline Savings and Speed Limit Reduction Act of 2008". Congress.gov. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  20. ↑ Kramer, Miriam; Hern, Sergio. "Politician outs top astronomy professor's history of sexual harassment". Mashable. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  21. ↑ "August 2017 Essential Politics archives". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  22. ↑ "Rep. Speier wants to use the 25th Amendment to remove Trump. Here's what that means". SFGate. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  23. ↑ Claire Landsbaum (September 19, 2016). "A New Bill to Stop 'Rampant' Sexual Abuse, Harassment of Women in STEM Fields Will Be Proposed This Week". New York. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
  24. ↑ Speier, Jackie (2017-10-27). "I'm sharing my #MeToo moment in the hope that my colleagues, & current/former staff who feel safe to do so, will join me. #MeTooCongresspic.twitter.com/dsGFhJ5joo". @RepSpeier. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  25. ↑ Stracqualuris, Veronica; Bruce, Mary; Parkinson, John (2017-10-27). "California congresswoman alleges sexual harassment on Capitol Hill". ABC News. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  26. ↑ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/congressional-black-caucus-sleeping-capitol-hill/555278/
  27. ↑ Zachary Cohen (April 21, 2016). "Is the $400 billion F-35's 'brain' broken?". CNN.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jackie Speier's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test) - The Voter's Self Defense System". Project Vote Smart.
  29. 1 2 "Jackie Speier". The Hill. Archived from the original on 2011-06-28.
  30. ↑ "Rep. Speier tells House she had abortion". CBS News. 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2011-02-18.
  31. ↑ Speier, Jackie (February 20, 2011), "Abortion" Fuels Intolerant Thinking, The Huffington Post, retrieved July 28, 2011
  32. ↑ "Public Statements - The Voter's Self Defense System". Project Vote Smart.
  33. ↑ "Public Statements - The Voter's Self Defense System". Project Vote Smart.
  34. ↑ "Public Statements - The Voter's Self Defense System". Project Vote Smart.
  35. ↑ "Public Statements - The Voter's Self Defense System". Project Vote Smart.
  36. ↑ "TSA's Role Extended To All Mass Transit". Fox News.
  37. ↑ "112th Congress 2D Session - H.R.3140" (PDF). June 4, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  38. ↑ "LGBT Equality". Congresswoman Jackie Speier (Congressional website). U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  39. ↑ "TSA Letter" (PDF). Retrieved October 30, 2015.
  40. ↑ https://www.theverge.com/2016/3/25/11306184/burner-phone-bill-identification-law-security
  41. ↑ https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr4886ih/content-detail.html
  42. ↑ "Members". Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  43. ↑ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  44. ↑ "California District 11 – Special Election Race – March 6, 1979", Our Campaigns (retrieved August 4, 2009).
  45. ↑ "California State Assembly 19 Race – November 4, 1986", Our Campaigns (retrieved August 4, 2009).
  46. ↑ "California State Assembly 19 Race – November 8, 1988", Our Campaigns (retrieved August 4, 2009).
  47. ↑ "California State Assembly 19 Race – November 6, 1990", Our Campaigns] (retrieved August 4, 2009).
  48. ↑ "California State Assembly 19 Race – November 3, 1992", Our Campaigns (retrieved August 4, 2009).
  49. ↑ "California State Assembly 19 Race – November 8, 1994", Our Campaigns (retrieved August 4, 2009).
  50. ↑ Our Campaigns "California State Senate 8 Race – November 3, 1998", Our Campaigns (retrieved August 4, 2009).
  51. ↑ "State Senator" Archived June 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine., Office of the California Secretary of State] (retrieved August 4, 2009).
  52. ↑ "Lieutenant Governor, by county" Archived June 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine., Office of the California Secretary of State (retrieved August 4, 2009).
  53. ↑ "Special Election Results: United States House of Representatives, District 12 Special Primary Election, April 8, 2008" Archived April 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine., Office of the California Secretary of State (retrieved August 4, 2009).
  54. ↑ "United States Representative" (PDF). Office of the California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  55. ↑ "United States Representative" (PDF). Office of the California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 20, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  56. ↑ "United States Representative" (PDF). Office of the California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
Articles
  • Jackie Speier and Deborah Stephens Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders seminar mp3.
  • Vicki Haddock (November 16, 2003). "Jackie Speier –- moving on, moving up: Survivor of Jonestown". San Francisco Chronicle.
  • "Reforming California's Prisons: An Interview With Jackie Speier,". Mother Jones. July 7, 2005.
  • Commencement Speaker, San Francisco State University, 2006
  • Senator Jackie Speier one of honored guests at banquet, Armenian National Committee of America Western Region, October 2006.
  • Zachary Coile (July 11, 2008). "Speier seeks national speed limit to save gas". San Francisco Chronicle.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Tom Lantos		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 12th congressional district
2008–2013		 Succeeded by
Nancy Pelosi
Preceded by
Anna Eshoo		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 14th congressional district
2013–present		 Incumbent
Current U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
André Carson
D-Indiana		 United States Representatives by seniority
157th		 Succeeded by
Steve Scalise
R-Louisiana
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