Kirsten E. Gillibrand

From KeyWiki

Kirsten E. Gillibrand is a Democratic member of the United States Senate, representing New York.

Gillibrand was sworn in as New York's Senator in January 2009, filling Hillary Rodham Clinton's seat. Before her appointment, Gillibrand served in the United States House of Representatives, representing New York's 20th Congressional District.

She graduated from Dartmouth College in 1988 and received her law degree from the UCLA School of Law in 1991.

During the Clinton Administration, Senator Gillibrand served as Special Counsel to the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Andrew Cuomo. She then worked as an attorney in New York City before her congressional career.

Gillibrand was born and raised in upstate New York, but now lives Hudson, New York, with her husband, Jonathan Gillibrand, and their two sons, Theodore and Henry.^[1]

Background

Raised in upstate New York, Kirsten Gillibrand was first introduced to public service by her grandmother, a women’s rights activist who organized Albany women to make a difference. Gillibrand attended Dartmouth College, majoring in Asian studies and graduating magna cum laude. After her undergraduate studies were complete, she received her J.D. from the UCLA School of Law in 1991.

Gillibrand began her professional career during the Clinton administration, where she served as special counsel to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Andrew Cuomo. Following that, she served as an associate at one law firm and a partner at another, working on a wide range of legal and policy-related issues. She handled many cases pro bono, including representing abused women and their children, and serving as a legal advocate for tenants seeking safe housing after lead paint and unsafe conditions were found in their homes.^[2]

Fair Elections Now Act

In 2010 Senator Maria Cantwell signed on as a Senate co-sponsor of the Fair Elections Now Act (FENA), S.752 - joining Senator Dick Durbin (original sponsor) and other Senate colleagues for a total of nine.

In the Senate, others were Sens. Barbara Boxer, Chris Dodd, Russ Feingold, Kirsten Gillibrand, Tom Harkin, John Kerry, and Arlen Specter. ^[3]

Communist Party interest

As part of the discussion leading up to the Communist Party USA's 29th National Convention May 21-23, 2010. the State Committee of the New York District, CPUSA, contributed a paper "Convention Discussion: New York's Road to the Future" - which included the lines;^[4]

Sen. Gillibrand's seat may be the most important electoral fight. A loss of a relatively progressive Democrat from New York is not at all out of the question, and would devastate the national political scene. There are also a good number of House seats up for grabs; we have to keep our eyes on them.

21st Century Democrats support

21st Century Democrats is a Political Action Committee that has stood for Progressive causes for over 20 years. Founded in 1986 by Institute for Policy Studies affiliate, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, Democratic Socialists of America affiliates, former Texas Agriculture Secretary Jim Hightower, and former Illinois Congressman Lane Evans. Its three main goals are to help elect progressive candidates, train young people about grassroots organizing, and lastly, to continue to support our elected officials after Election Day "through our comprehensive progressive network".

Carol Moseley Braun, a former US Senator from Illinois, and long time Communist Party USA affiliate, serves on the organization's Advisory Board. Long time Board chair was Democratic Socialists of America member Jim Scheibel, a former Mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The mission of 21st Century Democrats is to build a "farm team" of progressive populists who will be the future leaders of the Democratic Party.

In each election cycle, we endorse a diverse array of candidates who exemplify our values and show unusual promise to advance our progressive goals. We invest in some of the most competitive races as well as in some of the most challenging – those in which the candidates are outstanding but the traditional Democratic supporters are most reticent. We back candidates in primaries as well as general election races, and we focus the bulk of our resources on electing challengers and protecting vulnerable incumbents.^[5]

Gillibrand was one of 12 key progressives endorsed by 21st Century Democrats in the 2012 election cycle. 21st Century Democrats helped Gillibrand win her House seat against a four-term GOP incumbent in 2006. 21st Century Democrats endorsed her 2008 reelection bid for that seat, and then again in the 2010 U.S. Senate special election in New York. ^[6]

2012 CLW Senate victories

2012 CLW Senate Victories were;

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Chris Murphy (D-CT) Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).^[7]

Committees

• Environment and Public Works Committee
• Foreign Relations Committee
• Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
• Special Committee on Aging^[1]

Aboriton

Planned Parenthood

Gillibrand received $8000 in lobbying funds from Planned Parenthood in 2008.

EMILY's List

Gillibrand has been supported by EMILY's List during her campaigning.

External links

• Gillibrand's website with the Senate

References