Born: June 17, 1946, Toledo, Ohio.
Controversy. Marcy Kaptur said: �"One could say that Osama bin Laden and these non-nation-state fighters with religious purpose are very similar to those kind of atypical revolutionaries that helped to cast off the British crown" One commentator replied: �The 9-11 terrorists have more in common with Mussolini's Black Shirts, Nazi Storm Troopers or Mao's Red Guard then they do with our Revolutionaries. They seek to overthrow their leaders but not to build democracy but rather to impose Islamic Theocracy first on the Middle East, then some day the world.
Early days. Mother- Anastazja nee Rogowska. Kaptur�s 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 BA in history from the University of Wisconsin�Madison in 1968 and a MA in urban planning from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1974. She did post-graduate study in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981.
Early career 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). She later served as a domestic policy advisor during President Carter's Administration.
U.S. House of Representatives Entry While pursuing a doctorate in urban planning at MIT, Kaptur was recruited to run for Congress in 1982 against freshman Republican Ed Weber. Kaptur had been a well-known party activist and volunteer since age 13. Despite being outspent by almost 3-1, she defeated Weber by 19 points. Subsequent elections In 1984, Kaptur faced a strong challenge from Frank Venner, but captured 55% of the vote even as Ronald Reagan carried the district. She has only faced one truly serious opponent since, when 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. She eventually declined. Kaptur ran for a 14th term in 2008 and defeated her Republican opponent with 74% of the vote. Service Kaptur serves on the Appropriations subcommittees for Agriculture and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. Kaptur also sits on the Appropriations subcommittee for Defense, to which she was the first Democratic woman ever appointed. In addition to her duties on these committees, Kaptur is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Committee on Government Operations. She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. 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. She was recently named "Most Valuable Member" of the House by The Nation. Though generally reckoned as a liberal-to-progressive Democrat, Kaptur holds moderately conservative views on abortion. 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.
World War II Memorial Responding to a constituent Kaptur first suggested the creation of a National World War II 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. Kaptur introduced similar legislation in 1989 and 1991 but these bills also failed to become law. Kaptur introduced legislation for the fourth time in1993. This time the legislation was voted on and passed in the House. After a companion bill was passed in the United States Senate, President Clinton signed the bill into law. Kaptur later said that she felt "a great sense of fulfillment" that the memorial was finally built.
Position on the 2008 Economic Crisis Bailout Marcy Kaptur has expressed her strong opposition to the multibillion dollar bailout plan brought before Congress. �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.� Marcy Kaptur backed the 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.
Awards 1993- an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Toledo; 1995 St. Ursula Academy named Kaptur Alumna of the Year; Taubman College Distinguished Alumna award from the University of Michigan; Kaptur recently received the Director's Award from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University; National Mental Health Association's "Legislator of the Year"; 2002 Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Kaptur is also the author of a book, Women in Congress: A Twentieth Century Odyssey, that was published by Congressional Quarterly in 1996.
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