Jackie Speier Elected to Congress in Special Primary Election to Complete Term of Tom Lantos

Speier Endorsed for June 3 Primary

Former State Senator Jackie Speier was elected to the 12th Congressional District in the Special Primary Election April 8 called to fill the remainder of the term of Tom Lantos, who passed away February 11. Speier won over 77 percent of the vote in a five way race. Speier was sworn in the day after the Special Election.

Speier was endorsed by the California Labor Federation in the Special Election. Congressman Lantos gave his endorsement to Speier in January; she had been endorsed by dozens of other elected officials. The California Labor Federation also endorsed Speier for the June 3 primary, where she faces three other Democrats. In the November general election, she will face Republican, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom, and Green Party candidates.

San Mateo County Central Labor Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer Shelley Kessler said she looked forward to working with Jackie Speier as a Congressmember. “She has been a stalwart supporter of the labor movement in the County and has done great work for the community for over 25 years,” Kessler said.

In her announcement speech January 14 as Democratic Party candidate for the 12th DistrictSpeier said she was running for Congress because, “We spend $10 billion a month in a senseless war in Iraq, while just $10 billion a year would cover every uninsured child in America. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are denied quality healthcare in a nation that asks them to make the ultimate sacrifice. This is ridiculous. We can do better, and that is why I am running for Congress.”

“Starting an unnecessary war and cutting the taxes needed to pay for it is has weakened our economy. Bringing our troops home will help us get our fiscal house back in order,” she said. “It is imperative that we remove American troops as soon as possible and refocus our mission in Iraq on humanitarian reconstruction and peaceful diplomacy.”

Speier on the issues

Jackie Speier was interviewed by the Labor Council February 25. She thanked labor for supporting her in the past and said she understood that Tom Lantos was a champion for the labor movement. As a member of the state Assembly state for 10 years and the state Senate for 8 years, Speier earned a 95 percent voting record in favor of labor’s positions. She criticized the spending of $10 billion a year on the Iraq war instead of health care, when 47 million Americans lack health care coverage. She said she also wanted to work on consumer protection and privacy rights issues. “I would like to see the same type of tough financial privacy laws passed at the federal level that I got passed here in California,” she said.

Speier was asked about issues of concern to workers in the county by a panel of union members including representatives of the Pilots, Flight Attendants, Machinists, Electrical Workers, Communication Workers, Letter Carriers, and Service Employees unions.

Speier said she would support the pension reform bill authored by Rep. George Miller that would address the conflict between FAA requirements that airline pilots retire at age 60 and the rules of the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation that don’t allow pilots to receive pensions until age 65. United Airlines pilots’ pensions are administered under the PBGC as a condition of United’s bankruptcy. Rep. Lantos was a co-sponsor of the bill, and Speier said she also would sign on as a co-sponsor if elected.

On the issue of covering flight attendants in the Family Medical Leave Act, Speier said, “You can count on my support.” Lantos was a co-sponsor of legislation to address the issue.

Regarding airline mergers Speier promised that she would do what she could to make sure union contracts are upheld in airlines merge.

Speier said she opposed the contracting out of U.S. Postal Service jobs and would be accessible to meet with union members on the issue. “I can guarantee you that I’ll never lose sight of the fact that you are my employer and I am your employee,” she said.

On the issue of funding for infrastructure improvements to bring high speed broadband Internet access to rural communities, Speier said that extending broadband access to rural areas was a necessity to equalize access to the information superhighway. “The cable industry has had too much clout at the federal and state levels, with deals made behind closed doors,” she said. “Some of the $150 billion economic stimulus package passed by Congress would have been better spent on job creation—including building the broadband infrastructure.”

Responding to a question about supporting alternative energy development. Speier said, “We have no choice. We are at code red in terms of global warming, looking at losing the Arctic ice fields in the next three years. We’ve got to use alternative energy and conservation, but Congress hasn’t taken it seriously.” She pointed out that because of low water levels in the Sacramento River delta, “There isn’t going to be a salmon season this year. We need to push for water conservation.”

On the issue of “free trade” agreements with Panama and Korea, Speier said she would meet with other Congressmembers on the trade issues as well as the California Fair Trade Coalition. She noted that issues of toxic toys from China exposed the need to look at the impacts of trade deals.

Asked about her stand on health care issues, Speier pointed out that she had been a co-author of SB 2, which would have mandated that employers with 50 or more employees provide health care coverage. She she supported single payer health insurance and that, “A universal health care product is the only thing that will work; we need it at the federal level.”

“I look forward to the opportunity to represent you in Congress.” Speier said. “I want to learn to be as good an advocate for you as Tom Lantos has been.”