Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2005
Preceded by	George Nethercutt
Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 7th district
In office January 1995 – January 2005
Personal details
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Brian Rodgers [1]
Residence	Spokane, Washington
Alma mater	Pensacola Christian College, University of Washington
Occupation	Orchardist

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (born May 22, 1969) is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She has represented Washington's 5th congressional district since January 2005. McMorris Rodgers defeated Democrat Don Barbieri in 2004, defeated Democrat Peter Goldmark in 2006 and was re-elected in 2008 by wide margins. She is currently the highest ranking Republican woman in the Congress, serving as the Vice-Chair of the House Republican Conference (caucus). With her appointment in 2008 to that post, Washington's 5th Congressional District has the distinction of being one of the few districts in the country to have been home to two high-ranking members of Congress from both parties - former Democratic House Speaker Tom Foley in 1989-95 and now McMorris Rodgers.

Biography

Cathy McMorris Rodgers was born in Salem, Oregon on May 22, 1969 and raised on a farm. She worked in the family owned and operated business, the Peachcrest Fruit Basket Orchard and Fruit Stand, in Kettle Falls, Washington for 13 years.^[2] She is the descendant of pioneers who traveled the Oregon Trail in the early 1850s to the Pacific Northwest where her father's family pursued agriculture and her mother's family worked in the forestry industry.^[2] McMorris Rodgers has one brother, Jeff McMorris, who served as her campaign manager in 2004.

In 1990 McMorris Rodgers earned a BA in Pre-Law from Pensacola Christian College. In 2002 she received an Executive MBA from the University of Washington.^[3]

On 5 August 2006 in San Diego, Cathy McMorris married Brian Rodgers, a retired Navy commander and a Spokane, Washington native. Rodgers is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and the son of David Rodgers, the mayor of Spokane from 1967 to 1977. In April 2007, she became the first member of Congress in more than a decade to give birth while in office, with the birth of Cole McMorris Rodgers.^[4] The couple later announced their child was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

She enjoys playing the piano, swimming, and reading American history. Cathy says she lives by former President Ronald Reagan's motto: "There's no limit to what a person can do or where one can go if one doesn't mind who gets the credit."^[2]

Politics

State Representative

McMorris was first elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1994, representing the 7th Legislative district (parts or all of the counties of Ferry, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane and Stevens). She was re-elected four times and served in office through January 2005. From 2002-2003, she served as House Minority Leader^[2], the top leadership post for the House Republicans. She was the first woman to lead a woman in the House, and the youngest since World War II. She chaired the House Commerce and Labor Committee, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, and the State Government Committee.^[3] She stepped down as minority leader in 2003 after announcing her bid for Congress.

2004 congressional campaign

In 2004 McMorris Rodgers received 59.7%^[5] of the vote in an open seat. The district had come open when five-term incumbent George Nethercutt made an unsuccessful run for the United States Senate.

During her campaign, she gained endorsements from the following: Washington State Law Enforcement Association, Washington State Farm Bureau, Association of Washington Businesses, Western Fish & Wildlife Federation, Washington Property Rights Alliance, Associated Builders and Contractors, United States Chamber of Commerce.^[6]

Freshman term 2005-2007

McMorris Rodgers was sworn into the United States House of Representatives on January 4, 2005. She actively supports missions to protect and expand Fairchild Air Force Base and worked to keep the base off the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list.^[2] McMorris Rodgers co-introduced health information technology (IT) legislation and is co-leading a statewide health IT task force to position Washington state for future health IT advancements with Congressman Adam Smith, D-WA.^[2] McMorris Rodgers sponsored the American Competitiveness Amendment to the College Access and Opportunity Act. The bi-partisan amendment takes steps to improve math, science, and critical foreign language education.^[2]

Her committee assignments included Armed Services,^[2] Natural Resources,^[2] and Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans, Education and Labor,^[2] Speaker’s High-Tech Working,^[2] and Chairwoman of the National Task Force on Improving the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).^[7]

McMorris Rodgers also served as the Freshman Class representative on the Steering Committee and on the Republican Whip Team.^[2]

McMorris Rodgers was selected to serve as the Chairwoman of the National Task Force on Improving the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA.) She oversaw the NEPA hearings across the country, reviewing the current implementation of the Act. NEPA has broad economic impacts through permitting and study requirements for transportation, public works projects, important oil and gas development, healthy forests, mining, grazing and other federal projects.^[8]

McMorris Rodgers joined the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of conservative House Republicans.

2006 congressional re-election

In November 2006 McMorris Rodgers won re-election with 56.4% of the vote and her Democratic challenger Peter Goldmark earned 43.6%.^[9]

Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers received a 100% rating from the American Veterans and the Vietnam Veterans of America for votes during the 109th Congress. The Veterans of Foreign Wars released a list of veteran’s accomplishments during the 109th Congress, all of which were supported by McMorris including: ensuring sufficient funding for the Veterans Health Care Administration, ensuring the VA disability compensation program is preserved in its current form, securing authority and full funding for the G.I. Bill for the 21st century, and authorizing a program to allow all disabled military retirees to full military retirement pay and disability compensation without offset.

Sophomore term 2007-2009

In 2007, McMorris Rodgers became the Republican co-chairwoman of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues. The Democratic co-chairwoman is Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif. The caucus has pushed for pay equity, tougher child support enforcement, women's health programs and law protecting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.^[10]

McMorris Rodgers co-founded the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus with Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Dallas) Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-MA), and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

Third term 2009-2011

On November 19, 2008, House Republican Leader John Boehner issued a statement ^[11] naming the newly elected House Republican Leadership Team for the 111th United States Congress. McMorris Rodgers was elected by her colleagues to serve as the Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference. This makes her the fourth highest ranking Republican in her caucus leadership (after Boehner, Minority Whip Eric Cantor and Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence) and the highest-ranking Republican woman.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Readiness
  • Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
• Committee on Education and Labor
  • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Subcommittee on Workforce Protections (Ranking Member)
• Committee on Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Water and Power

References

External links

• Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers official U.S. House website
• Cathy McMorris Rodgers for U.S. Congress official campaign website

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Vote Smart