Rate your officials.

Biography

Diana Louise DeGette (born July 29, 1957) is the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives">U.S. Representative for http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado%27s_1st_congressional_district">Colorado’s 1st congressional district, serving since 1997, and a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Deputy_Whips_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives">Chief Deputy Whip. She is a member of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(United_States)">Democratic Party. The district is based in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver">Denver.

Chief Deputy Whip Diana DeGette is serving her 9th term in Congress as Representative for the First District of Colorado. As a member of the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce, an exclusive congressional committee with vast jurisdiction over health care, trade, business, technology, food safety, and consumer protection, she is one of the leading voices in the health care debate in this country. She also serves as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, which conducts the oversight of, and investigations into, issues falling under the jurisdiction of the full committee. As a member of the Democratic leadership, she played a vital role in the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, has fought for tough food safety legislation, and was a key player in crafting a comprehensive consumer product safety bill.

U.S. Rep. DeGette is also the chief architect of legislation to expand stem cell research, which has been passed twice with broad, bipartisan support in Congress. The measure was vetoed twice by President George W. Bush – including his very first presidential veto. A life-long Coloradoan, U.S. Rep. DeGette is guided by traditional Western values. She’s also the author of the landmark Colorado Wilderness Act, which would protect and preserve pristine land across Colorado for generations to come. She has fought to enhance her constituents’ access to affordable quality health care, expand mass transit, improve transportation in the Denver area, clean up environmental waste sites, and improve opportunities for small business.

DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

In 2005, U.S. Rep. DeGette was promoted to the House Democratic leadership as Chief Deputy Whip. As a Whip, she works to ensure passage of key pieces of legislation and orchestrate opposition to Republican legislation that is antithetical to Democratic values.  Steadily rising in the Democratic Whip organization since her first term in Congress, U.S. Rep. DeGette previously served six years as Regional Whip and two years as the Democratic Floor Whip.