Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky
Encyclopedia
Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky (ˈmɑrdʒəri mɑrˈɡoʊliːz mɛzˈvɪnski; born June 21, 1942) is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania
and a women's right activist. She is a former journalist and a former politician for the Democratic Party
. From 1993 to 1995 she was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania
.
in 1963. She was a broadcast journalist for over twenty-four years, winning five Emmy Awards for her work. She worked as a television journalist at WCAU-TV from 1967 to 1969, was a CBS News Foundation Fellow, Columbia University
from 1969 to 1970, and then for WRC-TV
from 1975 until 1990. She was correspondent for the "Today Show."
In 1970, Margolies adopted a daughter from Korea, reportedly the first time a single American woman had adopted a foreign child.
, a largely suburban district outside Philadelphia which Republicans had held since 1916. After defeating Republican Jon D. Fox
by 1,373 votes, she became a member of the 103rd Congress.
She was on the bipartisan Deficit Reduction Task Force.
But, her reelection defeat was blamed on her vote for President Bill Clinton's controversial 1993 budget
, for which she was the deciding vote. She had opposed the bill, until the president called her.
House Democrats cheered as the House Republicans jeered, "Goodbye Marjorie."
Losing in 1994 to her 1992 opponent, she was one of 34 Democratic incumbents who were defeated in the Republican Revolution
.
In a 2009 interview with The Daily Beast
, she recalled Rep. Robert Walker
(R-Pennsylvania) in particular joining in the Republican jeers. She also recalled the ire of her constituents resulting from her vote, saying:
Fourth World Conference on Women
in 1995.
In 1998
, she ran for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
. She won the primary election, becoming the running mate of State Representative Ivan Itkin
, but the ticket lost to Republicans Tom Ridge
and Mark Schweiker.
In 2000
, she withdrew from the Democratic Senate primary with five other candidates, for the seat of Rick Santorum
, after disappointing fundraising, mother's illness, and legal trouble of Edward Mezvinsky
, which ended in a conviction for fraud. Shortly thereafter, she filed for bankruptcy
, but failed to receive a discharge from her debts, based on 11 U.S.C. §727(a)(5). The court found Mezvinsky had failed to satisfactorily explain a significant loss of assets in the four years prior to her bankruptcy filing. The bankruptcy judge stated, in her published opinion, "I find that the Debtor has failed to satisfactorily explain the loss of approximately $ 775,000 worth of assets (the difference between the $ 810,000 represented in May 1996 and the $ 35,000 now claimed in her Amended Schedule B)." Sonders v. Mezvinsky (in re Mezvinsky), 265 B.R. 681, 694 (Bankr. E.D. Pa. 2001).
She currently serves as the founder and chair of Women’s Campaign International (WCI), a group that provides advocacy training for women throughout the world. She is also a professor at the Fels Institute of Government
at the University of Pennsylvania
.
in November 2009, the conservative Americans for Tax Reform
, (a 527 organization) featured her 1994 defeat as an example of what can occur in next year's elections
, to those Democrats in swing districts who voted in favor of that bill.
Margolies-Mezvinsky, however, wrote in the Washington Post that she was glad that she had cast her vote as she had, and urged vulnerable Democrats in Congress to vote for the healthcare bill
in March 2010.
in 1975; they divorced in 2007 after many years of marriage. They raised eleven children together: four from his first marriage, two she had adopted on her own, two sons they had together, and three adopted children.
Their son, Marc Mezvinsky, married Chelsea Clinton
, the daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton
and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
, on July 31, 2010, in Rhinebeck, NY. He was a Goldman Sachs
investment banker, and is an investment banker at 3G Capital Management.
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and a women's right activist. She is a former journalist and a former politician for 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...
. From 1993 to 1995 she was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Life and career
Margolies was born in Philadelphia. She graduated from the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1963. She was a broadcast journalist for over twenty-four years, winning five Emmy Awards for her work. She worked as a television journalist at WCAU-TV from 1967 to 1969, was a CBS News Foundation Fellow, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
from 1969 to 1970, and then for WRC-TV
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
from 1975 until 1990. She was correspondent for the "Today Show."
In 1970, Margolies adopted a daughter from Korea, reportedly the first time a single American woman had adopted a foreign child.
Congress
In 1992 she ran for an open seat in Congress for Pennsylvania's 13th congressional districtPennsylvania's 13th congressional district
The 13th Congressional District of Pennsylvania is located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, covering eastern Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia. The district traditionally included most of Montgomery County, but was redrawn in 2002...
, a largely suburban district outside Philadelphia which Republicans had held since 1916. After defeating Republican Jon D. Fox
Jon D. Fox
Jon D. Fox was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Jon Fox was born in Abington, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA in 1969, and earned a J.D. from the Delaware School of Law , in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1975...
by 1,373 votes, she became a member of the 103rd Congress.
She was on the bipartisan Deficit Reduction Task Force.
But, her reelection defeat was blamed on her vote for President Bill Clinton's controversial 1993 budget
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 was federal law that was enacted by the 103rd United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It has also been referred to, unofficially, as the Deficit Reduction Act of 1993...
, for which she was the deciding vote. She had opposed the bill, until the president called her.
House Democrats cheered as the House Republicans jeered, "Goodbye Marjorie."
Losing in 1994 to her 1992 opponent, she was one of 34 Democratic incumbents who were defeated in the Republican Revolution
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
.
She had earned an honored place in history, with a vote she shouldn't have had to cast.
In a 2009 interview with The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
, she recalled Rep. Robert Walker
Robert Smith Walker
Robert Smith Walker, popularly known as Bob Walker, is a former American politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from 1977 to 1997. He was known for his fiery rhetoric and knowledge of parliamentary procedure.Born in Bradford,...
(R-Pennsylvania) in particular joining in the Republican jeers. She also recalled the ire of her constituents resulting from her vote, saying:
when I went to town-hall meetings, I had to be escorted by the police....I was just surprised at the level of divisiveness and immaturity.That same year, she completed A Woman's Place, a book with the other women in the class of 1992.
After Congress
After her term in Congress, she was the Chair of the National Women’s Business Council, and the Director and Deputy Chair of the United States delegation to the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Fourth World Conference on Women
Fourth World Conference on Women
The United Nations convened the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace on 4-15 September 1995 in Beijing, China. 189 governments and more than 5,000 representatives from 2,100 non-governmental organizations participated in the Conference...
in 1995.
In 1998
Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1998
The Pennsylvania Gubernatorial election of 1998 was held on November 3, 1998. It was between incumbent Republican Tom Ridge and Democrat Ivan Itkin. Ridge, a popular moderate, won with 57% of the votes cast. During this election cycle, Democrats struggled with fundraising issues and had difficulty...
, she ran for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor. Jim Cawley of Bucks County is the incumbent Lieutenant Governor...
. She won the primary election, becoming the running mate of State Representative Ivan Itkin
Ivan Itkin
Ivan Itkin is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He was his party's nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania in 1998.-Early life:...
, but the ticket lost to Republicans Tom Ridge
Tom Ridge
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Ridge is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives , the 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania , Assistant to the President for Homeland Security , and the first United States Secretary of Homeland Security...
and Mark Schweiker.
In 2000
United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2000
The 2000 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Rick Santorum won re-election to a second term.-Campaign:...
, she withdrew from the Democratic Senate primary with five other candidates, for the seat of Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
, after disappointing fundraising, mother's illness, and legal trouble of Edward Mezvinsky
Edward Mezvinsky
Edward "Ed" Mezvinsky is a former congressman. A Democrat, he represented Iowa's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for two terms, from 1973 to 1977....
, which ended in a conviction for fraud. Shortly thereafter, she filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, but failed to receive a discharge from her debts, based on 11 U.S.C. §727(a)(5). The court found Mezvinsky had failed to satisfactorily explain a significant loss of assets in the four years prior to her bankruptcy filing. The bankruptcy judge stated, in her published opinion, "I find that the Debtor has failed to satisfactorily explain the loss of approximately $ 775,000 worth of assets (the difference between the $ 810,000 represented in May 1996 and the $ 35,000 now claimed in her Amended Schedule B)." Sonders v. Mezvinsky (in re Mezvinsky), 265 B.R. 681, 694 (Bankr. E.D. Pa. 2001).
She currently serves as the founder and chair of Women’s Campaign International (WCI), a group that provides advocacy training for women throughout the world. She is also a professor at the Fels Institute of Government
Fels Institute of Government
The Fels Institute of Government is the University of Pennsylvania’s graduate program in public policy and public management. Its practical approach to public management education, its Ivy League pedigree and its relatively small size make it one of the nation's leading boutique programs in public...
at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
Health Care Act
After the U.S. House passed the health care reform billAffordable Health Care for America Act
The Affordable Health Care for America Act was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives in November 2009. At the encouragement of the Obama administration, the 111th Congress devoted much of its time to enacting reform of the United States' health care system...
in November 2009, the conservative Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group and taxpayer group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...
, (a 527 organization) featured her 1994 defeat as an example of what can occur in next year's elections
United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections, also known as the 2010 midterm elections, were held on November 2, 2010, at the midpoint of President Barack Obama's first term in office. Voters of the 50 U.S. states chose 435 U.S. Representatives. Voters of the U.S...
, to those Democrats in swing districts who voted in favor of that bill.
Margolies-Mezvinsky, however, wrote in the Washington Post that she was glad that she had cast her vote as she had, and urged vulnerable Democrats in Congress to vote for the healthcare bill
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 March 2010.
Family
She was married to former Iowa Congressman Edward MezvinskyEdward Mezvinsky
Edward "Ed" Mezvinsky is a former congressman. A Democrat, he represented Iowa's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for two terms, from 1973 to 1977....
in 1975; they divorced in 2007 after many years of marriage. They raised eleven children together: four from his first marriage, two she had adopted on her own, two sons they had together, and three adopted children.
Their son, Marc Mezvinsky, married Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Victoria Clinton is a television journalist, currently serving as Special Correspondent for NBC News, and philanthropist, working through the Clinton Global Initiative. She is the only child of former U.S...
, the daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and U.S. Secretary of State 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...
, on July 31, 2010, in Rhinebeck, NY. He was a Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
investment banker, and is an investment banker at 3G Capital Management.
Works
- They Came to Stay, Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1976
- Finding someone to love, Playboy Press Paperbacks, 1980, ISBN 9780872166509
- The Girls in the Newsroom, Charter Communications, Inc., 1983, ISBN 9780441289295
- A woman's place: the freshman women who changed the face of Congress, Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, Barbara Feinman, Crown Publishers, 1994, ISBN 9780517597132