Sherrod Brown

From KeyWiki

Sherrod Brown is a Democratic member of the United States Senate, representing Ohio. Previously, he was a member of the House from 1993 to 2006, representing Ohio's 13th district. He has served Ohio’s Secretary of State, as a member of the Ohio General Assembly, and has taught in Ohio’s public schools and at The Ohio State University. ^[1]

Brown is married to Pulitzer-prize winning columnist Connie Schultz. They live in Avon, Ohio, and have three daughters, a son, and a grandson.^[2]

Senate

Brown is just the sixth Ohio Senator in history to serve on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee where he works to ensure that Ohio receives its fair share of federal resources and investments. He also serves on the Senate Banking Committee, where he played an instrumental role in passing the historic Wall Street reform law, and is Chairman of its Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection Subcommittee. From his position on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Brown is a staunch supporter of providing comprehensive benefits and body armor to our nation’s service members, even as an early and outspoken opponent of the Iraq War.

Brown is also the first Ohio Senator in 40 years to serve on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, where he has been instrumental in strengthening the farm safety net and addressing childhood hunger.

Described as “Congress’ leading proponent of American manufacturing,” Brown is working with the Obama Administration on the creation of a national manufacturing policy that would invest in manufacturing innovation, strengthen our component supply chain, connect workers with emerging industries, and align our trade policies to promote our national interests.

And as a long-time advocate for fair trade, Senator Brown is working on trade policies that promote our workers and manufacturers while creating jobs and expanding markets for businesses through an aggressive export promotion strategy.^[3]

Anti NAFTA rally

In November 1993 Jobs with Justice and Cleveland Women Against NAFTA organized an anti NAFTA rally in the Sheet Metal Workers Local 13 Hall in Cleveland. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur gave a "ringing indictment" of NAFTA, and called for intense last minute lobbying to ensure its defeat. "Keep the pressure on" she said "we can win this one".

Reps Sherrod Brown and Eric Fingerhut were also present, and added their voices for the defeat of NAFTA.

Other speakers included Susan Spat from the Canadian Auto Workers, Berta Lujon, president of Mexico's Authentic Federation of Workers and Virginia Aveni of the Ohio Environmental Council.^[4]

Support from Rick Nagin

In 1990, the office of Ohio Secretary of State Sherrod Brown gave a certificate of recognition to Rick Nagin, chairman of the Ohio Communist Party USA. Nagin collected the award in Columbus for registering more than 2,000 voters during his losing campaign for Cleveland City Council^[5]

In 2006, Rick Nagin served on the staff of AFL-CIO Labor 2006 campaign for Sherrod Brown and Ted Strickland.^[6]

Congressional Progressive Caucus

In 1998 Sherrod Brown Democrat was listed as a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.^[7]

DSA support in Senate race

Ohio Democratic Socialists of America members campaigned for Brown in his successful 2006 Senate race^[8].

Former Representative, now Senator Sherrod Brown is the most visible symbol of this change...A longtime critic of “free trade” agreements, frequently characterized as far left and out ofthe mainstream, Brown handily defeated the relatively moderate but free-trade proponent Mike DeWine.

Trade was also an issue in the narrow loss of Mary Jo Kilroy to Deborah Pryce. Local DSAers worked in both the Brown and Kilroy campaigns.

"Trade Act of 2008"

The "Trade Act of 2008" (HR 6180) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Mike Michaud of Maine in early June.

It has gathered 63 cosponsors, including Illinois Representatives Danny Davis, Phil Hare, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Daniel Lipinski, Jan Schakowsky. In the Senate, the legislation (S 3083) was introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and gathered 4 cosponsors.^[9]

PDA support

Tim Carpenter claimed that Progressive Democrats of America had chalked up several achievements in its short life, successfully promoting initiatives by PDA board members John Conyers and James McGovern.

PDA was the driving force in the passage of resolutions opposing the war in Iraq by eight state Democratic Party meetings. The organization also was instrumental in the passage of resolutions in 10 states calling for the impeachment of President Bush.

PDA is often referred to by Congressional Progressive Caucus Executive Director Bill Goold as the CPC’s field operation, because PDA has built relationships with members of Congress by delivering grassroots support for their initiatives – from Rep. John Conyers’ investigation of the 2004 Ohio voting fraud to Rep. Jim McGovern’s bill to cut off funding for the war in Iraq, a current priority effort.

The organization worked hard for Marcy Winograd against Jane Harman and for other "progressive " Democrats including Donna Edwards, Christine Cegelis, Jerry McNerney, Tony Trupiano, John Hall, Jeff Latas, Gabby Giffords and Herb Paine.

In the United States Senate primary races PDA unsuccessfully backed Jonathan Tasini against Hillary Clinton in New York, In Ohio, PDA backed successful candidate Sherrod Brown. In Connecticut, PDA campaigned to replace pro Iraq War Senator Joe Lieberman with Ned Lamont.^[10]

Jobs With Justice

On April 21, 2009, Heidi Hartmann spoke alongside Steve Husson, Arlene Holt-Baker, Barbara Ehrenreich, Ai-Jen Poo, Kim Gandy, Johanna Moon, Sherrod Brown at the DC Lobby Day for members of the Workers Rights Board of Jobs with Justice - Employee Free Choice Act.^[11]

Supported by Council for a Livable World

The Council for a Livable World, founded in 1962 by long-time socialist activist and alleged Soviet agent, Leo Szilard, is a non-profit advocacy organization that seeks to "reduce the danger of nuclear weapons and increase national security", primarily through supporting progressive, congressional candidates who support their policies. The Council supported Sherrod Brown in his successful Senate run as candidate for Ohio.^[12] He has also been previously supported by the Council.^[13]

Anti "speculator" bill

in April 2012 Ben Cardin joined a group of his Senate colleagues in sponsoring a bill, S. 2222, which "will give federal regulators immediate authority to invoke emergency powers to rein in speculators who are responsible for rapidly rising gasoline prices".

There is broad agreement among energy experts and economists that speculators are one of the causes for the rapidly rising price of gas. Domestic oil production has risen to its highest level in a decade, oil supplies are greater today than they were three years ago and demand for oil in the United States is lower today than it was in 1997. Yet gas prices continue to soar.

There is something wrong with this equation. There is no logical reason why gas prices should continue to rise if oil supplies are up and demand is down.

The American Trucking Association, Delta Airlines, the Petroleum Marketers Association of America, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and other experts all say excessive oil speculation in the futures markets significantly increases crude oil and gasoline prices. A Feb. 27, 2012 article in Forbes Magazine cited a recent report by the investment bank Goldman Sachs pointing out that excessive oil speculation adds 56 cents to the price of a gallon of gas.

This "speculators" bill would set a 14-day deadline for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to take emergency steps to stop excessive speculation by Wall Street traders in the crude oil, gasoline and other energy futures markets. Also co-sponsoring the measure were: U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Al Franken (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Bill Nelson (D-FL).^[14]

Committees

• Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Committee

• Subcommittee on Energy, Science & Technology
• Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection & Price Support
• Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition and Family Farms

• Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee

• Subcommittee on Economic Policy
• Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development
• Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment

• Select Committee on Ethics
• Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (H.E.L.P.)

• Subcommittee on Children and Families
• Subcommittee on Employment & Workplace Safety

• Veterans' Affairs Committee^[15]

Staff

The following have worked as staff members for Sherrod Brown:^[16]

External links

• Brown's website with the Senate

References