Trailblazing Jewish Democrat #3: Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Jason Attermann — May 4, 2011 – 4:08 pm | Jewish American Heritage Month 2011 Comments (0) Add a comment

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) has been breaking barriers since taking her first elected position at the record-breaking age of 26. She is serving her fourth term as a Representative from Florida, and today was named as Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Wasserman Schultz was born in New York in 1966, and graduated from the University of Florida with both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in political science. Her interest in politics began with her involvement in student government at UF, and progressed into Florida politics while serving as an aide to State Representative Peter Deutsch. In 1992, Deutsch won his U.S. congressional race, and suggested Wasserman Schultz run for his former seat in the Florida House of Representatives. She successfully claimed the Democratic nomination and won the general election, making her the youngest female legislator in Florida history. In 2000, Wasserman Schultz made a successful run for the Florida State Senate. On top of her extensive work in the Florida legislature fighting for progressive causes, she was an adjunct instructor of political science at Broward Community College and a public policy curriculum specialist at Nova Southeastern University.

Wasserman Schultz entered the United States Congress as a Representative for Florida’s 20^th congressional district in 2005, once again succeeding Peter Deutsch. She currently sits on the House Budget Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, and the House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Competition and the Internet. Wasserman Schultz serves as the Democratic Vice chair of the bi-partisan Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues and a Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus.

Her legislative legacy extends across a range of topics, including breast cancer awareness after battling it herself (EARLY Act, H.R. 1740) and child protection laws (PROTECT Our Children Act, H.R. 3845).

She has continuously and steadfastly supported a strong U.S./Israel relationship. In September 2010, she joined a congressional delegation to Israel and met with top officials, including King Abdullah of Jordan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to convey American support for direct peace negotiations. She is widely regarded as one of Israel’s best friends on Capitol Hill.

Her connection to Judaism and devotion to Jewish interests are undeniable. When she was sworn into office in 2005, Wasserman Schultz chose to use a Tanach in place of the Christian bible. In the early years of the National Jewish Democratic Council, she played an integral role as a Florida staffer in the early 1990s, and has continued her strong relationship with NJDC. In 2006, Wasserman Schultz led the campaign to establish May as the federally-recognized Jewish American Heritage Month. In explaining the necessity of a designated month, Wasserman Schultz said, “There’s a generation of children growing up with a fading memory of what happened during World War II or even an understanding of anyone who is Jewish or their culture and traditions. Through education comes tolerance.”

Wasserman Schultz served as a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee. She was confirmed as the Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee on May 4, 2011, making her the third female and 2^nd Jewish female Chair, and one of the most powerful Democrats in the country. Upon her nomination by President Obama to fill this seat, Vice President Joe Biden wrote, “In selecting Debbie to lead our party, President Obama noted her tenacity, her strength, her fighting spirit and her ability to overcome adversity ... President Obama expressed great admiration for her as a leader, and he was honored that she accepted this important challenge on behalf of the Democratic Party.”

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