Chaka Fattah



Chaka Fattah has been a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 2nd Congressional district of Pennsylvania, since 1995. (map)

Iraq War
Fattah voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Support for gun control
Fattah cosponsored H.R. 1022 (Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2007) on March 7, 2007.

Reparations for Japanese Latin Americans
Fattah cosponsored The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese Descent Act in the 110th Congress which would establish a commission that would determine the facts and circumstances involving the relocation, internment and deportation of Japanese Latin Americans.

Bio
Born November 21, 1956 in Philadelphia, Fattah attended Overbrook High School and received an A.A. from Philadelphia Community College in 1976 and an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 1986. He was a Representative in the Pennsylvania General Assembly from 1983-1988 and a State Senator from 1983-1994.

Fattah is married to Renee Chenault-Fattah, a local Philadelphia television news broadcaster on WCAU-TV (NBC 10).

2006 elections
In 2006, Republicans nominated Michael Gessner to face Fatah in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) Fattah retained his seat.

Announces candidacy
In November 2006, just weeks after being reelected to Congress, Fattah declared that he would run for mayor of Philadelphia in 2007. He had been long suspected of being interested in running, but his announcement confirmed this and ended any speculation that he might decide to stay in Congress now that the Democrats had become the majority party. 

In the Democratic primary, Fattah was one of five candidates to run. The others were Rep. Bob Brady (D-Pa.), State Rep. Dwight Evans, businessman Tom Knox, and former city councilman Michael A. Nutter. The primary was set for May 15. Given that the city had not elected a Republican mayor since 1948, and that as of late January 2007 no Republican had declared his or her intentions to run in 2007, the primary winner was largely expected to be elected mayor. 

Other members of Congress who sought the job of mayor in a large U.S. city had been unsuccessful in the preceding decade. Since 1993, each of the four House members who pursued the job were defeated. These included :


 * Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) - Defeated in Detroit in 1993
 * Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) - Defeated in Chicago in 1999
 * Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) - Defeated in Los Angeles in 2001
 * Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) - Defeated in New York City in 2005.

Platform
During his campaign, Fattah stressed the issue of crime. Philadelphia recorded 403 murders in 2006, its highest total of the decade. Fattah promised to address crime through increased surveillance in the city, as well as new programs designed to reduce gun violence. (Read Fattah's gun safety plan)

Fattah also emphasized the need for greater government transparency during his campaign. He supported full funding for a city Board of Ethics, as well as ending "pay-to-play" politics (whereby public officials award lucrative government contracts and grant other favors to individuals, businesses, and organizations in exchange for political contributions). (Read Fattah's plan for greater government transparency)

Healthcare was another issue stressed by Fattah in the campaign. He called for providing every uninsured Philadelphian with an annual check-up, as well as a city-wide public health campaign to target one disease per month. (Read Fattah's healthcare plan)

Polling
On January 31, 2007, a Philadelphia Daily News Keystone poll was released by Franklin & Marshall College. It showed Fattah leading with 26%, followed by Knox (22%), Nutter (12%), Evans (10%), and Brady (8%). The poll was conducted the week in which Brady announced his candidacy, leading some to believe that his support was not fully reflected. Brady was the least known of the candidates to voters (50% had not heard of him). 

On April 5, a second Keystone poll was released showing that Knox had the support of 24% of Democratic voters, while Fattah (17%), Brady (16%), Nutter (12%), and Evans (10%) followed.

Attendance in Congress
In January 2007, Fattah missed ten votes in the House (or 13.7% of all votes). By comparison, Rep. Brady, who was also running in the primary, missed three votes (or 4.1%). Fattah did not sponsor any legislation during this period. Brady, however, sponsored two bills. 

As of April 6, 2007, Fattah had missed 24 votes (11.3%) since the start of the 110th Congress. He had long been known for having a poor attendence record in Congress, as he had missed 9.2% of all House votes since 1997 (compared to 4.2% chamber average).

As of May 15, the data of the primary election, Fattah had missed 141 votes (40.5%) in 2007. Only Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.), who was battling a recurrence of breast cancer, had missed more.

Campaign contribution limits
Fattah opposed Philadelphia's recently implemented limits on campaign contributions during his run for mayor. He, along with Brady, contended that they were unfair, for they curb one’s ability to fundraise, but allow individuals to spend unlimited funds on their own campaigns. As a result, Tom Knox (a multi-millionaire who pledged to spend up to $15 million on the race) was able to greatly outspend both Brady and Fattah in the race.

Fattah challenged the law in court, but it was upheld on April 2, 2007. He then appealed the decision to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, asking it to expedite its decision.

Ultimately, the contribution limits were upheld. 

Refuses to release income tax returns
Fattah was widely criticized for refusing to release his income tax returns; a decision he claimed was motivated by the fact that his wife (with whom he filed jointly) was a high-profile local news anchorwoman (Renee Chenault-Fattah) and wished to not release her salary.

Violating Philadelphia campaign finance law
In April 2007, Fattah admitted to using $36,767 from his mayoral exploratory committee to fund his campaign; thus violating Philadelphia campaign finance law. Fattah said he would reimburse the exploratory committee, and eventually the money would go back to the individual donors. The expenses include:
 * $7,598 for his Web site;
 * $11,008.88 for his mayoral announcement event;
 * $14,645.46 for other announcement expenses, videos and photos;
 * $3,515 for office expenses.

Losses Democratic primary
On May 15, 2007, Fattah was defeated in the Democratic primary election by former City Councilman Michael Nutter, who recorded 37% of the vote. Following Nutter was businessman Tom Knox (25%), Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.) (15%), Fattah, and PA State Rep. Dwight Evans (8%).


 * Watch Fattah's concession speech

Money in politics
cid=N00001746&cycle=2006

Committees

 * House Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Water
 * Subcommittee on Homeland Security
 * House Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Water
 * Subcommittee on Homeland Security

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Appropriations
 * Subcommittee on Foreign Operations Export Financing and Related Programs
 * Subcommittee on Science State Justice and Commerce and Related Agencies

Affiliations

 * Founding Board, Project Vote Smart


 * Fattah is a prominent member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

Resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * Chaka Fattah's Colbert Report interview. (Other Colbert Report interviews with members of Congress.)
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database
 * Fattah's gun safety plan from his 2007 mayoral candidacy
 * Fattah's plan for greater government transparency from his 2007 mayoral candidacy
 * Fattah's healthcare plan from his 2007 mayoral candidacy
 * Fattah's 2007 mayoral concession speech

Articles

 * Larry Eichel, "Taxed to the Max," Philadelphia Inquirer, April 23, 2006.
 * Marcia Gelbert, "It’s official: Chaka Fattah is in the mayor’s race," Philadelphia Inquirer, November 18, 2006.
 * "L.A. vows gang crackdown after kids die," LA Times, January 21, 2007.
 * Michael Currie Schaffer, "Brady says he'll make it official by entering the race for mayor," Philadelphia Inquirer, January 23, 3007.
 * Greg Giroux, "House Seat to Mayor’s Office a Well-Traveled But Rocky Road," New York Times, January 24, 2007.
 * Sam Youngman, "Two reps running for Philly mayor could result in a special election," The Hill, January 25, 2007.
 * Catherine Lucey, "Fattah campaign may have used 'exploratory' $," Philadelphia Daily News', February 9, 2007.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * The All-Spin Zone

Contact
DC Office: 2301 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-3802 Phone: 202-225-4001 Fax: 202-225-5392 Web Email Website

District Office- Philadelphia 1: 4104 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 Phone: 215-387-6404 Fax: 215-387-6407

District Office- Philadelphia 2: 6632 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19119 Phone: 215-848-9386 Fax: 215-848-3884