Mary Jo Kilroy

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	To oppose or discuss a nomination, please go to CZ:Proposed for deletion and follow the instructions. For the monthly nomination lists, see Category:Articles for deletion. Mary Jo Kilroy is a first-term Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 15th Congressional District of Ohio. The 15th District is centered on Columbus, Ohio. Committee assignments House Financial Services Committee Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises, Housing and Community Opportunity and Oversight and Investigations subcommittees House Committee on Homeland Security Congressional caucuses She has not joined any of the Democratic ideological caucuses (Blue Dog Coalition, New Democrat Coalition, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Populist Caucus), but worked closely with the Ohio Democratic delegation. She, Charlie Wilson, Tim Ryan, Betty Sutton, Dennis Kucinich and Marcy Kaptur wrote letters to Chase bank about potential job displacements, and opposing the Panama Free Trade Agreement. Issues Israel-Palestine J Street, positioned as a liberal alternative to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, endorses her, for support of pursuing a diplomatic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as an expression of strong American support for the state of Israel. She also stated her commitment to the "unique and strong partnership between the United States and the state of Israel." Rep. Kilroy signed the Cohen-Boustany-Carnahan letter supporting President Obama's Middle East peace policies and co-sponsored a House Resolution expressing support for the appointment of former Senator George Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. She signed a letter to the President, organized by J Street and Americans for Peace Now cosponsored a letter from 54 House Democrats to President Obama, calling for lifting sanctions on Gaza. The lead authors were Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Washington (U.S. state)) and Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota) When she and other Congressmen (led by Bill Delahunt (Massachusetts), and Bob Filner and Lois Capps of California (U.S. state) and Donald Payne (New Jersey) visited Israel in February 2010, sponsored by J Street and Churches for Middle East Peace, the Deputy Foreign Minister, refused to meet with them as long as staff from the sponsors would be present. Israeli Defense Forces prevented them from going to Gaza. They did meet with Palestinian officials, the king and prime minister of Jordan, and members of the Knesset including the leader of the opposition, Tzipi Livni (Kadima). Homeland security She introduced the Strengthening and Updating Resources and Equipment (SURE) Act, to allow first responders to maintain the capabilities necessary to prepare and protect their communities against acts of terrorism and other emergencies. It passed the Homeland Security Committee in November 2009. Steven Emerson and the Investigative Project on Terrorism have suggested she is soft on terrorism. IPT published a letter from Kilroy and six other Democrats to Attorney General Eric Holder, asking he meet with representatives of Islamic groups, all of which it describes as linked to radical Islam. The signers indicated the meetings could improve relations in the U.S., and expressed concern over due process in law enforcement. Health care She voted for the Democratic health care reform bills in November 2009 and March 2010, and also cosponsored the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act. There was much coverage of a video showing a protester, Chris Reichert, associated with the Tea Party Movement, throwing money at a counterdemonstrator with Parkinson's disease outside her Ohio office. She called on "the organizations that promoted the rally — including the Columbus Tea Party, and Americans for Prosperity – and those who attended to condemn what happened.” Reichert subsequently apologized, and both sides denounced the action Voting ratings Organization Rating Date AFL-CIO American Civil Liberties Union American Conservative Union Americans for Democratic Action Cato Institute Christian Coalition Human Rights Campaign League of Conservation Voters National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NARAL National Rifle Association National Right to Life Committee National Taxpayers Union U.S. Chamber of Commerce Sources: Links to the voting ratings guides of the above organizations together with brief descriptive information on the organizations themselves, may be found at: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Interest_group/Catalogs 2008 Election Candidate Party Vote total Percentage Mary Jo Kilroy Democrat 139,584 45.94% Steve R. Stivers Republican 137,272 45.18% Mark Noble Libertarian 14,061 4.63% Don Eckhart Independent 12,915 4.25% Travis W. Casper' Write-in 6 0.00% Source: Federal Election Results - final official tally 2010 Elections Education Bachelor's degree in political science, Cleveland State University, 1977 J.D., Ohio State University, 1980 References