Pete Stark

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Pete Stark
Pete Stark
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 3, 1973
Preceded by George P. Miller
Succeeded by Incumbent
Born November 11, 1931 (1931-11-11) (age 75)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Political party Democratic
Spouse Deborah Stark
Religion Unitarian

Fortney Hillman "Pete" Stark, Jr. (born November 11, 1931) is an American politician from the state of California. A Democrat, he has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1973, in three different districts (due to redistricting). Stark currently represents California's 13th congressional district.

The 13th district takes in most of southwestern Alameda County, including Hayward, San Leandro and Fremont, as well as parts of Oakland and Pleasanton. Stark lives in Fremont.

Contents

[edit] Early life and education

Stark was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He received an Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1953.[1] He served in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1957. After leaving the Air Force, Stark attended the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and received his MBA in 1960. Stark enjoyed living in the Bay Area so much that he decided to settle there after graduating.

In 1963, Stark founded Security National Bank, a small bank in Walnut Creek. Within 10 years it grew to a $100 million company with branches across the East Bay.

Stark grew up as a Republican, but his opposition to the Vietnam War led him to switch parties in the mid-1960s. He printed checks with peace signs on them and placed a giant peace sign on the roof of his bank's headquarters.

In 1972, Stark ran in the Democratic primary against ten-term incumbent U.S. Representative George Paul Miller in the 8th district. He won the nomination by a shocking 34-point margin. In the 1972 general election he won by a narrow 5-point margin. Since that election he has not faced a contest nearly that close and has been reelected 16 times. He has only dropped below 60 percent of the vote once (in 1980). Due to redistricting his district has changed numbers three times, from the 8th (1973-75) to the 9th (1975-93) to the 13th (since 1993).

Stark is the first openly nontheistic member of Congress, as announced by the Secular Coalition for America.[2] Stark acknowledged his nontheism in response to an SCA questionnaire sent to public officials in January 2007. In a statement, Stark said he is a "Unitarian who does not believe in a supreme being. I look forward to working with the Secular Coalition to stop the promotion of narrow religious beliefs in science, marriage contracts, the military and the provision of social service."[citation needed]

On September 20, 2007, Stark reaffirmed his atheism by making a public announcement in front of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, the Harvard Law School Heathen Society, and various other atheist, agnostic, secular, humanist, and nonreligious groups.[3]

[edit] Congress

Today Stark is the longest-serving member of Congress from California. He has been a ranking member of the Banking and Currency Committee and powerful Ways and Means Committee. His voting record is generally very liberal, as indicated in the ratings section below, and he has been voted the most liberal member of Congress for two consecutive years. He was a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Stark is known to have a longstanding interest in health care issues and has been critical of the fate of the uninsured under the current administration.[4]

Along with John Conyers, in April 2006 Stark brought an action against George W. Bush and others alleging violations of the Constitution in the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. [5] The case, Conyers v. Bush, was ultimately dismissed.[6]

Stark was also one of the most vocal Congresspersons who spoke out against war with Iraq in the months leading up to the invasion. In fact, he supported a reinstatement of the draft, partly in protest against the call to war but also saying, "If we're going to have these escapades, we should not do it on the backs of poor people and minorities."[7] In October 2004, Stark was one of only two members of Congress to vote in favor of the Universal National Service Act of 2003 (HR 163), a bill proposing resumption of the military draft.

A staunch opponent of the Iraq War, Stark voted against authorizing the war and has opposed every funding bill for the war while the Republicans controlled Congress. However, he chose not to stand against the Democratic legislation to continue funding the war on March 23, 2007, despite other liberal Democrats voting against the bill. In a statement posted on his website he stated, "Despite my utmost respect for my colleagues who crafted this bill, I can't in good conscience vote to continue this war. Nor, however, can I vote 'No' and join those who think today's legislation goes too far toward withdrawal. That's why I'm making the difficult decision to vote 'present'."[8] Stark was the only member of Congress to take this position.

[edit] Controversies and criticism

In August 1990 Stark drew controversy for calling Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Wade Sullivan, who is black, "a disgrace to his race" for "for supporting Bush Administration policies that Mr. Stark called bankrupt and damaging to minority members." Stark was criticizing a speech by Sullivan who opposes proposals for federally-sponsored national health insurance (Stark had introduced legislation for national health insurance). Stark said that Sullivan had been influenced by George H.W. Bush administration officials such as Office of Management and Budget director Richard Darman and White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu to change his positions on both abortion and health care. Stark later apologized.[9]

On October 18, 2007, Stark made the following comments on the House floor: "Republicans sure don't care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal war in Iraq. Where are you going to get that money? Are you going to tell us lies like you're telling us today? Is that how you're going to fund the war? You don't have money to fund the war or children. But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if he can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President's amusement."[10]

[edit] Congressional scorecards

See also

Project Vote Smart provides the following results from congressional scorecards.[11]

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/tt/1990/nov14/23833.html
  2. ^ "Congressman Holds No God-Belief", Secular Coalition for America, March 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 
  3. ^ Phillips, Amanda. "U.S. Rep. Pete Stark "Comes Out" as an Atheist", Common Dreams NewsCenter, 27 September 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 
  4. ^ Benjamin, Matthew, Kerry Young. "46 Million Live in U.S. Without Health Insurance", New York Sun, August 30, 2006, p. 2. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 
  5. ^ "11 House Members to Sue Over Budget Bill", USA Today, Associated Press, 28 April 2006. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 
  6. ^ "Judge Dismisses Budget Bill Lawsuit", ABC News, Associated Press, 6 November 2006. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 
  7. ^ Epstein, Edward. "Stark Joins Call to Restore Draft", Common Dreams NewsCenter, 23 January 2003. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 
  8. ^ "Congressional Record: U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007". GovTrack.us. Joshua Tauberer (23 March 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  9. ^ "Lawmaker Says His Racial Insult of Health Secretary Was Mistake." 4 Aug. 1990. Associated Press. [1]
  10. ^ YouTube video, October 18, 2007.
  11. ^ "Representative Fortney H. 'Pete' Stark (CA)". vote-smart.org. Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on 2006-03-01. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
  12. ^ "Scorecard for the 109th Congress U.S. House of Representatives". Secular.org. Secular Coalition for America. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.

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Preceded by
George P. Miller		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 8th congressional district
1973–1975		 Succeeded by
Ron Dellums
Preceded by
Don Edwards		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 9th congressional district
1975–1993		 Succeeded by
Ron Dellums
Preceded by
Norman Mineta		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 13th congressional district
1993 – present		 Incumbent
v • d • e
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