Serving her fourteenth term in the House of Representatives, Kaptur is the most senior member of Ohio's congressional delegation, and is the longest-serving woman in the House; in the Congress, she is currently the fourth longest-serving woman, behind Senators Barbara Mikulski, Olympia Snowe, and Barbara Boxer. She ranks 25th out of 435 members in seniority and serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
Early life, education and career
Kaptur, a Polish-American, is a Toledo native. Her family operated a small grocery. Kaptur graduated from St. Ursula Academy in 1964 and became the first member in her family to attend college. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1968 and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan in 1974. She did post-graduate study in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981.
Kaptur served on the Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions from 1969 to 1975 and was director of planning for the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs (1975–1977) founded by the late Msgr. Geno Baroni. She later served as a domestic policy advisor during President Jimmy Carter's Administration.
U.S. House of Representatives
Congressional Arts Caucus
Political positions
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| Toledo Ohio skyline |
Kaptur is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. She was once named "Most Valuable Member" of the House by The Nation.
Patent Reform
Kaptur is a huge opponent of the America Invents Act, a bill that is attempting to change the current Patent System. Kaptur opposes changing from a "first to invent system" to a "first to file system" claiming it hurts the little guy. Kaptur stated "Our patent system is the finest in the world. There are patent concerns that Congress can and should address, starting with the high cost of fees for inventors who hold less than three patents. However, this legislation addresses fictions of global corporations and the proposed solutions are special fixes that benefit these few giants at the expense of everyone else." She went on to say "Congress should not do to American innovation what it did to the American financial industry."
Abortion
Though generally reckoned as a liberal-to-progressive Democrat, Kaptur holds moderately conservative views on abortion. Kaptur has a mixed record on the issue, voting for some pro-life legislation but also opposing some abortion-related legislation. In January 2007, she was the only member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to vote against funding for stem-cell research. Kaptur has expressed support for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, an amendment to America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, and voted in favor of it on November 9.Kaptur was one of only sixteen Democrats to vote in favor of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act on May 4, 2011. Kaptur also voted in favor of banning partial-birth abortions in 2000 and 2003. Kaptur voted against the Child Custody Protection Act in 1999 and the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act in 2005.Kaptur voted against allowing privately-funded abortions at overseas military hospitals twice in 1995, as well as 1997, 1998 and 1999. Most recently on the issue, in 2005, Kaptur voted in favor of lifting the ban on abortions at overseas military hospitals.
Free Trade
Kaptur is a staunch opponent of free trade agreements. She helped lead opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement, Permanent Normal Trade Relations for the People's Republic of China, and fast track authority for the president. She has consistently supported military spending bills.
World War II Memorial
Responding to a constituent - Roger Durbin, a World War II veteran - Kaptur first suggested the creation of a National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
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| The World War II National Memorial in Washington, D.C |
On December 10, 1987, Kaptur introduced the World War II Memorial Act to the House of Representatives. The legislation authorized the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a World War II memorial, however, as the bill was not voted on before the end of the session it failed to be enacted into law. Kaptur introduced similar legislation in 1989 and 1991 but these bills also failed to become law.
Kaptur introduced legislation for the fourth time on January 27, 1993. This time the legislation was voted on and passed in the House on May 10, 1993. After a companion bill was passed in the United States Senate, President Bill Clinton signed the bill into law on May 25, 1993. Unfortunately, Roger Durbin died before he managed to see the memorial built, but Kaptur spoke at the memorial dedication ceremony, along with Durbin's granddaughter, on May 29, 2004.
Kaptur later said that she felt "a great sense of fulfillment" that the memorial was finally built. "This generation was the most unselfish America has ever seen," she said. "They never asked anybody for anything in return."
2008 Economic crisis
Marcy Kaptur has expressed her strong opposition to the multibillion dollar bailout plan brought before Congress. In her speech she criticized Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson's Plan for
Forcing congress to rush the decision.
Disarming the public through fear. Controlling the media enough to ensure that the public will not notice that this bailout will indebt them for generations taking from them trillions of dollars they earned and deserved to keep.
Controlling the playing field (hiding info from the public, holding private hearings, and private teleconferencing calls).
Diverting attention and keeping people confused.
Having the goal to privatize gains and socialize losses.
She also blamed Wall Street executives for their greed and held them responsible for the crisis and said
You have perpetrated the greatest financial crimes ever on this American Republic. You think you can get by with it because you are extraordinarily wealthy, and the largest contributors to both presidential and congressional campaigns in both major parties.
She pleaded a "Wall Street Reckoning" and an alternate plan whereby "America doesn't need to bail you out. It needs to secure real assets and property. Federal regional reserve banks should have a new job to help renegotiate . American people should get equity in any companies. Major job creation to rebuild our infrastructure. Regulate, we need a modern Glass–Steagall Act. Refinancing must return a major share of profits to a new social security and medicare lock box."
Kaptur's opposition to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 was highlighted in Michael Moore's 2009 documentary Capitalism: A Love Story, describing it as "a financial coup d'etat."
Marcy Kaptur backed The American Clean Energy and Security Act in the U.S. House after she was able to insert an amendment that would authorize the Secretary of Energy to create power marketing authorities in regions where none currently exist. One such area would be the Great Lakes region. Kaptur said the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation could serve as the vehicle for administering up to $3.5 billion in borrowing authority to stimulate economic development through creation of green energy such as solar power and wind power. Kaptur said the $3.5 billion in borrowing authority would promote "regional equity" and serve as a powerful engine for job creation in a region that has suffered from high energy costs, especially expensive electricity.
On April 12, 2011 Marcy Kaptur introduced H.R. 1489 to restore Glass Steagall. It states "To repeal certain provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and revive the separation between commercial banking and the securities business, in the manner provided in the Banking Act of 1933, the so-called "Glass-Steagall Act", and for other purposes." There are currently 30 co-sponsors. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-1489
Political campaigns
While pursuing a doctorate in urban planning development finance at MIT, Kaptur was recruited to run for Congress in 1982 against freshman Republican Ed Weber, who had upset 26-year incumbent Lud Ashley two years earlier. Kaptur had been a well-known party activist and volunteer since age 13.
Ohio's 9th District
Despite being outspent by almost 3-1, she defeated Weber by 19 points. Although the Ninth had traditionally been a Democratic stronghold, Kaptur's win was considered a major upset.
In 1984, Kaptur faced a strong challenge from Frank Venner, longtime anchorman and weatherman at WTVG, but captured 55% of the vote even as Ronald Reagan carried the district. She has only faced one truly serious opponent since, when Lucas County auditor Larry Kaczala ran against her in 2004. However, Kaptur turned back his challenge easily, winning 68% of the vote — the only time since 1984 that she didn't gain 70% of the vote.
In 1996, Kaptur was asked by Ross Perot to be his vice-presidential running mate. Kaptur, like Perot, being a fierce opponent of free trade would have been a natural selection, but she eventually declined.
United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio,2008
Kaptur ran for a 14th term in 2008 and defeated her Republican opponent, Bradley Leavitt, with 74% of the vote.
United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio, 2010
Plumber"), known for personally confronting Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama about the effects of his tax policies upon small businesses, announced he was considering challenging Kaptur in the 2010 election. However, he chose not to run. Kaptur was instead challenged by Republican Rich Iott, a Tea party movement favorite. Kaptur won re-election with 117,890 votes (59%) compared to 81,876 (41%) for Lott.
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