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Karen Bass
| Karen Bass | ||
 | ||
| U.S. House, California, District 37 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 2011-Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 2 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Predecessor | Diane Watson (D) | |
| Leadership | ||
| Assistant Whip, United States House of Representatives | ||
| 2011-present | ||
| Speaker, California Assembly | ||
| 2008-2010 | ||
| Majority Floor Leader, California Assembly | ||
| 2006-2008 | ||
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | November 2, 2010 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Campaign $ | $1,625,269 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Prior offices | ||
| California Assembly | ||
| 2004-2010 | ||
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | California State University, Dominguez Hills | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | October 3, 1953 | |
| Place of birth | Los Angeles, California | |
| Profession | Physician Assistant, Instructor, Health Non-Profit | |
| Net worth | $348,003 | |
| Religion | Christian | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
Bass won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing California's 37th District as a Democrat.[1] She was displaced from her former district, the 33rd by redistricting.[2]
Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Bass is a "rank-and-file Democrat".[3]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Bass's academic, professional and political career:[4]
- 2011-Present: U.S. House of Representatives, California's 33rd congressional district
- 2011-Present: Assistant Whip
- 2005-2010: California State Assembly
- 2008-2010: Speaker of the California Assembly
- 2006-2008: Majority Floor Leader
- 1990: Graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills with B.S.
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
Bass serves on the following committees:[5]
- Foreign Affairs Committee
- Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, Ranking Member
- Judiciary Committee
- Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations
2011-2012
Bass served on the following committees:[6]
- Budget Committee
- Foreign Affairs Committee
- Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights Ranking Member
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Issues
State budget crisis
As the state of California faced ongoing budget deficits and turmoil in 2009, Joe Mathews of Blockbuster Democracy wrote, "No one understands the political dynamics of volatile state revenues better than Ms. Bass....after negotiating three rounds of budget cuts in the past year she has grown weary of deficit politics."[7]
The California Commission on the 21st Century Economy, a commission Bass pushed to create at the end of 2008, announced at the end of July 2009 that it recommends that California adopt a flat, or flatter, personal income tax and cut or repeal corporate and sales taxes. The commission was asked to provide recommendations to reduce the volatility in tax revenues.[7]
Redistricting
Bass contributed $20,000 in February 2010 to an effort to repeal Proposition 11, the 2008 ballot proposition approved by voters that created the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.[8]
Legislative scorecard
Capitol Weekly, California's major weekly periodical covering the state legislature, publishes an annual legislative scorecard to pin down the political or ideological leanings of every member of the legislature based on how they voted on an assortment of bills in the most recent legislative session. The 2009 scores were based on votes on 19 bills, but did not include how legislators voted on the Proposition 1A (2009). On the scorecard, "100" is a perfect liberal score and "0" is a perfect conservative score. [9],[10]
On the 2009 Capitol Weekly legislative scorecard, Bass ranked as a 91.[11]
Sponsored legislation
Bass's sponsored legislation while a member of the state legislature includes:
- AB 262 - American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan
- AB 1327 - State Capitol Sustainability Task Force
- AB 1402 - Family connection grants
For details and a full listing of sponsored bills, see the House site.
Specific votes
Fiscal Cliff
Bass voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. She was one of 172 Democrats that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257/167 vote on January 1, 2013.[12]
Elections
2012
Bass won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing California's 37th District as a Democrat.[1] She was displaced from her former district, the 33rd by redistricting. She and Morgan Osborne (R) advanced past the June 5, 2012, blanket primary and faced off in the general election on November 6, 2012.[13][14]
| U.S. House, California, District 37 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Karen Bass Incumbent |
86.4% | 207,039 | |
| Republican | Morgan Osborne | 13.6% | 32,541 | |
| Total Votes | 239,580 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Full history
To view the full congressional electoral history for Karen Bass, click [show] to expand the section. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2008
In 2008 Bass was re-elected to the California Assembly's 47th District. Bass (D)) finished with 134,003 votes while her opponent Lady Cage-Barile (R) finished with 23,642 votes.[16]
| California State Assembly District 47 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Karen Bass (D)
|
134,003 | |||
| Lady Cage-Barile (R) | 23,642 | |||
Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Bass is available dating back to 2010. Based on available campaign finance records, Bass raised a total of $1,625,269 during that time period. This information was last updated on March 22, 2013.[17]
| Karen Bass's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | US House (California, District 37) |  |
$692,988 | |
| 2010 | US House (California, District 33) | |
$932,281 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $1,625,269 | |||
2012
Bass won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Bass's campaign committee raised a total of $692,988 and spent $803,966.[18]
| U.S. House, California District 37, 2012 - Karen Bass Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $692,988 |
| Total Spent | $803,966 |
| Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $0 |
| Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $0 |
| Top contributors to Karen Bass's campaign committee | |
| American Academy of Physician Assistants | $10,000 |
| American Postal Workers Union | $10,000 |
| Carpenters & Joiners Union | $10,000 |
| FedEx Corp | $10,000 |
| Home Depot | $10,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Health Professionals | $50,750 |
| Public Sector Unions | $42,000 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $36,088 |
| Industrial Unions | $35,000 |
| TV/Movies/Music | $34,998 |
2010
Bass won re-election to the U.S. House in 2010. During that election cycle, Bass's campaign committee raised a total of $932,281 and spent $768,919.[19]
His top 5 contributors between 2009-2010 were:
| U.S. House, California District 33, 2010 - Karen Bass Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $932,281 |
| Total Spent | $768,919 |
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $27,917 |
| Total Spent by General Election Opponent | $24,917 |
| Top contributors to Karen Bass's campaign committee | |
| California Assn of Physician Groups | $12,650 |
| National Amusements Inc | $12,600 |
| Time Warner | $12,600 |
| Service Employees International Union | $11,300 |
| FedEx Corp | $11,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Health Professionals | $73,700 |
| TV/Movies/Music | $52,400 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $48,650 |
| Real Estate | $33,400 |
| Building Trade Unions | $31,900 |
2008
|
|
Below are Bass's top 5 campaign contributors in the 2008 election:[20]
| Contributor | 2008 total |
|---|---|
| CA Building Industry Assoc | $20,036 |
| California Democratic Party | $16,613 |
| California Teachers Association | $14,400 |
| Service Employees Local 721 | $14,400 |
| Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters | $14,400 |
Fined over gift disclosure
In February 2010 Bass agreed to pay a fine of $600 for failing to disclose gifts from interest groups. Thirty other California lawmakers agreed to pay fines as well.[21]
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Bass missed 126 of 1,695 roll call votes from January 2011 to March 2013. This amounts to 7.4%, which is worse than the median of 2.2% among current congressional representatives as of March 2013.[22]
Congressional staff salaries
The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Bass paid her congressional staff a total of $860,092 in 2011. She ranked 16th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic Representative Staff Salaries and she ranked 106th overall of the lowest paid Representative Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, California ranked 5th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[23]
Net worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Bass's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $195,006 and $501,000. That averages to $348,003, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic Representatives in 2011 of $5,107,874. Her average net worth decreased by 24.02% from 2010.[24]
2010
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Bass' net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $265,005 and $651,000. That averages to $458,002.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic Representatives in 2010 of $4,465,875.[25]
National Journal vote ratings
- See also: National Journal vote ratings
2012
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Bass ranked 15th in the liberal rankings in 2012.[26]
2011
Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Bass ranked 30th in the liberal rankings.[27]
Political positions
Percentage voting with party
November 2011
The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Karen Bass voted with the Democratic Party 95.2% of the time, which ranked 9 among the 192 House Democratic members in 2011.[28]
Personal
Bass is divorced and has one child.
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Karen + Bass + California + House
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
Karen Bass News Feed
- Africa: Rep. Bass Statement on President's Travel to Africa - AllAfrica.com
- The Buzz: Southern California lawmakers trumpet 'strong support' for Jerry ... - Sacramento Bee
- Sean Penn raps Bolivia for jailing NY man - New Jersey Jewish News
- White House Honors Harvey Milk Champions of Change, Takano Honors Milk in ... - Frontiers LA (blog)
- Food Company and Farmers Union Back Changes to Aid Program - New York Times (blog)
- GOP playing cynical game with student debt vote - The Hill (blog)
- Ten House Dems endorse Aguilar for House seat - The Hill (blog)
- West Coast sound featured at The Station Thursday night - Brantford Expositor
- Actor Sean Penn urges Congress to pressure Bolivia for American's release - Asbury Park Press
- As Obama Pushes Overhaul of Food Aid, Panels in Congress Favor Smaller ... - New York Times
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External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 CNN "California Districts Race - 2012 Election Center"
- ↑ Los Angeles Times "Tony Strickland, Karen Bass set for congressional runs," Accessed March 4, 2012
- ↑ Gov Track "Bass" Accessed May 22, 2012
- ↑ Biographical Director of the United States Congress "Karen Bass," Accessed November 12, 2011
- ↑ CQ.com - Roll Call, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress," accessed January 18, 2013
- ↑ Representative Karen Bass, Proudly Representing the 33rd District of California "Committees and Caucuses"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wall Street Journal, "Democrats for a Flat Tax?", July 11, 2009
- ↑ From The Capitol, "Redistricting Commission repeal gets boost from House Dems", February 2, 2010
- ↑ Capitol Weekly, "Capitol Weekly's Legislative Scorecard", December 17, 2009
- ↑ Fox and Hounds Daily, "Random Thoughts on the Political Scene", December 18, 2009
- ↑ Capitol Weekly", Downloadable 2009 Capitol Weekly State Legislative Scorecard
- ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, Official candidate list
- ↑ Unofficial election results
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
- ↑ California State Assembly election results
- ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Karen Bass," Accessed March 22, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Karen Bass 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed February 20, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Karen Bass 2010 Election Cycle," Accessed November 12, 2011
- ↑ Follow the Money - 2008 Campaign contributions
- ↑ Sacramento Bee, "California lawmakers agree to pay fines over gift disclosure," February 2, 2010
- ↑ GovTrack, "Karen Bass," Accessed April 2, 2013
- ↑ LegiStorm "Karen Bass"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Bass, (D-Cali), 2011"
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Bass, (D-Cali), 2010"
- ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," February 23, 2012
- ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Diane Watson |
U.S. House of Representatives - California, District 37 2011-Present |
Succeeded by ' |
| Preceded by ' |
California Assembly - District 47 2004–2010 |
Succeeded by Holly J. Mitchell |
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