Debbie Stabenow
Encyclopedia
Deborah Ann Greer "Debbie" Stabenow (born April 29, 1950) is the junior United States Senator
from Michigan
and a member of the Democratic Party
. Before her election to the U.S. Senate, she was a member of the United States House of Representatives
, representing Michigan's 8th congressional district
from 1997 to 2001. She previously served as a member of the Ingham County
Board of Commissioners, Michigan House of Representatives, and Michigan Senate
.
Stabenow defeated first-term Republican incumbent Spencer Abraham
in the 2000 U.S. Senate election
, becoming the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Michigan. She and Maria Cantwell
were the first women to defeat incumbent Senators in a general election.
Stabenow currently serves as Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee
. Her current Senate term ends in January 2013, with an election for the seat being held in November 2012.
, to Anna Merle Hallmark and Robert Lee Greer. She grew up in Clare, Michigan
, where her father and grandfather owned an auto dealership. She graduated from Clare High School. She received a B.A.
from Michigan State University
in 1972 and a M.S.W. magna cum laude from Michigan State University in 1975.
While in graduate school, Stabenow won her first election, to the Ingham County
Board of Commissioners, a position in which she served from 1975 to 1978. She has also worked as a social worker, and a leadership training consultant.
from 1991 to 1994. In 1994, she made an unsuccessful primary run for Governor of Michigan
, after which she was chosen as nominee Congressman
Howard Wolpe
's running mate, but lost to the incumbent ticket of John Engler
and Connie Binsfeld
.
Stabenow was a leader in the passage of one of the first laws in the U.S. that required all Michigan children to ride in car seats until age five. She authored a domestic violence
law which increased criminal penalties for those committing domestic violence offences. Republican members of the State legislature nicknamed her "D-Stabs" around this time.
In the Michigan Senate, Stabenow was a leader in the passage of bills including Michigan's property tax cuts and school funding reform, small business reforms, and legislation to protect families and children in the state.
in 1996 from Michigan's 8th congressional district
and served two terms. She did not seek reelection to the House of Representatives in 2000, but was elected to the U.S. Senate
. Stabenow was considered the underdog for much of the Senate race, but rallied in the final weeks of the campaign to unseat Spencer Abraham
by a narrow margin.
Stabenow faced her first re-election in the 2006 election against Michael Bouchard, the Oakland County sheriff and former state Senate
majority leader. Stabenow received 57 percent of the vote while Bouchard received 41 percent.
2012
Stabenow has no known opposition in the Democratic primary, but faces several possible serious Republican opponents, including Scotty Boman, a Libertarian
activist Clark Durant
, co-founder of the Cornerstone Schools
and Pete Hoekstra
, former U.S. representative
and the Special Committee on Aging
.
Stabenow is only the second person from Michigan to have served in both houses of the Michigan State Legislature and in both houses of the United States Congress
. The first was Thomas W. Ferry
. Stabenow is also the first person to have served as a Michigan state legislator to be popularly elected to the U.S. Senate
(until enactment of the Seventeenth amendment to the United States Constitution
in 1913, U.S. Senators were selected by the state legislature). No former Michigan state legislator had served in the U.S. Senate since 1894, when Francis B. Stockbridge
died.
During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
, Stabenow was the first Senator to author legislation that would waive all transportation fees to Americans trapped in Lebanon
, so that their deportation back to America would not cost them.
Stabenow became the third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate on November 16, 2004, when she was elected by her colleagues to be secretary of the Democratic caucus. As caucus secretary, she assisted Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid
(D-NV
) to set the Democrats' agenda and priorities. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) was elected Minority Whip, the Democrats' second-ranking spot. In November 2006, Majority Leader Harry Reid
announced that Stabenow would leave the caucus secretary position to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton
as chair of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, charged with "engag[ing] Democratic Senators and community leaders across the country in an active dialogue".
Following the withdrawal of Tom Daschle
as President Barack Obama
's nominee as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
, the National Organization for Women
endorsed Stabenow for the position and urged the president to appoint Stabenow, saying, "Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) has long focused on health care
as a priority, and with her background as a social worker she is well positioned to take the helm of this agency that is so critical to women and families."
Stabenow became the chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee in 2011, following the defeat of chairwoman Blanche Lincoln
.
Fairness doctrine
Stabenow has expressed support in regulating talk radio
via a measure like the Fairness doctrine
. On February 5, 2009, she stated "I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else — I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves."
Her support for these measures has been met with criticism about a conflict of interest, given that the primary target is conservative talk radio and that her former husband, Tom Athans
, has been an executive at a number of liberal progressive talk radio networks.
Drilling in the Great Lakes
She authored the first law to ban drilling in the Great Lakes
.
On August 31, 2006, Stabenow, along with Senator Carl Levin
and Rep. John Dingell
, announced an agreement that would completely cease Ontario
's dumping of solid waste in Michigan within four years. This issue has been an issue in Michigan for the past several years. Previously in the Senate, Stabenow wrote legislation intended to reduce the dumping of Canadian trash into Michigan by requiring machines to search trash being dumped across the border. In July 2006, the Senate unanimously passed a law sponsored by Stabenow requiring the payment of $420 inspection fee for every truckload of Canadian trash being brought into Michigan.
Global warming
On August 10, 2009, Stabenow was reported by The Detroit News
as saying "Global warming creates volatility. I feel it when I'm flying. The storms are more volatile. We are paying the price in more hurricanes and tornadoes." However, she has opposed regulation of greenhouse gases, enhanced fuel efficiency standards in California, and greenhouse gas emission reporting standards.
SGR mechanism
Senator Stabenow has introduced a bill to end the SGR mechanism. In physician payment mechanisms, SGR refers to the "sustainable growth rate
", used to calculate physician fees under Medicare, where theoretically, these fees would be reduced every year to compensate for an increase in Medicare spending overall. Medical organizations complain of being the only profession in the USA to live under government imposed price controls, controls which in actuality are not enforced. Because most often the US Congress responds to physician organization appeals, last-minute supplementary spending is approved (increasing the actual expenditures) so that no fee reduction occurs. A 21% cut would be due in January 2010.
Health care reform
Stabenow supported President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; she voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
in December 2009, and she voted for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
.
In 2003, Stabenow married Tom Athans
, now co-founder of Democracy Radio
and former executive vice president of Air America
. By this marriage, she has a stepdaughter, Gina. Stabenow and Athans divorced on May 28, 2010, approximately two years after Tom Athans
was detained in Troy, Michigan, as part of a prostitution sting.
Stabenow belongs to the Grace United Methodist Church.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. Before her election to the U.S. Senate, she was a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, representing Michigan's 8th congressional district
Michigan's 8th congressional district
Michigan's 8th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Southern Michigan and Southeast Michigan. It consists of all of Clinton, Ingham, and Livingston counties, and includes the southern portion of Shiawassee and the northern portion of Oakland counties.The district was...
from 1997 to 2001. She previously served as a member of the Ingham County
Ingham County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 279,320 people, 108,593 households, and 63,744 families residing in the county. The population density was 500 people per square mile . There were 115,056 housing units at an average density of 206 per square mile...
Board of Commissioners, Michigan House of Representatives, and Michigan Senate
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
.
Stabenow defeated first-term Republican incumbent Spencer Abraham
Spencer Abraham
Edmund Spencer Abraham is a former United States Senator from Michigan. He served as the tenth United States Secretary of Energy, serving under President George W. Bush. Abraham is one of the founders of the Federalist Society....
in the 2000 U.S. Senate election
United States Senate election in Michigan, 2000
The 2000 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Democrat Debbie Stabenow.-Campaign:...
, becoming the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Michigan. She and Maria Cantwell
Maria Cantwell
Maria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party....
were the first women to defeat incumbent Senators in a general election.
Stabenow currently serves as Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee
United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
The Committee of Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of all matters relating to the nation's agriculture industry, farming programs, forestry and logging, and legislation relating to nutrition and...
. Her current Senate term ends in January 2013, with an election for the seat being held in November 2012.
Early life, education, and early career
Stabenow was born in Gladwin, MichiganGladwin, Michigan
Gladwin is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,001. It is the county seat of Gladwin County.The city is at the southwest corner of Gladwin Township, but is politically independent....
, to Anna Merle Hallmark and Robert Lee Greer. She grew up in Clare, Michigan
Clare, Michigan
Clare is a city in Clare and Isabella counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located primarily in Clare County, the city had a population of 3,173 at the 2000 census....
, where her father and grandfather owned an auto dealership. She graduated from Clare High School. She received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in 1972 and a M.S.W. magna cum laude from Michigan State University in 1975.
While in graduate school, Stabenow won her first election, to the Ingham County
Ingham County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 279,320 people, 108,593 households, and 63,744 families residing in the county. The population density was 500 people per square mile . There were 115,056 housing units at an average density of 206 per square mile...
Board of Commissioners, a position in which she served from 1975 to 1978. She has also worked as a social worker, and a leadership training consultant.
State legislature
She served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1979 to 1990, where she became the first woman to preside over the House. She also served in the Michigan SenateMichigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
from 1991 to 1994. In 1994, she made an unsuccessful primary run for Governor of Michigan
Governor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
, after which she was chosen as nominee Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Howard Wolpe
Howard Wolpe
Howard Eliot Wolpe III was a seven-term U.S. Representative from Michigan and Presidential Special Envoy to the African Great Lakes Region in the Clinton Administration, where he led the United States delegation to the Arusha and Lusaka peace talks, which aimed to end civil wars in Burundi and the...
's running mate, but lost to the incumbent ticket of John Engler
John Engler
John Mathias Engler is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He served as the 46th Governor of Michigan from 1991 to 2003....
and Connie Binsfeld
Connie Binsfeld
Connie Berube Binsfeld is a retired Republican politician from the U.S. State of Michigan.-Biography:...
.
Stabenow was a leader in the passage of one of the first laws in the U.S. that required all Michigan children to ride in car seats until age five. She authored a domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
law which increased criminal penalties for those committing domestic violence offences. Republican members of the State legislature nicknamed her "D-Stabs" around this time.
In the Michigan Senate, Stabenow was a leader in the passage of bills including Michigan's property tax cuts and school funding reform, small business reforms, and legislation to protect families and children in the state.
U.S. House of Representatives
She was elected to the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1996 from Michigan's 8th congressional district
Michigan's 8th congressional district
Michigan's 8th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Southern Michigan and Southeast Michigan. It consists of all of Clinton, Ingham, and Livingston counties, and includes the southern portion of Shiawassee and the northern portion of Oakland counties.The district was...
and served two terms. She did not seek reelection to the House of Representatives in 2000, but was elected to the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Stabenow was considered the underdog for much of the Senate race, but rallied in the final weeks of the campaign to unseat Spencer Abraham
Spencer Abraham
Edmund Spencer Abraham is a former United States Senator from Michigan. He served as the tenth United States Secretary of Energy, serving under President George W. Bush. Abraham is one of the founders of the Federalist Society....
by a narrow margin.
U.S. Senate
Elections
2006Stabenow faced her first re-election in the 2006 election against Michael Bouchard, the Oakland County sheriff and former state Senate
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
majority leader. Stabenow received 57 percent of the vote while Bouchard received 41 percent.
2012
Stabenow has no known opposition in the Democratic primary, but faces several possible serious Republican opponents, including Scotty Boman, a Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
activist Clark Durant
Clark Durant
W. Clark Durant is co-founder and former CEO of the Cornerstone Schools , a group of charter and independent schools in the inner city of Detroit. Durant was a Republican politician in the state of Michigan, and is a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012.-Early life:Durant was born in Detroit,...
, co-founder of the Cornerstone Schools
Cornerstone Schools (Michigan)
Cornerstone Schools is a system of private Christian schools in Detroit, Michigan. It has its administration and one school on one PreK-8 campus, the Nevada Campus....
and Pete Hoekstra
Pete Hoekstra
Peter "Pete" Hoekstra is a former Republican U.S. Representative for who served in the House from 1993 until 2011. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Michigan in 2010 and is expected to run for the United States Senate against Debbie Stabenow in 2012.-Early life and education:Born...
, former U.S. representative
Tenure
Before her current committee assignments, Senator Stabenow also served on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs CommitteeUnited States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to: banks and banking, price controls, deposit insurance, export promotion and controls, federal monetary policy, financial aid to commerce and industry, issuance of redemption of notes,...
and the Special Committee on Aging
United States Senate Special Committee on Aging
The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging was initially established in 1961 as a temporary committee; it became a permanent Senate committee in 1977...
.
Stabenow is only the second person from Michigan to have served in both houses of the Michigan State Legislature and in both houses of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. The first was Thomas W. Ferry
Thomas W. Ferry
Thomas White Ferry was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan.Ferry was born in the old Mission House on Mackinac Island. The community on Mackinac at that time included the military garrison, the main depot of John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company, and the mission....
. Stabenow is also the first person to have served as a Michigan state legislator to be popularly elected to the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
(until enactment of the Seventeenth amendment to the United States Constitution
Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established direct election of United States Senators by popular vote. The amendment supersedes Article I, § 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures...
in 1913, U.S. Senators were selected by the state legislature). No former Michigan state legislator had served in the U.S. Senate since 1894, when Francis B. Stockbridge
Francis B. Stockbridge
Francis Brown Stockbridge was a U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan.Stockbridge was born in Bath, Maine and attended the common schools. He clerked at a wholesale house in Boston 1843-1847. He moved to Chicago and opened a lumber yard. He then moved to Saugatuck, Michigan in 1851 and engaged...
died.
During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
, Stabenow was the first Senator to author legislation that would waive all transportation fees to Americans trapped in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, so that their deportation back to America would not cost them.
Stabenow became the third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate on November 16, 2004, when she was elected by her colleagues to be secretary of the Democratic caucus. As caucus secretary, she assisted Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
(D-NV
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
) to set the Democrats' agenda and priorities. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) was elected Minority Whip, the Democrats' second-ranking spot. In November 2006, Majority Leader Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
announced that Stabenow would leave the caucus secretary position to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
as chair of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, charged with "engag[ing] Democratic Senators and community leaders across the country in an active dialogue".
Following the withdrawal of Tom Daschle
Tom Daschle
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle is a former U.S. Senator from South Dakota and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
as President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's nominee as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet...
, the National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
endorsed Stabenow for the position and urged the president to appoint Stabenow, saying, "Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) has long focused on health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
as a priority, and with her background as a social worker she is well positioned to take the helm of this agency that is so critical to women and families."
Stabenow became the chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee in 2011, following the defeat of chairwoman Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the...
.
Fairness doctrine
Stabenow has expressed support in regulating talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
via a measure like the Fairness doctrine
Fairness Doctrine
The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission , introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable...
. On February 5, 2009, she stated "I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else — I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves."
Her support for these measures has been met with criticism about a conflict of interest, given that the primary target is conservative talk radio and that her former husband, Tom Athans
Tom Athans
Tom Athans is a media entrepreneur and a notable member of the Democratic Party from the state of Michigan. He is widely considered the originator of the progressive talk radio format in the United States...
, has been an executive at a number of liberal progressive talk radio networks.
Drilling in the Great Lakes
She authored the first law to ban drilling in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
.
On August 31, 2006, Stabenow, along with Senator Carl Levin
Carl Levin
Carl Milton Levin is a Jewish-American United States Senator from Michigan, serving since 1979. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
and Rep. John Dingell
John Dingell
John David Dingell, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1955 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, announced an agreement that would completely cease Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
's dumping of solid waste in Michigan within four years. This issue has been an issue in Michigan for the past several years. Previously in the Senate, Stabenow wrote legislation intended to reduce the dumping of Canadian trash into Michigan by requiring machines to search trash being dumped across the border. In July 2006, the Senate unanimously passed a law sponsored by Stabenow requiring the payment of $420 inspection fee for every truckload of Canadian trash being brought into Michigan.
Global warming
On August 10, 2009, Stabenow was reported by The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
as saying "Global warming creates volatility. I feel it when I'm flying. The storms are more volatile. We are paying the price in more hurricanes and tornadoes." However, she has opposed regulation of greenhouse gases, enhanced fuel efficiency standards in California, and greenhouse gas emission reporting standards.
SGR mechanism
Senator Stabenow has introduced a bill to end the SGR mechanism. In physician payment mechanisms, SGR refers to the "sustainable growth rate
Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate
The Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate is a method currently used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the United States to control spending by Medicare on physician services...
", used to calculate physician fees under Medicare, where theoretically, these fees would be reduced every year to compensate for an increase in Medicare spending overall. Medical organizations complain of being the only profession in the USA to live under government imposed price controls, controls which in actuality are not enforced. Because most often the US Congress responds to physician organization appeals, last-minute supplementary spending is approved (increasing the actual expenditures) so that no fee reduction occurs. A 21% cut would be due in January 2010.
Health care reform
Stabenow supported President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; she voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
in December 2009, and she voted for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 is a law that was enacted by the 111th United States Congress, by means of the reconciliation process, in order to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry and Credit (Chair)
- Subcommittee on Energy, Science and TechnologyUnited States Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Energy, Science and TechnologyThe U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy Innovation is one of five subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry....
- Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition and Family FarmsUnited States Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition and Family FarmsTheU.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Food and Agricultural Research is one of five subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.-Jurisdiction:...
- Committee on the BudgetUnited States Senate Committee on the BudgetThe United States Senate Committee on Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal Government. The committee has jurisdiction over the...
- Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesUnited States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesThe United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and nuclear waste policy, territorial policy, native Hawaiian matters, and public lands....
- Subcommittee on EnergyUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on EnergySenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on National ParksUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on National ParksSenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Water and PowerUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on Water and PowerSenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
(Chair)
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Committee on FinanceUnited States Senate Committee on FinanceThe U.S. Senate Committee on Finance is a standing committee of the United States Senate. The Committee concerns itself with matters relating to taxation and other revenue measures generally, and those relating to the insular possessions; bonded debt of the United States; customs, collection...
- Subcommittee on Health CareUnited States Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health CareThe Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care is one of the six subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Finance-Members, 112th Congress:The subcommittee is chaired by Democrat Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, and the Ranking Minority Member is Vacant....
- Subcommittee on International Trade and Global CompetitivenessUnited States Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade and Global CompetitivenessThe Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness is one of the five subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Finance-Members, 112th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-Term GrowthUnited States Senate Finance Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-Term GrowthThe Senate Finance Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight is one of the six subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Finance-Members, 112th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on Health Care
- United States Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach CommitteeUnited States Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach CommitteeAccording to the official website, "the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee is dedicated to fostering dialogue between Senate Democrats and community leaders from across the nation...
(Chair)
Personal life
Stabenow was first married to Dennis Stabenow; the couple divorced in 1990. They have two children, Michelle and Todd.In 2003, Stabenow married Tom Athans
Tom Athans
Tom Athans is a media entrepreneur and a notable member of the Democratic Party from the state of Michigan. He is widely considered the originator of the progressive talk radio format in the United States...
, now co-founder of Democracy Radio
Democracy Radio
Democracy Radio was an organization founded in 2002 by Tom Athans and Paul Fiddick dedicated to creating political balance on America's commercial radio airwaves. The concept was to develop and incubate progressive oriented talk programming and enlist radio networks to market the programs to...
and former executive vice president of Air America
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
. By this marriage, she has a stepdaughter, Gina. Stabenow and Athans divorced on May 28, 2010, approximately two years after Tom Athans
Tom Athans
Tom Athans is a media entrepreneur and a notable member of the Democratic Party from the state of Michigan. He is widely considered the originator of the progressive talk radio format in the United States...
was detained in Troy, Michigan, as part of a prostitution sting.
Stabenow belongs to the Grace United Methodist Church.
Electoral history
External links
- United States Senator Debbie Stabenow official U.S. Senate site
- Stabenow for Senate official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Michigan Liberal's Junior Senator section