Karen Bass
Encyclopedia
Karen Ruth Bass is the U.S. Representative
for . She is a member of the Democratic Party
. Prior to her election to Congress in 2010, she had served as a member of the California State Assembly
representing the 47th district
since 2004. From 2008 to 2010, she served as Speaker of the California State Assembly, becoming the second woman and third African American to serve in that post.
from 1971 to 1973 majoring in philosophy
and graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills
in 1990 with a B.S. in health sciences. Bass worked as a physician assistant and as a clinical instructor at the USC Keck School of Medicine
Physician Assistant Program. Bass founded the Community Coalition, an organization in South Los Angeles.
for the 47th District
, Bass serves the cities and communities of Culver City, West Los Angeles, Westwood
, Cheviot Hills
, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, View Park-Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights, the Crenshaw District, Little Ethiopia and portions of Koreatown
and South Los Angeles
.
In addition to her leadership of California African Americans for Obama and her post on Barack Obama
's national African American Leadership Council, Bass served as a California Co-chair of Obama's 2008 presidential campaign
.
selected Bass as the Majority Floor Leader for the California State Assembly
during the 2007-2008 legislative session. During the 2005-2006 legislative session, Bass served as the Majority Whip. Bass also serves as the chair of the Select Committee on Foster Care and as vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus. Bass succeeded Núñez as Speaker on May 13, 2008, as Núñez was scheduled to be termed out
of the Assembly on November 30, 2008.
Bass, who is the vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, commissioned a report to research the basic demographic profile of Black Californians including the basic social and economic conditions. The State of Black California report included a statewide organizing effort to involve Black Californians in identifying their concerns and making legislative recommendations.
, Speaker Fabian Núñez
was termed out of the Assembly at the end of the 2007-2008 session. As the next-highest ranking Democrat in the Assembly, Bass was well-positioned to take the post. After consolidating the support of a number of Legislators who had previously also been seeking the Speakership, Bass was elected Speaker on February 28, 2008 and then sworn in as Speaker on May 13.
Bass was criticized for the following statement to Los Angeles Times reporter Patt Morrison: "The Republicans were essentially threatened and terrorized against voting for revenue. Now [some] are facing recalls. They operate under a terrorist threat: 'You vote for revenue and your career is over.' I don't know why we allow that kind of terrorism to exist. I guess it's about free speech, but it's extremely unfair." In response, KFI
hosts John and Ken
dub Bass as Karen "Buzz Cut" Bass.
Since leaving office, Bass was named Speaker Emeritus.http://asmdc.org/members/a47/
in California's 33rd congressional district
. Bass won the election on November 2, 2010.
Congresswoman Bass has been against general Budget-Wide Cuts like Resolution 38 which would reduce spending to 2008 levels. She has also opposed budgets with deep cuts like the 2011 Budget. However, Congresswoman Karen Bass has supported the H Amendment 16 for Reducing Navy and Air Force Appropriations. The Congresswoman has supported mainly military cuts.
Representative Karen Bass has supported keeping taxes low for the middle class and “tax credits for small businesses to hire new employees”. Congresswoman Bass states however that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest should expire because “the wealthy…don’t need these breaks”. |url=http://karenbass.house.gov/issue/fiscal-responsibility |url=http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/28963/karen-bass
Karen Bass voted to authorize the United States military to participate in the NATO-led bombing of Libya. The measure failed 123-295.
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...
for . She is 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...
. Prior to her election to Congress in 2010, she had served as a member of the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
representing the 47th district
California's 47th State Assembly district
California's 47th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democratic assemblywoman Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles.-District profile:...
since 2004. From 2008 to 2010, she served as Speaker of the California State Assembly, becoming the second woman and third African American to serve in that post.
Early life, education, and medical career
Bass was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Wilhelmina (née Duckett) and DeWitt Talmadge Bass. She was raised in the Venice/Fairfax neighborhood and went to Hamilton High School. She attended San Diego State UniversitySan Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
from 1971 to 1973 majoring in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills
California State University, Dominguez Hills
California State University, Dominguez Hills is a public university located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County and was founded in 1960...
in 1990 with a B.S. in health sciences. Bass worked as a physician assistant and as a clinical instructor at the USC Keck School of Medicine
Keck School of Medicine of USC
The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California is a major center of medical research, education and patient care. Founded in 1885, the Keck School of Medicine is the oldest medical school in Southern California.Located on the university’s Health Sciences campus three miles ...
Physician Assistant Program. Bass founded the Community Coalition, an organization in South Los Angeles.
California Assembly
As the AssemblymemberCalifornia State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
for the 47th District
California's 47th State Assembly district
California's 47th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democratic assemblywoman Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles.-District profile:...
, Bass serves the cities and communities of Culver City, West Los Angeles, Westwood
Westwood, Los Angeles, California
Westwood is a neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the University of California, Los Angeles .-History:...
, Cheviot Hills
Cheviot Hills
The Cheviot Hills is a range of rolling hills straddling the England–Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.There is a broad split between the northern and the southern Cheviots...
, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, View Park-Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights, the Crenshaw District, Little Ethiopia and portions of Koreatown
Koreatown, Los Angeles, California
Koreatown is a neighborhood in the Mid-Wilshire district of the city of Los Angeles, California known for its concentration of Korean American people and institutions...
and South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
.
In addition to her leadership of California African Americans for Obama and her post on 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 national African American Leadership Council, Bass served as a California Co-chair of Obama's 2008 presidential campaign
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
.
Leadership prior to speaker election
Speaker Fabian NúñezFabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez has been a labor union adviser and a Democratic politician. He served three two year terms as a member of the State Assembly, leaving office late in 2008...
selected Bass as the Majority Floor Leader for the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
during the 2007-2008 legislative session. During the 2005-2006 legislative session, Bass served as the Majority Whip. Bass also serves as the chair of the Select Committee on Foster Care and as vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus. Bass succeeded Núñez as Speaker on May 13, 2008, as Núñez was scheduled to be termed out
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
of the Assembly on November 30, 2008.
Bass, who is the vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, commissioned a report to research the basic demographic profile of Black Californians including the basic social and economic conditions. The State of Black California report included a statewide organizing effort to involve Black Californians in identifying their concerns and making legislative recommendations.
Speakership
With the defeat of Proposition 93California Proposition 93 (2008)
Proposition 93 was a Californian ballot proposition that sought to amend the term limits law for the California state legislature. Voters rejected it on February 5, 2008.- Proposal :...
, Speaker Fabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez has been a labor union adviser and a Democratic politician. He served three two year terms as a member of the State Assembly, leaving office late in 2008...
was termed out of the Assembly at the end of the 2007-2008 session. As the next-highest ranking Democrat in the Assembly, Bass was well-positioned to take the post. After consolidating the support of a number of Legislators who had previously also been seeking the Speakership, Bass was elected Speaker on February 28, 2008 and then sworn in as Speaker on May 13.
Bass was criticized for the following statement to Los Angeles Times reporter Patt Morrison: "The Republicans were essentially threatened and terrorized against voting for revenue. Now [some] are facing recalls. They operate under a terrorist threat: 'You vote for revenue and your career is over.' I don't know why we allow that kind of terrorism to exist. I guess it's about free speech, but it's extremely unfair." In response, KFI
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
hosts John and Ken
John and Ken
John Chester Kobylt and Kenneth Robertson Chiampou, known professionally as John and Ken are American talk radio hosts of a four-hour weekday radio show, The John and Ken Show, on KFI AM 640 in Southern California. The John and Ken Show airs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m....
dub Bass as Karen "Buzz Cut" Bass.
Since leaving office, Bass was named Speaker Emeritus.http://asmdc.org/members/a47/
2010 election
Bass was ineligible to run for reelection in 2010 due to term limits and on February 18, 2010, confirmed her candidacy to succeed retiring U.S. Representative Diane WatsonDiane Watson
Diane Edith Watson is a former US Representative for , serving from 2003 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
in California's 33rd congressional district
California's 33rd congressional district
California's 33rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district encompasses the incorporated city of Culver City , unincorporated areas such as Ladera Heights, and some of the western neighborhoods within the city of Los...
. Bass won the election on November 2, 2010.
2010 Campaign Finances
Representative Karen Bass is in a “overwhelmingly…democratic” district. She won her first term in 2010 with over 86% of the vote. Thus in California’s District 33 there is less money spent during campaigns than in more competitive areas. Representative Karen Bass raised $932,281.19 and spent $768,918.65. Her campaign contributions come from very different and diverse groups with none donating more than 15% of her total campaign funds. The five major donors to Congresswoman Bass’s campaign are Labor Unions with $101,950.00; Financial Institutions with $90,350.00; Health Professionals with $87,900.00; the Entertainment Industry with $52,400.00 and Lawyers and Law Firms with $48,650.00. |url=http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/campaign-finance/28963/karen-bassCommittee assignments
- Committee on the BudgetUnited States House Committee on the BudgetThe U.S. House Committee on the Budget, commonly known as the House Budget Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress...
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Position on issues
Representative Karen Bass is generally considered a liberal, with ratings of 100% or close from liberal interest group capitol Weekly Positions. Conservative groups like the California Republican Assembly Positions have consistently awarded Congresswoman Bass a 0%. |url=http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/28963/karen-bassGuns
Congresswoman Karen Bass is a very strong supporter of Gun Control. The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund Lifetime Score is an F. The Gun Owners of California Postitons on Gun Rights have also given Representative Karen Bass an F. Congresswoman Bass recently has voted against the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act that would loosen general Gun Control laws. In 2010 while campaigning for Congress Congresswoman Bass supported Expanded Firearm Registration Bill that together with other regulations would have made all gun dealers report their sales to the Department of Justice. Representative Bass also supported the Amendment to the Penal Code regarding Firearms of 2010. |url=http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/28963/karen-bassInternational Policy/Foreign Affairs
Representative Bass serves in the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In her website, Congresswoman Bass supports “working with our NATO allies and within the United Nations”. She also attributes significant importance to diplomacy and “creat[ing] jobs here in the US”. Representative Bass does so through supporting trade protectionism. She has voted against the Free Trade Treaty with South Korea and the Trade Promotion Agreements with Colombia and Panama. She has not yet been rated by different interest groups because congresswoman Bass has served for less than one year in the house of Representatives. |url=http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/28963/karen-bass |url=http://karenbass.house.gov/issue/foreign-policyThe Budget, Taxes and Spending
Representative Karen Bass, a social liberal, with Ratings around 100% by pro-gay marriage associations, can also be considered so in her fiscal positions. Congresswoman Bass has a rating of 10% from the very conservative California Tax Payers Association. However, the more liberal Consumer Federation of California gives her very high rankings. Besides the following positions on Taxing and Spending, Congresswoman Bass supports stimulus to create jobs.Congresswoman Bass has been against general Budget-Wide Cuts like Resolution 38 which would reduce spending to 2008 levels. She has also opposed budgets with deep cuts like the 2011 Budget. However, Congresswoman Karen Bass has supported the H Amendment 16 for Reducing Navy and Air Force Appropriations. The Congresswoman has supported mainly military cuts.
Representative Karen Bass has supported keeping taxes low for the middle class and “tax credits for small businesses to hire new employees”. Congresswoman Bass states however that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest should expire because “the wealthy…don’t need these breaks”. |url=http://karenbass.house.gov/issue/fiscal-responsibility |url=http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/28963/karen-bass
- 112th Congress - 1st Session (2011)
Karen Bass voted to authorize the United States military to participate in the NATO-led bombing of Libya. The measure failed 123-295.
Personal life
Bass suffered the loss of her only child, daughter Emilia Wright and son-in-law Michael Wright, in a car accident in 2006.External links
- Congresswoman Karen Bass official U.S. House site
- Karen Bass for Congress official campaign site
- AllBallots.com: Voting Records