Barbara Lee: U.S. Congresswoman
Congresswoman Barbara Lee was first elected to represent California's ninth Congressional District in 1998. Her accomplishments in promoting effective, bipartisan legislation to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and bring treatment to the infected have earned her international recognition as a leader in the fight against global HIV/AIDS.
Congresswoman Lee's willingness to stand on principle earned her international attention when she was the only member of Congress to vote against the resolution authorizing President Bush to "use all necessary and appropriate force” against those terrorists responsible for the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center.
In 2005, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize along with women from 150 countries as part of the international project, 1000 Women for Peace. With her leadership roles in the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congresswoman Lee has been a leader in the fight for civil rights and civil liberties. She has also been a vocal opponent of the PATRIOT act and a leader in protecting free speech by opposing media consolidation.
Her other accomplishments are many, including authoring or co-authoring every major piece of legislation dealing with global HIV/AIDS issues since she was elected to Congress. As an early and outspoken opponent of the Iraq War, the congresswoman repeatedly proposed legislation seeking early U.S. troop withdrawal. In 2007, she successfully blocked funds from being used to establish permanent military bases in Iraq. Congresswoman Lee has also been a leader in the bipartisan effort in Congress to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan, including the passage of legislation she authored to allow divestment from companies doing business in the region. In 2005, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize along with women from 150 countries as part of the international project – 1000 Women for Peace.
California's ninth Congressional District encompasses most of Alameda County, including the Cities of Albany, Berkeley and Oakland to the North and Ashland and Castro Valley to the South. Congresswoman Lee was born in El Paso Texas. She graduated from Mills College in Oakland and received her MSW from the University of California in Berkeley.
(From U.S. House of Rep. website, http://lee.house.gov/ )