Mary Bono
Encyclopedia
Mary Bono Mack is the U.S. Representative
for , and previously the 44th, serving since 1998. She is a member of the Republican Party
. The district is based in Palm Springs
and includes most of central and eastern Riverside County. Bono Mack sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and is Chairwoman for the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade. Bono Mack is the only Republican woman in California's congressional delegation.
, but moved to South Pasadena, California
, in 1963. She worked her way through the University of Southern California
, graduating in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. She was an accomplished gymnast
in her youth.
The 45th had long been a Republican stronghold but has become much more Democratic in recent years; it currently has a Cook Partisan Voting Index
of R+3. While Moreno Valley and Palm Springs have a slight Democratic tilt, Palm Desert is strongly conservative. Her district includes the highest percentage of gays and lesbians of any district represented by a Republican.
Bono Mack followed the Republican Party line 89% of the time according to Congressional Quarterly
. In 2004, she received an 84% approval rating from the Christian Coalition of America, but this fell to 33% in 2008. In 1999, she voted in favor of the Largent Amendment, to ban adoption by same-sex couples
in Washington, D.C.
Bono Mack has, however, voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment
twice.
Some of the congresswoman's legislative history includes a bill that calls for country-of-origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as several energy-saving bills to reward companies for utilizing clean burning fuel technologies and increase the energy-efficiency of federal buildings. In 2000, Bono Mack helped pass legislation that established the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
in the Palm Springs
region. The House of Representatives passed her Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass (SPY ACT), which would protect an individual’s personal information on the Web. Also, Bono Mack has sponsored legislation that provides funding for obesity studies and improved nutrition programs nationwide, autism research, and Federal funding under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Act.
Bono Mack was a leading proponent of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, the so-called Mickey Mouse Law, which extended the terms of copyright. Giving a speech on the floor of Congress in favor of the bill, Bono Mack said:
She won her sixth term in 2008 with 58% of the vote, down slightly from 60.7% in 2006.
In December 2010, Bono Mack was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell
" ban on openly homosexual
service members.
Bono Mack has received numerous awards from such organizations as Americans for Tax Reform
, National Federation of Independent Businesses, the National Association of Manufacturers
, and the SunLine Transit Agency
for her support of alternative fuel technologies. She is also a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
, Capital Style, Elle
, Entertainment Tonight
, Esquire
, George
, Good Housekeeping
, Hello!, Ladies' Home Journal
, and PBS. In 1998, Bono Mack was named one of the "Most Fascinating Women of 1998" by Ladies' Home Journal magazine in conjunction with CBS
Television. She was also selected by the former George magazine as one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics. In 2008, she was named the "Seventh Hottest Politician in the World" by Maxim
.
and moved to Palm Springs. In his biography, The Beat Goes On, Sonny said "When I wrote songs I always knew if I was on to something that was great. I could just tell. I felt that way about being with Mary. I knew it was great." Soon after, Sonny Bono became interested in politics, serving as Mayor of Palm Springs (1988-92) and being elected to Congress (1994). When reflecting about his marriage and family, Sonny said, "I've never been happier. For the first time I feel free to really love someone and to be a great father." Due to Sonny Bono's commitment to Scientology
at the time, Bono Mack took some Scientology courses together with her husband but soon decided it was not for her.
Sonny Bono died in a skiing accident on January 5, 1998. Thereafter Bono Mack won the Republican nomination for the special election to succeed him. She then won in the special election April 7, 1998. She won a full term in November and has been re-elected since. As of 2007, Bono Mack was one of six representatives to be elected to their seats following the deaths of their husbands—Lindy Boggs
(D
-LA
), Jo Ann Emerson
(R
-MO
), Lois Capps (D
-CA
), Doris Matsui
(D
-CA), and Sala Burton
(D
-CA).
In 2001, Bono Mack married Wyoming businessman Glenn Baxley about 18 months after they met in Mexico. They filed for divorce in 2005. On December 15, 2007, Bono Mack married Congressman Connie Mack IV
(R
-FL
) in Asheville, North Carolina
.
Bono Mack has a son, Chesare Elan Bono (born 1988), and a daughter, Chianna Maria Bono (born 1991), from her marriage to Sonny Bono. She has four stepchildren: Christy Bono, Chaz Bono, Addison Mack, and Connie Mack. In addition to her family, Bono Mack has interests in music and outdoor activities such as hiking and camping. In the April 2008 edition of Golf for Women
magazine, she was listed as "one of the 50 most powerful women who play" golf.
After attending a lecture by mountaineer-turned-humanitarian Greg Mortenson
, Bono Mack worked with him to open doors in Washington, D.C.
, to aid his efforts to build schools for girls in the mountainous regions of Pakistan. Bono Mack is quoted in Mortenson's book Three Cups of Tea
as saying "I've learned more from Greg Mortenson about the causes of terrorism than during all our briefings on Capitol Hill".
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 , and previously the 44th, serving since 1998. She is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. The district is based in Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
and includes most of central and eastern Riverside County. Bono Mack sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and is Chairwoman for the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade. Bono Mack is the only Republican woman in California's congressional delegation.
Early life
She was born Mary Whitaker in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, but moved to South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena, California
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in in the West San Gabriel Valley...
, in 1963. She worked her way through the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, graduating in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. She was an accomplished gymnast
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
in her youth.
Congressional career
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R+3. While Moreno Valley and Palm Springs have a slight Democratic tilt, Palm Desert is strongly conservative. Her district includes the highest percentage of gays and lesbians of any district represented by a Republican.
Bono Mack followed the Republican Party line 89% of the time according to Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
. In 2004, she received an 84% approval rating from the Christian Coalition of America, but this fell to 33% in 2008. In 1999, she voted in favor of the Largent Amendment, to ban adoption by same-sex couples
Adoption by same-sex couples
LGBT adoption is the adoption of children by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. This may be in the form of a joint adoption by a same-sex couple, adoption by one partner of a same-sex couple of the other's biological child , and adoption by a single LGBT person.Adoption by same-sex...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Bono Mack has, however, voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment
Federal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment H.J. Res. 56 was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...
twice.
Some of the congresswoman's legislative history includes a bill that calls for country-of-origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as several energy-saving bills to reward companies for utilizing clean burning fuel technologies and increase the energy-efficiency of federal buildings. In 2000, Bono Mack helped pass legislation that established the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is a National Monument in Southern California. It includes portions of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountain ranges, the northernmost ones of the Peninsular Ranges system...
in the Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
region. The House of Representatives passed her Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass (SPY ACT), which would protect an individual’s personal information on the Web. Also, Bono Mack has sponsored legislation that provides funding for obesity studies and improved nutrition programs nationwide, autism research, and Federal funding under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Act.
Bono Mack was a leading proponent of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, the so-called Mickey Mouse Law, which extended the terms of copyright. Giving a speech on the floor of Congress in favor of the bill, Bono Mack said:
Actually, Sonny wanted the term of copyright protection to last forever. I am informed by staff that such a change would violate the ConstitutionUnited States ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. ... As you know, there is also[ Motion Picture Association of AmericaMotion Picture Association of AmericaThe Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
president] Jack ValentiJack ValentiJack Joseph Valenti was a long-time president of the Motion Picture Association of America. During his 38-year tenure in the MPAA, he created the MPAA film rating system, and he was generally regarded as one of the most influential pro-copyright lobbyists in the world...
's proposal for the term to last forever less one day. Perhaps the Committee may look at that next Congress.
She won her sixth term in 2008 with 58% of the vote, down slightly from 60.7% in 2006.
In December 2010, Bono Mack was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" ban on openly homosexual
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
service members.
Bono Mack has received numerous awards from such organizations as 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...
, National Federation of Independent Businesses, the National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Manufacturers
The National Association of Manufacturers is an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C. with 10 additional offices across the country...
, and the SunLine Transit Agency
SunLine Transit Agency
SunLine Transit Agency , a transit operator in Riverside County , is a transit agency providing bus service in the Coachella Valley area...
for her support of alternative fuel technologies. She is also a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and CommerceUnited States House Committee on Energy and CommerceThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade (Chairwoman)
- Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
- Subcommittee on Environment and EconomyUnited States House Energy Subcommittee on Environment and EconomyThe Energy Subcommittee on Environment and Economy is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Prior to 2009, it was known as the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials, and was part of the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment from 2009 to 2011...
- Congressional Hispanic ConferenceCongressional Hispanic ConferenceThe Congressional Hispanic Conference is a Republican Party-controlled caucus in the United States Congress. The CHC was formed in 2003, with the stated goal of promoting policy outcomes of importance to Americans of Hispanic or Latino and Portuguese descent. These priorities included support of...
{associate member} - Republican Main Street PartnershipRepublican Main Street PartnershipThe Republican Main Street Partnership is a group of moderate members of the United States Republican Party. They tend away from the dominant social conservatism of many Republicans and towards a moderate fiscal conservatism and limited government to a degree. The group is the rough equivalent of...
Caucus memberships
- America Supports You Caucus
- Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention Caucus (Co-Chair)
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- Recording Arts and Sciences Caucus (Co-Chair)
Media coverage
Bono Mack has been the subject of numerous profiles for a wide array of publications and television shows, including PeoplePeople (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, Capital Style, Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
, Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, George
George (magazine)
George was a glossy monthly magazine centered on the theme of politics-as-lifestyle co-founded by John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Michael J. Berman with publisher Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in New York City in September 1995...
, Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping is a women's magazine owned by the Hearst Corporation, featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, health as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Housekeeping Seal," popularly known as the...
, Hello!, Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal is an American magazine which first appeared on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States...
, and PBS. In 1998, Bono Mack was named one of the "Most Fascinating Women of 1998" by Ladies' Home Journal magazine in conjunction with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Television. She was also selected by the former George magazine as one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics. In 2008, she was named the "Seventh Hottest Politician in the World" by Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
.
Personal life
In 1986, Bono Mack married singer and actor Sonny BonoSonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
and moved to Palm Springs. In his biography, The Beat Goes On, Sonny said "When I wrote songs I always knew if I was on to something that was great. I could just tell. I felt that way about being with Mary. I knew it was great." Soon after, Sonny Bono became interested in politics, serving as Mayor of Palm Springs (1988-92) and being elected to Congress (1994). When reflecting about his marriage and family, Sonny said, "I've never been happier. For the first time I feel free to really love someone and to be a great father." Due to Sonny Bono's commitment to Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
at the time, Bono Mack took some Scientology courses together with her husband but soon decided it was not for her.
Sonny Bono died in a skiing accident on January 5, 1998. Thereafter Bono Mack won the Republican nomination for the special election to succeed him. She then won in the special election April 7, 1998. She won a full term in November and has been re-elected since. As of 2007, Bono Mack was one of six representatives to be elected to their seats following the deaths of their husbands—Lindy Boggs
Lindy Boggs
Marie Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs, usually known as Lindy Boggs , is a United States political figure who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and later as ambassador to the Vatican. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Louisiana...
(D
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...
-LA
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
), Jo Ann Emerson
Jo Ann Emerson
Jo Ann Emerson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. The district consists of Southeast and South Central Missouri and includes the Bootheel, the Lead Belt and the Ozarks. Emerson is a member of the Republican Party....
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-MO
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
), Lois Capps (D
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...
-CA
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
), Doris Matsui
Doris Matsui
Doris Okada Matsui is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district consists of the city of Sacramento and the surrounding area...
(D
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...
-CA), and Sala Burton
Sala Burton
Sala Burton was a United States Representative from California. She was born Sala Galante in Białystok, Poland. She attended public schools in San Francisco and University of San Francisco. She was the associate director of the California Public Affairs Institute from 1948 to 1950...
(D
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...
-CA).
In 2001, Bono Mack married Wyoming businessman Glenn Baxley about 18 months after they met in Mexico. They filed for divorce in 2005. On December 15, 2007, Bono Mack married Congressman Connie Mack IV
Connie Mack IV
Cornelius Harvey McGillicuddy IV popularly known as Connie Mack IV is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes Fort Myers and Naples....
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-FL
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
) in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
.
Bono Mack has a son, Chesare Elan Bono (born 1988), and a daughter, Chianna Maria Bono (born 1991), from her marriage to Sonny Bono. She has four stepchildren: Christy Bono, Chaz Bono, Addison Mack, and Connie Mack. In addition to her family, Bono Mack has interests in music and outdoor activities such as hiking and camping. In the April 2008 edition of Golf for Women
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
magazine, she was listed as "one of the 50 most powerful women who play" golf.
After attending a lecture by mountaineer-turned-humanitarian Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson, SPk is an American humanitarian, professional speaker, writer, and former mountaineer. He is the co-founder and executive director of the non-profit Central Asia Institute as well as the founder of the educational charity Pennies for Peace...
, Bono Mack worked with him to open doors in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to aid his efforts to build schools for girls in the mountainous regions of Pakistan. Bono Mack is quoted in Mortenson's book Three Cups of Tea
Three Cups of Tea
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time is a book by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin published by Penguin in 2006. For four years, the book remained on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller's list...
as saying "I've learned more from Greg Mortenson about the causes of terrorism than during all our briefings on Capitol Hill".
External links
- U.S. Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack official U.S. House site
- Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...