Gwen Moore



Gwendolynne Sophia Moore has been a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 4th Congressional district, since 2005. (map)

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

Background
Moore was born April 18, 1951 in Racine, Wisconsin. She attended Marquette University as an expectant mother, receiving welfare benefits to aid her in her pursuit of a degree. On her campaign website, Moore recalled, "I was on welfare and just shy of 19 when my first daughter was born, but I was encouraged to take advantage of my ability and drive and remained in school." Moore gradudated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and in 2000 received a Certificate for Senior Executives in State and Local Government from Harvard University.

Prior to her election, Moore worked as a city development specialist and as an organizer with Volunteers In Service to America. She was elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 1989 and served two terms before winning election to the Wisconsin Senate, in which she served from 1993 to 2004. Moore was the first African-American woman to be elected to the upper chamber of the Wisconsin legislature.

Congressional Career
Moore was elected to the U.S. House in 2004, earning 69.6 percent of the vote and defeating Republican Gerald Boyle in the general election.

Moore is the was the first black and second woman (after Tammy Baldwin) to represent Wisconsin in Congress. In the first session of the 109th Congress, Moore has earned a 90 percent-plus legislative agenda approval scores from Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Sierra Club of Wisconsin, and the Service Employees International Union.

During her first term, Moore introduced legislation to provide certain economic incentives and tax cuts to small businesses to promote job creation, and also co-sponsored legislation in support of community block grants, continued and expanded Medicaid funding, the amendment of the Truth in Lending Act to prevent so-called "predatory lending", and the removal of troops from Iraq; Moore is also a co-sponsor of two prospective amendments to the US Constitution, providing for uniform national election standards and proscribing gender discrimination under law.

2006 congressional elections
Moore defeated Republican Perfecto Rivera to retain her seat.

Money in politics
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Committees

 * House Committee on Financial Services
 * Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises
 * Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
 * House Committee on Small Business
 * Subcommittee on Contracting and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare, and Trade
 * Subcommittee on Rural and Urban Entrepreneurship

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

 * House Committee on Financial Services
 * Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
 * Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy Trade and Technology
 * Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
 * House Committee on Small Business
 * Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and Oversight
 * Subcommittee on Workforce Empowerment and Government Programs

Coalitions and Caucuses

 * Congressional Black Caucus

Contact
DC Office: 1408 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-4572 Fax: 202-225-8135 Web Email Website

District Office - Milwaukee: 219 North Milwaukee Street, Suite 3A Milwaukee, WI 53202-5818 Phone: 414-297-1140 Fax: 414-297-1086

2008 Campaign Contact Information
Official Moore for Congress campaign website

Gwen Moore for Congress P.O. Box 16646 Milwaukee, WI 53216

Phone: 202-479-2527 Fax: 703-997-0460

Articles and resources

 * Official website
 * Democratic Party of Wisconsin profile

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * The Xoff Files